Theater and Movies

By: Paige Kleinfelder '14



A quick glimpse at what I have been up to:

The two past weekends I have been finishing up my community service requirement by working backstage for the six performances of God’s Favorite. The comedy was put on by Elmira Little Theatre at the Clemens Center. After working on the set for the show over the past month I found myself eager to see how it would all come together. It was an amazing set design because during the intermission the mansion living room had to transform into a burnt out shell of a room. This meant that rather than dressing all in black and clearing away the set in the dark while the theater was empty I found myself with half a dozen other backstage crew members each in firemen jackets. We lifted away and spun walls to reveal burnt section, then placed debris around the floor and removed the decorations. There were six performances and each was better than the one before. I never thought going to community service would be fun or that I would have so many good memories from it. I have made a lot of friends from ELT and plan on taking part in future productions. How could I pass up the chance to play dress up again, next time I am hoping to be a doctor or an astronaut.

This weekend I watched a movie with my friends to unwind after the Friday performance. I joined Pickles, Sarah, Mikayla, and Emily for what we thought would be a scary movie night. The movie choice, After Life, turned out to just be creepy. Very creepy. So in response to that I have realized a few important things:

1. My roommate is no longer allowed to pick the group movies for the weekends.
2. I am now terrified to go to funeral homes.
3. If someone tells me that I am dead, the first thing I am going to do is breathe on a mirror.
And most importantly:
4. I need to watch some old school Disney movies to try and recover.

Those are just some of the things I have been doing. But now, I must return to studying for Education midterm, which is currently scaring me more than After Life.

College Student to Parent Dictionary

By: Sarah Schwadron '14


(Some of these apply specifically to Elmira College, some to all college students)

• Call Home to ask How Everything is—I need money.
• Cup of Coffee—Five shots of espresso, plus an energy drink.
• Freshman Writing Stinks!—I don’t want to write another paper in all of my life.
• I just made something really delicious in the microwave!!—Back away, fast. And don’t eat it.
• I’m going to head over to towers tonight—I don’t want to write a paper, so I’m going to go party.
• I’m going to clean up my room—I’m going to put some shoes away and then wind up on facebook for the next two hours.
• Laundry Day—Put clothes in the washing machine and leave them there until someone transfers them for you.
• Let’s walk to the supermarket—I don’t have a car, but I need some stuff, and I don’t want to walk by myself.
• Read a Book—Fall asleep
• Sunday—Day of Sleeping until dinner time.
• Take a Nap—Write a paper.
• Take a Shower—Spend half an hour in the bathroom rocking out to music
• Watch TV/Movie—Take a nap.
• Writing a Paper—I’m going to open up a Microsoft Document and type in the MLA heading, then fool around on face book for the next three hours.

More to come.

The Side Effects of Dorm Life

By: Emily Oshinskie '14

Last Sunday I got in the car with three other phenomenal ‘14s and headed back to the land of purple and gold, excited for what this new term would reveal. I can tell you it’s already off to a great start….well, besides the 8:00am classes. But that’s a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. Break was great, but I really missed being able to walk down the hall and chill with my friends. There is nothing like dorm life and the instant community of living with other people. Ah cohabitation! Before break, my CORE professor asked our class, “What does community mean to you?” I started thinking about the community in the dorms at Elmira and started making a list about the symptoms/side effects/indicators of dorm community.

Here’s a few that I have noticed in Columbia hall:

• The girls down the hall are fanning each other with towels, so their 11:30pm facials will dry.
• Spontaneous dance parties in the hallway because you and your friends are all down with your papers at 11:58pm (because it’s before midnight).
• Helping a two friends finish up their Oreos because they have already consumed 95% of them.
• Falling asleep in your friend’s bed because you’re too tired to walk three doors down.
• Skyping with a friend’s friend, boyfriend, mother, uncle, dog, etc. (I didn’t get the whole Skyping with a pet at first but apparently people do that….I try not to judge)
• Coloring books and crayons spilled all over the floor could only mean a Disney princess and Pooh Bear coloring party (regressing back to childhood reduces stress fyi).
• Establishing one person that you plan to hug every time you see them.
• A room of people shouting out random phrases that all have one word in common tends to indicate an intense game of “Family Feud” simultaneously being played on three different laptops.
• “Jersey Shore” watching parties….I don’t think I have to elaborate on that one.
• Making Rice Krispie treats with Frosted Flakes in the microwave.
• Hearing Aaron Carter’s “I Want Candy” a few doors down and deciding to go join them in reminiscing about the pre-teen years.

This is just the beginning to a never-ending list of qualities that describe dorm life. Another professor told me recently that it isn’t always the big things that you remember in life, but it’s the smaller memories. Yes, I will never forget going to my first hockey game or going to the first day of classes at EC; however, the memories that I know will stick out are the times when I go down the hall to ask my friend for some jelly to put on my PB&J and I end up having a couple hours of meaningful and inspiring conversation.