The past two weeks have been like something out of a movie. 2 weeks ago I was hanging out in my dorm with friends, going to class and studying. Now, I am taking online classes for the rest of the semester. It is completely insane to me how quickly things change. It reminds me of the movie Contagion, which is about a pandemic and everyday life is completely changed. Of course, COVID-19 is not quite like the disease in the film but still is affecting daily life rather drastically. People are rushing to the stores and stocking up on ridiculous amounts of toilet paper to the point it is annoying. The news has stirred a great sense of panic for many which does not help the situation.
It is insane to me how businesses are closed and most schools. Although I am painfully bored, I know staying in and staying away from others is the right thing to do the rate of spreading. My mom is immunocompromised due to having a kidney transplant about 2 years ago. So she, like many others, would be more at risk if she contracted coronavirus. During this time I have really thought about those coming home from college and not having a stable home life. Whether it is not having enough food or a bad family dynamic this abrupt change is devastating for those struggling. It makes me realize that although this may suck for me, for some others it is a million times worse.
So to pass the time lately, I have been watching Netflix, showering way too much out of boredom and trying to work out (note that I said “trying”). I am really trying to be positive right now as being away from school and my amazing friends is really hard. I am taking this time to make myself better by eating better and getting into a more focused mindset. This semester was mentally draining because I was so busy so now I am trying to better my health in a way.
This is a period of much uncertainty because we really do not know when this virus will slow down and disappear, we all have to just sit and wait it out. The economy seems like it could end up in a recession which is scary to me and I am certain many others. I was so young during the housing crisis that I can not even remember it happening. Overall, I know this will pass like everything does but it really is awful. I just hope people really try and stay in their houses in order to protect those who are the most susceptible
When writing about Long Island there are so many things that come to mind. The food, the shopping but the most important thing about Long Island is our beautiful beaches.
Fig 1, Jones Beach, Mommy Poppins
I am not sure I would consider Long Island a tourist hotspot but for those who come to visit the beach is typically their primary destination. The most popular beach would be Jones Beach located in the town of Wantagh. Interestingly enough, this beach actually has a lot of history associated with it! Jones Beach is named after a man who built one of the first houses in the area around the year 1692, according to wikipedia. Curbed NY, explains that Robert Moses who is well known for helping organize city plans also helped to organize Jones Beach in the 1920’s. Robert Moses had the goal of making this area automobile accessible as it was around this time cars were becoming more accessible for the average person. It was met with much apprehension from people who worried this would ruin the beach and it took awhile for Moses to finally have plans approved for highways that would make the beach more available.
Jones beach offers a lot for people to do, of course, the typical activity act the beach would be sunbathing on the warm sand and taking a dip every so often when you get too hot. Who does not love to do that? Also, it is worthy to note Jones Beach haas plenty of lifeguards so you can feel fairly comfortable going into the water if you know how to swim properly. About a year ago, Jones Beach began construction on the side of the boardwalk and I remember thinking “What on Earth is being built?”. Turns out, it was an adventure park for people of all ages to climb and honestly it looks super fun. It is called Wild Play plan to try it out this summer. It is slightly expensive and idc you choose to participate it will cost around $45 dollars. However, it does have a zip-line if that influences your opinion on the price at all.
Jones Beach also has plenty of opportunities to do my favorite activity, eat! There are food shacks lined against the boardwalk that serve pizza, ice cream, chicken fingers and other typical beach foods. What is unique however about this beach is there is also a high quality restaurant located on the boardwalk as well. It is called the Boardwalk Cafe and I have yet to try it because I have been told it can be slightly pricey, but if you prefer to splurge this is a great place. If all that food is not enough for you, there are so many restaurants within a ten minute drive so do not worry!
Overall, Jones Beach is a great place to go with family and friends to enjoy a relaxing and exciting day in the sun. It is for sure one of my most favorite places on the island.
Fig 2, Jones Beach
I am the type of person who does not have many hobbies. Of course I love music and being with friends but my only hobby besides that is shopping (and yes, before you think anything else, shopping is indeed a hobby). Therefore, I am obligated to include my favorite place in my passion blog, Roosevelt Field Mall.
Fig.1, Roosevelt Field Mall
Located in Garden City, Long Island, Roosevelt Field Mall is a 2.1 million square foot supernal. Based on the mall’s website it has currently 290 stores! Over the years this mall has been redone and added to multiple times and every time you think it is finished, construction starts once again! Recently they even included a full sized, luxury movie theater, complete with cushioned reclining seats. It is a hotspot for tourists and people who love to shop (of course) due to the wide range and great variety of stores. There are plenty of chain stores such as American Eagle, Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Nike. It is also fairly important to note that there is a large variety of stores with very different price ranges. Some stores within Roosevelt Field are upscale designer such as Burberry, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. I typically avoid all these stores as I am currently a broke college student, but if you have the opportunity check them out! Since there is such a wide range, there is truly somewhere for everyone.
One of my favorite things about the mall is the incredible amount of different food that is available. There is fast food like Taco Bell but also upscale sit down restaurants like Osteria Morini. Personally, I have to say my favorite food place in Roosevelt Field is Jonny Rockets because it is such an old school classic. The food court was redone about 3 years ago and let me tell you it was quite the game changer. The old food court was dark and somewhat unwelcoming but now, it is fun and lively place to enjoy a meal.
Something else that is worthy of note is the fun stands that are located in the middle of the hallways. The vendors sell some pretty cool and from time to time fairly strange items. For example, as a joke for Christmas , my dad purchased a five dollar rubber chicken that squeaks for my older brother. That is only one example of the bizarre things available. Beauty items such as hair straighteners are fairly common products that are sold.
What I think is super cool and unique about this mall in particular is the growing amount of international stores. Recently, a new Danish store that sells knick knacks and pretty much anything you can imagine opened. Also, UNIQLO is a super popular store within the mall and there are many others to choose from. Having such a variety really makes the experience so much better! Roosevelt Field Mall is a great place to spend a day to shop, enjoy some food and meet some new people!
Fig.2, Mall inside, Simon
https://www.simon.com/mall/roosevelt-field
Fig.1, Montauk Lighthouse, Wikipedia
The Montauk Lighthouse is staple for for those who visit Long Island or even already live there. The lighthouse is located in Montauk which is in Suffolk county and is known for it’s amazing view of this island. The lighthouse may be closed in winter but during the summer tons of people will flock to the location to enjoy the views on a sunny bright day.
The lighthouse is not just for show as it holds an abundance of history, which is described on the lighthouse website. According to the website, it was built in 1792 which makes the lighthouse over 200 years old! The craziest part is that it was ordered to be built under George Washington, how crazy is that! It was even the first lighthouse to be ever built in the state of New York. Many people (including myself) have no idea about the incredible history and honestly it is a shame. Due to its incredible history, the Montauk Point lighthouse is a certified national landmark. It is hard to believe the structure is that old but it is clear that renovations have been done to protect the lighthouse so future generations can continue to enjoy it.
After you are done visiting the lighthouse there is plenty more to do in Montauk. I know my grandpa loved to go fishing here and because it is a hotspot for fishing, there is an amazing reputation for seafood. I have heard amazing things about the restaurant Lobster Roll. For those who are of age there is even a really cool brewing company to check out. My friend who goes there every year has mentioned to me that you have to get the ice cream there as it is delicious.There are plenty of high end hotels for you to at, so why not spend the weekend? Montauk, for many Long Islanders is the perfect place to get away and relieve some stress as well as spend time with your family. No wonder why it is so popular!
I have something to admit. I have not yet visited this landmark (oops!). However, this summer I am planning a day trip with friends so I can be an official Long Islander. I just have not got around to going and I am the only one out of my friends who hasn’t! I can not wait to visit the Montauk Lighthouse and I will be sure to update you when I finally do!
Fig.2, MTK Lighthouse, MTK website
Every kid has those memories of going to some small theme park with camp or their family, well for me that place is Adventureland! Adventureland is exactly what you would think it is, a theme park! Adventureland is located in Farmingdale, Long Island. Nearly all true Long Islanders have had the experience of going at least once, but if you are like me you probably forced your parents to take you every year. Im not going to lie the park is fairly small and probably best for those under 12, but still quite the experience!
Fig. 1 , Adventureland, Trip
I would consider Adventureland an extremely mini Six Flags as it has every type of ride just much smaller. There is even a haunted house which seems to be re-done every summer for no specific reason. You could easily walk through the entire park in about 5-10 minuets, so it is tiny!
It is funny to think back to the times where I was terrified to go on the “big” rollercoaster called The Hurricane. At the time, it just seemed so much bigger than it truly is and just displays the differences in a child’s mine. Unfortunately, that particular rollercoaster has been torn down since but has been recently replaced by a new one called Turbulence. I have not been on this one because it was built after I grew out of that Adventureland phase. However, I often think back to my times on the creaky old rollercoasters and haunted houses. Fun fact, I used to cry on the haunted house ride because I was so terrified of ghosts!
Most importantly, Adventureland is a place for families. I have such fond memories of smiling with my brother as well as my parents while forcing my parents to go onto every single ride with me even though they did not want to go on the spinning rides. We would eat all that unhealthy fair food like cotton candy and fries. It brings me a smile to my face whenever I think about it, and I am sure that I am not the only one who feels this way.
I used to go with my camp as an end of summer trip and I remember that I was terrified to go on the seemingly huge rollercoaster. My counselors encouraged me to go on, I was shaking all the way up the track, When we started to go down the hill I find our out that I loved rollercoasters. This is one of the first times that I can really remember facing one of my fears and I think that it is pretty hilarious it was at Adventureland of all places.
Any young kids will have the most amazing day spent at Adventureland because when you are so young, it feels so huge. One day in the very far future, I will surely be bringing my kids to Adventureland so they have the chance to experience the joy it has brought so many, including me.
Fig 2, Adventureland, Facebook
For my final music blog entry for the semester I am going to talk about a young and growing rap artist named Lil Tecca
“We love you Tecca” this is the easily recognizable phrase at the beginning of every song by new and upcoming artist Lil Tecca. Lil Tecca is a rap artist from Queens, New York who began to come to fame early this year. His real name is quite different from his stage name and it is Tyler Justin Anthony Sharpe.
Fig.1, Lil Tecca, Dreshare
His first song that was a hit is called Ransom, but I have known about him and his music for a little while before this. My best friend Bella showed me his music one day while driving home after school and since then it has remained in my music rotation. The first song that I had heard by him was Love Me, a high energy rap song with a fun beat behind it. I consider it a pop/rap song because it has distinct elements of both genres. Recently, Lil Tecca released his first full length album which is called We Love You Tecca (because of his favorite catchphrase). Overall, I enjoyed the album but some standouts for me were Shots, Count Me Out and Did It Again. Although I did enjoy the album I did find it to be somewhat repetitive just like the online music review website Pitchfork. However, if you want just a fun background music I would recommend this album as it is great for long summer car rides. I should also point out that he may have some of the most interesting music videos. His Ransom video was directed by Cole Bennet, an extremely well-known rap video director/producer. It has millions of views and is quite frankly strange, yet eye-catching!
Fig.2, Lil Tecca, Yahoo
Possibly the thing that I admire the most about Lil Tecca is how young he is. Lil Tecca is a year younger than me and exhibits such a high and intense level of dedication to his music. At only 17 years old, Lil Tecca has been on the American radio multiple times within one year which is highly competitive as well as highly impressive. Tecca describes his early music career, when he was around 16 years old, as “just making some music on the weekends”. So many people aspire to make it big in the music industry or any industry and Lil Tecca is a young person who did just that and inspires others to do the same.
Jack and Jack are a musical duo who started off as just being best friends. Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson are both from Omaha, Nebraska. They are both 23 years old and both now reside in Los Angeles, California.
Fig.1, Jack And Jack, Radio
I have known about Jack and Jack for a pretty long time. They became popular off of the now shutdown app Vine. The duo would post short clips, about 6 seconds, of them singing and sometimes just funny clips. The gained popularity quickly among young teenage girls. They then became part of the group Magcon while I was in middle school. Magcon was a group comprised of internet/ social media start who travel and tour to put on shows all over the country. They were really only known by young girls however, as many adults had no idea about this phenomena. However, Jack and Jack left Magcon in order to pursue their music career in Los Angeles.
Fig. 2, Performance, Wiki
Personally, after they left Magcon I had heard little about the music duo except that Jack Gilinsky was dating fellow singer, Madison Beer until they broke up in 2017. Then in early 2019, I heard their song No One Compares To You.” I instanced try took a liking to the song due to it’s upbeat and summery feel. Their background music is an electric kind of style but it is still a calm kind of song, hard to explain in words I guess, This song is from their album A Good Friend is Nice, which I think is a pretty unique name for an album, but hey whatever works! On this album they even collaborated with Jonas Blue, another up and coming musical group (which I happen to like a lot also). A lot of jack and Jack’s music is about failed relationship, heartbreak. and how they have learned from these experiences.
What I appreciate the most about these two is that they are truly best friends doing what they love. It is easy for anyone to tell that their passion for what they do is authentic. They are so relatable for everyone who has a best friend and they get to do what all best friends wish they could do; work together! I wish I could tour the world and do it all with my best friend They even describe each other as “Two of a kind”. There is no new information on their next single release but I can not wait til there is!
If you have listened to the radio anytime in the last year or so you have probably heard a song by Bryce Vine.You may have not known his name at the moment but you will now!
Fig.2. Bryce Vine, EW
Bryce Vine’s real name is Bryce Ross-Johnson and he is currently 31 years old. He is originally from New York City but has since relocated to California to further his music career. He describes his early life as “humble beginnings”. Then Vine started to get into music at a young age and in order to pursue his talent he attended the Berklee College of Music which is a prestigious music school.
After attending the school Bryce Vine released his first EP which did fairly well. However, it was not until he released Drew Barrymore in 2017 he found true success. It was partially written alongside Julia Micheals who is also a growing pop artist. According to Song Facts, Bryce chose to write the song about Drew Barrymore because on tv and in movies she is always the sweet and cute girl. He wanted to focus more on personality than solely on looks. It was off of his first full album called Carnival . Personally I love the album for just chilling out and I think Pitchfork magazine described it the best by saying “The debut full-length from the “Drew Barrymore” singer isn’t designed for conscious, focused listening. This is music for poolsides and basements.” It reminds me of summer and driving around, blasting music with my windows down. In essence it is feel good music and everyone could use some feel good music sometimes.
More recently, Bryce Vine came out with the hit single La La Land in early 2019. It became most popular in the summer though because of its chill vibe and beat. It features the rapper YG as well which adds another effect to the. song itself.The song is about California culture and in a way it mocks the influencer lifestyle which includes Coachella and instagram photos. A common theme within his music is mocking the social media industry and the people within it.
As of now he is touring around the globe with his new music and promoting his album as well. Theres no new information on when more of his new music will be released but trust me, as soon as it is I will be sure to listen.
Fig.2. Bryce, Billboard
Today I am going to talk about Polo and up and coming rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Polo G recently found success after releasing his song Pop Out which featured Lil Tjay which very quickly went platinum.
Figure 1, POLO G, Polo
Despite his newfound fame Polo G has not always had it easy. He grew up in the projects of Chicago and within his music he explains what it was like growing up in an area such as that. In an interview with vladtv Polo explains that when he was a teenager he slowly became involved in trouble because of hometown influences and was arrested for drug offenses and even a high speed chase. When he was arrested again in 2018 he vowed to himself that he would change and now he has put all his energy into his music.
Polo G is the type of rapper that has much deeper meaning within his lyrics. In his song Through the Storm, off of his album Die a Legend he features his little sisters voice saying how proud she is of him. In fact, Polo G credits a lot of his success and change to the female role models in his life such as his mom, grandmother and little sister. In another line from the same song Polo says “Everybody go through something it’s all about preserving” which is related to him fighting through societal pressures and becoming a better version of himself. Another great song of his is Finer Things which is primarily about his upbringing and his personal struggles. It is a slower style of rap with a great beat behind it. He talks about how he nearly lost himself because of the pressure. My favorite line is “You got God on your side but it’s hard to do right.” In my opinion this line means that although Polo G is strong in his religious roots he still faces struggles both related to crime and internally which is something I feel many could relate to.
Polo G is a prime example of someone who was faced by pressure from all over but was able to make it positive and become and inspiration for many. At only twenty Polo G teaches us that we to have the ability to turn our lives around and focus out energy on better things.
Figure 2, Polo G, Pitchfork
Okay so I already know what you’re thinking, “Harry Styles is certainly NOT a new and upcoming artist” and you would be right in thinking that. However, Styles just released a new song that is just so unique and quite frankly amazing so, I just have to talk about it.
Fig.1, Lights up, Gulf News
I am sure you have heard his name before but let me give you some background information on Styles. He was a part of one of the biggest boybands ever One Direction which was formed on the British X factor in 2010. One Direction had massive success with their debut single What Makes You Beautiful and their popularity grew rapidly from there. After 5 full length albums and one member leaving the band announced in 2015 that they would be taking a break. Now it is end of 2019 and all the members have released solo music and there is little chance that the band will reunite anytime soon.
Fig.2, One Direction, Cosmo
Styles has had the most success with his solo career thus far especially with his song Sign of The Times which hit number one on iTunes. His first album could be described as a rock-pop album and it was extremely well received even by those who were not fans of his former boyband. During this period Harry also acted in Dunkirk which is a World War 2 film. Many applauded his acting abilities and questioned whether he would launch an acting career. As of now, there is no new news on that, but fans can hope!
Last week Styles released his first single in nearly two years. It was seemingly out of the blue as there was no announcement of the release but it was a great surprise for fans. The new song is called Lights Out it is extremely different than Harry’s first album. It has a pop-alternative feel and the music video is extremely unique. The video is definitely more sensual. than what Styles has created in the past and it features a ton of extras. The lyrics also represent that Styles is a changed person who feels no regret for who he has evolved into. The question “do you know who you are?” is repeated throughout the song. Listeners can interpret this as Styles asserting that he has finally found his place in the music industry. Fans are still waiting for an announcement of a new album, but for now, I have Lights Up on repeat.