Like it or not, Valentine’s Day is coming in less than two weeks. Whether you’re dressing up for date night with your beau, gearing up for a night of dancing with your single ladies, or joining Ben & Jerry for a night with Blair and Serena, it’s the perfect excuse to buy something pretty. If you’re hoping to channel the color of love for your date, or the Chinese color for luck (because it is still Chinese New Year) you can don an attention-grabbing red item for the night. From an LRD to an eye-catching red pump, you’re sure to assert confidence when wearing cupid’s favorite color.

Not feeling the red?

Then how about channeling the other part (AKA my favorite part) of Valentine’s Day: chocolate! Red is not for everyone but wearing black on Single Awareness Day is cliche, making brown the perfect choice. It’s both festive and flattering, and if you find the right item it can be just as eye-catching as it’s in-your-face friend, red.

Thank you, television Gods.

For a week there, I thought that my beloved Gossip Girl was destined to go the way of The O.C., becoming a drama where the only superior things were wardrobe choices. But after watching episode two of the season, it seems that the drama and romance we cannot live without is here to stay and growing better by the week.

And the guys are looking so. much. hotter. College did those boys gooood.

Well, for some. For Chuck Bass it was that businessman/entrepreneurial drive that turned up his sexy factor. That boy looks good when he’s holding meetings with rich old guys to get his restaurant/sex club off the ground. Too bad dear old stepsister Serena seems to thwart him at every turn. Poor Chuck finally has a vision and a plan to do something great in the future and Serena goes and ruins it for him.

If she didn’t have such an amazing wardrobe (that orange romper? I die) I’d totally hate her. She’s become the annoying little sister and has a knack for messing everything up. I’m pretty sure the same will be said (in 4 episodes, max) of her new relationship with super hottie, Carter Basin.

On the other side of New York – the lower side – Blair finally discovers that Georgina Sparks is going to be her roommate. As Blair tries to win over the plebeian college kids with overpriced sushi and fine dining, Dan and Georgina embrace the “cheap beer, loud music” lifestyle and find themselves on the top of the college social totem pole (who knew that even existed anyway?). Looks like Prada dresses and headbands with big bows don’t matter at NYU if you can’t talk about alternative music and cool camera angles…but does Dan Humphrey really have what it takes to stay on top? Sure, he managed to save one “wild” college party and humiliate Blair, but if we know anything about B, she’ll bounce back, with not a hair out of place. After all, everyone knows that nobody actually remembers what happens the first week of college, anyway.

And where were Nate and Bree? Spending the whole day in bed, of course. They have to be mentioned because any partially clothed scenes of Chace Crawford are worth mentioning, but that’s about all there is to them.

Things to look forward to: the upcoming war between Blair and Georgina. My money is on Blair, but scenes from next week (naked man in Blair’s bed, evil Georgina Sparks eyes) means that Blair is sure to be stepped on a little bit before she can claw her way back up to the top. Also, Dan’s half-brother is still there, still biding his time, still hooking up with Vanessa. Please just spill your guts already! That drama is long overdue.

Storyline the writers just had to throw in: Lonely boy Dan and re-born Georgina Sparks waking up together after her party. Nobody cares anymore. (Editor’s Note: Excuse me? Nobody cares?! I guffawed! Audibly!) However, I’m sure it’s going to bother Serena, and then maybe we can see some of that Season 1 Dan-Serena sexual tension onscreen. If that’s where this storyline is going, then I’m all for it.

Highlight of the show: Blair crawling into bed with Chuck, falling asleep, and making us all wish we were her. Forgive me for being a sap, but I’m hoping they stay semi-functional for a while. I could use some romance in my life.

Until next week…
You know you love them.

XOXO.
GGR (Gossip Girl Recapper)

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So whenever a new season comes around, I know I look forward to seeing what the bag trends for that season are gonna be. While there is always a seasonal “it” bag (or 2 or 3) that generally costs more than your monthly rent, you don’t have to break the bank each season to have a trendy bag on your arm. It may be hard to believe, but there are plenty of budget options out there!

As is true with most seasons, this season brings us some new shapes, styles and textures, but there is also a lot of recycling going on. A key with bags is that you don’t need to go matchy matchy, so don’t be afraid to add a pop of color, or if you go with a neutral like grey or brown, you needn’t match all your accessories.

Bags are meant to be a statement piece, so don’t fear going bold and adding some zest to your look with your handbag – be it a clutch, tote, or, this season’s most popular shape, the satchel.

Satchel It To Me

As I said, the most popular shape for this season is the satchel. While totes and hobos are still popular shapes, the satchel has been seen on the arms of celebrities and trend-setters everywhere. The beauty of this shape is that you can incorporate any number of the trends listed below into the satchel, so pick your favorite and go with it.

What A Croc!

This season is all about different materials: reptile skins, lace, patent leather, or, the material du jour for the season, crocodile skin (or for those of us who are environmentally friendly, budget-conscious or both, faux croc). You can find croc in all the different shapes, sizes and colors of the season, from Prada bags down to Target clutches. Croc rocks because it adds a classic and classy touch to any ensemble.

Fringe Benefits

The hottest trend for this season is the bohemian-inspired fringe bag. Again, many designers are going with this trend, but you can find some great fringe bags on a budget at places like Nine West and Forever 21. My personal favorite is this bag from Melie Bianco, which is only $80 and can be found in some of this season’s hottest colors: taupe/grey, brown, burgundy and, of course, black.

Top of the World

A new and popular shape this season is the top-handle bag, which, again, can be found on many of the different shapes, sizes and trends of the season. Yes, all bags have handles on the top, but this trend focuses on a more structurd look and shorter handles. Definitely an updated look on your typical bag.

Treasure Hunt

As we have mentioned a million times before, jewel tones are huge this season, and this trend extends from clothes all the way to bags. Greens, pinks and teals are making an appearance, but the real winners this season are blues and berries. Everyone from Coach to Old Navy is making bags in these luscious colors and they’re a great way to give the neutral colors of fall/winter (black, greys, etc.) a festive pop.

Gift Wrapped Elegance

Giving way to a nostalgic and classic look, clutches with bows are a flirty and feminine touch to an evening look, especially in satin or patent leather. For inexpensive versions of this look, try Target and Payless; they’ve got adorable ones for under $40.

Brown Baggin’ It

As is always the case with fall, brown bags are all the rage; whether a deep chocolate color or a lighter tan, you can’t go wrong with pairing a brown bag with a hot pair of boots and skinny jeans.

Let’s face it: We LOVE to gossip. We gossip about friends and we gossip about foes. Such idle talk allows us to convey information quickly, although not always accurately. This being said, it is no surprise that the website Juicy Campus has been increasing in popularity since it was founded on August 1, 2007.

When my friends first introduced me to Juicy Campus, I wrote it off as another place for people to share their college exploits online. But I quickly realized that this site was different; I actually knew the people that were being discussed! Friends, classmates, hookups—no one was free from the wrath of this critical group. Let’s just put it this way, if the “Burn Book” from Mean Girls was published online for all to see and comment on, I would imagine it would look similar to Juicy Campus.

The site was created by Mark Ivester, a Duke University Alum, with “the simple mission of enabling online anonymous free speech on college campuses.” (Editor’s Note: That’s a nice way to refer to sh*t talking!) There are currently 64 colleges listed on the site, including many prestigious institutions such as Harvard, UPenn, and Brown. The topics on the site range from the innocent (“Best Frat on Campus”) to the scandalous (“Sex with Professors”). Each post gets a rating ranging from 0% Juicy to 100% Juicy, so the juicier the gossip, the better the rating.

And because everything posted on Juicy Campus is anonymous, people have no censor when it comes to describing how they truly feel about someone. As a result, degrading, racist, homophobic, and downright hurtful remarks are prevalent throughout the site.

As guilty as I feel reading through the posts, I often find myself deciding to read “just one more.” I mean, who doesn’t want to know if she is considered the hottest girl on campus? But sometimes this curiosity gets people into trouble, as was the case here when a junior at Baylor University found her name not under “Hottest Girl,” but rather under “Biggest Slut.”

The embarrassment doesn’t end here. A couple of my own friends have been named on the site (yes, first and last name) saying they are “easy” or “ugly” when I know that it is simply not true. Furthermore, I have encountered posts where people comment on another person’s genitals (one of which referred to a guy that I had been seeing—kind of sucked) or even post naked pictures of an ex in retaliation. I don’t know about you, but I would be mortified.

The site takes no responsibility for the information posted, claiming that the authors are the ones responsible. In fact, as shown on CNN, people who have been hurt by the website have no way to fight back. Kind of hard to place the blame on Mr. Anonymous, wouldn’t you agree?

So we are left with one question: Is Juicy Campus just a fun place where college students can dish out the dirt on their friends and classmates, or has it become a way for people to tarnish the reputation of others with no repercussions?

[Photo courtesy of NYTimes.com]

None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. They didn’t cut their $500 million budget to, say, $250 million. They exed the loans altogether.

MEFA secures loans for 40,000 students who live in Massachusetts, or who attend school there. Unfortunately, this year, the financing authority could not secure the money. Executive director Tom Graff blames “disruptions in capital markets.” So, just like that, 40,000 students are sh*t out of luck.

MEFA is the first to make headlines, but any financing authority could also be treading on thin ice. Which means that students across the country could be forced to drop out of college, or sell their souls to finance a degree that can cost upwards of FORTY GRAND per year at top-notch schools like Carnegie Mellon, Tufts, NYU, and Notre Dame.

When I was in college, I played my cards right, and managed to get through my degree with almost no debt, and decided to pursue a Master’s, rather than join the work force right away. With our declining economy, I am currently paying dearly for that decision. Sure, I have a MA, but with hundreds of thousands of workers being laid off across the country, I don’t have the experience to compete. I’ve been applying for job after job, to no avail. Even the number of job openings in dwindling, because companies are being forced to cut corners left and right.

So, MEFA has set up a hotline for students to call, but I’m not sure how much good that can do. It’s a scary time to be a college student in America. Bernie Pekala, director of student financial strategies at Boston College, spoke out about the current MEFA crisis: “[Students and families] have less obvious choices right now. They’re going to have to look at circumstances and try to come up with alternative financing options if they have utilized this as their main option or only option in the past.”

Many students are going to have to put their education on hold. Many others will complete their plans of study, and come out with a deep debt and fewer job opportunities available. I’d like to know if anyone out there is being effected by crises such as lack of financial aid, student loans, or the job market. Of course, there will be a lot of changes for the country soon (e.g. the upcoming election). Hopefully, things will take a turn for the better…asap.

Before I go any further, I’m going to offer up a disclaimer: a lot of people don’t stare. Most people don’t even give a second look. And I don’t assume that those who do are staring only because we’re an interracial couple…but it sure does seem the most likely reason.

Honestly, when I started dating him, I was expecting the most conservative of the conservative white folk to be the ones who stared. As much as we’re living in the 21st century here, interracial relationships are still a little too futuristic for some people.

So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be all the Indians who stared.

I guess it makes sense. My boyfriend says that the predominant Indian view is that American girls/guys are dangerous because they would date an Indian for only one of two reasons: the money (?!), or because they think they love the Indian, but they are actually going to divorce later, because that’s what Americans do.

Plus, it’s still completely common and encouraged for Indian couples to have arranged marriages. While I don’t knock the idea, an arranged marriage is a horrifying thought for me personally (and for my boyfriend as well). But knowing the background makes it a little easier to understand the staring…an arranged marriage would definitely take place between and Indian and an Indian, and not an Indian and a white girl.

While it’s a little weird to get stared at, I don’t mind it too much. It actually makes me feel proud: I feel like I’m standing up for myself, for my boyfriend, and for what I think true love actually looks like.

I do wonder why I don’t see more interracial couples around, though. Maybe other CC readers can shed some light on that for me. Are interracial couples rare just because like-looking people tend to end up in the same places, or for some other reason? I’d really like to know.

Chances are you or someone you know has studied, or plans to study abroad. It’s a great opportunity to experience a new culture, learn a language, and travel to places you’ve never been before.But according to New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo (he’s the head of all law enforcement for the state), your choice of programs may have more to do with benefits for your study abroad office members than for you and your friends.

Remember that financial aide scandal last year? Large universities usually hire external companies to deal with student loans, and it turned out that several of these companies were bribing colleges with gifts and rewards in return for directing students to them. They got busted for it, and schools were forced to give back the cash they received.

Apparently, many external Study Abroad companies are doing the same thing–offering incentives for colleges to send their students to a specific program. The 15 schools being investigated aren’t necessarily guilty, but they all have ties to external study abroad providers, and are being asked to disclose their info.

What does this mean for you? Well, it can mean a higher price for your study abroad experience, and less options for locations and classes. If your college is one of the 15 targeted by Cuomo’s investigation*, talk to friends who have already gone through the program before you commit. Research other options–sometimes you can participate in a program through a different college (it just might take a bit more paperwork). If it seems worth it, and you don’t have to take out a zillion dollars in loans to participate, then go for it!

*Harvard, Columbia, Northwestern, American, Brown, Brandeis, Fordham, Alfred State, Alfred University, Manhattanville College, Hobart and William Smith, Pace, Cornell, Siena, and the College of New Rochelle