Alright, the Prattler will be taking the rest of the summer off, now that the last of our summer-related web articles have been posted.
We’ll get off your dashboard so that you don’t have to be reminded of school for a few months.
Enjoy your summers, may they be full of Netflix, good food, creativity, and fun people.
See you in the Fall for some more news, entertainment, cats, and all things Pratt.
Bye!
1 paigesbook asked: So, I am highly interested in Pratt because the arts are the most important thing to me, well that and food and Netflix if we are being honest, anyways I was just wondering if you could describe the experience in 10 words or fewer?
Haha um… I mean, Pratt has great teachers and great students, and if you work hard and are self-sufficient it can be the right school for you. The important thing is, you have to have a strong drive because critiques can be rough, and work can be rough, and life can be rough, and you have to have a passion that can carry you through that.
Anyone else have any thoughts?
Anonymous asked: Is Prattler a class you can take, or a club?
It’s a class you can take on Wednesdays. But if you don’t have room for it in your schedule, you can treat it like a club and still come to our meetings and work as a freelancer. We welcome anyone :)
Beach it Up
By: Robert Hubert
Summer in New York is an amazing time. But it gets hot - really hot - so staying cool is a constant struggle through out the summer. New York, being the amazing city that it is, has many options for getting out of the heat other then seeing a $13 dollar movie. There are a number of beaches where you can grab some food and a swim. Sadly, Hurricane Sandy did a number on most of the shore line from New Jersey to Connecticut. So as the weather gets warmer I started to worry if the beaches in the city would be open to the public. Here is a list of the three best beaches within city limits and their status this summer.
Coney Island Now Open
This is by far the most popular beach in the city and it has more attractions than any other beach. The popular New York Aquarium which took a 65 million dollar hit from Sandy, but plans to open up in the spring. Nathan’s Famous, another Coney Island staple, was swamped under six feet water during the storm. Almost all of their cooking equipment floated away down the street. But, they are planning to open by this Memorial Day. The board walk and the amusement park had only minor damage and the rides are already open as of March 24th.
Rockaway Beach Opening May 24th
Over the past few years, Rockaway has become a destination for those fed up with the crowds and kitsch of Coney Island. The beach also attracts a number of surfers thanks to its designated surfing area. This has lead to the opening of a few amazing restaurants that offer great hang out spots for visitors. These include Rockaway Taco, (Opening April 30th), a small shack that serves delicious fish tacos. Unfortunately, Rockaway got hit much harder then most of the other shore areas. The boardwalk is still mostly gone and sand is still in some front yards blocks inland. Opening day is on May 24th and they plan to have the beach open, but with a lot less board walk. The board walk will be rebuilt but they are still deciding on a new material other than wood.
Fort Tilden Closed for Summer 2013
This is the most remote and secluded beach you can get to within New York City. It’s the most laid back beach, with no life guards or facilities. It’s also only accessible by car even though it is only a few miles down from Rockaway Beach. Sadly it’s right next to Breezy Point, which took the hardest hit from Sandy and is still in great disrepair. Fort Tilden will not be reopening this summer because of the extensive erosion and fears for public safety. But, if next summer you have some free time and a car, I would recommend this beach.
1By: Angelica Maldonado
(You, too, can be as happy as this laughing salad woman)
All year long we Pratt students slave diligently over portfolio reviews, term papers, final exams, critiques, job interviews, etc. Besides around 18 hours of class each week, there are countless hours of studying, honing our respective skills, and – most importantly – stressing. Eventually, sleepless nights and stressful mornings catch up to us and by the time the last day of school rolls around we just want to SLEEP. It’s a great idea to go into a coma for a few days or so, but once you arise from the dead here are some fun (and cheap!) ideas to de-stress and rejuvenate yourself if you’re staying in New York City:
1. Get yourself a mani-pedi! Yes, this even applies to guys. You’d be surprised how wonderful it feels to get groomed, massaged, and pampered after a year of torturing your hands (i.e. cutting yourself with an Exacto blade). Right on Myrtle Ave. is the Polish Bar where mani-pedis can cost you anywhere from $35 to $100, not including tip. If you’re on a budget, don’t be afraid to go into any one of the numerous not-so-fancy salons in our neighborhood. These salons have decent service, but if you’re skeeved out, bring your own nail kit (pumice stone, cuticle cutter, file, etc.). I’m a regular at Mega Nails and Spa on 383 Myrtle Ave. It’s right by Walgreens and a mani-pedi will only set you back $18!
2. Go for a walk in the park! Pratt is situated in the lovely Clinton Hill-Fort Greene area and we’re only a few blocks away from Fort Greene Park. If you’ve been there a million times (like I have), maybe a change of scenery would be a good idea. Despite living in a concrete jungle, NYC has a good assortment of beautiful parks to walk through. Central Park is a classic go-to, with over 843 acres to explore. There’s nothing better than rowboating in Central Park with your significant other, or even a good friend. Other great places to relax and bond with nature are Prospect Park, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (free for Pratt students!), Fort Tryon Park, and the Noguchi Museum.
3. Go to the beach! Although New York City isn’t exactly renowned for our beaches, and some of them may appear downright scary, you’d be pleasantly surprised how rejuvenating a bit of sun and sand can be. Coney Island is one of my favorites, although it can be ridiculously packed at times. The water is a bit questionable so I’d suggest going there mainly for sunbathing, walking along the boardwalk (get some classic Nathan’s hot dogs while you’re there), and going to the amusement park. Brighton Beach also isn’t too bad, and you can buy anything from ice cold Coronas to corn-on-the-cob to cotton candy from peddlers right on the beach. If you’d prefer something artificial with more attractions, check out Water Taxi Beach on Governor’s Island. Don’t forget your sun block!
4. Treat yourself to a spa day! Although going to an actual spa can cost you a pretty penny, why not grab some materials and do it yourself? Head over to Walgreens, or even the dollar store, and stock up on spa essentials. For a full head-to-toe spa experience, take a warm shower and use a sugar scrub to slough off dead skin cells. Lavish your skin with a sumptuous body cream. Microwave a damp washcloth for 15 seconds and put it on your face to open up pores, then follow by using a clay mask. Light some candles (if you live off-campus!) and meditate!
Going to Pratt can have detrimental effects on our body, mind, and soul but hopefully these steps will help you replenish to successfully tackle another school year!
1 
Flameproof
By: Elina Ansary
The fire in the main building caused an undeniable stir across campus. Now that some time has passed, things have returned to normal for most Pratt students. For some of us, like myself and my fellow senior painters, things will never go back to they way they were. But as spring dawns, it’s time to march forward.
The new studios in the ARC have been occupied and busy since March 18th. Although the ventilation leaves a bit to be desired, the studios are large, clean, and equipped with brand new furniture. Artwork and personal belongings that survived the flames have been returned to their owners. It was a relief for us to once again have private spaces, and everyone returned to work with a new and passionate fervor.
Several weeks ago it was announced that the senior Painting and Drawing group thesis show will be held at 375 Park avenue, and will be on view from May 9th-May 14th. A special opening night presented by Larry Gagosian—owner of Gagosian Gallery, one of New York’s major galleries—will give seniors the opportunity to mingle with dealers and collectors.
“I’m excited and I’m overwhelmed but right now I just have to focus,” says Rebecca Warlick, one of the 44 who will be featured in the show. This kind of opportunity has never been offered to Pratt’s fine art majors, and unfortunately it is unclear whether it ever will be again. Essentially, the pressure in on.
After graduation, the BFA Painting and Drawing class of 2013 will be mounting two more group shows in Manhattan. The first will be at Westbeth Gallery, opening June 8th, and the second will be in August at the Painting Center (exact dates are TBA). Pratt students who are sticking around for the summer are enthusiastically encouraged to attend these events! Help us make the very best out of a bad situation.
4
Gender and Time
By: LouLou Ford
On April 3rd Pratt hosted a panel discussing gender and time with authors Bhanu Kapil, Shelley Jackson, and Deb Olin Unferth. The panel, moderated by Professor Cecilia Muhlstein, began with Bhanu Kapil presenting an unfinished piece titled Body on the Ground. The first incarnation of this piece, which was written last year, is centered around a young girl named Ban walking home through London in 1979 as a race riot begins. Ban lays down on the ground and chooses not to get up and go home. The creation of this work intersected with a horrifying report of gang-rape and murder in New Delhi last December, after which the victim was thrown from a bus and left on the ground without help for forty minutes.
Kapil says after hearing this news, her piece was transformed. The character Ban who laid on the ground in Body on the Ground was now entwined with the story of the New Delhi rape victim, who was left on the ground only five minutes from the home of Kapil’s Aunt. The forty minutes which transpired before onlookers called the police become bound to the hours Ban spent laying on the ground as race riots flared up in London. The narrative is a beautiful collection of imagery and color, as well as a meditation on performance, performative protest, and the post-colonial treatment of the bodies of women of color.
Shirley Jackson spoke on syntax, focusing on parentheses and their meaning in text and within society. Jackson spoke of her experience of as a young girl often being mistaken for a boy, as well as her childhood fascination with fantastic texts featuring various portals into another world. The parenthetical came to represent for Jackson the in-between spaces not only in literature but in between space between gender norms. Within the text, Jackson said, the parentheses become portals in which the reader can escape, a separate context as well as a space for a central idea of theme.
The panel opened for questions which covered a range of topics. One student asked if the protest taking place in Body on The Ground was inherently performative, which drew both Kapil and Jackson into conversation about the performative aspects of their work. Another student asked if either author believed in gendered time, the notion of a gender-specific experience of time. Both authors weighed in on the subject. Kapil proposed that the experience of hearing that a woman laid on the ground for forty minutes after being raped might be a different experience and understanding of time for men than it is for women. Jackson answered that instead of gendered time, she wanted to explore in her work parenthetical (or “queered) time outside of a normative understanding of time.
Students from the writing program, as well as fine arts, fashion, and visual and critical studies programs attended the panel, which offered a new discourse on the foundation year theme of Time. The panel was a unique opportunity for Pratt students to hear new work from these authors, to ask questions, and gain insight into their process.
Citi Bike Comes to Brooklyn
By: Madeline Gruen
You may have noticed empty bike racks being installed near Pratt’s campus and around the city in recent weeks. These shiny new racks are part of New York City’s bike share program set to officially launch this May. The program mimics successful bike-share programs around the country, and it’s called “Citi Bike,” after the bike’s title sponsor, Citibank. The bikes are operated by NYC Bike Share, a wholly owned subsidy of Alta Bicycle Share, Inc., and manufactured by Public Bike System Company (PBSC, also known as Bixi).
How does it work?
The pricing for an Annual Membership, 24-Hour Access Pass, or 7-Day Access Pass is somewhat complicated, but once you’ve purchased a membership or pass, the process is as easy as: unlock, ride and return.
The bike-share model is set up to help people with short trips around the city (commuting to work, visiting friends, running errands), so it intentionally discourages taking out bikes and “hoarding” them for long periods of time. They want the bikes to be available for everyone, rather than have people locking the bikes up outside their office, apartment or grocery store.
For this reason, the Citi Bike pricing structure includes two parts: purchase of pass/membership and “overtime fees” for riding longer than they determine is necessary. The pass/membership allows riders to ride for unlimited 30-minute segments free of charge (45 minutes if you have an annual membership), but after that free period, riders get charged for every 30 minutes they ride without docking the bike.
TIP: Have somewhere to go that will take you longer than 30 or 45 minutes? Plan a pit stop along your route to dock your bike and pick up a new one. This will keep you from incurring additional charges.
How can I get started?
There are a few options for launching your Citi Bike adventures. You can sign up online for an Annual Membership ($95 +tax) or purchase a 24-Hour or 7-Day Access Pass from any Citi Bike station kiosk using a credit or debit card.
Find a bike station using the Citi Bike station map or the Citi Bike App and get going!
Safety first!
You should always wear a helmet when you ride. With cars whizzing by and pedestrians unexpectedly jumping into your path, Brooklyn can be a dangerous place for cyclists. A helmet is your best protection against serious injury.
Citi Bike does not provide helmets, but with the purchase of an annual Citi Bike membership, you will receive a coupon for $10 off a bike helmet at any of NYC’s bike shops. View a list of eligible bike shops on Citi Bike’s website: http://citibikenyc.com/resources
Now, as they say: go unlock a bike and unlock New York!
7
I know you’re all busy with finals and move out but don’t forget to pick up a copy of the last Prattler of the school year. It comes with 3D glasses and everything.
1By Martha Gilleece
It was a treat to be able to see Pratt’s production of Venus two nights in a row. The cast and crew have been putting aside hours of their day to put on this show, and it paid off.
I’d like to start by emphasizing this was not the normal play. Director Jennifer Miller is known for her experimental take on theatre, and this production was a fine example of that talent. The costumes of the cast were minimal. I didn’t find myself distracted by flashy designs or overpowering colors. Instead, I was focused on the disturbing subject, a woman from South Africa being shown in a Freak Show, and the execution of the lines. Another interesting aspect of the performance was that the house lights were on during the performance, which is something I was not used to. After talking to the cast, most of which have been participating in theatre for years, I found that they too were not used to being able to see the audience while on stage.
“It’s scary, being able to see people’s faces, seeing how they respond to what’s going on onstage,” freshman Elizabeth Peppersack said.
I did find myself struggling to hear every line. The passages were long, which can be a bit overwhelming when on stage, especially when the audience is in clear view. But during the second showing on Friday, April 19, everyone seemed to be more relaxed on the stage.
In the end, Venus was amazing and terrifying at the same time. And this wasn’t just true for the audience either. The lead in the play, freshman Mia Carty said, “I was wracked with nerves the entire time. I always had the feeling that I was going to fail or that everyone would be disappointed in my performance. So at the end of the show I was so grateful and truly touched by the love and support that the audience, my friends, my and family gave me. I loved working with the cast! Everyone is really talented and all just crazy fun people to be around.”
I urge all students and faculty to go see any future performances on campus. Overall, I want to thank the cast and crew for devoting their free time to put on a performance such as this.
1 
