QC Voices

06/13/2019

“God’s I Was Strong Then”: The Downfall of Game of Thrones

Still not over GOT’s grand finale? Jordan Foresta shares his thoughts on bad and inconsistent writing ! Spoiler Alert!

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/jforesta/2019/06/03/gods-i-was-strong-then-the-downfall-of-game-of-thrones/

"I could rant for pages and pages about the poorly written dialogue, the nonsensical character motivations, the overabundance of CGI and violence meant to distract fans from the terrifyingly bad writing. Instead, I'm going to harp on the most heinous of Season 8's issues: Season 8 took 7 seasons of character development and tosses them out the window."

Spoiler alert for all of Game of Thrones! I audibly sighed as I began writing this piece. This has been an article I’ve been thinking about since Season 7 of HBO’s mega-hit Game of Thro…

06/03/2019

Folie a Deux: A Madness Shared By Two

Maggie Capozzoli-Cavota’s new piece is after the emo kid in you. Check out her retrospect on @FallOutBoy’s Folie a Deux!

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/maggie123/2019/05/29/folie-a-deux-a-madness-shared-by-two/

“Folie a Deux remains their strongest example of what it means to make a perfect album during the wrong time. With the lowest sales and poor crowd response, you wouldn’t believe to say it’s an album that’s by and far, the most cherished to any fan of the band.”

Rarely older generations take Fall Out Boy as a serious band. This opinion, as it happens from generation to generation with popular music, is typical. No parent understands their child’s fav…

05/29/2019

Games For All: The Xbox One Adaptive Controller

In his new piece, Jordan Foresta’s tackles accessibility and inclusivity in the gaming industry!

“I think accessibility and inclusivity are the two biggest challenges that the gaming industry needs to confront in the near future. Graphics, advanced artificial intelligence, and sprawling digital worlds mean nothing if everyone can't experience them.”

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/jforesta/2019/05/27/games-for-all-the-xbox-one-adaptive-controller/

Anyone who knows me personally knows I’m an avid Playstation fan. Simply put, I think Microsoft has unequivocally lost this console generation. Microsoft bungled the reboots of some of their …

05/28/2019

Can I Get a F-R-A-U-D For College Spirit?

How do racial, gender, and class consciousness shape students’ college experience in the U.S.? Head to QC Voices to read Sunmbul Ahmed’s latest!

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/sunmbul/2019/05/25/can-i-get-a-f-r-a-u-d-for-college-spirit/

“Students of color or minority students face a common phenomenon: imposter syndrome. Impostor syndrome is the condition of feeling like a fraud because of an inability to internalize success and feeling incompetent.”

Public schools are funded through federal, state, and local dollars. Free education is an expensive public service, but it’s significant in shaping the future of America. The value of educati…

05/14/2019

His Young Heart: The EP That Openly Asks You To Embrace Weeping

It’s New Music Tuesday with Maggie Capozzoli-Cavota’s review of Daughter’s hazy and unsettling EP His Young Heart.

“As a listener, I’m always looking for the kind that exudes an air of consolation without being cloying. One that creates a headspace indulged in just enough escapism to allow one the salve of catharsis. Daughter’s EP, His Young Heart, provides just that; a cornerstone of commiseration in a world that’s less than kind.”

To many people, I’ve become a subtle symbol of grief over the years. Clad in all black and never giving more than a pitifully vague answer about my personal life, I’m sure I’ve turned h…

05/13/2019

I Was So Much Older Then, I’m Younger Than That Now, Act 1

Megan Pinding’s honesty pierces through the American Dream in her scrutiny of higher education and race in the U.S..

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/meganpindling/2019/05/06/i-was-so-much-older-then-im-younger-than-that-now-act-1/

"I’d swing into my American Dream on calcified ivy vines and land somewhere this side of assimilation. My race would be irrelevant within the ivy-colored halls. I’d have made it–and so my complexion would be a matter of lighting instead of a construct that I didn’t ask for. Every decision I made from 13 to 20 was predicated with the intent to mitigate my Blackness."

I cannot find my high school id card, but let me describe it to you. I was 13 and my hair had been relaxed for precisely 11 months. It hung straight down to my shoulder blades, prone to waltzing in…

05/09/2019

Thank you for making QC Voices & Friends such a cozy and supportive space to perform and inhabit! We are lucky to be working with such talented writers.

Don’t forget that our call for applications for next year is out – link in bio! @ Queens College

05/07/2019

Black Holes and the Abyss of the Internet

Hadassah Schneider wrote this brilliant piece on gender bias in the sciences – for all who wish the patriarchy vanished into a black hole.

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/hadassahschneider/2019/05/03/black-holes-and-the-abyss-of-the-internet/

“When men (particularly white men) achieve greatness, it’s assumed that they did it all on their own and that they deserve every bit of praise they receive. When women achieve greatness the exact opposite happens.”

For the past week I’ve spent more time than I’d care to admit staring into the depths of the first-ever image of a black hole and contemplating my insignificant existence in the face of this…

04/30/2019

Save the Date! QC Voices & Friends is happening on Wednesday, May 8 during free hour! Come read & hang!

04/30/2019

Ghosts

Zeli M.’s queer hauntology will leave you both heartbroken and heartwarmed. Their prose is rather soothing, though.

“I often tell people that New York is more of a small town than an actual small town if you’re paying attention. […] Sometimes people will nod in a subterranean recognition, and other times they’ll just laugh and I’ll lunge my head forward, laughing right along with them.”

It’s an overcast spring day in Chelsea, purple and gray-blue tinted everywhere like a bruise finally deciding to refuse its body’s resistance to healing. I have many kinds of family, including quee…

04/27/2019

Can Video Games Tell Stories? – Taboo Debates in Critical Game Studies

‪Raise your hand if you know what Ludology is. Jordan Foresta’s latest dives headfirst in the field of video games studies! ‬

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/jforesta/2019/04/26/can-video-games-tell-stories-taboo-debates-in-critical-game-studies/

‪“My favorite games are the ones that create real emotional investment through the combination of system and story. Ludology’s focus on games as systems and rules and artificial spaces took some of the heart out of games.”‬

In doing research for my thesis (finished now, woohoo!), I stumbled upon something I probably should have a long time ago – the critical field of video game studies. Considering how often I w…

04/22/2019

Jukebox With The Most: Not Your Parents Beach Boys

Summer is approaching fast! Maggie Capozzoli-Cavota gives us a taste of an idyllic season with her review of Jukebox The Ghost’s first album Let Live and Let Ghosts.

“Even I always want the “Imagined Summer,” long dreamt of and perfect in its pitch. […] Released in 2008, the album is a zany mix of feel good tunes and apocalypse.”

I miss The Beach Boys. I seldom listen to them anymore. So, in searching for a substitute of my much beloved summer music I stumbled onto Jukebox The Ghost. Truly. One wonders, what makes music sou…

04/19/2019

Loss Is An Universal Emotion

Sunmbul Ahmed on Islamophobia as loss – how does it feel to feel alone in your mourning?

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/sunmbul/2019/04/18/loss-is-an-universal-emotion-ready-to-publish/

“What's seems paradoxical is that as Muslims, my family, my community, and I are so consumed into being individual representatives of our faith that we forget that we are victims too. There is limited media attention when the victims are brown.”

It’s Jummah. Every Jummah I wake up to the beautiful recitations of the Quran on the Echo Dot in my living room. The smell of kababs on the burning stove. The sound of laughter and teasing as…

04/19/2019

The Public Shame of Olivia Jade

Have we dealt with the so-called Operation Varsity Blues all wrong? Head to QC Voices to read Rhea Tepp’s take on the college admissions scandal and the public shaming of Olivia Jade.

“Our collective focus on Olivia Jade functions as public distraction. It distracts those of us who say we care about injustice from challenging a system designed for wealthy families to retain power, regardless of merit.”

I spent some time watching Olivia Jade Giannulli’s Vlogs. I watched her spend ten minutes humble-bragging about expensive Christmas gifts. I skipped through her travels to Fiji, which served…

03/25/2019

QC Voices

03/25/2019

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03/21/2019

The Origins of NYC Tap Water

Interested in why New York City’s tap water has got such a good reputation? Alyssa Perez offers us a brief political history of the NYC Watershed!

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/alymprz/2019/03/20/the-origins-of-nyc-tap-water/

“I always filter my water. All of the water around NYC is dirty, so you know our [tap] water is too.” —NYC Resident New York City residents have a lot of different feelings and opinions…

03/21/2019

Making Up My Mind

Who’s ready to deconstruct makeup culture in the Western world? Here’s Sunmbul Ahmed for QC Voices!

"Before I would argue makeup is a form of liberation—and don’t get me wrong it could be—but to ignore the institutional oppression, now, that exists within the makeup platform would be foolish."

Some mornings, I wake up an hour earlier in order to reserve extra time to cake my face. A process I enjoy thoroughly. I sculpt my face, highlighting features, and concealing features I dislike. So…

03/13/2019

A Tale of Two “Kill a Mockingbird”s

Here’s Paul DeFilippo, for your quasi-weekly roundup on Broadway-drama. But seriously, what is wrong with Scott Rudin?

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/paulalexanderdefilippo/2019/03/12/a-tale-of-two-kill-a-mockingbirds/

  If you’ve ever read To Kill a Mockingbird, you likely have some strong opinions. The 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee is one of the most popular American novels of all t…

03/12/2019

On Women’s History Month

Hadassah Schneider thinks we should do away with Women’s History Month. Head to her latest on QC Voices to find out why!

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/hadassahschneider/2019/03/11/on-womens-history-month/

“For most of history, women have a been a footnote, rather than a chapter heading. We have been relegated to the unread sections of our history books. Making a conscious effort to teach about minorities and women is important, but we need to do it in a way that doesn’t allow us to be ignored the rest of the year. “

Let’s get rid of Women’s History Month. It’s unnecessary and only furthers the marginalization of women. Instead of trying to shove every single contribution that women have made into a mere…

03/08/2019

Carnations and Cellophane

Did you miss Nadia Misir’s lyric essays? We certainly did and are delighted to see her back with an ode to/a phenomenological history of carnations.

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/nmisir26/2019/03/07/carnations-and-cellophane/

“Let my God, if there is one, be a fairly compensated gardener and flower cutter, a wielder of sharp shears, a being who can grow, but also cut down.”

  “The carnation is probably native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last two millennium.”—New World Encyclopedia i. Carnations g…

03/05/2019

Approximate Wait Time

Rhea Tepp is back with a dreadful account of customer “care” in late capitalism!

"I imagine something on the other end of the line that is almost alive. Something with blood and veins mixed with programmed parts. Maybe just a head but no body. Maybe just a body with a mechanical head. The voice sounds pretty much alive, but I’ve learned to treat it differently, which is to know better."

The lemon tree outside my bedroom window bursts with canary yellow jewels. I sit in my room, phone camera in hand, observing energetic exchanges between the citrus blossoms and the hummingbirds. Tw…

02/26/2019

Under The Weather

Sunmbul Ahmed offers a precious testimony of how many, too many, young Americans are left under the weather by the current economic and social structures.

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/sunmbul/2019/02/25/under-the-weather/

“We spend more on military than we do on education, medicare and health, Veterans benefits, housing and community, energy and environment, science, social security, and transportation combined.”

I have a strong relationship with my younger siblings. Partially because I had to raise them. Which is a common responsibility for an older child in an immigrant family, the health of our siblings.…

02/22/2019

I Refuse to Join The March

On January 19, Hadassah Schneider refused to take part in the Women's March. Here's why.

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/hadassahschneider/2019/02/22/i-refuse-to-join-the-march/

"I can’t stand idly by as the women who preach inclusivity and intersectionality allow me, and others like me, to fall through the cracks."

  I’m an Orthodox Jew. I’m also a feminist. Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile the two. I’ve walked a tightrope between these two parts of myself and, over the years, I’ve managed to perfect my …

02/19/2019

Implemented by Students, for Students – Participatory Budgeting at Queens College

We are so grateful for all the grassroots student movements persistently at work to “Make Sh*t Better,” and even more grateful to Sal Asaro for writing about it.

“I was given a choice, and it didn’t come to me because I was special. It came to me because I was regular. It didn’t come from the administration It came from the students themselves organizing around a belief—a better kind of democracy, something direct and tangible.”

I have been the coordinator of the grassroots student Participatory Budgeting process at Queens College (PBQC) since the fall of 2017. All of my knowledge of community organizing has come through d…

02/18/2019

The Show Must (Not) Go On: Saying Goodbye to “The Band’s Visit”

Two valuable takeaways from Paul DeFilippo's new piece. 1. We need to be more attentive to the bills of on and off-Broadway theaters. Blink and you’ll miss it. 2. If you think you have a sense of how the business model for the entertainment industry works… think twice!

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/paulalexanderdefilippo/2019/02/18/the-show-must-not-go-on-saying-goodbye-to-the-bands-visit/

"Recoupment essentially means that a show has paid back all of its investors, and is now officially profitable. This might sound like a low goal for any business venture, but only somewhere between one-third and one-fifth of all Broadway shows recoup."

  A singular trait of theatre is its own ephemerality. Every performance is unique, never to be repeated again, only to be reported on and remembered by those who were there to witness it. The…

02/15/2019

Dispatches from the Black Future

Megan Montague's latest invites us to perform an exercise in radical imagination – what does Black Future look like?

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/meganpindling/2019/02/15/dispatches-from-the-black-future/

"We know what Black history looks like. It looks like: Rosa Parks refusing to vacate her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Dr. King having a dream, and George Washington Carver inventing peanut butter. But what don’t we see?"

To celebrate Black History “What About White History Month” Month in the year 2019 of our Lady Beyoncé, Esquire magazine drafted a flaccid profile of the white American male and his har…

02/11/2019

Bandersnatch, or Why You Don’t Hire TV Producers to Make a Video Game

I can't get enough of Jordan Foresta's explorations of videogames as medium, art form, and genre. His new piece is a critical review of Bandersnatch... SPOILER ALERT!

http://qcvoices.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/jforesta/2019/02/11/bandersnatch-or-why-you-dont-hire-tv-producers-to-make-a-video-game/

"Bandersnatch’s biggest problem is that it ends like an episode of Black Mirror, and not like a video game."

  Spoiler Alert for Bandersnatch! During my time off this winter (totally spent working on my thesis and not at all playing World of Warcraft), I managed to avoid hearing about Bandersnatch. F…