Merry Monday!

Happening off-campus: The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, hosted her fifth annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey on Friday along with her husband and three children.  The event honored 1,600 guests invited for their community service and charitable work, including readings by Prince William and celebrities like Kate Winslet and performances by Hannah Waddingham. The princess, who completed preventative chemotherapy for cancer last year, gave each guest a note emphasizing the importance of listening and offering comfort to others. The “Together at Christmas” service, designed to be inclusive of all faiths and those without faith, will be broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve, with 15 additional community carol services taking place across Britain throughout December.  (Reuters)

Happening near campus: The New York Transit Museum will open “FAREwell, MetroCard” on December 17 at its Brooklyn location to commemorate the retirement of the MetroCard after three decades of service. The exhibit will showcase the magnetic stripe card’s history as it’s phased out in favor of OMNY, featuring rare limited edition cards promoting pop culture icons like David Bowie and “Twin Peaks,” a 1997 MetroCard vending machine prototype, and materials from the failed Cardvaark mascot campaign. Museum curator Jodi Shapiro noted New Yorkers’ unique emotional connection to their transit payment systems, comparing this transition to the earlier phasing out of subway tokens. The museum plans a follow-up exhibit next year focusing on how MetroCards have been repurposed as art, while the MTA is hosting promotional events featuring MetroCard-themed food items at locations like Carvel and Zabar’s. (Gothamist)

Happening on-campus: This Tuesday, December 9 from 3 to 7 pm, Columbia University is hosting the 8th annual “Low Lounge: Snowplace Like Low” event in the Low Library Rotunda. The event is an end-of semester celebration, co-sponsored by the International Students and Scholars Office and the Columbia Alumni Association, and will feature free treats like hot cocoa, s’mores, and warm pretzels. There will be winter craft activities, a photo station, and live student performances. No RSVP is necessary, though food and supplies will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can find more information here. 

Rewatching: It’s the holiday season, which means it’s finally time for my rewatch of Dash & Lily! Ugh, I wish that show got a second season. It is so festive, perfectly on theme for Christmas in New York, and  I think it might be the last time Midori Francis played a straight woman. I am almost finished with the season, and am already mourning the ending. Happy holidays!

Subway via Bwarchives