Washington Square News | October 28, 2019

4 CULTURE

9 OPINION

Students Share Their Spookiest NYU Ghost Stories

NYU’s Artificial Affordability Issue

7 ARTS

Fencing Team Holds Its Own Against Ivy League Opponents

Powerhouse 105.1 Exhausts and Rewards Fans in 5-Hour Marathon

10 SPORTS

VOLUME LIII | ISSUE 10

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019

Former NYU Student Worker Claims She Was Fired for Being Paid Too Much Gallatin student A’Nisa Megginson claims she was terminated from the Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life department due to mismanagement of payroll.

By ALEXANDRIA JOHNSON Deputy News Editor Stay Woke and Meditate was an initiative Gallatin senior A’Nisa Megginson developed during her sophomore year. The program offers a weekly meditation session for students of color to seek healing while studying at a predominantly white institution.

Megginson hopes students who make their way to the Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life, located next to Kimmel Center for University Life, will find peace of mind during the sessions. There is one thing they won’t find, though: her.

Despite creating the program, Megginson has not attended any of the meetings since last spring, when she was fired — something she attributes to an administrative oversight.

ALEXANDRA CHAN | WSN

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

The NYU Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life terminated Gallatin senior A’Nisa Megginson’s employment, claiming she was being overcompensated for her work. NYU’s Federal Work-Study program relies on students taking part-time work on campus as need-based financial aid.

Liberal Studies Professors Feel Exploited, Some Want to Unionize

By EMILY DAI Staff Writer Some Liberal Studies professors are looking to unionize, citing lower pay and a lack of resources and job security.

“Liberal Studies faculty are regarded as second class faculty,” said one LS professor, who spoke to WSN on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation by the university.

Founded in 1972, LS was initially a program created for students who may have difficulty keeping up with the academic demands of another NYU school. The two-

year program emphasizes an interdisciplinary curriculum and small, seminar-style classes.

At the end of their sophomore year, LS students transfer into the school of their chosen major. Since its inception, LS has grown into the second-largest undergraduate program and no longer has any specific admissions criteria.

However, some LS faculty believe that NYU has failed to keep up with the program’s transformation and does not allocate it sufficient resources.

“Professors in CAS have much more access to resources in terms of research, funding

and teaching development funding,” the anonymous professor said. “They have access to paid sabbaticals, so they can develop their research in particular [...] so there’s a lot of opportunities in the university that Liberal Studies faculty don’t have.”

Multiple professors who spoke to WSN said unionization efforts are in progress within LS due to some of these complaints.

Job stability is another area the anonymous professor pointed to — no LS professors are tenured, and some are employed semester-by-semester.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

JORENE HE | WSN

You Worry About Your Costume — We Handled Your To-Do List AND MORE SPOOKY STORIES ON PAGE 4 AND 5

Washington Square News

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 28. 2019

NEWS

NEWS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by VICTOR PORCELLI

Former NYU Student Worker Claims She Was Fired for Being Paid Too Much CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Megginson claims the former director of GCASL, Reka Prasad, compensated her more than other student workers due to the vital role she played in creating programs like Stay Woke and Meditate. However, when GCASL’s administration changed, Megginson says a budget review occurred and after the new administration found out she was being paid more, she was fired. In fact, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards launched an investigation into the pay discrepancy.

“The former director informed me that I would be a developer and facilitator for this program, and as a result, I should get paid for every literal hour that I worked,” Megginson told WSN. Even though Megginson was a student worker, she went above and beyond in her role. She helped with the social outreach of Stay Woke and Meditate and attended classes to lead meditation sessions. She also informed students on where they could find

these resources. Due to Prasad’s instructions, Megginson logged additional hours spent doing these things — something that she says was approved by the office manager.

In addition to Stay Woke and Meditate, she created Mosaic, a safe space for students of color to express their religious identities.

She also co-curated an exhibit celebrating black spiritualism titled “I, Too, Am Divine” with students Hunter Major and Harmony Hemmings-Pallay in February.

According to an Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards letter Megginson received, obtained by WSN, NYU totaled the payment for Megginson’s additional hours worked at $5,340.

Since then, Prasad has been replaced by Senior Director of Global and Spiritual Life Yael Shy. During the transition last semester, the department conducted a review of their budget in January, according to Megginson, in which it was noted that she was being paid more than her colleagues.

Megginson said Shy called her into a

meeting to inform her about the discrepancies on her student worker timesheet last March. Megginson was then removed from her position as a student worker, after having worked at the department for more than two years.

“This email is just to confirm that there will be a pause on your employment relationship with Global Spiritual Life until there is a resolution of this issue,” Shy wrote in an April email to Megginson, obtained by WSN. Megginson noted how her professional relationship with Shy had an impact on the language Shy used in regard to the end of her tenure.

“Even when it came to the terminology present, my director didn’t even want to say termination because she knew that I was connected to this program,” Megginson said. “We had seven more sessions in the year. People know me. My name is on this, and people are expecting me to be there and see me each Monday night.”

Liberal Studies Professors Feel Exploited, Some Want to Unionize CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

David Lamoureux, an adjunct instructor teaching economics, is one of many hired semester to semester. Generally, he is happy with LS but did say the lack of job security is stressful.

“I have been rehired every semester, but there’s no guarantee that will happen, so that’s unsettling,” Lamoureux said. “More secure employment is preferable.”

Unsurprisingly, Lamoureux is far from the only one in the department with this preference. “[LS professors] want the criteria for retention to be clearer so it’s not just some political decision in a meeting,” the anonymous professor said. “If you do certain things, you will be retained; and if you do other things, you won’t.

They want clarity around retention.”

LS professors also say the length of retention is too short. Non-adjunct LS professors are normally recruited on a three-year contract and then on rolling five-year contracts. These rolling contracts have caused some to feel like their positions are subject to volatility.

“One of the things LS faculty are kind of keen to change is that they want to be retained on longer contracts, and that’s one of the reasons why unionization is going on,” the anonymous professor said. “It’s because the clinical faculty want to be retained on longer contracts.”

LS professors are also paid much less than other NYU professors. Unlike other faculty’s salaries, LS professors’ salaries are capped at a certain amount.

WSN obtained a report done by four LS professors last spring called the Salary Subcommittee Report that interviewed full faculty members anonymously. It confirmed that LS professors receive lower salaries — the average salary of a male, associate tenure-eligible professor is $126,681, while the average salary of a male, associate LS professor is $76,687.

The average salary of a male, full tenure-eligible professor is $202,221, while the average salary for a male, full LS professor is $83,212.

“Considering my publications, teaching, years in the program and credentials, I make considerably less than colleagues at other institutions,” one LS professor quoted in the report said. “Especially when you adjust for the cost of

living in [New York City].”

Another professor quoted in the report said the lower pay made them feel that they were considered to be less successful.

“My salary indicates that the university thinks of contract faculty as ‘failed academics,’ a phrase I have actually heard used by senior administration to describe contract faculty,” the professor said.

University spokesperson John Beckman said there is no prohibition on contract faculty, including LS professors, applying for tenure-track positions. Additionally, Beckman said the comparison of LS professors’ salary to that of other professors is a comparison “one cannot make.”

“The LS faculty are highly respected members of NYU faculty, and the university recognizes the importance of the work they do and the contributions they make to the educational enterprise,” Beckman said in a statement to WSN. “[But the] academic labor market is highly complex and variable. Across the higher education sector, there is significant variation between universities, between schools, and between disciplines.”

Lower salaries have forced 43% of responders to the report’s survey to take up a second job or extra work in order to supplement their salaries. In the report, professors claimed this affects the quality of LS curriculum.

“It takes energy away from my own scholarship and my responsibilities at Liberal Studies,” one professor said. “Teaching 3-3 every year [three courses in both the fall and spring semesters] — I’ve never had a semester release — is a burnout risk as it is, and additional work doesn’t help. I’m living extremely conservatively.”

This lower salary has caused many LS professors to express that they feel exploited and unfairly compensated for their labor.

“Though we think of ourselves as smart, in reality, we must be stupid to remain in LS,” one LS professor reported. “We are treated like 3rd class faculty (after tenured, and tenure track professors), work harder than most faculty at NYU, and are paid less.”

Email Emily Dai at news@nyunews.com.

Shy declined to comment, instead referring WSN to university spokesperson Shonna Keogan, who disputed Megginson’s claim about her termination.

“Because of federal privacy laws, there are limitations on what we can say in this case,” Keogan wrote in an email to WSN. “It is untrue that the student was terminated because of a payroll issue outside of her control. The integrity of student workers’ timesheets is a matter NYU takes very seriously.”

After being fired, Megginson was told by the senior director that she would also be investigated by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards to see if she violated any academic codes, something confirmed by emails between Megginson and the office which were obtained by WSN. According to the letter sent by the office, Megginson was not found guilty of theft but was found to have violated NYU Student Conduct Policy and has since been required to return the funds, which she

currently is not in a financial position to do, and write a 4-5 page essay documenting and apologizing for her role in the situation. She was also put on University Disciplinary Probation.

Megginson claims that when she was fired, she was told not to discuss it and, as a result, was not able to officially acknowledge it until the beginning of this semester.

In September, she informed the Stay Woke and Meditate community about her departure from the program.

“I am no longer affiliated with the meditation program I created, and most proud to have materialized, Stay Woke and Meditate,” Megginson wrote in an email.

“Leaving the Global Spiritual Life community and MindfulNYU has been one of the hardest plights I’ve had to endure, especially since I was encouraged to omit my complete expression during that process.”

Email Alexandria Johnson at ajohnson@nyunews.com.

From Langone Custodian to Nursing Graduate, the Story of Frank Baez

By MATTHEW FISCHETTI Contributing Writer Many students at NYU find it difficult to balance their lives between exams, internships and extracurriculars. But Frank Baez, a 2019 graduate of Rory Meyers College of Nursing, did something that most students couldn’t imagine: working through his degree as a custodian for the school.

Two years after coming to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old, Baez began working as a custodian at NYU Langone Hospital in order to get a steadier job than his supermarket cashier gig, helping provide for his mother and siblings while in high school.

“It was really rough; it was tough; it wasn’t easy, of course,” Baez told WSN. “But it was good because I was able to support my siblings and mom, the four of us. All of us were working in the house to stay afloat.

Working and studying at the same time was difficult but manageable — but you have to pay rent, you have to survive.”

Baez’s brother worked as a patient transporter at Langone and helped him get the job by submitting a resume to SEIU Union 1199, a union for healthcare workers. After seeing an opening for a patient transporter role, Baez applied for the position because he wanted to do something that was more patient-centric.

Before entering an accelerated program at Meyers, Baez attended Borough of Manhattan Community College for his associate’s degree and then Hunter College to get a bachelor’s degree in Spanish literature with a minor in biological sciences. As an employee at NYU and a member of SEIU 1199, Baez was able to attend NYU at a 60% discounted rate and took out loans to cover the rest of his cost.

“I used to go to school from 8 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. on a normal day,” Baez said. “And once I finished school, I would go to work from there, where I would start from 3 p.m. and finish at 11 p.m. Go home at 11 p.m. and try to study and get everything done for the next day and stay up to date.”

Baez said there were many resources to help students in situations like his to perform to their full potential, but the most beneficial were mentorship programs like NYU Men in Nursing, which helped provide resources such as one-on-one tutoring and conferences on clinical subjects.

One of Baez’s former professors and mentor

through the Men In Nursing program, Fidelindo Lim, described Baez as someone reserved, but well-connected.

“He’s a quiet person typically in class, but he always asks really good questions when he doesn’t understand a topic,” Lim said. “As a person, he’s very proactive and helpful, very generous with his time, helping his peers and getting them connected to all kinds of academic and social experiences and resources.”

Still, Baez sees opportunities to expand resources to help nontraditional students like himself.

“Having four full scholarships [in Meyers] is good, but we can have more,” Baez said. “When you think about private school, people get scared, thinking its expensive, but it’s an investment in your future. If we could provide more scholarships to people that would be amazing.”

Baez now works as a nurse in the Cardiothoracic ICU, carrying his lessons and past into the patient work he does today.

“At work, I see the housekeeper. I see the patient transporter. I see the clerk. I’ve been in each and everyone of those roles. I’ve been there before. I have been there throughout my life and it makes me who I am today — to be able to be compassionate to everyone and caring, and it makes me feel like there is always an opportunity for growth.”

Today, when he isn’t working or reading novels by Jorge Luis Borges, Baez works with Lim in mentoring programs like Men In Nursing, or reaching out to allboys high school groups like La Salle Academy. He said he’s trying to break the stigma of nursing being a position for only females through the Men Entering Nursing Program.

“There are many students who are in similar situations to Frank but don’t know how to find resources, and he’s very generous with his time to helping others get access to them,” Lim said.

Baez shared what he considers one of the most important lessons he’s learned through his academic and professional journey.

“Being humble is very important, not forgetting where you come from, your humble beginnings,” Baez said. “Even if you grow professionally or academically, don’t forget where you started. And people appreciate that when they get to know you and it translates into your care.”

Email Matthew Fischetti at news@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | News

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019

New Yorkers Protest Inequality in Chile and Its Right-Wing President

3 CRIME LOG

Every Liquor Law Violation This Week Was in Third North

By CRIME BOT Robot Reporter From Oct. 18 to 25, the NYU Department of Public Safety received two reports of criminal mischief, one report of drug law violation, two reports of harassment, five reports of larceny, seven reports of liquor law violation and one of liquor law violation/drug law violation.

Criminal Mischief

LISA COCHRAN | WSN

On Oct. 21 at 2:45 p.m., a student reported a damaged bike on West 3rd Street, between MacDougal and Sullivan Streets. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Oct. 21 at 5:27 p.m., a student reported graffiti on a window in the Silver Center. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

Chilean president Sebastian Piñera was painted as a clown by people protesting income inequality in Chile.

Drug Law Violation

By LISA COCHRAN Deputy News Editor The clanking of pots and choruses of Spanish-language revolutionary tunes rose from a sea of undulating red and blue flags at a Union Square protest against inequality perpetuated by the Chilean government.

The protest — which amassed a dancing crowd of more than 200 on Saturday — was organized by local Latin American activists and coincided with thousands of other rallies in Santiago and across the world, all responding to inequality under Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.

The demonstrations began with a student protest over a 4% spike in Santiago metro fares. While the Union Square protest was nonviolent, protests in Chile throughout the last week have been accompanied by looting, arson and police brutality, leading to 18 civilian deaths.

Chile has the highest level of income inequality among 30 of the world’s wealthiest nations, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The U.S. is No. 4.

Piñera, who was reelected in 2018 after a previous term from 20102014, is Chile’s first democratically elected right-wing president since 1958. He was preceded by Chile’s

first female president, progressive Michelle Bachelet.

In response to the rallies, Piñera has nixed the rise in fares and, during a televised apology, promised increases in the minimum wage and a 20% rise in government-subsidized pensions, among other things. He also announced plans to dramatically restructure his cabinet on Saturday morning, although he hasn’t specified how.

Union Square protestors expressed that they were still angry and planned to continue the global fight for equality.

“It’s 30 years of inequality with pay, wages, education,” said New York City College of Technology junior Andres Pera-Leyton, who attended the Union Square protest. “We want our voices heard around the world, not just in Latin America.”

Pera-Leyton joined a slew of other Chilean-Americans who came to the protest in solidarity with their family and friends back home. For American Musical and Dramatic Academy ’19 alumna Ashlee Reed, whose parents live in Chile, urgency of protest is particularly profound.

“We’re just here for our people,” Reed said. “I was raised over there so it comes from home [...] in general it’s been very rough for all of our families.”

For college student Annell Moya, the protests in Santiago recall pro-

Protestors wave Chilean flags and signs during the protest.

LISA COCHRAN | WSN

tests over violence against women that took place in her native South Africa last month. Moya attended Saturday’s protest in solidarity with her Chilean friend.

“No matter what race you are — Chilean, Puerto Rican, South African,” Moya said. “It doesn’t make a difference where we come from, it’s how we stand together.”

Social media influencer Edmundo Huerta — who goes by Di Mondo, which means “of the world” in Italian — has experienced first-hand the effects of inequality in Chile. Di Mondo lived in Chile for a substantial period and his parents were exiled from the country during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. At Saturday’s protest, he wore a red cap, blue tailcoat and red pants, emulating the Chilean flag.

“For me it’s really not a political cause, it’s a social cause because there’s so much inequality and injustice in the totality of the system,” Di Mondo told WSN. “When I was 10, we moved to Chile, so the second half of my childhood I grew up [there].”

Like Di Mondo, many Chileans feel Piñera’s current rule is uncomfortably similar to military dictatorships of the past, Pinochet’s in particular. Pinochet ousted former Marxist president Salvador Allende — whose administration was stained by high inflation rates, public starvation and general unrest — through a tumultuous U.S.backed military coup that led to Allende’s suicide in 1973.

Protestors said that Piñera’s perceived indifference to the struggles of the lower class mirrors that of Pinochet, whose regime also saw increased police presence and violence on the streets. Piñera’s cabinet currently includes formerly vocal proponents of Pinochet, such as interior minister Andrés Chadwick.

“It’s kinda like history repeating itself,” Pera-Leyton said. “[Political oppression] is something that our parents and older [generations] grew up with; we want to stand up against that.”

On Oct. 23 at 9:30 p.m., Public Safety reported an allegation of a drug law violation in Third Avenue North Residence Hall. A small amount of marijuana was recovered and the case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Harassment On Oct. 20 at 12:55 a.m., a student reported being threatened in Third North. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On Oct. 19 at 7:25 p.m., a student reported a dating violence incident which involved harassment, simple assault, fondling and larceny in Carlyle Court Residence Hall. A police report was written, an arrest was made and the case is closed and referred to Title IX.

Larceny On Oct. 18 at 4:35 p.m., a student reported a missing cell phone from Rogers Hall. Police were notified and the case is open and under investigation.

On Oct. 18 at 11:30 a.m., a student reported clothing missing from a laundry room in Othmer Residence Hall.

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

On Oct. 18 at 11:30 a.m., a staff member reported a missing bike from

Washington Place and Mercer Street.

The case is open and under investigation.

On Oct. 21 at 12:18 p.m., a student reported a missing electric skateboard from the front of Third North.

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

On Oct. 25 at 1 p.m., a student reported a missing bike from 721 Broadway. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

Liquor Law Violation On Oct. 18 at 11:25 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Third North. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Oct. 18 at 11:42 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Third North. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Oct. 18 at 11:50 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Third North. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Oct. 19 at 1:30 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Third North. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Oct. 19 at 12:10 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Third North. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Oct. 20 at 1:40 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Third North. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

On Oct. 24 at 11:17 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Third North. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Liquor Law Violation/Drug Law Violation On Oct. 19 at 12:31 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession and marijuana possession in University Residence Hall. The case is closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Email Crime Bot at news@nyunews.com.

Email Lisa Cochran at lcochran@nyunews.com.

RACHEL BUIGAS-LOPEZ | WSN

Washington Square News

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CULTURE@NYUNEWS.COM

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28. 2019

CULTURE

Edited by CAROL LEE

Students Share Their Spookiest NYU Ghost Stories

By LAUREN GRUBER Deputy Culture Editor From the infamous Brittany Residence Hall ghost to inexplicable dorm apparitions, ghosts and spirits have found a way to spook NYU students.

This city doesn’t sleep, and neither will you after reading these terrifying student ghost stories.

Right in time for Halloween, CAS sophomore Hillary Osei had a spooky encounter in Gramercy Green Residence Hall a few weeks ago.

“I woke up in my dorm in the middle of the night to find like this pale figure standing next to my bed,” Osei said.

At first, she assumed it was her roommate.

“But then looked at the corner of my eye and I saw that my roommate was sleeping soundly on her bed,” she said. “I looked again and the thing was still there.”

After Osei blinked a few times, the spirit remained, so she had to figure out what to do next.

“I was going to tell the ghost to f-ck off, but I heard that you aren’t supposed to talk to ghosts/spirits, so I sucked my teeth, turned my back towards the ghost, put my comforter over my head and went back to sleep,” Osei said.

Founders Residence Hall may also be home to some spirits. Tisch sophomore Shayli Reagan had multiple supernatural experiences while living there last year.

“I had been hearing strange sounds at night and couldn’t sleep,” she said.

“It was just impossible for me to feel comfortable at night. One night, I heard a creak and I noticed the door was partially open when I had closed it when I went to bed. But I shook it off and fell asleep for a couple hours.

Later in the night, I woke up and the lights on my wall were not only turned on — when I had unplugged them — but they were also set on the flashing setting which I had never set them on a single time.”

This would not be the first time Reagan experienced a haunting in Founders.

“A few nights later, when I woke up, my string of lights with photos attached were ripped off the wall somehow next to my desk, which if they fell naturally never would’ve been where they would’ve fallen,” she said.

Dorm dwellers are not the only students with spooky stories. Tisch junior Caroline Hedrick reported feeling weird vibes in her apartment last winter, and recalled smelling sulfur in her kitchen when the haunting happened. She called in her roommate, who didn’t notice the smell, but Hedrick decided to open the windows in the apartment to get rid of the scent.

She asked her roommate to open her window, but her roommate told her that it couldn’t be opened; even her dad and friends had been unable to get the window open in the past.

Hedrick went to bed, and heard a crash in the middle of the night.

It sounded like her roommate had knocked her laptop off her bed, so Hedrick didn’t think much of it.

ALEXANDRA CHAN | WSN

A hallway in Rubin Residence Hall. Some NYU students say they have experienced supernatural happenings in unexpected places.

“Coincidentally, this was around 3 a.m., which is when the veil [between the dead and living] is thinnest,” Hedrick said.

In the morning, Hedrick’s roommate asked her what time she came in and opened her window last night.

“It was wide open and all of the stuff on her windowsill had been knocked over,” Hedrick said. “I was like, ‘That’s not funny, I never came into your room last night.’”

Hedrick’s roommate was so freaked out that she “immediately burst into tears.”

The roommates stayed in the apartment for the rest of the semester, but later moved out, partially because they believed the place had bad energy.

Lastly, the infamous Brittany Residence Hall ghost, Molly, spooked Steinhardt first-year Megan Claire.

Allegedly, when Brittany used to be a hotel, Molly died in the elevator and continues to haunt the space.

“I was coming back from the penthouse really late, and I got in the far right elevator,” Claire said. “When it got to the eighth floor the elevator shook and dropped, and stopped on

the fifth floor. Nobody had called the elevator. It stayed there for a minute, the doors opened, closed, and then it went down to the second floor like nothing happened.”

While Claire isn’t superstitious, she couldn’t ignore the freaky event.

“I definitely think the ghost had something to do with it, especially since the only weird encounters I have happen in that one elevator,” Claire said.

Email Lauren Gruber at lgruber@nyunews.com.

You Worry About Your Costume — We Handled Your To-Do List Bane Haunted House Various time slots through early November, tickets firstcome, first-served 618 W. 46th St. Named “The Scariest Haunted House” by the Star Ledger five years in a row, this spook-fest promises a night of thrills for even the most fearless attendees. “We play on every one of your fears; claustrophobic, separation anxiety, clowns, and more,” states their website. Be warned, the event is definitely not for the faint of heart — last year, over 2,000 visitors could not make it all the way through the haunted house.

JORENE HE | WSN

Moving zombie decorations from Six Flags Fright Fest, a great place to enjoy your Halloween with spooky-themed rides and haunted mazes.

By YAPRAK UGURSES Staff Writer Halloween: a time for dressing up, indulging in more than a few handfuls of sweets and celebrating spooky season with friends. However, if you f ind Halloween parties to be the scariest part of the season, there are plenty of things to do in New York City that don’t involve sweaty apartment dancefloors and plastic bottles of vodka.

Village Halloween Parade Oct. 31, 7-10:30 p.m.

Sixth Avenue from Spring Street to 16th Street The Village Halloween Parade is a must-add to your New York City bucket list. For 46 years, this festival has been a staple for Village residents and features an array of elaborately dressed participants. Luckily for us NYU students, the parade marches right by campus, meaning laziness is no excuse not to celebrate.

loween celebration, bring some friends together for a horror movie marathon. To go classic, add The Shining, Suspiria (1977), Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs to your roster. For modern horror films, check out Hereditary, It Follows, Get Out and mother! Spook-averse friend

groups should opt for Twitches, Halloweentown, The Nightmare Before Christmas and any Halloween episodes of your favorite childhood TV shows.

Don’t forget the snacks!

Email Yaprak Ugurses at culture@nyunews.com.

Six Flags Fright Fest Various dates though Nov. 3, 5:30 p.m.-midnight 1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson, New Jersey This experience is well worth the trip to New Jersey: enjoy a night of spooky-themed rides, bone-chilling haunted mazes, creepily-dressed performers, Halloween-themed shows and more. Make sure to get passes for the haunted houses, mazes and shows that aren’t included in an entrance ticket for the full experience.

Scary Movie Marathon Oct. 31, sufficiently late at night Your best friend’s apartment For the cheapest and easiest Hal-

LUCY GERONIME | WSN

Washington Square News | Culture

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019

How To Disguise Your Normal Clothes as a Costume

5

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth and Spooky Spirit

By CELINA KHORMA Staff Writer I’m all for spooky season spirit.

But honestly, I think it’s time we bid farewell to pumpkin and celebrate differently. From Starbucks pumpkin spice cold brew to pumpkin spice RX bars, it’s all a bit too much.

This year, try the following spots to get your spooky sweet-tooth fix.

They’ve got a couple of tricks and treats up their sleeves. Plus, they’re all sans pumpkin.

Republic of Booza OK, this treat doesn’t look scary per se, but it’s scary good. Booza is a traditional Middle Eastern ice cream that’s made to be thicker and creamier than your average pint of Häagen-Dazs. Their fall specials make it completely acceptable to chow down on this cold treat even as the temperatures drop. Some flavors are only fall-themed in title, such as Choc-olantern and Dracula’s Bloody Mess, while the Apple Cider Sorbet hits fall flavor notes. A cup or cone of each flavor is $5.25.

Baked by Melissa If they’re mini cupcakes, that means they’re sorta, kinda, maybe a little healthier right? Debatable, because it’s a challenge to not devour a handful of these adorable cupcakes in one sitting. In keeping with the Halloween spirit, Baked by Melissa offers a variety of package-deal options: the Monster Mash cupcakes ($30), the Graveyard Smash 100-pack ($116) and the Hocus Pocus 50-pack ($58). With eyeball and flying bat designs, these are as easy on the eyes as they are on the tastebuds.

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Nina Dobrev dresses up as Billie Eilish for Halloween.

By BELLA GIL Beauty & Style Editor It’s Halloween and you told yourself you were going to wear your costume all day. You’re staring at your reflection in the dimness before your 8 a.m. class and you just can’t bring yourself to wear a giant watermelon bodysuit like you said you would.

But you love Halloween, and you can’t just be that person who’s not festive on their favorite holiday.

Don’t panic. Here are some costumes that could double as normal attire but still say, “Of course I dressed up!”

Billie Eilish This costume provides both comfort and a modern pop-culture reference. Wearing your most baggy clothes, you’ll not only be comfortable but also extremely cool.

“Do they dress like this everyday?” passersby will wonder. “Are they dressed as Billie Eilish?” The world may never know.

Main Character from any 2000s movie This day you could be Regina George or Amanda Bynes — or you could use this idea as a guise to wear the new low rise jeans you’ve been too afraid to wear. Pair it with some frosty eyeshadow and a silk scarf as a belt — you’re making a new statement and honoring an old one.

Decades Beret? Neon shirt? Silk scrunchie? Flannel? Flare jeans? As NYU students, we’ve all got at least one of these items in the back of our closet.

Each of these pieces individually can constitute an homage to any decade from the ’60s to the ’90s. Low effort, yet still considered a costume.

Dylan’s Candy Bar Candy? For Halloween? Groundbreaking. But seriously, how could you not? Dylan’s is a classic New York City candy store. From their incredibly cute “wicked” gummy bears ($5) to chocolate eyeballs ($2.40) and Belgian chocolate-dipped Twinkies that look like ghosts ($40), Dylan’s proves that candy isn’t just for trickor-treating kiddos.

EUGENE HU | WSN

Financier Patisserie Hosting a Halloween bash and need a crowd-pleasing dessert? Financier is your friend. This coffee shop has some spooky cakes that are sure to please. While many may turn to their pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin pie (sigh), Financier Patisserie sells a variety of fall-flavored, Halloween-themed desserts that shouldn’t be overlooked. The deep-dish apple dutch pie ($28) is delicious, and the chocolate nougat cake ($36) has a wispy spider web design atop it.

Park Avenue Autumn If you’re feeling particularly fancy this autumn, seasonal restaurant Park Avenue is the spot to find all of the fall eats one might desire. Because the restaurant always has a seasonal menu, you can bet they know what they’re doing when it comes to themed eats. Dessert is especially important because their candied yam creme brulee ($12) and cinnamon s’more sundae ($12) never fail to please a crowd. If you’re 21, make sure to check out their dessert

wines — a much-needed post-midterm celebration.

Dunkin’ Donuts East Coast favorite Dunkin’ Donuts is embracing the Halloween spirit this fall. The company has reimagined its classic donuts, giving all of your favorites new names and themed decorations. The Purple Potion is a classic vanilla frosted donut, except the frosting is purple and topped with orange and chocolate sprinkles. The Vampire’s Delight, Ghoulish Gaze, Choc-o-Lantern and Owl Fashioned also fall on the list of Halloween donuts served at Dunkin’, all for the price of $1.

Fall weather seems to be sticking around longer than usual and those whose costumes depend on minimal clothing will be thankful. Before you know it, you’ll be needing to wait an entire year for spooky season to return, so make sure to take advantage of all the food while you can.

Email Celina Khorma at dining@nyunews.com.

Jim Halpert Everyone loves “The Off ice.” A Jim costume is simple and pretty much consists of a button-up and slacks. Everyone in your classes is going to be wondering if you are wearing a costume or running to your internship after class. Maybe the real answer is you’re just in Stern.

Either way, if someone asks you if you’re wearing a costume, you’ll be able to say yes.

Cowboy Throw on a flannel and tuck it into some blue jeans. Cowboy hat optional — at least until the sun goes down.

Your Dream Job Whether you’re the next Elon Musk or Broadway’s next superstar, we’re all eventually going to be someone somewhere. With that in mind, dress for the career you want, not for the career you have (exhausted student in the midst of midterms).

Email Bella Gil at bgil@nyunews.com.

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Dunkin’ Donuts is one of the many food spots to bring in the Halloween spirit, with donuts like Ghoulish Gaze and Vampire’s Delight.

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ARTS

ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

‘Knives Out’ Is a Lighthearted Whodunnit

By NICHOLAS PABON Contributing Writer For years, Rian Johnson has wanted to write a mystery f ilm inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, whose novels have been developed into such f ilms as “And Then There Were None” (1965) and “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017).

Fresh off the heels of “The Last Jedi,” Johnson has realized his aspirations.

“Knives Out” is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery f ilm with intelligent writing, artful direction and excellent performances by an all-star ensemble including Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette and many others. It was both written and directed by Johnson.

The f ilm centers around detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who is hired to investigate the alleged suicide of wealthy mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) following a large family gathering at his country mansion for his 85th birthday. Blanc is accompanied for much of the f ilm

by Harlan’s nurse Marta (Ana de Armas), who was very close to Harlan and was the last person to see him alive.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28. 2019

First and foremost, the f ilm is fun. It is a supremely modern and intelligent murder mystery laced with black comedy, with all the twists and turns one would expect — and with one hell of a payoff in its f inal scenes. The writing is clever, the acting is brilliant and the tone of the movie manages to be tongue-in-cheek without becoming too campy, in a way that few f ilms manage.

“Knives Out,” is not a one-dimensional f ilm; there are several subtexts of social commentary throughout. Marta is an immigrant from Latin America, and Johnson pokes fun at the ignorance of some white people in the U.S. by having the Thrombeys name a different country every time they mention where she is from. This kind of sarcastic commentary fuels the f ilm’s dark humor. That being said, it never loses sight of what it is, remaining laser-focused on the mystery at its core.

Despite its two-hour length, “Knives Out” never runs out of steam. Whereas Johnson’s fascination with subverting expectations could feel out of place at times in his “Star Wars” work, such as in the Finn and Rose casino sequence or Princess Leia’s infamous “Mary Poppins” im-

“Knives Out” is a mystery film that is scheduled to release in theaters on Nov. 27.

personation, it is right at home in “Knives Out.” This is the kind of f ilm that a f ilmmaker like Johnson should make; here he is able to spread his wings as a screenwriter and do what he does best. The passion he had for this script is readily apparent in the way he directs it, as every detail seems deliberate and thoughtfully considered.

The tone of “Knives Out” is very close, for example, to f ilms like Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” especially in its handling of humor. Both f ilms are funny, though they contain very few jokes — the humor comes instead from disarming situations, the framing of shots and music which frequently contrasts with the tone of the scene. This, along with the over-the-top set design and cast of characters, lends the f ilm a signature comedic voice which is a rarity in modern cinema.

Though comedy is so often dominated by cheap jokes and gag humor, and genuine, intelligent mystery writing is viewed as old-fashioned and passe, “Knives Out” is fun, witty and a frankly refreshing change of pace.

Email Nicholas Pabon at film@nyunews.com.

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Edited by CLAIRE FISHMAN

‘Tokyo Twilight’: Ozu’s Metaphorical Landscape of Heartbreak and Change

By ALEXANDRA BENTZIEN Contributing Writer Yasujiro Ozu’s “Tokyo Twilight” (1957), restored in 4K at Film Forum on Houston Street, documents the simultaneous evolution of the Sugiyama family and the eponymous Japanese city on the eve of a modern era of urbanization and industrialization. Two sisters, the older, unhappily married Takako (Setsuko Hara) and the college-aged Akiko (Ineko Arima), grapple with the reentrance of their mother into their lives after a lifetime of absence, while their father Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) observes his daughters’ growing independence and changing sense of direction.

Ozu’s final black-and-white film is not only a portrait of a family in decline but a city in limbo, trapped between a feeling of nostalgia and the dawn of a new age. Interspersed in the narrative’s transition moments are small snippets of train stations, cafes and urban side streets which present a twilight scene of Tokyo, a place which parallels the nature of the sisters’ despair. The opening shot — a still of an industrial high-rise juxtaposes a sky crisscrossed by wires — is of the cityscape, not of the family, highlighting Tokyo’s metaphorical significance in the film. The heaviness of gray steam foreshadows a sense of bleariness and fatigue echoed by the father’s silhouette of hunched loneliness.

Like the quality of the black-andwhite film stock, the acting performances feature a gradient scale of shifting emotions. Characters take their time in conversation, the actors careful to show the internalization of a previous remark before reacting with a thoughtful expression. Pauses in dialogue can feel overly ponderous, especially on the part of Shukichi, whose deep introspection counters frequent scenemate Takako’s casual detachment. Hara’s performance appears guarded and unreadable at times, which, while at first off-putting, demonstrates a difficult restraint to hide the pain she feels for her troubled sister and the obliviousness of her father.

Akiko is the most emotionally transparent of the ensemble, as she exhibits the impact the childhood trauma of her mother’s absence has caused her. This difficult past haunts Akiko as she deals with current problems: the neglect of her former lover and an unwanted pregnancy.

The stress of the situation gradually affects Akiko’s posture and ability to think rationally. The visceral physical transformation the character takes demonstrates masterful acting on Arima’s part.

While slowed-down interactions seem tedious, watching for the tension between modernization and tradition provides the story with a heightened sense of anticipation. A stark contrast is visible in the juxtaposition of settings, particularly as Shukichi moves through his daily life: from his classically designed Japanese house to the cold, impersonal bank where he works, and then to a restaurant spe-

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“Tokyo Twilight,” a Japanese drama film, was originally released in 1957 and is playing in restored 4K at Film Forum on Houston Street.

cializing in traditional eel cuisine, where the hostess wears a kimono.

As in “Tokyo Story” (1953), Ozu’s other renowned work set in the city, a sense of melancholy due to the fleeting quality of time is felt through generational distance, the root of the profound sadness in the film. Shukichi repeatedly questions his daughters’ happiness in their relationships, unable to understand that their arranged courtships go against an emerging ideal of choosing a partner for love instead of for financial or social benefits. The dissonance is summarized in a recurring passing statement: “Young people these days are impossible to figure out.”

“Tokyo Twilight” is a bit like a novel that takes some time to read, but it’s worth it to hold out on judging the film based solely on tempo. Layers of imagery and visual metaphor lie beneath the script, presenting nuanced shades of change.

Film Forum’s series “Shitamachi: Tales of Downtown Tokyo,” runs from Oct. 24 - Nov. 7 and features films by directors including Ozu and Akira Kurosawa.

“Tokyo Twilight” runs Nov. 7–14 in a new 4K restoration.

Email Alexandra Bentzien at film@nyunews.com.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019

Washington Square News | Arts

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Powerhouse 105.1 Exhausts and Rewards Fans in 5-Hour Marathon

Quavo and Offset from Migos perform the final set of the night at Powerhouse 105.1 on Saturday night.

By JULIA MAO Contributing Writer Screams, singing and hit rap songs echoed off the walls of the Prudential Center in Newark on Saturday night. Audience members danced and screamed “I love you” to the artists throughout the night. Powerhouse 105.1 boasted a stacked lineup, with well-known names such as Meek Mill, Migos and DaBaby, leading to a sold-out show this year. Powerhouse was highlighted by Cardi B’s surprise

appearance, DaBaby entering the crowd and performances of iconic songs such as Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares.”

The show started promptly at 7 p.m. with Megan Thee Stallion energetically kicking off the night in a black bodysuit and high boots. Plenty of seats were empty at the time, but Megan still called up a few girls from the audience, telling them “Simon says bust it open like a freak” before transitioning into her song “Simon Says” as the audience cheered on the

JULIA MAO | WSN

girls twerking on stage. Her performance was followed by Polo G, who sang his hit “Pop Out,” and Lil Tjay, who energetically jumped around the whole stage and even climbed on top of some boxes at one point. The show was just getting started, but people were already standing during every set — the first few were a rapid-fire 20 minutes each.

The seats finally filled up around 8 p.m., with all three floors of the arena packed. The hype wasn’t limited to the performances — each artist need-

ed a different stage set-up, so Power 105.1 made sure to entertain the audience with a DJ during transition periods as long as 40 minutes. Audience members took selfie videos singing along as people danced and yelled the lyrics. The radio personas that introduced each artist were not afraid to hype up the crowd, telling everyone to make noise; one even encouraged the audience to scream a collective “f-ck you” at one point.

Saweetie went up next in a large fluffy coat which she took off to reveal a Milano Rogue see-through bodysuit.

She promoted female empowerment, telling the girls in the audience “Don’t settle for anything less,” before transitioning into her hit song “My Type.”

DaVido followed thereafter as a calmer set with his light-hearted songs that emitted a carefree, beachy vibe.

DaBaby was one of the crowd favorites, and the audience cheered loudly as he entered. His set marked the start of the longer sets of the night, allowing him plenty of time for songs off of his 2019 album “KIRK.” The first collab of the night was during his performance, when he got the audience to collectively chant “baby” and brought out Lil Baby to sing “Baby” with him.

Throughout his set, DaBaby jumped around the stage amid inflatable dancing babies and threw water into the crowd. He entered the crowd at one point, where he rapped and danced surrounded by excited fans who were close enough to touch him. Lil Baby immediately followed his performance with an even longer set, singing hits

like “Yes Indeed” and “Bad Bad Bad.” Up next was A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie opening with a Michael Jackson mix of “Look Back at It.” Along with his songs from “Hoodie SZN,” day-one A Boogie fans got to see him perform songs from his first album “Artist,” such as “Jungle.” He also briefly mentioned his new upcoming album, “Artist 2.0.” As the concert approached the three-and-a-halfhour mark, most fans started sitting during set breaks.

Meek Mill went on next, but sang only a few of his own songs before giving the stage to some special guests such as Young M.A and Pop Smoke, who was removed from the Rolling Loud lineup at the request of the NYPD. During the performance, his microphone cut out because he went past his allotted time. By the time he left the stage, it was getting late. Some people left before Migos came on to close. Those who stayed were rewarded with a Cardi B guest appearance — in a Halloween nurse outfit. She was greeted with screams from the audience. Cardi and Offset were not afraid to show their intimacy on stage, as Cardi danced around him and kissed him before leaving the stage.

The showed ended around midnight, marking a whopping five hours with 10 headlining performers. Hip hop fans stumbled out of the venue, exhausted but delighted with the depth of big-name acts that Powerhouse 105.1 brought this year.

Email Julia Mao at music@nyunews.com.

A Bone of Contention: Ireland Wants James Joyce Back

By JULIE GOLDBERG Staff Writer Halloween is approaching, and one literary legend may be rising from the dead.

To be relocated and reinterred, that is.

James Joyce is currently buried with his wife Nora Barnacle at the Fluntern Cemetery in Zurich, Switzerland, where he spent the final years of his life. But Dublin city councillors have proposed a motion to repatriate Joyce’s remains — that is, move them from Zurich to Dublin. Barnacle’s remains would also be transferred.

The councillors are calling for the lord mayor and chief executive to write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and while the motion was passed on Oct. 13, a number of hurdles would need to be conquered before Joyce’s body could actually be repatriated. The first of these would be the cooperation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Like many Irish writers, including Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett, Joyce spent much of his life away from his birth country. The last time he visited Ireland was 1912, a full 29 years before his death in 1941. Since 1904, he had been living abroad in Trieste, Paris and Zurich.

Wilde and Beckett are both buried in Paris, while Shaw rests at his home in St. Lawrence, England. Another Irish writer, Maeve Brennan, spent the greater part of her life in the U.S. as a writer for The New Yorker. Her remains are buried in Queens.

Of course, Ireland acted as the backdrop to much of Joyce’s writing and informed his greatest works of literature.

When asked towards the end of his life if he would ever return to the country, he said, “Have I ever left it?”

“If you want to find James Joyce in

Dublin you can, through his works,” NYU Professor and Irish Studies scholar Dr. John Waters told WSN. “At no point, ever, did he express any desire to be buried in Ireland.”

What Joyce did express was a continued pull toward or at least an interest in Ireland, even as he took up residence abroad.

When he lived in Paris, he allegedly loved to quiz visitors on Dublin geography, asking them to name shops and pubs on various streets.

Brennan similarly looked for signs of Dublin while living in New York City, sans the cross-examining of bewildered tourists. Noting a three-cornered shadow on the pavement on 42nd Street, she wrote, “It was exactly the same shadow that used to fall on the cement part of our garden in Dublin, more than fifty-five years ago.”

For Joyce and Brennan, Dublin was inescapable. But that doesn’t mean it was where he wanted to rest for eternity.

Through his life, Joyce had a fraught relationship with his home country.

Under the influence of the Catholic Church, Ireland was wary and censorious of Joyce’s writing.

“Ulysses,” the writer’s crowning masterpiece, was effectively banned — it was never imported into the nation at all, for fear of repercussions.

When Joyce attempted to publish “Dubliners” with Maunsel & Co., the process was repeatedly suspended due to concerns over public reaction to the purportedly obscene and anti-Irish stories.

“His final resting place in Zurich testifies to his life of voluntary exile and his search for artistic and intellectual freedom,” Waters said. “He pursued that outside of Ireland because the Ireland of his youth denied it to him.”

Ireland is now eager to claim Joyce as

their own, and the timing of the council’s motion is certainly dubious. The councillors are set on bringing the remains back to Ireland before the 2022 centenary celebration of the publication of “Ulysses.” It follows that they may be motivated primarily, if not entirely, by mercenary concerns.

“The repatriation of the bodies of James Joyce and Nora Barnacle is only being proposed because of a belief that it will contribute to literary tourism in Ireland,” Waters said.

Fritz Senn, founder and director of the Zurich James Joyce Foundation, believes the Swiss government would be resistant to the motion, largely due to the popularity of Joyce’s grave among Zurich tourists.

“Many people go to his grave, so there would be an issue,” he told The Guardian.

Waters is in agreement with the vast majority of Joyce scholars in his belief that the Dublin City Council can honor Joyce’s memory in more productive ways.

“Whatever money Dublin City Council would devote to a Joyce grave or memorial, should be spent on the homeless and the arts and the youth mental health crisis,” he said.

NYU Professor Dr. Kelly Sullivan similarly believes Joycean commemoration should take place in the form of funding for conservation and maintenance of significant Joyce landmarks in the city.

She pointed to the house on Usher’s Island, the setting of Joyce’s short story, “The Dead,” as a prime example. When the house went up for auction in 2017, the Dublin City Council said it had no interest in purchasing it. Now, she worries it will suffer the fate as 7 Eccles St., the home of the fictional protagonists of “Ulysses,” which was torn down in the 1960s.

While Ireland arbitrarily names streets and bridges after Joyce, actual literary land-

marks are often forgotten and left to rot.

“It’s a sad irony that the bridge over the Liffey connecting Usher’s Island to Ellis Quay on the north is the James Joyce Bridge, but the 1775 house where Joyce’s aunts taught music and had annual holiday parties remains in a state of disrepair,” Sullivan said.

While it is unlikely that the City Council will actually reallocate their funds in this way, it appears equally unlikely that they will be able to gain not only the approval of Joyce’s grandson and literary

executor, Stephen Joyce, but also the cooperation of the Swiss government. Working with Switzerland will require active pursuit of repatriation on the part of the Irish government.

“Think you’re escaping and run into yourself,” Joyce wrote. “Longest way round is the shortest way home.” What exactly “home” was and will be for Joyce remains contested.

Email Julie Goldberg at jgoldberg@nyunews.com.

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James Joyce, an Irish author and playwright, is currently buried in Zurich, Switzerland.

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OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28. 2019

OPINION

Edited by COLE STALLONE and ABBY HOFSTETTER

CITY

The False Promise of Closing Rikers Island

By ASHA RAMACHANDRAN Contributing Writer The New York City Council overwhelmingly voted earlier this month to close the notorious Rikers Island jail complex. The $8 billion resolution will replace Rikers by building, expanding and renovating four smaller jails in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhat-

tan by 2026. Rikers is infamous for its long record of torture, brutality, corruption, uninhabitable conditions and numerous civil rights violations. The push to close Rikers has been building for years, especially in light of reports of solitary confinement, suicides and correctional officers’ abuse of inmates.

But the legacy of Rikers Island has already been cemented, and it will affect tens of thousands of New Yorkers for generations to come — most of them poor, black and brown or otherwise marginalized. Seven more years will only exacerbate their suffering for that much longer without any real justice in sight.

The growing prison abolition movement No New Jails is one of the most outspoken critics of the plan. It argues

that the billions of dollars going toward building new jails in already-vulnerable communities will only continue the harmful legacy of incarceration that disproportionately affects black and brown people. That money, No New Jails activists say, should go directly into funding social services for the communities most impacted by incarceration and target the actual causes of incarceration themselves — poverty, racism and inequality.

No New Jails does not only oppose the building of new jails in the boroughs — they also doubt that the city’s plan to close Rikers will even be implemented, given the vast timeline. According to a report by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, one of No New Jails NYC’s biggest concerns is that Mayor Bill de Blasio will not be in

office in 2027, which is when Rikers is scheduled to close its doors. “There’s no promise that it will actually be closed,” one organizer told the Eagle. These concerns are well-founded: the city’s plan is sparse with details on the actual closure of Rikers. The only things set in stone are the definitive locations of and construction plans for the new jails.

The plan is costing New York City taxpayers billions of dollars without even a sure guarantee of closing Rikers and ending decades of injustice. According to Albert Saint Jean, an organizer with Black Alliance for Just Immigration, the resolution to close Rikers “was just a resolution … what they voted on was to approve the construction of the four new jails.”

The plan to close Rikers by 2026 is not legally binding or at the discretion of the City Council. All it has the power to do is build new jails, which is what the resolution will actually accomplish. Given the city’s disturbing record on criminal punishment and mass incarceration, it is essential that the City Council be held accountable to its plan of action. Rikers’ closure is not certain, and the only thing that will be is the construction of new jails, despite de Blasio’s deceptive statements of the contrary.

How much longer will New Yorkers tolerate false promises, especially with so many lives on the line?

Email Asha Ramachandran at opinion@nyunews.com.

RACE

The Phrase ‘International Student’ Disguises Discrimination Against East Asians

By EMILY DAI Staff Writer It seems that as much as NYU likes to promote itself as a global institution, the students here can be just as closed-minded as anyone else; they have just learned to adjust their word choice.

As my first semester has progressed, I’ve become increasingly convinced that being an international student

is only cool and worldly if you come from certain countries. Meanwhile, non-white international students experience frequent discrimination and xenophobia on campus. For East Asian students, this often takes the form of the weaponization of the word “international.” While walking around NYU, I constantly hear statements like “International students have completely taken over the lounge,” “I know that international students talk trash about me, just not in English” and “International students are so unfriendly.” Replace “international” in any of these statements with “Asian” and suddenly these statements are a lot more problematic.

Approximately 48% of NYU’s undergraduate international students are

East Asian. While this is undeniably a substantial portion, it still means that the majority of international students come from other countries. Yet when people use the phrase “international,” they invariably mean “East Asian.”

I’ve observed multiple instances of passing microaggressions against East Asian students, but they’re almost always disguised as mere observations about international students in general. This can be found everywhere in the popular Facebook group, NYU Memes for Slightly Bankrupt Teens.

In the endless jokes about the expensive clothes that international students wear, it’s always a given that “international” refers to East Asian international students. The most common use of the coded word “international” can

be found in the rhetoric that domestic students use to describe groups of East Asian students spending time together, speaking in a non-English language.

I take specific issue with the statements I’ve heard white domestic students say along the lines of “international students only hang out with each other” or “international students don’t even try to befriend domestic students.” I have yet to meet a domestic student who has specifically gone out of their way to meet East Asian international students, so it seems unfair to expect East Asian international students to extend that same courtesy. Furthermore, these types of statements never seem to catalyze any form of self-reflection among domestic students; while large friend groups

comprised solely of domestic students are completely fine, large friend groups comprised solely of international East Asian students warrant close scrutinization and are seen as something to be corrected.

Even if all international students came from East Asian countries, it would still be inappropriate for domestic students to use the descriptor “international” in order to get away with making racist comments about Asian students. If your statement about East Asian international students suddenly sounds problematic if “international” is replaced with “Asian,” you should refrain from saying it altogether.

Email Emily Dai at opinion@nyunews.com.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

Understanding the Trend of Performance Activism at NYU

By GABBY LOZANO Staff Writer I fall into the group of people that looks to Twitter for national and global updates on society, politics, the environment and, well, practically anything else. On my feed, I tend to see the latest condemnation toward the Trump administration and contemporary conservative values, particularly in regard to LGBTQ rights and climate change.

These issues often catch fire and turn

into trends, like #pride, that garner support for marginalized communities.

The problem occurs when you retweet these supportive posts and then roll up to the Upstein Chick-fil-A to get your chicken sandwich with fries.

Even worse, and unfortunately not uncommon, is doing so in Air Force Ones while drinking Peet’s Coffee — both companies that contribute to the Trump administration — content knowing you’re about to satisfy your cravings for that salty, crispy chicken sandwich while believing that you oppose Trump.

The matter of saying versus doing is complicated by the element of convenience and financial security. Chickfil-A and Peet’s are both located on campus, which allows students to use their meal plans. Moreover, brands like Nike offer a 10% discount to university

students, which offers an enticing deal for those looking to invest in structurally sound sneakers. From this perspective, younger students shouldn’t be criticized heavily or labeled hypocritical when shopping at these brands to simply save money and time. These elements of convenience and financial practicality indicate that the problem of performance activism stems from larger corporations and institutions that influence consumer decisions. In this instance, NYU is the institution placing these brands throughout their campus.

But whether we realize it or not, our consumption choices do contribute to policies that harm marginalized communities. NYU celebrates LGBTQ pride and says it supports environmental sustainability, yet Nike still sponsors many of the school’s athletic uniforms.

This forces us to ask who we should

hold accountable for performative activism. Students can only go so far with their words on Twitter. Their capacity to influence is incomparable to that of billionaires like Stephen Ross, the owner of Equinox, who funded a dinner in support of Trump’s reelection, while proclaiming to have been an “outspoken member of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education, and environmental stability.”

Ross’ actions versus his statements are an example of how performative activism works. We may not all be billionaires, but we can understand making a decision that benefits ourselves over others. When confronted with that selfishness, we can get defensive and cling to the good deeds we’ve done, rather than face our potential complicity in the oppression of others. This is essentially what we do when we solely

tweet our support on social media.

Retweeting doesn’t solve the problem.

Our words are only as meaningful as the actions we place behind them.

In addition to posting your frustrations toward the Trump administration or any other entity, boycott companies that support them. These companies use their vast financial resources to become more powerful and influential in the political sector. Websites like Goods Unite Us show the ethical influence of major brands and can help if you’re looking to match a tweet with action. Through this, we can understand how to harness social media’s vast influence and use it to create movements that promote change rather than short-lived trends.

Email Gabby Lozano at opinion@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Opinion

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019

9

CULTURE

Social Media Platforms Need to Censor Better

By SOPHIA DI IORIO Creative Director Instagram held a closed-door discussion on Oct. 21 with various artists and museums in an effort to break down how censorship affects artwork on the social media site. Censorship is the subject of an ongoing struggle between social platforms and artists, and today, it is further complicated by the fact that many artists’ careers can be lauched entirely through their online presence, making the threat of censorship even more dire.

Using Instagram, artists can promote themselves and their work independently of third-party institutions like galleries or dealers. They can conduct sales, gain exposure to publications and share their studio practices with fans. However, artists whose work incorporates nudity are unable to reap these benefits, as their art is censored.

Betty Tompkins, one of the invitees to the closed-door conversation, is an example of an artist whose account was deleted because of nudity in her work. Her controversial “F-ck Paintings” were acquired by the renowned Centre Pompidou in Paris. But when she posted to promote the works, Instagram flagged and banned her account, leaving Tompkins upset and unable to appeal the decision.

Instagram’s Community Guidelines acknowledge that “there are times when people might want to share nude images that are artistic or creative in nature,” but they elect to ban certain content for “a variety of reasons.” And yet, the guidelines go on to say that “nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is OK, too.”

These guidelines set a hypocritical standard for deciding who gets censored and who doesn’t. By stating that only nudity in paintings and sculptures is allowed, Instagram inherently limits its platform to these more traditional art forms. Take, for example, the Instagram account of Unit London, the gallery that represents the artist Helen Beard. Much of Beard’s work depicts explicit sexual acts with vibrant colorblocking — yet the account has never been censored. If established art institutions are able to promote explicit

Submitting to

art and artists, independent artists should be allowed to do so by the same standard.

Like writers and comedians who attempt to build a brand and following on Twitter, artists today must use social platforms to leverage themselves in a competitive market. Where previously a gallery or dealer would have handled promotion and sales for a percentage-based fee, artists can now sell their work directly through DMs, network with high-profile figures and develop personal relationships with a fanbase.

Julia Powell is one artist able to maintain a high level of sales through her social media presence.

This allows her to be in control of her career without third-party intervention. Powell’s work does not contain any nudity or portraiture, giving her access to the benefits of building a career online. Banning nudity on social media is unjustifiably prohibitive for artists who are attempting to achieve the success that those like Powell have access to. When an artist’s account is banned on Instagram, they do not only lose their photos — they lose their connection to their audience.

Furthermore, banning certain subject matter does not make social platforms more inclusive. After Tumblr banned nudity, many artists had their artwork taken down or lost to the bots that purged the site of any art that violated its guidelines. However, Nazi propoganda and content promoting eating disorders remained easily accesible. The ban was meant to improve the culture of the platform, as Tumblr was — and still is — known for erotica and other NSFW content. Yet if this ban was sincerely meant to hide what may be provocative, triggering or obscene, a similar standard should have applied to all content.

But can a censorship movement ever be truly inclusive? The fact of the matter is no censorship will serve every person the same way.

Social media platforms should not propose and enforce blanket bans.

Instead, they must put in place easily accessible mechanisms for flagging photos. Letting users flag the content of their works would lead to more accurate categorization of their photos. Additionally, there should be the option for users to block content that has been flagged. This would be a much more efficient way of demarcating not just nudity, but all content that should be flagged.

STAFF EDITORIAL

NYU’s Artificial Affordability Issue Since beginning his tenure as NYU’s president, Andrew Hamilton has stated that making the university affordable is his top priority.

This has manifested in a number of ways — NYU has implemented a minimum wage for all student employees, and financial aid increased from an average of $22,500 per student in 2016 to just under $25,000 in 2017. But NYU’s recently-uncovered tax returns, in addition to its long-standing practice of using university funds to further the administration’s interests (like recruitment, performance bonuses and expansion) over those of its students introduces a paradox.

Hamilton may say that affordability is a priority, but by allocating the university’s funding to the interests of higher-ups and away from those of students, NYU makes itself less affordable.

It’s no secret that Hamilton’s salary is astronomical. The university’s tax returns showed that the president collects a $1.8 million salary and an annual $250,000 performance bonus, which totals to $2.05 million annually. Though Hamilton’s salary isn’t exceptional among presidents of similarly elite universities, his purported emphasis on affordability is. He doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t, accept all the money being given to him. There is precedent for a university president to decline both a salary increase and a performance bonus. In 2008, Cornell University President David Skorton urged the university to reconsider raising his salary, citing the declining state of the economy. Presidents of the University of Connecticut, Rutgers University and the University of Louisville have all either declined massive bonuses or donated them directly

toward their respective school’s financial aid budgets. But despite Hamilton’s supposed dedication to affordability, he has accepted over $2 million annually without donating to any of the resources that students desperately need.

NYU’s recently-released tax returns show that during the 2017 fiscal year, the university gave a combined $2.5 million to 12 NYU affiliates to be used toward housing loans and leases. During former President John Sexton’s term, NYU came under fire for providing loans to faculty to purchase both housing within New York City and vacation homes. At the time, NYU stated that this practice was necessary to retain faculty. In addition, the university has substantially overpaid its higher-ranking faculty: Sexton received an $11 million retirement package and continues to receive $800,000 in benefits from NYU annually, and former provost David McLaughlin received over $400,000 from the university after his retirement. Can NYU truly say that affordability is a top priority when it continues to spend so much money on unnecessary faculty benefits?

Over the past few semesters, it seems that disillusionment with NYU’s Counseling and Wellness Services has become a university-wide phenomenon. From a chatbot that couldn’t recognize a cry for mental health services to a text-based counseling service whose counselors have been both dismissive and unprofessional to those who ask for help, the problems with NYU’s mental health facilities are widespread and largely due to understaffing. The Student Health Center, which houses the Wellness Center, shares its budget with all other departments within

Student Affairs, which was allocated just 3% of the 2019 fiscal budget. Due to the long wait times for a counseling session, students are left with few options: either resort to replacing therapists with friends and family — which is regarded as unethical and dangerous by the American Psychological Association — or find their own therapists and pay for counseling themselves.

NYU’s counseling services, on the other hand, are offered free of charge. NYU’s underfunding and understaffing of its counseling services comes at a direct cost to the students who are then forced to pay for therapy in addition to the price of attending a university as expensive as NYU. Aside from the Student Health Center, the biggest downfall of Hamilton’s affordability plan is its failure to address its greatest obstacles: high tuition and low financial aid. NYU’s tuition has continued to increase, although it is doing so at a decreasing rate. NYU’s aid packages are also substantially less compared to other high-cost universities. What complicates NYU’s financial aid decisions further are the economic interests of the Board of Trustees — billionaire chairman William Berkley made his fortune from student loans with exorbitant interest rates and spent millions lobbying Congress to make it harder for students to get federal loans.

The tax returns have helped illuminate where the university is spending our money — and more importantly, where it isn’t.

NYU’s administration felt that it was students’ needs that should be sacrificed rather than faculty perks. Hamilton may have placed an emphasis on affordability, but at what cost?

Email the Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 28. 2019

SPORTS

SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by BELA KIRPALANI

Tennis Trio Falls Short at National Championships

By ARVIND SRIRAM Staff Writer The women’s tennis team ended its memorable fall season with three All-Americans competing in the Oracle ITA Cup on Oct. 17 and 18 in Rome, Georgia.

After losing her first two matches on Thursday, Stern first-year Karina Jensrud bounced back with a win on

the last day of competition and finished in a tie for 15th place in singles play.

The duo of Stern junior Anna Maria Buraya and Liberal Studies first-year Anastasiia Balyk placed ninth in doubles competition after winning two out of three matches.

All three players struggled on day one of the competition, which Buraya attributed to nerves.

“The first day was definitely a tough

one for me, mentally,” Balyk said. “To be brutally honest, my performance was not there, and I kind of dragged my partner down with me in the match.”

However, Jensrud, Buraya and Balyk learned from their mistakes and were able to perform better on Friday.

“Even though I didn’t really have pressure in the beginning, I probably felt it a bit because it was nationals,” Jensrud said. “But then after I lost my

VIA NYU ATHLETICS

A recap of the women’s tennis team’s performances at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Oracle Cup National Championships.

Left to right: Anna Maria Buraya, Karina Jensurd and Anastasiia Balyk.

first match, I just felt even less pressure, and it was just me playing tennis.”

For Jensrud and Balyk, it was a special rookie season nonetheless, considering they played in the prestigious tournament — and earned All-American honors as well as qualifying for nationals.

“It’s really cool to be able to achieve the standards,” Jensrud said. “Freshman year, even though college is tough, being able to have done something and shine a light on everything was really cool.”

On Friday, the doubles team of Buraya and Balyk rebounded from their slow start by winning both of their matches, including a thriller 10-8 super tiebreaker victory against Bethel University.

“I think that match was really close and every point really mattered,” Buraya said. “I think neither me or Anastasiia were playing at our best throughout the whole match, but we really managed to pull the slack for each other in different elements, and the energy throughout the match from both sides was really good.”

Overall, the fall season was viewed as a success and a preview of what to expect for the spring season.

“We have had good success at the ITA regional championships leading into this year,” Head Coach Horace Choy said. “Last year, we sent a different doubles team to the Oracle ITA Cup and the year before that, we had both finalists in singles and doubles at the regional championship, ultimate-

ly sending three players to Nationals that year, too.”

The team has high expectations for the spring season, when the Violets return to action at Swarthmore College on Feb. 21.

“

I am actually super pumped about spring season; I think this is the strongest team and lineup we have ever had.

ANNA MARIA BURAYA Stern junior

”

“I am actually super pumped about spring season; I think this is the strongest team and lineup we have ever had,” Buraya said. “I think everyone was pumped and fired up to qualify for nationals, as a team, which is something I don’t think we have ever done before, but I am completely positive that if we compete and work hard, we can do it, so I am pumped.”

Email Arvind Sriram at sports@nyunews.com.

Fencing Team Holds Its Own Against Ivy League Opponents

By REBECCA CHOI Staff Writer Most people only think about fencing every four years during the summer Olympics. However, at NYU there are 60 students that partake in the sport, competing across the country during the academic year.

Fencing, compared to most sports, requires a heightened level of mental focus, according to team member and Rory Meyers sophomore Chloe Chen.

“There’s like a million things going on through your mind while you’re doing it,” Chen said. “Just you thinking about what you’re going to do next and what your opponent is going to do next. It really works your brain, so after the bout you’re physically and mentally tired.”

In fencing, there are three different weapons: foil, epee and sabre. Each fencer has their own weapon that they specialize in and each weapon has different target areas.

In the epee, the full body is the target — from the top of one’s head to the tips of their feet. A lot of fencers start off their careers with the foil, which is similar to the epee in appearance.

While it is also a point weapon, the target area is just the torso. Finally, the sabre uses the entire length of the blade, with a target area from the waist up.

In addition to competing for NYU, many Violets also have national and international commitments, team

member and Stern senior Eric Zobel said. From 1960 to 1996, NYU sent 28 fencers to the Olympics.

“There’s actually a whole other season that is happening outside the college world,” Zobel said. “There are a couple people on the team that have a realistic shot of going to the Olympics, so they go off to national and international events.”

Additionally, the fencing team competes against teams in all three divisions of play — one week it will be up against Harvard, another Division I team, and the next it may be facing a club team.

“We all fence each other, like we all fence all DI, DII, DIII because there aren’t that many fencing schools,” Chen said. “So, it is kind of nice because you can fence many different schools with different dynamics.”

Because of their close proximity to other top fencing universities, the Violets face tougher competition on their journey to NCAAs. In order to qualify for nationals, the team first has to compete in regionals, which means that it will face other prestigious teams in the Northeast like Columbia University.

“Other teams around the nation respect NYU and that is definitely something we’ve earned through the past couple of years,” Zobel said.

Email Rebecca Choi at sports@nyunews.com.

VIA NYU ATHLETICS

The NYU fencing team has enjoyed a successful season so far.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019

Washington Square News | Sports

Track and Field Hires Decorated New Assistant Coach

By BENJAMIN MICHAEL DAVIS Deputy Sports Editor The indoor track and field season is only a few months away, and on Tuesday the Violets moved to add a new pole vaulting coach to their staff.

Christopher Sandoli comes to NYU from Stevens Institute of Technology, where several of the athletes he coached won conference titles as individuals in both the men’s and women’s pole vault. This success, along with being recommended by other coaches to NYU head coach Erison Hurtault, helped Sandoli stand out from other candidates.

“He’s definitely prepared to guide the vaulters through as much training as they need to be successful,” Hurtault said, “The real test of coaching is in how you develop relationships with your coworkers and with your athletes long term. It’s week after week, ups and downs, dealing with all the stuff that the season is going to throw at you.

And how do you respond?”

The challenging nature of coaching is part of the reason Sandoli chose to come to NYU. As an undergrad, he was a four-year member and a captain of his track team at Manhattan College, from which he graduated in 2017. As such, he’s familiar with the unique space-based issues that come with being a track team in New York City.

“Over here at NYU, obviously everyone knows the name, but it’s the environment that really interested me,” Sandoli said. “Bringing all the complex situations or different challenges that NYU has as far as facilities, being able to be successful for the rest of the season and showing everyone that you don’t need all the best facilities in the world as long as you’re willing to put in the work.”

Sandoli will have to deal with more than just facility-related challenges this season, as he will be working on top of coaching. He and his team have come up with creative solutions to this problem both this year and at his previous position at Stevens, where he took graduate school classes as

Men’s Fencing CAS senior Grant Williams competed in the NAC North American Cup in Kansas City, Missouri last weekend. The tournament gives out points, which fencers use to make it to qualification rounds for the U.S. Olympic team. Williams, who competed in the Division I men’s sabre event, did well in the round robin stage and earned a first-round bye in the knockout stages.

From there, he won his first four rounds of the tournament, but fell to Rio silver medalist Daryl Homer 15-12. This put Williams in a tie for third place at the end of the weekend.

After sitting out last year to train for the Olympics, Williams will rejoin the team for its next tournament, the Temple University Open on Sunday.

Women’s Swimming & Diving The women’s swimming & diving team opened its season on Friday with an exhibition match against the University of Toronto. Four swimmers took home top-five finishes, including Steinhardt first-year Tillie Lewis’ third place in the 1,000-yard freestyle, CAS junior Sydney Catron’s third place in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke, Steinhardt first-year Isabella Brosvik’s third place in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly and CAS junior Erica Yuen’s fourth place in the 100-yard butterfly. NYU’s relay teams picked up third in the 200-yard medley relay and second in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

On Saturday, the swimmers officially opened

Monday Musings: On Fantasy Football, Baseball and the Knicks

By BELA KIRPALANI Sports Editor

VIA NYU ATHLETICS

Christopher Sandoli will be joining NYU’s Track and Field teams as an assistant coach for the team’s pole vaulters.

well as coaching.

By emphasizing weight training, sprinting and other forms of cross training outside of regular practice times, Sandoli’s vaulters have been able to make time spent jumping in practice count more. This philosophy fits well at NYU due to our space shortage — NYU’s indoor track facility is a 45-minute subway ride away, at the 168th Street Armory — and Sandoli believes it produces elite vaulters wherever it’s done.

“It’s going to be actually more beneficial to them as far as recovery goes, strength training goes and sprinting goes, that they’re going to be able to expose their bodies to different training methods and become more well rounded athletes, and we’ll transition into jumps,” Sandoli said.

An emphasis on balance and consistency is a large part of Sandoli’s coaching style. Even in the jumping stage Sandoli said he wants his vaulters to focus on the little things and not try to rush into

big jumps early in the season.

“I want them to be jumping correctly. You don’t have to be hitting that new personal best every single meet, you don’t have to be coming in first or second every single meet,” Sandoli said. “It’s really about progressing little by little, and then when it comes time that we hit our peak correctly, during [the UAA Conference Championships], that’s when we’re able to show out and get those big jumps that we’re looking for.”

NYU’s pole vaulters will have plenty of time to develop their athleticism and prepare for the new year under Sandoli’s guidance. This past week, the team hosted its first practice of the academic year.

The Violets’ indoor racing season begins on Jan. 11, when they will participate in the College of New Jersey Invitational at the Armory.

Email Benjamin Michael Davis at bdavis@nyunews.com.

Men’s Fencer Competes in Tokyo 2020 Qualifier

By BENJAMIN MICHAEL DAVIS Deputy Sports Editor

11

their season at Rowan University, winning the meet 199-101. First place finishers included Catron in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard backstroke, Stern senior Honore Collins in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard breaststroke and Brosvik in the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly. CAS senior Carmen White also won both the one- and three-meter dives.

The Violets return to the pool on Friday, Nov. 8 for the NYU invitational at Palladium Athletic Facility.

Men’s Swimming & Diving The men’s side of the swimming & diving team also won its first meet Saturday, also against Rowan. The 180-120 victory was spearheaded by first-place performances from CAS sophomore Graham Chatoor in the 1,000- and 500-yard freestyles, CAS sophomore Justin Lum in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and Stern junior Elan Oumarov in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly. NYU divers came in second in the two diving events. Steinhardt senior Nick Lemieux placed second in the one-meter dive, and Rory Myers sophomore Cole Vertin was second in the three-meter dive.

The men continue their season on Friday, Oct. 8 at the NYU Fall Invitational at Palladium.

Women’s Soccer The Violets snapped their three-game losing streak on Saturday, routing the College of Staten Island 5-0. The game was even until CAS sophomore Ellie Marks opened the scoring in the 51st minute. Stern sophomore Spritle Hirano followed suit in the 53rd minute to extend

the lead. Then, in the 55th minute, Marks got her second of the game on an assist from Liberal Studies first-year Gabriella Funk. Scoring tapered off for seven minutes until two more goals came from Stern first-year Cora Creighton in the 62nd minute and CAS senior Jade Keane in the 66th on an assist from Gallatin first-year Hadley Bushala.

The now 10-5 Violets will look to carry this momentum to upstate New York on Friday when they face off against the University of Rochester.

Men’s Soccer On Saturday, the men’s soccer team looked to rebound after losing its first in eight games to the University of Chicago last Sunday. They did just that against Mount St. Mary College, beating the Knights 4-0 and snapping their eight-game winning streak. The scoring started early for the Violets. Stern junior Santiago Huertas scored in the third minute off an assist from LS junior Maxi Rodriguez. NYU padded their lead in the 31st and 36th minutes on goals from Stern first-year Evan Lewis and CAS sophomore Vincent Bulzoni, who scored on an assist from Stern junior Matteo Russo. CAS firstyear Talal Said capped the scoring at four in the 64th minute on an assist from SPS senior Ben Green. The Knights were only allowed seven shots in the game.

NYU will return to the pitch on Friday to take on Rochester on the road.

Email Benjamin Michael Davis at bdavis@nyunews.com.

Fantasy Football and Why It Stinks You are sitting at your laptop, eyes glazed over from countless hours — no, days — studying fantasy advice columns, watching highlight videos of the New York Giants and convincing yourself that Daniel Jones is the next big thing.

I will never understand the appeal of fantasy sports. OK fine, I understand the appeal. The chance to pull one over on your friends, make yourself appear smart and perhaps even win a substantial sum of money. But how does one maintain that same intensity and commitment all season long?

The truth is fantasy teams take way too much work for way too little of a reward.

Don’t even get me started on fantasy football. Please. Football, aside from being insanely unpredictable, is insanely unpredictable. From bye weeks to freak injuries (Sam Darnold’s mononucleosis, anyone?), it can be hard to keep up, let alone name a perfect starting lineup every week. That’s not to mention players sitting out contracts, seemingly ever-changing rosters and inconsistent play.

Baseball Makes Me so Nostalgic and I Don’t Know Why Alright, let me explain. In my history class recently, we’ve been watching a lot of baseball documentaries and movies like “Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio” and “The National.”

Every time I leave class to walk home, I get this insane wave of nostalgia and a yearning for the good old days, a time when all that mattered was whether the home team won.

Of course, the World Series is also going on right now and I’ve been seeing coverage about that everywhere. How unfortunate it is that I am getting really into baseball right as the season is coming to an end? Tragic, I know.

I can’t help but feel the urge to recreate the plot of “The Sandlot.”

I even tried — and definitely failed — to illustrate this feeling in a recent tweet (no, this is not a plug for my Twitter, but feel free to hit that follow button nonetheless).

I’ve never been a huge baseball fan — soccer and basketball are much more my speed — but when I was younger I did attend the occasional Mets game back at the historic Shea Stadium. I remember the sweet smell of caramel popcorn, the ice cream sundaes served in those little plastic helmets, the sound of the ball cracking against the bat. Sign me up!

Oh, the Knicks Insert “ah sh-t, here we go again” meme.

Yes, it’s me, your resident delusional Knicks fan. Even after we failed to win the draft lottery back in May and missed out on all the top free agents this summer, I had still not completely given up on this season. I mean, we started this season with a solid young squad — RJ Barrett is a stud, Frank Ntilikina had a promising FIBA World Cup and man, can Allonzo Trier score the ball.

But then the season started and we suffered three straight losses. We’re yet to get our first win this year. We still don’t have a locked-down rotation, our defense is among the worst in the league and we’ve already seen some players fall to injuries.

It’s not all bad, though. I will stan Mitchell Robinson until the day I die. The man is a future All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year, mark my words. The aforementioned rookie sensation Barrett has been showing out. He’s only the second-youngest player to score over 21 points in his NBA debut (the first to do it was LeBron James). And Kevin Knox clearly has his shooting kicks on this year — the kid’s shooting 64% from deep so far this season!

Ha, you thought this was going to be a rant about the Knicks. Never.

Sure, they might make my heart hurt on the nights when Fizdale keeps our best perimeter chained to the bench while Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker go wild for our Atlantic division rivals. But I will always root for these guys, and hey, even if we tank this season there’s a good chance we’ll win the lottery next year and draft LaMelo Ball! Dare I say it — but I think the worst days are over?

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

Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.

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