Vox Pop
What do you think of local club music?
By Tori McCarthy
The most prominent genre that is played in Czech clubs is definitely house music, four-on-the-floor kind of stuff. I was surprised about how influential Western pop music is on the club scene though. Even though house music dominates, there are usually samples of popular American pop songs woven into the dance music, or even sometimes American Top 40 songs are simply played in their original form. -NYU junior Garrett Houghton, 20, Music Business major
What are you thankful for?
I’m thankful for finishing my film shoots, and for getting to have this experience abroad. – Andoni Elias Nava, NYUstudent
I’m thankful for my health, for friends and family. I’m thankful for cheap beer, good wine, gorgeous Czech men, and this city, this beautiful city. – Andrew González, NYU student
I’m thankful for DJ MuZach. I’m thankful for the great group of people we have here. – Lauryn McCarter, NYU student
What did you get out of Forum 2000?
“It was a great opportunity to listen and learn. It was really gratifying to be able to contribute by reporting. The panels I found most interesting were the ones where there was significant disagreement among panelists because it forced them to engage with each other.” – Mitha Nandagopalan, NYU student and Forum 2000 intern
“I went to a panel on women’s rights and I my experience did not live up to my expectations. It was hard to hear and understand the panelists and what they were trying to communicate with the observers and their fellow panelists.” – Ruby Hlivko, NYU student
“Perfect selection of panelists – A politician, economists and human rights activists gave three different and at the same time perfectly compatible perspectives on the subject. One of the best panels I have ever heard.” – Jan Urban, NYU lecturer and forum moderator
“I thought Forum 2000 had a really impressive collection of guests and really interesting, thought-provoking topics, but I walked away from it feeling that the discussions won’t lead to the action that all the panelists realize needs to happen.” – Henry Melcher, NYU student
What are your parents’ biggest worries about you being in Prague?
“My mom’s a little worried that all this beer’s going to make me fat.” – Kirby Marzec, Buffalo NY
“My parents are afraid that I’ll love Prague so much
that I’ll never come home.” – Lindsey Berlin, Tampa FL
“I’m in Tisch, and my parents were worried that I might lose some of the contacts I had made before I left. Also, they weren’t sure I knew how to cheek-kiss Europeans the right way.” – Stephanie Levin, Atlanta GA
“There was some concern from my family about saying safe in a foreign country, especially since I’m such an obvious minority.” – Modupe Akinnawonu, Valley Stream NY
What do you think of Americans?
By Olivia Webb
“I lived in Miami for five years. For me, America [the] country is very beautiful, and there is good from people, but government is shit. George Bush, no good. Young people, no good. Now young people are communists. America is nice place, but democratic system is communist.”
— Zef Pierdedaj, Kosmos Hotel Restaurant Manager, from Croatia
Helping Haiti
By Sarah Kolinovsky
Nearly 200,000 people in Haiti have died as a result of the devastating earthquake there January 12. Roughly 300,000 buildings are damaged or destroyed. In your opinion, what is the best way to help the victims?
“We should help them start over with a competent government.” — Peter Crosta, student, from Davis, California