I have been struggling all week to write about the Rally to Restore Sanity, which Alex and I attended in Washington D.C. last Saturday. At first I thought I was just tired after having driven one thousand miles to D.C. from Boston and back. I had many conversations with people about the Rally, and was able to speak about it with ease. Why then could I not strap down my thoughts to some loose leaf? Why?

JVP Co-founder and former editor-in-chief Alex Giannattasio might be studying law in DC, but his presence is always felt at the Johnsonville– whether it be in his comments, guidance, or ever-growing legacy as a contributor. And while this Q and A isn’t the same as having Alex around full time, it’ll have to hold you over for now.

As Managing Editor of the JVP, I’ve spent the past few months working closely with Editor-In-Chief Matia Guardabascio. I’ve been exposed to her sharp-wit, her strong analytic skills, and her love of literature and music. Business meetings, however, can only let one so far in to the life of another. A Q and A can provide even further access, as is the case with this interview, wherein myself and readers get to learn about Matia’s upbringing and stargazing, amongst other things. The best way to get to know someone, as Matia herself points out, remains to be through casual conversation and plain-old hanging out. But until you have the pleasure of chatting with Matia herself, this Q and A will have to hold you over.

Project Civility is in full swing at Rutgers, whether you noticed it or not. The initiative’s aim is to get people to ask questions about what it means to be part of a community, about how people should treat one another, and what can be done to improve the quality of people’s treatment of others. Of course, the whole initiative is voluntary rather than mandatory, which means that, chances are, one likely won’t be prompted to participate in Project Civility in one’s day to day. At the very least, I’ve yet to be prompted, so I figured that I’d prompt myself and my fellow JVPers to participate ourselves with this week’s question: Should America have a notion of civic duty if it doesn’t already? Why or why not? If so, what should it entail?

Here is a short photo series from the Rally to Restore Sanity. More pictures to come this week. Expect to see an article from me as well. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these pictures. I hope they make you feel as though you were there.

Sincerely, Matia Guardabascio, Editor-In-Chief

I will be arguing in defense of the study of art history. My reasons for doing so are elaborated below. I have included in this piece a number of pictures of some of my favorite pieces of art. They are reproduced here under the fair use policy of the United States. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Every day on my way to and from school, I treat myself to the distinct pleasure of strolling through Lafayette Square and past the front gates of the White House. Picking my way through crowds of people clad in Bermuda shorts and fanny packs reminds me not only of where I am, but how I got there…

The Johnsonville Press Daily Edition
Today’s Submission: Alex Giannattasio
1. Challenge of the Day: Teach someone something they don’t already know today. If you manage to do it without getting called an asshole, you probably have what it takes to reverse America’s declining status as the world’s leader in education. Or you could always teach English in South Korea, or even better, Thailand! You can buy a pet monkey with all the money you’ll make over there!
2.  Recommendation of the Day: the band Radio Moscow–Recently, a friend introduced me to this three …

There are many benefits to cooking your own food. For one, it’s cheaper, since you don’t have to worry about all the overhead that goes into managing a restaurant. For another, you’re directly responsible for how the food is prepared, meaning you know exactly what went into it, how it was prepared, and whether or not it fell on the floor before reaching your table. And for people like me, it’s a relaxing pastime; the real craftsmanship that goes into preparing food correctly lets me take my mind off complex, …

The Johnsonville Press Daily Edition
Today’s Submission by: Alex Giannattasio
1. Recommendation of the Day:
Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations – If you like images of beautiful countryside, snarky New Jersey hosts and eating, why aren’t you watching this show right now? The most grounded and authentic travel series yet to hit the idiot box, No Reservations is a must watch for any lover of foreign food and travel. A new episode airs on the Travel Channel every Monday night at 10. The show willingly embraces travel to off the grid places often …