I look forward, a mirror obscures my view
I look forward, only to see behind
The halls of ivy are all I know
But the vines won’t take me where
I think I need to go
How shall I plan when circumstances are so constantly chaotic?
My thoughts are obsolete the very second
They occur
Soon cast out into a world that isn’t
What we thought we were entitled to
I didn’t make this fucking mess
But now I’m my own life’s janitor
With a shit-stuffed toilet to look forward to
Disillusioned and demotivated
At the same time feeling the tug
Of a thousand chains …

RUSA, the Rutgers University Student Assembly, seems to hover around campus like a ghost. Who are they? What do they do? Every once in a while, they appear beforethe general public,when issues like the “Too Much Money Retreat” last fall garner widespread commentary. In talking to some of my friends, most are not even aware of RUSA’s existence. Of the ones who have heard of the group, the general consensus is that RUSA distributes money to different organizations. And that makes sense. Shiny cardstock, full color and beautiful quality fliers …

Some people call Rutgers “Slutgers”. I don’t like that name because it perpetuates the stigmatization of female sexuality. If I wanted to, I’d call it “Notverygoodgers”, but I wouldn’t call it that either because I don’t really get angry. I’m like Bruce Banner, except my inner Hulk is also Bruce Banner.

I also can’t really tell you what I think of Rutgers because I transferred in the spring of ‘09 and I’ve been a commuter until recently. Being a commuter is like going to an all you can eat buffet and then eating more than your fill to get your money’s worth. You leave with a stomachache and realize that you haven’t gotten your money’s worth at all and that you should have just lived on campus. So, I put down my knife and fork and moved into a place half a mile from College Ave.

Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby

This week I sat down with a very laid back couple, Bonnie and Clyde, I’ll call them.  Although they’ve been together for only about four months, they’ve had some very exciting sexual adventures.  Bonnie is a 19 year old Rutgers College sophomore and Clyde is a 21 year old Rutgers College senior.  Both are Honors Program students.  During the school year they have sex about every other day on average.  Here’s how our chat went:

People Watching
If you go to Rutgers and spend any significant amount of time on College Ave, you probably have seen Ray Dib, affectionately nicknamed the Mandolin Guy. You might even know him personally. If you don’t know what I am talking about, then you probably just need some time. I have seen him around a lot, and last week I sat down to talk with him.  What unfolded in our conversation was the story of a musician, someone who feels music very personally, and has an intimate relationship with …

People Watching
A Monday night at Nielson. The only empty table on the lower level is to our right, and we are seated and laughing, Marlana (me) across from Matt next to Kine across from Hanna next to me. Matt’s eyes pop up suddenly, and his hand raises to wave. I peak over my shoulder to see his roommate Will walking by, tray in hand. He sits down at that empty table, and in order to get there, he walks completely around our table. “He’s a very focused guy,” Matt says, …

As a humble employee of the College Avenue Dining Hall, I offer you the students, an article that I hope will give you a more intimate knowledge of and relationship with Brower Commons.  I will start by admitting that as a freshman, I too thought that Brower was quite inferior to the other Dining Halls on the New Brunswick/Piscataway campus.

Last night, I had the good fortune to attend a pre-Thanksgiving potluck feast in New Brunswick. Among certain collegiate social niches, it has become tradition (perhaps it seems only natural) to host a pre-thanksgiving meal for the crew before shipping off to be with family for the actual holiday. If you’ve never tried it before, you should—it’s a great opportunity to critique each other’s cooking, get drunk and break into spontaneous sing-a-longs.

Rutgers University is considered one of the finer academic and research institutions of America. For me, it’s a big deal to attend a school touted as a big mover and shaker, producing excellent minds that continue to contribute to their respective fields and society as a whole. It’s reassuring to know that I can attain an education with main street-upward social mobility in mind. Economic times may be tough and the selection of jobs available shrinking; but now is the perfect time to be at school.

Last week, two things happened to me which, to my mind at least, finally confirm my status as a Rutgers alumni: I received my first copy of Rutgers magazine, and I was for the first time denied access to the Alexander Library undergraduate printers. All that’s left for me now is to wait patiently in the knowledge that very soon, probably around dinnertime, students from the RU Telefund will be calling about their cut of my as-yet-nonexistent paycheck.