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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM
Professor Predicts Impeachment for Donald Trump By JEMIMA MCEVOY Deputy News Editor
Allan Lichtman, a professor of history at American University, has correctly predicted the results of all presidential elections since 1984. After being one of the few public figures to predict Donald Trump’s presidency, he now thinks Trump will be impeached. Lichtman said that his system of prediction — the Keys to the White House — depends on a series of 13 true or false questions. When more than six of the questions are answered false, his system predicts that the current political party in the White House will not be reelected. He said that because there are limited examples of past impeachment, he couldn’t use the same system to predict Trump’s impeachment. “Predictions about impeachment are not based upon a scientific model, but on my gut,” Lichtman said. “There is not [a] scientific model that can predict impeachments because there have only been two of them throughout the course of American history — there aren’t enough examples to do a complete analysis.” Lichtman said that his prediction of Trump’s impeachment
stems from what he’s seen so far in the presidential election and he doesn’t think Trump’s behavior will change from his campaign. He also expects that Congress would prefer Mike Pence to be president because he is less of a wild card than Trump. “Throughout his career Trump has played fast and loose through the law, and that will transfer to his presidency,” Lichtman said. “Republicans love control and they may well decide to have Mike Pence: a down the pipe, controllable, standard issued, Christian-conservative, as president.” Lichtman said that although the public may think that Pence has a lot of controversial opinions, they may not seem all that controversial within the Republican party. LS freshman Edward Liu identifies himself as a non-partisan and said that he could see Trump being a more capable president than Pence. Liu said that it’s difficult to predict impeachment, and he would only support the decision if there was copious evidence. “I would only support an impeachment of any president if there is convincing evidence showing that there are incapable or have committed in-
excusable mistakes,” Liu said. “Impeaching a president due to partisan conflict or public pressure is unacceptable.” Liu said that although Trump has severely damaged the nation’s interest, he doesn’t think that Congress has any grounds to impeach Trump. Tisch senior Jack Kapulsky is the treasurer of College Republicans and said that he also predicted Trump would win, and doesn’t think that Lichtman’s success in predicting the result of the election is anything special. “It’s not a big deal that this man
Criminal Mischief On Nov. 14 at 9:11 a.m. a Public Safety Officer reported that he observed graffiti inside a bathroom at 20 Cooper Square.
Controlled Substance On Nov. 14 at 2:33 p.m. Public Safety Responded to a report of a controlled substance in Third Avenue North Residence Hall and a small amount of marijuana and paraphernalia was recovered. On Nov. 16 at 10:25 p.m. Public Safety responded to a report of a controlled substance at St. George Clark Hall. A small amount of amphetamine was recovered.
Larceny On Nov. 14 at 6:15 p.m. a stu-
Email Jemima McEvoy at jmcevoy@nyunews.com.
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Nov. 13 to Nov. 17
The NYU Department of Public Safety received five reports of larceny, two reports of controlled substance and one report of criminal mischief between Nov. 13 and Nov. 17.
gation. He said that neither Pence nor Trump would be a better president — they balance each other out. “Trump is more socially liberal and a charismatic avenger for the country whereas Pence is more conservative and reserved, but a much more experienced politician,” Kapulsky said. “I don’t see the value in contemplating what it would be like if one were out of the picture, because I think they will very much be running the country codependently.”
Allan Lichtman is an American History professor at American University.
CRIME LOG By JEMIMA MCEVOY, SAYER DEVLIN AND NATASHA ROY
predicted Trump would win,” Kapulsky said. “Many of us regular people who saw through the lies of the NY Times, HuffPo, etc., and don’t get our news solely from left-wing outlets knew this was coming and tried to warn our peers only to be dismissed and laughed at.” Kapulsky said that the notion of Trump being impeached at this point in time is just baseless fodder for liberals to eat up. He thinks that it would have been far more conceivable for Hillary Clinton to be impeached if she had won, as the Clinton Foundation is still under federal investi-
dent reported that his bicycle was missing from Schwartz Plaza. A police report was filed. On Nov. 14 at 2:42 p.m. an employee of the Torch Cub reported that her wallet was missing from her locker in the sub-basement of the club. A police report was filed. On Nov. 15 at 8:55 p.m. a supervisor at Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology reported that a computer mouse was missing. On Nov. 17 at 9:50 p.m. an NYU guest reported that her vest was stolen from a table in the student lounge in Vanderbilt Hall. Police notification was declined but the incident remains under investigation by Public Safety. On Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. a student reported that his backpack, including his laptop, was stolen from a cubicle in the Vanderbilt Hall library. Police notification was declined but the incident remains under investigation by Public Safety.
Email Jemima, Sayer and Natasha at news@nyunews.com.
Washington Square News
NYU Students Call For Justice in Palestine By COCO WANG Staff Writer
The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be a convoluted and confusing subject for those who haven’t studied the nuanced history of the two sides, so a group of pro-Palestine NYU students founded the club NYU Students for Justice in Palestine. The group helps people understand the Palestinian issues through analysis and facilitates discussion to formulate resolutions to the conflict. The club, which meets weekly, organizes on the democratic principles to promote justice, human rights, liberation and self-determination for Palestinian people. Steinhardt senior Leen Kardsheh serves as the secretary of the club, and he said that the club lets people know more about the situation in Palestine by presenting materials in different forms so that people with various knowledge sets can promote volunteer work to help Palestine. “Our meetings are different from week to week,” Kardsheh said. “Sometimes we have an article, movie or current event that we have a discussion on. At times, we bring in some more educational
material to teach new people about the Palestinian cause.” The club uses their meetings to plan these events, find people to volunteer and organize the event logistics. Last week, the group screened a documentary about the illegal network of tunnels Gazans used to smuggle in goods after Israeli and Egyptian attacks. The event was open to the public and garnered an audience with people from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. CAS junior Yasmena Almulla, the club’s president, said that because of how the club is structured, it attracts a diverse group of people. “We have people from NYU, NYU alumni, sometimes even professors — even people living in the community — who are just interested in our events,” Almulla said. “There is one Israeli girl who is part of NYU Students for Justice in Palestine. During the protest in May this year a lot of Jews came in support of us.” She said that people from different backgrounds, demographics, religions and ideologies all engage at their events in solidarity with the struggle for the rights of Palestinians. While educational meet-
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Students for Justice in Palestine is a pro-Palestine club which seeks to discuss the issues in Palestine.
ings are the main activities of this club, the group has also coordinated events such as selling paintings to fundraise for children in Haifa, Israel. They also collaborate with other social justice groups such as NYU Divest and Incarceration to Education Coalition to further their respective causes. CAS sophomore Aya Charafeddine, the treasurer of SJP, said that the club’s public action makes it popular among NYU students, but its main goal is to support Palestine, rather than sway the country’s future. “Actions are important — actions are raising awareness,” Charafeddine said. “But we don’t want to decide what’s better for Palestinians. Who are we to impose our will on the people?”
Email Coco Wang at news@nyunews.com.
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Considering a Career in the Cannabis Industry
By JEMIMA MCEVOY Deputy News Editor
Looking to go high places in the weed industry? Then the 2016 Cannabusiness seminar this weekend was the place to be. The event, held in NYU’s Global Center for Academic Life, was brought to the university through a collaboration between NYU’s chapter of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Cannabis Hemp Association, an organization that promotes responsible and legal mobilization of the cannabis and hemp business. A similar event was held at NYU last semester, but the seminar this year focused more on how students can get involved in the industry. CHA founder Scott Giannotti helped plan the event at NYU and was also the keynote speaker at the seminar. Giannotti said that the SSDP contacted him about hosting the event, and they faced no resistance from the university. His main goal was to give students an informed perspective on how the cannabis industry can help the country as well as students themselves. “I think that at this event you’re going to meet so many people who take this as a very serious business, and you’re going to hear stories regarding people’s healthcare which is going to inspire people to take this a lot more seriously,” Giannotti
said. “When students find out about different opportunities that are available to them I think that they’re going to start to realize that this could be a growing industry for the future to get into because our economy isn’t exactly booming and it’s hard to find industries that are growing.” Giannotti said that because the CHA has a big following of advocates and activists, he was not surprised at the event’s large turnout. “Last year we had just a few people on the panel, a couple of them have a little bit of experience in the industry, but this year we have much more experienced people,” Giannotti said. “We have politicians, we have dispensary owners and we actually have someone from Colorado who owns a medical and a recreational dispensary — so we’re really getting people who have direct experience.” Giannotti said that aside from the business aspects of cannabis, not enough people know about its medical benefits. He believes that it is important to push towards legalization, because it will allow patients to have medication delivered to their homes and will help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Steinhardt senior and SSDP treasurer Alex Lekhtman opened the seminar with a speech about the importance of decriminalizing all drugs. Lekhtman pumped up
the crowd with a mix of cannabis jokes and motivational statements about the benefits of the cannabis industry. Lekhtman said that the club hosts events like the Cannabusiness seminar to connect students to different chapters of SSDP and other drug policy organizations in and outside of New York City. The club aims to help students build a network with other people around the campus that are trying to reach the same goal. He thinks that having events like this is important to show students the potential of the cannabis industry. “I think the most important thing is for people to see that cannabis is a real and viable industry,” Lekhtman said. “That it’s not some kind of niche, underground weird black-market enterprise, that it is something real. Whether they want to use it for medicinal purposes or other purposes, I think that it is important for people to see that cannabis can be as valid of an industry as the coffee industry.” However, CAS freshman Arushi Sahay said that she found some of the claims made by speakers at the event unrealistic. She said that she felt there wasn’t enough factual evidence to justify the statements being made by those on stage. “The speaker kept making claims about the economy being saved and kids getting good grades and then weakly linking them back to cannabis,” Sahay said. “In my opinion,
legalizing all drugs doesn’t seem like the best idea, and total legalization seemed to be what the panel was advocating.” Although Sahay found some of the ideas presented at the seminar a little extreme, she still thinks that cannabis should be legalized. She said the panel should have focused more on the actual legal cannabis industry, as that is how it was advertised. Lekhtman believes that, although the new medical cannabis program in New York State is a step in the
right direction, he also thinks it is too restrictive and wants to see it expand. He said it is up to students to make the difference now for the future of the country. “We have a lot of great minds in this school,” Lekhtman said. “We have a lot of people who are into business, science and medicine and culture, I think that NYU can help pick up the reins and give this movement some momentum.”
Email Jemima McEvoy at jmcevoy@nyunews.com.
STAFF PHOTO BY VERONICA LIOW
Smoking marijuana is slowly becoming less of a taboo.
NYU Students Realize Israel
By NATASHA ROY Deputy News Editor
Students at NYU are helping others Realize Israel. This club allows NYU students to support Israel and engage in conversation about the State of Israel through hosting speakers and social events. It provides a community for people to celebrate Israel’s culture. Gallatin sophomore Adela Cojab is the vice president of Realize Israel, and she said that the club focuses on education, celebration and action. “Realize Israel is entirely student-run and has grown to be a strong organization that partners with different student groups on campus to express the multiplicity of Israel — be it in technological development, medical advancement, LGBTQ rights, democracy or food and culture,” Cojab said in an email. Cojab said she accidentally discovered Realize Israel when she saw the group holding a vigil for victims of a terrorist attack in Israel during her freshman year, and ever since then, she has found a sense of community through the club. “This was something I needed at NYU — somewhere I can express my views on Israel and a group of people who care about the same things I do,” Cojab
said. “I joined Realize Israel as a freshman so I support Israel, but it has become so much more.” She said the club connected her to some of her closest friends. CAS junior David Moed is the secretary and founder of Realize Israel. He also found community through the club, and he said that the club allowed him a place to fully express his love for Israel. “When I came to NYU I felt there was no forum where I could express and share my love for Israel in an outward, organized fashion,” Moed said. “I helped found Realize Israel to ensure that proud Israel supporters and Zionists can raise their head high on campus and share their love, while fighting misinformation and hate.” The club is not meant to be religious or political — Cojab said that it provides a space for Israel to be celebrated without bringing in the Israel-Palestine conflict. “The Middle Eastern conflict is complicated, and we are by no means agreeing with all of Israel’s policies,” Cojab said. “We want to show what Israel brings to the table as the only country in the Middle East that supports LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, innovation, free speech and freedom of the press.” Moed said that while the club is composed of many Is-
raelis and Zionists, they encourage anyone with an interest in supporting Israel to join. “It encompasses all supporters of Israel, whether that support comes for the first time at one of our events or from a past experience,” Moed said. “I think it’s important to emphasize that we welcome all people and that sharing positive, fun experiences with others is how we best express ourselves and it is a fundamental part of Israeli society. We also welcome all dialogue and are happy to sit down with anyone who would like to talk about Israel no matter their viewpoint.”
Additional reporting by Faith Gates. Email Natasha Roy at nroy@nyunews.com.
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Realize Israel acts to facilitate conversation about the State of Israel, and provide a means to support Israel.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM
ARTS ‘PhDeath:’ The NYU Murder Mystery By ALEXANDRA PIERSON Books and Theater Editor
James P. Carse, professor emeritus of history and literature of religion at NYU, knows the university better than anyone. He was the director of Religious Studies for 30 years, and his time at NYU in what he calls “the most famous neighborhood in the world” is the inspiration behind his latest book, “PhDeath: The Puzzler Murders.” The novel is a murder mystery set on the campus of a major research university, conveniently situated around a square that is both park and performance space. Sound familiar? When a series of word puzzles are emailed to the entire university and members of the faculty begin dying under suspicious circumstances, it is up to a committee of their surviving colleagues to solve these puzzles and expose issues of university corruption before it is too late. Following a reading at Tribeca’s Mysterious Bookshop, WSN had the privilege of meeting Carse to discuss his most recent publication. Washington Square News: Is “PhDeath” based on NYU? James Carse: Yeah. It’s based on NYU, but not exactly NYU … It could apply to a lot of universities. In fact, one of the reasons for choosing to use NYU in this way is that it does resemble a great number of large, especially research institutions. You know, big, high-powered, word status, world-class type universities. WSN: Where did your idea for this
story come from? JC: I was at NYU for 30 years, and the NYU faculty is full of people who were all born smart. They were mostly nerdy in school, they were never really popular kids, you know, very few athletes and so on, and with a lot of peculiar characteristics — in other words, colorful. So I found myself living in this community of really unusual, intelligent and interesting people. So you put it all together like that, it’s just like a huge pool of stories waiting to be told ... I know a lot about their lives and the problems they have, and the problems they have with the university, so it kind of came from that. [Also,] I have a lifelong fascination with puzzles [and] working things out. And so I let those two factors merge, and I thought, “Okay, I’ll write a mystery about the university.” WSN: Are any of the characters in the book based on actual people? JC: Yes. One is very precise: John Buttner-Janusch. He was terribly brilliant. I tell the story fairly accurately in the novel. He was brought to NYU to run a laboratory. He was a genetic anthropologist. He was always a difficult human being, steamed up … He was so difficult that when I would go into a committee meeting for the first time and I would see him there, I’d resign from the committee and leave … Well, it turned out that he was on methamphetamine. It’s exactly like I told in the story: he had the lab, he was making that stuff in the lab and he had his students sell it …
The others are mostly composites of people I know. Almost everyone in the book would fit in this university. The man I dedicated the book to — Frank Peters — [is] sort of the model for Alfie O’Malley, the friend [of the protagonist]. WSN: As someone who had worked at NYU for 30 years, you probably know this institution better than anybody. What would you say has been the biggest change that you’ve seen? JC: Oh, there are lots of changes. Sometimes I have the feeling I’ve been at five universities. Think of it like this: when I came to NYU, most of the students were first or second-generation. That is, most of my students at that time were the sons and daughters of immigrants. And, of those, most were Jewish … I would say 70 or 80 percent of the student body was Jewish … Then there was a very large Catholic group right after that, and then it slowly turned Eastern, more and more Asian and so on. When I left there were a lot of students in my classes who were Indian [or] Chinese, [and there were] many more black students than I had in the beginning. Then there was an abrupt shift … Suddenly, kids [were] coming to college to be doctors, lawyers and so on. They were very serious about their studies, whereas the previous group came to have a great time … The next group was very quiet. They did everything you told them to … The classrooms weren’t as interest-
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NYU students will find the setting of PHDeath especially relatable, it being the NYU campus. ing, they wouldn’t fight with the professors. In the early, early period, I couldn’t give a lecture in which someone didn’t object. WSN: Can you explain the role of the Puzzler and what [they] are trying to achieve? JC: The Puzzler has a vision of the university that begins with Socrates in Athens. I think the way to describe Socrates is, there’s no such thing as Socratic thought, there’s only Socratic method, and the method is questioning … This is the vision of the Puzzler — that it begins with Socrates and continues to the present in a fairly continuous history. And the university is probably Western civilization’s greatest achievement, [and he] wants to maintain the integrity of the university … He knows that he [can’t do it] in the way that Socrates did, wandering around asking people questions — he’s got to do something better than that. So he
Artists from across the globe have contributed their unique artistic perspective to the Sketchbook Project.
By EMILY CONKLIN Staff Writer University and high school academics so forcefully pummel the brain with facts, numbers, dates and deadlines that it is easy for a 21st century student to forget the wonders that the human brain is capable of. This magnificence is easy to see if one looks closely enough. But for those less interested in introspection, it’s also on display between the stacks of the Sketchbook Project, nestled within the Brooklyn Art Library just four stops on the L train away from Washington Square. From all 50 states and every corner of the world, artists of every
Look At Your Art and Touch It, Too caliber — professional, amateur or just creatives — offer a glimpse into their weirdly whimsical minds by submitting a personal handmade sketchbook or journal aligned with one of the Project’s many themes. From “Coffee and Cigarettes” to “The Apocalypse,” the artists fill their journals with tantalizing imagery and scrawled handwriting in a multitude of languages. The pages, which visitors can hold in their own hands instead of observing behind a glass display, offer viewers a lens into the intricacies of the mind’s movements. It is a rare treat in a world that often values quantitative performance over qualitative expression.
Sitting in the cool and calm of the library, it is easy to get lost in the little worlds of the sketches. Almost unnoticeably, your stack of journals grows effortlessly skywards. The colors and textures fill visitors’ peripheral visions as each page surprises with a new shape, medium or quirky added cutout. Sometimes one feels as if they are in a conversation with the artist as notes and writings scrawled on or under drawings invoke the reader, asking questions and inciting a personal conversation with oneself. This exercise in stepping back and delving into the beauty of those unlike yourself, outside of your physical proximity or headspace, is an exer-
cise in self-discovery and reflection. One cannot help but be inspired by the brilliant minds, clever commentary and creative effervescence in the sketchbooks. While a person with fleeting emotions, thoughts and preoccupations of the moment may enter the library while the sun is high in the sky, an entirely transformed person will walk out as the sun dips below the skyscrapers visible on the other side of the river. A calmness, confidence and renewed vitality for life and experience is present. Creative expression takes one form when hung in a museum exhibition or next to a price tag in a gallery. It enters a whole different dimension when it is so accessible, created by
kills people. WSN: Can you explain the concept of thievery in the book? How is it that people are being robbed? JC: Well, I think people are being robbed because the university is selling itself as a way to wealth, success in something. It’s not the community of discourse, of active thinking, that I think it should be and it has been over the centuries. That’s one thing that worries me a lot, and that’s why I use the notion of thievery, because it’s very expensive to get educated … When you charge someone a lot of money to teach them something useful, what you’ve done is stolen from them not just the money but the gift of being thoughtful. That’s the big thievery, not just stealing the money, but stealing your sense of wonder.
Email Alexandra Pierson at books@nyunews.com.
PHOTOS BY EMILY CONKLIN
someone just like you, who has found a voice and a venue for their admirations, passions, anxieties and fears between the pages. The Sketchbook Project is an art gallery unlike any other. This project invites its viewers to participate, to touch and feel and experience in a way that no other museum or gallery will. Beyond that, the Sketchbook Project has no concern for level of artistic skill or training. It does not take into account GPA or ability to memorize dates. It helps us see the essential within, to unlock the artist in each of us.
Email Emily Conklin at entertainment@nyunews.com.
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Tolstoy Meets Broadway in ‘The Great Comet of 1812’ By KAMILA DAURENOVA Contributing Writer
It may seem like a joke when an actor in the new Broadway musical “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” walks up to the audience and asks ‘Who’s hungry?,’ but it’s revealed to be more than that when small boxes of pirozhoki (Ukrainian fried buns) start flying through the air. This is the first in a long line of pleasant surprises in the show, currently playing at the Imperial Theater. The story is based on a 70-page extract of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” and features a huge amount of NYU talent. Aside from the phenomenal Amber Gray as Helene, Glesley Bell provides a powerful performance as Andrey’s sister Princess Mary, Or Mattias excels as music director and Azudi Onyejekwe shines in the ensemble. In addition, both director Rachel Chavkin and choreographer Sam Pinkleton have taught at NYU. The action starts when the beautiful young Natasha (Denee Benton) comes to visit Moscow to wait for her beloved fiance Andrey (Nicholas Benton) to return from war. In a moment of weakness, Natasha succumbs to the seduction of the charming and secretly married Ana-
Mifune Doc Details Legendary Career By ALI HASSAN Contributing Writer
In what is often an either laughedoff or under-appreciated culture, one of Japan’s cinematic giants has finally earned the recognition he deserves. Steven Okazaki’s documentary “Mifune: The Last Samurai” honors Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune and serves as a decent primer for viewers unfamiliar with his work. The documentary is a collection of stills, movie clips and interviews that trace Mifune’s path from birth to death. Interviewees include his oldest son, who touches upon Mifune’s private life, as well as Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, who discuss Mifune’s legacy in the United States. Mifune’s work has affected Hollywood’s history in many ways. “Yojimbo,” a 1961 period film about a ronin played by Mifune, can be considered one of the first western films. Famous directors like George Lucas grew up watching Mifune. If it weren’t for Mifune’s American agent, who advised him against taking the role, we would have grown up with a very different
tole (Lucas Steele), leading to the quick demise of her social status. Depressed and despondent, she finds hope and compassion in Andrey’s friend Pierre (Josh Groban), a lonely outsider searching for meaning in his life. The new electro-pop opera is an immersive experience, one that starts from the very first step into the theater. It is impossible to enter the space without gasping: red carpets and curtains are lined with gold, dainty tables stand between seats and portraits and landscapes are sprawled on the walls. The comet itself, a stunning spiked gold chandelier, looms over the center of the stage, surrounded by smaller versions throughout the theater. For her Broadway debut, set designer Mimi Lien transports the audience far from New York and into what could easily be the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The soundtrack is hard to pin down, ranging from classical opera to electronic music, with the odd Russian folk-inspired pop song for good measure. The prologue sums up the story: “It’s a complicated Russian novel / everyone has nine different names / look it up in your program.” The first highlight comes when Natasha professes her love for An-
drey with the eerily beautiful opera-inspired “No One Else.” Benton’s voice brings both chills and smiles as Natasha’s memories come to life; small extensions of the chandelier lower down and twinkle as stars, while snow falls on Andrey. Another standout is “Charming,” where Anatole’s sister Helene convinces Natasha to go out with them. Gray’s powerful voice works beautifully with the jazz-influenced track and captures Tolstoy’s Helene in a way that’s never been done before. Later on is “Sonya Alone,” where Natasha’s cousin (Britain Ashford) and best friend expresses worry about the strange state she’s in. As soon as Ashford starts to sing her husky, breathy voice tears at the heart and makes it clear why playwright and lyricist Dave Malloy wrote the character specifically for her. At times, watching the show feels like reading the novel through Natasha’s perspective. Just like Natasha, the audience is blinded when noted socialites like Helene or Anatole walk on stage through a giant double door that radiates light. Natasha is a young naive country girl who is just being exposed to the bustling and overwhelming world of Moscow high society. Groban’s Pierre is grounded and
lovable, but the most exciting part of his performance is when he dances around in a fat suit while playing the accordion. While his voice is reliable and pleasant to the ear, his songs were neither memorable nor awe-inspiring. In contrast, tenor Lucas Steele steals the show as Anatole, hitting notes that leave the audience gaping while he swaggers around the stage. Unfortunately, “The Great Comet of 1812” is both a mediocre and an unsatisfying chapter of the story to end on. The Malloy’s choice not to include “The Epilogue” chapter of the novel leaves the audience with too many questions unanswered and too many things unsaid. This
is exactly what this show needs, as the current ending is what stands in between the show being great and truly spectacular. The entire production is a giant immersive high-involvement spectacle that proves to be just what the story needs. Well-written characters narrate their own actions and extend their hands so audience members kiss them. It is absolutely ridiculous, which is precisely what makes it so entertaining. “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” is playing now at the Imperial Theater.
Email Kamila Daurenova at theater@nyunews.com.
PHOTO BY CHAD BATKA
The performance effectively immersed its audience into the world of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
When the Internet Meets Theater COURTESY OF STRAND RELEASING
This documentary, directed by Steven Okazaki, follows the life and work of actor Toshiro Mifune. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mifune also starred in some of Japan’s most well-known movies, including “Rashomon” and “Seven Samurai.” Those two films also have a key commonality beyond Mifune’s participation: Akira Kurosawa. The pair worked together on many films, forming a historic alliance that spanned a period of over 25 years. Their partnership started after World War II, when Kurosawa was introduced to Mifune after the latter had worked as an assistant cameraman for a movie. Upon seeing Mifune act, Kurosawa — generally not one to be impressed by actors — was blown away. He sensed in Mifune an energy that spread vitality to everything around him. Kurosawa is treated with as much respect as Mifune in this documentary. The two’s work are so intertwined that it would be impossible to detail the life of one without the other. Mifune and Kurosawa brought out the best in each other. Kurosawa was a perfectionist who expected his actors to follow his every direction, but he wanted Mifune to act without any guidance, because he felt that Mifune did his best work when al-
lowed to breathe life into his roles without hindrance. Kurosawa also provided Mifune with the most challenging roles he got during his career. One example is the death scene in “Throne of Blood,” in which soldiers played by non-professional college students shoot actual arrows at Washizu (Mifune). Watching the scene while its authenticity is being described is terrifying, but it also instills an appreciation for the difficult work that Mifune did. Unfortunately, the sensational decline of the pair’s relationship, noteworthy and dramatic, is relegated to a short and rush portion of the documentary that humanizes two cinema gods, but only briefly. Okazaki should have asked his interviewees to explain why the split happened and what effect it had on both, but he instead saves this information for a scant few minutes towards the end. But this should not take away from what the documentary does well: providing a quick but detailed overview of Mifune’s acting career.
Email Ali Hassan at film@nyunews.com.
By MICHAEL LANDES Staff Writer
Finding an Off-Off Broadway theater is rare, but the Playroom Theater, on the eighth floor of a nondescript building with a T.G.I. Friday’s downstairs is exactly that — a cozy black-box, perfect for close interaction between the audience and whoever takes the stage. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, it hosted a panel of experts on live-streaming. The audience was filled with producers and playwrights, many of whom were weighty figures in the New York theater scene. On stage sat cofounders of BroadwayHD Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley, their VP of Business Affairs and self-produced playwright Benjamin Birney and the CEO of VirtualArtsTV Kathryn Jones. But the conversation was far from limited to just the five people on stage and the moderator and playwright Bob Ost. The house lights never dimmed, leaving audience members free to call out questions at any point, frequently leading to entertaining rapport with the panelists. Some attendees were as knowledgeable as the panelists on the topic at hand, offering information about working with Actor’s Equity and other unions, as well as suggestions on technical components. From a discussion on live-streaming shows from Broadway theaters down to Off-Off Broadway basement
shows, there could not have been a better assembly of people to tackle the topics. The organization which held the panel, Theater Resources Unlimited, hosts far more than just panels on the technicalities of shooting a play. Most people in the room were members, and it was clear that TRU works hard to connect new members just stepping into the theater world with seasoned professionals, some of whom have multiple Tonys among other awards under their belts. With production bootcamps and speed dating programs to connect writers with producers, playwriting workshops and public readings of in-progress work, TRU is a group undoubtedly dedicated to helping new faces make a living in theater. A special relationship with NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts was also mentioned, and the group’s Young Patrons and Artists Circle program is an opportunity that may be especially interesting to those seeking careers in theater. While the topic at hand on Tuesday may have not been the most pressing concern for a young playwright attempting to get their work out there, TRU as an organization is a wonderful, somewhat-hidden resource for theater in the city.
Email Michael Landes at theater@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM
FEATURES
EDITED BY ABIGAIL WEINBERG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
Thanksgiving Foods Evoke Memories STAFF PHOTO BY TAYLER MACMILLAN
Many students are choosing to wear their hearts on their sleeves in support of fellow classmates who feel like there’s no one safe to turn to.
Safety Pin: The New Symbol of Solidarity By ALI WEBB Staff Writer
Donald Trump’s recent presidential victory has caused divide across the country. Some have been mourning and protesting, while others have felt empowered by Trump’s nontraditional, controversial rhetoric, leading to some in the latter group to commit hateful acts against marginalized groups. While people are fighting these threats in many ways, one of the simplest and most common methods of protest has been wearing a safety pin to silently display solidarity and support with those feeling fearful. The act of wearing a safety pin originates from the United Kingdom post-Brexit. The decision to leave the European Union divided political parties and communities, so this subtle statement connected people who opposed what happened or were affected by the threat of discrimination. Now that the U.S. is going through a similar conflict of interest over the president-elect, many Americans have adopted this act for unity. Some students wearing safety pins have taken action so others can join them. CAS sophomore Stephanie Glass placed a plastic bag of the pins on a bulletin board in the Broome Street Residence Hall lobby, including a note encouraging those willing to stand up against targeted harassment or assault to take one. Students on other college campuses have joined the movement, but it has not become widespread at NYU. This could be partially due to an opinion article by Huffington Post contributor Christopher Keelty, saying wearing a safety pin may be a way for white people to feel like allies without truly addressing issues of white supremacy. While Glass is participating in the subtle message of support, she wants people who wear the safety pins to take them seriously and for allies to go further than this simple statement to combat the threats facing marginalized communities.
“To me it seems like the very bare minimum one can do,” Glass said. “It’s certainly not enough to just wear a pin and be unprepared to intervene in real world harassment, nor is it enough to be aware of and vocal about racial issues only in the days following the election.” As a woman of color, LS sophomore Linseigh Green agrees that safety pins should be a promise of action. She is concerned about the casual way this symbol is being worn and promoted. “I have already seen a fashion article that discusses stylish ways to wear a safety pin, and that isn’t going to help anyone,” Green said. “There should be a greater focus on actions than the pin itself.” Stern sophomore Jackie Vieira, who feels specifically impacted by the hateful rhetoric of this election as a female sexual assault survivor of Asian and Latin origins, has made a point to wear a safety pin daily. She sees this act as a way to show love and support in a less blatant way, finding it overall positive and powerful. “I wear the pin, but I still go to rallies and sign petitions and try to have conversations,” Vieira said. “I also think sending the message that comes with the pin is meaningful.” To make matters more complicated, some white supremacists have adopted the safety pin to trick people into thinking they are allies when they are actually the very people causing marginalized groups to feel unsafe. While it is unclear how many are doing this, wearers as well as members of targeted groups should stay careful and aware. Overall, while the movement is trending, a belief and emphasis on more vocal forms of action like protest has made this statement fairly uncommon on campuses. During this time, the priority is staying active and vocal to protect these targeted communities in whatever capacity you feel comfortable.
Email Ali Webb at bstyle@nyunews.com.
By WSN STAFF
Stuffing
Food may be what brings people together on Thanksgiving Day, but everyone knows that the people you share it with are the real stars of the show. WSN’s staff shared their best memories of Thanksgiving through the foods that brought them together.
“My parents are vegetarian, so we don’t do a traditional turkey at my house for Thanksgiving. But my mom makes an amazing stuffing every year. I’m Indian, and my mom loves cooking Indian food, so she created a recipe that fuses the traditional stuffing with an Indian influence. She’ll put the traditional bread, salt and onions together but mix in peas and spices that you’d commonly find in Indian dishes, like cayenne and coriander. It’s delicious and a hit with our family every year.” — Ankita Bhanot, Deputy Features Editor
Buttermilk Biscuits “Thanksgiving is the one time of the year that my mom and I indulge and make Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits, knowing full well that it goes against the multigrain lifestyle we usually live. While my mom and grandma would handle the big league parts of Thanksgiving dinner, my job was — and continues to be — to make the biscuits. There’s something super satisfying about popping the tin open with a spoon, and it reminds me of a warm kitchen that smells like stuffing.” — Grace Halio, Deputy Managing Editor
“There’s truly nothing on the Thanksgiving table for me that holds more significance than stuffing. My family uses my grandmother’s recipe, which — scoff as you might — is perfected by the addition of raisins in the mix. Besides the classic bread cubes, apples and celery, the raisins act as the hero of the dish because they soak up the juices from the bird as it cooks.
The smell of the stuffing and turkey slowly cooking all day long is truly the aroma of the holiday for me. Since it’s the only holiday my family ever traditionally celebrates together, it holds a lot of emotional significance. Besides, it goes well with every other dish on the table — you can pair it easily with turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce or any roasted vegetables and have yourself a tantalizing mouthful.” — Hailey Nuthals, Arts Editor
Red Velvet Cake “Growing up, I never wanted to be the one to walk into my family’s Thanksgiving dinner with my mom’s red velvet cake in hand. As soon as the cake enters the sight of my extended family, everyone starts fighting over it. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without seeing adults arguing over how big other people’s slices of cake are and searching for places to hide theirs until after dinner. We can’t be nice to each other every day of the year.” — Taylor Nicole Rogers, Dining Editor
Looking for Delivery? Call Here By SHIRLEY CAHYADI Staff Writer
ing. Downside: minimum $10 order fee.
are more beautiful than a good Cuban sandwich.
There’s nothing quite as comforting as having food delivered to your doorstep, or at least to the lobby of your residence hall. Food delivery is one of the greatest services available for sale, and in the city that never sleeps, there’s always some place that’s open and available to serve you food. However, that’s not to say delivery doesn’t come with its shortfalls. Sometimes the food doesn’t taste quite as good as it should, there’s an expensive minimum delivery charge or it just takes forever to arrive. If scouring Seamless hasn’t given you any leads, check out our roundup of tasty restaurants that deliver consistently scrumptious eats in a timely manner.
Joe’s Pizza ($$)
Hawkers ($) South East Asian, Chinese, Japanese
Han Dynasty ($$) Chinese Sichuan Food Han Dynasty is very quick, but if you live in Alumni, Third North or Founders, consider ordering for pick-up and making the two block trek to get your food within 20 to 30 minutes of ordering. Steinhardt freshman Chandra Kelley, who lives in Third North, swears by their lo mein.
99 Miles to Philly ($$) Philly Cheesesteaks and Sandwiches With 869 ratings and 4.5 stars on Grubhub, it’s pretty safe to say that this is a solid choice. Upside: Philly Cheesesteaks are amaz-
Not all of us have the luxury of living 10 steps away from Joe’s Pizza in Palladium, but there is always delivery! The only drawback to ordering delivery from Joe’s is that you can’t order by the slice — you have to order a whole pie. This is a great option at any time of the day if you’re looking to share a pie with friends.
Beyond Sushi ($) Vegan Sushi Maybe, instead of pigging out, you decide you want to treat your body like a temple and order from this vegan sushi restaurant. Located near Union Square, Beyond Sushi puts a fresh twist on traditional Japanese dishes such as dumplings and noodle soups by incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables. Their food is certainly good for your body, but its $15 delivery minimum isn’t as kind to your wallet.
Hawkers appears to be in a league of its own with over a thousand ratings and a full five stars on GrubHub. It caters to Southeast Asian, Japanese and Chinese cuisines. One might say it can’t seem to decide which cuisine it wants to serve, but since it’s open until 12:15 a.m., it’s a late-night food delivery refuge.
Insomnia Cookies ($) While Insomnia is a delivery service that needs no introduction, this list of delivery places around NYU wouldn’t be complete without it. Hit up Insomnia Cookies when you’re craving an ooey-gooey cookie the size of your palm at 3 a.m.
Email Shirley Cahyadi at features@nyunews.com.
Otto’s Tacos ($) Taqueria With a simple menu, Otto’s tacos are all less than $10 and their churros are the perfect way to top them off.
Cafe Habana Cuban ($$) Not everyone wants to wait for 40 minutes for a table at this Nolita eatery. Be thankful that delivery is available, since few things in life
STAFF PHOTO BY ANNA LETSON
The idea of getting a bag of food delivered right to your door may be alluring, but some places are certainly better than others.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
FEATURES
EDITED BY ABIGAIL WEINBERG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
By AIYSHA SADANA Contributing Writer Marijke Jorritsma has done it all. Previously a touring musician, educator and graphic designer, Jorritsma is now back at school as a master’s student at Tandon School of Engineering. Along with school, Jorritsma is also currently interning at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab — America’s leading center for robotic space exploration. She presented a model of NASA’s 2020 Mars Rover at an NYU event earlier this month. We were able to speak to Marijke to find out a little bit more about her career, her inspiration and how she’s balancing it all with being back in school. WSN: What exactly do you do at work? MJ: I do user interface and user experience design often times referred
On The Job: Interning at NASA
to as “UX/UI.” I work in the operations lab and we explore how new technology can enhance operations. For instance, we’ve been working with the Microsoft HoloLens, which is like an augmented reality headset. We get data from Mars to create a holographic environment for our scientists to do research on Mars. WSN: How did you get this position? MJ: Before I started grad school, I worked at a game company. I made some connections and some of those people came to work at this lab. I let them know when I started grad school that I was really interested in interning with them in the future, so I started preparing a year in advance. When it was time to submit an application, I applied and went through an interview process. I submitted a portfolio of the relevant work I was doing working with E.R. research as well as some software de-
velopment labs at NYU. I had some great experiences. WSN: Tell me a little bit about your demonstration of the 2020 Mars Rover at the NYU event on Nov. 7. MJ: That’s one of the projects I’ve been working on here at JPL. It’s a project where we use the CAD models from spacecraft engineers. That’s how we design what the spacecraft is going to look like. The project that I’ve been working on is taking the CAD model and turning it into a hologram that multiple people can see and interact with at once. It allows users to see what the spacecraft is going to look like before it’s ever been built. They can see how big it is and whether or not things are too close together. That’s a concern with spacecraft design. If parts are too close together and [the spacecraft is] entering the atmosphere of a new planet, parts can shake or they can hit each other and explode.
WSN: Do you plan to stay at NASA? MJ: Right now, I’m working on some new projects for the new rover designing software to help scientists and engineers figure out what the rover is going to do on a daily basis. I really like this project. There are a
lot of design challenges and complex situations and it’s really interesting to work on, so yes, hopefully I get to stay here.
Email Aiysha Sadana at features@nyunews.com.
VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG
Marijke Jorritsma is a master’s student at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering
Sydney Miller: Rallying for Love
By KAITLYN WANG Staff Writer
STAFF PHOTO BY POLINA BUCHAK
With different kinds of Thanksgiving dinners come different outfits for each occasion.
5 of the Best Thanksgiving Outfits By MICHAELA HOFFMAN Staff Writer
Are you meeting your significant other’s family and don’t know what to wear? Are you dreaming of the food, but worried about your clothes fitting? If you’re in a panic about what to wear this Thanksgiving Day, here are five different outfits for five different occasions.
The Elaborate Thanksgiving Dinner For a more upscale Thanksgiving celebration, you may not want to reach for your favorite pair of ripped blue jeans. Instead, opt for a nice blouse and tailored pants to achieve a more polished look. Complete this outfit with a pair of sophisticated shoes, like loafers or heels, and you’re ready to take on the day.
The Laid-Back Thanksgiving Dinner This outfit is for a more informal Thanksgiving feast. You know you’re not going to want
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to pass up on all the delicious food, so the last thing you’ll want to wear is constricting clothes. If you want to hide your inevitable food baby, an oversized chunky sweater will do the trick. Break out your comfiest stretchy jeans or leggings and throw on a pair of flats or boots to bring your cool and casual look together.
Meeting the Significant Other’s Family Are you spending Thanksgiving with your significant other’s family and want to make a good impression? Wear something that makes a subtle statement with color or patterns. One of these elements in a dress keeps the look classic while adding a personal flare. Tie this look together with a cute pair of booties and your favorite jewelry and you’re well on your way to capturing their hearts.
The Family Football Game If you know you’re going to get down and dirty in your family’s annual football game, then you may not want to
ruin a nice outfit. Instead, opt for something that will keep you warm as well as stylish. Break out your favorite team’s apparel and rock a sweatshirt or a coat with its logo. Choose a pair of pants that you’re not totally attached to, like leggings or sweatpants, and complete the look with athletic shoes. Now you’re game day-ready.
The “I’m International So Who Cares” Outfit If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving or have no special plans for the day, this look is for you. Whether you’re going to the movies with your friends or eating Chinese food, rebel against tradition by pairing your favorite leather jacket with a metallic slip dress. You can finish off your look with a pair of your favorite sneakers. Alternatively, you could just wear what you normally wear. Either way, you won’t be going near turkey and stuffing this Thanksgiving Day.
Email Michaela Hoffman at bstyle@nyunews.com.
In the week following a shocking election, NYU students have united to protest hatred. At student-led events on campus, people were given the chance to show solidarity with marginalized communities that might feel threatened by the current political climate. This outpouring of support has been immense and cathartic, with rallies like the Muslim Students Association’s Rise Above Hate on Thursday, Nov. 10 at Kimmel garnering the support of hundreds of students and faculty in response to the vandalism found at the Tandon prayer room. Another protest on Wednesday, Nov. 16, had students staging a walk-out of their classes to gather at Washington Square Park to declare NYU a sanctuary campus. Gallatin sophomore Sydney Miller organized a love rally that reached beyond campus to bring people together at Washington Square Park on Friday, Nov 11. Miller’s Facebook event has been shared with more than 27,000 people, with 20,000 indicating their interest and 9,400 stating that they would go. Though she never intended for her action to get as big as it did, Miller wanted to provide a space for those in communities that have been attacked to feel safe. “I felt like I needed to say, ‘Hey, just because this person won the election and this was the result, doesn’t mean that the entire country now hates you and refuses to protect you,’” Miller said. “I wanted to show these communities that we were going to show up for them, that we weren’t going to abandon them.”
Miller was inspired by her friends and family who were devastated by the election results. Although many protests were explicitly anti-Trump, Miller wanted a more affirmative, positive message to provide support in a contentious time. “I really wanted a place where people could speak their fears and sort of make a commitment to each other that they were going to actively support those things,” Miller said. Though she admitted running the first part of the rally was terrifying because she did not know what people were going to say, Miller committed to her plans of letting anyone speak, even extending the opportunity to those who did not agree with the rally. “Letting people speak who had problems with what was going on was a really good way to diffuse the situation,” Miller said. “Instead of stewing in their anger they were able to express what they were feeling and what they wanted.” Hundreds of people gathered at 2 p.m. when the rally started, and the crowd only grew larger as the day went on, ending at 9 p.m. Miller noted a shift in the mood of the crowd throughout the day, but was pleased that the night ended positively. “In the morning it was a lot of people who were ready to yell about things, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Miller said. “Later in the day, it was more hopebased and more about coming together. Whether you’re expressing hope for the future or just anger at the situation, those are both totally valid, and I’m happy that they had a place to do it.”
Email Kaitlyn Wang at features@nyunews.com.
GOLF AND STERN By Catherina Li | Contributing Writer Being able to represent NYU on and off the golf course is a tremendous honor I am blessed to have. After playing this past fall and spring I’ve met a ton of people from all over the world, have wonderful teammates and a coach who would do anything for his players. However, it was not always smooth sailing. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Coming into NYU, I had very ambitious goals — maintain a 3.7 GPA the entire year, win some tournaments, join a sorority and some clubs while taking on all New York City has to offer. As the year went on, I realized those goals were far too ambitious and I had to lower my standards as each week passed by: my GPA is nowhere near a 3.7, I did not win a single tournament, didn’t get a bid from the sorority I wanted and stayed in way more nights than I went out. I didn't understand what went wrong. Suddenly it felt like I was treading water in all my classes; no matter how much time I put into my schoolwork there was always more that had to be done. During the in-season, the traveling team would dedicate five full days to golf every week, spending around six hours a day driving to the course and practicing and playing tournaments. I had the hardest time handling this schedule even though I’ve been a student athlete my entire life, and felt like I was
half-assing it in both areas since there was no time to focus all my energy on one area completely. During practice I would think of all the schoolwork that had to be done and during class I was thinking of my swing issues and what I had to pack for that weekend’s tournament. I slowly became lost in a world where everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going to work every single summer and after they graduate, whereas I was still figuring how to use the waffle maker in the thenHayden Dining Hall. Attending the Stern School of Business at NYU has a myriad of stereotypes and implications attached to it. The first thing I was told about it was that it is incredibly competitive and intense. The people here are only looking out for themselves and don’t ask for help because people will give you false information so they can get ahead of the curve. It was always consulting this, investment banking that, along with the ever-constant reminder that landing an internship is just as important as attending classes. With these thoughts in mind, I was very wary of who to befriend and how much of myself I should show to other people. I didn't want to be known as just another Stern robot, so I stayed away from the school as much as I could and never went inside the building
unless I had class. I rarely ever attended events hosted by Stern and always bolted from the conversation whenever I heard Stern’s favorite word — networking. It got to the point where I was afraid of answering questions in class because people would think I was trying too hard and was too obnoxious. I found that I was slacking rather than pushing myself in classes because I didn’t want to look like a typical workaholic Stern student, and my grades took a toll because of these frivolous fears. Looking back on my experience now I realize these stereotypes are based off just a handful of people and do not represent the school as a whole. I have never been turned down for help from any of my Stern classmates, and the competitiveness is only in the minds of those who want to be a part of it. While it is true that Stern can be intense and competitive, so are most schools at NYU. That's just the reality of attending a respectable university. But what’s also the reality is that there are a ton of resources that can help anyone succeed, and I am so blessed to be able to have the opportunity to attend one of the finest universities in the greatest city in the world — and to be able to hit greens while learning how to make green.
Email Catherina Li at sports@nyunews.com.
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ENGINEERING AND CROSS COUNTRY By Emily Dethlefs | Contributing Writer I’m a part of the NYU women’s cross country and track and field teams. Cross Country is a fall sport, while indoor track is in the winter and outdoor is in the spring. This means I am basically training and competing continuously as my seasons are back-toback and year-round. I am also a civil engineering major at Tandon and am minoring in urban design and architectural studies at CAS. In terms of my running career, I have practices every day at 2 p.m. The team meets at Palladium and then either takes the subway up to Central Park for workouts or runs to East Riverside Park to use the track. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we do casual recovery runs through the city. Weekends usually involve traveling to a meet from Friday to Saturday evening, then meeting back up with the team for a long run on Sunday morning at Van Cortland Park, Central Park or sometimes Rockefeller State Park. These commitments present two major challenges: working around my busy class schedule to fit practices in and keeping up on the workload of an
engineering curriculum while travelling almost every weekend. One of the most stressful parts of planning a new schedule is looking at the list of classes I must fit into my semester and trying to find time for practice in between them. Cross country and track are both team sports as well as being individual, so there are specific practice times and It is important to be able to run with the team as much as possible to get to know the team dynamic and gel as a group. Most people on the team have some sort of class conflict, but I have noticed myself and other Tandon athletes struggling more with scheduling classes around practice times. I believe this is because of how strict the curriculum is for most majors at Tandon, not to mention the location, and the limited options for some courses. For most majors at Tandon, picking classes for each semester does not involve a lot of actual choosing of classes: each engineering major must abide by a strict curriculum of courses taught by specific instructors in a very specific order. I don’t really choose what civil en-
gineering classes to take — each class usually only has one professor who teaches it at a particular time, limiting my options. This means I just have to make my academic schedule and hope it coincidentally leaves room for me to practice with my team some days of the week. All athletes at NYU are student athletes; the responsibility of being a student comes first as we are supposed to prioritize our academics. Everyone on the team does this, but we are all also very committed to our team and try our best to balance both so that our athletics do not suffer. Over the past few semesters, I have scheduled my classes around practice times to the best of my ability, but there are always some days that just don’t work. Though I do my best, this semester I have certain classes that conflict with team workouts, meaning I have to supplement these with workouts of my own. On top of scheduling conflicts, I must contend with the intense workload of an engineering major. Most weekends are spent traveling, which doesn’t leave a whole lot of room to catch up
on schoolwork. Regardless of major, I would imagine that every student has difficulty finishing all of their work in a timely manner. At the end of the day, I am an engineering student, and I love it. I am a runner for NYU, and I love it. It’s an amazing experience to be a student-athlete. Having wonderful teammates that I spend so much time with is a great addition to college life. There are numerous challenges that come with balancing an engineering curriculum and the busy schedule of a varsity athlete, but in the long run, I think it’s worth it. Nothing compares to looking back at a semester and realizing that not only am I one step closer to getting an engineering degree, but also that I now have so many great memories and accomplishments from being an athlete to go along with it. I love being part of the team. There’s a special bond that forms between runners, especially when they spend so much time together.
Email Emily Dethlefs at sports@nyunews.com.
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YOUNG BASEBALL TEAM BONDS IN OFFSEASON TRAINING By Alex Bazeley | Editor-in-Chief
STAFF PHOTOS BY VERONICA LIOW
With the cold setting in for the winter and the days growing shorter, you’ll find the NYU baseball team in the weight room, staying fresh and waiting for the fields to thaw out when spring rolls around. The team is heading into their third year of existence after being brought back in 2015, and for them, staying in shape is as much of a requirement to keep the skill level up as it is a time to bond with teammates. “The whole point of the lifts is to get the team working together, reaching a goal together,” said Cameron Serapilio-Frank, one of the team’s starting pitchers. He said the offseason workouts are simply designed to maintain a certain level of play so that the team isn’t starting from square one by the time the season rolls around in February. The group of nearly 40 players heads to the weight room in Palladium three times a week to do training as regulated by the
strength and conditioning coaches at NYU. Team workouts are scheduled around players’ classes so that as many can attend the sessions as possible. Workout sessions aren’t mandatory, but as Matthew Millus, the team’s closer, says, it’s expected that players attend or make up the workouts later. And head coach Doug Kimbler makes his stance clear: “They came to NYU to play baseball. I feel if they can’t motivate themselves, they will not be around much longer.” Fortunately, most players are able to make the workouts, preparing for the long haul of the baseball season. The offseason isn’t really focused around skill-building, though, making sure that players aren’t exhausted come time to play ball three months from now. Beyond the whole-team workouts, players will engage in their own fitness routines based on their position. Pitchers, for example, do light throwing
and work with flexible bands to keep their arms in shape. “Our first baseman, who’s a power hitter, is going to work on putting on more muscle mass, whereas as a second baseman, I’ll be working on more agility and keeping my weight down instead of trying to bulk up because I’m not a power hitter,” said Ryan McLaughlin, the quick second baseman who stole nine bases last year and was third on the team in runs scored. Not everything is about strength, and things get even more specific for pitchers depending on how far along they are in their development. After posting a 1.27 ERA as the closer his freshman year, Millus seemed to struggle a bit more in the 2016 season, ending the year with a 3.80 ERA. But that number doesn’t paint the whole picture — he gave up the same number of hits, struck out the same number of batters and even cut down on the walks a bit. Serapilio-Frank, meanwhile,
ATHLETICS AT AN ACADEMIC UNIVERSITY
Walking down 10th Street and Uniersity Place, a pack of freshly-showred students wearing grey NYU thletic sweatshirts and sweatpants merge from a sea of suits and dresses. As they approach the Silver Center of Arts and Sciences, they quickly finsh off the remnants of power bars nd last sips of Gatorade. Among the roup is sophomore softball pitcher Cassi Parulis. “We are definitely a rare breed here,” arulis said. “You can spot the athletes ecause they usually aren’t dressed up nd are eating, exhausted or both.” NYU is admired for its famed alumni nd scholastic achievements, but ew notice the presence of sports n campus. “Coming into NYU, I really didn’t ven know we had official sports eams,” CAS junior Shannon Viola, a ransfer student from Gettysburg, said. In the world of college sports, the NCAA places universities into divisions ccording to size, sports funding and ecruitment. NYU is a Division III intitution, which means that compared o Division I and II colleges, it has less unding, limited recruitment ability nd fewer scholarship opportunities or athletes. State institutions that are DI are allotted the largest scholarship unds and the ability to recruit some he most promising young athletes in he country. In recent years, the division placement of universities has served as a lanket description for the school. According to a 2014 poll done by the NCAA, during 72 percent of college
searches, one of the most common searches was the division of the university. Not only does the DIII title of NYU seem to diminish the credibility of student athletes, but it also seems to be leading to a rise in a much larger issue. The correlation between anxiety disorders and collegiate athletics has been recognized since the ‘90s, when studies from the University of Alabama linked college athletics with eating disorders and an increase in student anxiety. According to a 2013 study done by the NCAA, almost 85 percent of certified athletic trainers believe anxiety disorders are currently an issue among student athletes on their campus. The pressure to perform well, as well as to maintain great physical shape, coupled with the pressures to excel in school is challenging. Often, it’s too much for student athletes, leading some to quit their sports. “I have known a lot of people that have had to quit their team in order to juggle their academics,” Tisch sophomore swimmer Reid Hensen said. “As a film student myself, I understand how time consuming and difficult it can be to balance the two.” The significance of the trend at NYU has not gone unnoticed. Writing and Cultural Foundations professor Daniel Paliwoda has seen the pressure in his classroom. “I have always respected and admired student athletes in my classes,” Paliwoda said. “Courses are very demanding for everyone so when students participate in sports in such a busy and challenging environment it
can be difficult.” Just this year, the Academic Advisory Office has implemented a new mental health protocol to help facilitate the growing numbers of athletes who seek mental health help. Dana Caccio, a graduate assistant for the athletics department acknowledged the need for special attention to be paid to athletes’ mental health. “We do our best to facilitate the needs of all athletes at our office and help them balance their athletic and academic lives,” Caccio said. The pressure student athletes face is not limited to athletics and academics though. Studies show that collegiate athletes also have a higher risk of body image issues than any other student. Along with the pressure to excel in class and in sport, athletes also feel the need to look a certain way. SPS sophomore Ashley Mains, an outfielder on the softball team, often questions her appearance because of sports. “As an athlete, I always feel like I have to be in great physical shape and continually hit the weights,” Mains said. “I have kind of learned to correlate looking good with playing good.” Student athletes are often subject to external demands to appear a certain way in order to perform well; continually looking up to famous athletes who not only excel at sports, but are often attractive and slender. In a BT Sports survey, 80 percent of female collegiate athletes stated that they felt a pressure to conform to a certain type of body type. Erica Belcher, an assistant coach on the swim team,
shaved more than a run off his ERA his sophomore year. The workouts probably help. “Some guys, like juniors or upperclassmen, their velocity is pretty consistent. They’re not going to throw 10 miles per hour harder,” Millus said. “They’re probably going to focus on increasing precision, increasing general stamina.” The team is working to get better every day, and the young program is still trying to find its footing. They went 21-23 in their first season, and posted a nearly identical 20-22 record last year. But for them, it’s about the small gains, and Kimbler emphasizes the sense of urgency placed upon the players to improve every day. “We have two rules: Act accordingly and everything is game seven.”
Email Alex Bazeley at abazeley@nyunews.com.
By Alex McGurk | Contributing Writer
has learned to grow with the concept of body image as she has spent more time around the sport. “When I was younger, it was expected that you were stick thin and almost pre-pubescent in order to be successful in the sport of swimming, but I always felt that if your body worked for you, and that was reflected in your sport, than who cares what you like like,” Belcher said. “I still think that athletes today put that pressure on themselves to uphold a certain body type because that are in the spotlight to an extent though.” Walking onto a DI campus like Kent State, there is a large contrast from life at NYU. A large football stadium serves as campus hub, while rows of All-American athletes decorate the interior of numerous buildings. Students are decked out in jerseys and football shirts, while the athletes are viewed as the kings and queens of the university. This culture can add some pressure, but affords most athletes some slack that they may not get at NYU. “Sports are a fundamental part of this school,” Lexi Mantas, a volleyball player at Kent State said. “There’s a lot of pressure being on such a big team, but I do get help and professors are really understanding.” In DI athletics there is extreme pressure placed on players and coaches to perform well, but funding allows for state of the art facilities including scholarships for student athletes and leeway when it comes to academics. “I’ve missed a lot of classes, but I usually get extensions,” Mantas said.
The DI lifestyle at Kent State offers a stark contrast from the life of a student athlete at NYU. “I don’t get extensions on papers; I don’t even think my professors know I’m on the softball team, despite having four hour practices I’m still expected to do my work,” Parulis said. But, despite being a DIII university, student athletes at NYU still participate in rigorous practice schedules and training. College athletes are tasked with balancing their course load with athletics — and because of this they are faced with pressures that exceed that of the average student, leading to anxiety, mental health concerns and body image issues. When they take the necessary steps to combat this pressure — like, for example, sacrificing sleep — they only conflate the problem and detract from their ability to perform in their sport. It can send even the most stable athlete into a cycle that leads them to blame themselves, or even their physical figure, for their problems. While all universities, no matter the division, face these issues among their athletes, it seems that NYU in particular is seeing a rise in it. Perhaps it is the invalidation some athletes feel because a lack of recognition among sport teams at NYU or an unawareness by faculty and peers that enhances these problems, but whatever the cause may be, it is clear that it needs to be addressed.
Email Alex McGurk at sports@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM
OPINION
EDITED BY EMILY FONG OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
POLITICS
International Students Should Be Engaged in American Politics
By CARA ZAMBRANO Staff Writer
The 2016-2017 academic year presented a 7.1 percent growth in the international student population in American institutions. For the five thousand of us at NYU, the election results had their own bittersweet flavor. President-elect Donald Trump rose to power bolstered on hate-filled speeches, most of which contained xenophobia — the nightmare of every individual living abroad. While international students are only here, theoretically, to get an education, they should be aware and critical of American politics. On that dark Tuesday night, Canada’s immigration website crashed.
On the morning after, the University of Toronto’s international vice president said that there was a spike from the usual one thousand visits to around 10,000 visits on their recruitment website for international applicants. The director of global undergraduate recruitment at McGill University, another Canadian institution, reported that there was an increase of both American and international applications on the week following the election. While this does not only represent the outrage of many Americans with their own country, it also shows how international students are concerned about a Trump-led United States. Besides, many American institutions that praise themselves for their diversity, like NYU, are worried
that this outcome may represent a lower international applicant pool due to this uncertainty. After all, the president-elect once stated that he planned to extinguish the work visa program, which would discourage students from attending U.S. universities — though his stance on the issue now is unclear. Nevertheless, the turnout of the election left the already established one million international students
confused. While Trump did not specifically attack them, he mentioned many times that foreigners, such as Mexicans and the Chinese, are “job-stealers.” Beyond this, after his election, there was a rise in hate crimes on colleges campuses, including two at NYU, which makes both prospective and current international students fearful. However, this should only encourage an active commitment to politics. Even though Donald Trump’s policies will only affect most of us for the nine academic months spent here — as for right now, he did not take a stance on changing the guidelines for student visas — it will affect our friends and mentors who live in the United States all year round. Our engagement in American pol-
itics will give much needed power and strength to voices that must be heard. NYU already underlined that regardless of the election results, its diversity approach will not be changed and neither will the lives of its undocumented students. What international students should keep in mind is that while this is not our country, and Trump will never be our president; our lives, as of now, are here. Many of our friends are here; our alma mater is here. We should engage, listen and protest because we are not only a statistic, we are also part of this country.
Email Cara Zambrano at opinion@nyunews.com.
POLITICS
Kill Switch Would Protect New Yorkers By AKSHAY PRABHUSHANKAR Deputy Opinion Editor In 2015 New York City launched the IDNYC program, an initiative which aims to help marginalized communities like undocumented immigrants, transgender people and the homeless, all of whom may face difficulty in obtaining government identification. Cardholders are allowed to patronize libraries and other city buildings, open bank accounts and have discounted access to a number of institutions. However, the municipal government is also allowed to copy and store sensitive information from applicants, causing the New York Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups to express their opposition
to the bill before it passed. What were just concerns have become real fears following Donald Trump’s victory, and the city must act before the program is used against its cardholders. A quick fix is utilizing a kill switch option, which can delete all the stored information on those enrolled. In an interview just days after the election, Trump committed to deliver on his campaign promise of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants. This rhetoric is no doubt very alarming to any New Yorker whose immigration status may not meet the president-elect’s requirements. It is impossible to predict what resources a Trump administration may use to acquire data from regional governments on its cit-
izens, and those who have enrolled in IDNYC are especially at risk. If a court orders it, which is entirely possible during the next presidency, the program must give up information. Mayor Bill de Blasio has emerged as a vocal opponent to Trump and his plans in recent weeks and suggested that the city would do what it could to protect its residents. He said that officials would explore a kill switch incorporated into IDNYC that could
delete the database of cardholders. Other cities have implemented similar ID programs. San Francisco’s retains no information on applicants, and when it was launched, advocacy groups applauded the municipality’s prudence in designing a program that could not be weaponized even if national policies changed. New York currently deletes data two years after an ID is issued, but for residents in danger of deportation from federal authorities, that can be a long time. By abolishing the database altogether, the city can maintain its commitment to all its residents and free itself from legal battles that would likely ensue under a Trump presidency. NYU administrators have increased financial aid for undocu-
mented students in recent years, and just this past week, the NYU community has made clear that the university is a sanctuary campus for undocumented students and other marginalized groups. These attitudes, along with a city that has welcomed immigrants for centuries, make NYU an attractive destination for undocumented and international students. A Trump administration, however, will damage the United States’s inviting reputation. It is up to local officials, including city governments, to preserve it, and reforming the IDNYC program to truly protect vulnerable residents is an essential first move.
Email Akshay Prabhushankar at opinion@nyunews.com.
UNIVERSITY LIFE
Stop Republican-Shaming, NYU By ANDREW HEYING AND CHUYU XIONG Contributing Writers NYU went silent after the shocking results of the presidential election last week. It seemed as if there was a universal understanding that everyone was devastated due to Trump’s win. However one fact seemed to be forgotten: there are Republicans here at NYU. As a matter of fact, the NYU College Republicans is an organization whose Facebook page has over three thousand likes. In other words, despite the silence on campus last Wednesday, at least three thousand peo-
ple were likely happy to see a Democrat lose, and they should be able to express their feelings without the fear of being persecuted for having a different opinion. After all, if Clinton had won, the unfortunate truth is that Republican students would have most likely been ridiculed if they expressed sadness in response to the result. Trump may be a non-traditional Republican, but that does not mean we should assume that everyone on campus was in support of Clinton. In fact, assuming that everyone was devastated by Trump’s success goes against everything this university and this country stands for. Here at NYU, we love to ar-
gue in favor of diversity, even though sometimes that does not appear to be the case in practice. However, a large aspect of diversity that we often forget is diversity of thought. During this election, Republicans at NYU were simply fighting for what they believe to be best for the United States, just as liberals who supported Clinton did. Of course, some of Trump’s more
extreme rhetoric is objectively and morally reprehensible, but that does not mean all Republicans support those statements or are out to destroy America. In fact, almost all Americans share many common dreams such as a healthy economy, homeland security and affordable healthcare. While both sides have completely different views on how to achieve these goals, acting as though the other side is evil for having different ideas does not help anyone. Furthermore, at NYU we always argue that having a variety of perspectives makes us stronger, and when it comes to political beliefs our views should be no different.
Whether we like it or not, Donald Trump is now the president-elect. And although personally we are liberals, we understand that constant opposition is not a viable option. Democrats can either spend the next four years villainizing Republicans, or they can try to work with them towards common goals. Even if this is not the most popular stance at our very left-wing university, it is reality that we have to contend with. It is time for us to see past our differences and work towards coming together because if we do not, no progress will be made.
Email Andrew Heying and Chuyu Xiong at opinion@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY EMILY FONG OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
POINT
STAFF EDITORIAL
Flipped Classroom Model Better for Students By HAO LY Contributing Writer Picture this: a professor is standing in front of a large lecture hall droning on about the day’s lesson plan. Some students are frantically scribbling down notes while others are confused and disengaged. After class, students are assigned problems relating to concepts that they still don’t fully grasp, and in the next lecture the professor hurries through students’ questions to make sure there is enough time to cover new material. As lessons become harder and lengthier, this traditional method of teaching leaves students feeling overwhelmed. What we need instead is a classroom structure which not only accommodates the different ways students learn but also frees up precious class time for professors to provide students with necessary guidance. Therefore, NYU should implement the flipped classroom model in most math and science courses. The flipped classroom functions by exposing students to instructional content outside of class, thereby allowing class time to be used for stu-
dents to ask questions and engage in the material with the professor. Outside of this basic premise, there are some key requirements that allow the model to properly function. NYU computer science professor Craig Kapp, an advocate of the model, pointed out three of these components in his classes. First, instructional videos should ideally be bite-sized so that students can grasp the key points without getting distracted. Second, there should be incentives in place, such as quizzes, to ensure that students complete the assignment before class. Finally, professors should generate inclass questions to gauge areas of weaknesses and focus on reinforcing these areas. These, along with constant feedback from tutors and professors, allow students to solidify their understanding of the material.
When all of these pieces are in place, the benefits observed from the flipped classroom are profound. A study found that not only do students prefer the flipped classroom model, but they also learn more from it. Another study reaffirms the benefits of the model by showing that the average scores of students in a flipped classroom nearly doubles that of students in a lecture class. The increase in student performance and engagement subsequently allows for the classroom to run much more efficiently. Professor Kapp said that by switching to the flipped classroom, he was able to cover roughly 20 percent more content while the average grade in the class actually rose. That said, some classes’ formats require materials to be constantly updated or rely on different styles of discussion, which simply won’t fit the flipped classroom. However, for the classes that do, the benefits from switching is clearly evident and thus raise a very valid case for further implementation of the flipped classroom model at universities like NYU.
Email Hao Ly at opinion@nyunews.com.
COUNTERPOINT
Flipped Classrooms Are a Flop
By PHOEBE KUO Staff Writer
The flipped classroom style has become a popular teaching method in college math and science classes. In the flipped classroom model, students watch video lessons given by instructors at home, and when they come to class, they discuss the ideas in the video with their instructors or do relevant assignments. The learning process in a flipped classroom shifts from a teacher-centric lecture model to a student-centric model. While this sounds like a good thing, it can reduce the quality of education received by students. The success of the flipped classroom relies on how many students actually finish watching the assigned video clips before class. If a student comes to class without doing the assignment, they might find it hard to contribute to the discussion or feel lost when their fellow classmates are doing projects. Though students should be responsible for the results of their own inaction, the flipped classroom shifts the burden of the learning process onto the student instead of the teacher. If they fail to
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watch the assigned video clips, the consequences are grave. In a traditional lecture mode, even if a student fails to finish all of their assignments, they can still absorb most of the materials in the classroom. Since the flipped classroom method shifts most of the learning from in-class to outside the classroom, the students can end up having fragmented knowledge and fail to accomplish the learning objectives. Additionally, a flipped classroom doesn’t have tangible benefits for motivated, hardworking students. These students would have most likely finished their given assignments with or without a flipped classroom, so changing the location of their work does not make much of a difference, and it could even decrease the efficiency of their learning.
Before this was implemented, students could raise questions in class whenever necessary and their questions were answered on the spot. However, in a flipped classroom, their main learning source is the lectures, and the students have no outlet for their questions besides watching the videos over again. Even in the bestcase scenario, where all of the students are dedicated self-starters and the video clips are all brilliantly made, a flipped classroom would be completely irrelevant. Students could just take open resources classes from Massive Open Online Resource instead of enrolling in a physical school. In the end, flipped classrooms do not solve the fundamental issue of low engagement in class materials. If the materials do not stir students’ interests, there is no way to salvage the class. Students taking responsibility for their learning should not come from a forced change in learning sequence, but from within the students, because it takes more than a few videos to achieve that.
Email Phoebe Kuo at opinion@nyunews.com.
We Must Move Beyond #SanctuaryCampus
Hundreds of NYU students and faculty members walked out of class this week in solidarity with undocumented students. The purpose of the walkout was to show support for a sanctuary campus, which promises that it will not report nor release official documents pertaining to the status of undocumented students. Even NYU President Andrew Hamilton put out a statement affirming the university’s commitment to protecting all students, regardless of citizenship status. The widespread support for undocumented and marginalized students at NYU is a great sight to see, especially considering the incoming presidential administration’s pledged assault on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act. Undocumented students have oftentimes grown up in the American education system and offering qualified students fewer resources to attend college solely based on immigration status is unfair. Furthermore, universities benefit from the presence of ambitious, intelligent students with unique perspectives on issues that affect everyone on campus. Student bodies are enriched by a wealth of viewpoints, and the experiences of undocumented students contribute significantly to dialogue. The only thing that makes students without papers different from everyone else is that they are caught — often not by choice — in a complex web of bureaucratic trappings. As a declared sanctuary campus, NYU, like many other universities, considers all students for scholarships regardless of their documentation status. While this is a worthwhile endeavor, NYU and other universities can — and should — aim to accomplish so much more. It is plain to see that the next four years will hold countless difficulties for undocumented students nationwide. University administrators should take steps to ensure that these policies will not adversely affect their students fiscally and personally. NYU could draw inspiration from programs currently in place at other schools which provide legal support and advice for undocumented students free of charge. Instating programs like these would allow students to receive the support they need in the face of potential federal persecution. What has become glaringly apparent is that keeping qualified undocumented students and graduates in the United States is in our best interest. Immigrants continue to prove themselves as economic assets; keeping highly-skilled graduates who have been educated at American universities would only be logical. Losing these students to deportation would be fiscally taxing. There is also a moral obligation to guarantee that undocumented students are not cheated out of the education owed to them by the university. America is and always has been a nation of immigrants, and to deny immigrants the same opportunities as citizens is to deny them their place in society. The values and ideals Hamilton has promised to uphold are those of acceptance, safety and equality. To preserve these principles and protect the most vulnerable among us, NYU’s administration must assume an active role.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at opinion@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Emily Fong (Chair), Paris Martineau (Co-chair), Akshay Prabhushankar (Co-chair), Thomas Price (Co-chair) STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BEARZI
Send mail to: 75 Third Ave. #SB07, New York, N.Y. 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title. WSN does
not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM
SPORTS
EDITED BY RACHEL RUECKER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Basketball Continues Early Surge By MICHAEL THOMPSON Staff Writer
It wasn’t easy, but the NYU basketball team remained unbeaten this weekend. The women’s team defended its home court and improved to 3-0, defeating Baruch College and the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Meanwhile, the men opened the season with two wins at the Rose City Classic against Marywood University and Drew University in New Jersey. Baruch was no match for NYU’s surging women’s squad. The Violets blew them out 75-43. The Violets bookended dominant second and third quarters — in which they outscored Baruch 4419 — with relatively right first and fourth quarters. After struggling from the field earlier in the week, the Violets inched a little closer to efficiency, shooting 39 percent from the field. Senior
guard Amy Harioka took charge for the Violets, scoring 17 points on 6-17 shooting. Junior forward Kayla Patterson added 10 points, and freshman forward Lauren Brown grabbed 10 rebounds. The Violets didn’t have it as easy against UMass, but after three even quarters, the Violets outscored their opponents by 10 points in the fourth quarter en route to a 79-68 win. The Violets were again solid from the field, shooting nearly 40 percent but just 11 percent from three-point range. However, the team’s defense — a major focus this season — finished the game with a whopping 22 steals. Senior guard Kaitlyn Read bounced back with 18 points and nine rebounds. Starting the season on the road like its counterparts, the men’s team delivered, taking down Marywood 78-71 and Drew 8478. The Violets came out hot in their first half of the season, out-
scoring Marywood 36-24, which softened the blow of a more competitive second half. Though Marywood was more efficient on the field, the Violets were stellar from behind the arc, shooting 13-29. Junior guard Ross Udine got his season off to a thrilling start with 20 points and nine assists, while senior guard Joe Timmes dropped 25 points. It was the tale of two halves against Drew, but an explosive 54-point second half was enough for the Violets to squeak by with an 84-78 win. Tied at 67 with two minutes remaining, NYU went on a 7-0 run to help put the final nail in the coffin. Udine dropped another 20 points, while freshmen forwards Jimmy Martinelli and Nick Medavoy each had a double-double. The Violets shot an impressive 42 percent from the field. Udine was pleased to pick up where he left off last season.
It is always difficult to say goodbye to home. Sadly, that is precisely what NYU men’s soccer senior captain Petter Aasa will be doing in May. After four years with the Violets, the time has come for Aasa to part ways with NYU. New York City was not always what Aasa called home. Born in Umeå, Sweden, he attended Shattuck-St. Mary’s boarding school in Minnesota. There, he kept his grades up in the classroom while also traveling and competing with the soccer team. As high school came to an end, it was time for him to think about his future and decide whether he wanted to go to college back in Europe or stay in the United States, which is when NYU came knocking. “Being in high school, and the first person in my family to even think about attending college in the U.S., I had no idea about which college I wanted to be at,” Aasa said. “It was all random chance, as I was recruited to play for NYU after the coaches had watched me play for Shattuck down in Sarasota during an academy showcase.” After being recruited by the Violets and given an opportunity to attend school in New York City, Aasa was resolute. In the fall of 2013, he began a new life at NYU’s downtown Manhattan campus as a freshman in the Stern School of Business. “The transition from high school to New York City was extremely smooth even though the contrasts between my high school in Faribault, Minnesota and NYU are immense,” Aasa said. “I quickly fell in
love with the city and everything it has to offer, and I am extremely happy that I chose to come to NYU.” Immediately after his arrival in New York, Aasa’s impact was clear. As a freshman, he made 15 appearances in the season, 14 of which were starts. Things only went uphill from there for the next three years. After being named joint team captain as a sophomore, Aasa wore the captain’s armband for the remainder of his career with the Violets. In this time, he was named an ECAC Division III Metro First Team All-Star, to the Second Team All-UAA twice and to the Honorable Mention All-UAA once. Besides leaving his own mark on the pitch, Aasa has embodied a true captain, and has led his fellow upperclassmen teammates while also passing on his experience to the newer and younger players. “He’s someone everyone looks toward for advice and he along with the rest of the seniors did a great job integrating the freshman into the team by making us feel welcome as players and as friends,” freshman teammate Drew Enyedi said. Aasa has also excelled in the classroom, and been a regular on the Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Committee Fall Honor Roll and was named a UAA Fall Sport All-Academic twice in his time at NYU. It has not always been smooth sailing for Aasa though, trying to balance an intensive training and match schedule while also keeping up with his rigorous course work as a Business major in Stern, as well as completing a minor in psychology. “It is not easy being a student-athlete at NYU. My four years playing for NYU’s soccer team have been a constant struggle trying to balance
“It was great to get back out there and pick up two quality wins,” Udine said. “Couldn’t ask for a better start for myself or the team, and I’m excited for what’s to come.” Both teams have to play once more before they can dig into their turkey and mashed pota-
toes. The men travel uptown to face John Jay College on Tuesday, while the women have the onerous task of traveling to Riverdale, NY on Wednesday to take on the College of Mount Saint Vincent.
Email Michael Thompson at sports@nyunews.com.
Springfield Squashes Soccer’s Season
Bitter-Swede End to Soccer Career
By LORENZO GAZZOLA Contributing Writer
VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM
NYU took 75 points to Baruch’s 43 in women’s basketball, with Amy Harioka leading the offense.
By BEN GOODKIN Contributing Writer
PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN FORTE / ILLUSTRATION BY GRACE HALIO
Petter Aasa, who will have served as captain for two seasons, will leave the team upon graduation in May. soccer and school while also trying to make the most out of living in New York City. It has, however, been an incredible experience for me and has helped me grow as a person, player, student, teammate and friend in so many different ways.” The time has come for Aasa to hang up his cleats with the Violets. Nevertheless, from coming in as a freshman to leading the team as a senior captain — as well as everything in between — on and off the pitch, Aasa will always keep his memories at NYU in his heart. “After I graduate in May and look back at my four years in college, most of my dearest memories will stem from being on the soccer team,” Aasa said. “The dearest thing that playing soccer for NYU has provided me are the friendships that I have made with my teammates throughout the years. My career at NYU hasn’t been decorated with championships, but the friendships playing soccer at NYU has given me are so much more meaningful than any trophy.”
Email Lorenzo Gazzola at sports@nyunews.com.
It was a busy final weekend of the season for NYU women’s soccer as the Violets traveled to Springfield, Massachusetts to participate in the the final rounds of the ECAC postseason tournament. On Saturday, the Violets faced a difficult challenge playing against the Grove City College Wolverines from Western Pennsylvania, but came out victorious in the end, 1-0. The game started relatively well for the Violets as they produced numerous chances in the first twenty minutes of play. Then in the 38th minute, junior forward Charlotte Herbertz made a dangerous run in from the left wing and was taken down in the box, drawing a penalty kick. Senior captain Lexi Clarke stepped up and converted the penalty kick for her fifth goal of the season, giving the Violets a 1-0 lead. NYU created many more chances throughout the second half with freshman Alex Benedict leading the way but unable to find the back of the net. In the final 10 minutes, the Wolverines desperately tried for an equalizer, but NYU held off the late charge and successfully defended a corner kick in the final seconds to secure the 1-0 victory. Grove outshot the Violets 9-8 and generated one more corner kick as well (6-5). The victory kept the Violets’ season alive, moving their record to 13-3-5 setting up a game with the host Springfield College in Sunday’s final. On Sunday, the Violets battled Springfield College to a tie, even-
tually losing the Eastern College Athletic Conference Final after a penalty kick shootout. The first half of play was closely contested with both teams struggling to find chances and no goals. Just five minutes into the second half, NYU finally found a goal. Benedict swung in a free kick from far out which was finished spectacularly by fellow freshman midfielder Ashlyn Krygowski who eluded multiple defenders. NYU held the lead for over 35 minutes, coming within five minutes of being ECAC champions. However, Springfield scored in the 88th minute on a header off of a set piece forcing the game into overtime. The Pride dominated the first 10-minute overtime period forcing NYU goalkeeper Cassie Steinberg to make some spectacular saves. The second overtime period saw many back and forth attacks, but no goals, forcing a penalty shootout. In the shootout, the Violets couldn’t score any of their penalties, with two being saved, and two missing the target. Springfield scored twice in the shootout, winning 2-0 and securing the ECAC title. The Violets outshot the hosts 1310 and generated five more corner kicks than Springfield. Leading the Violets on the day were Steinberg with five saves and freshman midfielder Isabelle Turner with three shots. The loss ended NYU’s soccer season, moving the women’s final record to 13 wins, three losses and six draws.
Email Ben Goodkin at sports@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
SPORTS
EDITED BY RACHEL RUECKER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
BY RACHEL RUECKER Sports Editor The NYU men’s hockey team hoped to improve their stellar 11-1 record as they headed back to Chelsea Piers Sky Rink on Friday night to face Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Saturday they traveled to Poughkeepsie to play Marist, hoping to go home for Thanksgiving with a little something extra to be thankful for. With only one loss to their credit, the Violets came into their Friday night game at home looking for a second victory against RPI after taking them 5-2 last weekend. This weekend’s result was not quite what they wanted, dropping the game 8-4 in a scrappy match. The Violets got off to a rough start, giving up a powerplay goal at 13:23, and then losing two quick ones at the end of the frame. All was not lost, however, when NYU got one in the first minute of the second period from freshman forward Scott
Hockey Breaks Streak, Rebounds Mulligan for his first goal while donning the Purple shirts. At 2:26, NYU got within one when junior forward Michael Conslato doubled NYU’s total. The comeback effort came to a screeching halt when RPI scored a fourth at 9:18 and contributed to the onslaught at 13:56 to move ahead 5-2. With 2:19 left in the frame, sophomore forward Mason Gallegos made things interesting as they headed into the third. The third was a messy affair and RPI took advantage of a usually foolproof Violet powerplay at 9:20 to regain their three-goal lead. They scored their seventh as an empty-netter and would go on to scored an eighth before the game’s end. Mulligan scored again for the Violets with a minute and a half left. At the final buzzer it was 8-4 RPI, and NYU dropped just their second game this year. Saturday saw a return to form for the Violets as they took on the Marist College Red Foxes in Poughkeepsie and decimated
them, 3-0. NYU began their redemption effort early with a goal from sophomore forward Keaton Baum just under half a minute in. Halfway through the frame they doubled their lead on a Marist boarding call thanks to fellow sophomore forward Jack Orne. The second period was characteristically plagued by backand-forth penalties, a Violet trademark. Freshman goaltender Adam Salisbury stayed stellar through a number of key kills. The Violets ended the second on a penalty to begin round three with a minute and a half left to kill, which they did. The third rarely saw full strength play, and NYU capped things off with Gallegos’ second goal of the night with just nine seconds left, with the assist going to Mulligan, who had very a successful weekend. Game-winning-goal scorer Baum noted that Friday night was an eye opener that motivated the team to reset their style. “After the loss Friday night,
Women’s Swimming and Diving Crushes
Wrestling After a big weekend at the PA/NY Dual last where the Grapplers took all four matches, they participated in the NYS Collegiate Championships at Cornell, a precursor to next weekend’s exciting Grapple at the Garden on Sunday. With a tough act to follow and lead into, the Grapplers finished in the top third, coming ninth of 27, while their Ivy League hosts took the title.
Swimming and Diving The pool players of NYU began their Thanksgiving lead in in Ewing, New Jersey against the College of New Jersey. The women fared considerably better than the men, coming out decisively 223-71 versus the men’s final score of 143-151.
we realized that we needed to get back to basic, simple hockey and stick to playing our strengths and what we do well,” Baum said. “Saturday that was what we did, not to mention a stellar performance from our goaltender [Salisbury].” The Violets have this weekend
off but will be back Saturday, Dec. 3 as they head to Keene, New Hampshire to play Keene State College before traveling to Boston in hopes of going undefeated against Northeastern this season.
Email Rachel Ruecker at rruecker@nyunews.com.
PHOTO BY GRACE HALIO
The NYU hockey team suffered a tough loss against Marist College at Chelsea Piers on Friday.
Washington Square News
By RACHEL RUECKER Sports Editor
Whether in the pool, on the course or the mat, a number of NYU sports grinded on with their season this weekend, hoping to head home for Thanksgiving on a high note. The wrestling team tried to repeat an exciting performance from last weekend, the aquatics gang did their best while the cross country team winded up at the National Championships, fighting to the finish, literally.
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VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM
Elise Gibbs helped maintain the NYU women’s swimming team’s undefeated status on Sunday. Despite the men’s struggles, it was their first loss this fall, and there was a number of standout performances to indicate good things to come, including junior Tim Kou’s first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke. The women were dominant over TCNJ, with NYU teams coming first and second in the 200-yd medley relay in a field of six. In the 1000-yd freestyle race, freshman Julien Zhu led the pack, breezing through in just 10:36.78, 20 seconds ahead of second place finisher, freshman Jaime Robinson. In the 50-yd freestyle, NYU women owned the top-three spots. The women’s team was busy again Sunday, playing Bucknell University at Columbia to round out their weekend. It continued its winning ways there, eeking out the win 151-149. Both teams hop back into the pool post-Thanksgiving at the MIT Invitational in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Dec. 2 to Dec. 4.
Cross Country With the women’s team done for the season after last weekend’s NCAA Atlantic Region Championship, members of the men’s team participated in the DIII National Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. They finished in 32nd as a team, with a number of strong individual efforts punctuating the marquee tournament. Junior Karn Setya was the leader for NYU in the men’s 8k, finished in 25:57.9. Fellow junior Neil Saddler rounded out NYU’s finishers in the top-200 at a clip of 26:06.1 and senior Jorge Maldonado was not far behind the Violet pace-setters, coming in 202nd with a time of 26:09. For fans of the shorter distances, track season begins Jan. 13 with the Ramapo Season Opener at the Armory.
Email Rachel Ruecker at rruecker@nyunews.com.
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