Winter Wonderland!

I had a really great time performing in the Yale Ballet Company winter show. The people are incredibly nice, and the New Haven Ballet was kind enough to let us rent their costumes! I was in a piece called "Dance of the Little Swans" from Swan Lake.

The four little swans, including me, backstage before the show!

Karlanna performs the dance of the Sugar Plum fairy from the Nutcracker.

Theresa performs the Aurora variation from Sleeping Beauty.

Laura performs.

Nick performs the Bluebird variation from Sleeping Beauty.

Lea and Chris Cho perform the pas de deux from Corsaire.

Lea performs a dance from La Bayadere.

Phoebe and I after the show!

Most, but not all, of the Company before the show!

The four little swans, including me!

Thank you SO much to Mum and Phoebe for coming <3

Selected papers from Sophomore Fall

Roman Republic

Final paper: "More than a Manor House: Roles and Representations of the Villa in Republican Rome"
https://docs.google.com/open?id=1k7XKWpSClQPeJ0s_sV0BZ3DQiUB7rH48UjbIDC1wkWK74gOb0aMxyPk-PglA


Mid-term paper: "Remembering Defeat: The Gallic Sack of Rome"
https://docs.google.com/open?id=1NJGT8uhCcqnv9s7MC6PCKhHp490irIqlXzOrpj86EDz8V4E6bxDbbSF6FlM5


Global Affairs

Memorandum 4: "World Bank Approach to Reducing Corruption in Afghanistan"
https://docs.google.com/open?id=1OnVO8Ym0d9HNsZ26sf2R_jqLhJk-JEoEDHTSilkR9AMizg0Q-F43oxVuYsK7

Memorandum 3: "U.S. Policy Toward Afghanistan"
https://docs.google.com/open?id=1UNGT-a5PjbycT0kPL1TcX7n7uUMCJgff9vpbta05vM1aPH3v3jqWs4VGnssS

Memorandum 2: "U.S. Position on Intellectual Property Rights and HIV/AIDS"
https://docs.google.com/open?id=1FZXI6hqSm7R24z8TAXIq9prXxLkG5y-qMwP4fTIrPndNDSn0eO4XmWf7uZih

Letter to the Phillipian
https://docs.google.com/open?id=1cSn_A-AbTnp7F7Yu7qHRk8oyDOE0al-bX7-fj1VrPNBOu_FAjJE5qzKmnh7m


The Modernization of Japan

"A Historically Useful Woman"
https://docs.google.com/open?id=1p4tvtgjFoppVv7PJKwwMJIf1aQNCAPCqIkq1ZWdMd-voonFCExuAClLUfVJD

Eeek-- Sophie might have a job?

Sophie,

We were impressed with your poise in the phone interview and your writing skills and would like to offer you a summer 2013 internship in the European bureau’s Office of Public Diplomacy (EUR/PD) at the State Department. Please let us know  soonest (by Wednesday at the latest) if you would like to accept our offer and we’ll move forward with HR. If you have any additional questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

Best,

Leila

Preparing for the Winter Show!

I'm going to be performing in the YBC Winter Show on December 12 at 8pm.

Here's the link to our company's website: https://yaleballetco.wordpress.com/
Got my jacket today!

And here is the piece I'm trying to learn! Not on pointe, thank goodness!

Salovey!

Peter Salovey, the current provost and my primary source for my YDN beat, is the new president of Yale!

Election Day!

Chris and I woke up to a campus covered in flyers and signs and set to work on my YDN story for the day: monitoring the campus pulse during election day.

Luckily, I had a few less experienced reporters as helpers. Between us, we covered about 6 election viewing parties, and talked to over 30 students.

I also participated in the democratic process myself, casting my vote for my first presidential election. The line was almost an hour long, but people waiting outside the New Haven Public Library were in high spirits.

Chris and I attended the Yale College Democrats viewing party for a while, before stopping by the YDN and then heading over to the Ezra Stiles dining hall to see how students were faring there. When CNN called the election for Obama, I raced over to Old Campus and witnessed the scene that would become the opening few paragraphs of my article. We were in the YDN building until 2:30 A.M.

Birthday present from Chris!

White gold and topaz necklace :)

YDN Banquet

The Whiffenpoofs sang, and David Remnick, EIC of the New Yorker, gave the keynote.

^ These are my fellow beat reporters at the News desk, plus my editors Daniel and Maddie. All the beat reporters in News are girls, so they call us the News Sorority, or psi delta nu, because ΨΔΝ  looks like YDN!

Happy Halloween!

Dressed as a pirate, I waited in line with a thousand other Yalies for over an hour to see the midnight Halloween Show-- a student-made movie projected in Woolsey Hall while the Yale Symphony orchestra plays the soundtrack live. This year's movie was a hilarious adventure story about the "lost 13th residential college" of Yale and one girl's quest to stop the Ivy Coalition from kidnapping President Levin-- who had a cameo role, among many other Yale administrators. It was very well done, and there were oodles of inside jokes that had students rolling around with laughter in their seats. (To be fair, most were already pretty tipsy.) It was a very feel-good night and people had extremely clever Halloween costumes! Hopefully I'll have a picture soon of my pirate outfit :)

Hurricane Sandy!

While the storm raged outside, Emma, Kirsten and I painted our nails and watched the Princess Diaries 2. :)

Shoutouts in the Endnotes

3/26 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT 
Sophie Gould. Excellent analysis of the perils of green investing. Your article was thoroughly researched and captivating to read, and your contributions to the graph helped make the article stand out. 
CONTENT SHOUT-OUT 
3/5 Sophie Gould and Julia Zorthian. This was an easy decision — just look all over the front page. After tackling stories on a lucky set of nine writers now each $150,000 richer and the involvement of Penny, Lizzy and Ted in University leadership, you came together to nail a piece on how the sequester might affect Yale, establishing the foundation necessary to explore these issues further in future articles.
2/27 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT  
Sophie Gould and Kamil Sadik. It's impossible to find a stronger lead quote than the one contained in your obituary of Donna Diers: “I think that being a legend is understating it. She probably made as much, if not more, impact on the profession of nursing in modern times as Florence Nightingale did.” The two of you obviously understand that writing a tribute to a person's life requires letting those who knew him or her best tell the story for you.
1/23 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT  
Sophie Gould. Thanks for adding a touch of color to the front page. With the amount of detail you poured into the article, I felt like I was exploring the two offices myself, large, green plastic dinosaur and all. Unpacking in a new dorm room is one of my favorite activities of the year, and I loved learning about the intricacies of moving into a slightly more important location.
1/15 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT 
Sophie Gould and Julia Zorthian (and Jane Darby Menton). The three of you tirelessly tracked this story from the moment we heard a "special announcement" would be made at Luce, refusing to let administrators deter you. Ever since the search for Yale's 23rd president ended abruptly in November, we've been waiting to hear who the incomparable Peter Salovey would find to fill his own shoes. Hesitant as I am to admit it, I think Polak might just be that guy.

12/5 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT 

Sophie Gould. You took on a New York Times front-page story and brought it to New Haven. Your close analysis of divestment's journey to Yale as well as its national prospects for success make this article a triumph in research, sourcing and tone.
11/29 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT 
Sophie Gould. You drove your latest article home with the help of a compelling narrative and excellent sourcing. Continue pitching stories and exploring new angles to your beat — your readers will thank you!
11/12 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT
Sophie Gould, Jane Darby Menton and Julia Zorthian. Some of us weren't born the last time the News reported on the appointment of a Yale president. It's hard to know where to begin when handed a story of this magnitude, but the three of you dropped everything to cover the news from multiple angles, incorporating wonderfully colorful sourcing on his band and his mustache as well as analysis of a quality we would have expected from day two or three of our coverage. 

11/ 1 DEADLINE SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould. You turned what easily could have been a thin article relying on little more than sourcing from our beloved Linda into a fun, creatively written story on stranded Yalies.

10/16 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould. You handled two deaths with grace, speed and journalistic integrity. We hope you have more uplifting content in the future, but we know there is no one we would trust more should another Yale-related tragedy occur.

10/31 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT

There is much praise to be spread around. First, thank you to all the reporters who helped get on-the-ground sourcing: Jane Darby Menton, Sophie Gould, Kirsten Schnackenberg, Lindsey Uniat, Dan Weiner, Clinton Wang, Antonia Woodford and Julia Zorthian. 

4/9 DEADLINE SHOUT-OUT

The class of 2015. You guys really stepped up tonight with your YCC profiles. Sure, we might have sent today's paper a little late. But consider the fact that we had an extra 14 profiles of candidates filling our pages (in addition to our normal content). Thanks to each and every one of you — Julia Zorthian, Michelle Hackman, Jane Darby Menton, Sophie Gould, Cynthia Hua, Diana Li, Monica Disare, Lindsey Uniat, Liz Rodriguez-Florido, Dan Weiner, Lorenzo Ligato, Robert Peck, Clinton Wang and Aleksandra Gjorgievska — for knocking deadline out of the park with these.

3/23 DEADLINE SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould. Two articles, clean and complete. Boom. Boom.

2/22 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould. You jumped right into a controversial, heated issue that's still raising concerns on campus. Thank you for your fair, insightful reporting.

2/14 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould. Articles about campus life obviously need to gauge student opinion. Most articles have three or four students interviewed. You had 16. And you found students that had relevant, interesting, informed things to say — even about laundry! We're looking forward to seeing great things out of your mini-beat.

2/6 DEADLINE SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould. Pulling through in the clutch to write about a talk you didn't even attend. Eli Manning's got nothing on you.

10/28 P&D SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould, Julia Zorthian and Rebecca Levinsky. Sophie and Julia, together you fashioned a fabulous WKND TTL (a.k.a. Weekend Shots), and Rebecca, you were a solid leg of support for WKND with the responsibilities you took on. You three are just freakin' great. 

10/26 SWEET TOOTH SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould, Lindsey Uniat, Sarah Eckinger and Earl Lee. Folks, this is an interdisciplinary shout-out. As someone who cares deeply about baked goods, I want to thank you for the city- and University-wide service you four have performed for all of us out there afflicted with sweet teeth. Earl, you figured "why stop with that mind-numbing, mouth-watering TTL about food?" and stepped up to take an important photo of one of the city's newest gastronomic goddesses — and you didn't shy away from those terrifyingly delicious looking cupcakes; you shot them too. Mmmmmm. Sarah, your photo of Chocopologie made me wonder when they open so I can reroute my morning routine in a couple of hours. Lindsey, other than your story's clear bias against donuts, it was beautiful — it told a beautiful story beautifully, and you included important information such as how many times per week can I afford to spend money on these unbelievable-looking cupcakes. Last but not least, Sophie, while I may not make it to Chocopologie today, you made me damned sad about it. Thank you all for satisfying our sweet teeth vicariously. We felt a little bit like this little one tonight.

10/12 COPY SHOUT-OUT

Sophie Gould, Jessica Hahne and Scott Stern. The attics in this paper are some of the best we've seen. You take it to. the. next. level.

9/9 CONTENT SHOUT-OUT

Whoever wrote the best shit, go you.
Also, freshmen! Sophie Gould and Melissa Hackman, a front page article on your first go? Get outta here.

Emma and me in Branford!

Beat assignment!

So they didn't take any of my top choices into account, but I ended up with one of the most prestigious beats anyway-- even though I wasn't really interested in this one!


WARNER HOUSE | Sophie Gould 
Restricted sources: Provost Peter Salovey, Deputy Provost for Academic Resources Lloyd Suttle,
Deputy Provost for the Arts and Humanities Emily Bakemeier and other deputy provosts as needed, Vice President for Finance Shauna King, Vice President for Human Resources Michael Peel, Chief Investment Officer David Swensen.


The provost’s office beat reporter covers all financial matters at Yale, such as University budgets, the endowment and the Yale Investments Office. The provost beat reporter also covers administrative appointments, faculty salaries and University-wide policy such as labor relations and staff diversity initiatives. The reporter will work with the campus construction reporter to cover the progress of various capital projects, including the expansion of Yale College. This reporter is expected to work closely with the academics and Woodbridge Hall beat reporters to track administrative decisions, as well as use national sourcing to follow trends in finance and policy at other universities.




Looks like I'm going to spend the next year writing about... money. Woot.

Campus celebs?

So a random Yale student was doing a photography project on the different gates at Yale and posted his photos on facebook. My suitemate Selen recognized two familiar faces...

The photo was published in the YDN today!

The Branford Dance

Looking snazzy for the James Bond theme! Might have a couple more photos to post later.

Miya's Sushi

Chris and I went to Miya's Sushi last night-- perhaps the most eclectic restaurant I've ever been to. We figured we might as well go "all out," so we ordered the following:


THE ROLL OF MILK AND HONEY
Figs, dates, raisins, goat cheese, roasted barley, pomegranate, cinnamon, 
spicy red pepper, honey, pistachio, extra virgin olive oil, falafel


JAPAFRICAN QUEEN
Eggplant, goat cheese, apricots, avocado, pickled radish, chives, and 
Ethiopian berbere spice mix, wrapped in our freshly made Ethiopian teff 
grain crepe 


WATER PIGLET
Applewood smoked connecticut farmed invasive trout (farmed, Rowledge 
Pond, CT, Seafood Watch - Best Choice), goat cheese and cranberries 


OO LA LA MITZVAH!
Whole wheat tempura arctic char (farmed in recirculating tanks, Iceland, 
Seafood Watch - Best Choice), brie cheese, avocado and ch’i energy


KWANZAA BANANZAA
A coconut covered roll of fried catfish (farmed, Mississippi, Seafood Watch 
- Best Choice), sweet potato, avocado, cream cheese, papaya, burdock, hot 
sauce (of course)

I thought it was really good!

Cleaning Day

Check out our clean common room!! So much better.

McCain

Senator John McCain stopped by Yale, and I got to interview him for the YDN! Unfortunately, the format of the interview, which was being filmed, was very limiting and meant that I was too nervous and in a rush to do a very good job. Anyway! You can find the link to the article under "Sophomore YDN articles" or here: http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/oct/02/mccain-talks-grand-strategy/.

And here's the video: http://www.yaledailynews.com/videos/2012/oct/02/603/ 

Looking forward to Branford Screw

Each residential college at Yale hosts a formal dance each year called a "Screw." (I think the theory behind the name is that you can "screw over" your roommates by setting them up with bad dates.) The dances also have silly themes, like "Screwmaloompa," which was ours last year. Here's this year's poster!

The dance is next weekend, and it looks like Chris might be able to come up from Columbia for the night to be my date.

Yummmm

Spent the evening in the Branford kitchen with Emma and Kirsten baking a cake for their friend Alexis' birthday! We made it from scratch, chocolate buttercream frosting and all. Yes, I said butter. As in seven whole sticks of it.

Julia's version of an anniversary card?

This was posted on facebook today.

Bon Iver concert

The concert was amazing! Here are a couple photos:

Tendinitis, Debate and YDN

Looks like no more dance for a while :-(

On the bright side, Chris made the Columbia Debate team last night!! He found out he got in when all the returning members arrived in his dorm and hammered on his door at 1:30AM, sprayed him with silly string, made him drink a shot of a mysterious liquid (that turned out to be Sprite,) and snapped his picture. They're a good team, and I think he's excited.

I'm a few AYA interviews away from finishing the reporting for a YDN story I'm doing on Yale's first residential college reunion! If all continues to go well, this could end up being a fun, painless YDN assignment. Image that?! I've never thought of pairing the words "painless" and "YDN" before.

Speaking of YDN, the senior editors are getting ready to step down, and the juniors are getting ready to step up! The process, called "structure," will take the next two weeks. The juniors meet individually with the seniors to learn what went well and what didn't, and the juniors create their own "mission statement" about how they want their board to work and what they want to accomplish over the next year. At the end of "structure" is a 24-hour election period during which the juniors are not allowed to leave the YDN building. Then the new board will begin their reign! Unfortunately, all the current beat reporters will then be editors, which means they will no longer report-- which means it's up to the sophomores (like me!) to shoulder the immense reporting burden they have been carrying for the past year. Terrifying, huh? I'll say. Some of the sophomore reporters I've talked to are talking about quitting because being a beat reporter will be too much work.... Wish me luck :-/

Meet my roommates this year!

From left to right: Mary, Emily, Selen, Emma, Nikki, Monica and me :-) We had dinner all together last night for the first time this year and took this photo in the Branford courtyard in front of the clock tower .

Happy (almost) anniversary?

A bit last-minute, but Chris and I just booked tickets to see the popular band 'Bon Iver' at Radio City Music Hall for our anniversary next week!! They weren't cheap, but it should be fun to see them play live (their music, which is very mellow and folk-like, comprised a large portion of the soundtrack to our time in the Phillipian newsroom on CXXXIII, so it seems somehow appropriate.) I'm excited! 

Branford Initiation

Step 1: Tell the freshmen that they have to be in their dorms at 9pm for a mandatory fire inspection (such a thing does not exist.)

Step 2: Upperclassmen convene, don Branford apparel and face paint, and storm Old Campus screaming BFA, BFA, BFA! And other chants that are significantly more profane.

Step 3: Pound on the freshmen's doors and tell them to get outside NOW. Blindfold them and lead them in a long chain across High Street, around the Branford Courtyard and into the Chapel at the base of Branford Tower.

Step 4: Freshmen remove their blindfolds and are initiated into Branford with a speech from an upperclassmen with a booming voice who stands on the balcony of the chapel and proclaims the eternal glory of Branford, the envy of all other residential colleges. The speech makes many historical allusions to great Branford alums-- such as Pericles, Ezekiel, Winston Churchill and William Shakespeare, of course. These heros fought valiantly against those barbaric "inmates" of Jonathan Edwards College, you see. Oh yes, we pledge allegiance, to the Squirrel... :) P.S. Did we mention JE sucks?

US Open!!

Back to ballet?

Dear Sophie,

            Congratulations! Based on your enthusiasm for ballet, your performance at auditions, and your desire to continue dancing and improving we have accepted you into the Intermediate Division of the Yale Ballet Company. We are thrilled to have you taking class, rehearsing, and performing with us! Intermediate Division members will be part of our spring productions in corps and character roles and will attend YUBC Intermediate Division class at 4pm on Fridays, taught by a member of the Advanced Division. The class is specifically designed to focus on improving strength and technique for those with excellent existing training who wish to continue their ballet training (you!!!). As members of the Company you will of course also be invited to all of our social events, trips to New York to take class or see performances, and to attend other ballet classes on campus and at the New Haven Ballet with us. The YUBC prides itself on being a welcoming, fun-loving (and ballet-loving! group), and we look forward to having you join us. Great job today!

You are invited to a Welcome Dessert on Monday at 7pm (location TBA) to meet the existing company members and get excited about the year of ballet ahead! Congratulations again on becoming a member of the Company!

                                                Love,

                                                Amymarie, Theresa, Aren, Chris, Lizzie & The YUBC

My classes!

HISTORY 303: Japan's Modern Revolution

A survey of Japan's transformation over the course of the nineteenth century from an isolated, traditional society on the edge of northeast Asia to a modern imperial power. Aspects of political, social, and cultural history.

HISTORY 217: The Roman Republic The origins, development, and expansion of Rome from the earliest times to the deaths of Caesar and Cicero. Cultural identity and interaction; slavery, class, and the family; politics, rhetoric, and propaganda; religion; imperialism; monumentality and memory; and the perception and writing of history. Application of literary and archaeological evidence. ASTRONOMY 110: Planets and Stars An introduction to stars and planetary systems. Topics include the solar system and extrasolar planets, planet and stellar formation, and the evolution of stars from birth to death. GLOBAL AFFAIRS 101: Gateway to Global Affairs Introduction to critical thinking about current international issues. Guest lecturers lead a series of modules, each on a global affairs topic in their area of expertise. Students learn to frame policy questions and write policy memos while examining competing points of view. This year's topics: "Leadership" with General Abizaid, General McChrystal and General Lamb "The AIDS Epidemic" with Professor Nicoli Nattrass "Understanding Afghanistan" with Ambassador Ryan Crocker "Alleviating Global Poverty: Current Issues and Possible Solutions" with James Wolfenson

Club fair today

Thought provoking passage in the YDN

Start at "Unfortunately."

Visit to Columbia!

The poster that the transfer girls made for me :)

Friday night at the Abbey-- Sarah Coleman (went to Winsor and Trinity) took it; not the most flattering picture of me!

What central campus looks like:

We visited St. John's the Divine-- largest cathedral in North America.