BLOGS BY EMILY MENEZ
Emily Menez writes about her experiences in the ICNYC program.
Emily Menez writes about her experiences in the ICNYC Program:
Blog Post 1 – January 30, 2013
Here we go again; another semester is officially underway in the ICNYC Program. It’s exciting to see how the program has already changed so much from the fall to the spring. We had 15 students in the program last semester, and now we’re up to 52.
It seems like a good crop of students in the program – a variety of sophomores, juniors and a small sprinkling of us seniors. Last semester, Park students represented a vast majority of the program. Now, we’ve got Business and Humanities and Sciences students as well. But no doubt, the Park students are still the best (she wrote with obvious Park Pride!). That’s just a given.
In personal news, I celebrated a move from the New Yorker Hotel in Midtown (one of the EHS offerings) to a women’s residence on the Upper West Side. It’s been an adjustment in a few ways: the communal bathroom, my coffeemaker being banned (almost a deal breaker), and of course, some of the older women keep different hours. This has resorted to my tip-toeing throughout the hallway and lowering the sound of my voice while on phone calls. I can’t help that I’m a passionate conversationalist, people!
I’m much more a fan of this area of town though. I’m between Central Park and the Hudson River. According to Billy Joel, my location is what puts one in a, “New York State of Mind.” Some mornings, whilst I take a stroll along Central Park and sip my non-residence coffee-to-go, I can’t really believe that my life has led me to New York City. Even though this is my sixth month in the City, I still have those “pinch me, this is a dream” moments. According to the Carrie Bradshaw standard, one is not truly a New Yorker until one has lived here nine months. That means that by the end of this semester, I will have passed her test.
Every semester, I like to challenge myself with a new long-term writing project. Last semester, it was writing a three act play for Juilliard’s Grad School Program. This semester, it is to create a blog filled with coffee reviews. One new coffee place a week for the rest of the semester, that’s my goal. I kicked things off this week with a review of Café Grumpy in Chelsea. They had excellent coffee and a unique atmosphere that is perfect fodder for my initial post.
Finally, and perhaps most relevant to my being here instead of on campus, I have begun to have my pre-graduation freak-outs. They actually began in November, but have been culminating nicely over Winter Break. My friend and IC Alumna Perri Gross (2012, Art Major) wisely dubbed these as, “Pre-graduation night sweats.” Truer words were never spoken. I have resolved that instead of stressing out, however, I will consult some IC Alums for advice. They are everywhere in New York and I’ve met a number of them through the ICNYC Program Internship Seminar as guest speakers. I have already spoken with three and recently had dinner with Francine, a ’12 TV-R Graduate who successfully has navigated from postgrad to impressive employment. She encouraged me, and even offered some pointers on my resume. It’s helpful to get the skinny from people who have been in my shoes before and survived. Seems like I’m on the right track. But I suppose only time will tell.
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Emily Menez, one of our ICNYC students, talks about Hurricane Sandy
Early last week, I hadn't even heard the phrase "Hurricane Sandy" uttered once. A tornado and flooding were far from my mind. I was quite content enjoying hiatus week and relaxing with Monica, one of my best friends from Kansas. Monica took off early Sunday morning and by late Sunday night, all anyone could talk about was Hurricane Sandy. Suddenly, I felt wrapped up in a blanket of fears and anxieties about the looming weather. I was trapped inside to stare at the rain, and listen to panic across the hallway. Everyone had the news on. Everyone was afraid.
For the better part of Monday and Tuesday, I was pretty stressed out that the hurricane would take a turn for Midtown. Suddenly, the city that had felt so welcoming and exciting only hours before, felt scary and incredibly lonely. It was like that scene in the horror movies when the lights go out and the beautiful mansion suddenly becomes entirely too menacing. Only that's a terrible example, because I never lost power. Luckily for us in the New Yorker Hotel, we were completely fine. Obviously, this wasn't the case for so many areas along the East Coast. By Wednesday, I had moved past most of my initial fears. I thought things had returned back to normal.
Yet, the aftermath of Sandy became very real to me when I explored the lower side of Eighth Avenue. On 14th and 8th, an entire facade of an apartment building had been ripped off. In the East Village, over 80% of the businesses were closed down. Only a few people walked about the streets. It was seriously something out of a post-apocalyptic nightmare. One man had acquired electricity in his apartment and played "New York, New York" loudly from speakers. There was a stark contrast of the empty streets and Sinatra's optimistic tune. The best way I can describe it, is that it was incredibly surreal.
Even throughout the chaos of last week, I was glad that I could help out in a very small way by sharing my apartment with a friend who lives in the East Village. Even now, a good four days after the storm, things are just starting to return to normal.
Most of Manhattan has regained power, along with many of the other affected areas. In the next week, many of the Subway stops will be back to full functioning power. I am one of the lucky ones, but this experience has definitely increased my respect for a very tough city.