Nostalgia Week

Nostalgia Week | The Indispensability of Experience

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Strangers come to know me as, “that girl who brings disposable cameras to parties,” a tagline I’ll accept. Though tokens of a past seemingly devoid of technology, these unmistakable plastic machines have become pretty fundamental to my college experience. It’s tough pinpointing exactly why we like the things we like, but what we can be certain of is that we mostly remember how things make us feel. It isn’t just the element of antiquity adding sentimental value. For me, it’s both scarcity and tangibility that together create experiences out of a light-induced chemical reaction.

Nostalgia Week

Nostalgia Week | Chop Up The Beats, Kanye

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Sampling in hip hop and rap has been done over and over again, adding a layer of background vocals and richness to the beat. Samples come from a broad range of musical genres: DJ Khaled sampled Maria Maria by Carlos Santana for his hit song Wild Thoughts, and Drake sampled indie singer Snoh Aaelegra for his introspective number Do Not Disturb. But among all the famous rappers within the past two decades, the one that stands out as the most prolific and expert sampler of them all is Kanye West. He drew  inspiration mainly from classic RnB hits of the 80s and 90s, and many of his songs, both new and old, are expertly produced with great sampling. Since Kanye actually started out in the music industry as a producer (here’s a list I found of 20 songs you didn’t know Kanye produced), he kept his talent for producing beats even when he went  spinning off into his solo career.

Nostalgia Week

Nostalgia Week | Toys “Were” Us

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Just last week, Toys “R” Us announced that it would be closing its U.S. stores, and I genuinely felt sad about this — sadder than I did when my parents told ten-year-old me we would no longer be going to Blockbuster on Saturdays for our weekend movie nights (until a year and a half ago, I actually kept a Blockbuster membership card in my wallet). Perhaps this especially wistful reaction is due to the fact that not three blocks from my paternal grandparents’ house is a shopping plaza, at which there used to be a Toys “R” Us location. Whenever my parents would drop my younger brother and me off at our grandparents’ place, we’d frequently ask our grandma to bring us to Toys “R” Us. We didn’t always go there with the intention of getting our grandma to buy us something — sometimes, just bringing home the catalogue to pore over was enough for us. However, there were times when we’d stay in the store for hours as we figured out how to use different toys, and despite her best efforts, our grandma would occasionally lose track of us.

Nostalgia Week

Nostalgia Week | Little Time

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Daydream for a moment and imagine that you’re standing in the wings of an auditorium, looking at the empty stage in front of you; the set pieces have been taken down, the lights give off a dim white glow, and it’s absolutely silent.  You slowly walk forward, and you can hear your footsteps lightly thud and echo. You stop at the very center of the stage and you stare at an audience of empty seats. Now, you walk up the center aisle and up the stairs until you reach the exit doors at the very back.  You turn around and take in every detail; the curved walls, the empty seats, and the silent stage.

Nostalgia Week

NOSTALGIA WEEK | What’s Your Favorite Childhood Memory?

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Olivia Faulhaber ’21: I will never forget the time that my family and I vacationed in Woodstock VT. We decided to take our bikes to Sugarbush Farms. However, the ride there was BRUTAL. I will never forget the moment that my sister saw the steep heel that we had to summit. She literally started crying. It was so funny to me for some reason.