March 22, 2012

34st.com

CAPS CAPPED

SPRING FOODIE EVENTS • HUNGER GAMES REVIEW • MUSIC FESTIVAL PREVIEWS

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34TH STREET MAGAZINE

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march 22

CAPS is "slowly chipping away at the stigma."music festivals

6 FOOD & DRINKbasil growing diy, just add this, spring foodie events, top spring veggies

4 EGOego of the week, repurposing bookstore buys

14 FILMhunger games review, why VHS doesn't totally suck

8 FEATUREuncapping caps

12 ARTSphilly stake, fabric review

10 MUSICalbum reviews, music festi-vals, concerts of the week

15 LOWBROWmemes of the week, campus complaints

16 BACKPAGEthe history of campus build-ings

2012

Elizabeth Horkley, Salad SpinnerJoe Pinsker, Egg Timer

Adrian Franco, French PressHilary Miller, Milk WatcherChloe Bower, Turkey Baster

Sarah Tse, 1 DumplingLaura Francis, Slow CookerZeke Sexauer, Milk SteamerPaige Rubin, Roasting Jack

Zacchiaus Mckee, Frying PanFaryn Pearl, Cauldron

Patrick Ford–Matz, Magic BulletTucker Johns, Pie Bird

Nina Wolpow, Herb ChopperColette Bloom, Bone ScissorsLeah Steinberg, Oven Mitts

Sam Brodey, Pastry BagFrida Garza, Molcajete

Daniel Felsenthal, MicrowaveAlex Hosenball, Cheese Cloth

Ellie Levitt, Unagisaki HochoMegan Ruben, Lemon Reamer

Anthony Khaykin, Pepper ShakerSandra Rubinchik, Salt ShakerAlexa Nicolas, Meat Tenderizer

Lauren Reed–Guy, Cookie CutterBen Lerner, Lam

Patrick Del Valle, Cupcake Pan

34st.comInna Kofman, Melon Baller

Ali Jaffe, SporkElena Gooray, Idli

Katie Giarla, Muffin Tin

Cover Design: Chloe Bower & Hilary Miller

Contributors: Michael Scognamiglio, David Galperin, Olivia Rutigliano, Robert Holub, Kim Pinsker

Contacting 34th Street Magazine: If you have questions, comments, complaints or letters to the editor, email Elizabeth Horkley, Editor-–in–Chief, at

horkley@34st.com. You can also call us at (215) 898–6585. To place an ad, call (215) 898–6581.

VISIT OUR WEB SITE: www.34st.com"That night I only threw up purple Nerds."

©2012 34th Street Magazine, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. No part may be reproduced in whole or in part without the ex-

press, written consent of the editors (but I bet we will give you the a-okay.) All rights reserved. 34th Street Magazine is published by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc., 4015 Walnut St., Philadel-

phia, Pa., 19104, every Thursday.

CHILLIN'FROMtheEDITOR

hunger games

Sorry if you didn't get floor tickets … you can always come to our writers' meeting, which requires minimal wait times and no money. Like the concert, it'll be more fun if you're rolling.

WRITERS' MEETING4015 WALNUT

6:30 P.M.

stake dinner

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I watched Dazed and Confusedlast Thursday. And on Saturday, life imitated art.

No, not in THAT way. Well, kind of in that way — but in spirit more than substance.

If you haven’t seen Richard Lin-klater’s breezy, instagram snapshot of the 70s, go VanPick it up now.

Basically, some Texas teenagers kick it on the last day of school. That’s it. There’s an impromptu party in a fi eld. Some people get in a fi ght. A guy climbs up on a water tower. And at the end of the day, everyone just goes home and listens to good music.

On Saturday, there was an im-promptu party on a fi eld that was probably developed some time

in the 19th Century. I saw some people get in a fi ght (shoutout to the guy who got thrown down the concrete steps outside the Radian! Hope you’re okay!). I climbed up on a roof. And at the end of the day I went home and watched Heathers with my main squeeze.

Penn: thank you for chilling the fuck out for a day and making my dream of living in Dazed and Con-fused come true. We should do this more often.

Alright, alright, alright,

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Girl on Locust: I just want to be engaged by the time I graduate. Then I’ll be happy.

Drunk Chick: I have really poor taste in friends. Really, don’t be fl attered that I like you, it means there’s probably something wrong with you.

Dude: I really shouldn’t have You-Tubed “sick cat.”

Girl: I was gonna drop acid this weekend but I’m too stressed out over internships.

Frat guy: Yo, go to the basement and sniff the lacquer. I’m high as FUCK right now.

wordonthestreet

overheardPENN

at

THEROUNDUP

HIGHBROW

Top o’ the morning to ya, lads and lassies. We hope your St. Patty’s Day was fi lled with green beer a–fl owing and few arrests a–made. Gingers fi nally got their day of glory, but the luck of the Irish wasn’t with some poor fellows this week, unfortunately.

One unlikely frat had their day in the sun this weekend. On a recent pledge trip to New York, Highbrow hears one new member had to get his belly button pierced — all the better for some fabu sunbathing. But that’s not all that happened on this totally frat–tastic excursion. Sources tell us that the boys also got caught up in bar fi ght. Wow, just in time for St. Patty’s Day, guys. Don’t worry, dear readers, the fi ght was broken up rather quickly by two large ex–Marines. No word on what started the fi ght, but the super cool belly button ring probably didn’t help.

Has anybody else noticed College Green has been signifi cantly less … green recently? And we’re not talking about the grass. Sources say Tabard girls have been asked to move from their regular spot outside of VP by the university because of their very public displays of “new member education.” They’ve taken things in a new direction, and have taken up residence at the tables by the compass.

The Erin Express wasn’t all co–eds looking for a little leprechaun love on St. Patty’s Day. The bars were packed with 50–year–old guys, who maybe got a little too frisky on the day of mirth. We hear that the guys had to be reminded several times to … um, keep their clothing on. Come on, no one wants to see your beer bellies and Irish potatoes, guys.

Our male readers might want to avert their eyes for our next story. Supposedly before the OZ St. Patty's Day party, one SDT senior broke an OZ sophomore’s … "member" over the weekend, necessitating a trip to the emergency room. Ouch! Needless to say, he never made it to the party. Sources tell us he’s fi ne, but Highbrow is grimacing in pain for him. Maybe he should be counting his blessings — at least the SDT didn't give him an STD too.

MY PENN ADDICTION:EXTREME BURSARING

You never forget your fi rst bursar. Actually, I have no idea if that’s true. I’ll never forget my fi rst bursar, anyway. It was a glorious moment, really. I’ve always been obsessed with school supplies. Pens, pencils, index cards, folders and planners all hold a certain sheen to me and, growing up, the fi rst weeks of school were the best of the year. But my parents would always limit me. I only needed as many notebooks as I had subjects and as many pens as could fi t in my cheetah–print pencil case. Anyway, I was buying books and a few essen-tials with my roommate the fi rst week of fresh-man year. When I went to pay, I realized I had forgotten my parents’ credit card and nearly put my stuff on hold. But then, my roommate uttered the six beautiful words that have become my life’s motto: why don’t you just bursar it? Those words changed everything.

I did go crazy with the school supplies at fi rst, but I’ve evolved since then. Matured even. There’s so much more to bursar than that section of the

bookstore. I found stationery, bookends, pa-perbacks, DVDs, CDs, board games. And then there’s the Penn gear. Don’t even get me started on the hundreds of dollars I’ve spent on shotglass-es, mugs, bumper stickers and sweatshirts. It's like I can't show my Penn pride enough now. I even bought a Nook case. “That’s not that weird,” you might be thinking. No, it is. I don’t have a Nook. I have no plans to buy one. Ever.

I'm not addicted to heroin or meth. And I could be obsessed with something that costs my parents WAYYYY more money (at least, that's how I justify it to myself). I do feel guilty, though. I try to limit my spending, but sometimes the siren song of the bookstore is just too overwhelming. And I fi gure, I work hard at school; I deserve this new Penn tote bag. Sometimes you just gotta treat yourself, ya know? So you guys have fun with your Houston sushi and Gatorade from the Uncommon Market. That's amateur stuff. If you ever wanna go pro, you know where to fi nd me.

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORKBY PAIGE RUBIN

I promise I’m not a freak and that I have at least a basic–to–intermediate grasp on social interactions. But there are some questions I

have that really keep me up at night. Why do people love talking about their bowel move-ments? It’s gross and I don’t want to hear about it, least of all when I’m eating. Who made kitten heels a thing? Those are just the worst. How do people start papers any time before the night be-fore they’re due? Is that really something people do or do they just say that to make me feel bad about myself? But most of all, I wonder about whistling. I think about it a lot, really. Is it an-noying? Is it appropriate? If so, when?

I’m being serious. I whistle a lot. Mostly when I’m walking somewhere alone, like to class or the library or my house. I fi gure it’s probably inap-propriate to whistle while walking with someone, almost as if the whistling is in lieu of conversa-tion. I mostly do it outdoors but occasionally I’ll whistle in the halls when I’m leaving class. Is this something everyone does or am I “that whistling girl”?

I consider myself to be a pretty decent whistler, too. Don’t ask me to whistle for you; I’m not a monkey trained to do tricks for you and I’m sure I’d mess up if I had any real audience. But trust me, when I’m alone, I’m like Celine Dion meets Michael Jackson meets Christina Aguilera.

My song choice almost always matches my mood. If people do notice that I whistle I hope, at least, that they pick up on that fact. I’ll do some Bright Eyes when I’m feeling depressed on the long walk down Walnut after a rough night in Van Pelt. The Jeopardy Theme if I’m feel-ing impatient. The Beatles if it’s a beautiful day outside. Whistling is a fantastic way to subcon-sciously manifest your feelings.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you don’t ever whistle, at least when you’re walking home alone, you should try it. I think everyone should whistle more! I have this friend who whis-tles through her teeth. It’s hard to explain. Like, she clenches her teeth and doesn’t really move her mouth but she’s found a way to make a strange whistling sound come out anyway. It really freaks me out. But at the same time, it’s oddly com-forting. People are such mysteries and it’s hard to guess what’s going on inside someone’s head. It’s good to know that, with her weird whistle that I’d recognize from a mile away, I can tell if she’s pissed off or excited or in–the–zone work-ing. Wearing your heart on your sleeve (or in the sound waves around you) like that is kind of nice. It’s honest, if you think about it. But maybe it’s just the two of us whistling while the rest of you cover your ears or avoid us freaks. I think I’m okay with that.

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Hannah Platt, President of Off the Beat, is in touch with her inner 11–year–old. But in honor of OTB's 25th an-niversary, she vows never to dress up as Baby Spice again. She looks forward to planning your next Bar Mitzvah.

EGO

Street: If you could have one celebrity join your group, who would it be?Hannah Platt: I personally would want Britney Spears, because I’m obsessed with her, but I think the rest of my group would absolutely hate that.

Street: What do you want to be when you grow up?HP: Starting in about three months, I’m going to be an event planner doing wed-dings and Bat Mitzvahs. I’ll be like The Wedding Planner, essentially.

Street: What did you want to be when you grew up?HP: I used to want to be a pop singer, like Britney Spears, when I was, like, 11. But that dream slowly faded into reality.

Street: Do you think your 11–year–old self would be okay with you being a par-ty planner?HP: I think so, because my eleven–year–old self was ob-sessed with the movie The Wedding Planner, so I’d be okay.

Street: What’s your tip for a great party?HP: Less speeches, more dancing.

Street: Fill in the blank: “I still can’t believe I once…”HP: I still can’t believe I once wore a dress that was too short in the Off the Beat show freshman year. People saw things they shouldn’t have seen. I still can’t believe I dressed up as Baby Spice in the Off the Beat show and wore white go–go boats and

a mini dress.

Street: I’m sensing a theme.HP: I would never do that today. That was risque on my part.

Street: What else can “OTB” stand for?HP: We once did a perfor-mance at Georgetown and someone else fi lmed it and put it on YouTube and they thought we were called “On The Beach.” Otherwise, I can only think of dirty ones: one–time bone…

Street: Who’s your alter ego?HP: I feel like sometimes my alter ego is Hannah Age 11, where I like to be that 11–year–old teenybopper who’s obsessed with all those

pop stars and loved to, like, put on sparkles and glitter (cause I’ll always do that at any opportunity), and dance around like an idiot and be a really big nerd (I was a really big nerd when I was little). And my other, I don’t have a name for it, but when I’m onstage and I’m rocking out, I’m Rock Star Hannah. Or … I don’t know, what’s a good name for that?

Street: Hannah Mon-tana.HP: Yeah! My alter ego is sort of Hannah Montana: a little less Miley Cyrus, a little more legit.

Street: Where will you be 25 years from now?HP: I would defi -

nitely be living in L.A. still and going to karaoke to relive my youth as an a c a p p e l l a s i n g e r .

I’ll be that mom that gets up and grabs the mic

at a kid’s Bar Mitzvah and

is like, “It’s my turn, I’m gonna sing now.”

EGO OF THE WEEK:EGO OF THE WEEK:EGO HANNAH PLATT

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browEXTREME MERCHANDISE MAKEOVERThe Penn Bookstore is full of goodies. Dog treats, ping pong balls and, uh, books, we guess. But we’re all about DIY here at Street. Why settle for an object’s original use when you can use it creatively? BY FARYN PEARL AND PATRICK FORD–MATZ

QUAKER PLUSHIERetail Cost: $24.98Regular Use: For the low, low price of $25, this plush Quaker doll will watch you every night while you sleep … and wait … watch and wait..Repurposed Use: Kindling.

BEN FRANKLIN POSTERRetail Cost: $24.98Regular Use: Stick this awkward fabric post-er up on your wall and awaken each day to a little wisdom from B–Frankz.Repurposed Use: Doormat! Toilet seat cov-er! Bath towel! Small, impractical blanket! The uses of knowledge really are limitless.

DOG JERSEYRetail cost: $19.98Regular Use: Show that your Shih Tzu barks for the Red and the Blue with this adorable dog jersey. Also: perfect as a Pup-py Bowl uniform.Repurposed Use: Well, it’s at least six siz-es smaller than a regular t–shirt … mean-ing that it shows just the right amount of skin for Halloween 2012.

GIGANTIC MUGRetail Price: $16.78Regular Use: A larger–than–average bowl for your larger–than–average tea drinker.Repurposed Use: Shot glass! CHUG IT. CHUG IT.

GLASS VASERetail Price: $550Regular Use: Using the same fi ne glass techniques nor-mally reserved for your grandma’s drawing room, this is the perfect vase to hold your hydrangeas.Repurposed Use: Class up your dorm room with these beautiful glass bed risers.

VOICE AMPLIFIERSRetail Cost: $3.98Regular Use: Annoy everyone around you at football games (as if you even go) with this noise amplifi er! Repurposed Use: Traffi c cones for parti-tioning off seating at Greek Lady. Watch those SDT girls try to steal your booth now.

THERMOSRetail Cost: $16.98Regular Use: Make it alive to your 9 a.m. class in style with this butt–ugly, postmodern attempt at a thermos!Repurposed Use: Cram it full of things that make you warm/fuzzy/nostalgic (i.e. failed papers, vom–stained Fling tanks, pictures of skanky exes) and it makes the perfect time capsule! The people of the future won’t even know what hit them.

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TZATZIKI’S GOT A NEW BEST FRIENDAnd it’s got nothing to do with shawarma

‘TIS THE Meet Spring’s best produce and fi nd out where it's being dished up in the cityBY NINA WOLPOW

FENNEL: A strongly aromatic herb, fennel tastes like licorice and is found often in Mediterranean cui-sine and salads. While it's usually the leaves you're after, fennel’s bulb and seeds (particularly when dried) can be incorporated into dishes like braised fennel or pastas. Also, fen-nel’s one of the primary ingredients in absinthe.

Where you’ll fi nd it used:White Dog’s Crab Cake ($16)Amis’s Fennel Gratin ($8)

AVOCADO: While this fruit’s native to Mexico, it's good for much more than guac. Try avocado on its own, spread on toast, stuffed in sandwiches or tossed on a salad. 75% of avocadoes’ calories are fatty, but don’t be deterred — it’s the good kind. These green guys have got 35% more potassium than ba-nanas and lots of fi ber, too.

Where you’ll fi nd it used: Matyson’s Chimichurri Chicken Wrap ($10)Honey’s Sit ‘n Eat Brisket Soft Tacos ($12)

ARTICHOKE: Eaten by Ro-mans and grown in Henry VIII’s garden, these funny–shaped vegeta-bles might be history’s favorite fruit (with some concession to the olive). Boil one in salted water and use its leaves as scoops for creamy dips, or stuff them with your favorite bread and cook — the artichoke is versatile and lends itself to creativity.

Where you’ll fi nd it used:Chloe’s Ravioli ($17)Osteria’s Lamb Neck ($28)

ASPARAGUS: You know it makes your pee smell, but did you know asparagus contains vitamins A, C, E and K and is so favored that several cit-ies host week–long festivals to celebrate its spring arrival? If you can’t make it to Nuremberg to see the world’s fastest as-paragus peeler this April, try shaving its stalks yourself. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon for cheap a cheap and refreshing alternative to lettuce.

Where you’ll fi nd it used:Garces Trading Company’s Verde Pizza ($16)Monk’s Cafe’s Mac & Cheese ($16.50)

What you need:One leftover side of tzatziki sauce (like Greek Lady’s)One whole artichokeSalt

Slice about 3/4 of an inch off the head of the artichoke, trim its stem and the smaller leaves at its base and rinse it in cold water. Add some salt and two inches of water to a large pot. Allow to boil and then add artichoke. Cover and cook 25–45 minutes (until outer leaves can be re-moved easily). When ready, use leaves as scoops for the tzatziki.

justaddthis

FOOD&DRINK

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browSTREET PICKSWant to know where Food & Drink is headed? (Hint: it’s not Commons) Check out these Spring culinary events.

Want to gorge?Amada’s Pig Roast: Sunday March 25, 4 and 7 p.m.Starting Friday, the chefs at Jose Garc-es’ Spanish restaurant Amada will brine two whole pigs in sugar and salt water and then roast and season them. For $55 a person, you can have at it (plus side dishes and dessert) at one of Ama-da’s two seatings. For $75, you’ll get bottomless sangria.

Want to splurge?Blackfish’s Titanic Dinner: Sunday April 15, seatings begin at 5 p.m.In commemoration of the 100th year anniversary of the world’s most famous sunken ship (and just in time for the release of the 3D film), Chip Roman’s Blackfish will host a 10–course tast-ing menu riffed off the one offered to the Titanic’s first class passengers. The only catch? It’s $95 a person.

Want to get out of Phila-delphia?Young Friends of Team Jamaica’s Caribbean Restaurant Nights: Wed. April 4 and Thurs. April 5Put on by Team Jamaica Bickie (which means "food"), a nonprofit that helps bring athletes from the Caribbean to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays, this event is Restaurant Week’s much cool-er cousin (at least that’s what we’ll be telling ourselves on our fourth help-ing of jerk chicken). For a good cause, less than $20 and in time for summer, you’ve got no reason to miss this, unless of course you’re still waiting around for Winter.

Never want to leave?Rocky screening at the new No-mad Pizza’s Pizza & Beer Theater: Wednesday March 28, 8:30 p.m.They’ve already done Amelie and Rebel Without a Cause, but Nomad can’t get any more Philly than Rocky. And the pizza and beer? Well that makes them perfect for college. Prices are TBA, but we can’t imagine they’re high.

DIY: GROW YOUR OWN BASILWant to spice things up? Don’t bother with dried herbs; follow our foolproof guide to growing basil at home.By LAURA FRANCIS

What you’ll need:2–liter soda bottle (label removed)scissorsknife2 sheets of paper towelpermanent markersmall, pre–grown Basil plantregular soil

MAke tHe CoNtAINeR:1. Draw a line around the circumference of the bottle about 4 inches from the bottom. You can use a regular–sized can to estimate this height.2. Puncture along the line with the knife (keep the cap on).3. Cut along the line with the scissors until the bottom and top are separated.4. Make about 8 incisions in the top half of the bottle. At each, make two parallel slits with the knife — about an eighth of an inch apart — then make two slices perpendicular to these and re-move the extra plastic. These holes will allow the soil to breath and drain.5. Take one sheet of paper towel, fold it twice, and roll until it's a flat strip about as wide as the cap.6. Take the second sheet of paper towel and cut or rip it in half. Place the towel strip into one of these half sheets. Gather the excess towel around the strip.7. Remove the bottle cap and place the towels into the bottle’s opening from the inside. The flare of the outer towel should come up into the container, toward the small holes. The towel will help filter the water up into the soil.8. Place the top half of the bottle (the section with the towels), into the bottom half. The cap end should almost touch the bottom of the bottle. If it does not, trim the bottom half of the container with the scissors until the towel almost reaches the bottom.

PLANt tHe BASIL:9. Remove the top half of the bottle.10. Fill the bottom half of the container with wa-ter just above where the paper towels peek out from the bottle opening.11. Replace the top half of the bottle and fill with soil. Make sure to leave a hole about twice the width and depth of the basil plant’s ball of roots.12. Place the roots into hole and cover with soil, compacting lightly.13. Water the soil.14. Basil grows best in warm, sunny conditions, so place your container on a windowsill with light for at least 6 hours per day and keep the soil moist but well drained.

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Zoe* turns the corner on 36th and Walnut, where she pretends to

window shop outside of Ann Taylor Loft, though she is re-ally stealing glances at the pass-erby in the refl ection. She then slightly lowers her Ray–Ban Wayfarers and turns around, facing the Penn Bookstore and Cosi across the street, scanning for anyone who might recog-nize her. Once Zoe reassures herself that she is undetected, she enters through the narrow doorway of the Counseling and Psychological Service (CAPS) building, proceeds to show her Penn ID to the security guard and takes the elevator to the second fl oor, all the while ner-vously tapping her foot.

“We think of ourselves as academic support, like a learn-ing resource center or academ-ic advising. Although we can treat mental illness, we’re really very interested in helping you

do better in school. We don’t see ourselves as a medical clinic or treatment facility,” says Dr. Bill Alexander, Director of CAPS. Dr. Alexander explains that less than 20% of students who visit CAPS are treated for serious mental illness. The majority of students who seek out CAPS “come for ordinary, d e v e l o p -m e n t a l and age–appropri-ate issues: r e l a t i on -ships, home-s i ckne s s , schoolwork and other tradi-tional college problems.”

It is likely no surprise then, that Dr. Alexander cites No-vember, March and April as the busiest months at CAPS, when students are in the throes of midterm and fi nals seasons. He also notes that the emphasis on counseling probably explains why CAPS sees signifi cantly more seniors coming through its doors than freshmen. From pre–major and peer advising to intimate contact with RAs, “freshmen are already bombarded with counseling and advising.”

Zoe walks toward the re-ceptionist’s desk to check in, scribbles her name illegibly on the sign–in sheet and sits in a chair in the waiting room. She slowly removes her sun-glasses and surveys the room.

Whether intentional or fortu-itous, the ill–lit waiting room casts a shadow over its patients and cloaks them in anonymity. However, this obscurity comes at a cost. From the bleak walls to the sterile environment en-cased within them, the climate at CAPS can be described in a word: gloomy.

Because of the sensitive and personal nature of CAPS, con-fi dentiality is taken very seri-ously. Although funded by Penn, CAPS operates inde-pendently of the school and its

many affi liates, and maintains its own separate contact data-base. In an effort to broaden access and make it easy to pre-serve confi dentiality, “there’s no clinical fee, there’s nothing on your bursar and your insur-ance doesn’t get billed — so it’s completely free.”

Just as before every other ap-p o i n t m e n t , Zoe fi lls out a survey that is designed to gauge her cur-rent mood. She

rushes through the question-naire quickly but carefully, so as not to sound off any alarms of neuroticism or psychologi-cal instability. This reminds her of the 15–minute phone interview she had with Daniel* when she made her fi rst ap-pointment at CAPS. Daniel, a triage counselor, inquired about Zoe’s motivation for scheduling a visit. “How do you feel about your school-work?” “Are you experienc-ing any diffi culties with your friendships?” The questions were benign, resembling a conversation she might have with her mom. Zoe felt at ease

until the disembodied voice asked her whether she had any self–destructive thoughts or considered harming herself. She replied no. Though she understands the importance of the question, she can’t help but feel frustrated at the idea that her run–of–the–mill problems might be confl ated with psy-chological ones.

According to Dr. Alexander, anxiety and symptoms of de-pressed mood caused by situ-ational and individual circum-stances are actually the main reasons that students reach out to CAPS, followed by Atten-tion Defi cit Disorder — “we get a lot of requests for that.” Dr. Alexander realizes that many students in the larger Penn community usually per-ceive eating disorders, alcohol-ism and mental breakdowns as the most common problems treated by CAPS. “It’s not the biggest thing going,” he says. “It’s just very visible. But it’s still overshadowed by the stu-dents who come in for ordi-nary stuff.”

Nevertheless, eating disor-ders and alcoholism are “some-thing that comes up, and it’s usually mixed with something

else like anxi-ety or stress. For some s t u d e n t s , alcohol is a way to solve a problem, to cope.” In general, Dr. Alexander notes that Penn students don’t seek help for body image or alcohol concerns until these issues be-gin to impact their health. Dr. Alexander says “the culture at Penn” fosters an environment in which “you can easily blend in. You don’t look very dif-ferent. And it is true, you can drink fairly heavily, and you’re not gonna stick out” — the same holds true for eating dis-orders.

After an hour of counseling, Zoe leaves the offi ce of Judith*, her therapist. “See you next week, Judith,” she says. Zoe and her therapist have been on a fi rst–name basis ever since her fi rst visit to CAPS freshman year. She’s grateful that Daniel paired her with Judith, whose expertise and methodology truly is the best match for Zoe’s needs. Not everyone is so lucky. Zoe’s heard stories about students who never fi nd a therapist that’s

a good fi t; they become discour-aged and never return. But even when months pass between their sessions, Zoe continues to schedule her appointments at CAPS with Judith. And with no limit on the number of times she can visit, Zoe intends to c o n t i n u e seeing Ju-dith until graduation — and e–mailing with her thereafter.

Right now, the main obstacle that faces CAPS is understaff-ing. The staff at CAPS con-sists of therapists ranging from pre–doctoral and post–doctoral psychology students to social workers and psychiatric nurses, resulting in what Dr. Alexander refers to as an “eclectic point

of view,” one that cultivates all of these different backgrounds and adheres to no single meth-odology or school of thought. Unfortunately, the volume of students currently seeking help far exceeds the number of staff

members available, making the wait between scheduling an ap-pointment and seeing a special-ist relatively long. Dr. Alexander explains that this is a problem that Penn is currently address-ing. He expresses his satisfaction in seeing how much the services have grown in the last decade. In the future, Dr. Alexander hopes to expand the facilities and add more clinicians. Next year, CAPS is organizing a new

program targeted specifi cally at in-

ternational students, “who are underserved by CAPS now.”

Zoe is exiting the elevator when she runs into Amanda*,

a friend from class. Her cheeks begin to blush as she gives a subtle nod and at-

tempts to avoid eye contact. But Amanda bites. “How was your appointment?” Zoe does not know how to respond; she musters a sheepish mumble of affi rmation. Amanda does not pry. Instead, she carries on to the second fl oor, comfortably and unabashedly.

Despite its accessibility and

em-phasis on counseling,

CAPS still struggles with the

stigma surrounding its services. According to Dr. Alexander, only about 13% of the under-graduate and graduate student bodies uses CAPS services, as compared to 16–18% at other Ivies. In an effort to reach out to the Penn community, CAPS has an aptly–named Associate Director of Outreach. Through constant speaking engagements, this director serves as a liaison and consultant to academic departments, athletic teams, Greek organizations and stu-dent groups. Dr. Alexander at-tributes much of CAPS's prog-ress to the “increased number of student–initiated mental health advocacy groups." He says that CAPS is “slowly chipping away at the stigma."

Anthony Khaykin and San-dra Rubinchik are co–editors of Street's Lowbrow section.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

College Engineering Nursing Wharton

Penn

CAPS

The Four School Breakdown

general, Dr. Alexander notes that Penn students don’t seek help for body image or alcohol concerns until these issues be-gin to impact their health. Dr. Alexander says “the culture at a good fi t; they become discour- of view,” one that cultivates all “who are underserved by CAPS

em-phasis on counseling,

CAPS still struggles with the

stigma surrounding its services. According to Dr. Alexander, only about 13% of the under-graduate and graduate student

general, Dr. Alexander notes that Penn students don’t seek help for body image or alcohol concerns until these issues be-gin to impact their health. Dr.

program targeted specifi cally at in-

ternational students,

em-phasis on counseling,

CAPS still struggles with the

stigma surrounding its services. According to Dr. Alexander, only about 13% of the under-

Go to CAPSDo not go to CAPS

Greeks Non-Greeks

53% 47%65%

35%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

How Helpful Was CAPS?6%

0%

10%

56%

28%

Gender Breakdown of CAPS Users

This mental map illustrates the most common words used by sur-veyed students to describe CAPS.

THERE'S A CAPS FOR THATCAPS, an invaluable service located not too far from Van Pelt, actually serves a good deal of the Penn population. Street talked to CAPS students and staff alike to demystify the program that keeps a lot of students’ stress in check. Follow Zoe, a fi ctional student crafted from anecdotes gathered from interviews, and explore a world of therapy that many are unaware of.

BY ANTHONY KHAYKIN AND SANDRA RUBINCHIK

“The culture at Penn” fosters an en-vironment in which “you can easily

blend in.”

We think of ourselves as academic support, like a learning resource center or academic advising. Al-

though we can treat mental illness, we’re really very interested in help-

ing you do better in school.

highbrow ego food &

drink feature music arts fi lm

lowbrow

This chart graphs the percentage of stu-dents in each school compared against the percentage who use CAPS, suggesting that the composition of CAPS users closely re-fl ects the overall Penn population.

We think of ourselves as academic support, like a learning resource center or academic advising. Al-

though we can treat mental illness, we’re really very interested in help-

ing you do better in school.

We think of ourselves as academic support, like a learning resource center or academic advising. Al-

though we can treat mental illness, we’re really very interested in help-

ing you do better in school.

“The culture at Penn” fosters an en-vironment in which “you can easily

“The culture at Penn” fosters an en-vironment in which “you can easily

35%

65%

* All names presented in this article have been changed to protect the anonymity of the students involved. Zoe is the amalga-mation of several students who participated in in–depth interviews about their CAPS experiences. She is not a single person, and is fictional only in the sense that her character borrows from true stories.

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ow OR The pros and cons of the hottest summer music festivals BY FRIDA GARZA AND SAM BRODEY

MUSICLOL

WHEN: 2 weekends, April 13–15 and April 20–22 WHERE: Indio, CA (2 hours outside of Los Angeles) WHO BE PLAYIN': Headliners are The Black Keys, Radiohead and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg; also slated to play are Bon Iver, M83, Pulp, AVICII, Florence + the Machine and many morePROS: • The biggest, best acts in the world will be there• The organizers have a knack for bringing in great up–and–coming acts• Really diverse lineup will please pretty much anyone CONS: • It's really crowded, and getting there via car means a lot of traffic• It's hard to find good accommodations that don't cost a fortune• It's in the desert, which is hot. Really, really hot.

WHEN: June 7–10WHERE: Manchester, TNWHO BE PLAYIN': Headliners are Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phish. The festival will feature hipster darling Bon Iver, as well as The Avett Brothers, The Shins and Foster the People.PROS: • If you aren't into the rock–heady headliners, there's always The Roots, Das Racist and Scrillex• A great comedy line–up including Aziz Ansari• Two words: silent disco (YouTube it)CONS: • No showers, save for a giant mushroom–shaped fountain in which festival–goers periodically bathe• Unbearably hot temperatures all weekend• Manchester is literally in the middle of nowhere, which means Bonnaroo is basically like hippie summer camp. Make of that what you will.

WHEN: August 3–5WHERE: Grant Park in Chicago, ILWHO BE PLAYIN': Lineup not yet announced; last year's headliners were Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Muse.PROS: • It's in Chicago, which means no camping or excessive driving• Usually has a nice balance of well–established and brand–spanking–new acts• Has its own farmers' market and a bunch of local food vendorsCONS: • Ticket prices are a bit hefty — three–day passes are $215• You can't camp out, which means crashing with a friend or paying for lodging• The line–up hasn't been announced and tickets sell out quickly

WHEN: July 13–15 WHERE: Union Park in Chicago, IL WHO BE PLAYIN': Announced acts include Vampire Weekend, Feist, Hot Chip, Grimes and others (more to be announced soon) PROS: • You’ll be exposed to stuff you haven’t heard of, and it’ll probably be awesome• It’s incredibly affordable — only $115 for a three–day passCONS: • Don't expect to know more than half the line–up. In other words, Girl Talk and AVICII will certainly not be gracing Union Park this summer• There's definitely a lack of diversity — pretty much everything is pitchfork.com–approved

WHEN: August 10–12 WHERE: Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA WHO BE PLAYIN': Lineup not yet announced; last year’s headliners were the The Shins, Muse and Arcade Fire PROS: • Golden Gate Park is an ideal venue. It's gorgeous, green wilderness that's also right in the middle of a city • A bargain compared to other festivals — $200 for three days of solid music • Great gourmet food options from top S.F. restaurants and a wine–tasting areaCONS: • Small festival grounds means it gets crowded pretty quickly • Long walks between stages mean you may have some tough choices to make when it comes to time conflicts• S.F. hotels are notoriously pricey, so try to find a couch to crash on

WHEN: May 25–28WHERE: The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WashingtonWHO BE PLAYIN': Headliners are Jack White, Beck and Bon Iver. Other acts include Pretty Lights, Beirut, Girl Talk and a DJ set with James Murphy.PROS: • The Gorge Amphitheatre is a huge, scenic outdoor venue on a beautiful river• It's four days long, so you get some bang for your buck• The $315 four–day pass includes camping feesCONS: • Four days would be enough to tire out any festival–goer• With so many acts, it could be tough to figure out who to see, and time conflicts abound• Some of the line–up is pretty obscure, so research is a pre–req

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port of morrow — the shins

When musicians evolve, they can lose track of them-selves and their original sound. While some groups have fallen to this ever–demanding, genre–bending nature of modern music, The Shins have managed to tame it. Their latest effort, Port of Morrow, features equal parts synth bloops and acoustic twangs, distinguished by James Mer-cer’s alternatively soothing and engaging voice. While re-markably cohesive as a whole, certain tracks still stand out, especially those not focused on Mercer's love life. At times both haunting and jaunty, Port of Morrow doesn’t belabor many points, marking a triumphant return for the ever–changing Shins.

— Alex Hosenball

the of tape — Odd future

OFWGKTA returns with a self–congratulatory victory lap. Unfortunately, its pricetag raises expectations above a “kids–just–havin’–fun” mixtape. Tyler is frontman for his mesmer-izing absurdity and advanced rhythms, but Hodgy is clearly gunning for prominence and even Domo garners attention. The diverse production leans toward heavily weeded–out R&B, and it usually works except for missteps like the fiasco “50” or the lazy “Snow White.” Ultimately, the 18–track be-hemoth from the talented crew suffers from a pervasive medi-ocrity that weighs down the instant–classic material (“Rella” or “Hcapd”). It’s predominantly disappointing, but the standout cuts will make this a likely addition to any fan’s catalogue.

— Michael Scognamiglio

ALBUM REVIEWS

concertsdesigner drugs and Mustard PimpWhen: Today at 10 p.m.Where: CastleHow much: FreeWhy: SPEC Jazz & Grooves brings these electronic artists to campus tonight to cel-ebrate the launch of the J&G website — it'll be free and aaaawesome

Odd future

When: 03/23Where: Tin AngelHow much: $10Why: Come catch this cray–cray rap collec-tive spit inappropriate rhymes and try not to break your nose in a fist fight

dr. dogWhen: 03/24Where: The Electric FactoryHow much: $23Why: Because the show promises solid, ac-cessible indie–rock and because you want to support your Philly–native acts

Bruce springsteen

When: 03/28 and 03/29Where: Wells Fargo CenterHow much: $71–$101Why: It’s Bruce Springsteen. ‘Nuff said.

How Ye doin'?@34st

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DO YOU PAY PER VIEW?Film polled you to fi nd out how you are getting your Sunday afternoon movie fi xes. Here’s what we learned. BY ANTHONY KHAYKIN

Though we all know the Internet is for porn (thanks Avenue Q), the

bedroom is no longer the only area being ceded to digital terri-tory. For every girl with daddy’s AmEx, window browsing on Fifth Avenue has been replaced with online shopping. And FYEs everywhere have virtu-ally been rendered useless (pun intended) with the existence of the multifarious iTunes store.

Things are no different here at Penn, where the Rave gets nearly half the traffi c for the midnight screenings of block-buster hits like Twilight as Hulu does the day after the newest episode of 30 Rock airs. This makes sense. We Penn students are too busy procrastinating on Penn InTouch and design-ing funny lacrosse pinnies for the clubs we’re involved in to leave the comfort of our beds to

watch Hugo in theaters. And we fi t this mold of overworked Ivy League students well, with only about 17% of Penn undergrads watching movies at the Rave ev-ery semester.

But how about the other ste-reotype, the one that says all col-lege students are poor? The free movement of information made possible by the interweb makes

entertainment accessible and inexpensive to anyone with an AirPennNet account. Wouldn’t

you guess then that Penn stu-dents would prefer to get their RomCom fi x online with free streaming websites like SideReel and Ch131 rather than pay for services provided by Netfl ix and Redbox?

While 75% of us watch mov-ies online, nearly 50% pay for it. I hear Horrible Bosses — a new release on iTunes — is hys-

terical, but is it worth the 1.5 salads at Sweetgreen it would have cost if I had seen it in theaters? Ramen noo-dles aren’t that bad, I guess.

The average Penn student (who is anything but average, if you ask Amy Gutmann) watch-

es seven movies, more or less, every semester. Simple arithme-tic proves that it’s $40 cheaper to watch said movies on Netfl ix than at the Rave, and an addi-tional $20 less on iTunes (cost of popcorn and Mike and Ikes not included in these calcula-tions). The low cost of watch-ing seven movies on iTunes for less than 30 bucks is worth the many conveniences that online paid services afford us: not be-ing interrupted by incessant buffering and commercials, the immunity to computer viruses and most importantly, not hav-ing to wait 54 minutes after watching 72 minutes of a movie on Megavideo.

Not to mention, it’s a small price to pay when you look at the big picture — the combined savings of the 47.7% of Penn students who pay for their online services rather than going to the movie theater is somewhere be-tween $196,136 and $295,344, depending on whether they use Netfl ix or iTunes, respectively. Moral of the story is: we won't judge if you just stay in bed.

*A simple random sample of 100 Penn undergrads were surveyed to collect data about their fi lm viewing habits.

FILM34ST

1.5%

How Penn Students Watch Movies

Borrow from Library

Don't Watch Movies

Theaters

Free Streaming

Paid Online Services47.7%

24.6%

16.9%

9.2%

0

10

20

30

40

50Other

A Friend

Cinema StudiesMajorProfessor or TA

Street

Whose recommendations do you take?

*Students surveyed were allowed to choose more than one option.

Other

It's a way to hang out with friends

It's a good study break

It makes you feel relaxed and happy

Required for Class

Why do you go to the movies?6.3%

40.6%

25%

25%

3.1%

26.2%

40%

25% 25%

47.7%

BY THE NUMBERS

$153,701>> Total amount of money spent in movie theaters* by Penn students each semester

$196,136>> Total amount of money spent watching online, if all people who paid for online services used iTunes*

$295,344>> Total amount of money spent watching online, if all people who paid for online services used Netflix*

*$12.50/ticket at the Rave*$3.99 to rent a movie on iTunes*$7.99/month on Netflix

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PattayaRestaurant.com • 215.387.85334006 Chestnut Street • University City

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 5-7

Early Bird: Sun-Thur $10.95

Lunch Special: Mon-Fri $8.95

Dine-In, Catering & Delivery

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STAKE FOR DINNERVote for Philly art projects to receive funding and fi ll your stomach with local delicacies on the way. BY LIN ZHENG

ARTSLOL

Why suffer for art when you can instead eat a relatively

cheap ‘stake’ dinner instead? This Sunday evening, March 25, head over to the First Unitarian Church for Philly Stake, a micro–granting program that hosts a three–course meal every few months with food sourced from local farms and pre-pared by volunteers. Diners pay $10–$20 (you choose!), and con-tributions in turn nourish creative endeavors pioneered by fellow Philadelphians. Stake invites local groups to submit project propos-

als that will help the Philadelphia community and that often sup-port an artistic or environmental-ly–conscious cause. 10 projects, seven randomly picked and three selected by the Stake organizing team, are presented at the dinner, after which attendees can vote on which ones they think most deserve the proceeds. As Theresa Rose, one of the founders, ex-plains, Stake champions untapped areas of potential in the city be-cause there aren’t really any other sources where burgeoning groups

can obtain the funds or platform to implement their ideas. “I kind of see everything as art if it’s done in a creative way,” Rose says, and the diversity of the proposals proves that Philadelphia has an abundance of innovative thought to offer. Previous proposals have included a lending library of mu-sical resources for young girls, a workshop in which war veterans could create art and communicate about military trauma and an ur-ban farm cultivated by refugees.

PHILLY STAKE3/25, 5 p.m.First Unitarian Church2125 Chestnut St.phillystake.org$10–20 donation en-couraged

THIS STAKE’S CANDIDATES INCLUDE

The Afrofuturist Affair: A workshop for authors, artists and musicians to produce sci–fi and fantasy–inspired works and to stimulate dialogue about black culture in the future

Invisible River: Performance art that allows people to experience dance and visual installations along the Schuylkill River by taking them for a journey in beautifully orna-mented dragon boats.

Tiny WPA: An ambitious civic teen challenge to build a prototype bus stop, providing high school students the chance to contribute positively to the city and simultaneously hone their design skills

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Friday MARCH 23 • 8pRESISTANCE IS FERTILE

Seeds of Spring: Feminist Performance Art Ruchama Bilenky, Kate Black-Regan, Jana Nogowski

Amanda Geraci, Kathleen Harmer, Denise Shubin, Sammy Shuster, Natanya Apfelbaum, Kira Darian.

Sliding scale $5-20 • PSliding scale $5-20 • Proceeds benefit Project SAFE

Saturday MARCH 24 • 6pONE THOUSAND PULSESmicro-fest of electronic music & otherwise

Groupthink • Alpha Wave Movement • Thin AirPeter Biedermann • Tim Motzer & JA Deane

$7adv/$10dr • otp.ticketleap.com/onethousandpulses$7adv/$10dr • otp.ticketleap.com/onethousandpulses

Sunday MARCH 25 • 6p FREEDOM GATHERING

celebration of youth performers in tap dance, hip-hop, spoken word, R&B, and fashion • $10

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TYING IT TOGETHERL.A. artist Pae White confronts and consumes her audience in a new immersive installation at The Fabric Workshop. BY DAVID GALPERIN

An overwhelming seren-ity envelops the viewer

immediately upon enter-ing Pae White’s installation "Summer XX" at the Fabric Workshop. Hundreds of in-dividual red strings are tight-ly pulled from the ceiling to join the opposite wall in a massive, webbed cascade of thread. When sunlight pours through the large window, the network of red oozes with an ethereal weightlessness that must be experienced in person.

The three–dimensional lattice created from the sutur-ing of string spells the words "Hasta la muerte" onto the wall, which translates to "Un-til death." The artist borrows the phrase from graffi ti near her East Los Angeles studio, transforming a temporary, immaterial text into the focus of the viewer’s con-

templation. White’s pieces, which have been included in the 2009 Venice Biennial and 2010 Whitney Biennial, employ simple materials to investigate the overlooked aspects of the everyday. In her own words, she claims to confront people, "nudging them off balance, encourag-ing a deeper look.”

In this site–specifi c in-stallation, White’s use of plain string emphasizes the ephemera of the text while imbuing it with a rational, clearly–defi ned physical presence. "Hasta la muerte" is about the notion of time; wrapped into this short axi-om is a sense of anticipation, fear and a ticking clock. The spatial process of weaving the threads together to form each letter materially repre-sents our progression toward an end. Here, the end is the

wall. What, or where, is our end?

The work inspires an un-nerving simultaneity of awe and tranquility in the viewer. Leading us to reconsider and re–evaluate our spatial sur-roundings, "Summer XX" traces the ghosts and the fears that inhabit our everyday but are persistently overlooked. This is one exhibit that de-mands to be noticed.

Pae White: Summer XX

The Fabric Work-shop and Museum, 1214 Arch St.

Now–Late Spring$3For an extended

For an extended review and information about other exhibits at the Fabric Workshop, check online at 34st.com

Jacob Rivkin

Check out an ex-tended interview

and images of Jacob Rivkin's work on his ARTIST PROFILE at

34st.com!

We're going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don’t plan it, don’t wait for it, just let it happen.

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Courtesy of the Fabric Workshop

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THE (SURPRISINGLY) BRIGHT FUTURE OF VHSYes it does have a future, as a matter of fact | BY LAURA FRANCIS

FILM

VHS tapes most seem like a thing of the past. They’re

chunky. They’re grainy. They’re full of tape–stuff foreign to the digital age. All in all, not much to at-tract the modern viewer. But despite what you might think, they haven’t quite made their last exit.

Stepping into thrift stores around Philadelphia, shop-pers can still fi nd these clunky, archaic objects on the shelves. Blockbusters and local–grown video stores might be on their way out, but places like Bainbridge Street’s Philly AIDS Thrift and Mostly Books still carry a range of fi lms on tape — anything from an obscure, 1996 Steven Soderberg fi lm to Citizen Kane. And people are buying.

What could possibly be the draw to VHS? Even cineph-iles fi nd the tape outdated. Penn’s Cinema Studies de-partment, for instance, has been phasing out VHS due to lack of storage space and tape players in classrooms, according to Professor Tim-othy Corrigan. It makes sense. There’s just no room. If VHS might be placed in the category of older forms and dying arts, why doesn’t it just, well, die al-ready?

But VHS might hold some advantages. The New York Times recently ran a whole spiel on the counter–culture surrounding VHS slasher fi lms. The article, “Like the Best Zombies, VHS Just Won’t Die”, points to the cottage industry supplying those who prefer their art-

house gore like The Mutilation Man on tape. Here in Phila-delphia, thrift stores have followed simi-lar trends.

Mostly Books owner Joe Russakoff says certain niches like “weird, old hor-ror” keep his VHS section standing, despite the fact that about 90 percent of his shelf remains un-sellable, forcing him to purge hundreds of movies. In addi-tion to those low–budget, low–quality horrors, he explains that Hollywood classics also make up a dis-tinct number of sales. Many customers apparently fi nd that the nostalgic feel and all that rewinding add to the experience.

Beyond aesthetics, though, the real gems of VHS thrift store diving come from rar-ity. According to Professor Corrigan, the Cinema Stud-ies Department still holds a special collection of VHS — 55 tapes in total — be-

cause many important fi lms aren’t yet available on DVD or are diffi cult to come by. Mr. Russakoff’s collection at Mostly Books plays to this. One such movie is Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer, a 1975 fi lm essay by Thom Anderson that Penn holds

on VHS. The short fi lm, un-available on DVD, takes an important look at one of the predecessors to fi lm, early English photographer Ead-weard Muybridge, following both the man's life and the origins of cinema. If a com-plete purge of VHS were to occur, this documentary work and other prized fi lms would be lost.

Like Corrigan, Mostly Books employee Nick Ca-poferri mentions that one of his favorite fi lms, Michael

Radford’s ver-sion of 1984, is only available in its original form on VHS. Al-though released on DVD by MGM in 2003, the original saturation and washed–out feel — as well as its original music

— have been changed, mak-ing the VHS version a rare relic. Stumbling upon archa-ic fi nds like these, whether just a DVD rarity or a fi lm simply unavailable in newer forms, can make VHS shop-ping more worthwhile.

Mr. Russakoff adds that

going through the old mov-ies brings back a certain inti-macy from the era of mom–and–pop shops, saying, “that whole culture of video stores — there’s kind of a remnant of it here.”

VHS could easily be placed into the larger debate of society’s shift toward big business and digital tech-nology. Mostly capsized by YouTube, Netfl ix and pirat-ing sites, in some ways tapes and even DVDs fi t in with CDs, cassettes, print news-papers and books.

Thrift stores — not even a block from Philly AIDS Thrift and Mostly Books — have discontinued their VHS sections. According to employee Dan Balcer, the Record Exchange stopped selling VHS because no one purchased. There was sim-ply no demand.

Yet, that same Record Exchange brims with vinyl, probably once thought ex-tinct as well. Perhaps some hope remains for VHS then, although any comeback will probably grow more from indulgence of nostalgia than utility.

"If VHS might be placed in the cat-

egory of older forms and dying arts, why doesn't it just, well,

die already?"[ [

FILM REVIEW

KEEP ON GAMINGBY OLIVIA RUTIGLIANO

As many of the movies re-leased nowadays are bastard-izations of old TV shows or children’s books, there are few adaptations less irritat-ing than the refreshingly well–constructed The Hunger Games . Based on the sensa-tional novel about a post–apocalyptic America where children fi ght to the death in grandiose gladiatorial tour-naments, this movie doesn’t try to set itself apart from the book .

Unlike many adaptations, The Hunger Games humbly translates author Suzanne Collins’s beloved characters and gritty tone to the big screen without re–interpret-ing aesthetics or re–imagining plot. The wobbly handheld shots and cinema verite–ish style may infringe on these pure intentions and clash with the big–budget special effects, but overall the fi lm is a calculated and exhilarat-ing retelling that will leave zealots and newcomers alike hungry (sorry!) for more.

Amy Gutmann's Betamax collection

memeof the week

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HIPSTER

“I saw them at Lolla. I blacked out before their

performance, but it sucked.”

“Is that that guy with the face who sings about ‘cars and hoes’?”

“Why is it always rap artists?”

“Why is it always DJs?”

“They’re great, they’re just not a Fling artist.”

CAMPUS Fling Artists Commencement Speaker

“At least it’s not The Bachelorette.”

“Don’t worry! Bon Jovi’s gonna do it next year if his son comes to Penn.”

“Who cares about education reform? I’m fucking graduating.”

“Waiting for Superman? More like, waiting for this speech to be over.”

“Suddenly the Fling artists don’t seem so bad.”

Behind the architectureFreemasons, playgrounds, murders and more: the buildings around us have a lot of history that often

tells of more than just donors' names, architects and dates. Read on for some of Penn's juicier history.

Our beloved Van Pelt li-brary takes its name from Charles Patterson Van Pelt who, while hiking with a friend in Pennsylvania, was mistaken for a robber and shot and killed at just 19.

Wilson Eyre Jr., that guy who designed the Anthropology Mu-seum, also designed Penn’s first on–campus frat house, the St. A’s Chapter House, in 1889.

Bennett Hall, Fisher–Ben-nett's better half, used to house both the women's student center and the women's residence hall. When the buildings were demolished, the lot was transformed into “University Playground,” a play area run by the Playgrounds As-sociation of Philadelphia.

The Furness Library a.k.a. Fisher Fine Arts was the first library on campus. Its coner-stone was laid in 1888 with "full Masonic rites" by the Officers of the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ma-sons of Pennsylvania, which many University founders belonged to … smells like the Da-Vinci Code.

Houston Hall was a gift from the parents of Henry Howard Houston, Jr. (C'78) who died in Rome on a post–graduation Eurotrip. The building housed what was toted as the good ol' U.S. of A.'s first student union, the "Houston Club," which was very exclusive. As a re-sult, into the 20th Century, women weren't allowed in Houston Hall.