Girls

Back of the Neck

While many girls wear their hair up when they don’t have time to get ready, revealing the back of the neck can actually be a turn-on to men. Although unexpected, the back of the neck shows a woman’s strength and femininity.

(Scott Bressler | Student Life)

Calves

It’s a widely known fact that heels were created to torture women. But, there is a purpose to them. When ladies don heels, they accentuate the strength and curvature of their calves, something that men find attractive.

Collar Bone

Some girls love to wear jewelry. If you think of it, what is the point of those little charms? Well, besides accessorizing outfits, they can also draw attention to something men go crazy over: the collar bone.

Smile

This one’s obvious, but it is often overlooked in the day-to-day bustle of life. First impressions are key, and a nice smile is always noticed by others.

Boys

(Zachary Cupkovic | Student Life)

Arms

Scientifically speaking, men tend to have more muscle mass than women. In recent years, men have started taking protein shakes and lifting intensely to accentuate their arm muscles. But be careful of going overboard guys, as senior Erica Johnston explained, “I like nicely toned arms on a guy—strong but natural.”

Abs

If college-aged men controlled beer companies, the six-pack would most likely be replaced with the 60-pack. And given that this high-calorie drink tends to lead to what we affectionately call the “beer belly,” having well-defined abs is a coveted asset on campus.

Broad Shoulders

Strength is a sexy characteristic, especially in men. Who wouldn’t want a guy that could lift your suitcases, boxes and books on move-in day?

Lips

Kissing is one of girls’ favorite ways of showing affection. And having good lips makes a man all the more appealing. “I specifically like big lips, especially when the bottom lip is big because then you can bite and nibble it a little and play with their lips and have a more creative time kissing,” explained sophomore Phoebe Marcinek.

The Sci-Fi Lounge, founded by a Washington University alum who calls himself “Coyote,” has an eclectic collection of toys, games, statues and more. The Lounge also features video games, board games, movies, art shows and musicians. (Paula Lauris | Student Life)

Gamers, toy collectors, artists and concert-goers of St. Louis unite: There is now a place for you to share your eclectic passions. The Sci-Fi Lounge, located a short walk from campus at 6010 Kingsbury Ave., offers a unique escape to a world of all things nostalgic and entertaining. While the Sci-Fi Lounge is in a relatively quiet residential area, the 10-foot rooster statue and giant, rusty spaceship outside the building set it apart from the other Tudor-style buildings on the block. And with an entrance like that, the inside does not disappoint.

It’s hard to focus your eyes on just one thing when you enter the Sci-Fi Lounge. There are hundreds of toys and action figures on the shelves, several old-school arcade games against the walls, and a variety of skulls and skeletons dangling throughout. Beyond the entryway, there is a small but funky stage where artists can perform, as well as several chairs and tables for lounging.

The owner, who goes by Coyote, tried to explain the lounge as “a toy museum…for people to hang out in.” Coyote, who graduated from Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in graphic communications and illustration in 1998, brought his passion for art and comics to the lounge. After a nearby café closed, Coyote decided to open up his art studio for locals to hang out in 2005. “There are so many places you go to like movies, and you pay $10 to sit down and not talk to each other. I wanted to have a place a lot simpler than that,” Coyote explained.

(Paula Lauris | Student Life)

Indeed, the Sci-Fi Lounge brings back memories of simpler times with its vast assortment of figures, from Batman to Darth Vader to Godzilla. Coyote began collecting these toys in 1998, and there are even melted figures on display from when his childhood room burned down. There is also artwork throughout the café that was created by Coyote and other local artists. Many of the pieces Coyote makes come from recycled materials and donations.

After getting over the initial shock of the place, there are many things you can do at the Sci-Fi Lounge. You can play the arcade games, which cost only a quarter and feature a handwritten high-score list. You can also have fun with classic Atari and Nintendo game systems and challenge others to a friendly, old-school competition. The Sci-Fi Lounge offers an array of your favorite board games like Monopoly and Apples to Apples as well. And, if you’re hungry, there are a variety of refreshments, including Moon Pies, candy and soda for only $1. Oh, and Wi-Fi is also available for free at the lounge.

(Paula Lauris | Student Life)

Aside from providing visitors with fun games to play, the Sci-Fi Lounge also has weekly movie nights and concerts. For $10 a month, you can join the weekly movie club (aptly called the A.V. Club), which meets Wednesdays from 8 p.m. to midnight and watches rare and unusual films at the lounge. In addition, on Thursday and Friday nights, the Sci-Fi Lounge plays host to eclectic local bands; on Saturday afternoons, more punk and metal artists are usually featured. As Coyote explained, “We’ve done everything from having art shows to having bands. I try to focus on local artists and help local musicians.”

When you come to the Sci-Fi Lounge, you never know what to expect. Whether you end up watching a concert, debating the coolest action figures or chowing down on your favorite childhood treats, you’re sure to have a unique and out-of-this-world experience.

(Paula Lauris | Student Life)

(Paula Lauris | Student Life)

(Paula Lauris | Student Life)

On your way to the Delmar Loop, it’s easy to miss the modest sign for Booster’s Café, located perpendicular to Delmar Boulevard at 567 Melville Ave. Its unpretentious storefront leads to an equally quaint café filled with mismatched chairs and newspaper clippings on the walls. While Booster’s may not offer an expansive menu like other brunch restaurants (notably absent are waffles), what it lacks in diversity it makes up for in quality and uniqueness. Particularly notable are Booster’s handmade pumpkin pancakes, which are sweeter and more flavorful than their plain counterparts. While the breakfast sides like sausage and bacon tend to come in smaller portions, the main meals, which include breakfast sandwiches and scrambled eggs, are more than filling. The coffee is also self-serve with free refills, and it’s surprisingly not Kaldi’s (instead it’s from Northwest Coffee Roasting).  Booster’s serves breakfast all day, so it’s the perfect place to go to if you tend to wake up late.

When the typical brunch fare of scrambled eggs and waffles just isn’t cutting it, check out City Coffeehouse & Crêperie at 36 N. Brentwood Blvd. in Clayton. As the name implies, this café offers a variety of regular and dessert crêpes perfect for brunch. The Lox & Dam Crêpe, filled with smoked salmon and flavored with spinach, cream cheese and onions, is a light but satisfying dish for the morning. For those with a sweet tooth, the variety of fruit and Nutella crêpes offered at City Coffeehouse hit the spot. The café also offers delicious Belgian waffles and great chai lattes.

While it may not look like a restaurant on the outside, First Watch, located at 8001 Forsyth Blvd., is a great chain that serves brunch. First Watch is known for its Crepeggs, a mix of sweet crêpes and whipped eggs, which come with turkey and an assortment of vegetables. Along with this, First Watch has an expansive menu filled with brunch favorites like omelettes and French toast. While the food isn’t extraordinary, it comes out fast and is very filling.

Chances are that if you’ve been off campus for brunch, you’ve been to Kayak’s at 276 N. Skinker Blvd. Known for its proximity to campus, relaxed atmosphere and early opening time (6:30 a.m. every day), Kayak’s is a convenient brunch spot. Although a bit pricey, the berry waffles, which come with fresh fruit and maple syrup, are a great way to start off the day. If you need your caffeine fix but don’t like the taste of black coffee, there are many blended drinks with names like “Teddy Bear” that have enough sugar and chocolate to mask coffee’s bitterness. If you come for brunch, you can also bring your laptop and take advantage of the café’s free wireless Internet and large tables to get a start on your work.

On one particular Friday, my friends and I were in the mood for some good Vietnamese food. We decided to try Pho Grand, which, as you may guess, is located on Grand and (surprise!) serves pho.

When we arrived at this quaint restaurant with our group of 10 people, we were given a buzzer and told to wait upstairs on the deserted second level of the restaurant. The wait was only 20 minutes, which wasn’t bad for a group of our size on a Friday night.

While the dining area was on the smaller side, the menu was not. Pho Grand offers an assortment of noodle soups, vegetarian meals, rice dishes, seafood and meat. On a recommendation, several of my friends decided to try the Bo Luc Lac, otherwise known as shaking beef. Instead, I opted for the Com Chien Ga, chicken fried rice. Within minutes of placing our orders, our dishes came straight to the table.

Although chicken fried rice may seem like a simple dish, it was uniquely prepared at Pho Grand. The rice was crisp and not burnt like it is at many other restaurants. The chicken had a bit of a sweet taste to it, which blended well with the spiced rice.

Looking around the table, I noticed the happy faces of my friends enjoying their shaking beef. Prepared with garlic and onions, the beef had a unique and tangy taste. The portions for all of our meals were also very generous for the prices.

To my right, I saw that one of my friends had ordered an interesting soup—Pho Dac Biet. Inside this rice noodle soup was round beef, beef brisket, meatballs and tripe. While the soup was already overflowing, it also came with a side plate of bean sprouts and mint, which my friend proceeded to add to the soup. The result was a meal full of unique, robust flavor, and I’ll have to trust his word that it was delicious.

By the time we finished our dinner, we were too full to even think about indulging in dessert. But one of my dining mates was adventurous enough to try Vietnamese coffee. The coffee came out in an intricate silver pot. The drink was incredibly hot, so the server told my friend to wait five minutes before he returned to prepare it. After the coffee had cooled off, the waiter pulled up the cup and added some sweetened condensed milk to it. My friend loved the strong-yet-sweet coffee, and the interesting process of making it made it an unique experience.

If you’re looking for unique and authentic Vietnamese food in the area, I would definitely recommend Pho Grand. There is a nearly limitless number of menu options, including food for the conservative and daring diners. Plus, there’s enough strong coffee to keep you awake during the start of the semester.

Rating: 5/5

3195 S Grand Blvd
St Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-7435

Shop around

While Washington University doesn’t have an official “shopping period,” we do have the two-week add-drop deadline to take advantage of. Most students may not use this time to explore other classes, because they simply cannot add enough courses to pick from with a 21-credit limit. In truth, though, that limit shouldn’t stop students from considering their options.

The trick to this is that you don’t have to register right away for classes you are only thinking of taking. You should have already registered for the classes you want to take this semester a while ago, but did your winter break fuel your interest in learning about Middle Eastern politics? Have you always wanted to take a course in Renaissance literature? Explore the course listings on WebSTAC and take note of the times and locations of any and every class you are interested in. Go to your registered classes and to these new ones you’ve thought about with an open mind: If you’re unsure about an elective you have already signed up for, consider taking something else. Is the professor a great speaker? Does the smaller class size contrast with your larger lectures? Don’t be afraid to drop a class you were previously set on taking and add a completely different one. College is, after all, about exploring.

Find a way in

So, you’ve been checking WebSTAC daily over winter break to see if you had made it off the waiting list for the class you’re dying to take. Or, you decided to shop around and now have found yourself wanting to get into a class that’s already full. Don’t lose hope! The most important thing is to show up to class on the first day and talk to the professor.

Be sincere and explain the reasons why you have to take that class with that professor at that time. Perhaps the class is offered only every two years and you will have already graduated by the time it is offered again. Maybe you’ve developed a sudden interest in the subject matter and really would benefit from learning more about it. Many University professors are understanding, and may let you in the class or give you other options. It may be an uncomfortable process to go through, but you can get more from being proactive than from just sitting by.

Get yourself prepared

Sure, the first week of school is supposed to be relaxing. There are no exams, but there are seemingly a million friends to catch up with. Make sure to enjoy this time, but also prepare yourself for the start of a new semester.

Take the plastic wrapping off your books; that’s always the first step. Try looking through them to see what’s in store and maybe even to get ahead. Go through the syllabi for different classes and see what weeks will be the most hectic. Get a calendar and mark when major assignments or papers are due and when exams are; this will give you a clear view of how your semester will go in terms of classes.

All in all, invest your time well by choosing courses you’ll like and by keeping tabs on the pressures each class will put on your schedule from the beginning. If you map your route in advance, the academic road ahead should be much smoother sailing.

Sophomore Celso White, senior John Huang and junior Monis Khan never expected that a simple discussion they had about hip-hop on campus last April would develop into such a large event. After the dissolution of Wash. U.’s chapter of Hip-Hop Congress, a club that promoted social and political awareness through hip-hop, the students sought to revive this form of dialogue on campus.

“A lot of people see hip-hop skewed by the media as talking about rapping and getting money. I really wanted to go back to the true essence of hip-hop that started back to when it was first developed,” Huang said. “It was…about political action and just expressing yourself through music, attitude, dance, artwork and everything.”

They came up with the idea to bring Rap Sessions, a travelling panel of prominent hip-hop scholars, to speak on the question “Is America Really Post-Racial?” at Wash. U.

“Their faces don’t pop out at people like Kanye West or Jay-Z…but these people are well respected in their fields,” White said.

In addition, White, Huang and Khan, who are separately involved in WuSlam, WuCypher and Drop Knowledge, thought of ways that their individual clubs could contribute to the event. With the goal of fostering cultural awareness and uniting people through hip-hop, the students reached out to a variety of organizations, including Eleven Magazine and Team 31.

“I thought this was a good opportunity for us to re-establish that umbrella organization for all the student groups on campus, especially because there’s been a lot of new hip-hop-oriented groups,” Huang said.

Beginning in September, weekly meetings were held to coordinate activities for Hip-Hop Against Hunger. As the students explained, each campus group involved follows hip-hop in its own way and thought up unique contributions for the week.

The diverse expressions of hip-hop can be seen in the final list of events, which includes an open-mic night, a dance workshop, a graffiti show, a freestyle competition, a fashion show and a bboy/bgirl dance-off. Hip-Hop Against Hunger will culminate in a hip-hop festival on Nov. 14, featuring The Paxtons, iLLphonics and RJD2.

Click schedule to view a larger version

“We’re trying to go back and visit all the four elements of hip-hop: break dancing, DJ-ing, graffiti art and MC-ing,” Huang said.

While Hip-Hop Against Hunger will take place on the Wash. U. campus, the students want it to impact the greater St. Louis area. The events are open to everyone with the hope that others will join in on the celebration of hip-hop.

“A big thing that appeals to me about hip-hop is about the community, like how hip-hop can bring about camaraderie and just bring a group of people together under a united interest,” Huang said.

Hip-Hop Week will also give back to the local community through donations. All proceeds from the festival will go to Operation Food Search, a St. Louis food bank, and there will be donation bins for canned food at the events.

By involving the St. Louis community along with many campus groups, the founders of Hip-Hop Week hope that this event will occur annually.

“We just want to explain to everyone the essence of [hip-hop], where it came from, and how it’s going to blow up,” White said.

Culpeppers is a down-home, American restaurant complete with big screen TVs showing every possible game inside. There’s also a full bar for diners to sit, chat and order drinks.

Like any inexpensive American-style restaurant, Culpeppers offers an extensive menu that is sure to please the pickiest palate, as evidenced by the restaurant’s slogan, “Food for the rest of us.” From hot wings to ribs to seafood, Culpeppers really does have it all.

I went to Culpeppers for this past Parent’s Weekend with my grandparents, who wanted to make sure I wasn’t starving in college. After much contemplation, I decided to order the gourmet turkey sandwich, while my grandparents ordered French onion soup in a bread bowl and the house salad.

Sure, we chose basic items from the menu, but they were still flavorful and delicious. My turkey sandwich came on sweet, whole-wheat bread with just the right amount of mayo to make the meal really pop. The sandwich came with my choice of either steak fries or waffle fries, and with my indecisiveness, I decided to get half and half. Both styles of fries were thick and hearty and complemented the sandwich very well.

In stereotypical fashion, my grandparents insisted that I try their French onion soup. I’m from California, the land famous for its clam chowder in bread bowls, so I was at first hesitant to try this St. Louis version.  From the outside, it looked like the bread bowl was slightly burnt and that the onion soup consisted of nothing more than layers of melted cheese. When I dug in, however, I was surprised to taste a rich and sweet onion flavor.

Any soup can be prepared by Culpeppers in a bread bowl, and I highly recommend it because the contrast between slightly burnt bread and soup is great. When they finished their soups, I made sure to scrape up the bottom of the bread bowls, which had soaked up the sweet, soupy remnants.

My grandfather’s salad was standard, yet, just like everything else at Culpeppers, the portion was huge. It also came with cubes of American cheese, which I thought was an interesting touch to the typical salad.

While none of us were able to finish our meals (they are still currently sitting in my refrigerator), my grandparents insisted that we get dessert. We decided to split the brownie sundae between the four of us, which was a great choice. The dessert came complete with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and was drenched in chocolate sauce. Needless to say, it was very rich and is a dessert that must be split among a party.

On the whole, Culpeppers is a great casual American place to go to with a large group of friends. Everyone is sure to find something they love and that they can take home to enjoy for days to come.

Culpeppers, Central West End, 300 N. Euclid Avenue
Rating: 4/5

(Josh Goldman | Student Life)

Looking at the class profiles for business schools across the country, it becomes quite obvious that the sector is mostly male. Indeed, the Olin Business School displays this trend with over 60 percent of its students being male. Leave it to the women at Washington University, however, to throw statistics aside and to ensure their representation at Olin.

The Female Association of Business (FAB) was founded in the fall of 2008 by juniors Krizia Calmet and Cindy Yovino to represent female business undergraduates. Unlike similar programs, including business fraternities and the Weston Career Center, however, FAB is devoted to helping women develop skills necessary for business and giving them unique opportunities in the field.

Calmet, one of FAB’s co-founders, thought about creating FAB while browsing Web sites for colleges like University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, which have strong female business societies. She wanted a similar yet more inclusive organization at Wash. U. so that female undergraduates could band together. As Calmet explained, “Our club is a way for women to meet people and to meet professionals in St. Louis or professors and to have more of a community feel.”

While the group has not received Student Union funding due to its similarity to other organizations, it is working to differentiate itself. FAB has brought in a variety of female CEOs and managers from St. Louis to speak to students about their personal struggles and experiences.

In addition, FAB holds “meet and mingle” events where women in the business school can meet for lunch and get to know one another. Calmet explained the importance of this type of event, saying, “The business school has a majority of guys. Sometimes, I feel like the girls are not as much represented in classes, and they’re intimidated to speak up. FAB is a great way to meet people and to be more comfortable.”

Although FAB may be catered more towards female undergraduates in Olin, Calmet explained that the club is open to everyone. In fact, the group’s next big event will be Dress for Success, a free fashion show that will show all students (yes, male and female) what to wear for interviews and on the job.

As Calmet said, “Lots of students don’t really know what to wear to an interview, especially because they haven’t had any experience.

“Dress for Success will be a fun event and also informative because you’ll see actual students wearing outfits and you can picture yourself in them,” she added.

Dress for Success is the brainchild of junior FAB member Lianne Hall, who received support from Delta Sigma Pi and the Weston Career Center. The event will feature clothing from Macy’s, makeup demonstrations from Clinique, and free food and giveaways. There will also be managers and representatives from the West County Macy’s, so the event will be an excellent opportunity for networking.

All are welcome to come. As Calmet explained, “Even with any job like engineering you have to interview, and you have to wear certain attire, so it’s open to anyone.”

With the All-Campus Internship and Job Career Fair coming in two weeks, Dress for Success will be helpful for choosing what to wear.

The event will also be a reminder of FAB and female business undergraduates’ presence at Wash. U. So check out FAB’s first fashion show at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the Danforth University Center’s Tisch Commons.

Rosenberg graduated from the Olin Business School in 2007 with a double major in finance and accounting. At Wash. U., he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and Delta Sigma Pi. Although his extracurricular activities may not reflect his interest in movies, Rosenberg grew up watching films. “I’d be sitting in high school class with my buddies, and we’d just be quoting movies,” he said.

After graduating from Wash. U., Rosenberg accepted a full-time accounting position at Ernst & Young. Even during his work’s peak season from January to March, he maintained his passion for watching and discussing the newest flicks. When his friend Craig Kessler brought up the idea of starting their own movie blog, he jumped on it, despite the stress of his job.

“It was unusual to start it at that time because I was so preoccupied with work,” Rosenberg said. “But Craig was involved in the internet business, and he knew which people to contact to start it.”

While Rosenberg studied business at Olin, he said that making a Web site was an entirely different experience. “Starting a business is not stuff you find in a classroom—it’s about being comfortable with people and finding people you have similar interests with. You need people behind you to support whatever you’re doing,” he explained.

Indeed, with the help of Kessler and a hired Web designer, Rosenberg launched The Movie Banter in December 2008. Rosenberg said he had to find time to take care of the details of starting the site, including naming it and formatting the reviews, during lunch breaks and after long workdays.

Rosenberg believes that his dedication to the site, however, has paid off because it offers something unique to readers. The Movie Banter, which includes written reviews, video commentary and movie-related features (called “rants”), is meant to be more intimate than larger sites like International Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes.

“We facilitate conversation and try to offer something that more corporate film websites don’t do. More formal Web sites are like, ‘This is what Roger Ebert says,’ but we give our opinion, and then see what other people think,” Rosenberg said.

He also explained that many fans of the Web site know him or Kessler personally, so readers are more likely to trust their opinions on movies than those of distant public figures. In addition, the founders make the site more approachable by taping YouTube videos of their reviews so that viewers can better understand the critiques.

Recording videos also allows for the free flow of opinions. As Rosenberg said, “I try to do video reviews right after I see movies so my thoughts are right there. I don’t want to let them linger.”

Although the Web site only has two full-time bloggers, they are dedicated to posting daily and recording videos at least weekly. Most of the blogs are movie reviews, while some posts are on related topics, like “Did Twitter Help Inglourious Basterds to Box Office Success?” or “What Was Your Favorite Bruno Skit?” These entries not only make the site more unique but also encourage readers to interact with The Movie Banter.

Rosenberg hopes to expand the site while keeping it close to its roots by giving another student with a passion for movies the chance to intern for The Movie Banter. Although blogging for the Web site while keeping up with schoolwork might be difficult, Rosenberg believes it’s good to pursue your interests.

“It’s important for people to do something they’re passionate about,” Rosenberg said. “Everyone has a job, but you should have something on the side that you’re passionate about because it mixes things up and it’s a lot of fun.”