Shecky's Beauty Night Out in NYC

Above: Maria Kucinski, Erica Swallow, Jamall Oluokun and Kriti Bhandari

I recently attended my first Shecky's Beauty Night Out with three lovely friends (pictured above). Shecky's is most known for their Girls Night Out, an event that pulls together the best of fashion, cocktails, food and fun! They also have Holiday Night Out and Getaways! Beauty Night Out is all about beauty... makeup, face, hygiene and dietary products. Even more exciting, all of the events include a HUGE Goodie Bag! The giftbag is so well-known that they call it "Shecky's Famous Goodie Bag". haha. The goodie bag was simply wonderful, to say the least. It's definitely the biggest goodie bag I've ever received at an event. Of course, there is a price to enter, but still!

If you're curious about Shecky's, I say go! It was definitely worth it! (Tip: Sign up for the Shecky's Insiders program for discounts before purchasing tickets.)

For more information, check out the Shecky's photo gallery!

Make a Dent in the World Water Crisis!

Dear Friends,

I'm trying to help put a dent in the world water crisis and I need your help. I've created three projects via charity:water, each with a goal of raising $5,000, enough funds to build a water well in a community in need of clean water. I'm asking that all of my friends and family find it in their hearts to donate, as there are millions of people without the basic need of water.

I've made three funds to match my friends' interests:

1.) NYU Fund: For all of my NYU friends that want to make a difference. This fund goes towards helping bring water to schools in need of it. Have some school pride and donate today at http://new.charitywater.org/nyufund.

2.) NYC Fund: For the city known for its water towers, atop every building. This fund is for all the New Yorkers who care about delivering clean water to people in need. Donate now at http://new.charitywater.org/nyc.

3.) Erica & Weikai's 2nd Anniversary: Today is the 2nd anniversary of dating for Weikai and me! In celebration, we're asking all of our friends and family to find it in their hearts to donate to the millions without water. We're lucky enough to have been born in societies with an overabundance of water. Let's give back. Donate now at http://new.charitywater.org/EricaandWeikai.

With all of my love and best wishes for you and yours!
Erica

NYU RAN Alumni Mixer Tomorrow

Hey NYU friends! Are you going to be at the NYU Recent Alumni Network Alumni Mixer tomorrow? Weikai (my boyfriend) and I will be there. See you there!

Click on the invitation above for more details!

I'm a Gilman Scholar! Are you?

Above is an interview that I did with the Institute of International Education about my experience as a Gilman Scholar. I discussed my Gilman experience as an NYU in Shanghai study abroad student in China and offered advice to current applicants for the Gilman Scholarship. Wish I was more interesting! I need to start reading a dictionary!

To learn more about my time abroad, check out my China Adventure website.

College Time Line.

My friend, Cheng, sent me this via email. It's a timeline of college. It's completely fitting, being that I just took my last final last week and I'm graduating in two days. Cannot wait! Enjoy this perfect illustration of what college is really like!

Every New Semester:

After 1st Week:

After 2nd Week:

Before the Mid-Term Exam:

During The Mid-Term Exam:

After The Mid-Term Exam:

Before the Final Exam:

Once We get the Schedule of Final exam:

7 Days Before Final exam:

6 Days Before Final exam:

5 Days Before Final exam:

4 Days Before Final exam:

3 Days Before Final exam:

2 Days Before Final exam:

1 Days Before Final exam:

Night Before the final exam:

1 Hour before the final exam:

During the final exams:

once walk out of the examination room:

After the final exam during the holiday:

That’s College!!!

Burnt out? Final Exams? Summer Internships? Smoking Pot?

On April 20th I received another compelling email from the NYU Wellness Exchange, titled "Burnt out?". Last time the Wellness Exchange sent out one of these emails it was about over-drinking. This time, on the national high holiday (4/20), it was only fitting for it to be about smoking pot. Read the image above, which was the body of the email.

Wow, seriously, who makes these PSAs? I wasn't expecting that at all. Somehow, I didn't get the flow from papers, final exams, internships... to smoking pot.

But, whatever, it caught my attention.

It was also fitting that on April 20th, the New York Times ran an article entitled Marijuana Advocates Point to Signs of Change. Ever wonder where the term "420" originated? According to this NYTimes article:

Mr. Hager said the significance of April 20 dates to a ritual begun in the early 1970s in which a group of Northern California teenagers smoked marijuana every day at 4:20 p.m. Word of the ritual spread and expanded to a yearly event in various places. Soon, marijuana aficionados were using “420” as a code for smoking and using it as a sign-off on fliers for concerts where the drug would be plentiful.

In the end, I think the day went over well. The NYU Wellness Exchange would be happy to know that I didn't hear of any students smoking up on the notorious holiday, although I'm sure there were plenty of festivities behind closed doors. What can ya do?

Cheers.

Stern Semi-Formal 2009

Weikai accompanied me to the NYU Stern Semi-Formal last night. The venue, Capitale, was amazing. Dinner, on the other hand, was not so great. I had a rice pattie with vegetables... not as appealing as it might sound to my fellow vegetarians. The dancing was great, for the most part, though. The DJ wasn't anything to rave about, but any dance with Weikai is a ball. He's such a good dancer, that I couldn't care less what was going on around us!

We staked out a VIP area where no one was dancing and claimed it for ourselves. We danced the night away until my little feetsies hurt. Then, we called it a night and went back to his place for a well-deserved slumber.

I really enjoyed the night. Now, I'm looking forward to the NYU Senior Formal! So many dances, so little time!

Living in NYC's Legendary Discotheque -- The Palladium

In 1985, Interior Design magazine wrote that The Palladium:

"represents Arata Isozaki's transformation of a vacant and rundown theater (originally built in 1854 as the Academy of Music) into an extraordinary interior that can only be described as a sleek new structure, the equivalent of a seven-story building suing more than 200 tons of steel, within the restored grandeur of the original shell."

It was the party playground for celebrities, including Madonna. Unfortunately, The Palladium saw its best days in the 80's. In 1998, it was closed, sold to New York University, and demolished.



Now, in 2009, the site is the home of Palladium Hall, which houses NYU students as well as multiple NYU facilities, including the Wasserman Center for Career Development,the Palladium Athletics Facility, a dining hall, wireless study lounges and music and piano rooms.

In fact, it also houses me, an NYU senior! And these days, the only excitement that this historic site boasts include lost mail situations and troubles signing in guests with the guards in the lobby. So much for the glory days!