Find out what the PACT experience is all about. Download the brochure to read on.

(Sample email copy)

You get an internship from other schools, but you won’t find the opportunities at St. John’s University anywhere else. From MTV to Deloitte, Random House to the NFL, you’ll find the biggest names in any industry just minutes away from our three metropolitan area campuses. So you can dream big and achieve even bigger at St. John’s.

Secure your place in the Fall 2011 class of St. John’s University by submitting your $300 enrollment deposit today. Once we receive your deposit, we will send you information about orientation, housing, activities and other details you’ll need for your first semester. Submit your deposit online through our secure Web site by using your Student I.D. number located in the box above.

P.S. Become a part of St. John’s today! Click here to make your deposit.

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Want to see all of the corresponding pieces? Get the whole “big” email series or check out selected (literally) big postcards!

Landing Page

Want to see the whole sequence? Click here to download the PDF of the copy, minus the form.

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Prestige. Selectivity. Unparalleled excellence. These are all trademarks of St. John’s Honors Program, an elite, close-knit community of exceptional learners who embrace academic challenges and master them eagerly. As an Honors student, you’ll study accelerated, advanced curricula with your peers, the top students from around the country and world. You’ll be among some of the brightest minds of your time … which is exactly where you belong.

Your experience will include:

• Upper-level, seminar-style classes
• Thought-provoking, in-depth discussions
• Special lectures and research projects for ambitious learners
• Close collaboration with top professors for research
• Friends who share your own interests and passion for learning

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Download the full brochure and get inspired!

We’re Giving You the Green Light

The New York City Acce lerat or for a Clean and Renewable Economy (NYC ACRE) gives you the green light to shine, to grow right here in the heart of New York City; the go-ahead to forge a brighter, greener future and pioneer a clean tech sector in the most sustainable city in the world. Whether your cause is renewable energy, building efficiency, or water management, your opportunity to scale is here.

With key resources of NYC ACRE at your service, including administrative, operational, and professional relationships, we set you up for success. Access commercialization resources like technical design, development, deployment and prototype testing opportunities. Take advantage of our incubator’s financial modeling/planning and deep mentorship networks while using the exceptional research facilities of NYU, NYU-Poly and Columbia University. Most importantly, embark on what will be the most profitable and revolutionary venture of your generation on your own terms. The City awaits your big idea.

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How would you like to spend seven weeks in exciting New York, learning English and exploring one of the world’s most famous cities?

At The Language Connection at St. John’s, you can! We’ll teach you how to speak English like a native in our high-tech classrooms with small, engaging classes. Immerse yourself in American culture by living at our Manhattan or Queens campuses; use your free Fridays and flexible class schedule to really experience New York City and put your free conversation practice sessions to the test!

So what are you waiting for? Become a global citizen at our global university. Join us at St. John’s and discover the wonder of the English language and the vibrancy of New York City.

The Next Session Begins November 2.

NYC Awaits
New York City is waiting for you, and we at St. John’s are excited that you’re coming here to join our family at The Language Connection. Transferring from another college doesn’t have to be difficult, so we’d like to help you find your way here.

Get Ready
Are you ready to take the first step towards coming to America and New York? We’re here to help build what will surely be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, and want to make it easy for you.

Link Accessible at: http://stjohnsu.org/language-connection/

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Deep bass pulses like a heavy heartbeat, sound traveling with subtle rumblings through extensive modern woodwork. Cosmopolitan chic oozes out of every painstaking detail; deep tray ceilings softly glow ice blue, a lighter counterpart to the bold indigo that highlights the tasteful detail of the glass-tiled sushi bar and New Age Asian décor. A rather extraordinary venue deceptively hidden in a perfectly ordinary shopping center in Smithtown on Route 111, Bobby Lam’s Hotoke is a sexy, upscale hideout for discerning diners who need to step out of Long Island for one hot minute.

The delighted shrieks of children at the ample teppanyaki tables—the extensive seating fitting groups up to 20—are easily muted by partitions that separate the sushi bar area, keeping the main dining room dinner date-friendly, while allowing families to enjoy the ambience and superb dining without worry. The usual show elicits gasps and laughter, as it should, but it’s truly the food here that takes center stage.

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Sample Logo Presentation

Concept A: The use of a clean typeface with elegant serifs provide a professional yet approachable image that encourages confidence in the brand. The iconography presented is symbolic of the intertwining of individuals and lives, as seen by the connectedness of the lines at the core of the graphic, which mirror the “x” in the type. The accented ends are reminiscent of leaves, which stand for organic growth of the relationships between the clients and candidates, who are in turn represented as the dots in between.

Concept B: A bold font choice effectively counteracts the playfulness of the iconic “x” in the organization name, instilling confidence while subliminally implying intimacy and individuality through the distinctive icon. The graphic’s warmth, evoked by flowing lines and jaunty angles, speaks to the caring of the company as well as the humanistic approach taken by LifeWorx towards their clients and candidates both, showing a personal touch that is less apparent in graphics that are more corporate.

Concept C: Simple, well-spaced out letters provide a strong image, but shorter strokes and rounded sans serif characters softens the overall impact and brings forth a feeling of calm, collected reliability and familiarity. The curved icon plays with the spheres and angles seen in the type, and reaffirms the “life” part of LifeWorx with a growing branch that also serves as a metaphor for the unified goal of LifeWorx, their candidates, and client families — to work together as one unit towards a brighter, far-reaching future.

Wanna see more? Here’s another one!

Brand Strategy

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Vision & Mission

LifeWorx is an organization that exists to help their clients make life work for them, allowing them to focus on the more important aspects of their life and make the most of every day, rather than becoming trapped in mundane, time-consuming household tasks. LifeWorx creates a lifestyle for affluent professionals where coming home means quality time with their families versus time wasted on a myriad of chores. With exhaustively screened staff who are local, trustworthy, responsible, and accessible, available on a full-time or as-needed basis, LifeWorx clears the way for busy families to really enjoy their families and their lives, without sacrificing a standard of living or dedication to their work.

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Find out more about this company here!

Scenes from a Chinese Restaurant: Behind the Counter of an Accidental L.I. Icon

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… He storms out, presumably to visit another takeout just one shopping center over. Because Chinese takeouts…they’re all pretty much the same on Long Island, right? So similar and virtually interchangeable, they’ve become as much a Long Island icon as pizza places and bagel shops. Entering one takeout is nearly like entering any other: through a shopping center parking lot, past the sign on the plaza directory simply labeled “CHINESE,” as though the restaurants barely warrant a name.

After all, growing up as one of many Chinese on Long Island, it’s an unspoken philosophy that sameness is embraced, a deduction made just by looking at restaurant décor and design. It’s safe, formulaic, and time-tested, proven to endure.

One of the last true mom-and-pops in this ever-franchising world, the Chinese of the takeout industry gather unto themselves, staying under the radar and making it no wonder that this sub-community, iconic to Long Island’s culture as it is, still remains an enigma—even generations after the first Chinese became American. It’s why, after many years, I still remember the names of many of our clients, but they have never known the family behind the counter of
their favorite takeout.

New Lease on Life
Behind the carefully placed façade of the restaurant storefront and the seemingly carbon-copied people, are the stories of different lives and different experiences… yet at the core, these stories are often much the same.

“It’s a hard life,” is the simple consensus of the many takeout owners I’ve known and spoken to throughout my years of interaction with people in the industry.

So why is it the life chosen by so many recent Chinese immigrants? …

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Like this? Get ‘Behind the Counter‘ and read more!

Get Matched Up … Masterfully!

When you leave it to the pros, you get results.

Master Matchmakers makes love happen; using the expertise of our Love Agents and Professional Matchmakers, your next relationship is right around the corner.

We offer an in-person interview and consultation with one of our experienced Love Agents to quality for exclusive matchmaking services. If you’re looking for a serious, committed relationship, leave it to the masters.

Our Love Lab is a private database of eligible singles — all of whom have been thoroughly screened with a felony background check, identity trace, and photo verification.

Get started!

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Jazz Fest is over and you know what that means—time to whip out those swimsuits and dust off those cameras; another year has passed us by and it’s time to think about summer vacation plans! Recession or not, peak traveling season’s here and arrangements must be made, including those for your four-legged family members who must sit and stay in New Orleans during your hiatus from real life. However, making plans for your dog doesn’t have to mean just hiring a dog-walker to come check in on Spot a few times a day.  A growing trend has recognized that the level of attention and stimulation needed by your pet may exceed these basic daily stops, and dog-boarding establishments have been popping up all over metropolitan New Orleans. Now, taking a human holiday doesn’t necessarily mean your pet can’t take a break from a dog’s life; socialization-focused care has become widely available, putting all the old worries and risks to rest.

You would think that the services of a professional boarder would be costly, but it’s actually remarkably affordable in this city. Compared to places like Chicago and New York, the average price per night is actually at least a good third less than what you’d pay elsewhere for similar quality of care, including supervised play areas, private spaces, and on-demand webcam access—all day, every day …

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Read the whole article!

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Studies have shown smell to be one of the most extraordinary senses of our five, linked in deep and powerful ways to cognition and memory. All it may take is a whiff of an aroma to take you to a time, a place, to something as long as an era or as short as a moment. Sweet olive in the springtime; briny air in the Gulf; the deep breath you took before you said, “I do.”
That’s right—a scent, if chosen well, can kick-start your brain, bringing a lifelong association to that magical moment that you pledge your life to another and began the rest of your life. Therefore, the importance of choosing the right perfume isn’t to be underestimated. It will forever remind you of the day everything changed for the better.
Most brides want to feel like a princess on their wedding day, and history shows that the final accessory for royalty is a distinctive and beautiful scent. The use of personal fragrance, especially for grand occasions, can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia, before even Biblical times. The priests and ruling class of Egypt annoited themselves with distilled oils of wood and flowers and the technology eventually spread over to Europe; the Hungarians introduced the first true modern perfume in 1370, blending scented oils with alcohol for their queen. The Medicis of Renaissance Italy further refined the process before France took over as the modern perfume capital.
But what exactly is perfume? Generally, a fine fragrance is essential oils and aroma compounds diluted with a solvent—alcohol or other oils like coconut or jojoba. The scents are determined by top notes, your initial impression of the perfume that fades away quickly; the heart or middle note, the core fragrances that emerge 15-20 minutes after the initial spritz; and the base note, which is generally muskier and lasts longer. Depth and complexity emerge once the fast-dissipating top notes evaporate, after which the heart and base work together to create the perfume’s main theme, altering to the wearer’s body chemistry and heat. This is why it’s always recommended to test a perfume on your skin and wear it around to get a true idea of how it smells on you specifically.
And how many scents there are! Aroma is commonly derived from plant sources, which provide for infinite possibilities. Flowers, fruits, leaves, twigs, resins, seeds, bark and woods are usually used, and sultrier scents can be derived from animals and include ambergris (commonly referred to in scent profiles as just plain “amber”) and musks. It’s the concentration of these essential oils to dilutants that determine the category of a fine fragrance. The strongest is a straight-up perfume extract, but what is generally offered to the public ranges in potency. From strongest to weakest, they’re labeled with notations such as Eau de Parfum, Parfum de Toilette, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Cologne, body spray and functional fragrances, which are scented supplementary products.
A precise science, there are also many other classifications for perfumes. In the most general sense, there are three primary groups, with subcategories within each: floral, fresh and woody. Which of these will best suit you personally depends on many factors since many modern scents blur the lines, but generally, one of these groups is your usual go-to, and like your bridal makeup, you want your wedding fragrance to be very you, with your essence and personality shining through … but better, more special, and more refined.

Flirty Floral

The most popular and diverse, delicate feminine fragrances with flowery top notes can run the gamut. They’re always flirty and romantic and can also be light, soft, exotic, or classically sweet. To choose the right one for you, it’s important to take a sniff at different combinations. The blossoms you like may surprise you, so it’s good to keep an open mind when exploring these options. For instance, you may cringe at the sweet smell of jasmine in fresh concentrated doses, but you may adore it with white rose. Or vice versa—you may find jasmine too light on its own, but perfect filled out with gardenia and violets. Different components interact with one another variably based on combination, leading to many subgroups.

We have floral bouquets with their coquettish light mixes that remind you of a burst of laughter in a wildflower field in the spring, or you may dislike that and prefer the Oriental notes of a spicy, sexy and bold romp in the falling leaves of autumn. You may prefer something more modern like a juicy fruity floral (sometimes considered “fresh” if citrus is involved) with notes like tart berries, currants, nectarines and other essences that take you into a summer garden with fresh lemonade and big white hats …

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Want to find out what scent is yours? Well, keep on reading then! Click here to download.

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An understated entrance in busy Fat City belies the modern décor and spacious establishment hidden behind dated red brick walls; the serpentine line of people crowded out those doors and through the parking lot served as only one indication of the treasure housed in such a humble facade. It’s not immediately apparent that the many-storied gray building is connected, but once indoors, the entire atmosphere changes as the size of the beautifully renovated restaurant is revealed. It’s a sensory overload. Look at the lobster tanks! The professional oyster shuckers behind the bar! Get hypnotized by the huge flames leaping through the air, dancing in joyous abandon as they carry on doing what made Drago’s famous—charbroiling oysters.

I wasn’t given too much time, though, to absorb my surroundings. It was only a moment before I was approached by the matriarch of the Drago’s empire—a woman of grandmotherly solidness you’d hug if she weren’t so meticulously dressed and well-accessorized; a lovely oyster with a perfect pearl hung around her neck.

“I’m Klara. Do you want coffee, or maybe lunch? Some charbroiled oysters?” she asked in a lovely lilting accent. “Tommy will be here soon.”

Tommy, the son who now runs the operations founded by his parents, Drago and Klara Cvitanovich, did indeed arrive soon. A tall man of powerful build, Tommy strode in authoritatively and self-assuredly, instantly recognizable by a charismatic and attention-grabbing aura. This was a man who was sure of himself. Drago himself followed, a bit more reservedly and with a cautious step. He greeted me with old world courtesy in a soft voice as kindly as his smile.

The Cvitanoviches, an immigrant family with roots in Croatia and ties in British Columbia, then sat down to tell me their story—the one of the American dream.

(… End Excerpt)

That was just the introduction. Download and read the whole interview!

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Lent used to be about sacrifice, will power, and self-control. The focus was on repentance and prayer, fasting and Jesus. It’s still about all that, but it’s now also an exciting 40 days and 40 nights of triumphing over gluttony and desire, six weeks of innovative recipe creation with TV chef-like challenge guidelines, and a month and a half of getting back into shape almost by order of God after the past few gut-busting holidays.

Traditional practices were certainly conducive to getting one’s weight back down. Meals were forbidden before the evening Vesper prayers were read, alcohol couldn’t be consumed, and a generally meat-free weekday diet was encouraged during Lent. Theologian Theodulphus of Orleans of the eighth century “regard[ed] abstinence from eggs, cheese, and fish as a mark of exceptional virtue,” not a requirement; Pope St. Gregory I later made it church common law that folks stay away from “lactinicia”—all items from flesh animals, including dairy—barring exceptions made through donations to the church (of course). So throughout history, exact rules have always been fairly flexible, making Lent a fun test for home chefs, pushing them to extend their repertoires with restrictions only as tough as they want to handle.

Although people may extend their sacrifices to activities or other substitutions, most choose to observe the traditional meatless rule. Lenten restrictions have become strategies for getting trim again, with weekday vegetarians and occasional teetotalers emerging to dedicate themselves to their religion and a healthier lifestyle. Restaurants in dining capitals of the world like New Orleans support the decision to uphold Lenten conventions with the construction of special menus. But in today’s age, chefs find ways to follow the rules without giving up flavor, a tasty tongue-in-cheek toeing of the line of the principle of Lent, as for 40 days and nights, observers are pushed to find new and inventive ways to keep those taste buds awake while slimming down and staying health conscious. Don’t grow despondent over dietary restrictions; instead, push your skill to the next level and find your culinary inspiration this Lent!

To read the article and its recipes, download the PDF.

New Orleans Bride, Winter 2009

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Chaos is king as the big day draws ever closer. Friends and relatives can’t help being underfoot, unintentionally contributing to the lovely knot of stress living between your shoulders, and all the women in your life struggle to find common ground outside of yourself. Groups of acquaintances are beginning to clash or section off. You want your loved ones who haven’t yet had the chance to get to know one another to do so, but hosting a party is an overwhelming idea at this point in time for you or your frazzled maid of honor. So what to do with all these different ladies from different backgrounds, short of declaring defeat and running off to elope in a blaze of petticoats and running shoes?

A solution that’s all the rage in cosmopolitan cities throughout the U.S. is within reach of New Orleans brides at their wits’ ends, too – wedding party spa parties. After all, the best way to dispel negativity is to introduce positivity and at a spa, that’s the name of the game. Indulgence and peace are focal points, distracting from the unfamiliarity of previously uncombined social circles. Nothing can get rid of tension faster than supple hands kneading sore muscles, and there’s simply no greater equalizer than being wrapped bare-bottomed in a towel with a face tightly coated with clay. Seriously, who can feel holier than thou or pass judgment on another nearly naked?

The concept of bringing people together through pampering shows its brilliance through its longevity. Bonding through relaxation has had its place throughout the ages and has spanned the globe, from social soaks in Roman and Turkish baths to colonial French hairdressers and their hours-long sessions. Reflexology has been around as long as the pyramids have (both claiming Egyptian origins), and Chinese bodywork has carried through the centuries as well …

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Relax! And keep reading.