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The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

The Student Voice of Fordham Lincoln Center

The Observer

MARIO WEDDELL, Features Editor and Assistant Photo Editor Emeritus

All content by MARIO WEDDELL
A Heartbreaker and A Home Broker

A Heartbreaker and A Home Broker

May 7, 2012
It’s tough to dump someone.
(Mario Weddell/The Observer)

Lessons Learned and a Pre-Graduate Goodbye

May 2, 2012
I’m saying goodbye now, but I haven’t run out of things to say.
The swanky Bowery Poetry Club & Café is one of New York’s hidden treasures.  Patrons can see live music and poetry readings on the club’s stage and enjoy coffee and drinks. (Sofia Alvarez/The Observer)

Celebrate the Rhythm of the City For National Poetry Month

April 19, 2012
During the month of April, readers and writers have the opportunity to make their love for poetry a public affair.
My grandfather, Ferd Thomas (Mar 7, 1924 - Mar 25, 2012), died of colon cancer. His house was built into a desert hill. (Mario Weddell/The Observer)

The Desert Grandfather I Met Fifteen Years Ago

March 28, 2012
My grandfather died of cancer this weekend in Arizona. I didn’t grow up around him; I didn’t even meet him until I was seven. This may seem strange, but my own father was adopted and didn’t learn of his biological father until 1997.
In first grade, a piece of paper sliced through the eye of Mario Weddell, FCLC ’12, and he had to wear an eye patch for a while. (Photo Illustration by Mario Weddell/The Observer)

I Can See Clearly Now, the Pain Is Gone

March 7, 2012
I got a paper cut in my eye in the first grade. That means a piece of paper wounded me by creating a small incision in my eyeball, when I was six. I repeated my statement to assure you that I am fully aware of how serious a claim this is.
(Photo Illustration by Mario Weddell/The Observer)

This Old Flame

February 22, 2012
a hint of warmth from a winter flame, this ember gasps with pulsing light.
The train is an okay place during normal commuting hours, but it can be terrifying when you ride it alone at four in the morning. (Mario Weddell/The Observer)

When in Rome, Do as the Romans, Especially if They’re Crazy

February 22, 2012
Commuting solo on the subway is not a big deal during the day. Sure, every now and then I get on the wrong train, or sit in waffle syrup or end up standing next to the pamphlet-carrying prophet of doom for the whole ride. But being alone isn’t a problem, especially if I have headphones or a book to let people know that ignoring me is okay, and even preferred.
The desire to take one’s pants off in a crowded bar is surprisingly contagious. But is anyone really surprised? (Photo Illustration by Mario Weddell/The Observer)

More Than a Movement: An Inspiring Dance Sans Pants

February 15, 2012
If you’re confident, you can get away with a lot. That’s especially true in New York. This city respects people who know what they’re doing, even if they’re just pretending.
(Mario Weddell/The Observer)

These Knees

February 1, 2012
I guess with all the time I spend Looking past your eyes and that I really should just vocalize Whatever’s on my mind
Believe it or not, this could have been the face of a married man. (Courtesy of Jim Weddell)

The Aches and Pains of a Kindergarten Heart

February 1, 2012
When I met my first girlfriend, I was four years old. I use the word “met” because I really had nothing to do with us becoming a couple. She claimed me on the first day of preschool; I was just an innocent bystander.
Paul Kitagaki/Sacramento Bee/MCT

NY Challenged: The Fear of a Bee Allergy is Worse Than Being Stung

November 20, 2011
This weekend I saw that some entrepreneurial mom was selling chickenpox lollipops online. Her kids were sick and licked the lollipops, and she was offering the tainted candy
(Chuck Berman/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

No Joke

November 2, 2011
Your laughter is tied up in mine And mine is knots and knots with yours And your heart, your heart Is miles of sky That I swing through on these chords
Imagine wearing your embarrassing Halloween costume on snowy sidewalks and a crowded train, during the afternoon of the wrong day. (Photo Illustration by David Wall/The Observer)

NY Challenged: I Was Scarier the Morning After the Halloween Party

November 2, 2011
My eyes were burning when I woke up in a foreign apartment in the heart of Brooklyn. Everything was out of focus; I fell asleep with my contacts in. Why did I do that...
It may be your money, but the bank will find a way to take it from you in any clever way they know how.

New Debit Cards Charges Reasonable? Don’t Bank on It

October 19, 2011
“Here’s an idea! How’s about we charge them money for spending money, unless they have a lot of money? You know, so if they can afford to pay the excess fees, we won’t make them pay the fees. But if they don’t have a lot of money, and they just spent the little money they had, they should have to give us some more money. It’ll be funny.”
My grandfather was a man with healthy routines and a secret sweet tooth, as I learned first-hand. (Courtesy of Jim Weddell)

NY Challenged: The Day I Caught a Sneaky Sweet-Tooth

October 19, 2011
Memories of my grandpa resurfaced the other day. I was making dinner with a friend, and she held the opinion that black pepper should be added to everything. My grandpa was the same way.
There were several incidents of police violence at Occupy Wall Street. (Mario Weddell/The Observer)

NY Challenged: It Is Easy To Forget Who We Are Really Fighting

October 5, 2011
The past few days, there have been a few New York City demonstrations and protests headlining the news (I say that as if The News is a hip music festival). Occupy Wall Street down in Zuccotti Park and SlutWalk NYC in Union Square have both drawn decent crowds for vaguely specific causes.
346 Broadway’s courtroom entrance is less judicial behind scaffolding. (Mario Weddell/The Observer)

NY Challenged: Sometimes I Feel Like I’m Just Pissing Away My Money

September 21, 2011
Last Friday, I went to court because I received a summons for urinating in public. The night I received the summons, I was sober. I was just desperate and sweating, and I did not want to waste money on a Boston
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, one of the evacuation centers offering refuge to New York City's inhabitants in the event of an emergency. (Photo by Mario Weddell)

McMahon Hall Residents Weather the Storm

August 28, 2011
With the swift and relatively uneventful passing of Hurricane Irene through Manhattan, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) residents were relieved to find themselves ...

An Encounter With a Lone Traveler Leaves Me Wanting More

August 25, 2011

A few weeks ago my friends and I were in Brooklyn at L&B Spumoni Gardens, where they serve the best square pizza I’ve ever had. The pizza is perfect, but that’s not the point. The point is, while...

Runners compete in the Olympic Women’s Marathon in Beijing, in 2008. Women did not have an Olympic Marathon event until 1981. (Joe Rimkus, Jr/Miami Herald/MCT)

The Fight for Women’s Equality Spans Beyond a Single Day

August 25, 2011
Women’s Equality Day is Aug. 26. It memorializes the certification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. The battle for women’s equality extends far beyond suffrage, however, and New York City has seen its share of events highlighting the fight for fairness. Here are a few ways to celebrate the struggle for women’s rights while you wait for voting day.

New York Challenged: Ay Mamá! Even Muggers Can’t Compete With My Mother’s Will

August 3, 2011

I wanted to write this column about my mom because Mother’s Day is right around the corner. A few things you should know about my mom: She was born in Mexico and she married a gringo from California,...

New York Challenged: Four Loko is the New Pork, But Religion Is Old Government

August 3, 2011

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the strangeness of religion. I find it to be a highly impractical system to use for governing a society. I was raised Catholic, but I stopped being religious...

It’s a Snap! This Guide Will Help You Finally Replace That Old Camera

August 3, 2011

The upcoming five-day weekend means family time and lots of pictures for many students. There’s no escaping it. Cameras have become honorary members of the modern family; they attend more family...

New York Challenged: Tenth Floor Dormitory Converted to Landfill

August 3, 2011

There aren’t many things that have a direct impact on my sanity— the weather gets to me, and a few other things. It’s a short list, but  a dangerous one. In addition to gloomy weather, the most...

New York Challenged: The World is Ending and There’s Only One Thing to Do

August 3, 2011

I spent the last four days of spring break in San Francisco with my family, where I realized that the apocalypse is approaching much sooner than I originally anticipated. It’s all very clear now. I...

New York Challenged: Two Slice-Snobs on a Quest for the Best Piece of Pizza Near FCLC

August 3, 2011

This week I was on a quest to find a decent $2.50 (or cheaper) plain slice of pizza near school. I’ve been looking for a good slice for a while with my friend Tom, who might be even more of jerk than...

New York Challenged: Insomnia in the City That Actually Sleeps

August 3, 2011

These past two weeks I have not slept very much. I’m not sure why; it’s a combination of things—work, procrastination and impulsive desires. Being awake is a strange feeling though. It’s like...

New York Challenged: Manly in Montreal: Drinking, Fighting and Public Urination

August 3, 2011

Disclaimer to future potential employers: The following events may or may not be factual. They are by no means meant to be offensive. This is merely a documentation of events. A few days before...

New York Challenged: The 21st Birthday Might as Well be the Worst Birthday

July 30, 2011

A lot of my friends have been celebrating their birthdays this past month. The general consensus has been that a person’s 21st birthday is the last birthday to look forward to, which I found both...

New York Challenged: I Miss Home for the Same Reasons I Moved Away

July 30, 2011

I went home to Texas for Thanksgiving and was reminded of one very important thing: not that I missed the blinding sun and open horizon; not that there were stars in the night sky; not that my cat never...

New York Challenged: A 32-Mile Race Around Manhattan with Insanity and a Five-Year-Old Goblin on a Tricycle

July 28, 2011

I recently rode my bike 32 miles around the perimeter of Manhattan. It took me about three hours, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. A lot of people asked me why I did it. I did it because: A) I wanted to challenge...

Study Areas Draw Different Crowds, Quiet or Loud

July 28, 2011

Published: November 4, 2010 Before an exam, there are a few important things that students should do. Arguably, the most important thing to do is study. It can be equally important, however, to sniff...

Human Writes

July 25, 2011

Published: October 21, 2010   By: Mario Weddell He felt moved by something so profound he couldn’t quite explain the extent of his excitement. Yet even in the dark he knew what the...

NYC to Residents: “I’m ’a Freeze Ya Bones”

July 25, 2011

Published: October 21, 2010 New York will soon turn her icy shoulder to you. She’ll tell you she never loved you, and she’ll spit on you. Her spit will be cold too, and it will run down your...

Farewell Facebook, Goodbye Gmail: Some Professors Put a Stop to Laptops in Class

July 25, 2011

Published: October 7, 2010 The scritch-scratch of pens seems to be replacing the click-clack of keyboards in classrooms this semester. Whether by curious coincidence or by secret agreement, a number...

Friend Indeed

July 25, 2011

Published: October 7, 2010   When I think of the friend you are It is only in terms of a laxative superlative, Shittiest. Because obviously I’m there when you need me But when...

Animals

July 23, 2011

Published: August 25, 2010 One animal says I want to survive Another one says I must build a hive One animal says I just want to eat And the other one says I hope it’s not...

FCLC Checklist Leaves No Excuse for Boredom

July 22, 2011

Published: August 25, 2010 There are a lot of things you can do in four years. There are also a lot of things you must do in four years. Here are things that you should do during your four years at...

Long Live the Party Fund! Save Money on Books

July 22, 2011

Published: August 25, 2010 September again. As students settle in, the nervous excitement of a new semester is soon accompanied by the sad realization that all the money that was stockpiled over...

Order in the Courtroom! Mock Trial is in Session

July 22, 2011

Published: May 5, 2010 A man lies dead in a duffel bag, high up in the Caulkin Cliffs. A Southern bimbo, a business man with a gambling addiction and a crafty nerd may have some answers. But it’s...

Haiku For You

July 22, 2011

Published: May 5, 2010 By MATT PETRONZIO Asst. Literary Editor Heart is made of glass Bare feet march on humble shards Mind is made of stone ______________________________ By GRACE WEISS Contributing...

The Most Dangerous Game? Riding a Bike in Manhattan

July 16, 2011

Published: September 22, 2010 This year I bought a bike to get around the city. I can’t decide if I’m glad I got it or not. I bought my bike so I could save money on my daily commute to work. I...

Two Fordham Seniors Turn A Spotlight On Their Band Blackout

July 5, 2011

Published: March 4, 2010 Blackout plays power-chord driven, wholesome rock. The partially Fordham-based band could be described as the less pop-infused cousin of Weezer or some other such band,...

This is a microphone. (Joe Shmo/The Observer)

Hear, Hear! Free Summer Shows

July 4, 2011
One of the best things about being in New York City is that there’s always a concert a few train stops away. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to take advantage of all the shows and still keep some cash in your pocket, but in the summer, there are plenty of free concerts...

A Conversation With Cosmonaut

June 28, 2011

Published February 4, 2010 From behind a wall of cymbals, hazy vocals, rumbling bass and reverberating guitars emerge the four members of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)-based band Cosmonaut....

Audionauts or Audio-nots? uPlaya’s Claim To Fame With Hitmaker Algorithm

June 27, 2011

Published: November 19, 2009 In the music world, a song’s quality is a tough thing to gauge. Some people only like the music that MTV and the radio command them to like. Other people, the often self-proclaimed...

Extras, Extras! Read All About Them!

June 27, 2011

  Published: October 22, 2009 Like many students, I paused to take a look at a “Want to be in ‘Wall Street 2?’” flyer in the hallway before entering my classroom. Like many students,...

Illegal Gun Possession: Too Easy on Weezy?

June 27, 2011

Published: November 5, 2009 In January 2007, rapper Lil Wayne (real name, Dwayne Carter Jr.; nickname, Weezy) was arrested for the possession of an unlicensed, loaded handgun on his tour bus in...

Coming Soon: CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival

June 27, 2011

From Oct. 20 through Oct. 24, the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival will take place at more than 75 different venues in NYC, including a New York University (NYU) headquarters location. The CMJ...

The Mitchell Show: A Look at a Fordham Violinist

June 25, 2011

Published: September 24, 2009 At 19 years old, electric-violinist Alex Mitchell is already an accomplished musician, composer and performer. He has performed in locations such as Carnegie Hall, Disneyworld...

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