MCC Departmental Awards

The Department of Media, Culture, and Communication is happy to announce the winners of its undergraduate and graduate departmental awards. To feature this talented group, we updated the classic Proust Questionnaire and circulated it to our students. Below you can read their candid responses: 

 

ALYSSA ANDERSON, M.A.
Award for Outstanding Service to the Department

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Years ago I read Kenneth Burke's essay "The Definition of Man" and it completely changed what I thought scholarly writing could look like. He's an amazingly brilliant and straight-forward author. If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? I would definitely like to take Roland Barthes out for a drink. What news source could you not live without? NPR—I'm completely addicted. Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Definitely the aforementioned Kenneth Burke. I used to joke about getting his name tattooed in a heart on my arm. My boyfriend at the time didn't think that was as funny as I did. If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? Oh god, I'm not clever enough for this. Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Laptop. I like hanging on to my notes/syllabi, and it's so much easier to archive digitally. "I procrastinate by THE INTERNET. All of it. Or if I'm putting off something really important I may even do my laundry or clean my apartment."My dream job would be teaching at a Liberal Arts college back in the Pacific Northwest, where I'm from." "The subject of human interaction incites my curiosity the most. We've developed such strange and regulated ways of living with one another.” "My best day at NYU was when we were wrapping up the first day of the Neil Postman Conference, which we had been planning for almost a year, and I got the email saying I was accepted to Brown and was going to be continuing my studies with a PhD. It felt like a double accomplishment.” "Living in NYC is definitely not boring.” My MCC degree is going to help me get a head start in my PhD program at Brown next year. I have a solid training in critical theory that's going to situate me to do some great work there." "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was that the professors know a lot of trivia about the theorist you study, and some even studied under them. It really adds a human dimension to these incredibly intelligent figures."

ERIC DING, B.S.
Award for Outstanding Service to the Department

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Das Kapital by Karl Marx If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? John Forbes Nash What news source could you not live without? The Economist Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Henry David Thoreau and George Orwell If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? www.viscorps.com Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? laptop to iPad, to iPhone, to pen/paper I procrastinate by reading Wikipedia articles" "My dream job would be commander in chief of the greatest armed forces of our time." "The subject of linguistics incites my curiosity the most" "My best day at NYU was when my students in my peer advising class asked me to sign their yearbook.” “Living in NYC is a love-hate relationship." “My MCC degree is going to help me have a better understanding of what constitutes as 'happiness.'” "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was James Carey's model of ritual communication vs. transmission communication."

MICHELLE FORELLE, M.A.
Award for Academic Achievement in the Persuasion and Politics concentration

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? "Digital Lock and the Automation of Virtue," by Ian Kerr - just one in a list of thought-provoking readings assigned in a class I took with Helen Nissenbaum. If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? John Locke, maybe. Or Walter Lippmann and John Dewey at the same time. Or Barack Obama, to see how different teaching constitutional law is from governing with law (ideals vs practice) What news source could you not live without? Twitter - I've set mine up so my feed is a collection of news sources, scholars and friends I trust and admire. Who is your biggest scholarly crush? I don't know if I could identify just one. A rolling list includes Biella Coleman, Fred Turner, my colleagues in MCC —all people whose intellects and personalities I find very attractive! If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? Porn.com —that way, I could pay off my student loans! Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Pen/pencil and paper.  Until tablets get sophisticated enough to let me draw tiny little doodles in the margin, I'm staying old-school. "I procrastinate by Looking up gifs online.  Anything with animals can usually entertain me for a few good hours." My dream job would be a professor with dual appointment in law and communication during the week, a volunteer with a dog shelter on weekends." "The subject Jurisprudence —the study and theory of law incites my curiosity the most" "My best day at NYU was when I discovered the small dog park in Washington Square Park. Sunny afternoons sitting on the bench across from the park with my lunch have saved my sanity more than once.” "Living in NYC is an adventure everyone should experience at least once.” "My MCC degree is going to help me pursue my passions." "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was how to collaborate with others at a graduate level. I've learned so much by being able to present my ideas to my peers, hear theirs in turn, and discover the new and unexpected places where we intersect."

CHELSEA GARBELL, B.S.
Honors Recognition Award; Student Speaker at NYU’s All-University Commencement

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Gayle Rubin's Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality and Love the Sin: Sexual Regulation and the Limits of Religious Tolerance by Janet R. Jakobsen and Ann Pellegrini. If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Abraham Joshua Heschel What news source could you not live without? The New York Times & Jezebel Who is your biggest scholarly crush? It's a tie: Michael Warner and Tamar Ross If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? www.orthosexuality.com Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Moleskin notebook and pen I procrastinate by watching TV (lately full seasons of Arrested Development) and taking geography quizzes on Sporcle. My dream job would be President of Planned Parenthood." "The subject representation and intersection of religion, politics, and sexuality incites my curiosity the most" "My best day at NYU was when ­class was canceled because of snow, and my friends and I had an epic snowball fight on University St.” "Living in NYC is stimulating, intoxicating, magical.” "My MCC degree is going to help me get a job!" "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was the ways in which language indicates subconscious gender bias."

SANIYA GHANOUI, M.A.
Award for Academic Achievement in the Interaction and Social Processes concentration

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Aesthetic and Feminist Theory: Rethinking Women's Cinema by Teresa de Lauretis If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Michel Foucault— I'd want to discuss biopower as related to menstruation What news source could you not live without? The Weather Channel Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Michel Foucault If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? www.abrainaheartandsomecourage.com Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Pencil/Paper "I procrastinate by watching I Love Lucy." "My dream job would be a professor who also performs as a trapeze artist.” "The subject of menstruation and the body as performance incites my curiosity the most.” “My best day at NYU was when my friends and I decided to open up an olive oil shop called Olive Us Together, Holding Hands and a German bakery called Gluten Tag. (I was researching the body in food marketing at the time, so food was on my mind.) Living in NYC is a never-ending choice of restaurants, a never-ending sidewalk for running, and a city where you can take trapeze lessons with a view of the skyline.” “My MCC degree is going to help me become a better professor.” “The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was just how titillating surveillance is constructed to be."

WILLS GLASSPIEGEL, M.A.
Award for Academic Achievement in the Visual Culture and Cultural Studies concentration

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Brian Larkin's Signal and Noise + Catherine Russell's Experimental Ethnography If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? James Schamus What news source could you not live without? Family and friends online and IRL Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Basia Lewandowska Cummings If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? willsglasspiegel.com Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Laptop I procrastinate with Instagram My dream job would be to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic.” The subject Chicago incites my curiosity the most” "My best day at NYU was watching Ousman Sembene's Moolaade in class with Martin Scherzinger.” "Living in NYC is something I don't want to give up.” “My MCC degree is going to help me stay connected to key faculty at NYU whose work and perspective I value tremendously.” "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was discovering the rush I had when giving a guest lecture for Liel Leibovitz's undergraduate class, and the gratifying feeling when the students asked great questions after my talk.”  

MARIA HILL, M.A.
Distinguished Master’s Thesis

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? “Zoo Story” by Edward Albee in high school If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Walter Benjamin What news source could you not live without? I could live without all of them. Is that bad? Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Franz Boas If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? 5432fun.com  Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Stickies, so many stickies. Receipts. Book pages. Laptop.'"I procrastinate by doing anything else. I put off writing by researching. I put off researching by eating, walking, cleaning, talking, sleeping.”  "'My dream job would include writing and teaching.”  "The subjects of ghosts, cats, and nostalgia incite my curiosity the most.” “My best day at NYU was when I didn't embarrass myself during a class presentation!” "Living in NYC is !*@$." "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was to just submit to the process of learning, writing, whatever.” 

LAUREN HOM, B.S.
MCC Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? The one that analyzed the ways Disney is an 'influencing machine' that shapes our identities, especially in terms of gender roles and race. If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Taking my chances on leaving the table nothing but dumbfounded and slightly depressed, I'd still love to break bread with David Foster Wallace. What news source could you not live without? NPR Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Dr. Seuss counts, right? As an MCC graduate, it's a tie between Jean Baudrillard and Susan Sontag. If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? I've been meaning to buy Laurenhom.com for a long time for obvious phonetic reasons. It's 2013, so why not let the unavoidable 2.0 self-branding begin. Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Depends on the class dynamic, but I've slowly succumbed to the laptop. It also helps when you're trying to make sense of that lecture your mind was metaphorically absent from. "I procrastinate by gathering 'research' as a means of feeling productive without actually starting to write." "My dream job would be a horticulturist and educator (field TBD) at the same time." "The subject of social entrepreneurship incites my curiosity the most.” "My best day at NYU was when any day the weather was nice enough to sit in the park.” “Living in NYC is :game theory as life:breath. Verbal analogies...the only thing I valued about the SATs.” “My MCC degree is going to help me develop methods and practices towards challenging ideologies that structure our socialization and edification." "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was the concept of architecture as media. Many thanks to Professor Robles-Anderson for her creativity!” 

KATIE JACOBY, B.S.
Honors Recognition Award

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Sigmund Freud's "Civilization and Its Discontents" If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Jacques Lacan. We would sit in silence and gaze at each other over dinner. What news source could you not live without? I'm partial to the paper edition, but I'm wildly addicted to The New York Times on my iPhone. Who is your biggest scholarly crush? I will forever gush over MCC professors Ben Kafka and Lily Chumley. If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? excellence.com Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Pen and paper, always. It is imperative that the pen has silky, black ink. I procrastinate by pressing the snooze button. My dream job would be time traveling. However, given current limitations in this line of work, I would love to play violin with any of the following: Metallica, Prince, Tom Waits, Bjork, Radiohead, Ben Folds.” "The subject of life and death incites my curiosity the most." "My best day at NYU was when ­Jon Stewart, tweed-clad and with a pipe, surprised my 9:30 am Intro to Media class to film a segment for Oprah.” “Living in NYC is good for people seeking delicious Chinese food and/or inspiration.” “My MCC degree is going to help me continue a lifetime of learning.” "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was and will always be a secret."

CATHERINE KIM, B.S.
Honors Recognition Award

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Brave New World If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Neil Postman What news source could you not live without? My Facebook newsfeed (: Who is your biggest scholarly crush? No idea... If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? www.art.com Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? On my laptop during lectures, printed out and key points rewritten by hand before exams. "I procrastinate by finishing an entire season of "Lost" in a single day." "My dream job would be a professor and legal scholar in the area of media/communications law.” "The subjects Comparative law, Media/Communications, and East Asian Studies incite my curiosity the most." “My best day at NYU was when I received admission to one of my top choice law schools.” “Living in NYC is re-realizing each day, how different and diverse people can be.” “My MCC degree is going to help me market myself as someone who understands the media industries and institutions.” “The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was that anything we explicitly/implicitly, consciously/subconsciously display about ourselves is communication.” 

MATHILDE MONGE, B.S.
Honors Recognition Award

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Rich Media, Poor Democracy by McChesney and Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman 
If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Michel Foucault What news source could you not live without? NY1 and NYT Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Michel Foucault (is that redundant?) If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? Foucault-yeah.org Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Pencil/paper. Also, lefty's desk "I procrastinate by cooking with wine. Sometime I even put some in the food." “My dream job would be selling necklaces on the beach in Brazil. I'm also fine with being a speech writer.” “The subjects media studies and social justice incite my curiosity the most." “My best day at NYU was when I met my best friend Melissa at new student seminar. I hated her at first, and they next thing you know we were in Cancun together for Spring Break.” "Living in NYC is a great opportunity to meet people from very different backgrounds and with different outlooks on life." "My MCC degree is going to help me do something I am passionate about!” "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was that things don't have to be the way they are. All it takes is a small group of committed individuals."

MATT POWERS, PhD
MCC Outstanding Teaching Award

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? A brief passage in Pierre Bourdieu's The Bachelor's Ball really crystallized the notion of habitus for me. In it, the awkward dance of peasant bachelors becomes emblematic of rapid social changes that render a whole lifestyle outdated. It's a captivating passage, and nicely demonstrates the interplay between objective social processes and subjective dispositions that is key to understanding the concept. Reading it, I distinctively recall saying, "Now, THAT is habitus." If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Socrates—so much renown, and without ever writing a single word! What news source could you not live without? The best sources of information are friends, colleagues and students. I can't imagine keeping up with the world without their guidance. Who is your biggest scholarly crush? I'm fortunate to have a partner who is also an academic, so I'm happy to report that my scholarly and real world crush is one and the same. If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? Probably some variation of my name. It turns out to be a fairly common one! Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? Pen and paper, usually. "I procrastinate by binging on TV shows. It's universal, isn't it?" "My dream job would be a position in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington. I'm thrilled that, come this fall, it will be a reality.” "The subject of journalism and the public sphere, particularly when it comes with an international dimension incites my curiosity the most” "My best day at NYU was any day when you can sit in the park or have lunch with colleagues is a great day, in my book.” “Living in NYC is only a reality for another month! After that, I'll be moving to Seattle." My MCC degree is going to help me appreciate the value of intellectual heterodoxy. No one approach reigns supreme in the department, and I think that's a source of genuine strength." "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was I'm not sure I can point to a single thing, but I will say that I am always learning from students."  

ANNIE QUIGLEY, B.S.
Honors Recognition Award

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? "Tourism and 'Sacred Ground': The Space of Ground Zero" by Marita Sturken If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Lynn Spigel What news source could you not live without? SNL's Weekend Update Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Lynn Spigel, again. If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? BuzzFeed Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? laptop "I procrastinate by looking at Apartment Therapy." "My dream job would be writing a culture column." "The subject of space—traumatic and filmic —incites my curiosity the most.” “My best day at NYU was any day I got 16 Handles and/ or Shake Shack.” "Living in NYC is always surprising." “My MCC degree is going to help me go further in the field of media criticism and research.” "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was people found that, during a newspaper strike, they couldn't eat breakfast because they had nothing to read.” 

HOLLY ROBBINS, M.A.
Award for Academic Achievement in the Technology and Society concentration

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? That would have to be a throw back to my first year of undergrad: Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities." It was my intellectual coming of age book. If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Paul Dourish, although I had the opportunity to this week and I chickened out. What news source could you not live without? NPR. I'm dyslexic, so I do better listening to the news.  Who is your biggest scholarly crush? I have QUITE a few. My adviser, Katherine Isbister, is up there. Also in the mix: Paul Dourish, his PhD student Lilly Irani, and the formidable Bruno Latour. If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? That would have to be the one that I bought a couple months ago: "btchplz.net". This is my refrain when I encounter interfaces that aren't human-centric. So, I wanted to start a blog about it. However my ability to produce content has been thwarted by my thesis. Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? I've experienced an evolution through my graduate career. I started analog with paper and pen, and then transitioned to a laptop, however I finally settled on an iPad. I do carry all of them with me at all times though, because I'm a bag lady. "I procrastinate with gratuitous consumption of visual content." "In my dream job I would be passionate about the work I'm producing and a big deal while I'm doing it." "The subject of of socio-technical systems of distributed knowledge incites my curiosity the most.” “My best day at NYU was when I learned of all the resources that were available to me.” "Living in NYC is frenetic." “My MCC degree is going to help me be taken seriously.” "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was that theory can be integrated with practical applications. Thanks Helen!” 

JING WANG, M.A.
Award for Academic Achievement in the Global and Transcultural Communication concentrationAward for Outstanding Service to the Department

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Speaking into the Air: A History of the Idea of Communication by John Durham Peters If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Jeffrey C. Alexander, Nan Huaijin What news source could you not live without? My network on social media Who is your biggest scholarly crush? Unfortunately, this machine is still intact. If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? bemyself.com Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? iPad or iPhone I procrastinate by cooking. “My dream job would be a professor, also to work part-time in my farm.” “The subjects media and hegemony incites my curiosity the most.” “My best day at NYU was when I sensed the dual intimacy in NYU Shanghai.” “Living in NYC is super convenient. It provides all kinds of resources.” “My MCC degree is going to help me be prepared for my PhD study.” "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was the "point" in Pascal's formula. The social world embraces me like a point, but this point is a point of view.”  

MARC YEARSLEY, B.S.
Honors Recognition Award

What reading produced the biggest aha moment? Capital If you could meet any scholar, dead or alive, who would it be? Siggy Freud of course! What news source could you not live without? they all blur together Who is your biggest scholarly crush? I don't know! If you could buy any URL, what would the address be? www.dinosaur.com Note taking: laptop, iPad, or pencil/paper? combo laptop and pen/paper "I procrastinate by watching the x-files, playing video games." "My dream job would be one that allowed me to follow my heart.” "The subject philosophy incites my curiosity the most." “My best day at NYU was when I moved in!!!!!!!!" "Living in NYC is a treat.” "My MCC degree is going to help me continue to be interested in thinking critically about things I enjoy.” "The coolest thing I learned in an MCC class was how to read an image."
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/news/2013/5/13/MCC_Departmental_Awards
steinhardt.nyu.edu
crawl=CC-MAIN-2017-43
58341
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:AZQWIH7UBFKQG36T5DFQDXMAFWONE6MB
<urn:uuid:be618258-439e-45f0-95d9-1df802afbfb3>
2017-10-23T11:19:59Z
128.122.109.97
application/xhtml+xml
sha1:65EGYLW6GBCBJ2TEIHANC2I2BZKTCGYS
<urn:uuid:cb25bf91-c361-47a4-92f8-20f65a1743bf>
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/news/2013/5/13/MCC_Departmental_Awards
response
<urn:uuid:c1e30ae2-a891-4bdb-bbdc-befc2cd7b091>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-137-158-248.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-43
operator: Common Crawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for October 2017
publisher: Common Crawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf