Washington Square News | October 7, 2019

4 CULTURE

9 OPINION

The Case of Downstein’s Stolen Display Lemons

NYU Is Neglecting Students’ Health With Dining Hall Failures

6 ARTS

10 SPORTS

‘Stupid F-cking Bird’ Soars in Its Reinvention of a Chekhov Classic

This Is the WNBA’s Moment

VOLUME LIII | ISSUE 7

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

Students Outraged Over Palladium’s Failed Health Inspection Many students are angry after Palladium Food Court received a C in a health inspection.

It is the second dining hall to fail a health inspection in the past two years.

By LISA COCHRAN and MINA MOHAMMADI Deputy News Editors

Palladium Food Court received a C rating after a Department of Health inspection last month. Violations included food not being properly refrigerated and filth flies.

MARVA SHI | WSN

After WSN reported Palladium Food Court failed a health inspection on Tuesday, students have expressed outrage that their thousands of tuition dollars seemingly cannot afford clean eating facilities.

Palladium scored 47 points during the Sept. 24 health inspection — 21 over what warrants the worst possible grade, a C. At an inspection earlier that month, Palladium received a B grade with 24 points. The presence of filth flies and improperly refrigerated food were the main issues with the facility, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

NYU’s Receipts: $5 Million on Violet Ball, $250,000 Annual Bonus to Hamilton and More

By WSN NEWS DESK As a private university, NYU is not required to make much information publicly available. Students have tried to remedy this, proposing a freedom of information resolution last semester that would create a process to request

and receive information from NYU, but it never reached the University Senate floor. One document available for public viewing is the university’s annual tax returns.

For now, the 990 form they completed provides one of the few inside looks into how NYU spends its money. WSN

conducted a full review of this form.

From an indication that Hamilton may have signed a five-year contract with the university to $6 million raised for Violet Ball to another $750,000 paid to former President John Sexton, here are some of the highlights.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

JULIA MCNEIL L| WSN

NYU Hockey Opens Quest for Redemption With Win READ MORE ON PAGE 10

Washington Square News

2

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

NEWS

NEWS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by VICTOR PORCELLI

Students Outraged Over Palladium’s Failed Health Inspection CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

This was less than a month into Chartwells’ term as NYU’s new dining service provider. Aramark — NYU’s provider for 43 years — was replaced by Chartwells partially because of a failed health inspection that occurred at Lipton Dining Hall in 2017. During its last year as NYU’s provider, Aramark was paid $50 million for its contract.

Gallatin f irst-year Lux Blum said he went to Palladium often because it is close to Founders Residence Hall, where he lives.

“I think it’s pretty disgusting,” Blum said. “We’re paying God knows how much for this meal plan that is forced on us because we can’t even choose to not have a meal plan as [f irst-years] and then not even being able to go to this dining hall and have safe and healthy food.”

SPS sophomore and President of SPS Student Council Kody Christiansen said he was frustrated because of NYU’s recent switch to Chartwells for supposedly better service.

“We spent all that money [and] we are moving over to a new provider.

Shouldn’t NYU have checked a little further into their track record?’’

Christiansen said. “I’m invited to a Board of Trustees lunch and we will def initely be bringing this up. This is unacceptable.”

In a statement to WSN, Associate Vice President for Campus Services Owen Moore said the university was disappointed in Chartwells’ performance.

“The news that Palladium Hall recently received a ‘C’ rating in an inspection by the NYC Department of Health was extremely disappointing, particularly because we are only a few months into our partnership,” Moore said. “We’ve made it abundantly clear to our colleagues at Chartwells that this is at odds with our expectations and we will be closely monitoring the situation to ensure these violations are addressed swiftly and permanently.”

In a letter to students, Chartwells, on the other hand, said that they had

NYU, Mayor’s Office Develop Interactive Efficiency-Tracking Map of City Buildings

By JULIA SANTIAGO Staff Writer An NYU team and the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability consolidated six years of data to make an interactive map that color codes New York City buildings based on energy efficiency.

NYU’s Marron Institute of Urban Management and the NYU Urban Intelligence Lab — led by a professor at the institute with the goal of using data to address city problems — helped create the tool. When they go on the site, a user is allowed to enter any address within the city and see a 3D model of the building and area, each building color-coded based on how energy efficient it is. Last spring, the city passed the Climate Mobilization Act, which set emissions caps for buildings larger than 25,000 square feet, requiring them to try and reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. The new interactive map was partially created to better track how well the city and individual buildings are meeting that goal.

The tool provides additional information, like the building’s Energy Star rating — part of a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which rates how energy efficient a building is. It also provides a time series of energy usage from 2011-2017, a breakdown of what types of energy are being used, comparisons to similar buildings and the option to download data directly to one’s computer. “[The goal was to] improve the transparency and openness of the energy data being collected by the city,” Associate Professor of Urban Science and Planning

Costantine Kontokosta said.

Kontokosta, who works at the Marron Institute, led a team of graduate students and researchers, paired with the mayor’s office, on the project. The information shown on the performance map is collected from benchmark data required

by Local Law 84. Passed in 2009, the law requires owners of buildings with more than 50,000 square feet to provide information on their energy and water consumption.

Researchers also used Pluto, a city-run database that contains information on every building in the city related to its size, age and type.

“It was just a giant Excel spreadsheet,” said Ross MacWhinney, senior advisor of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.

MacWhinney said he hoped the new tool would help researchers, owners and tenants looking for places to live and those just looking for more energy-use information to utilize the data they may not have had the time or adequate skills to process previously.

MacWhinney also hopes the tool becomes mainstream enough that buyers make real estate decisions based on the energy usage of buildings, pushing landlords to become more efficient to compete.

Co-president of Earth Matters and CAS senior Maddie Weikel said she was excited to use the tool herself and hoped it would bring greater awareness to issues of sustainability.

“It’s a super cool resource for people to be more mindful,’’ Weikel said.

Email Julia Santiago at news@nyunews.com.

been trying to resolve the issue for some time. WSN received the letter through an NYU spokesperson.

“We have been aggressively grappling with this issue since we took over operations of the Palladium dining hall,” the letter states.

The letter lists visits from pest control specialists, deep cleanings and third-party audit inspections as past efforts by Chartwells to solve the problem. Now, the company has hired an independent entomologist and is further training their staff to deal with it.

Dining staff themselves told WSN they, like students, were frustrated with the news — but for different reasons.

“The grade was unfairly based off of a single issue which made us fail the entire inspection,” a staff member said on condition of anonymity, due to fear of retaliation by Chartwells.

“We have no control over any of this.”

Another employee emphasized that the flies were an issue that could not be avoided.

“In reality, everything that’s written is an exaggeration,” the employee said. “It’s hard to get rid of [flies] because there’s always a bunch of open food.”

Multiple employees said they have noticed a slow down in the amount of students they serve and worried that this might affect their employment.

“Our job depends on students coming and getting food,” one staff member said. “This is not fair for us.

Still, students feel justif ied in their decision not to eat at Palladium. Tisch f irst-year Cole Swanson was disappointed by the inspection results, having been one of many who attend Palladium’s Sunday brunches, the line for which often extends as far as the building’s lobby two floors below.

“Palladium brunch is outstanding and a genius idea, but now it’s completely ruined for me,” Swanson said.

“Unfortunately, I will not go back to Palladium until there is evidence of it not being disgusting.”

Tisch sophomore Derek Mulltines has to return to Palladium because he

lives there — a decision he regrets.

“There should be reimbursement towards Palladium residents,” Mulltines said. “I picked Palladium because of the dining hall, which is now not trustworthy. I feel cheated.”

Tisch junior Nancy Kimball said, putting aside the potential health concerns, she was also frustrated that NYU did not send out a school-wide notif ication about the issue.

“Can I just say, we haven’t really been communicated with about what the violations are,” Kimball said. “I just know that it failed because I saw it on Instagram.”

LS f irst-year Aliana Whelan said that Lipton’s past failure points to a more systemic problem within the university.

“NYU has dealt with this before, which is why they changed providers,” Whelan said. “Is it the provider itself or the way NYU dining works?

They just sound like they don’t care.”

Email Lisa Cochran and Mina Mohammadi at news@nyunews.com.

NYU’s Receipts: $5 Million on Violet Ball, $250,000 Annual Bonus to Hamilton and More CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Executive Pay Generally, pay to high-ranking administrators seemed to have increased in fiscal year 2017. The university’s tax forms stated the large salaries of administration at NYU Langone, with CEO Robert Grossman receiving $4 million, up from $3 million the previous year, and Senior Vice President Andrew Brotman making $2 million, up from $1.2 million.

President Hamilton made just under $2 million, with about $1.8 million coming from salary and about $200,000 coming from benefits. It also reported that during a five year period, each year Hamilton stays with the university he will acquire a bonus of $250,000. This suggests that Hamilton has a five-year contract with the university (which would mean it would be up for renewal in 2021).

In 2015, President Emeritus John Sexton made a total of approximately $1.6 million, including benefits. When comparing presidents at other elite universities, both Sexton’s and Hamilton’s salaries are similar.

However, during Sexton’s final year in 2016 he made a total of just over $11 million. As part of Sexton’s retirement plan, the university still provides him with $800,000 in benefits per year, as reported in The New York Times. Sexton is not the only former executive who received money after finishing his tenure. For example, the university paid former provost David McLaughlin over $400,000.

During Sexton’s term, NYU came under scrutiny for providing star faculty, Sexton included, loans not only to purchase homes within New York City, but to buy vacation homes as well, in a practice NYU deemed necessary to incentivize potential hires.

VIA NYU

A stack of tax forms.

This trend of purchasing homes within New York City for faculty and their relatives continued after Sexton’s terms, with tax filings from fiscal year 2017 showing at least 12 NYU affiliates receiving a combined total of around $2.5 million in leases or other related loans.

Construction and Property NYU professor Richard Stewart made $8 million off of the sale of a townhouse he began renting from NYU in 1996. This summer, he made an agreement with the university to sell it for $15 million, splitting the profits with NYU. NYU has a total value of $4.7 billion in buildings. Still, it has a 2031 expansion plan that calls for 6 million square feet of development, at a cost of $1,000 per-square-foot, according to The New York Times.

Construction is underway for the first project of the expansion at 181 Mercer St., a 735,000 square-foot, multi-use facility costing $1.29 billion. The facility will include a gym, student and faculty housing and classroom space. It is set to be com-

pleted in late 2021 and open in fall 2022.

The tax returns also specify that NYU spent over $156 million on construction alone. Allocating money to three different construction companies, $81 million of which was paid to Turner Construction Company Corporation, who is involved with the 181 Mercer St. development.

Tuition and Financial Aid In NYU’s Statement of Revenue for 2017, total revenue from tuition and fees made up about $2.5 billion, a significant increase from the previous year. In 2016, the number tethered around $1.7 billion. Tuition did increase, by around 3% — not enough to account for such a large increase.

In 2017, NYU gave just over $480 million in aid to almost 20,000 students, an average of just under $25,000 in aid per receiving student, compared to $22,500 in 2016.

Email the WSN News Desk at news@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | News

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

NYU Dentistry Hosts Annual Oral Cancer Awareness Walk

3 CRIME LOG

Missing Phone Found Severely Damaged in Bobst

By CRIME BOT Robot Reporter From Sept. 27 to Oct. 2, the NYU Department of Public Safety received one report of criminal mischief, one report of criminal trespassing, two reports of drug law violations, one report of harassment, seven reports of larceny and nine reports of liquor law violations.

Criminal Mischief On Oct. 2 at 4 a.m., a student reported several of her belongings being vandalized at Second Street Residence Hall. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

RONNI HUSMANN | WSN

Students, faculty and oral cancer survivors gathered for the college’s annual NYU Oral Cancer Walk on Oct. 6.

By ISHAAN PARMAR and RONNI HUSMANN Deputy News Editors Over 500 people participated in NYU College of Dentistry’s annual Oral Cancer Walk to raise money and awareness for research into oral cancer.

As part of Cancer Awareness Month, the walk had a goal of raising $30,000 for the NYU Oral Cancer Center. The walk began at the NYU College of Dentistry Building in the Gramercy Park area, participants then made a loop around the East Village and ended at a reception across from the dentistry building with donuts, pumpkin decorating and free cancer screenings.

Mainly caused by tobacco and alcohol, around 100,000 people in the U.S. live with oral cancer — about half of the number with invasive breast cancer or lung cancer. Many of those who participated in the walk said they felt it is lesser-talked about.

“This is part of what we do to in-

crease awareness,” College of Dentistry third-year Aniya Loia said. “It’s also for us to remember that for every time we see a patient, we have to be careful to look at all the details. We might be one of those practitioners who can stop cancer in the very beginning by being active about it and knowing what to look for.”

NYU Dentistry ‘11 alumnus Jean Paul Laurent participated in the walk because he feels invested in addressing oral cancer.

“As a former student, this is the first activity I did in the school, and since then I always participated in it,” Laurent said. “More importantly, during my trip to India I saw real cases of the impact of oral cancer [and so] I really wanted to stay involved with the issue.”

Diagnosing oral cancer at an early stage significantly increases five-year survival rates, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The Oral Cancer Foundation notes that when oral cancer is found in the early stages, chances of

survival range from 80 to 90%. However, if diagnosed at later stages — which a majority of cases are — then the death rate is about 43% at five years from diagnosis.

“We’ve had patients that have come in for [free screening, and] red flags have come up, so it really helps people [discover] if they have an illness,” Program Coordinator at NYU Dentistry Emily Wolschlag said.

The Oral Cancer Center hopes to use proceeds from the walk to add a wellness center to combat pre-surgery anxiety in patients. As the walk ended, money was still coming in.

Last year, the walk managed to raise the full $30,000.

“Each year, there are certain projects that the Oral Cancer Center would like to pursue to make the experience that patients have better,” Director of Student Affairs at NYU Dentistry Maya Ardon said.

Email Ishaan Parmar and Ronni Husmann at news@nyunews.com.

Criminal Trespassing On Oct. 1 at 11:06 p.m., a staff member at 4 Washington Square Village reported a criminal trespass. NYPD was called and escorted the person out without further incident. The case is open and under investigation.

Drug Law Violation On Sept. 27 at 4:46 p.m., Public Safety responded to a drug law violation allegation at Gramercy Green Residence Hall and recovered a small amount of marijuana.

The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Sept. 27 at 10 p.m., Public Safety responded to a drug law violation allegation at Othmer Residence Hall and recovered a small amount of marijuana. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Harassment On Sept. 27 at 2:20 p.m., a student reported being harassed while walking to and from campus on University Place. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

Larceny

Washington Square News

@nyunews

@nyunews

On Sept. 27 at 3:46 p.m., a student reported a missing wallet at the Genomics Building. The case is open and under investigation.

On Sept. 30 at 8:09 a.m., a student reported a missing backpack, laptop and credit card at the Starbucks at the Square. A police report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

On Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m., a student reported a missing phone, later found severely damaged at Bobst Library. An arrest was made and the case is open and under investigation.

On Oct. 1 at 11:19 a.m., a staff member at Carlyle Court Residence Hall reported a missing Roku stick. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Oct. 2 at 11:55 a.m., a student reported a missing flute at the Education Building. A police

report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

On Oct. 2 at 1:43 p.m., a student reported a missing bag and wallet at Weinstein Residence Hall. A police report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

On Oct. 2 at 6:03 p.m., a student reported a missing bike in front of Bobst. A police report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

Liquor Law Violation On Sept. 27 at 10:10 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession at Third Avenue North Residence Hall. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Sept. 27 at 10:21 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession at Third North. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Sept. 28 at 1:40 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession at Third North. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Sept. 28 at 2:40 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession at Third North. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Sept. 28 at 2:43 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession at Third North. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Sept. 29 at 11:10 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession at West 13th Hall. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Sept. 30 at 8:09 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession at Carlyle Court. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Oct. 2 at 11:45 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession at Third North. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Oct. 3 at 1:27 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession at Third North. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Email Crime Bot at news@nyunews.com.

RACHEL BUIGAS-LOPEZ | WSN

Washington Square News

4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

CULTURE

CULTURE@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by CAROL LEE

Fall in Love With These Long Weekend Activities tivities to take advantage of in between Netflix binges.

The New York Coffee Festival Metropolitan Pavilion 125 W 18th St., Flatiron District Oct. 11-13 $30 (group discounts available) Coffee snobs, rejoice! The New York Coffee Festival is coming to Chelsea this weekend, with vendors like Australian-inspired Bluestone Lane, beloved milk alternative Oatly and plant-based cafe The Butcher’s Daughter. Sample delicious cold brews, watch live latte art and get extra buzzed on coffee cocktails at this caffeine-fueled festival.

New Yorkers enjoy a sunny day in Central Park.

By LAUREN GRUBER Deputy Culture Editor With midterms starting to kick into gear, the impending long weekend is a

TALIA BARTON | WSN

chance for a much-needed break from the hectic rush of classes. For those of us too far away to go home over fall break, or who simply prefer to stay and enjoy the city, here are some seasonal ac-

Hit the Snooze and Get Breakfast Too

By DIVYA NELAKONDA Staff Writer We’ve all been there. You’re at your morning lecture and as the professor drones on, all you can think about is your empty stomach begging for a bagel. Or worse, the classroom is pin-drop silent as you take your midterm and suddenly, your stomach becomes a velociraptor, getting revenge on you for once again skipping breakfast in favor of a few extra minutes of sleep.

Even if you’re an early riser, there are bound to be days when you find yourself in a pinch, needing to grab something quick to eat on your commute to class or a quick bite outside your lecture hall. Ditch the Pop-Tarts and dining hall rush in favor of a healthy, simple breakfast. Yes, it’s possible.

Equipped with only a microwave, it might seem hopeless to try to concoct a quick breakfast in your dorm. But with a few simple ingredients and minimal planning, breakfast at home can be a no-brainer.

Overnight Oats Oatmeal is one of the most microwave and budget-friendly foods. But if you find that mornings can be so rushed that popping your oats in the microwave is too much of a hassle, preparing them the night before might be the way to go. Before you go to bed, mix quick oats and your choice of milk in a 2-to-1 ratio in a container.

To bulk it up and make it extra filling, add some supplementary ingredients: fruit, nut butter, protein powders, seeds, yogurt, you name it. Pop it in the fridge overnight, and in the morning, it’s all ready for you to eat before heading out the door, or if you’re lucky, during a very lenient professor’s class.

Eggs in a Mug For those who need their morning protein fix, eggs in a mug might be the way to go. With only an egg or two and a microwave-safe mug, you’ve got yourself a nutritious breakfast. Just whisk your eggs in a lightly greased mug and feel free to toss in cheese, vegetables or a splash of milk —

pretty much anything savory in your fridge will do. Eggs are the perfect blank canvas.

Before stirring the ingredients together, microwave for 30-45 seconds. Remove the mug, mix it all up and microwave a second time until the eggs are set. Who said you can’t make a hot, fresh meal in seconds?

Wraps Because a tortilla provides its own waste-free, portable container, it’s the perfect vessel for an on-the-go meal. If you’re looking for something savory, spread hummus on the tortilla before adding your choice of vegetables. Cherry tomatoes and spinach are easy because there’s no cutting required. If you have an extra second to elevate things, throw in some sliced avocado or melt cheese on the tortilla in the microwave before assembly. If you’re someone who likes to start the morning off with something sweet, fill your wrap with yogurt, fruits, nut butter, dark chocolate and/or granola.

Yogurt Parfait Individually-packaged yogurts come with their own bowl, so there are no dishes necessary in the making of this on-the-go breakfast. Whether you’re a Chobani or Trader Joe’s brand fan, there are plenty of flavors to satisfy different tastes. Keep a stash of protein granola, hemp seeds and chia seeds to sprinkle over the yogurt before leaving your room. Adding these will provide added nutrients while also giving your bites some extra crunch. On your way outside, grab a spoon from your dorm’s dining hall and you’re fully portable and ready to go. Pro tip — stack your yogurts on top of one another in the fridge to save room and leave space for your roommate.

Even when time is not on your side, it’s still possible to have something nutritious to look forward to in the morning. Stock up your fridge and pantry, as the cold morning weather and long nights of studying descend upon us and those extra seconds under the covers are worth savoring.

Email Divya Nelakonda at dining@nyunews.com.

Queens Annual Harvest Fest 43-50 Main St., Flushing Oct. 13, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. $15 As it turns out, you don’t need to leave New York City to go pumpkin picking!

Whip out those MetroCards and head

to the outer boroughs for the ultimate autumn experience. You can jam out to live music, savor seasonal treats, pick pumpkins and, most importantly, take plenty of Insta-worthy photos in your best fall fits.

Nature Walk in Central Park This weekend, ideally during golden hour.

Dress up in your coziest sweaters and break out those leather boots to admire the changing leaves in Manhattan’s vastest green space. Take out a rowboat, frolic in botanical gardens, pet all the dogs you can find and enjoy the plentiful photo ops. Bonus points for bringing along some hot apple cider and pumpkin spice sweets.

Rockefeller Center Ice Rink Opening 600 Fifth Ave., Midtown Oct. 12-14, 8:30 a.m. to midnight The ice rink at the famous Rockefeller

Center opens for the season this Saturday! Brave the crowds of Midtown and hit the rink while the cold weather is still at bay. Make it a date night where you can adorably struggle not to fall or bring along a group of friends to kick off what is arguably New York City’s best season.

Eat an Apple Cider Donut Bakeries all over the city When you’re feeling fall AF A rush of cinnamon sugar coats your tongue, followed by the cakey, apple-flavored bite of donut that melts in your mouth. For a moment, you close your eyes, envisioning a montage of autumn leaves, crisp air, cozy movie nights and Halloween memories. Bakeries like Doughnuttery, Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee and Carpe Donut have some especially delicious apple cider donuts. Ah, the sweet taste of fall.

Email Lauren Gruber at lgruber@nyunews.com.

The Case of Downstein’s Stolen Display Lemons ByTESSA KILCLINE Staff Writer Once upon a time, a bowl of lemons sat outside the entrance to Downstein. One by one, the lemons vanished at the hands of hungry NYU students. Soon, a “for display only” sign popped up next to the replenished bowl.

The bowl emptied again.

The lemons were swapped out with limes, likely under the assumption that students would not want limes as much as lemons. This strategy did not work.

The situation escalated.

One day, the usual bowl of citrus had been replaced by a bowl of large, yellow squashes. A couple of days later, it was bell peppers and strange, questionable black gourds. Nobody would want to take those, right?

Wrong. A student stood in the Weinstein lobby with a Downstein to-go box, and perched atop it was — you guessed it — a black gourd.

In the short month and a half of the fall semester, the Downstein food display has become a running joke among those who regularly eat at the dining hall. Stern first-year Rachel

Liu’s friend group is in on the joke.

“I saw the escalation from the display,” Liu said. “Every time I would go to Downstein, there would just be a chunk missing from the nice pyramid. It looked like the freaking Apple symbol, with a chunk taken out of the apple.”

Liberal Studies first-year Mika Struhl fondly remembers the first time she saw the display before the “for display only” sign showed up.

“The first time I noticed the lemons, they were just sitting there,” Struhl said. “It was a really neat display and I was like, ‘oh, they’re beautiful.’”

She began to slip them into her pockets, backpack and friends’ purses so she could make lemon water in her dorm room. Then the prohibitive sign showed up — a dramatic turn of events.

“I was broken from [the lemons] because it said, ‘for display only,’ but I had to be with them,” Struhl said. “This is a Romeo and Juliet kind of story.”

What began as a typical NYU student’s quest to get her hands on whatever free food she came across grew into more than that.

TALIA BARTON | WSN

A fruit display outside Downstein. Since the start of the semester, students have stolen the various fruits and veggies situated beside the “for display only” sign.

“I’m going to take free food even if it’s just lemons,” Liu said. “But then the ‘for display only’ sign was a declaration of war.”

Both Liu and Struhl held stolen lemons in their hands as they reflected on the fruits of their labor.

Struhl took breaks to sniff the lemon as Liu talked.

“It isn’t just like your regular scent, it’s pure from the fruit,” Struhl said. “You can’t get this scent without the lemon, and the stolen part just enhances it.”

This is all in good fun, Liu was quick to clarify. And it’s not just her friend group who steals food from the display.

“Please don’t come after us,” she said.

While Struhl takes each new food item as a challenge, she also doubts the sincerity of NYU Eats’ “for display only” sign.

“They’re putting them out, and they keep restocking it, and they know they’re going to be stolen,” Struhl said. “So this clearly isn’t that much of an issue. It’s ‘for display only,’ but is it? Because they keep restocking them when I steal them.”

In the meantime, Downstein has gone back to displaying lemons and limes, which might be taken as a sign of surrender in the ongoing food war. Struhl said she hopes they will update the display for the seasons.

She is looking forward to Halloween because she thinks they will put out pumpkins — which she will definitely steal.

One can only imagine the reactions of the NYU Eats employees behind the scenes, but hopefully, they get as much of a laugh out of the war as the students do.

“When life gives you lemons for display only,” Struhl said, “take them to display in your room.”

Email Tessa Kilcline at dining@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Culture

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

5

I Tried Butt-Skincare so You Don’t Have To

By BELLA GIL Beauty & Style Editor It seems like you can’t walk down the street or open an app on your phone without seeing at least one ad for the latest skincare item. In 2019, these items aren’t just for your face. Butt, breast and even vaginal skincare have made their way into the current self-care conversation.

And honestly, their marketing is working — at least for me. Every time I see one of these ads I just get more and more intrigued. “Should I be taking care of these areas?” I start thinking to myself. “Why am I getting this ad? Why is this boob scrub literally $40?”

The one that stuck out most to me, however, was the butt care. Personally, I love my butt. Like, a lot. I always want the best for it, and I know it also wants the best for me. I caved in about a year ago and purchased anese’s That booty tho. butt scrub.

Butt skincare: is it really that hard of a concept to understand? When I told people I was doing this article, half of them said, “Ew, why?” and the other half said, “Oh my God, please send me the link when you’re done.” These conversations made me think there are two types of butts: the perfect one that needs no maintenance and the other one — the one that could benefit from a little care now and then.

I first bought the anese scrub because I kept noticing random blemishes on my butt. I’m not ashamed! It can happen to anyone, and I wanted them gone ASAP.

After shelling out almost $30, I sheepishly picked up my package from my dorm’s resource center with its “THAT BOOTY THO” sticker emblazoned across the box.

The verdict? I loved the scrub, but only after a while. I found it so hilarious — and fun — to just stand in the shower and rub my butt for a minute straight. It cleared up my blemishes and made my tush so soft it didn’t even feel real. I initially used it everyday then only used it periodically when I felt like I needed to.

But I didn’t love everything about it.

It smelled weird. Plus, it was advertised as being made from walnuts, an ingredient known to be abrasive to the skin. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good. It was also pretty expensive, although it was the cheapest of the butt products offered on the website.

Furthering my butt-care adventures, I recently stopped at Lush to see what they had to offer for my backside. The employee instantly sat me down and brought out a couple of items for me to try.

The ones that stood out to me the most (and the ones I left the store with) were Buffy, a scrubbing body butter bar, and Rump, a “cheeky balm,” which is basically a moisturizer specifically for your butt.

After using Buffy once, I was hooked.

Formerly known as Buffy the Backside Slayer, the Lush employee told me this was initially advertised as another booty scrub, but is now advertised as an entire-body scrub.

Unlike anese, the results from Buffy were immediate. Just using this bar one time had the same effect as using That

TOMER KEYSAR | WSN

Butt masks on display at Lush Cosmetics.

booty tho. for weeks.

Rump, which I was advised to apply after showering and using Buffy, was not entirely a lotion or body butter but had a consistency that reminded me of a paste or pomade. It paired perfectly with the scrub bar and definitely locked in moisture on my cheeks and thighs, not only leaving my butt so soft but so smooth as well.

Both Buffy and Rump were around $12, so for less than the price of That booty tho. alone, I got two products

that I liked even better. But I’m not entirely swearing off anese — I still love my butt scrub, and they also sell butt masks and butt oil, which I am not entirely opposed to trying.

If I did have to limit myself to one anese product, I’d buy the scrub, not only because it is cheaper, but because I think that you don’t really need to buy the mask along with it. Ultimately, if you want more bang for your buck and butt, I’d go with Lush.

Overall, I think the care and nourish-

ment of your butt is important, but not a necessity. It serves as a nice extra step in taking a little more care of your body that’s also pretty fun at the same time. As a little girl, I never thought in my womanhood that I’d be practicing butt self-care, but now that I am, I can’t really imagine not doing it. And who knows? Maybe it’ll become a norm in the future. You can scrub a floor, your face and your dishes.

Why not your butt, too?

Email Bella Gil at bgil@nyunews.com.

Savannah Mota’s Sun-Conscious Skincare Routine

By GABY BALDOVINO Staff Writer

VIA PEXELS

Let’s Face It is a series where people share their beauty and skincare holy grail essentials.

Arizona native and CAS first-year Savannah Mota is used to the scorching heat of the Southwest and having to ensure her skin-care is SPF-protected.

Throughout her childhood, Savannah enjoyed experimenting with her mom’s face masks and makeup. Now a student at NYU, Savannah is working toward a career in dermatology or plastic surgery.

“What got me really interested in skincare were the Dr. Pimple Popper videos,” Mota said. “I was thinking to myself, ‘Wow, what a fun job to have!’ and then I actually did research on it, and now I’m here.”

Even after trading the hot and dry climate of the desert for the unpredictable temperatures of the city, Savannah has stayed loyal to her favorite brand: Milk Makeup. To start off the day, Savannah uses the Matcha Cleanser from Milk, preferring the solid texture to its liquid or gel counterparts. She finds it easier to control and likes how she doesn’t have to touch her face with dirty hands.

Next, she follows up with the Matcha Toner from Milk and the Eucerin Daily Hydration Lotion for moisturizer. On treat yourself days, Savannah’s favorite sheet masks are the Celavi Collagen Face Masks, which are available on Amazon for a budget-friendly price of $8.49 for a 10-pack.

When getting ready for class, Savannah starts her makeup routine with Sunshine Skin Tint foundation from — you guessed it — Milk Makeup.

“I’ve probably re-bought this foundation like five times. I’m obsessed! The application is really easy,

and it [has] SPF, which is really important in Arizona but not so much here,” she said.

The next steps to her routine are the Flex Concealer and Blur + Set Matte Loose Setting Powder, both from Milk Makeup. Even though it’s not onbrand, Savannah raves about Pixi Beauty’s Fresh Face Blush, deeming it the “best thing she’s ever used in her life.”

Lastly, she uses any mascara on hand and brushes her eyebrows out before heading off to a General Chemistry or Biology lecture.

For those who are still struggling with skincare, Savannah advises remaining optimistic and sticking to your routine.

“You could be using the best products on the market, but hormones and genetics have a lot to do with it,” she said.

If it is an option, Savannah recommends going on birth control to reign in hormones and reduce acne. Still, even simple lifestyle changes such as working out and drinking water regularly will make a huge difference.

Additionally, Savannah says that it’s never too late to take extra steps to start anti-aging, including using products with SPF and moisturizing often.

Even though Savannah vows to branch out a bit from Milk, she insists that it’s best to find a brand of skincare or makeup that you really trust, as its products will all have similar ingredients and your skin will get used to them easily. So all of you Glossier loyalists can rest easy; if your routine is working for you, don’t worry about changing it.

Email Gaby Baldovino at bstyle@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News

6

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

ARTS

ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by CLAIRE FISHMAN

‘Stupid F-cking Bird’ Soars in Its Reinvention of a Chekhov Classic

PHOTO COURTESY OF ART OF WARR PRODUCTIONS

Maia Guest as Emma comforts Con, played by Blake Merriman, during a scene in “Stupid F-cking Bird.”

By JULIE GOLDBERG Books & Theater Editor “The play begins when someone says, ‘Start the f-cking play,’” the show’s protagonist, Con (Blake Merriman), shouts as he walks through the audience.

This is how “Stupid F-cking Bird” opens. Luckily, one woman in the 65seat venue yells back, or it would have been a long two hours and 40 minutes.

Award-winning playwright Aaron Posner’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” premiered in 2013 at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., and has since been produced by com-

panies across the nation. Now Art of Warr Productions is presenting “Stupid F-cking Bird” in a limited engagement run at the 13th Street Repertory Theatre.

You need not be familiar with “The Seagull” to enjoy or appreciate “Stupid F-cking Bird.” And if you have seen Chekhov’s work, you will f ind that Posner does not venture far from the source text in terms of plot, but rather explores the Russian writer’s thematic concerns in a contemporary context.

“Stupid F-cking Bird” is a story of a struggling playwright, Con, who feels unloved by his mother, Emma (Maia Guest), a successful actress,

and suspects his girlfriend Nina ( Gallatin graduate Julia Blanchard) is more interested in Emma’s famous novelist boyfriend than she is in him.

In the f irst act, Con premieres his “site-specif ic performance event,” titled “Here I Am,” featuring aspiring actress Nina as its star, to his friends and family.

His two best friends are Dev (Brendan Ellis) and Mash (Alexandra Morton), a lovable dork and a downhearted fatalist.

When Dev asks Mash what a “performance event” even is, she says, “It’s kind of like a play but not so stupid.

No one’s pretending to be someone else. They say things and do things, or

whatever, but they’re not pretending to be, you know, Bob and Trudie, like f-cking f ive year olds playing house.”

It is indeed a commentary on the very play they are in. In Posner’s work, the actors are vessels for storytelling, and repeatedly acknowledge that they are in a “play, or whatever this is” through Brechtian fourth wall breaks.

At the beginning of each scene, an actor will step forth and announce the time, setting and general circumstances of said scene. “Two nights later, drinking and eating pie — pie that I f-cking made,” says Mash in act one.

Under Joshua Warr’s direction, the players manage to maintain their status as actors-telling-a-story, somewhat removed from the interior life of their character, while also allowing for intervals of emotional honesty and vulnerability; moments of ironic distance are tempered by scenes of stunning realism.

The f irst act ends in an off-stage gunshot: Con’s suicide attempt. In the second act, he will say to the audience, “The only thing worse than trying to kill yourself and failing is having to talk to your mother after trying to kill yourself and failing.”

Thus follows a confrontational scene between Con and Emma in which both actors deliver stellar performances. It is the most naturalistic scene of the play — devoid of Brechtian devices or quippy asides — and it delivers an emotional punch. As audience members, we get to sink into our voyeurism, our suspension of disbelief left intact, for just a few moments.

The third act jumps ahead four years and begins with Dev giving the audience a recap of what we’ve missed. “Stupid F-cking Bird” allows us to see the full scope of each character’s life; even as they narrate their own deaths, and the distinction between actor and character is continu-

ally emphasized, we become invested in their stories.

Each character is, in some way, miserable. Morton expresses her melancholy — mainly over her unreturned affections for Con — in each act with a little tune on her acoustic guitar.

“Life is a muddle, life is a chore,” she sings. “Life is a burden, life is a bore.”

It is a play about unrequited love.

But it is also a play about the inexorable passage of time, about feeling like an actor in one’s one life, and about the state of theater, and art in general, in the 21st century.

The actors discuss these topics on stage — “if this wasn’t a deconstruction of a classic, we wouldn’t be here right now,” Con says — and thus invite the audience members to reflect as well.

Costume designer Todd Trosclair tells a story with each ensemble in this play. Con is immediately recognizable as kooky playwright, his pants, shirt and jacket all bedecked in slightly different variations of rainbow-colored vertical stripes.

Emma’s outf its were a particular highlight — in a scene set in the middle of the night, she walks onstage in royal blue silk pajamas and kitten heels.

“Stupid F-cking Bird” promises no happy endings, no stories tied up with a bow. Con cries, “Where is the catharsis!” He peers under set pieces and even calls backstage, “We didn’t forget to bring it, did we?”

And yet the play ends on an open-ended, potentially optimistic note, with Merriman holding a gun to his head and screaming, “Stop the f-cking play.”

“Stupid F-cking Bird” is on rep. through Oct. 27 at the 13th Street Repertory Theater, 50 W. 13th St. Email Julie Goldberg at jgoldberg@nyunews.com.

‘Joker’: A Mesmerizing Making-a-Murderer Tale

By NYSSA JOSEPH Contributing Writer It seemed that Heath Ledger’s famous performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight Rises” would remain unmatched forever. Ledger’s take on the character cast a shadow on any who dared take on the role after him, and after Jared Leto’s disastrous rendition of the character in “Suicide Squad,” it seemed that all successors were simply doomed to fail.

But behold, the curse has been lifted. Joaquin Phoenix bespeaks to be able to do what no other has been able to until now: prove to be Batman’s worthy adversary.

Directed by Todd Phillips, the thriller-drama “Joker” tells the origin story of Batman’s most notorious rival, who is now named Arthur Fleck. As an outcast who suffers from a multitude of illnesses and disorders, Arthur finds himself the con-

stant punchline of society’s jokes and degradation. Following failure after failure, the once-tame aspiring stand-up comedian soon transforms into his infamous alter ego. The film chronicles the Joker’s “Making a Murderer-”esque journey. It again brings to light the centuries-old question: are monsters born, or created by the world around them? As the systemically oppressive city of Gotham erupts into a chaotic and polarizing riot between the entrenched elite and the downtrodden “jokers,” the answer to that question suddenly becomes a lot less ambiguous.

Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is captivating and at times heart-wrenching. Casting such a nefarious character in a pitiful light requires precise execution.

Notwithstanding the maniacal laughter, Phoenix somehow manages to pull at the heartstrings. Nevertheless, the

ultimately violent and disturbing fate that awaits Arthur Fleck is one that even Phoenix’s mesmerizing performance could not make palatable.

While the dark tone of “Joker” is not foreign to the Batman franchise, the uncensored violent and serious themes of the film are certainly untapped reservoirs.

It is the first live-action Batman film to receive an R-rating. Laced with heavy subjects including abuse, violence and mental illness, the intensity of “Joker” is no laughing matter.

“Joker” develops the idiosyncrasies of a villain typically presented as transparent. With the ability to captivate any predisposed anti-Joker audience member, Todd Phillips’s thriller will leave all awaiting the character’s next appearance.

Email Nyssa Joseph at film@nyunews.com.

VIA TWITTER

Joker, a psychological thriller, was released in theaters on Oct. 4.

Washington Square News | Arts

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

7

Album Art Provides a Snapshot of Artists’ Personalities

By IZZY SALAS Staff Writer

VIA TWITTER

Tame Impala’s 2015 album “Currents.”

Niall Horan Matures With New Single ‘Nice To Meet Ya’

By CLAIRE JONES Contributing Writer Niall Horan teased his upcoming album by releasing the first single, “Nice To Meet Ya,” last week. A fresh sound for the artist, the song shows that the former One Direction member has left his boyband pop roots behind in favor of a more rock-like sound.

The song begins with just a piano and a simple beat, but Horan’s deep-voiced leadin turns the mood seductive. The second verse brings in an electric guitar and a more upbeat tone, blurring the line between romantic rhythm and energetic rock.

The song tells the story about Horan’s desire to be with the girl who always leaves the morning after the two are together. He suggests he wants more, even going as far as saying he’d tattoo her number on his arm, but the girl continues to leave.

Album art is the face of music. It is a visual representation of what’s inside an album. It isn’t always as on the nose as the Beatles strutting across Abbey Road on a beautiful London day. Sometimes, it’s the duo from Hall & Oates staring deeply into each other’s eyes and covered in sweat in an intense close-up, like on “H2O.” Other times, it’s abstract, like Tame Impala’s “Currents,” which depicts a silver ball being pulled through a psychedelic pool of purple stripes.

“Bad album art doesn’t give me a sense of what the album is going to sound like,” Steinhardt sophomore Sidney Kissane said.

CAS sophomore Rachel Kirkham criticized a lack of creativity with albums that simply showcase the musician themselves without any sort of artistic statement.

“Honestly, I hate album covers with basic pictures of the artist,” Kirkham said.

“I like to see the artist name and album title in a small section of the cover so we know exactly who it is, but that should not be the overarching focus.”

If a lack of artistic intention makes bad album art, Kirkham thinks good album art must be thoughtful and encour-

age reflection.

“There should be artistic intention that is not obvious but also not impossible to understand,” Kirkham said. “Something that relates or is meaningful to the artist as a whole or in the creation of the album in particular.”

Kissane offered the example that sometimes good album art helps enhance the sounds and themes of an album, noting the example of Paramore’s “After Laughter,” an upbeat-sounding album with melancholy undertones. The cover is a pastel and neon collage of shapes and objects like a mirror and the edges of pages.

“If I’m torn between two records that I want and I like both of their music the same, I’m more likely to go with the one that has better cover art,” Kissane said.

“I don’t think that a bad album cover can break an album, but it can definitely make an album.”

CAS junior Daniel Cienava said his favorite album art is the picture that appears on the cover of indie rock band Beach House’s self-titled album. The album, whose cover features a picture of the roof of band frontman Dustin Payseur’s parent’s porch, was an independent project created entirely by Payseur himself.

“It really exemplifies the whole DIY culture surrounding their first album,”

Cienava said. “It’s really fitting when you have this simple yet robust picture that kind of compliments the entire album being solely homemade. It kind of harkens back to the whole idea of a homemade album by taking a picture from one’s home and using that as the cover.”

Vinyl’s resurgence has increased attention to cover art, since many collectors choose which records to buy based on how they look aesthetically.

“When browsing for vinyl, all I look into is album art,” Kirkham said. “If I am going in blind, the art brings the initial attraction to the music.”

Though the avenues the public use to consume music continue to evolve, album art remains an integral component.

“The music platforms we use now, like Spotify, showcase album art,” CAS sophomore Helena Dahl said. “The relationship between the art and the music plays a major role in the album’s attractiveness.”

Music can be independent and purely auditory, but good album art can enhance the album and make it transcend music — it can become a visual representation of an artist’s sound and personality.

“It can elicit emotions in a similar way that the album itself does,” Kissane said.

Email Izzy Salas at music@nyunews.com.

‘Easter Snap’ Is What Nonfiction Films Should Strive to Be

While the beats and tone of the song are pleasant and unlike anything else Horan has released as a solo artist, the lyrics are repetitive. His first verse is exactly the same as his third, making the song feel like a loop.

As a representation of the cycle that Horan goes through with the girl, it somewhat makes sense, but more imaginative lyricism would have done worlds for the song.

The song contains the classic elements of a pop song — upbeat and repetitive, with a tendency to get stuck in your head.

Yet the rock undertones and deep vocals allow it to stand out against other recent hits.

The lyrics aren’t that clever or original, but the song itself is fun enough to listen to. It leaves a decent feeling of optimism for Horan’s upcoming album and cements a new style for the artist.

Email Claire Jones at music@nyunews.com.

VIA FIELD OF VISION

A still from Easter Snap, directed by Oscar nominee RaMell Ross.

By NICHOLAS PABON Contributing Writer

VIA TWITTER

Former One Direction member Niall Horan released a new single, “Nice to Meet Ya” on Oct. 4.

“Easter Snap” is not a normal documentary; there is no narration and it isn’t explicitly informative.

No, “Easter Snap” is hardly a documentary at all — it is a piece of visual art, rather than a narrative one.

It has more in common with a painting than with any other type of film, and what a beautiful painting it is.

Everything in this short film works beautifully. RaMell Ross’s camera work is, quite frankly, gorgeous.

It is delicate and deliberate while simultaneously direct and honest.

He switches seamlessly from wide, stationary shots to close-up, claustrophobic ones, most of which are

framed rather indirectly, focusing on a particular detail of the scene.

The film’s subjects — five Alabama men who are processing a slaughtered hog on a homestead — never acknowledge the presence of the camera, giving the viewer a sense of detachment until, in one scene, one of the men falls down on his back, at which point Ross leaves the camera rolling but sets it on the ground to go help the man up. By leaving those few moments in the final edit, Ross pulls the viewer straight into the world he is filming.

We are reminded that Ross is present, though the men never acknowledge him, and that he is an outsider, just as we are, which links us to the scene and places us into his shoes.

Despite the fact that the subjects of “Easter Snap” are shown processing a hog, it is important to note that the film is not what most would consider gory. It does not take place in a slaughterhouse and the animal is already dead when the film opens.

It sounds off-putting, and perhaps it is to some extent, but that is also its point: to shine a light on a way of life that is at once proximate and distant from our own. If you are able to stomach it, then there is no reason to miss out on this film, especially given its short length and the fact that Ross has allowed it to be streamed for free online.

Email Nicholas Pabon at film@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News

8

OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

OPINION

Edited by COLE STALLONE and ABBY HOFSTETTER

MEDIA

Paywalls Contribute to the Gatekeeping of Information

By ALEXANDRA CHAN Staff Writer It’s the eternal struggle of trying to read The New York Times online. One article, three articles, five articles, then you hit a paywall, prompting you to buy a subscription to read further. As of 2018, this is the case for 78% of U.S. media, including The Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. For organizations whose purpose is to inform the public, this elitist gate-

keeping of information can have consequences. Paywalls hinder the accessibility of journalism and the ability of the public to stay informed.

James Hamilton, Professor of Communications at Stanford University noticed during research that prominent media organizations do not serve lower-income consumers — they target an affluent white audience. Sarah Alvarez, a senior producer for State of Opportunity — which focuses on how poverty shapes the lives of local families — notes that for-profit news organizations’ coverage is mostly “aimed at people with a ton of economic resources.” Lower-income individuals consume media at comparable rates with higher-income individuals, yet objective journalism remains inaccessible.

When prominent media organizations hide their content behind pay-

walls, it obstructs lower-income people who can’t consistently afford to subscribe.The Times of London adopted a hard digital paywall in 2010. The Guardian then welcomed the four million lost readers from the Times, citing a “belief in open internet.” Buzzfeed’s Jonah Peretti argued that paywalls “don’t support the broad public,” where while paywalls may serve as a business model, they encourage good journalism to be limited to the elite. Students also need credible sources to be responsible about the information we consume and the arguments we write, hopefully without needing to be frustratingly conscious of how many free articles we have left to use.

Paywalls might be necessary for small media companies that need the money to sustain their content and staff. But mega corporations such as the Washing-

ton Post, which is owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — with a net worth of $108.4 billion — can definitely do without them. As of June 2019, The New York Times is worth over $5.6 billion, and Mark Thompson, the CEO of The New York Times Company, is worth at least $23 million. Yet both the Times and the Post, which arguably set the standard for the rest of the industry, have paywalls. The profiteering mindset of the corporate side of journalism has been demonstrated by the thousands of layoffs in recent years. News sites track our IP addresses to make sure we can’t cheat them for more free articles — because someone looking for information will definitely make a serious dent in billions of dollars of company profits if they read more than five free online articles a month.

The paywall business model is prof-

itable, but news organizations have a responsibility to the public they’re meant to inform. To be active and informed participants of the world, we need to be able to consume information consistently and openly. Financial status should not be the gate that keeps people from receiving information. People of lower income have no less of a right to be informed than people of higher income. Mega media corporations led by billionaires can afford to prioritize their readers, and their powerful owners need to take responsibility for their vital part in the dissemination of information for the general public. Let journalism exist for its original purpose: to inform the public of what’s important, not for lining the pockets of the rich.

Email Alexandra Chan at opinion@nyunews.com.

POLITICS

The Battle for LGBTQ Rights Is Far From Over

By EMILY DAI Contributing Writer The Supreme Court is kicking off its new term this Tuesday with three monumental cases that could alter the direction of the LGBTQ rights movement.

Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda, Bostock v.

Clayton County and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission each ask whether gay and transgender people should be protected from workplace discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As these cases are the first regarding LGBTQ rights under a newly conservative Supreme Court, the outcome will not only determine what millions of Americans endure in the workplace, but also the court’s precedent for

other civil rights cases going forward.

Unlike an earlier LGBTQ rights ruling, this trio of cases will strictly be decided on how the justices interpret the Civil Rights Act rather than the Constitution.

The Civil Rights Act bars employment discrimination on the basis of sex; the plaintiffs in these upcoming cases argue that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is indistinguishable from discrimination on the basis of sex. However, several judges have not been convinced by this argument. Judge Diane Sykes on the Seventh Circuit ruled that sex in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 referred to nothing more than the two biological sexes, and that discrimination based on sexual orientation stems from bias that is fundamentally different than the type that produces sex discrimination. With Justice Anthony Kennedy — who penned Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark case that established the right for same-sex couples to marry — off the court, it is highly improbable that the pivotal fifth vote to protect LGBTQ rights still exists. While the court’s decisions will be a product of its ideological leaning, these cases also highlight larger issues with the

LGBTQ rights movement as a whole.

The LGBTQ rights movement was born during an era of anti-establishment politics, and it often co-opted radical language and ideology from concurrent leftist movements. It was only once the movement shed its more radical politics in favor of positions and policy that were deemed more palatable by the general public — such as the right to marry — that the fight for LGBTQ rights became more mainstream. There were many benefits to shifting strategies: marriage is a tangible form of state recognition that gives same-sex couples access to over 1,000 laws that benefit only married people. While people can clearly see same-sex couples denied the right to marry, it is much more difficult for people to grasp abstract ideas such as societal ostracization and the absence of protections. But as a consequence, the public face of the LGBTQ rights movement became single-issue and stopped emphasizing the struggle against other organized structures of identity-based discrimination.

Now we’re here, with the future of the LGBTQ rights movement on the line. Despite the massive consequences

these decisions could have, some still argue that the American LGBTQ rights movement has essentially ended. A small study of same-sex couples found that the right to marry has made organizing for other struggles seem like less of a priority. Because of the LGBTQ movement’s heavy focus on same-sex marriage, when Obergefell was decided, many commentators said the fight for LGBTQ rights was no longer a priority.

While the right to marry gives many the right to express who they love, it says nothing about the right to express who they are. The trans community has been notably excluded from the benefits of the Supreme Court ruling, as well as from the LGBTQ community as a whole. An acknowledgement of the dangers the trans community face is especially important at a time when their rights are under attack by the Trump administration.

Whether it be a rollback of protections against discrimination or the appointment of judges with anti-trans records, Trump has actively contributed to the erosion of trans rights. But this isn’t the only struggle that still needs to be fought.

Roughly half of Americans believe

there are already federal laws in place that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation; there aren’t. The Pew Research Center found that majorities of people in both political parties now hold that homosexuality should be accepted by society. As James Kirchick at the Brookings Institution, a public policy think tank, put it, “America is rapidly becoming a post-gay country,” and that modern concerns about homophobia are simply “hysteria.”

While public opinion may have shifted to be more accepting, many institutional barriers still exist to oppress LGBTQ people. Men who have had sex with other men in the last 12 months are still prohibited from giving blood.

Seven states still retain laws that mandate an anti-LGBTQ curriculum in public schools. Antiquated sodomy laws are still used to discriminate against LGBTQ people. These three cases are a reminder that LGBTQ rights are still murky, and the legal landscape is still failing LGBTQ people across the U.S. Email Emily Dai at opinion@nyunews.com.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

Internships Have Become Intimidation Tactics

By NEIL DITTRICH Contributing Writer The search for summer internships is underway, and I have found myself constantly overwhelmed by the exaggeration

of success on the part of fellow college students in career discussion. There seems to be a lot of talk about “where I interned this past summer” as a display of dominance and superiority. We have begun to use internship experience as a way of signaling our standing in the college hierarchy.

The intimidation that ensues from someone making you feel small due to their apparent brilliance contributes to a cycle. We become intimidated, so we intimidate others to make ourselves feel better about our professional prowess.

We come to focus more on talking about

the magnificence of the companies we intern for than the internships themselves.

It seems that it is more important to be arrogant than simply content with an internship experience.

Don’t get me wrong — internships are important and it’s good to feel proud of your accomplishments. But humility is key. The problem begins when we allow the over-glorification of our juvenile accomplishments to overshadow our peers’. The intern’s job is not the epicenter of the company. Yet, in many discussions, we talk about our internships as though we were leading an or-

ganization for a summer. It seems that the purpose of talking like this is to make ourselves stand out from the thousands of others who had virtually the same experience as us.

People have a natural survival instinct that makes us do whatever it takes to not be at the bottom of the food chain. By exaggerating about our internships, we exercise power over our peers; though our successes may be artificial, we use them to establish both dominance and distinction. What follows is a never-ending cycle of inferiority — which is entirely unnecessary, as we’re only feeling infe-

rior to those who have exaggerated their own successes.

We begin to define our own successes in comparison to others’, thus diminishing our own achievements. This is what I see and experience as I attempt to build on my own success. It is important that we don’t buy into the hype of talking a big game about our success. Don’t exaggerate your internships merely for the benefit of sounding impressive — your veil of superiority is unnecessary.

Email Neil Dittrich at opinion@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Opinion

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

9

GOVERNMENT

DNA Collection Program Demonizes Migrants STAFF EDITORIAL

By JUN SUNG Deputy Opinion Editor Soon, U.S. immigration off icials will be allowed to start collecting DNA samples of detained migrants. Supporters of this argue that the program is necessary to f ind people posing as families and perpetrators of violent crimes. In reality, it violates the fundamental human rights of migrants and further perpetuates the U.S. surveillance state. Americans must be aware of this issue and f ight against the demonization of undocumented immigrants.

The new DNA collection program assumes migrants are criminals. In fact, the FBI program that the immigration policy builds upon is for individuals who have been arrested or charged in connection with serious crimes. The U.S. government clearly holds the view that immigration is directly linked to lawbreaking. According to the Marshall Project, however, there is no evidence that undocumented immigrants commit more crimes. Additionally, a Cato Institute report found that native-born residents of Texas commit more crime than undocumented immigrants in the state.

Considering President Donald Trump’s racist and xenophobic rhetoric, it is unsurprising that his administration holds this unfounded position. This presupposition of criminality is unconstitutional and breaks the basic democratic principle that one is innocent until proven guilty.

It is important to recognize that the notion of DNA testing being infallible is false as well. In some instances, DNA results have shown to lead to wrong conclusions. One crime laboratory in Houston was found to be continually misinterpreting samples. In another case, a wrongful charge came from foreign DNA that ended up on a victim’s f ingernails. There are obvious issues with DNA testing and it should not be considered a foolproof method. The U.S. government’s argument that DNA collection is necessary fails to recognize this fact.

The new program also changes the basic premises for the procedure. Rather than focusing on investigating and solving crime, it shifts the focus of law enforcement to mass surveillance. The National Security Agency’s post-9/11 history of population surveillance shows that a possible future of genetic surveillance in the United States is not a far-fetched idea. It is also important to note that genetic information of any individual is linked to their family members. The program could lead to a slippery slope where sensitive biological information of both citizens and noncitizens is used for discriminatory practices in school admission and travel.

Americans must recognize that this DNA collection policy demonizes undocumented immigrants and fails to solve the problem that it targets. The program may lead to mass surveillance of both undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens.

NYU Is Neglecting Students’ Health With Dining Hall Failures On Tuesday, WSN reported that Palladium Food Court had failed a health inspection. The inspection, conducted by New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, found that Palladium had committed four different health code violations, three of which were critical. The violations — which included keeping cold food items at over 41 degrees Fahrenheit, cooling food using an unapproved method, the discovery of f ilth flies in the facility and the possibility for vermin such as rats and mice to enter the dining hall — were found when Palladium was subject to a reinspection after failing an inspection in early September. NYU had not informed its students of the health risks involved with eating at Palladium; prior to Tuesday, the only indication that Palladium was unsafe to eat at was a small “Grade Pending” sign from the DOHMH hanging outside the dining hall. It was only once WSN broke the news that NYU issued a statement on the health violations, along with a letter from NYU’s new dining provider, Chartwells, acknowledging the situation and apologizing for the poor grade.

But it should not have been responsibility of journalists to break the news that Palladium failed a health inspection. The health of the entire NYU community was put at risk by Palladium’s health code violations. Why didn’t NYU immediately inform its community of potential health risks on campus?

Though using an unapproved cooling method may not seem as egregious an error as rat droppings in food — as the DOHMH found at Lipton Dining Hall in 2017 — it is perhaps just as dangerous. When food is held at temperatures between

41 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes a breeding ground for hazardous bacteria. In 2015, meat held at too low a temperature caused a norovirus outbreak at a Boston Chipotle, infecting over 80 college students.

Filth flies are incredibly dangerous to food safety — they have been known to spread food poisoning and dysentery. To eat, the flies regurgitate the contents of their stomachs onto nearby food to liquefy it before reingesting; to defecate.

Palladium’s errors were preventable and f ixable — in 2016, a Midtown Chick-f il-A was found to have made almost the exact same violations. The Chick-f il-A voluntarily closed for a week, during which it upgraded its facilities and equipment and hired a consultant to independently evaluate the improvements. Until Palladium is deemed safe by the DOHMH, it should not be open to students — if we cannot conf irm that it is safe to eat there, we should not be allowed to eat there. But not only has Palladium remained open, NYU has also made no visible strides toward improving its facilities.

The timing of these health violations is particularly ironic. NYU began its contract with Chartwells only a matter of months ago. The university began reevaluating its contract with its previous provider, Aramark, after Lipton’s 2017 health violation.

NYU claimed that Aramark had never told them about the failure, and f ired Lipton’s manager in response.

However, Chartwells’ response to Palladium’s failure has uncanny parallels to Aramark’s: in a statement apologizing for the poor grade, Chartwells and NYU Eats executives claimed that most of the violations were from the flies, which they said

were at Palladium before Chartwells began its tenure. By refusing to claim responsibility for their own shortcomings, Chartwells has indicated that they are true successors to Aramark’s problematic legacy.

There is always the chance that NYU simply didn’t know about the situation at Palladium; when Lipton failed its inspection, the university was kept in the dark until WSN broke the story. But if this is the case, it means that when the university ended its contract with Aramark, it made the wrong choice with Chartwells. Though NYU may have saved face by changing dining providers, nothing below the surface has changed.

NYU is not exactly known for being open with its students. On multiple occasions, students’ requests for transparency from the administration have been rejected, sidestepped and ignored. It should not come as a surprise that when NYU fell short of expectations this time, they opted to keep their students in the dark instead of informing them. But this forces us to ask what would have happened to both Lipton and Palladium if WSN had never reported on their health code violations. Would NYU have ever owned up to their mistakes, or would they have simply corrected the errors and hoped they went unnoticed?

Why have we, as a community, accepted that NYU will not tell us when it fails? We aren’t surprised that NYU didn’t take action until being forced to reckon with bad press, but this should not be the norm. We deserve to know about health risks on campus, and by neglecting to inform us of them, NYU has chosen to preserve their reputation over protecting their students’ safety.

Email the Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

COLE STALLONE Chair ABBY HOFSTETTER Chair JUN SUNG Co-Chair

Email Jun Sung at jsung@nyunews.com.

Submitting to

SEND MAIL TO: 75 THIRD AVE. #SB07, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10003 OR EMAIL: OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title. WSN does not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

Washington Square News

10

SPORTS

SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

NYU Hockey Opens Quest for Redemption With Win

JULIA MCNEILL | WSN

The NYU Men’s Hockey team played their first game at Chelsea Piers on Friday.

By BELA KIRPALANI Sports Editor The NYU hockey team started its season on a high note, defeating William Paterson University 5-2 on Friday night at the Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers.

NYU scored two unanswered goals to start the game, but headed into the final period only up 3-2 following a nervy second period. In the third period, the Violets stepped into high gear, adding another two goals and finishing off the Pioneers for the win.

“I think we were just excited to play somebody else, line up against somebody else, hit somebody else,” forward and SPS junior Richie Doherty said.

Last season, the team finished in last place in the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League with the worst defense

and goal ratio in the conference. This is the team’s third year competing in American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I competition.

“Like they always say, through failure is where are you going to see the most growth,” Head Coach Chris Cosentino said. “We’ve got a great group of guys.

They’re all playing hard for each other.

And I think that’s where it starts.”

The team spent four weeks training and preparing for the start of the season, focusing on keeping it simple and making the right plays on the ice.

“Coming in here, we wanted to be a hardworking team, get pucks in deep and be a physical presence on the ice,” sophomore center Adam Peck said. “I feel like we did that, we killed penalties and I don’t think we let up any power play goals so that’s always good.”

The softball team stayed local when it added College of Staten Island ‘19 graduate Alison Meagher to its coaching staff. Meagher, who was a three-year member of the Dolphins’ softball team, was hired as an assistant coach under the Violets’ Head Coach Now-Allah James.

Meagher brings a plethora of experience in collegiate softball, having played for Rider University in 2012 before enrolling at the College of Staten Island in 2016. At the College of Staten Island, she earned First Team All-CUNY Conference honors as a junior and senior, and the team’s Pitcher of the Year award as a senior. Meagher was also named captain for her senior season.

“Being a former collegiate softball player helps me be a better coach because I can relate to what they are going through,” Meagher said.

“As a former player I can give them that peace of mind that they can get through it and all of their coaches are here to help them along the way.”

Over the course of her playing career, Meagher faced off against NYU multiple times.

“Just by playing against them, I could tell they were a well-coached, disciplined program who also were a tight knit family,” Meagher said. “The NYU team always stood out to me

as a player, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it one day.”

As an assistant coach for the Violets, Meagher’s responsibilities include assisting the outfielders and hitters, providing academic support and contributing to the team’s recruiting efforts.

Given her vast experience in the sport, many members of NYU’s softball team are excited by the new hire.

“We’ve only practiced a few times so far, and she’s going to be working with the outfielders, which I am really excited for,” outfielder and Gallatin senior Samantha Sicignano said. “She seems really nice and she has the college softball experience, which helps especially when she’s got some cool drills.”

The Violets had a solid 2018-19 campaign, finishing with a 20-13 record but falling short of a berth to the NCAA Tournament. This season, in just its fourth year as an NYU varsity program, the team looks to earn its first-ever trip to the tournament.

“That’s big for us again this year, to get those wins and hopefully make it to the tournament for the first time in program history,” first baseman and CAS senior Mary Tindall said.

The Violets hope Meagher will reinvigorate the team and provide them with the tools necessary to make it to the next level.

“I think that she will be able to give us a dif-

“We had times where we were stringing three, four, five shifts together at a time and that was leading to goals,” Doherty said. “I think there were times when we didn’t capitalize on keeping the pedal down the whole time and staying consistent. I think with time that will come as we get used to playing with each other more.”

A different player scored each of the team’s five goals — a testament to the depth and talent on the team. Peck, Horowitz, LS first-year Reagan Wortz, SPS junior Andrew Williamson and firstyear David Rosales put NYU on the board.

“It shows that we have a lot of players coming in this year that can all put up points,” Peck said. “It’s great coming off of last year where we didn’t have that as much.”

Forward and SPS senior Frank Horowitz echoed that sentiment, citing the strong chemistry and mentality of this year’s team.

“The attitude and confidence has changed all around, we have a much better group of guys dialing in and buying into the system,” Horowitz said.

The stands at Chelsea Piers were packed with excited — albeit chilly — students, cheering on the Violets in what they hope will be the first of many wins this season.

“It means a lot,” Doherty said. “If we can be successful, it’ll mean a lot for the university because it will give the fans and students something to come out and experience.”

As far as the team’s season aspirations, forward and SPS senior Frank Horowitz put it simply.

“We want to win a national championship.”

Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.

VIA NYU ATHLETICS

The NYU Women’s softball team welcomed Alison Meagher, a new assistant coach, this year.

ferent perspective than our other two coaches who haven’t played softball,” Tindall said. “She knows exactly where we’ve been and how we’re feeling at certain parts of the season, and she can give us more specific insight into what we need to do to help improve ourselves.”

Email Arvind Sriram at sports@nyunews.com.

Edited by BELA KIRPALANI

This Is the WNBA’s Moment

Softball Team Adds New Assistant Coach

By ARVIND SRIRAM Staff Writer

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

SOPHIA DI IORIO | WSN

By BELA KIRPALANI Sports Editor As we approach Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, I want to take a look back at this historic and exciting season. The whole season, it felt like the league was on the precipice of something great — like this was finally the moment when the league would blow up and take the world by storm.

And that happened, to an extent. The talent was on full display, the trash talk was spicy and the players’ stories made us fall in love with the game again.

But there is still so much more to be done.

The highest salary for a WNBA player, according to High Post Hoops, is $127,500. For comparison, the lowest NBA player’s salary was $838,464 last year. The issue, though, isn’t pay equality. It’s pay equity. The NBA pays its players 50% of its revenue, whereas the WNBA pays less than 25% to its players.

The WNBA is so important, as Bleacher Report’s Arielle Chambers always says. The league opens new possibilities to girls everywhere. It features some of the greatest basketball in the world.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal said it best in a piece on Oct. 6 for The Players Tribune: “When we force WNBA players to treat the league like it’s a part-time job, what we’re actually doing is we’re telling young girls, ‘Becoming great at basketball isn’t worth your time.’ And that’s a terrible message to send. It’s wrong.”

We need to treat the players like the first-class stars they are.

It’s great that the league chartered planes for the teams that made it to the semifinals this year. But what about the 17 away games each team plays during the regular season? What about how the WNBA forced its All-Stars to fly economy? Speaking of All-Star Weekend, why was the 2019 All-Star Game played at 3:30 p.m. on a Saturday, the day after hosting a late-night party for the players?

Travel conditions have been a consistent spot of discontent among the players. Travel delays, forced forfeits — WNBA players have been through it all.

Because of poor pay, the league’s top players are forced to play abroad. If this weren’t the case, perhaps players would have more time to rest and not have to miss the entire WNBA season due to injury. If more money were invested into the league, the season could be adjusted and made longer and then the game could actually be played during basketball season instead of during the shortened summer.

In terms of promoting its players and capitalizing upon their stardom, the league has started to do a better job telling their stories, highlighting players on its social media accounts and rolling out smart ad campaigns. But there are still places where it could improve. Maybe it’s not the greatest idea to randomly announce the winner of Rookie of the Year at 8:16 a.m. on a Monday.

New WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has made some strides since taking over the job in July. She’ll have a lot more to do once the league and the players’ union meet to negotiate the new collective bargaining agreement.

What I don’t want to hear is that there isn’t an audience for the WNBA. This year, the league saw a 64% increase in viewership over the first four games of the season. WNBA LeaguePass subscriptions increased by 11%. For the first time, NBA2K20 included WNBA players in its game. Tickets for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals sold out in days.

The hunger for the product is clearly there. The NBA now needs to treat the WNBA like an investment, not just a side project.

The Sports Girl is a weekly sports column that will feature a girl’s take on sports. Yes, sports. Yes, a girl. Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | UNDER THE ARCJ

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

11

UNDER THE ARCH EDM, Beyond the Festival

Edited by GURU RAMNATHAN

UNDERTHEARCH@NYUNEWS.COM

Electronic Dance Music has exploded around the world into a genre that is diverse and welcoming. But confined by the physical restraints of New York City, NYU EDM enthusiasts and artists have had to rethink some of its traditions.

By ALI ZIMMERMAN Contributing Writer If you attend a DJ Kali rave, you can expect to arrive at an unassuming warehouse somewhere in Brooklyn. Enter, and you’ll find yourself thrown into a crowd of 300 college students, immersed in a world of lights and lasers of every color, with video graphics in theme of Kali’s stage name — a reference to the Hindu goddess of destruction — live mixed through a projector. You might see Kali, known in front of the booth as Tisch junior Aleya Gaba, give a lap dance or swallow an impressive amount of liquor mid-set. Despite the chaos, however, you’ll find that people around you are surprisingly friendly and mellow.

“A big part of EDM is about love, and that’s the energy I want to tap into when I throw an event and create a vibe people that wouldn’t usually be into EDM can enjoy,” Gaba said.

Singapore native Gaba found her way into DJing by competing in Pioneer DJ Company’s Mix Us Happy during her gap year before college. Inspired by her friend who participated in the year prior, the brand new DJ entered the competition in 2016 and finished as a semifinalist.

When Gaba arrived in New York in 2017, she found that local venues tied her down by implementing age limits, trite DJ catch-phrases and a vibe she could not control or hone her craft in established electronic music venues. Ignoring these limitations, Gaba has been throwing raves of her own using any empty space she can find. She plans her parties with the help of her team, consisting of video jockey and Tisch student Harshun Mehta, her business partners and stage producers, photographer and several others who help staff the bar and merchandise table.

Most important to Gaba is the freedom to build her parties from scratch and

keep her doors open to everyone at least college aged — making up the difference with a $5 Venmo charge for alcohol from drinking-aged attendees — unlike many New York venues which have strict 21+ age limits. She hopes to make her mark on the exciting wave of innovation in present day EDM. Popularized in the early 2000s and rebranded from its simpler beginnings in techno, house and dubstep by DJs like Tiesto, Skrillex and Steve Aoki, EDM has exploded in the past decade.

Within New York’s bar-centric nightlife, EDM has taken on a local character unique from other regions, granting some NYU students opportunities, and perhaps presenting hurdles to others, from taking part in this moment in EDM — a moment many argue is still shrouded with stigma.

“When you say you’re an EDM artist, people already have their own clear idea of what that means: usually ‘four on the floor’ beats, people moshing, stuff like that even if that’s not what you do,” said Torr Yacto, a Steinhardt senior who studies music technology.

While subcategories — differentiated from one another primarily by a song’s beats per minute — give artists a framework, electronic music is not without several complicated dimensions. Different harmonies and melodies, samples from other songs or movies and countless other sound engineering techniques are all at the disposal of electronic music artists. Ideally, their work is crafted so that it is emotionally moving despite the fact that it often will not have any lyrics.

“It’s a genre where the technical side of it really has to play into the emotional side of it,” Steinhardt senior Connor Riley said. “You can have a song that has great instruments, great melodies, but if it isn’t mixed right, if it doesn’t really ‘hit’ on the drop, if it doesn’t ebb and flow and go with the rhythm like it’s supposed to, then

Noams and Trafton at PrideFest in June. They performed a remix of Trafton’s song Hyperreal.

it’s not going to be as good as it could be.”

For Riley, the EDM scene in New York has given him many opportunities to work with other EDM artists and collaborate with musicians from other genres. He has made friends through class and working at the Steinhardt studios who share his different musical passions.

Lill believes a setlist should progress like a novel. He describes that a set should build to a climax around the 45 minute mark, and the last 15 minutes should be faster, harder, and more intense, running through more drops per minute than the rest of the set.

Raves can be intense experiences: visceral music exacerbated by large crowds, dancing and often drugs. To make that experience both safe and for some people, therapeutic, the idea of PLUR, which originated in New York in 1993 has survived as a guiding tenant for rave culture around the country and the world.

PLUR, which stands for peace, love, unity and respect, was coined in response to a fight that broke out at a party thrown

by Frankie Bones and Adam X, the founders of the Storm Rave, which was first officially held at a brickyard in Flatbush in 1991. With this idea, they created a culture hellbent on acceptance of everyone willing to reciprocate the PLUR. For Riley, no shortage of talented artists willing to share ideas and collaborate. But

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW HERBERT

DJ Kali performs an intimate set in April 2018. Before graduating to larger warehouse venues, Kali practiced throwing raves in her friend’s Midtown apartment.

for some, New York, and perhaps even NYU specifically, might be missing out on some of the PLUR that makes EDM an important part of life for so many fans.

“I think a lot of people in New York don’t really understand the purpose of EDM,” Steinhardt senior Jaenee Lee said.

“When I went to Electric Zoo for example, there wasn’t a lot of PLUR and there’s a lot of other festivals I’ve been to where the people are so much more loving and care about you. If you need water, people give it you, people are fanning each other and giving out bracelets and that’s what it’s really about.”

Electronic musical festivals have exploded into a $31 billion industry and only grow each year. At festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, Electric Forest in Michigan and Lost Lands in Ohio, thousands of people occupy huge open fields, arriving with vans full of camping gear and friends for a three day stay. With the awareness that they are entering a space free of judgment, festival attendees often experiment with outfits — bold glitter makeup, cashmere wool shawls and notoriously skimpy tights have become staples — and connect with fellow ravers by trading bracelets or sharing moments between songs.

Lee admits that she bought into some of the stereotypes around EDM, a genre she thought lacked substance and was only about getting high — not worth the sometimes hefty price tag associated with many popular festivals. Then in 2017, she went to SnowGlobe in Lake Tahoe, California. She has since changed her tune and been to a number of large festivals nationwide and smaller local shows. She has also found that while some festivals are expensive — sometimes a few hundred dollars for multi-day events — they are worth the investment and smaller, one-day shows actually tend to be affordable; tickets rarely cost more than $30.

When Lee first started to delve deeper into EDM, few of her friends at NYU shared her excitement. But Lee discovered Radiate, a social media platform that allows ravers to join groups, find matches and chat with possible new friends in the EDM community. Through Radiate, Lee has made new friends to share her festival experiences with and recently, she joined Joey Vision, an international group of over 200 ravers who communicate through the app and meet up to attend different shows and festivals together.

“EDM made me realize that through-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALENA SPALENSKA

out my whole life, I haven’t really thought about the present, but just what I need to do to get to point B,” Lee said. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t have time to breathe, but these festivals are my time to stop and not think about my responsibilities and just have fun with the people that I love.”

When it comes to drugs — particularly MDMA — EDM has earned an infamous reputation. Indeed, some alarming incidents stir fear, particularly amongst concerned parents, about how dangerous EDM shows truly are.

But while many EDM fans do choose to take drugs at events, Lill insists peer pressure is surprisingly low and for most ravers, safety and the comfort of those around them are prime concerns.

In recent years, venues have done their part to help reduce some of the risks around drugs associated with EDM. Many festivals have begun to offer medical tents and drug tester kits on site and this May, EDC Las Vegas — the largest EDM festival in the United States — reported no deaths for the second year in a row, which has seen at least six deaths from 2011 to 2017.

Still, some fond participants of the genre admit that they would like to see less drug use tied to EDM because, as Riley said, “you feel the most intense, genuine emotion when you’re sober.”

Limited only by the bounds of technology, EDM, though young in its evolution, has already broken and rewritten the rules that define how music can sound and be experienced live. Without many words that might polarize listeners or isolate them along linguistic lines, EDM can offer a much needed meeting ground unlike any other cultural space today.

Email Ali Zimmerman at underthearch@nyunews.com.

Read the full story here:

Washington Square News Staff Editor-in-Chief

Sakshi Venkatraman Managing Editor

Sam Klein DEPUTY Kate Lowe Creative Director

Sophia Di Iorio, Deborah Alalade Copy Chiefs

Sam Brinton DEPUTY Dana Sun, Daija Dewberry Multimedia

Julia McNeill DEPUTY Marva Shi PHOTO Jorene He VIDEO Min Ji Kim DEPUTY PHOTO Elaine Chen DEPUTY VIDEO Chelsea Li Social Media

Akiva Thalheim VISUALS Vanessa Handy Senior Staff

NEWS Victor Porcelli CULTURE Carol Lee ARTS Claire Fishman SPORTS Bela Kirpalani

Deputy Staff Alexandria Johnson, Ronni Husmann, Lisa Cochran, Ishaan Parmar Mina Mohammad ARTS Kaylee DeFreitas FILM Fareid El Gafy NEWS

THEATER & BOOKS

Julie Goldberg MUSIC Ethan Zack CULTURE Lauren Gruber DINING Calais Watkins BEAUTY & STYLE Bella Gil SPORTS Benjamin Michael Davis ABOUT WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published in print on Mondays and throughout the week online during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods.

Opinion Page EDITOR Cole Stallone, Abby Hofstetter DEPUTY Jun Sung Under the Arch MANAGING EDITOR

Guru Ramanathan SENIOR EDITOR

Anna de la Rosa, Arin Garland, Mansee Khurana SENIOR REPORTER

Anna Muratova MULTIMEDIA Ellie Ballou Sara Miranda CREATIVE WRITING

Maxine Flasher-Duzgunes, Andrew Ankersen EXPOSURES Celia Tewey EXECUTIVE VIDEO PRODUCER

Lu Limanowski

Interested in working for us?

Come to our Sunday pitch meetings.

ADVERTISING Business Manager

Lukas Villarin Director of Sales

Mel Bautista Director of Marketing and Logistics

Yejin Chang Account Associates

Mira Silveira ADVISING

Director of Operations

Nanci Healy

1 p.m.: News, Opinion 1:30 p.m.: Culture 2 p.m.: Arts 2:30 p.m.: Under the Arch

Editorial Adviser

3 p.m.: Sports

Editors-at-Large

3:30 p.m.: Multimedia, Design

Rachel Holliday Smith Sayer Devlin, Hanna Khosravi, Melanie Pineda, Pamela Jew, Natalie Chinn, Alex Cullina, Nicole Rosenthal

CORRECTIONS: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact the managing editors at managing@nyunews.com.

THIRD NORTH 75 Third Ave., North Tower, #SB07

We are telling big stories — the Bling Ring, Venmo fraud, drug donkeys — ones that expanded past our print-standard 500 words, ones that paint pictures with words.

This magazine aims to be a platform where undergraduate and graduate students alike can mutter on about their love of the blue-seated MTA trains or put into words the flavor of their love of grandma’s dumplings.

nyunews.com/underthearch underthearch@nyunews.com