Coming to you from the CNN: always at the forefront of international reportage.

I’m just kidding. Follow the link for an interesting discussion on the modern “hookup culture” and its reliance on alcohol as a primer on college campuses.

The questions remain whether romance is dead, and casual sex on college campuses are getting out of hand. Voice your opinions in the comment section!

Choice quotes:

Dr. Drew: “Dating is something that Grandpa did.”

“[One of the options for college kids is to be] friends with benefits, which looks great on paper. But so did Communism.”

“The thing about college hookups is it’s always intoxicated. You’ve gotta be loaded because it’s such a cool thing.”

In response to the question of why alcohol had to go hand in hand with hooking up,

The Jock: “[Alcohol] gives you courage.” (Quite frankly, he doesn’t seem like he needed any.)

Pro-Hookup Gal: “[Alcohol] helps me say yes.”

The Verdict: Nothing really new here, but the short video is worth a viewing or two. Because what else are you going to do these days? The coffee machine in the office pantry is still in perfect working condition.

Dr. Drew, airing weeknights on HLN at 9pm ET/PT.

Send tips to The Harvard Voice at thehvoicemail@gmail.com

Ladies and gents, it’s that time of the year again. No, I’m not taking about finals period (when the only sleeping around you do is in Lamont, and the only thing that goes down is your GPA #butreally).

From May 6th to May 15th (next Sunday), all local Starbucks stores will hold their Frappuccino Happy (Two) Hour(s) from 3pm – 5pm. During this time, get your favorite blended drinks at half-price!

In addition, Starbucks is also bringing back two coconut-flavored drinks for the summer: The Mocha Coconut Frappuchino and the Coconut Creme Frappuchino. I don’t know what the difference is except for the varying levels of sugar and sugary syrup, but you feel free to explore!

Everybody, let’s get fat! As if that’s not the natural by-product of Reading/Finals Period already.

Admit it, you won’t be doing that much reading this Reading Period. Or ever, actually. So why not check out the Mayfair tomorrow, Sunday May 1st, around our beloved (and increasingly dangerous) Square?

Events include “six stages of live entertainment, a charity Hair-Cut-A-Thon, Chalk on the Walk; a Dance Stage; Roaming Railroad Train Rides; A Harvard Student Activities Festival, Hot Air Balloon Rides with donations to charity, three Beer Gardens; and over one hundred thousand happy people!”

We don’t know about Boston/Harvard being happy in general, but the Fair does seem like an exciting event.

One of the hair salons participating in the Cut-A-Thon, which takes place right in front of the T stop, is Plan B Hair Salon. The cut and color boutique, whose name bears no relation to the contraceptive method, is located on 99 Mt. Auburn Street, next to Verizon Wireless. Cuts are $25 (compared to the usual price upward from $50) and 100% of the proceeds go to the Hoffman Breast Center at Mt. Auburn Hospital.

“I started this 3 years ago and have generated over $4000 for the center,” said Richard Fogarty, the salon owner. I’m a fan of the place and they recently teamed up with The Voice for a very exciting project, so the (not so) peripheral point of this post is product placement.

So there you have it, the weather will be gorgeous tomorrow, and you can feel both festive and charitable just by stepping out into the square!

P.S. Please leave Lamont at some point. You’ve probably started to smell. And someone was apparently jerking off in the 3rd floor Reading Room on Thursday night. Not okay.

This Prefrosh Weekend (or Visitas, or whatever), The Voice takes you through the ten male prototypes you’ll encounter at Harvard.

1. The One Who’s a Virgin

You can’t swing a purse in Harvard Yard without hitting a virgin Harvard male. He comes in all shapes and sizes (pun fully intended). Even some very eligible-seeming bros belong here –they probably spent high school hitting the stacks instead of the sack– although they tend to migrate out of this zone really fast during their freshman year. He has the potential of becoming a great boyfriend, if you’re willing to put in the time and effort to get over the initial awkwardness. *Accidentally* hooking up with a virgin always makes for great Sunday brunch stories though, so there’s the silver lining.

2. The One Who Will Stay a Virgin

Another classic Harvard category. It’s astounding how a place so small can hold so many socially awkward and sexually frustrated young people. It’s very easy to spot this one. He seems awkward. He walks awkward. He is awkward. He probably also lives in Lamont and packs his stuff in a carry-on during Finals season. He might also have red hair. Bless his heart, though. He could invent a social networking site one day and all the arrogant bitches of Harvard who ignored him (you included) can cry themselves to sleep at night.

3. The One Who Would Be King

You know, the kid who harbored presidential ambitions when everyone else was dreaming about chocolate and cartoon characters and stuff. He is most likely a tall, well-dressed Government major from the south who frequents the Institute of Politics as often as the rest of us mortals do Berryline. You might be charmed by his composure and drive, but like anything else in his life, the ladies that he dates must all serve the Grand Plan. I’m Asian and foreign (Communist, even), so I never even tried. But if you want to, just google “Jackie Kennedy” for a good role model. Or Marilyn Monroe. It’s all a matter of preference.

Read the rest of this entry »

Come to Harvard Cancer Society’s Date Auction this Thursday! Proceeds, including the sale of food and drinks, go to support the American Cancer Society. So there, you’re bidding on a hot date for a good cause. Wink wink.

When: Thursday, April 14th, 9pm – Midnight

Where: Uno Chicago Bar and Grill

Who should be there: The single and fabulous. The attached and adventurous. The sexually frustrated, or just curious. So you, yes, all of you.

RSVP on the Facebook event page here.

But really, what else are you going to do on a Thursday night but check out random strangers and score potential formal dates. House formals are coming up!

Word on the street is that several members of various athletic teams have offered themselves up for auction, as well as a familiar staff writer of The Voice. All were asked to send in photos of themselves, which will be projected on a screen during the event. We should all be there for that segment.

Start your action-packed Prefrosh weekend the right way! It’s all in the name of charity, after all.

The College Events Board is offering a free screening of “No Strings Attached” this Sunday, April 3rd, at the Science Center Hall B. Door opens at 7:45pm until capacity (about 400 seats) is reached.

The movie, which features Ashton Kutcher, aka Mr. Demi Moore, and Harvard alumnae and Oscar winner Natalie Portman in the lead roles, was released in late January of this year, and grossed over US$70 million. Not bad for a chick flick with an estimated budget of $25 million.

The official synopsis goes: “A guy and girl try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it’s not long before they learn that they want something more.” (IMDB) Sounds familiar? If this describes your social life at Harvard, go see the movie. If it doesn’t, well, come anyway for the unreasonably attractive stars. (Even though Kutcher’s acting ability leaves much to be desired.)

Also, it was rated R for “strong sexual content.” I’m just saying.

RSVP on the Facebook event. “Like” the CEB on Facebook for dibs on future events, including Yardfest.

Eleganza, a major fashion and dance show produced by Harvard students, is having two events this week in order to raise funds for the show, which will take place during Prefrosh weekend.

Tuesday, March 29th – Designer Jewelry Sale

What: Branded jewelry from Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, Anthropologie, and others, normally priced at up to $200, are going for $8-$25.

Where: Democracy Center, 45 Mt. Auburn street (next to Daedalus restaurant)

When: 4-7pm

Click here for the Facebook event.

Thursday, March 31st -
Model Auction

What: Bid for a date with one of their student models, some of whom are featured here.

Looks are presented by Rent the Runway, a company run by Harvard Business School graduates that allows members to rent or buy runway looks at reduced prices. (Promotional code HARVARD15, for $15 off of orders of $75 or more.)

Where: The Hasty Pudding Club, 2 Garden Street

When: 8-11pm

There might be an open bar. There definitely will be a very well-dressed and preppy crowd. There’s also a $10 suggested donation at the door. And you thought you could get into the Pudding without at least some financial clout.

The point of this post is that beauty doesn’t come cheap. But you should definitely come.