Archives - Vennela Pandaraboyina
Instagram
Not Vanilla: The Joys of Instagram
Reader, perhaps you have not heard this app called Instagram — it’s something young people are quite into. When I downloaded Instagram, my impressions of the app made me think it would be filled with aesthetic images of the people I followed and the occasional beauty tutorial. What I realized is that Instagram is truly […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Being a Ballerina
Whenever I want to see some beautiful art I go onto YouTube and look up the The Royal Ballet — I watch all the videos they have, whether they are performances, practices, or videos about the different principal dancers in the company. First, reader, a disclaimer: I have never been a ballerina, and I have […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: The search for sitcoms
With all the classic comedy shows of my childhood gone (I’m talking “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” “Community,” “Drake & Josh,” “Friends”), I have been on the lookout for new comedies to catch my eye. For me, a comedy has to be smart with minimal cringe, present likeable characters, and preferably include a couple to […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Follow me, I’m famous
Recently, I have been perusing famous people’s Instagrams. I find it interesting to see how Jessica Biel or Chris Pratt live day to day — or rather, see what they chose to show me about how they live day to day. It’s fascinating how today’s celebrities choose to portray themselves to the public now that […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Lazy Sunday shows
The future of food-decorating competitions isn’t exactly hanging in the balance, but let’s just pretend it is. I recently was introduced to the new Netflix show “Nailed It” (no, reader, this is not a sponsorship), and I realized that with the movement of media from television to streaming platforms, a lot of the smaller, more […]
Film Scores
Not Vanilla: The sounds of cinema
When I was younger, I did not know much about the “Star Wars” franchise. I had never seen any of the movies, and so I didn’t know the characters, the epic moments, or even what “I am your father” meant. The one thing I knew about Star Wars was that thunderous piece of movie score […]
Mad Men
Not Vanilla: impersonal yet personal
Reader, sophomore year has been quite a doozy. The courses have gotten more intense, as have my extracurricular activities. And in this time when I have especially needed to focus, I have fallen into the pit of emotion that is “Mad Men.” I have a complicated relationship with “Mad Men.” And I’m warning you, spoilers […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Spending for smiles
This weekend, dear reader, I went for the first time to the Rochester Public Market. It was a chilly Saturday morning, but I came prepared with a warm winter coat and UR quarter-zip. My crew of friends and I meandered around the market, enjoying the fresh produce and the homegrown business–feel that campus lacks. To […]
Justin Timberlake
Not Vanilla: Big-time halftime disappointment
This year, when I sat down to watch the Super Bowl, I was expecting two things: a decent game and a memorable halftime show. I was pretty excited, especially knowing that the halftime performer was Justin Timberlake. He’d been out of the limelight for a good bit, so I was excited to see what he […]
Not Vanilla
Not Vanilla: Decorating your room can be a like filling a canvas
I remember, during freshman year, looking with a bit of excitement and a lot of anxiety at the walls and empty surfaces of my dorm room as if they were blank canvases. It was an unprecedented opportunity to start fresh. With a couple of items and a decent idea, I could set up this whole […]
