The O-town Scene

Editor's Note|By Emily Popek I Love College Oh, college. Watching students unloading their belongings into dorms and apartments over the past couple of weeks fills me with a strange sense of nostalgia, envy and relief. Nostalgia because it doesn't seem like that long ago that I was one of them. Because I went to college 3,000 miles from home, I wasn't one of the lucky ones who showed up on campus in the back seat of their parents' car. No, I got to college by way of a mini-road trip with my sister, followed by a 14-hour train ride from Chicago to Albany, followed by an extremely nerve-wracking wait at the station for someone from the college to pick me up. It was terrifying, exhilarating — and totally worth it. Envy because, let's face it, college is fun. I mean, not for everyone and not all the time, but it's a chance to test out adulthood, make some spectacularly bad decisions with minimal repercussions, and maybe even get an education along the way. No matter how much schoolwork you have, there always seems to be time for a party, a concert, a movie, a meal — and if you're lucky, you can do all of that without leaving campus. Just a few of the events local college students get to enjoy are listed on Pages 19-20. Relief because, fun as it was, the thought of reliving college is exhausting. That was an intense four years. I came out of college a pretty different person than I went in. Colleges place a lot of expectations on students, and invest a lot of effort into creating an environment that's stimulating — academically, socially, intellectually and even physically. You can read about some of those expectations and hopes in letters from local college presidents starting on Page 12. I went to college in a small town where, quite frankly, there wasn't a lot going on. While a lot of kids who come to college in Oneonta may be used to more metropolitan environments, I think they're pretty lucky to have the variety of live music, restaurants and, yes, bars in a town of this size. Let's face it — it's a relationship of mutual dependence. We would be nothing without you, college kids. And we'd like to think that you wouldn't be the same without us. Here's to another year of Friday night parades down Elm Street, pizza plates and puke on the sidewalks, open-container violations and walks of shame. Oh yeah — and school. Don't forget to study, kids. And stay off my lawn! Emily F. Popek is officially old. She can be reached at epopek@ thedailystar.com, or 432-1000, ext. 217. Contents September 5 - 30, 2013 2 Masthead 3 Editor's Note | Contents 5 New Music Notes | Laygirl Fashion 6 PURE & SIMPLE — A Local Gluten-Free Grain 7 DIVERSITY SCENE — Embracing My Chameleon Nature 8 PHOTO PAGE — Belgium Comes to Cooperstown 10 YOGA LIFE — Sai Baba's Practical Wisdom 11-22 The O-Town Scene College Guide 23 Jimkata Reflects on Success 25 — ARTIST OF THE MONTH — Stephanie Rozene 26-30 — COMING EVENTS & CALENDAR 31 — ADVICE GODDESS Sept. 5, 2013 O-Town Scene 3

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