Village Day

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Yesterday I strolled into Greenwich Village for an interview at the New School: Eugene Lang College. Nestled almost secretly alongside the old Federalist-era tenements, the school sits quietly on West 12th Street. A small haven of former bohemians is now a posh area for the wealthy, but it still retains some of its culture and charm that thrived during the days of beatniks and wayward artists. The beat here is slower and more relaxed, nowhere near as hectic as Midtown. It’s dare I say it, happier, than most other parts of New York.

As for the New School, it’s relatively unknown but still manages to pop up here and there in the news. Senator John McCain gave a commencement speech a few years ago there, only to be booed by the generally liberal/democratic graduates. Still, despite such silly things, the school provides seminar styled classes, has the luxury of being in New York, and features a small student body. Although it is divided into 8 different schools, featuring the world known Parsons School for Design, the New School is quite a far cry from the behemoth NYU (which will never accept me) that resides only a few blocks away.

So I scheduled an interview there, which isn’t necessary but encouraged. Apparently, the liberal arts division is housed mainly in one building, including its admissions office which takes up a whole floor. Still, it was brightly lit, modern, and new. A girl with a streak of green in her hair handed me a paper to fill out. General information and back it went to her. Parents and their bright eyed kids came in for tours and were shuffled about the hall. It seemed to be a relatively busy place. A girl next to me twiddled away on her cell phone while her dad sat across from her. An artsy boy with a giant canvas sat across from me, looking somewhat perturbed. I thumbed through a stapled packet of what the New School was up to news-wise and then my interviewer came. He was tall, bespectacled, soft spoken but nice. He also brought along a trainee to observe the process. We entered an adjacent office and began our short session.

It was pretty brief but informative. General information and the reasons on why I wanted to transfer were mentioned, along with my want to pursue history or perhaps something involved with writing. Before I knew it, it was over and I was off on the way I came.

I sauntered around Washington Square for a bit and took in the sights of the Village. A Boy Scout Troupe was touring around, they seemed quite impressed by it all. I noticed Marlton House where writers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg lived. It’s actually a dorm currently for New School Lang students. I’d enjoy living there I suppose.

So, do you think I should attend the New School?

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Filed under Colleges, Greenwich Village, New York, The New School