Washington Square News | February 3, 2020

4 CULTURE

9 OPINION

Move Over Vine, It’s TikTok Time

Interpreting Silence: What NYU’s Low Title IX Complaints Mean

6 ARTS

‘The Good Place’ Walks Through The Final Door

10 SPORTS

NYU Students Share Their Favorite Memories Of Kobe

VOLUME LIV | ISSUE 2

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Frustration Mounts as NYU Students Cancel Shanghai Study Abroad Plans NYU students who originally planned on studying abroad in Shanghai are changing their plans, but not without complications.

By MINA MOHAMMADI and LISA COCHRAN

Deputy News Editor and News Editor Amid apprehension surrounding the coronavirus, NYU students previously expected to study in Shanghai have called off their plans, spurring anxiety over housing and class reassignment.

Among changes to address the rapid spread of the coronavirus, including two separate spring class delays, the cancellation of spring break, and the enactment of online classes for all students at NYU Shanghai, students expressed frustration with uncertainty surrounding their study abroad plans.

TONY WU | WSN

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Shanghai is a popular study abroad destination among NYU students.

Making Space for Religion at Secular NYU

By ALI ZIMMERMAN Staff Writer The end of spring marks Melanie Mohsen’s favorite time of year. Beginning on April 23rd, she along with millions of other Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan. During this month, the CAS senior will fast during daylight hours, enjoy special meals with friends and family and pray — sometimes late into the night. But for Mohsen and other Muslim students at NYU, Ramadan can also be one of the most challenging times of the year. It often coincides with final

exams, which can present a difficult balancing act between academics and the spiritual demands of the holiday.

“I think the hardest thing about Ramadan is having to maintain your own religious values while being a student,” Mohsen said. “You’re not only staying away from food, but you’re also trying to get closer to God by reading the Quran more and praying more.”

Ramadan occurs throughout the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and during this time, many Muslims will choose to avoid eating and drinking from sunrise until sundown. The practice, as well

as abstaining from things like sex and gossip, are meant to place emphasis spirutual awareness over basic human needs and desires throughout the weeks of observance. But at a secular school like NYU, Ramadan often overlaps with final exams, meaning some Muslim students will face the additional challenges of having stay focused on studying without food and coffee. And when surrounded by non-Muslim professors and students during finals season, students observing Ramadan often have to grapple with a lack of awareness surrounding their religious obligations.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

ALI ZIMMERMAN | WSN

Goldberg attends an all-women Torah study lesson Wednesday’s at Chabad where the group discusses current issues through the lense of Judiasm.

Washington Square News

2

NEWS

NEWS@NYUNEWS.COM

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Edited by LISA COCHRAN and EMILY MASON

Frustration Mounts as NYU Students Cancel Shanghai Study Abroad Plans CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Following the most recent class delay — announced on Jan. 28 — students planning to spend the spring semester at NYU Shanghai said they were given the option to take classes at NYU Shanghai remotely, to remain in New York or study at a different global site.

“The United States Centers for Disease Control have now issued a new warning, recommending that travelers avoid all ‘nonessential’ travel to China,” an email sent to prospective NYU Shanghai students from vice chancellor of NYUSH Jeffrey Lehman read. “In light of that warning, we have explored two alternatives to on-site classes: online learning and study at another NYU campus or site.”

It is unclear when the site will revert back to in-person classes, although President Andrew Hamilton and Vice President for Student Health Carlo Ciotoli addressed this issue in a Jan. 31 statement regarding NYU’s response to the coronavirus.

“The university is in constant contact with health authorities and will look to resume in-person classes as soon as practicable and appropriate,” the statement reads.

“We have also sought to keep the broader NYU community up-to-date by: 1) send-

ing University-wide communications, such as this and the earlier one from Dr. Ciotoli, 2) establishing, as we noted earlier, a page with information about the virus, and 3) posting public statements.”

While the university has communication protocol in place for students who still intend to go to Shanghai, some students noted a lack of transparency in NYU’s communication surrounding relocation to Shanghai for study abroad.

CAS sophomore Adam Moritz, who was set to study at Shanghai for the spring semester, was one of these students.

“At first, they did try to downplay the issue,” Moritz said. “The first email they sent basically compared the virus to the flu and delayed classes. I was annoyed, but was still planning to go.”

Moritz then received an email directed to study abroad students suggesting that arriving at NYU Shanghai later would be beneficial and that orientation would be cancelled.

“I started to get more nervous,” Moritz said. “I don’t speak Mandarin, I have never been to China. The idea of no orientation and figuring out on my own did not sound appealing.”

That Friday, Moritz decided the possibility of the cancellation of classes would

jeopardize his graduation plan. He sent in a cancellation form, rescheduled his classes and spoke with the Office of Global Studies.

“They weren’t very helpful honestly,” Moritz said. “They told me they cannot do anything until the cancellation form goes through. In the meantime, I texted friends to stay with them for a couple of days while waiting for NYU housing.”

In part due to this confusion, a large majority of students intending to study abroad in Shanghai made the decision, like Moritz, to remain in New York.

These decisions led to an influx of students moving back into New York campus housing and having to re-register for classes, many of which were already filled.

Liberal Studies sophomore Edie Arteaga, who was driven to study at Shanghai by her interest in the courses offered at the site, expressed this frustration.

“I was couch hopping at my friends’ places because I had nowhere to go, virtually homeless,” Arteaga said. “I was afraid I wouldn’t find housing or get my classes.

They were all waitlisted and filled. They told me that I had to fill out an application for housing like everyone else, making no accommodations.”

Arteaga, out of frustration and fear,

went to the Office of Residential Life and Housing Services, asking to speak to a housing officer face to face. She was then told she would receive an assignment that same day.

“I was surprised because if they had this power the entire time why were they not doing that before?” Arteaga asked. “My roommate attempted to do the same thing an hour later and housing said they made too many accommodations.”

Arteaga fought similarly to be enrolled in her previously waitlisted classes. She credits this to her own determination.

Unlike Arteaga, CAS sophomore Gary Zhang, felt that NYU housing was timely and responsive.

“As soon as I went through the process of coming back to New York, it went pretty smooth and quick,” Zhang said. “I started looking for housing on the 28th and I sent [housing] an email that I was just going to show up on the 31st. They gave me an assignment immediately afterwards.”

However, Zhang suggested that his own experience might have been better, as his choice to stay in New York was easier to accommodate and he was very insistent.

“I did send emails that were pretty threatening to pursue and pressure them,” Zhang said. “That definitely could have af-

fected their attention towards me.”

In an email to WSN, NYU spokesperson John Beckman suggested that NYU communicated with study abroad students effectively.

“Many of the roughly 100 students from the NY campus who were stated to study in Shanghai started getting in touch with Global about reassignment given developments in China,” Beckman told WSN. “I believe all of the students from the NY campus who were originally scheduled to study away in Shanghai were, as of last week, reassigned, either to NY or other global sites.”

Regardless, students who were brought to cancel their study abroad plans in Shanghai are left without the experience and lament the complicated communication process.

“If I were a full-time NYU Shanghai student, the communication would be adequate because they have no choice but to be at the whim of the Chinese government,” Moritz said. “NYU New York is not in the same position, they should have been better prepared to handle the situation.”

Email Mina Mohammadi at mmohammadi@nyunews.com.

Vape Epidemic Possibly Overblown, According to NYU Study

AIDAN SINGH | WSN

Certain vape products such as the Juul appeal to younger users, especially college and high school students.

By LISA COCHRAN News Editor A recent study by researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health suggests that vaping may not be the epidemic it is widely regarded as.

The study looked at statistics from the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which polled over 20,000

middle and high school students. The researchers aimed to use this data to look deeper into the habits of young smokers. They looked at the frequency of vaping use and co-use with other tobacco products.

The survey measured youth tobacco use by a metric of 30 days. The study found that approximately 86% of youth reported not vaping in the 30

days preceding data collection, according to Allison M. Glasser, one of the lead researchers on the study.

Those who did claim to have used tobacco in the last 30 days reported doing so infrequently.

“We did find that 13.8% of youth reported any vaping in the past 30 days, so having used at least one time,” Glasser said. “But the main thing we found

is that of those youth who reported using vapor products, about half of them actually only used 5 or fewer days.”

She added that current and former tobacco users made up the majority of those who claimed they had vaped in the last 30 days.

While a previous study by NYU Langone Medical Center discovered that e-cigarette vapors lead to cancer

in mice, the real health detriments of vaping remain foggy.

Dr. David Abrams, a co-author of the study and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, lamented the lack of known information about vaping effects but said he generally approves of it as an alternative to cigarette smoking.

“I have treated addictions in the trenches and I know what they look like,” Abrams said. “I, therefore, am talking from experience with dealing with real addicted smokers, people who struggle with alcohol and cocaine and opioids, and I have never seen anything that could save their lives as well as vaping could.”

The issue of nicotine addiction is one that is close to Abrams’ heart, as both of his parents died from health issues related to smoking. He said this is what drove him to study the issue more closely.

FDA regulation over e-cigarettes is still not concrete, although last March new guidelines were put into place to ensure better management of e-cigarettes and related products as they enter the marketplace.

As a clinical psychologist studying addiction for many years, Abrams offered his solution for the lack of public awareness surrounding vaping issues.

“It can’t be extreme in either direction,” Abrams said. “We cannot do prohibition and we cannot say this is nothing. We’ve gotta thread the needle to balance the good and the bad in a trade off.”

Additional reporting by Emily Mason.

Email Lisa Cochran at lcochran@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | News

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Stern Alumnus Sentenced for Insider Trading — With Minimal Consequences

3 CRIME LOG

iPod Stolen From Faculty Member at Tisch

RACHEL BUIGAS-LOPEZ | WSN

2018 Stern graduate Bill Tsai who pleaded guilty to insider trading last year, was charged last week.

By EMILY MASON News Editor Stern alumnus Bill Tsai will spend 90 days in a community reentry center, be placed under f ive-year probation, f ined $100 and forfeit his illicit earnings, according to court documents.

Bill Tsai was arrested one year after graduating from Stern for illegally earning $100,000 off the stock market, using knowledge he acquired through his junior analyst position at RBC Capital Markets. Tsai learned of Sirius Capital Group’s plan to buy a digital printing company — Electronics for Imaging — and bought call options in EFI before the pur-

chase raised the company’s stocks’ value from $29.40 to $38, allowing Tsai to turn a prof it.

Tsai pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud in federal criminal court last November. The average sentence for securities and investment fraud is four and a half years in prison, and Tsai himself faced up to f ive years. But the judge allowed Tsai to avoid jail in the ultimate ruling.

On Jan. 17, Tsai’s criminal case concluded with a f ive-year probation sentence, order to spend 90 days in a halfway house, order to forfeit $125,997, and a $100 f ine, according to court documents. The civil case f iled against him by the Securities and Exchange Commission

CHELSEA LI & CHARLIE DODGE | WSN

barred Tsai from further violating federal securities laws and ordered him to adhere to his criminal case’s forfeiture order.

“As alleged in our complaint, Tsai reaped nearly $100,000 in illicit prof its by misusing highly conf idential information entrusted to him,” Joseph G. Sansone, Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Market Abuse Unit, said in a press release.

“Using our enhanced analysis and detection capabilities, the SEC was able to act swiftly, exposing Tsai’s misconduct just months after his illegal trading took place.”

Email Emily Mason at emason@nyunews.com.

By CRIME BOT Robot Reporter From Jan. 20 to 31, the NYU Department of Public Safety received two reports of Harassment, one report of Harassment/Larceny, nine reports of Larceny, five reports of Liquor Law Violation, one report of Sexual Assault — Fondling and two reports of Simple Assault.

Harassment On Jan. 29 at 11:53 a.m., a student reported harassment in Washington Square Park. The case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m., a staff member reported being harassed in Lipton Hall. A police report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

Harassment/Larceny On Jan. 27 at 7:40 p.m., a student reported harassment and larceny in Second Street Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

Larceny

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On Jan. 23 at 2:30 p.m., a staff member reported a missing coffee maker in 19 University Place. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 25 at 4 p.m., a student reported a missing personal item in Weinstein Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 27 at 1:48 p.m., a faculty member reported harassment outside the Meyer Complex. A police report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 29 at 10:26 a.m., a student reported a missing bike in Palladium Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 29 at 12:37 p.m., a staff member reported missing equipment in Kimmel Center. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 29 at 2 p.m., a student reported missing personal items in Rogers Hall. A police report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 30 at 2:05 p.m., a staff member reported a missing iPod in 725

Broadway. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 30 at 2:59 p.m., a student reported missing money in University Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Jan. 30 at 3:49 p.m., a staff member reported that personal items were missing in Silver Center. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

Liquor Law Violation On Jan. 23 at 11:30 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Weinstein Hall. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Jan. 24 at 11:43 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Palladium Hall. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Jan. 25 at 9:40 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Brittany Hall. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Jan. 30 at 8:50 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Rubin Hall. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Jan. 31 at 12:35 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Rubin Hall. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Sexual Assault — Fondling On Jan. 27 at 8 p.m., a student reported a fondling in Washington Square North. A police report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

Simple Assault On Jan. 20 at 9:15 p.m., a student reported damages done to his residence hall in Alumni Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation On Jan. 25 at 9:34 p.m., a staff member reported a simple assault in University Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

Email Crime Bot at news@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News

4

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

CULTURE

CULTURE@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by BELLA GIL

Explore NYC’s Newest Slime Pop-Up

BELLA GIL | WSN

Sloomoo is an interactive pop-up exhibit in Soho that is all about slime.

By BELLA GIL Culture Editor It’s squishy, it’s sticky, it ... smells like pumpkin pie — or wait, is that Christmas Tree? No … definitely Fruit Loops.

Actually, it’s slime. Yes, slime, the stuff that went viral all over Instagram back in 2017. Though we thought we’d seen it all, the newly opened Sloomoo Institute, an “interactive slime and ASMR experience” located at 475 Broadway in Soho, is asserting that the slime movement is here to stay — and that it’s not just for kids.

Promoting items like a “sensory playground,” which was a tiny room backlit

by UV-light and covered ceiling to floor in glowing slime, a DIY-slime bar where you can make your own customized eight ounce slime that comes with general admission, immersive ASMR tunnel and a state-of-the-art merch station, Sloomoo is different compared to your average Insta-worthy pop up. Starting at $38 for a general admission ticket, giant tubs of different types of slimes such as clear, jelly, icee, glossy, snow fizz, cloud creme and cloud slime are scattered throughout the small but expansive space, encouraging attendees to get messy and start playing.

The slime is made from various bases of Elmer’s glue, soap and Borax, and can be any color or finish desired.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I walked through the doors. It was a quiet Tuesday evening, and my party along with about three other parties were the only ones there. Aside from some parents, we were also the oldest. Since it was a weekday, we got to take advantage of each and every interactive station without an abundance of children around us, which I believe is the perfect way to experience Sloomoo.

The employees were easy to spot, clad in different brightly colored jumpsuits that were available for purchase at the merch station, and were constantly eager to answer any questions. They also seemed pretty excited to see some faces

that weren’t children, and were also just as excited about the slime as we were.

As we waited to enter, we were pressed against a “History of Slime” wall, which told us that slime isn’t just some recent phenomenon. Remember Gak and Silly Putty? Sloomoo proves that slime is just their trendier younger sibling. Despite the giant wall covered in slime greeting us when we walked in and the gallons of slime literally pouring from the walls, the best part of the experience as a whole had to be the DIY station.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can probably make it on your own, but unless you’re an expert, it’s not going to come out the way Sloomoo’s slime does. The DIY station allowed me to choose not only the slime’s texture, but to customize it using dozens of colors, scents, which vary from “dirt” to “lavender”, and mix-ins as well. I made “Booloo” slime, which was named by the employees upon entering by replacing the vowels in my name with double o’s and was lychee-scented and neon-orangey pink.

Different types of ASMR interactions are also scattered throughout Sloomoo, which allows attendees to put on multiple sets of headphones that have different sounds playing such as whispering, chewing and white noise. If ASMR isn’t your thing, don’t worry, there’s more slime time than there is actual ASMR. Despite the shiny facade with appealing interior and slime buckets everywhere, it’s kind of hard to overlook and not think about just how many hands have been in the same slime bowl the entire day.

“Just think of all the human oils mixed into this slime right now,” Liberal Studies sophomore Pierre-Philippe Falcone told me as we both stood, arms submerged elbow-deep in slime.

Possibly as a means to counter this scary thought, Sloomoo does have multiple hand-wash stations and sanitary baby wipes scattered throughout the floor to help ease these lingering ideas.

At the end of the day, the slime really is relaxing. It has this quality that brings you and your companions together over one common factor you never thought you could bond over: slime. You’re confused why it’s such a huge trend, but at the same time, you’re giving in to just doing nothing but play with slime. It offers a unity of some sort to just enjoy the moment, ignore all responsibilities and act like kids.

“I want to share the magic of slime and ASMR,” Karen Robinovitz, one of Sloomoo’s co-owners, told WSN over email.

“For adults, it’s a creatively therapeutic stress reliever. For kids, it’s an exploration of material and play. Everyone needs joy in their lives which is a huge part of the Sloomoo mission. We will be taking our concept through the country and globally in the future.”

Sloomoo is open at their Soho location until April 18th and even has adult “Sip and Slime” with cocktails and “CBD Events” in the works.

Though $38 per person is undoubtedly expensive, the experience itself is original, unique and definitely something I’ve never done before. If you’re really interested and invested in the slime trend, then go ahead — but make sure you go on a quiet evening so you can fully appreciate all the sounds, scents and tactile experiences.

WSN was given free access to the Sloomoo Institute slime experience, but all opinions are the writer’s own.

Email Bella Gil at bgil@nyunews.com.

Move Over Vine, It’s TikTok Time

By GABY BALDOVINO Staff Writer When the popular six-second video app, Vine, shut down in 2017, social media fanatics were enraged. How were they going to survive without an endless influx of totally useless, hilarious and sometimes bizarre content? It seemed as if millennials and Gen Zers alike would have to rely on 30-minute Vine compilations on YouTube until the day they die.

The social networking company Byte Dance believed they had the answer when they purchased TikTok (formerly Musical.ly) in 2017 about 10 months after Vine shut down. The app we now know as TikTok was once used solely for niche lip-syncing videos, but three years later, TikTok has become an addiction with content that appeals to nearly everyone. Comedy? Check. Dancing? Check. Oddly specific, slightly depressing “relatable teen” posts that make you feel like you’re not alone in the world? Check.

Stern first-year Veronica Sandoval is one student who recently got sucked into the TikTok fad.

“I used to make fun of my friends for having TikTok, but I got addicted over the break,” she said. “I love seeing funny TikToks, but the e-boys who just dance kind of freak me out.”

Similar to how YouTube’s elite formed cliques like Team 10 or Vlog

Squad, the teen sensations of TikTok have formed “houses,” one of the most notable is the Hype House. Members of the Hype House, such as Charli D’Amelio and Chase “LilHuddy” Hudson, have millions of followers.

CAS first-year Savannah Mota is a TikToker who does not approve of the Hype House.

“The videos I see from the Hype House seem really played out,” she said. “It’s tiring to see people who are already so rich profiting off of just dancing, especially with such a lack of diversity. No hate, though!”

In addition to comedy, TikTok is also famous for its niche dances.

A few popular ones include “Renegade,” “Say So” and “Get Up.” Usually, these dances tend to be a combination of specific upper-body movements, such as hitting the “woah” and then waving your hands in the air like a cowboy, rather than a choreographed dance routine.

Steinhardt first-year Lexi Wolf is also a TikToker who recently hit 1,000 followers on the app. She said that she does not have a problem with this trending new social media platform. “[The dances are] fun to learn, and you get some exercise out of it — I see no downside,” she said. “I don’t post dancing videos, though, because I don’t want to make a fool out of myself.”

As the majority of TikTok users are high school or even middle school students, many NYU students still have not bought into TikTok’s hype.

And this may not be a bad thing because while the app is known for having an algorithm tailored for each user, it can possibly become addicting scrolling through an endless feed of entertainment.

TikTok’s probable addictive aspect is why CAS sophomore Kathrine Serebrianski is not climbing on board with the trend.

“I haven’t downloaded TikTok because I know it’s addicting, and I spend so much time on social media already,” she said. “You can still find TikToks on Instagram, anyway.”

According to a recent Sensor Tower report, TikTok was America’s second-most downloaded app in 2019 ahead of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat and just behind Disney+.

Unfortunately for the vehement anti-TikTokers, TikTok’s growing popularity most likely means that the app may soon give YouTube and Snapchat a run for their money.

Whether you’re trying to be the next Charli D’Amelio or just tired of your friends spamming you with TikToks 24/7, you probably won’t stop seeing people doing the “223” for a while.

ALEXANDRA CHAN | WSN

Email Gaby Baldovino at culture@nyunews.com.

TikTok is a rising social media platform among young people, who use the app to create, share, and view short videos.

Washington Square News | Culture

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Cash is Back!

5

Chicky Chicky or Icky Chicky?

By RIA MITTAL Contributing Writer Moving to New York as a vegetarian with an array of allergies, by CHLOE. was my saving grace. It’s basically a sanctuary for anyone who’s vegan or vegetarian. They offer a wide range of dishes from pancakes and desserts to pasta and burgers, with student discounts and an overall chic ambiance.

So when they released their line of three different “Chicky Chicky” vegan chicken dishes made from crispy tempeh — the Chicky Chicky tenders, the Chicky Chicky Parm Parm sandwich (nice “Parks and Recreation” nod) and the Crispy Chicky Salad — I had hopes that the chicken would be just as tasty as their other offerings. It’s possible that if you are a vegetarian you’ve had a craving for chicken at least once in your life, so I figured these dishes would help solve that completely. It was also heavily promoted by the restaurant’s social media before its release and was written about by major vegetarian food magazines, like VeganLife and VegOut magazine. What really hyped me up for it, though, was my chicken-loving roommate’s excitement for it and a

Yelp review that called it “better than real chicken fingers.”

So my roommate and I made the hike to the by CHLOE. right around the block from our apartment and were feeling good about what was to come. The menu, as always, was bright and vibrant, but the three chicky dishes stood out with their sparkly gold lettering. Since the tenders were the cheapest of the three, at $6.95, we decided to order those. They came with a selection of sauces: BBQ, buffalo sauce or sweet mustard, my roommate got the sweet mustard while I got the buffalo sauce.

In typical overpriced by CHLOE. fashion, one $7 serving of the Chicky Chicky tenders gave us just three meager pieces of the chicken in an oversized basket. Still, I was hopeful that the quality would outweigh the quantity.

The tenders looked pretty much like regular chicken tenders, and we had been given the classic sauces that go with them. The smell of the fried batter was the exact same as freshly fried chicken and the tempeh seemed well seasoned to my roommate.

But everything went to hell when I actually bit into it. The insides were the weirdest and most upsetting

texture I’ve ever experienced. It was chewy and gray and somehow also tasted gray. The crust was so hard and sharp from being over-fried that it literally cut the roof of my mouth. It was bland and just generally unappealing to look at or consume. I had to wash the taste of it out of my throat with ginger ale and a chocolate cupcake.

Though my roommate didn’t hate hers as much as I did — she still hated it, just not as much — it was because hers was quite different from mine.

Her tempeh filling was softer and definitely seasoned better, and her crust was also less abrasive. Though it made her experience less unpleasant, it just spoke to the irregularity of how this dish is prepared.

At the end of the day, I still love by CHLOE. — nothing will ever compare to their gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. However, I am never putting myself through those Chicky Chicky tenders again, and I don’t recommend that anyone ever do that to themselves either. I can safely say that after this, I will never crave chicken from by CHLOE. again.

Email Ria Mittal at culture@nyunews.com.

ALEX TRAN | WSN

While many small businesses are cash only, all businesses are required to accept cash due to a new NYC law.

By SABRINA CHOUDHARY Contributing Writer New York City lawmakers passed legislation on Thursday, Jan. 23 that requires all New York City businesses to accept cash payments. The City Council approved the ban on the grounds that it is discriminatory for a shop or restaurant to refuse cash or charge more for cash purchases. This means that restaurants like Dos Toros Taqueria and

by CHLOE., who say ditching cash has increased efficiency at the register and management, will once again train their employees to count change.

Since the bill was passed so recently and won’t go into effect until nine months after Mayor Bill de Blasio signs it into law, many NYU students haven’t heard of the change. While most said they would continue to pay with cards rather than switch back to cash, the debate over this bill raised many concerns for them.

“There are advantages [to refusing cash], but you have to think about the bigger picture, especially in a place like New York,” Global Public Health first-year Tracey Ouakoube said. “I didn’t know that existed, and I feel like it should never have been a thing to begin with because New York is a very diverse place. Someone who’s in a lower socioeconomic status, they don’t have — or say, their immigration status — they don’t have [the money], or they’re afraid to open up a bank account.”

New York’s Department of Consumer Affairs said in 2019 that one in nine households don’t have a bank account, according to the New York Times. The Times also reported that cashless businesses argue that their methods reduce the risk of robbery and mismanagement, but Tisch sophomore Savidu Geevaratne thought the advantages come at too great a cost. “‘I think there’s other solutions to

[safety concerns] versus disenfranchisement. I don’t think there are other solutions to that,” he said.

Furthermore, Councilman Ritchie Torres, the lead supporter of the bill, told the New York Times, “We are reining in the excesses of the digital economy.” But who’s to say a cashless economy is excessive rather than progressive?

“In China, people don’t use cash anymore. We use WeChat or Alipay,” CAS sophomore Jiahao Li, who is an international student from China said.

“I think there are both pros and cons for the new [policy] ... They might have more customers if they only accept credit cards, but if they accept cash it would be less efficient.”

As reported by the New York Times, similar bans on cashless establishments have been passed in Philadelphia, San Francisco and New Jersey. The state of Massachusetts has been ahead of the curve with a cashless ban since 1978.

Other cities aren’t as quick to come to a decision. Chicago has been considering similar legislation since 2017.

“I feel like the laws should expand because New York is not the only place where people don’t have access or are afraid to open a bank account and don’t have access to easy cash or easy money,” Ouakoube added.

As for NYU students, while the freedom to pay in cash might not change habits, it will change their outlook on the issue.

“It’s not gonna affect [how I pay], but now I’m gonna ask when I go into restaurants, ‘Do you accept cash?’ Like, do a little screening, to see, now that I know certain restaurants are doing this,” Ouakoube said.

So next time you’re craving a Dos Toros burrito, you can reach for your Apple Wallet — or simply your wallet.

Email Sabrina Choudhary at culture@nyunews.com.

ALEX TRAN | WSN

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THIRD NORTH, 75 THIRD AVE., NORTH TOWER, #SB07 • NYUNEWS.COM

Washington Square News

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

ARTS

ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by KAYLEE DEFREITAS and ETHAN ZACK

In ‘Beanpole’ Peacetime is Anything But

By KAYLEE DEFREITAS Arts Editor

KAYLEE DEFREITAS | WSN

The Russian drama is now playing at the Film Forum on Houston St.

When war is over, is there ever peace?

What happens to those most affected?

How do they go back to the lives they had before the war? All these are questions posed by the f ilm “Beanpole.”

“Beanpole,” begins just as the Siege of Leningrad ends and tells the story of Iya (Viktoria Miroshnichenko), also known as Beanpole, and Masha (Vasilisa Perelygina) after a tragic accident brings them closer together. It follows the pair as they search for hope in each other and something to heal the wounds the war has left behind. The f ilm was featured at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was chosen as Russia’s entry for the Best International Feature category at the Oscars.

It is hard to believe that director Kantemir Balagov is only 28 years old and that this is his second major feature. The depth and understanding he has of the mental and physical traumas of war is beyond his years and portrayed on screen in a beautiful and haunting way.

The two actresses who lead the f ilm are equally enthralling and make the f ilm genuinely remarkable. Miroshnichenko and Perelygina both make their feature f ilm debut, but the way they so subtly emote in the vast silences makes one think they are seasoned professionals. Their connection is magnetic, and the tension they can build with such limited dialogue is thrilling. They each possess an unpredictable nature that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats in many scenes, but the power they possess and the trauma they’ve endured is never questioned.

“Beanpole” delves into how the simple joys of daily life become tainted with anguish after the war. In one particular scene, Masha spins around in a beautiful green dress, laughing as Iya watches on with a smile. As the spinning becomes more erratic, the viewer sees Masha become more distraught and overcome with emotions. The once happy moment has now become one of panic and unease. These realizations happen one after another, some more jarring than others, as these fleeting joyful moments reveal that their lives will never be what they once were.

The cinematography of this f ilm is mesmerizing with its highly saturated greens, reds, and yellows. The attention to color creates a world that feels like a fantasy, which sharply contrasts the harsh realities of the f ilm. This works wonderfully as it adds to the almost disjointed nature of the f ilm and reflects how the characters are not in tune with their psyches and seek out ways to f ind more hopeful lives.

“Beanpole” is an artful look at life after war and those who are left most affected. It tries to grapple with the idea of peace and if it can ever be achieved when the mental and physical tolls have been so extensive. It’s an effective story about the profound bond between two women that will stay on your mind long after you watch it.

“Beanpole” is playing at Film Forum from January 29 until February 11, 2020. The f ilm is in Russian with English subtitles.

Email Kaylee DeFreitas at kdefreitas@nyunews.com

‘The Good Place’ Walks Through the Final Door

By ETHAN ZACK Arts Editor WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

I was just five minutes into the series finale of “The Good Place” when I started crying.

When the penultimate episode of the show closed with the characters getting their long-sought-after happy ending in the show’s titular paradise realm, I knew that whatever came next was going to hurt. The secondto-last chapter solved the final problem of how to give eternity meaning: by giving people who have had their fill of forever in the Good Place an option to cross through a doorway and peacefully conclude their own existence in the universe. The finale, ominously titled “Whenever You’re Ready,” was clearly going to involve the door and at least one person choosing to cross through.

Set in multiple time skips spanning the next bit of forever, the finale chronicles the far-flung future moments in time when each of the four main humans finally reach a state of complete peace and decide it’s their time to cross through the doorway.

It’s as emotional as you would expect, but the episode manages to produce a beautifully layered commentary on why endings are necessary.

The finale deftly plays with the theme of fatigue. Chidi’s ever-so-slightly weary dialogue as he

goes out to dinner with Eleanor and his friends for the millionth time. The frog-obsessed Doorman slowly growing disinterested in all the frog-related gifts as they continue to pile up on his desk. It tries to show that yes, all good things must come to end, because if they didn’t, they wouldn’t mean anything anymore.

It’s a thoughtful meditation on the existence of the series itself. If “The Good Place” were to go on forever, it would inevitably start repeating itself.

The originality and creativity would start to dissipate. The writers of the show, who chose to end the show on their own terms four brief seasons in, have accomplished everything that they wanted to. They know it’s their time to end.

Of course, just because goodbyes are necessary, it doesn’t make them any less emotional. Each of the farewell sequences for the characters are difficult to watch in their own right, but there’s something about Jason’s final story beats that are particularly gut-wrenching. To see the lovably dimwitted source of comic relief quietly realize he’s done everything he ever wanted to and is finally ready to cease his own existence hits extremely hard.

Thankfully, “The Good Place” doesn’t shed its comedic roots in its final hour, with entertaining character interactions and snappy dialogue to add some levity between each fit of tears. In its final moments, it pro-

vides one last perfect blend of comedy and emotion, as Eleanor’s dispersed essence returns to Earth, inspiring a random man to deliver a piece of misplaced mail to the now-human Michael, setting him up with the perfect moment to deliver his long-desired one-liner: “Take it sleazy.”

Endings are hard, even if they are justified. To see “The Good Place” reach its own stopping point makes me sad, but there’s a standout piece of dialogue in the form of one last nugget of philosophical wisdom from Chidi to Eleanor that comforts me.

He tells her to picture a wave. For a time it’s real, but eventually, it crashes and vanishes. “The wave was just a different way for the water to be for a little while,” he explains. “The wave returns to the ocean, where it came from, where it’s supposed to be.”

Even if the show is over, it’ll live on in the future creative endeavors of the creators, writers and cast.

New projects will inevitably impact and entertain audiences in ways they might have never thought possible.

It’s an exciting thought and it makes dealing with the end of such a strong

The Emmy-nominated comedy aired its series finale on January 30.

TV show a little bit easier. “The Good Place” is over, but it’s never completely gone. Its essence lives on.

The last bow of “The Good Place” stands as one of the most well-done series finales I’ve ever seen. It’s an effective microcosm of the show, full of clever jokes, deep philosophical discussions and an endless supply of heart. With one final poignant message, the wave returns to the ocean.

What an amazing wave it was.

Email Ethan Zack at ezack@nyunews.com.

JAKE CAPRIOTTI | WSN

Washington Square News | Arts

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

7

Molly Nilsson Mystifies Market Hotel

By NICOLAS PEDRERO-SETZER Music Editor Somewhere in Brooklyn, a square room lit by a single disco ball hosts around 300 individuals as they gather to listen to the mystical synth-pop of Swedish singer Molly Nilsson.

The night is young at the Market Hotel, and if it weren’t for the J train visibly running by every so often, you would think time had come to a halt.

Before Nilsson takes command of the room, a synthesizer-driven duo by the name of BDX graces the stage. Dressed in vampiric punk garments, BDX livens the venue by delivering a strange blend of electronica and punk that strangely works. It’s a testament to the lead singer’s crazy antics: his ability to thrash around, jump and scream into the microphone, as if there was no tomorrow, yesterday was gone and only the present mattered. Kicking and screaming, BDX works through a wide array of songs before performing “The BDX Theme Song” and a couple of new releases as their encore. And that’s that; BDX bows before the crowd of Brooklynites and packs their gear to pave the way for Nilsson and the awkward glory of her dancing.

Secretly weaving through the crowd and onto the stage at the other side of the venue, Nilsson rapidly takes command of the room by dancing a la Audrey Horne all the while singing to the beat of her own computer. Pulling most of the set from her most recent album, “2020,” Nilsson delivers a jubilant performance interspersed with words of wisdom drawing from her experience as a solo female artist working in the field of music. The constant back and forth between her tales of bootstrap growth within

the field and the DIY quality of her sound make for an empowering set. For an instant, the world’s qualms seem to fade away, this tiny venue in Bushwick begins encapsulating existence and everyone gazes at Nilsson as she hypnotizes members of a generation generally governed by cynicism with her air of supreme positivity.

Lacking a band behind her back, Molly Nilsson leads her lonesome performance with grace and bravado. Reveling in the fact that she is entirely in control of the room, she begins dancing despite her evident lack of skill; generating a sense of acceptance from anyone who might have been too afraid or embarrassed to dance otherwise. By the end of the night, everyone is moving in an equally awkward manner while Nilsson delivers a four-song encore that comes to a conclusion with what Nilsson has dubbed her favorite song ever: “1995.” It’s a song about delighting in nostalgia, expressing the entirety of time in the present and having fun — emotions that are perfectly transmitted by Nilsson’s elegant vocality and infectious charisma.

Cultivating her performance in anticipation of the forthcoming release of her new album and accompanying tour scheduled for October, Nilsson proves she’s still got it despite not having released an album in two years. Sporting a smile into the future and delighting in the present, Nilsson’s recent performance at the Market Hotel confirms the beauty of the timelessness of her sonic ingenuity and how it has managed to keep her successful in the modern independent music scene.

Email Nicolas Pedro-Setzer at npedrosetzer@nyunews.com

NICOLAS PEDRERO-SETZER | WSN

Swedish singer Molly Nilsson captivates Brooklyn audience with synth-driven solo performance.

A Forgotten Spirit Haunts Audiences in ‘A Pink Chair (In Place of a Fake Antique)’

By SASHA COHEN Books & Theater Editor

SASHA COHEN | WSN

A playbill for The Wooster Group’s current performance at Skirball, a cross-media production that asks what it means for an artist to be forgotten.

The Skirball Center transformed into a theatrical time capsule for The Wooster Group’s “A Pink Chair (In Place of a Fake Antique).” Running from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, the performance recollected Tadeusz Kantor, a 20th century Polish director, and his play “I Shall Never Return.”

While there was almost no plot, The Wooster Group succeeded in illustrating what it means for an artist to be forgotten and eventually reborn through remembrance.

Upon entering the auditorium, the gothic stage had an industrial feel with metal tables, contrasting lights and shadows that produced a gray effect, a candelabrum and a sewing mannequin scattered the stage. When the lights dimmed, a TV played an introductory video in which Kantor, played by actor Zbigniew “Z” Bzymek, read his manifesto. A voice-over simultaneously played a recording of the manifesto to create an echoing effect. Immediately after, another video, “I Shall Never Return,” introduced the f ilm motif of viewing. For the rest of the show, clips from Kantor’s work were reenacted alongside the actual rehearsal footage. Typically, this synchronization is diff icult to achieve, but with Elizabeth LeCompte’s direction, the entire company made the combinations seem effortless.

This artistic decision was inventive, but unfortunately did nothing more

than memorialize Kantor. There was no story aside from the message of remembering the dead, making this more of a tribute than a legitimate theatrical production.

One dynamic aspect of this show was its ability to overwhelm the audience with sound and the multi-purpose set. The production featured live singing and a violin combined with musical recordings in an attempt to evoke sadness.

While the music set a somber tone, all of the different sounds felt extremely overwhelming. Not knowing who or what to listen to, the dialogue was diff icult to hear which inhibited comprehension. Nevertheless, nothing enchanted the audience more than the show’s f inal sequence. As the TV and platforms magically transformed into a ship, the theater f illed with sounds of crashing waves and the ensemble’s disturbing, hushed singing. When the f inal note rang out, the entire stage went black, leaving the audience in a haunting, but resonant silence. This dramatic moment was a poignant part of the production because it forced audiences to think about what they had just witnessed.

Bzymek’s performance was unsettling, but remained engaging for the 70-minute show. His acting felt distant from the other actors, just how Kantor would have remained physically removed from his performers as a director. Everything — from his posture to lifeless countenance — demonstrated that he

was deceased yet able to watch his imagined world come to life again.

The rest of the company only complimented the disquieted ambiance with their evocative singing, movement and dialogue.

Discussing the idea of “duch,” or forgotten spirits, the show argued that other art forms like painting or f ilm are remembered forever, but theater productions simply disappear after the f inal curtain, left only to be archived by people’s memories.

Even though Kantor passed, fragments of rehearsal footage, writings and individuals’ memory allowed his legacy to live on and were revived by this production. Kantor’s director chair symbolized the great theater he created in it and his imprint on society; although he was not alive to sit in the seat for this performance, his spirit lives on through audiences — a sentiment that is undeniably beautiful.

While “A Pink Chair (In Place of a Fake Antique)” is not traditional by any means, a greater presence of conflict would have grounded the show more. However, the overall message about revitalizing forgotten works or people was applicable to our rapidly changing world and reminded the audience to value past artists and their contributions; they may not actively cross our minds, but they undoubtedly contributed to modern theater today.

Email Sasha Cohen at scohen@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

OPINION

OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by JUN SUNG

HEALTHCARE

The Coronavirus and Its Online Frenzy

By KENZO KIMURA Staff Writer On my way back to Astor Place the other night, I realized something different on the 6 train: masks. It seemed as if every other subway rider wore a white surgical mask and stayed alert of their surroundings. If they weren’t wear-

ing a mask, they weren’t touching the poles. And if they weren’t touching the poles, they were like me, looking for face masks everywhere online.

Unfortunately, everywhere was sold out. Not one pharmacy in New York City had extra stockpiles of these masks.

It almost seemed as if New York City was panicking at this global outbreak, and large-scale health measures had already taken place.

However, it is the exact opposite in various forums on the internet. With memes of the coronavirus on every social platform, few seem to be taking the situation seriously. But why? The urgency of the outbreak necessitates a serious reaction. While people joke,

others die daily in China and other affected areas.

At this time, 17,384 people have been infected worldwide and at least 362 people have died in total. In the United States, five cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been reported, raising concerns about a potential global pandemic. We’ve seen this story before during the 2003 SARS outbreak, as health authorities try to walk the thin line between outbreak preparation and excessive alarm when working with threadbare data. The spread of misinformation is a serious danger when considering what domestic and global health organizations must do to counter the outbreak.

Last week, a special committee set up by the World Health Organization decided not to declare the outbreak a global health emergency. The WHO committee is dealing with a difficult decision, as it faces a global health crisis with insufficient evidence. More must be learned on how the virus differs from previous strains of the coronavirus.

Moreover, these statistics show that as more data becomes available, surveillance and quarantine can be effective measures to combat the strain. In a time when information is limited, health organizations have to be careful not to deal in fear-mongering.

Both the public and individuals in online circles must not panic. Rather,

attitudes on the coronavirus must be changed and take into consideration the actions being taken by global health organizations. In the same vein, individuals must wait for more evidence to seriously understand the effects of the Wuhan strain. This is especially important considering the large amounts of misinformation on social media surrounding the coronavirus. These lies include wrong health advice and misinformation regarding the origins of the outbreak. The spread of wrong information only has the ability to hurt public health initiatives.

Email Kenzo Kimura at opinion@nyunews.com.

RACE

Don’t Be Racist About the Health Crisis

By ALEXANDRA CHAN Deputy Photo Editor News of the novel coronavirus has spread quickly, and as a result, also led to the promotion of racist and xenophobic reactions. Fear of the spread of the virus is understandable, but this crisis does not serve as an excuse for vile hatred. In the face of the coronavirus epidemic, people can stay safe and be conscientious

about their health without being racist.

The people who deserve the most empathy are those directly affected in Wuhan. The virus’ spread coincided with the Lunar New Year, arguably the biggest holiday celebrated in China. The holiday is supposed to be a time for family, festivities and food; but instead of celebrating, residents are quarantined, face a shortage of surgical masks and increasingly worry that they will not see their loved ones again.

Without a definitive answer to how the virus originated, speculation has run wild. People have blamed bats and Chinese people for eating the aforementioned animal dish, but bats are not linked to the coronavirus. The widely circulated video shared by The Daily Mail of a Chinese travel blogger eating

bat soup was actually filmed three years ago in Palau, not Wuhan. Many Western tourists have also partaken in the delicacy while traveling in Palau, yet only Chinese people are pointed at to blame.

Others have looked toward a wildlife market that sold live wolves, salamanders, snakes and more to be the source of the outbreak, yet that remains unproven. What do people gain from saying people in Wuhan deserve the coronavirus for their eating habits? When the U.S. had an E.coli outbreak from Romaine lettuce, or the spread of mad cow disease, the eating habits of Americans were not portrayed as the source of the problem.

Chinese people around the world report increasing incidents of harassment and discrimination. A French newspa-

per headlined their coronavirus report as “New Yellow Peril?” reminding many of the racist ideology that faced the first Chinese immigrants. The ugly xenophobia hurts and has real consequences: a man died in Sydney’s Chinatown because no one would touch him after he collapsed in public.

An Instagram story filter presumably scans your face to tell if you’re infected.

A TikTok user in Canada decided to upload a video spreading a false claim that his classmate was infected by the coronavirus. Another pulled a stunt to test how fast he could go viral, dropping red liquid on napkins, claiming one sample was infected blood. Instagram influencers tag posts with #coronavirus, posing while wearing masks to gain traction.

Many misunderstand the actions of peo-

ple trying to protect themselves by wearing masks. Many East Asians have been wearing masks as preventative measures since the SARS epidemic to limit the spread of germs. A person does not have to be sick to wear a mask.

Be smart about being safe. Stop grasping at straws and face the reality in front of us. Wear surgical masks. Wash your hands frequently. Remember that viruses stay active on metal surfaces. Donate to hospitals. Listen to your doctor.

Though the physical consequences of the coronavirus are currently incurable, everyone can do better to counter manmade social and mental harms.

Email Alexandra Chan at achan@nyunews.com.

EDUCATION

NYU Exploits Academia’s Permanent Underclass

By EMILY DAI Deputy Opinion Editor In 2013, Margaret Mary Vojtko, an adjunct French professor at Duquesne University, died from a heart attack at 83 years old after being laid off when the university refused to extend her contract without any severance or retirement benefits. The professor was living nearly homeless. The chemotherapy treatment she was receiving for ovarian cancer rendered her unable to pay for heating. To escape the cold, she slept in her office until she was forcibly removed after the university discovered her. After her death, Vojtko’s lawyer published an op-ed about her called “Death of an Adjunct,” where he describes how “unlike a well-paid

tenured professor, Margaret Mary worked on a contract basis from semester to semester, with no job security, no benefits and with a salary of between $3000 and just over $3500 per three-credit course.”

The casualization of work is a nationwide phenomenon. In the world of academia, this manifests in dwindling tenure-track positions. According to the American Association of University Professors, 73% of instructional positions are off the tenure track.

These positions are insecure and offer few protections for academic freedom. Notably, these positions do not pay well. More than half of all adjunct professors have an income of less than $35,000.

Universities know exactly how cruel this permanent underemployment can be. Despite keeping funding for teaching relatively flat, the number of administrator positions grew by 60% between 1993 and 2009 — 10 times the rate at which universities added tenured positions. This penny-pinching logic applied to university professors seemingly doesn’t apply to administrators — their salaries increased by 50% between 1998 and 2003.

Hiring adjuncts instead of tenure-track professors is great for the university’s pocketbook, but for its employees, it’s unequivocally inhumane. NYU has cleverly hidden part of its army of adjuncts through Liberal Studies — a money-saving program that exploits and disrespects its professors. Similar to Vojtko, a portion of Liberal Studies professors are hired semester-to-semester on a contractual basis. None of these professors are eligible for tenure. 43% have been forced to take up another job in order to supplement their salaries. Male, full-time LS professors make little more than two-fifths the salary of tenure-eligible professors. Go to the Liberal Studies department at 726 Broadway and you will see lines of cubicles — NYU has neglected to give semester-to-semester professors their own offices. Heavy reliance on adjuncts is bad for university students — professors who are burdened with the lack of job security and must work multiple jobs to make ends meet simply cannot devote the same time and attention to their students like their tenure-eligible counterparts.

Previously, The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agri-

cultural Implement Workers of America Local 7902 — a union comprised of adjunct professors from NYU and the New School — negotiated and made proposals to the NYU administration to address their various grievances, such as wage discrepancies across different departments, health benefits and more contributions for annuity retirement plans. The union held a vote in 2017 and found a large majority of the union’s 2,500 members were in favor of a strike against the university. However, according to the collective bargaining agreement between NYU and ACT-UAW that will be effective until 2022, the Union has agreed to prohibit any member from sanctioning, instigating or participating in any strike, sympathy strike, sit-down, slow-down or stoppage of work.

NYU has refused to meet any of the adjuncts’ demands, despite NYU’s total combined endowment being $4.3 billion.

On top of that, full-time students living on campus pay approximately a whopping $76,612 a year in tuition and fees. Additionally, NYU is known for spending lavishly for other higher-up administrators. In 2013, top NYU administrators and faculty

members were extended loans at extremely favorable terms for vacation homes in the Hamptons and on Fire Island. Departing university president John Sexton was given a $1 million loan for a beach house. President Andrew Hamilton, in addition to his astronomical $1.8 million salary and annual $250,000 performance bonus, renovated a 4,200-square-foot penthouse duplex with four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms and an expansive rooftop terrace, totaling at least $1.1 million in costs.

Instead of utilizing its affluence to lower tuition, combat its reputation of less than generous aid packages or increase the quality-of-life for its adjunct faculty, NYU has opted time and time again to further enrich those who run the institution. Considering the abundance of wealth NYU sits on and the commitment adjunct professors have to academia — though adjuncts here are arguably treated better than Vojtko was — the university has no excuse when it comes to paying these academics their fair share.

Email Emily Dai at edai@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Opinion

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

9

HEALTHCARE

Don’t Fixate on Calories

By HELEN WAJDA Deputy Opinion Editor In between classes yesterday, I grabbed a granola bar to hold me over until my next meal. I usually try to avoid scrutinizing nutrition labels too closely, but this time something at the bottom caught my eye: a declaration that the daily values on the label were based on a 2,000 calorie diet. This wasn’t news to me; 2,000 calories has been declared the general guiding number for daily caloric consumption by the United States Food and Drug Administration and numerous media sources for years.

I’ve also been advised to consume far less than 2,000 calories by several online calorie calculators and wellness blogs, as well as encountered innumerable articles offering tips for how to cut out what they deemed to be unnecessary calories. This generalization of energy needs and fixation on calculating calories has permeated my life, but it overlooks the complexities of the human body and encourages people to focus on numbers that are nearly impossible to calculate accurately.

The human body digests and absorbs calories from foods in different ways.

The amount of calories that an individual absorbs from any given food depends on a host of variables: the type of food, how the food was cooked, whether the specific food has adapted to survive digestion over time, and the unique bacterial makeup of the consumer’s gut.

A recent study by the US Department of Agriculture estimates that certain foods may require more energy to digest than others, resulting in fewer calories absorbed than what labels state. Another recent study found that eating raw potatoes resulted in different weight outcomes in mice than eating the same quantity of cooked potatoes, which suggests that energy absorption does vary depending on food’s temperature.

Moreover, the 2,000 calorie recommendation is an average that was settled upon due to its simplicity. In fact, 2,000 calories is the average intake recommended to sustain only children and relatively inactive postmenopausal women; most people actually need several hundred more calories to function adequately. This estimate doesn’t even take into account metabolism speed, which is believed to be largely genetically determined and varies from person to person.

While nutrition labels are required to have a disclaimer about the variability of caloric needs alongside the 2,000 calorie reference, this message doesn’t seem to have sunk in. Everywhere I go — especially during this resolution-crazed time of year — I seem to be surrounded by calories: people discussing how many calories they’ve eaten (or how many they think they should be eating), fit-

Submitting to

ness centers boasting how many calories participants can burn by taking part in classes and food products proclaiming the amount of calories each serving contains in large print on the front of the package. There hasn’t been a day so far this semester where I haven’t heard calories being discussed in some way at the dining halls I regularly eat at.

Plus, the internet is full with calculators designed to tell you how many calories your body burns a day, and searching “how many calories should I eat” yields thousands of articles and charts, including one from the FDA which offers ranges based on sex, general activity level and age. Calories are a major fixation in many restaurants, too, thanks to a recent regulation that requires chains to display calorie counts on menus. Some establishments — like Subway and Chick-Fil-A — take this a step further by labeling certain entrees with a green checkmark or deeming them fit choices based on how many calories they provide.

But calories only provide a small glimpse into a food’s nutritional makeup, as calorie calculations can’t take into account the consumer’s unique digestive process and energy needs. Calories are just numbers, and as such, they don’t take into account the nutritional benefits of foods — we can’t tell how much protein, fat or carbohydrates a food provides, how much of these nutrients our bodies need, and how energy will be used in the body simply by looking at calories. For these reasons, we shouldn’t look to calories as the determiners of a food’s value nor should we obsess over trying to figure out how many we are consuming and burning.

Not only that, but counting calories has been linked to significant stress and anxiety and, of course, disordered eating habits. Psychologist Breese Annable recently stated that obsessing over calories can disconnect you from your body’s natural hunger cues and cravings as well as cause food fixation and anxiety. While eating disorders are extremely complex and multifaceted, my own battle with anorexia nervosa started when I downloaded a “health” app and resolved to consume the dangerously low calorie allowance it recommended to me.

It’s understandable to want to know what we’re putting in our bodies, but we aren’t machines or robots; our needs — and wants — change from day to day. While I don’t expect the FDA to change their generalized approach toward calories, there is still value to noticing that the current narrative around calories is oversimplified. Instead of focusing on numbers and trying to figure out our energy expenditure and intake, we should resolve to focus on tuning in to what our bodies are asking for — or, at least, recognizing the fact that calculations and nutrition labels can tell us far less about our own unique needs than our bodies can. Our bodies are designed to keep us alive, and they’re smarter than any label when it comes to figuring out what we need.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Interpreting Silence: What NYU’s Low Title IX Complaints Mean On Jan. 27, the New York State Education Department released its data report on Title IX complaints from college campuses across the state. It is a result of the “Enough is Enough” law passed in the state legislature, which was meant to create a set of procedures and guidelines that support victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.

NYU was included in the report, but the results show the problematic nature of the university’s safety nets.

NYU reportedly only had 173 cases out of its 50,000 students. The low statistic reflects the fact that NYU suffers from a severe underreporting issue caused by a rift of distrust between the student body and the university.

It also shows that the safeguards the “Enough is Enough” legislation is supposed to provide aren’t effective without more proper support programs from NYU. A survey conducted last year from the Association of American Universities found that a quarter of undergraduate women have been sexually assaulted. In comparison to this number, it becomes clear that NYU’s complaint data is suspiciously low.

It is important to note, though, that in the data report, all the included universities have low complaint numbers, showing the underreporting issues aren’t unique to NYU. Rather, they’re systemic problems connected to all universities in New York State.

Specif ically in the context of NYU, though, this distrust between students and the university is unsurprising, considering the institution’s history of supporting sexual harassers.

This Editorial Board has written in the past on the university’s insuff icient reactions to the sexual harassment allegations against Avital Ronell and Michael Steinhardt, with the former found guilty by an 11-month long Title IX

investigation and the latter found to have engaged in “unacceptable remarkes containing offensive language” by an independent law f irm.

Both the Ronell and Steinhardt cases pose two important questions: what has the university done to reduce sexual assaults, and what is the university currently doing to resolve the issue?

In the past, the university has made small efforts against sexual harassment in response to the “Enough is Enough” legislation, such as adopting a student’s Bill of Rights, conducting campus climate surveys every other year, adjusting the university’s def inition of aff irmative consent and reporting Title IX complaints. But, it has become clear that these are not enough to protect victims. Clear channels of communication and a better understanding of the needs of the student body are necessary for the university to do more for victims.

Last week, Under the Arch, WSN’s magazine, published three video diaries detailing the stories of survivors of sexual assault. These individual accounts reflect the failures of NYU’s anti-harassment initiatives while further showing the constantly-widening rift between the student body and the university. While they are representative of the many instances of harassment that go unreported at NYU, they also show that any legislation on the state level must be supported by university efforts as well.

NYU has a responsibility to protect students and the rest of the NYU community against sexual assault and harassment. For better relations in the future, it needs to have better ties with its student body. The suspiciously low number of complaints gathered from the data report must be a wake-up call for universities in general, and the NYU administration specif ically to start building channels of trust with its students.

Email the Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

CHAIR Jun Sung CO-CHAIR Emily Dai, Gabby Lozano, Asha Ramachandran, Helen Wajda CHAIR EX OFFICIO Cole Stallone, Abby Hofstetter,

Ronni Husmann, Paul Kim, Anna-Dmitry Muratova

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

SPORTS

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Edited by ARVIND SRIRAM

Houston Astros Punished. Was It Enough?

NYU Students Share Their Favorite Memories Of Kobe Bryant

By KEVIN RYU Contributing Writer On Jan. 26, 2020, a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. claimed the lives of nine victims, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant.

During his 20-year career as a Laker, Bryant was a five-time NBA champion, an 18-time all-star and a one-time MVP. After retirement, Bryant even won an Oscar for his short film “Dear Basketball” in 2018.

Despite his numerous accolades, Kobe will be remembered for his impact on the game. From mentoring the next generation of NBA superstars to coining the universal phrase “Mamba Mentality,” from providing NBA fans life-lasting memories to inspiring many

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to shout “Kobe!” when they shoot a basketball, Kobe’s legacy will be remembered long after his death.

After Kobe’s untimely passing, everybody, regardless of their ties to Kobe, the Lakers or sports, came together to mourn the heartbreaking loss.

From commemorative social media posts by tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka to a tribute mural at the Tenement Court in the Philippines, Kobe’s death looms large among everybody.

The NYU community also took part in mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant, sharing their favorite memories and their thoughts on his legacy.

I think my favorite Kobe moment was his 81-point game.

That was an incredible performance and something that will stick with me forever. I think [my second favorite Kobe moment] was actually something that I just read about, him going and spending time with a 5-year-old boy who was ill with cancer. Obviously [Kobe] didn’t want any media there, so [he] made it a very impromptu visit where nobody knew about it. He spent three hours with the young man and offered the family any medical assistance he could provide.

That was the type of person he was.

DAGAN NELSON Head Coach of NYU Men’s Basketball

Email Kevin Ryu at sports@nyunews.com.

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I am not really a basketball fan, never really watched basketball, but my friend used to have a Kobe poster on his wall. So, he was the first basketball player I ever knew. When I was a little kid, I used to really like his shoes. I used to have these purple and gold Kobe 8s; they were the Black History Month Kobes. [His passing] is definitely a tragedy.

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FEDERICO ST. SAUVEUR Steinhardt Junior

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From the brief glimpses we got of post-basketball Kobe, it seemed like he was really enjoying his retirement. I was excited to see this side of Kobe, the family man and the wise senior sportsman. Still, I think it is important to remember that Kobe was not a perfect person. In fact, he made several extremely high profile mistakes during his career, which seriously damaged the lives of the others involved. I do not think that Kobe has to be defined by these mistakes, but I do think they are significant to his legacy.

EMMANUEL HIDALGO-WOHLLEBEN Gallatin Junior

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I guess my favorite Kobe moment was his last game because it just was a closing to the legend of Kobe, and I feel really sad. I was in disbelief at first when I first heard about [his] passing.

His life was not meant to end like that, like it was too soon. He was striving for so much and accomplishing so much in his second career after basketball.

JORGE BARRENO NYU Shanghai Junior

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Even though I do not follow basketball closely, when I read the news of his passing, it sucked because it does not matter if you watch basketball or not. Everyone around the world still knew him because he was such a great basketball player and a great person for his community. When I saw the news and I saw the tributes from all the basketball players and my friends, that really hurt deeply.

MICHAEL LO CAS First-Year

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The USWNT Is Simply Too Good

By BELA KIRPALANI Editor-at-Large A 4-0 win over Haiti. An 8-0 absolute goal fest against Panama. Large scorelines have become the norm for the U.S. women’s national soccer team and this past week’s action in CONCACAF, Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament, was no different.

Against Haiti, the first goal for the U.S. came less than two minutes into the game when Lynn Williams lost her cleat but managed to keep the play alive and delivered a delectable cross which Christen Press volleyed home for her 52nd international goal.

Aside from that moment of brilliance from Williams, the U.S. endured a sluggish start. The players’ rustiness was understandable; since the NWSL regular season ended back in October, many players are just getting back into the swing of things. In the first half, the team failed to push forward which allowed Haiti space to attack into and challenge Alyssa Naeher in goal. Haiti even scored off a corner while the U.S. defenders stood frozen in their spots. Unluckily for the Haitians, the goal was ruled offside — although I haven’t the faintest idea of how one can be offside on a corner kick.

The U.S. took back control in the second half, scoring three more goals and finishing the game with 70% of the possession.

On Friday night, the U.S. cruised to an 8-0 win against Panama. Lindsay Horan scored a hat trick and Williams notched herself another goal and two assists. Tobin Heath summed up the night for the

Americans with a cheeky no-look finish for the seventh goal of the game.

With the two recent wins, the U.S. has extended its unbeaten streak to 25 games since its last recorded loss against France a year ago. The tournament was also the first action for new coach Vlatko Andonovski since he was hired at the end of October.

But if we can be real for a moment, competition in CONCACAF is not really anything to brag about — next month’s SheBelieves Cup is where the real test begins for the U.S., against world-class opposition like England and Spain.

I expect the U.S. to stick with its 4-3-3 formation going forward, but some questions are swirling around player selection. Alex Morgan is out for the foreseeable future as she is pregnant with her first child. The aforementioned Williams is proving herself every time she steps on the field, making it nearly impossible for Andonovski to leave her off the team sheet.

Also, there’s the question of what to do with Carli Lloyd. The 37-year-old was reportedly upset with her lack of playing time under former coach Jill Ellis, arguing that she was in “the best form of her career,” yet didn’t start very many games. In reality, Lloyd was underperforming for club and country following the 2016 Olympics. During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, she only recorded five goals and one assist in the NWSL. Last season, she improved markedly for Sky Blue, scoring eight goals in 14 games, but she hasn’t yet hit those same heights for the U.S. Against Haiti, she struggled, repeatedly squan-

dering possession and unable to link up with her midfield teammates. Her shooting was poor and her frustrations were there for everyone to see, but she eventually scored the team’s fourth goal late in the game. Lloyd was on the bench for the game against Panama on Friday night.

As a two-time world champion and captain of the squad, Lloyd’s resume speaks for itself. But, she still has a lot to prove if she wants to be the starting striker in Morgan’s absence. With a squad with unmatched depth and talent, no spot on the USWNT is guaranteed — not even Lloyd’s.

The Sports Girl is a weekly column that features a girl’s take on sports. Yes, a girl. Yes, on sports.

Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.

SOPHIA DI IORIO | WSN

By ARVIND SRIRAM Sports Editor On Nov. 12, 2019, with the testimony of Mike Fiers, ex-pitcher for the Houston Astros, The Atlantic reported that the Astros used technology to illegally steal signs during the team’s championship season in 2017. According to The Atlantic, the Astros placed a camera at center field, focused on the opposing catcher. The camera feed went directly into the Astros’ clubhouse, where players and coaches could figure out the signals and provide the batter with the type of the incoming pitch.

After a long investigation into these allegations, the MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, finally issued a hefty punishment to the Astros. General manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were suspended for the 2020 season. The team lost four draft picks and was fined $5 million. As a result of the suspension, the Astros fired Luhnow and Hinch, the Boston Red Sox fired their manager and former Astros bench coach Alex Cora and the New York Mets fired their newly hired manager and former Astros outfielder Carlos Beltran due to their roles in the cheating scandal. Cora and Beltran were the ringleaders of the scandal and communicated the information from the front office to the players.

Undoubtedly, the punishments issued to Luhnow and Hinch were harsh; both cannot work in the MLB until their suspensions are cleared following the 2020 season, they will not receive pay for this season and most importantly, their legacies have been tainted by the cheating scandal, making it nearly impossible for them to find employment in the MLB once their suspensions are completed. Also, the loss of four draft picks hurts the Astros, a team that is mostly built through the draft.

Unfortunately, Manfred failed to punish the most responsible party: the players. Cheating in baseball has always been a problem. The Chicago White Sox in the 1919 World Series and the MLB leader in base hits, Pete Rose, were caught fixing games; hitters, such as Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, were caught for using corked bats, pitchers were caught for using illegal foreign substances to improve their pitching and numerous all-stars were caught for using performance-enhancing drugs. However, in each of these cases, the players were punished.

In Manfred’s investigation report, he writes that “most of the position players on the 2017 team either received sign information from the banging scheme or participated in the scheme by helping to decode signs or bang on the trash can.” Yet, he punished upper management since they “are responsible for ensuring that the players both understand the rules and adhere to them.”

A player-based punishment would be ideal; it would send a message to the league. Everybody must deal with the consequences of cheating, considering that an entire team of players was involved with the sign-stealing scandal. Furthermore, stripping the Astros of their 2017 Championship would be a deserving punishment.

Using this method of sign-stealing, the Astros had an unfair advantage in pursuit of their World Series ring.

Although it would be merely symbolic, it would show that the Astros do not deserve their status as a World Series champion.

Sadly, suspending every player involved in the cheating scandal would be messy, unprecedented and impossible. Since every player on the 2017 Astros benefited from the cheating, punishing each player would have been a nightmare. The MLB Players Association struck an agreement with the league early in the investigation that granted immunity to the 23 current and former Astros players who agreed to testify. By granting immunity, Manfred expressed his desire for a conflict-free investigation. As a result, Manfred issued the harshest punishment in MLB history and allowed the actual offenders to walk away scot-free.

At the end of the day, Manfred’s punishment was severe, yet not enough. Under new management, the Astros will enter the season with a talented, suspension-free roster and a chance for another championship run.

Email Arvind Sriram at asriram@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020

UNDERTHEARCH@NYUNEWS.COM

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UNDER THE ARCH

Edited by GURU RAMANATHAN

Making Space for Religion at Secular NYU At a secular institution like NYU, being a devout student of faith can be an isolating experience, but within religious centers, tight-knit student networks offer support and friendship.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“Ramadan is supposed to be hard, and we get that, but I feel like more could be done [at an administrative level] to make it easier,” Steinhardt alumna Sarah Elfarra, who graduated in December 2019, said.

For observant students of faith at a secular institution like NYU, Ramadan — which is meant to be an opportunity to give full attention to religious devotion — can be placed at odds with academics, leaving individual students to balance the space in between. At NYU, spaces like the Islamic Center on the fourth floor of the Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life provide many students like Elfarra and Mohsen support — in the form of like-minded peers and religious leadership — to help stay in touch with their religion, particularly during more demanding times like Ramadan.

Outside of these religious oases, being a student of faith at NYU comes with a set of hurdles during religious holidays and day-to-day life. But perhaps more effort could be made — such as a mass email alerting the NYU community of Ramadan — to bridge the gap between religious and secular aspects of NYU life, particularly when it comes to accommodation and awareness around special religious observances and representation of a variety of faith groups.

Gallatin sophomore Aliza Goldberg was raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish community in Northern New Jersey. The presence of Judaism on campus was one of the primary things Goldberg considered when choosing a university, and she chose NYU both for the active Hillel and the large Jewish communities at universities across downtown Manhattan. She knew that many friends she had met at Modern Orthodox camps and schools ended up at schools in the area and hoped to rekindle old friendships and form new bonds within the New York City

ALI ZIMMERMAN | WSN

CAS junior Sam Lee wears a cross necklace every day as a reminder of his faith.

Jewish community.

Goldberg keeps kosher — she adheres to a set of dietary laws originating from Jewish scripture prohibiting the consumption of foods including pork and shellfish as well as mixing meat in dairy in the same meal. She has two sets of dishes in her apartment for meat and dairy. Her roommates are also Jewish and adhere to the same dietary restrictions.

“A lot of these things just become subconscious, inherent definites,” Goldberg said. “I have to live with someone that keeps kosher just because of the things that go awry with someone that’s on a different schedule than you.”

She observes Shabbat from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday every week. She usually participates in the weekly programming offered between the Bronfman Center Hillel for Jewish Student LIfe, the Chabad House on Bowery and Orthodox dinner and services in GCASL on Friday night.

Goldberg has made friends within the Orthodox Jewish community at NYU and when official programming ends, they often congregate at someone’s apartment to enjoy Shabbat together.

“We do this thing called a ‘tish,’ which is just sitting around with wine and cake and schmoozing and talking about God and religion and philosophy and life,” Goldberg said.

While Goldberg is grateful for the abundance of resources for Jewish students she has found at NYU — she has rave reviews of the kosher dining hall at Weinstein — she believes that the administration mishandles certain issues pertaining to Judaism. The fact that some clubs and class times interfere with Shabbat is, for Goldberg, a justifiable consequence of attending a secular institution, but she believes that all classes should be canceled for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, arguably the holiest days of the year in the Jewish calendar.

“I think it’s strange that we don’t get off,” Goldberg said. “Those are universally accepted public school holidays and all of my friends are off, but I have to catch up on those classes I miss.”

Several schools — SUNY Binghamton University and The New School — for example, cancel classes for Rosh

Hashanah and Yom Kippur. At NYU, however, Jewish students who choose to spend the holiday at synagogue or with family run the risk of falling behind in class, even if their absence is excused on paper.

Aside from holidays, some students feel that inadequate or unequal funding and staffing for religious spaces hinders the cultivation of a sufficient support system for certain students of faith.

Mohsen — the Vice President of the Muslim Students Association at NYU — is a Shiite Muslim, a minority both around the world and at NYU, where Sunni Muslims make up a majority.

While she believes that the welcoming student culture in the Islamic Center emphasizes the harmony between both sects of Islam, she was surprised to find that there was no Shiite representation on the board of the Muslim Student Association. To ensure that future Shiite students will continue to feel welcomed, Moshen created the Ahlul Bayt-al Chair position, a now-permanent seat to give a voice to Shiite students.

Gallatin senior Alisha Aggarwal, the president of the Hindu Student Council at NYU, was surprised to find that while there are certain spaces dedicated to Jewish and Muslim students at NYU, no such place existed for Hindu students.

Aggarwal was raised in Delhi, India, where Hinduism plays an integral part in culture and family life. She has spent the latter half of her life in the United States, and during her first year at NYU, she teamed up with a friend with the hopes of creating a permanent temple space for Hindu students.

In order to receive funding, they had to prove that students would show up, and at first, Aggarwal held weekly hours to prove interest in the temple.

This was a difficult roadblock to overcome due, in part, to the fact that many Hindu practices revolve around personal reflection which might steer people away from designated temple hours which could draw a larger crowd.

Aggarwal networked with friends and was eventually able to prove interest in the temple, but still, reluctance from NYU administrators to designate a space for Hindu students — unless a large number would come — proved

ALI ZIMMERMAN | WSN

From the left: Julia Krevit, Aliza Goldberg, Samson Tamar, Shayna Mael at the Chabad House Bowery.

ALI ZIMMERMAN | WSN

As commuter students, Sarah Elfarra (left) and Melanie Mohsen (right) spend their time between classes on the fourth floor of GCASL to be close to the mosque prayer space.

the most difficult hump.

Although Aggarwal succeeded in establishing a more consistent space for Hindu students at NYU, she feels that the space is still sometimes disrespected, having to share the room with other programs.

“After three years of being here, we did get a space for our temple but it’s just a small office room, and we were sharing it with people, and at one point they put a huge industrial-sized fridge in our tiny office,” Aggarwal said.

“You’re not supposed to wear shoes inside a temple, and we put up signs, but people will still go in with shoes.”

Despite some difficulties, establishing a Hindu center at NYU has allowed Aggarwal to reconnect to a type of Hindu community she experienced while living in Delhi. “[Hinduism] gives me an anchor that keeps me going through life,” Aggarwal said. “It’s more a guiding force than a rule book.”

College can present existential questions for young people to grapple with.

For some, religion provided a space for personal introspection as well as a guide for secular aspects of life, which can come in handy with balancing a busy schedule.

“I hate the word ‘religiosity.’ It makes things become very external,” Goldberg said. “I’m not more religious than someone else because I wear a skirt or cover my elbows or keep kosher. It’s just a question of your mindset and your devotion and how much is true to you inside.”

From an outsider’s gaze, religion in general is still often associated with outdated morality, and the personal nature of religion and in some cases, larger evolutions in ideology, are often overlooked.

“Conversation about religion is really hard to have,” Aggarwal said.

“There’s almost a negative connotation to being religious which I can understand in the current political climate.

But I just wish religion wasn’t associated with being conservative, which I think happens sometimes.”

Elfarra, Mohsen and several of their

friends choose to wear a hijab every day. They feel that assumptions often accompany first impressions for Muslim women wearing hijabs.

“The hijab is so present, you can’t miss it,” Steinhardt senior Dunia Ali Alawi, who is Muslim and chooses to wear a hijab every day, said. “Just because we follow a religion where you can point us out just by looking, don’t put all Muslims in a little box and assume we are a certain way.”

Similarly to certain aspects of Islam, Christianity can sometimes be linked to conservative thinking in liberal environments like New York. CAS junior Sam Lee was raised Catholic as a member of a Korean-American church in his hometown Palo Alto, Calif.

“Over the past couple of years especially, I think there’s been a lot of bad media around Christianity, and I understand why, but now I do think twice about saying I’m Christian,” Lee said.

“Some people will judge you.”

For Lee, finding a church in New York which shares his approach to Christianity is still an unmet goal, and the distraction of living in New York and of college life in general have put the biggest strain on his relationship to the Christian faith.

“College life is equated to party life, and having that peer pressure is definitely not conducive to being religious,” said Elfarra. “There’s this idea that in college you should go crazy now and make up for it later, but in Islam, we don’t have that option.”

Many practicing Muslims do not drink, a practice that can run antithetical to archetypal social interactions at a university.

There are some obstacles, but for many, the reward that comes with religious devotion is worth the cost. Paradoxically welcoming and tight-knit religious communities setting the pace at each spiritual center on campus, many find their religion is just the outlet they need to stay focused, motivated and happy in college.

Email Ali Zimmerman at underthearch@nyunews.com.

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