Weekly Horoscope
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on February 25, 2010 in Culture
Aries (3/21 – 4/19)
Lingering to converse in L140 after your class has ended, while others try to get seated to start their own class, might land a fist-moon into your face-orbit. In a spirit of non-violence and respect, take the post-class discussion to the Forum where nobody cares how much space you take up (that is, unless you’re hovering by the staircase). Yes, that means all of the staircases.
Taurus (4/20-5/20)
As Saturn enters its ascending-descending post-lunar orbit, beware of making those erroneous, lamentable, and all-too-frequent sweeping generalizations in class – this week they might cause you to spontaneously combust. On the other hand, engaging in fruitful, yet sparse commentary will bring forth a month brimming with free cookies and a less than 2-minute wait at the HKS library computers. Hey, it’s the little things.
Gemini (5/21-6/21)
Last week’s Moon-Jupiter conjunction and Venus-Pluto link (horoscopes are so scientific) is telling you to watch-out. Taking that fifth shot of Captain Morgans on a Tuesday night at the Kong will not end well (especially if you christened the evening with a scorpion bowl on an empty stomach). You may experience dry mouth, loss of appetite, nausea, and dizziness. Oh, wait – those are the side effects of your Restless Leg Syndrome medication. Never mind.
Cancer (6/22-7/22)
February will prove to be a particular good month to actually start doing some of your class reading before class. Manipulating your participation grade (and averting a potentially embarrassing cold calling episode) by raising your hand early on to ask the professor a question, which barely scratches at the surface of anything related to the course, will surely end in disaster (more disastrous than the already low opinion you’ve managed to conjure from your classmates).
Leo (7/23-8/22)
Expect favorable tidings to come your way after the 27th, when Uranus encounters a seven-dimensional meteor shower. PAE/SYPA writing will weave its way as seamlessly as your Spring Exercise group presentation did back in April 2009. Yes, that means there might be crying. Don’t you wish everyone lived by the baseball rule? (Hint: Tom Hanks)
Virgo (8/23–9/22)
Romance is in the air, Virgo! Whether it’s that new bacon wrapped Sodexo pizza slice, or the slightly awkward, but extremely affable course assistant who lingers incessantly by Carrel 2, this is your lucky month. So slap some extra dollars on your crimson cash card and/or dress-to-impress those problem sets with a little typing/color-coding action – you don’t want to let this opportunity pass you by.
Libra (9/23-10/22)
Just when you thought the core curriculum couldn’t drain any more life force out of your already frail mind, Mars enters its fifth crescent eclipse. Stata will take even longer to decipher (I mean, it’s so user-friendly to begin with – I know this might seem difficult to even remotely conjecture) and those illuminating DPI readings will make you feel a strange sense of deja vu. Oh wait, that’s because you already learned the material in high school. I mean, college. I mean, on Wikipedia.
Scorpio (10/23–11/21)
Hold on to your sombreros, Scorpio! A lunar phase by the name of JACK might lead you to apply to yet another undergraduate-only job posting. Save yourself the trouble and just throw a stack of resumes on a Braintree-bound Red Line train and pray to Mount Olympus for a highly coveted, informational interview (sorry, we’re not currently hiring).
Sagittarius (11/22–12/21)
Low tides on the third week of the month will amplify the already deafening sound of people using the bathroom in the HKS library. Steer clear of the laptop-friendly tables and/or bring your extra-duty earplugs. There’s no holding back – these people are going to the mattresses.
Capricorn (12/22–1/19)
Beware the Ides of March, Capricorn (even though it’s still February). Pretending to be taking notes in class while actually reading TMZ might lead to a potentially mortifying moment. Yes, graduate school is optional. No, you don’t have to be here. Yes, someone else didn’t get in because you decided to attend. No, they wouldn’t be reading celebrity gossip while the professor discusses global hunger.
Aquarius (1/20–2/18)
Delirium will set in as Saturn returns to normal orbit. Don’t let the delusion overtake you and lead you to believe that this time your mandatory group project might not include any free riders. I know this is the Kennedy School, but didn’t you take API-101/105? Brace for the no-shows, the slackers, and the “Sorry, I’m going to be a little late” –ers. The first step is acceptance.
Pisces (2/19–3/20)
Pisces, Pisces, Pisces. Woe is you. Neptune’s gliding overtures on the third cycle of the month will wreak havoc. Forum events will engulf Littauer. Strange people who don’t even go to HKS will be everywhere (even at HKS student-only events). The it’s-been-four-minutes-and-I’m-still-talking person in your class will speak for three minutes instead (but you know that still feels too long). People will block the main arteries of the cafeteria-side staircase. They won’t move when you say, “Excuse me.” They still won’t move when you physically push them out of the way (gently of course). Oh, Pisces. Thank goodness horoscopes have low predictive power.
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on February 11, 2010 in Culture, Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
A Guide to Grumblings and Gratifications at HKS
Email submissions to: hkscitizen@gmail.com. Contributors will remain anonymous.
Thumbs Up
To Melanie Vant’s leadership and amazing work in HKS for Haiti. Thank you for keeping us in the loop with such well-crafted and clear emails.
To the new library – the space looks great and it feels less crowded. Thank you HKS Administation!
To KSSG President Dave Baumwoll: you promised a State of the School address and you delivered.
Thumbs Down
To low student attendance at the State of the School address. We can do better.
To students who talk in class more often than the professor – if we look annoyed while you’re on your fifth soliloquy of the day, that’s because we are annoyed.
To the people who still exit L140 through the wrong door. I guess big orange signs and the crowds being crushed into the doorway because of your erroneous departure just aren’t clear enough indicators.
Artist-in-Residence: Justin Barra, MPP ’10
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on March 11, 2009 in Culture
Justin Barra is a first year MPP student studying education policy. He spent the last six years in San Francisco working in education and playing with his band, Smith Point. The band has recorded two CDs, and its music has been featured on several national television shows and commercials. Read more
Must-See Film: Waltz with Bashir
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on February 25, 2009 in Culture
When well-executed, an animated documentary film possesses the power to disarm, engage, and impact. With a deceiving appeal to fantasy in the animated form, the film undresses its audience, stripping it of any predetermined apprehension, distrust, and prejudice. Read more
How to Argue Like Jesus
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on February 11, 2009 in Culture
How to Argue Like Jesus by Joe Carter and John Coleman (MPA/MBA ’10) offers a thoughtful exposition on the rhetorical tools employed by the Christian figure of Jesus of Nazareth. Their writing nicely draws upon a variety of historical references and renowned works on the elements of proper speech and language. The authors argue that both Christians and non-Christians can benefit from understanding and utilizing the communication methods espoused by the life and works of Jesus as narrated by the Gospel and the Epistles in the New Testament. Read more
Citizen Conversation with… Christopher Bizzacco
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on February 11, 2009 in Citizen Conversation with..., News
Christopher Bizzacco is a first-year MPP. As a junior at Brown University in 2002, Bizzacco took a leave of absence to serve as the campaign manager for then State Representative David Cicilline’s race for Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. In 2003, Bizzacco accepted the position of deputy chief staff with the Mayor’s office, and later served as chief of staff before enrolling at HKS Read more
HBS Might Have the Money, but HKS Has the Glory
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on November 20, 2008 in Culture
The world stopped for half a second on November 9. Read more
I Am the Autumnal Sun
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on October 28, 2008 in Culture
Autumn is coated with mystique.
In New England, it is impossible to avoid experiencing the burst of oranges, reds, and yellows amidst the omnipresent foliage. On the ground, the leaves glimmer like copper and currants, crunching melodiously beneath peoples’ feet. In the air, a sense of change prevails: the wind picks up, and with a gentle brushing, invokes the lighter chill of winter, bringing with it the scent of sun-kissed apple orchards and burning-wood fireplaces. A sense of melancholy sweeps over the land and romantically edges its way into quotidian life. It is a timeless feeling – the feeling of autumn. Read more
Artist-in-Residence
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on October 13, 2008 in Artist-in-Residence, Culture
Marilinda Garcia (MPP ’10) is a state representative of New Hampshire and a professional harpist. A dual B.A./B.M graduate of Tufts University and New England Conservatory of Music, she is currently the harp instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy and Gordon College. Read more
A Square is Always a Rhombus, But a Plaid is Not Necessarily a Tartan
by Victoria Criado, Editor-in-Chief on October 1, 2008 in Culture
The world of haute couture claims that there is always room for plaid during the fall season. It seems to be particularly true this year, with most fashion magazines hailing the brilliance of the pattern, everywhere from shoes and scarves to shirts and coats. It is a timely trend, given the recent death of one of the fashion world’s giants – Jack Weil. Read more
