WSN012312

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

washington square news Vol. 40, No. 1

MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012

nyunews.com

MTA to simplify swipe system

NYU expansion plans advance

By Brian Tam

By Tony Chau The university started the year by making progress in NYU 2031 — the plan to expand six million square feet in the village and beyond by the university’s bicentennial. Over winter break, the Department of City Planning certified NYU’s proposals for superblocks in Washington Square Village, and the university presented a plan to add more public open space in Greenwich Village.

Certification Five years ago, NYU filed a standardized Land Use Review application to the Department of City Planning for its superblocks that stretch from West 3rd Street and West Houston Street to Mercer Street and LaGuardia Place. The university received a certification earlier this month to initiate the next phase of the official sevenmonth approvals process known

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Emily Mcdermott/WSN

A mother and child walk through snow at Central Park on Saturday. The first snowfall of the season left the park covered in four inches of powder over the weekend.

Criss a success in ‘How to Succeed’

By Olivia George

Crowds of teenage girls storming the stage door of Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theater is certainly an unusual sight. Broadway — it is often said — caters to an older crowd, and Frank Loesser’s musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” which originally opened in 1961, should be no exception. So what could explain this young female phenomenon? That would be the arrival of “Glee” star Darren Criss.

Prior to working on “Succeed,” Criss — a self-proclaimed “bastardizer” of Radcliffe’s roles — cowrote and starred in the YouTube sensation, “A Very Potter Musical,” parodying J.K. Rowling’s beloved books. Criss’ real claim to fame, however, is the overnight success

he garnered playing Blaine Anderson on the hit musical comedy series “Glee.”

So, does Criss’ musical theater experience give him an advantage over Radcliffe, or does he suffer from the absence of the “Glee” auto-tune?

Frankly, it may not matter. Criss, who studied acting but not musical theater, may sound pitchy, but he has such enthusiastic fans that ticket sales for his three-week turn have been astronomical. The theater has been filled to over 95 percent capacity every night — a rare accomplishment of late on Broadway.

Yet Criss’ cult following is not the only key to his success. His huge personality and energy on stage have impressed fans as well as the producers of “Succeed,” Craig Za-

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Soon, New Yorkers will be able to enter into subway stations and onto buses with a simple tap.

In an interview earlier this month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new Chairman and CEO Joseph Lhota reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to establish an open payment system making entry faster and more efficient for passengers.

The new system will enable riders to simply tap their credit or debit card, smartphone, key chain or MTA-issued smart card on a scanner that can read cards through wallets.

Initially proposed in 2009 by Lhota’s predecessor Jay Walder and tested through a six-

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Steinhardt exhibition threads textiles through history

By Nicola Pring

You don’t have to travel to the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology to see pieces by Manhattan’s finest fashion designers. Behind the sliding metal gates that lead to the intimate Rosenberg Gallery in NYU’s very own Barney Building is a collection of pieces created by some of New York’s most iconic designers.

Imprint (NYC): The Evolution of Motifs in Fashion is an exhibition created and curated by several second-year Costume Studies graduate students in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development.

The exhibition explores the uses of various textile motifs throughout fashion’s history.

Imprint (NYC) features eight pieces, each from a famous designer, and the garments represent a different textile motif.

The student curators spent last fall semester researching each motif and selecting garments for display.

Shannon Bell Price, who served as consulting curator for the exhibition, currently works as an associate research curator at The Costume Institute at the Met. “Working with Shannon Bell Price taught us a great deal about the exhibition process,” graduate student and curator Mellissa Huber said. “[She]

Rachel Kaplan/WSN

An interesting ensemble by Thom Browne was featured.

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letter from the editor-in-chief

Dear Readers,

Washington Square News

Since coming to NYU, the Washington Square News has truly been my second home. I have spent more late nights deliberating with fellow editors in the newsroom than I have cramming for midterms in Bobst.

The freshman-year meals most students share in Kimmel or Palladium have, for me, consisted mostly of takeout food scarfed down between staff meetings. Many of my fondest college memories have occurred within the walls of 838 Broadway.

Editor-in-Chief amanda randone Managing Editor

jaewon kang Deputy Managing Editor

Amy zhang Assistant Managing Editor

james lanning Creative Director

selena chen senior staff

There exists the unfortunate, inaccurate complaint that NYU lacks community. With such a large and diverse student body, I think it is about finding the smaller community that best suits you. I have found that here at WSN, and so have the rest of my staff members. We are part of the same team, sharing a passion that can be contagious. As the new editor-inchief, I have taken on the exciting responsibility of not only fostering this sense of togetherness but also making it available to the greater NYU community. By opening up the community, which has shaped so much of who I am, to the rest of the university, I hope to disprove the aforementioned preconceived notion.

This publication can be a tool not only to highlight the incredible talent we have assembled on staff but also to engage other groups of NYU students that have never before been involved with WSN. Taking advantage of the resources available to us as members of this university, I intend to draw in students with unique skills and ideas.

Intertwining what we already have with this fresh perspective will create an atypical product that is representative of the perpetually changing journalism industry.

It will also shatter the boundaries that exist between students segregated by their individual interests.

This would not be possible without the precedent set by the remarkable former managing team, who have fully equipped me for such an extraordinary venture. For this, I cannot thank them enough. I am also honored to embark on this journey alongside some of the brightest people I have ever met. Together, we form one voice servicing the greater student body. I hope you are all listening.

— Amanda Randone, Editor-in-Chief 40th Managing Team

university Julie devito city/state emily yang investigative hanqing chen arts jonathon dornbush features jessica littman sports daniel hinton multimedia david lin copy Maximilíano Durón senior editor jack brooks

deputy staff

university eric benson, eliza-

beth maguire, brian tam city/state tony chau, kristine

itliong, jessica schultz investigative feiye wang music josh johnson film stefan Melnyk entertainment jeremy grossman books/theater clio Mcconnell dining hannah borenstein beauty & style shannon

loughran special issues kristina bogos multimedia james kelleher copy jordan melendrez social media agent nicole gartside

opinion page

opinion editor olivia gonzalez deputy opinion editors ATTICUS

BRIGHAM, MARIA MICHALOS

advertising business manager

REBECCA RIBEIRO sales manager

Stefanie Yotka circulation manager

MEagan Driver

university sales coordinator

Emilia Mironovici sales representatives

Kaitlyn O’Brien, MICHAEL RYAN, Melissa Ynegas

advising editorial adviser

keith leighty EDITORs-AT-LARGE

jaywon choe kelsey desiderio russell steinberg KIRSTEN CHANG francis poon terka cicelOVa About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods.

Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact managing editor Jaewon Kang at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.

nyunews.com

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EXPANSION continued from PG. 1

Developing plans fuel controversy

Simple swipes for commuter convenience month pilot program in June 2010, the project became stagnant due to the agency’s finances.

Though this new method would phase out the MetroCard, the turnstiles at subway stations will remain the same.

After initial planning for the project finishes in December, construction is scheduled to start in March 2013. The total cost of this $250 million project will come from the MTA’s own budget.

According to MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan, the agency is working toward completing this payment system in its entirety by 2015 at the earliest.

Since the mid-’90s, contactless systems have been established in

James Kelleher/WSN

The current MetroCard system will soon be replaced by an open payment system.

cities around the world, including Boston, London, Hong Kong and Washington D.C. “Nearly 80 percent of customers entering the rail system are doing it with the SmarTrip card on Metrorail and on Metrobus it’s 85 percent,” said Dan Stessel, the chief spokesperson for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Jimmy Harney, a Gallatin sophomore from the Boston region, says the Massachusetts smart card system, called the CharlieCard, is useful.

“When I am running late and I hear a train coming, I can easily run and just tap my wallet to the sensor and the panels open right up for me,” he said.

“When I use the MTA in New York and the same situation occurs, I often miss the train.”

Jason Hang, a Steinhardt freshman who typically takes the train twice a week, says the new smart card system will be highly preferable to the current system in place.

“Being able to simply tap a card to get through the turnstile [enhances] speed and convenience for passengers,” Hang said.

as the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure overseen by the Community Board, the Borough President, the Planning Commission and the City Council.

Once NYU is given the authorization from these board members to move forward, construction will begin. The date, however, has not been determined.

But Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, says the certification is meaningless, as it does not indicate that approvals have been granted or that the application is favorable.

“I ultimately do not believe that our city leaders are going to give the university this enormous package of approvals to try to shoehorn two and a half million square feet of space, which is the equivalent of the Empire State Building, into this area,” he said.

Public Space NYU has also presented

Tony Chau is a deputy city/state editor.

Email him at tchau@nyunews.com.

OWS loses momentum in its fourth month

By Jessica Schultz As the temperature has dropped, so has the number of Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Ever since the clearing of Zuccotti Park last November, supporters of the movement have been hard to find.

But after the submission of a letter to the city by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the National Lawyers Guild’s New York City chapter and the Center for Constitutional Rights to Department of Buildings Commissioner, the barricades that once prevented the public from entering the movement’s base of operations were removed earlier this month.

The letter claimed that Brookfield Office Properties, the private owner of the park, was denying the public full access by often changing its unwritten rules on entering the park.

“We’re pleased the city has finally given the park back to the people,” NYCLU executive director Donna Lieberman

said. “We hope Zuccotti Park can now resume its rightful place as a center for meeting and protest in New York City.”

Though the opening of the park was celebrated by hundreds of protesters, many supporters recognized the effect the loss of the park had on the movement as a whole.

“I think it slowed them down dramatically, and I’m not sure it’ll ever be completely opened in the same way,” said Richard Brodsky, NYU Wagner adjunct assistant professor of public policy. “The change is permanent; there is no longer a physical locus that the movement can be associated with.”

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the movement held a march that attracted more than 100 protesters and resulted in the arrest of at least four of them.

The movement also celebrated its four-month anniversary last week even though the protest lacked the tens of thousands of protesters that

Sept. 17, 2011: OWS protesters gather for first time.

Oct. 15, 2011: Thouoccupy sands march in Times Square to protest spendwa ll ing on wars overseas. st

Sept. 20, 2011:occupy New York Police Department makes first arrests of OWS protesters.

Nov. 17, 2011: Thousands protest eviction in New York City and throughout the country on OWS’s two-month anniversary.

the two-month celebration had last November.

Last Friday, dozens of protesters rallied to Occupy the Courts, calling for the reversal of the Supreme Court’s ruling of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission — a 2010 case that removed donation limits to candidates from corporations. Demonstrators marched from Liberty Square to Foley Square and invited speakers like Russell Simmons from Def Jam Recordings.

OWS protester Leina Bocar hopes that warmer temperatures will revive the movement.

“The movement is constantly changing and we’re working to adapt to that,” Bocar said.

“We’re hoping our events in the springtime will really push us back into the spotlight and show that we’re not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Jessica Schultz is a deputy city/state editor. Email her at jschultz@nyunews.com.

Jan. 9, 2012: NYCLU, NLGNYC and CCRDBC submit a letter to the Department of Buildings Commissioner.

Jan. 16, 2012: MLK Day March attracts more than 100 protesters.

WALL ST OCCUPY WALL ST OCCUPY WALL ST OCCUPY WALL ST OCCUPY WALL ST OCCUPY WALl st Jan.

Dec. 17, 2011: Protesters unsuccessfully try to re-occupy Nov. 15, 2011: NYPD the park by climbing evicts occupiers from over barricades on Zuccotti Park at 1 a.m. the three-month anand sets up barriers niversary. around the park.

Jan. 10, 2012: The city removes the barricades from Zuccotti Park in response to the letter.

Jan. 17, 2012: Occupiers celebrate their four-month anniversary by rallying at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

20, 2012: Protesters rallied for the reversal of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizens United Case v.

Federal Election Commission.

plans to add over three acres of publicly accessible open space in Greenwich Village and rebuild 40,000 square feet of public parkland, which will be landscaped to include children’s playgrounds, dog runs and quiet sitting areas. In 2031, approximately 3.8 acres of new parkland and publicly accessible open spaces will be available to the community and the university.

“Functional, accessible open space is a vital resource in creating an interconnected community,” said Alicia Hurley, vice president for University Relations and Public Affairs. “With this in mind, the NYU Core plan’s open-space component aims to create inviting public space that is accessible, diversified and beneficial to the community.”

However, Terri Cude, cochair of the Community Action Alliance on NYU 2031, said the university’s plans do not indicate any addition of new open space.

“The open space has been

there . . . since Washington Square Village was built in the 1950s and has long been publicily accessible,” Cude said. “Instead, new building footprints would reduce the total open space by a significant amount.

Village resident Louis Terracio, associate dean of research at the College of Dentistry, believes that the 3.1 acres is a positive addition to 2031 and that it shows NYU is trying to be a good neighbor.

“It is well thought out. I believe a strength of it is that it is not all centered in one location,” said Terracio, who has closely followed the plan since its inception. “The detractors focus on the plans in [the Washington Square] area, but a lot of the growth is in other parts of the city.

Nobody knows if we will be successful in gaining approval, but I certainly hope we do since that is critical to the overall plan.”

Brian Tam is a deputy university editor. Email him at btam@nyunews.com.

Jackson recognized for commitment to scientific research

By Eric Benson Gallatin and NYU-Poly professor Myles Jackson was recognized last month for his commitment to research in biology and technology.

Jackson, who joined NYU in 2007, has been honored as a new member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, an international association of scientists that includes Marie Curie, Albert Einstein and other established figures. “[Jackson] is exceptionally creative and stands out due to a remarkable combination of capacity for technical analysis with subtle attention to context. He is among the finest analysts of German science anywhere,” said Manuela Bank, deputy head of Press and Public Relations for the Leopoldina Academy.

Founded in 1652, Leopoldina is based in Halle, Germany, and includes over 1,000 members — all of whom have been elected to the Academy. In addition to conducting individual research, the members work together to identify and publish reports on societal issues.

In the Academy, Jackson hopes to strengthen scientific relations between the United States and Germany and intends to organize conferences where colleagues and students from both countries exchange ideas for research.

Though Jackson will be away as a visiting professor at the California Institute of Technology teaching a course called Biology and Society this semester, he is currently developing a cross-school minor at NYU called Science, Technology, Environment and Medicine Studies. Jackson and a committee of professors from the Gal-

latin School of Individualized Study, the College of Arts and Science, the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, and the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, presented a report to associate provost Richard Foley in May 2011, which is currently pending approval. If all goes accordingly, it will be offered for the first time in the fall of 2012.

Gallatin senior and Jackson’s former student Sam Galison said instead of becoming caught up in the bureaucracies and trivialities of running a class, Jackson focused much of his energy on structuring an effective curriculum.

“Because of his shifting experience — molecular biology to history of science to music to social impact and bioethics — he has an immense knowledge base, which he is always eager to share,” Galison said. “At once self-deprecating and bitingly critical, he approaches his own work and the work of his students with an admirable blend of respect, understanding, critique and humor.”

Gallatin professor Matt Stanley said he was excited to work with Jackson when he was hired by NYU. “In the history of science, his work is ground-breaking and innovative across a number of fields,” Stanley said. “Not many people can be an unqualified expert on physics, glass manufacture, musical instrument design and the legal status of artificial life forms.”

Stanley added, “He’s famous for keeping everybody happy. He makes his students crème brûlée and once offered me a beer right before a big presentation.”

Eric Benson is a deputy university editor.

Email him at ebenson@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square news | MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 | nyunews.com

Former NYU exec joins White House

By Eric Benson Jacob Lew, former executive vice president of operations for NYU, will join the White House as the new chief of staff at the end of the month.

In his press conference earlier in January, President Barack Obama spoke of his confidence and trust in Lew, who will replace William Daley.

“Over the last year he has helped strengthen our economy and streamline the government at a time when we need to do everything we can to keep our recovery going,” Obama said.

He also spoke of Lew’s accomplishments outside the national borders: “Jack spent two years running the extremely complex and challenging Budget and Operations process for secretary [Hillary] Clinton, at the state department where his portfolio also included managing the civilian operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. And over the last year, he has weighed in on many of the important foreign policy decisions.”

As chief of staff, Lew will be re-

sponsible for aiding the president in directing, managing and overseeing daily operations and policy development.

Lew, a graduate from Georgetown University Law Center, was a practicing attorney before becoming a senior policy adviser to House Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill from 1979 to 1987.

Before coming to NYU in 2001 as executive vice president for operations and a professor at Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, Lew directed the Office of Management and Budget under the Clinton administration. He gained experience in the private sector when he joined Citigroup Global Wealth Management as chief operating officer after leaving the university in 2006. Most recently, he served as the director of the Office of Management and Budget for the Obama administration.

NYU President John Sexton said Lew was a key member of the leadership team.

“NYU was privileged to have been

able to avail itself of Jack’s dedication, wisdom and good judgment,” Sexton said. “We’re very pleased these attributes are now in service of the presidency and the country.”

Lew, who oversaw the fiscal budget of the university, established a $200,000 emergency assistance fund in 2005 to support graduate students facing medical emergencies. He also began providing compensation for travel and meal purchases made by graduate students who were involved in trainings and meetings outside NYU. “Jack Lew brings amazing intellect and breadth to this new role, as he has throughout his career,” Wagner dean Ellen Schall said. “He was a great teacher on top of everything else; of course incredibly wellinformed, but also very generous to his students and very thoughtful in helping students understand and appreciate the nuances of policy making at the federal level.”

Eric Benson is a deputy university editor.

Email him at ebenson@nyunews.com.

Tech presence increases in NYC

By Hanqing Chen

What was once a startup desert a decade ago during the dot-com bubble, New York is seeing a quiet growth as the up-and-coming Silicon Valley.

Tech giant Google wrapped up 2011 as its biggest hiring year ever, with 7,000 new employees worldwide.

Their New York office now holds 2,500 positions and is looking to expand further in 2012. Longtime New York-based online food delivery service Seamless also announced its expansion with 50 new open positions.

For college students in New York City, these roles spell boundless job opportunities.

According to Google spokesperson Jordan Newman, the company has hired extensively from local universities last year, including NYU, Columbia University, Fordham University and Rensselaer Polytechnic

Institute for both engineering and sales positions.

Seamless press officer Allison Brady also identified the company’s interest in finding collegiate talent from New York City.

Stern professor Alexander Tuzhili thinks the entrepreneurship culture of New York will continue to ripen, eventually pushing the city to become a startup-friendly arena with more adventurous venture capital funds.

“New York-based [venture capitals] are willing to expand their funding to other types of startups beyond the new media and digital marketing companies,” he said.

Finally, Tuzhili noted New York has the greens to lure in Silicon Valley’s most creative computer geeks.

However, Stern professor Norman White predicts that the city will approach the peak of its growth soon with such extensive support from

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and startups evolving faster than ever.

“I don’t think this is just a bubble, although there certainly is some froth right now,” he said.

But, according to White, this is the natural economic cycle — it is doubtful that we will see a bust like the dotcom bubble of 2000.

CAS sophomore Rachel Rosen said she is optimistic about her chance of landing a job as a computer science major in the recent surge of tech company expansions.

“I feel confident that I’ll get [job offers], and that I’ll probably have a lot of choices, too,” she said. “A lot of computer science majors are getting multiple job offers before they even graduate because the tech industry is growing and the demand for programmers is high.”

Hanqing Chen is investigative editor.

Email her at hchen@nyunews.com.

Text, reply, now occupy

By Hanqing Chen If Zuccotti Park seems empty to you, look again.

The Occupy Wall Street movement continues to live on through virtual reconstructions on smartphone browsers.

Behind this technology known as Augmented Reality is NYU-Poly professor Mark Skwarek, who developed the first and one of the most used virtual applications last October.

Since Occupiers were evicted in December, Skwarek has been working to refine and rebuild his program called protestAR. With this program, users can point the camera of their smartphones to physical areas in Zuccotti Park and see past pictures or video clips which occurred in these locations.

“I documented Zuccotti Park almost every day in the beginning and very often at the end, usually every other day,” he said. “A focus of my documentation was the protest line and the signs of the protesters. I chose the more interesting and thought-provoking protesters for Wall Street. I continue to add more and more.”

Skwarek was first inspired when he visited Wall Street in the midst of the movement, only to find the area occupied by police officers rather than protesters. Determined to initiate a protest on the web, he began gathering photos and video footage from Occupiers around the globe by using the hashtag #ARoccupywallstreet on Twitter.

ProtestAR now has over 80 permanent virtual Occupiers and hundreds of visitors who drop in to check out the spectacle.

Carl Skelton, NYU-Poly director of the Brooklyn Experimental Media Center, warned that

via protestars.wordpress.com

ProtestAR allows users to view scenes from the Occupy movement. the virtual experience could take away the excitement and surprise in a protest and also decrease the level of engagement for the demonstrators. “[AR] absolves ‘participants’ of some of the basic requirements of a traditional protest [like] showing up, getting hassled [and] offering oneself for arrest,” he said.

But Tisch professor Tavia Nyong’o hopes that AR will serve as a reminder that the story of OWS is still being written.

“Occupying is about more than protesting: It is about interacting,” Nyong’o said. “I hope the app offers the possibility for users to connect with each other, chat, exchange ideas and support and get involved.”

Back on the ground, some protesters have seen the limitations of the budding technology of ProtestAR. Alan Sondheim, an Occupier and AR user, thinks the final documentation lacks the visceral effects of protests, as its components are from a camera or camcorder.

“I feel that AR is still too techdependent,” he said.

Hanqing Chen is investigative editor. Email her at hchen@nyunews.com.

Bloomberg, Cuomo communicate new year plans

By Kristine Itliong and Emily Yang

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered the State of the City and State of the State addresses earlier this month to discuss their plans for the upcoming year.

STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS “We accomplished big things in 2011 — but don’t worry: We have even bigger plans for 2012,” Bloomberg said as he opened his speech.

Bloomberg outlined his proposal for education reform in five steps: establishing merit-based pay for teachers, improving the teacher evaluation system, opening 100 new schools, preparing students for college and careers and ensuring that students can afford higher level education.

Bloomberg concluded, explaining his ultimate goal of making New York City’s economy “a global capital of innovation” by creating more jobs.

However, Bloomberg’s education reform plans have faced criticism.

Steinhardt professor, Diane Ravitch who specializes in education reform, questioned Bloomberg’s plan to close 33 of the

city’s low-performing schools.

“As for firing the staff of 33 schools, this is not promising,” argued Ravitch, “It will demoralize these schools and many others. The record of school transformations done in this brutal fashion is weak.”

Ravitch offered alternate solutions such as smaller class sizes, collaboration between teachers and city leaders, the employment of more social workers, an increase in student health services, a balanced curriculum and parent involvement.

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS Cuomo, too, began his speech by pointing to accomplishments from the past year, which include the enactment of the first property tax cap, pass of an affordable energy policy, creation of a job program for disadvantaged inner-city youth and legalization of same-sex marriage.

“We restored New York’s reputation to the progressive capital of the nation,” Cuomo said. “We passed landmark achievements in social justice and economic justice.”

Cuomo, who plans to create jobs while limiting government spending in 2012, spoke of two-dozen new economic and public policy plans.

He discussed a range of proposals like building the nation’s largest convention center at the Aqueduct Racetrack site in Queens, as well as turning the current convention center, the Jacob Javits Center, into a mixed use facility. He also spoke of legalizing casino gambling, which he said would give the state $1 billion revenue.

While Stern professor Lawrence White disagrees with the governor’s plans to invest in energy efficiency, solar power and the agricultural sector, he expressed approval of Cuomo’s proposal to improve public education and establish the New York Works Fund and Task Force.

“Where’s the role of the state in doing something a private sector can’t do?” White asked.

“Things like education and infrastructure — improve the roads, improve the airports, educate our kids, get those graduation rates up and encourage more to be going on to higher education — [those are] a legitimate role for the state,” he added. “A lot of this other stuff feels like it’s succumbing to special interest.”

Kristine Itliong is a deputy city/state editor.

Emily Yang is city/state editor. Email them at cstate@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square news | MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 | nyunews.com

features

D.I.Y.

Be frugal with flats

By Rachel Sanderson

With January’s blustery winds forcing me into a heated mall, I wandered through the hordes of post-holiday shoppers until I reached my quiet oasis: Free People. As I gently grazed through the racks of maxi skirts and sheer shirts, something perched on a table in the middle of the store caught my eye. The Sam Edelman flats that I rushed over to hold were versatile, edgy, fun and sophisticated. The popularity of the slipper flat this fall was undeniable. The shoe is available in an array of styles from cheetah print to sequined, but I had never seen a crystal and spike adorned version. Ready to call these shoes my own, I was immediately saddened by the $150 price tag. Although I left the store empty-handed, the image of the shoes lingered. While I scoured the Internet in search of a cheaper version, the idea hit me; why pay such a steep price when I can embellish a pair of black slipper flats for a fraction of the cost? After a trip to the craft store, I was ready to make my own Sam Edelman-inspired flats in just a few simple steps.

Materials: A pair of black slipper flats ($19.99 from Target) A variety of different sized black crystals Small black spikes or small pyramid shaped black stones/beads A hot glue gun with hot glue sticks

Rachel Sanderson for WSN

Cut the cost of couture flats by being your own designer.

Directions:

Rachel Sanderson for WSN

Studded slippers for less.

1. Start with plugging in the hot glue gun to warm up the glue.

2. Begin with the spikes. Squeeze a small amount of hot glue onto the part of the spike that you would like to adhere to the shoe and then quickly place it on the shoe. Spread the spikes randomly on the shoe and leave room for the crystals. Be quick with the hot glue gun because the glue can become fairly hot and it dries fast. Also, hot glue is very stringy, so be aware of the strings it may leave behind and be sure to remove them.

3. After having strategically placed the spikes on the shoe, fill it in with larger and smaller black crystals.

4. Repeat for the other shoe.

Rachel Sanderson is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

IMPRINT continued from PG. 1

A fusion of fashion and history provided us with invaluable support and guidance throughout the whole process.”

Each garment, on loan from its designer, was selected by the curators to represent the significance of the motifs throughout history, as well as their use in contemporary fashion worldwide.

“When selecting fashion designers, we sought to choose work that demonstrated innovative interpretations of traditional motifs by designers that represented the strength of New York fashion culture,” Huber said.

Huber chose a sleeping-bag coat designed by Norma Kamali to represent the functionality and widespread use of camouflage.

“The motif demonstrates the symbolic strength that dress represents to us as social beings,” Huber said. “The concept of camouflage is one that comes from nature, and it is something that surrounds us all regardless of geographical, political or aesthetic considerations.”

Tanya D. Wilson, another graduate student in the program, explored nature motifs using the concept of animal patterns.

“Since prehistoric times animal skin, fur and leather have been a form of protection as well as a sartorial statement of social status,” Wilson said. “The essence of animal is the freedom to explore the wild side, and the message comes across as witty, playful and bold.”

Rachel Kaplan/WSN

A stunning suit by Anna Sui was on display.

Wilson represented her work with a striking Diane Von Furstenberg leopardprint wrap dress. Other pieces displayed in the exhibition include a bright pink houndstooth-check dress by Marc Jacobs, a black-and-white striped women’s suit by Anna Sui and a wool and mohair tartan ensemble by Thom Browne.

Imprint (NYC), which has been well-received by visitors according to the exhibition’s curators, opened to the public on Jan. 12 and will be on view through Feb. 4.

Nicola Pring is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

NYU alum builds houses and community

By Jessica Littman

​Breaking down barriers between cultures while servicing communities is no easy feat.

One CAS graduate has proven that acts of generosity can bring people together with an organization that provides a niche in the disaster relief field: the Jewish Disaster Response Corps.

Alumnus Elie Lowenfeld was inspired to help his community after going to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2008, where he offered aid to disaster victims with federal government program. AmeriCorps.

“All these volunteers came from Christian organizations or churches, and there were no volunteers from Jewish organizations,” Lowenfeld said. “For me, it seemed like a place where my community really needed to be, so I decided to start [an organization].”

A year after that trip, Lowenfeld returned to Iowa with a group of Jewish volunteers.

“It was really exciting to finally

have a group in the place where I had felt so alone — to be able to come back and be able to bring members of my community there,” Lowenfeld said.

This was the first trip he organized for Jewish volunteers, marking the start of JDRC. Since he founded the organization in 2009 with help from the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life, over 300 volunteers have been sent to disaster sites. Lowenfeld wants the organization to be both a service for Jewish students and young adults to find volunteer opportunities, specifically for Jewish communities affected by natural disasters.

“We want to be a resource for a local community in their desire to help the community recover,” Lowenfeld said.

Despite its dedication to helping both Jewish disaster victims and Jewish relief workers, JDRC welcomes all volunteers. The NYU club Bridges, which seeks to foster relationships between Jewish and Muslim students, organized an al-

ternative break with JDRC to help with tornado relief efforts in Alabama over winter break.

The Bridges volunteers worked alongside Lowenfeld, who still does hands-on disaster relief work like rebuilding houses in Birmingham, Ala., in addition to running the organization.

“We take anyone with a desire to work hard and help,” Lowenfeld said.

Gallatin senior and Bridges member Dalia Shapiro also participated in the trip to Alabama.

“I was always inspired,” Shapiro said. “There’s not a lot of spaces for Jews and Muslims to work together, and here we are literally building houses together, literally building bridges.”

Lowenfeld hopes to continue mobilizing individual volunteers and the Jewish community and to inspire young people, regardless of their religious affiliation.

Jessica Littman is features editor.

Email her at jlittman@nyunews.com.

Courtesy of JDRC

JDRC volunteers rebuild damaged homes in Alabama.

nyunews.com | MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 | Washington Square news

7

edited by Jessica littman features@nyunews.com

Spring into the new semester: top reasons to take to the town

By Jessica Littman

We have now entered the so-called spring semester, but this dreary weather says nothing but winter. Resuming busy schedules of classes and homework after a month of relaxation is no easy task. Here are five reasons to cheer up about being back in New York, even with a few months of cold weather and studying ahead.

via flickr

via flickr

via flickr

1. Ice Skating Even if NYU says it’s spring now, there are months left to enjoy this winter activity. Wollman Ice Skating Rink in Central Park and the free admission Citi Pond at Bryant Park are open through late February and early March.

For the classic New York experience, the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink is open until April 15. And ice skating definitely counts as a sport, so treat yourself to a hot cocoa after.

2. Cherry Blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden For a more traditional spring activity, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden hosts a month-long annual festival known as Hanami or the celebration of cherry blossom season. The celebration will culminate with a two-day Sakura Matsuri or cherry blossom festival. The festival, which takes place on April 28 and 29 this year, will feature Japanese cultural exhibitions as well as live music and a fashion show. Admission to the gardens is $5 with a student ID.

via flickr via flickr

3. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade New York City’s 251st annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be on March 17, making the parade several years older than the Declaration of Independence (as the parade’s website proudly states). It is one of the city’s most popular annual events. Viewing the parade with thousands of marchers is a must, especially if it’s your first spring in New York.

Senses in the City

By Kristina Bogos The Statue of Liberty, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building are visual landmarks synonymous with Manhattan.

It is hard to imagine the magic of New York City without being able to see its famous skyline.

A new interactive exhibition, Dialog in the Dark at the South Street Seaport, invites you to experience New York through the eyes of the blind. With a cane in hand and the voice of a visually impaired tour guide leading the way, visitors enter a series of pitchblack rooms designed to replicate scenarios of life without vision.

Created to awaken senses, Dialog in the Dark provides visitors with an hour-long journey through four iconic regions of New York City to experience what it’s like to navigate the city without the sense of sight.

Visitors encounter the sounds and smells of city life while on the tour, from

the chirping of birds and the scent of fresh grass in Central Park to the aroma of freshly cut pineapple and the voices of bustling shoppers inside a grocery store.

Even more engaging are the whiffs of hot dogs and roasted coffee, the voices of subway operators and the rumbling of a drill from construction workers amid honks from cab drivers. Tour guides even perform a hearing test where visitors detect whether certain sounds are near or far, a task the visually impaired must perform on a daily basis to avoid danger while crossing streets.

Visitors also experience different sensations of movement while navigating in the dark. A walk across a wobbly bridge and a descent down a series of steps lead visitors to a stimulated subway ride fully equipped with seats, poles and handrails.

Alexandria, one of the visually impaired tour guides who could not give her last name due to company policy, ultimately

wants the exhibition to promote awareness for the blind and visually impaired. She hopes that visitors will realize that it is not impossible to enjoy life without your sight.

“I think the majority of the community understands that it’s difficult for those with vision impairment to navigate the city, but there’s no way we can fully comprehend the struggles they face day in and day out,” CAS freshman Emma Pliskin said.

“By bringing attention to these hidden challenges, the city can realize how it needs to amend its services, and the public can learn from experience the best way to help.”

The Dialog in the Dark exhibition is open Thursday through Sunday. Student tickets are available for $18 during weekdays and $20.50 during weekends. For more information, visit Dialognyc.com.

Kristina Bogos is deputy features editor. Email her at kbogos@nyunews.com.

4. The 11th Annual Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Film Festival will take place this year from April 18 to 29. Although prices have not been released for 2012, last year’s ticket packages were available for as low as $39 for six tickets — far less than the average cost of a movie in New York theatres.

Impress your hipster friends with knowledge of the independent films you see at the festival, and wow everyone else with stories of celebrity sightings.

5. Restaurant Week and Fashion Week These unaffiliated events are two of the best weeks for many New Yorkers. This year, for the city’s 20th annual Restaurant Week, the event will last 20 full days (Jan. 16 to Feb. 10).

Although the discounted meals can still be pricey, if your parents visit and take you out to dinner, you can get a great meal at one of the city’s best restaurants for a much lower price than usual. Overlapping this great event is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week from Feb. 9 to 16. Although the shows are invitation-only, the palpable energy around Lincoln Center throughout the week means there is much to be seen off the runway.

Jessica Littman is features editor.

Email her at jlittman@nyunews.com.

NYU hosts festival for female entrepreneurs

By Lavya Yalamanchi

The second annual Women Entrepreneurs Festival at NYU was as much a celebration of female empowerment as it was a lesson on the capacity of women to succeed as entrepreneurs.

Organized and hosted by the Interactive Telecommunications Program at the Tisch School of the Arts, the festival was filled with excitement and anticipation on the part of the panelist speakers and attendees. The two-day event ran from Jan. 17 to 18 and featured 46 successful female entrepreneurs in fields ranging from education and production to fashion and investment.

Ariana Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of The AOL Huffington Post Media Group, was the keynote speaker on the first night of the festival.

Panelists included Anne Dwane of student recruitment site Zinch, Jennifer Hyman, co-founder and CEO of Rent The Runway, Emily Olson, co-founder of online marketplace Foodzie, and Lindsay Campbell of web video production company Bright Red Pixels, among many others.

“What’s fascinating is that I haven’t met two women who are similar to each other,” said Elizabeth Wessel, recent University of Pennsylvania graduate and attendee. “They are all so diverse in their experiences.”

Divided by category in rooms throughout Tisch’s main building located at 721 Broadway, the panels of entrepreneurs shared their individual experiences in the start-up business and gave advice on topics such as public relations, investment, products, demographics and other aspects of entrepreneurship.

The festival attracted a wide variety of women, most of them seeking to start organizations and businesses of their own, like part-time Stern MBA student Lisa Kon. “It’s great that NYU is supporting the start-up community,” she said. “I’m from the Silicon Valley, so it’s nice to see that other people are starting to compete with them.”

The festival provided the attendees with networking opportunities during coffee and lunch breaks, as well as the opportunity to learn from successful female entrepreneurs who have already been through the startup process.

For Hyman of Rent the Runway, the most beneficial part to the festival was “just being around women who are entrepreneurially inclined and who pursue their passions,” she said.

“I want to encourage women to start their own companies.”

Lavya Yalmanchi is a contributing writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square news | MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 | nyunews.com

ARTS

Alcatraz: locked between pensive and playful

By Alex Greenberger

While “Lost” may be the most popular show to feature an island, incorporate the reappearance of seemingly deceased characters and star Jorge Garcia as an unlucky nerd, Fox’s “Alcatraz” is actually the most recent show to include these same concepts. The initial episodes promise just as intricate a set-up as “Lost” with possibly even more intriguing elements. But this might prove to be the show’s biggest problem. Heightened complexity doesn’t necessarily earn “Alcatraz” bragging rights. Nevertheless, the first two hours of the series are watchable and entertaining enough.

It may not rank with other mythology-laden shows like “Fringe,” but how many shows can live up to the puzzling craftiness J.J. Abrams has produced in the past?

“Alcatraz,” too, is a show that receives the J.J. Abrams brand, though he serves as a distant executive producer.

“Alcatraz” contains some of Abrams’ favorite touches — long-winded plot twists, a powerful female protagonist and a mysterious island. The concept, however, feels fresh and intriguing. Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is a detective who uncovers a paradox concerning the remote Alcatraz prison. With the help of Alcatraz expert Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia), she learns that the 300 prisoners who left Alcatraz when it closed were not actually transported to other prisons. The prisoners somehow disappeared, and are now surfacing again.

“Alcatraz” would need amazing writing to support such a tightly wound concept. But unfortunately, it lacks the tautness the plot deserves. The show delivers a few standout moments, as several unexpected twists are revealed within only two episodes, but the show remains too grounded in its serious tone.

That tone appears to be something that the writers of “Alcatraz” love. The first two episodes are nearly humorless — the characters rarely smile — and Rebecca’s introduction encapsulates the lack of levity. About five minutes into the pilot, the show flashes from an eerie memory of Alcatraz in 1960 to a scene of Rebecca superhumanly jumping from rooftop to rooftop in hot pursuit of a criminal. Her partner is more human than she, however, as a miscalculated leap causes him to fall to his death. Like many of the show’s subplots, the scene feels out of place and flashes by all too quickly.

While the story moves along at a speedy pace, this does not exactly translate to a fast-moving viewing experience. The main problem with “Alcatraz” is that it under-

By Matthew Chen

estimates its viewers. Each episode opens with a reminder of the show’s concept, and many scenes are presented with a location and year. The show is easy enough to follow without this unnecessary information. “Alcatraz” does not trust the viewer’s intellect, and almost everything about the show feels protracted.

“Alcatraz” stands at a crossroads. It needs to put faith in its audience to understand the story while fully diving into the mythology in order to join the ranks of Abrams’ older, monumental dramas. Otherwise, it can fritter away its potential like Abrams’ imitators, such as “V” and “The Event.” “Alcatraz” displays great promise, but what it will do from here remains as large a mystery as the disappearance of those 300 prisoners.

Courtesy of Fox Broadcasting Co.

Characters discuss the disappearances of past Alcatraz prisoners and explore the infamous island prison off the coast of San Francisco.

Alex Greenberger is a staff writer.

Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.

Details impress in new ‘Zelda’ for Wii

With the Wii seemingly on its way out as Nintendo prepares to introduce a new system, many have looked at “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” as the

console’s swan song. And if this truly is the last major title, then what a way to go out. Nintendo has outdone itself with “Skyward Sword,” making Link’s latest adventure a pleasure to play and worthy of mention in anyone’s

Courtesy of Nintendo

“Skyward Sword” allows players to experience Link’s adventures with more control than ever before.

discussions about game of the year for 2011.

While “Skyward Sword” is most definitely a “Zelda” game, retaining the series’s atmosphere, story archetypes and mechanics, its unique implementation of these features allows the game to shine above many of the franchise’s previous efforts. Using the system’s more precise Wii MotionPlus controller is ideal for what Nintendo wanted to achieve — players are given more complete and direct control over Link than ever before. Short jabs and waggles won’t suffice in “Skyward Sword.” Players must swing the controller as if they are Link — moving the remote in certain arcs translates to direction-specific swings of Link’s sword.

Players will actually use the enhanced controller for all of the tools and weapons that Link acquires throughout the game. Although the controls are not perfect — sometimes a swing won’t register, for example — they work well for the current technol-

ogy and the accuracy that can be expected. Aiming the slingshot, controlling Link’s flying beetle, shooting arrows, employing the wind and using many other tools all incorporate the motion to an intuitive and engaging effect.

The controls can become a slight nuisance at times since the controller is not always centered to the screen. To center the targeting reticule and use it precisely, players must press down on the directional pad. And wherever the controller is facing becomes the new center.

This frequent re-adjusting can devolve into an annoyance.

Players may have to worry about centering the slingshot in the middle of an intense boss battle, leading to an unnecessary death. Flying Link’s beetle and forgetting to center the controller before it launches can lead to a number of botched attempts when solving a puzzle.

Thankfully, despite the minor problems that detract from “The Skyward Sword” experience, the

good far outweighs the bad. The art style, though it could use a high definition upgrade, adds a storybook feel to the proceedings, as it mixes two recent console outings, “Twilight Princess” and “Wind Waker.” The orchestral score lives up to the game’s history of beautiful and timeless music, heightening the drama and action of Link’s adventures.

Intriguing puzzles that may have you stumped in some of the franchise’s best dungeons, flight on your bird-like companion, the Loftwing, and the quirky story and characters all imbue “Skyward Sword” with a style reminiscent of previous entries in the series while establishing a new and distinctive take on the series.

Not only does “Skyward Sword” send off the Wii in spectacular fashion, it also ended 2011 with one of the year’s best games on any console.

Matthew Chen is a contributing writer. Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.

nyunews.com | MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 | Washington Square news

9

edited by JONATHON DORNBUSH ARTS@nyunews.com SUCCEED continued from PG. 1

Jonas to follow Criss: Will he succeed? dan and Neil Meron, who have said they are thinking about building a show around the rising star. Criss’ success story stems from the actor’s work ethic, as unlike his character in “Succeed” J. Pierpont Finch, he tries very hard indeed. He spent his two-week winter vacation in rehearsals for the show and will immediately return to “Glee” following his

final curtain call.

Criss represents the adage that hard work and dedication truly pays off, but that retaining a modest persona is also essential. Though his time onstage is brief, the charisma Criss portrays may make him the most successful Finch.

He will certainly be a tough act to follow for Nick Jonas, who steps into the role on Jan.

24. The Disney Channel star and tween pop-rock sensation has arguably the strongest musical background, having released five albums and starred as Marius in the 25th anniversary concert version of “Les Miserables.” Like Criss, Jonas’ acting and vocal chops may matter less than the number of parents willing to bring their daughters to see a Broadway

show. He has managed to pack theaters and stadiums before, so there is little doubt he can command an audience. But it remains unclear if he can step into the charming shoes Criss has fleetingly but effectively filled.

Olivia George is a staff writer. Email her at theater@nyunews.com.

Cirque leaps into cinematic 3D

By Taylor Turner

The film rendition of the famous live performance of Cirque du Soleil promises to be just as mesmerizing on screen as it is in person. According to the official summary, “Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away” will feature “artistic and acrobatic performances from some of the most elaborate Cirque du Soleil productions,” and will be directed by Andrew Adamson, whose résumé includes the “Shrek” and “Narnia” films. Master of visually stunning moviemaking James Cameron will lend his expertise in the 3-D landscape by acting as the film’s executive producer. But those expecting a screen full of Na’vi from Cameron’s “Avatar” might be disappointed, despite the extravagant makeup and costumes of the performers.

The release of this high-tech production may provoke groans from theater and movie fans. But the film is perhaps one of the rare occurrences where three on-screen dimensions might really enhance the movie-going experience. Unlike viewing Disney’s recent, unfortunate re-release of “The Lion King,” watching acrobats leap in

3D might be a reasonable alternative to the real thing.

“Worlds Away” has far more going for it than just its three-dimensional aesthetic. Cirque du Soleil is perhaps one of the most ubiquitous performance brands in the entire world ­— with over 20 different shows across the globe, it’s a name almost everyone recognizes. So if millions of people have seen and presumably enjoyed it, why the need for a movie?

Some would say it’s simply another ploy for Hollywood to squeeze as much money as possible from a franchise. Others think the exposure to theater is a good thing. Even with the hated extra charge 3-D glasses add, movies are still far cheaper than the steep cost of a live performance.

Though without the expensive prices, most live entertainment, be it theater, circus or music, would have died out long ago. Today’s society is too focused on notions of convenience and mass-production for live entertainment to be anything more than a novelty. Although some theater advocates would beg to differ, it’s impossible to ignore the perpetually shrinking niche of live performances in the landscape

of modern entertainment.

This truth sounds depressing, but the silver lining is not too difficult to find. Much like a Broadway show, a Cirque du Soleil performance is a rare treat saved for special occasions and gifts. It’s not an everyday event, so a movie portraying this famous circus act might inspire people to shell out the higher price tag required to see an actual performance. A similar phenomenon has occurred with “Glee,” as when a song is covered on the show, sales of the original inevitably surge upward, though Cirque du Soleil carries a bit more artistic weight.

Being cautiously optimistic about the movie is understandable, but the project does warrant excitement.

Cirque du Soleil is one of the few remaining beacons of true theatricality, thanks to its ability to transport its audience to an otherworldly place without musical numbers or big-name stars. There is no real harm in helping that light shine a little brighter by finding a larger audience.

Taylor Turner is a contributing writer.

Email him at theater@nyunews.com.

Courtesy of Ed Schipul

Audiences will soon enjoy Cirque Du Soleil performances on the big screen.

via Facebook

Criss’ debut rocked Broadway.

Finn reinvents narrative tropes

By Christina Li “Maybe I was fatigued from all that optimism,” Craig Finn chuckles as he compares his downtrodden solo album to the upbeat works of his band, The Hold Steady. If there’s one word to describe his new work, it’s fatigued. “Clear Hearts Full Eyes” was furiously composed and recorded during one of the hottest summers in Austin, Tex. While the album echoes the rollicking guitars and rhythm of Tom Petty, the lyrics deliver a more exhausted message — Finn is tired of the world. From the resentment of fakes in “When No One’s Watching” to the sarcasm of “New Friend Jesus,” Finn spits out the anger of Green Day and skinhead punk to the folksy drum and beats of The Black Keys.

Finn’s style is a throwback to older, simpler arrangements.

Most of the instruments are recognizable and familiar — mainstays of guitar, drum and bass — a far cry from the dubstep and dance beats of most modern music. “New Friend Jesus” even incorporates a banjo. Despite the small number of instruments used, producer Mike McCarthy, who has worked with Spoon and Trail of Dead, has managed to drench your hearing with the sound of these familiar instruments. Yet the nostalgia of the album

doesn’t stop with Finn’s instrumentation.

“Clear Heart Full Eyes” is predominately an album of lyrical storytelling. Listeners slowly fall into the sarcastic and old-fashioned world that Finn creates with each song. It’s a relief to hear the words at the forefront. Unfortunately, some of Finn’s lyrics lack the melody to make for great songs, and the words lose some of their strength as a result.

Finn’s songs admittedly contain splashes of clichéd story tropes, like the devil befriended and disloyal husbands. These ideas, however familiar, still ring true.

Finn explains the title of his “Clear Heart Full Eyes” saying, “clear heart, a heart that is open [and] full eyes — having seen a lot — your eyes remain full.” It seems that the years with The Hold Steady have taught Finn the same lessons learned by many, lessons of broken hearts and cynicism. But the cracked strength of his voice resuscitates these old ideas as something fresh. Finn’s familiar songs and earnest performance remind us that though these ideas and emotions have been done and felt before, that doesn’t mean they hurt any less.

Christina Li is a contributing writer. Email her at music@nyunews.com.

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation The new york times crossword & daily sudoku 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Monday, January 23, 2012

Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Prego alternative 5 Officials who cry “Steee-rike!”

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nyunews.com | MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012 | Washington Square news

OPINION

edited by olivia gonzalez opinion@nyunews.com

nATIONAL Staff editorial

Marines who defile corpses deserve prosecution

By Richard Zhang A video of four American Marines who urinated on the corpses of Taliban soldiers was posted on YouTube, sending a wave of disgust all over the world. Defense secretary Leon Panetta called the video “utterly despicable” and promised a full investigation of the case. While the majority of the world condemns the disturbing act of these soldiers, some Americans see the issue differently. They see it as a perfectly justifiable revenge against the killers of Americans. The ex-presidential candidate Rick Perry is among these patriots: “What was really disturbing to me is ... the overthe-top rhetoric from this [Obama] administration and their disdain for the military,” Perry said. “I mean, these [soldiers] made a mistake. There’s not any doubt about it. They shouldn’t have done it. It’s bad. But to call it a criminal act, I think, is over the top.”

He showed more passion in defense of these troops in a recent debate than in the one on Jan. 8.

The position taken by these socalled patriots can be appealing at first glance. After all, many people have a deep hatred for radical Muslims who have committed outrageous crimes against the U.S. Nevertheless, the American government must investigate this case thoroughly as a criminal act in order to abide by the

existing laws, to build up a peaceful relation with the Middle East and to preserve the good values upheld by Americans.

The Geneva Convention, an international agreement on the rules of wars, clearly states that “[t]he remains of persons who have died for reasons ... resulting from ... hostilities ... shall be respected.” In response to the Geneva Convention, the U.S. Naval Handbook adds that the “mutilation and other mistreatment of the dead” is a war crime.

The act of these Marines can be categorized as disrespect and mistreatment of the dead bodies, and therefore it is definitely not “over the top” to call the act a crime. Rather, if the government does not prosecute these soldiers, America would break the existing laws, putting our own administration in disrepute for not abiding by the laws that we ourselves have ratified.

Even if no specific protocol outlaws the mistreatment of dead bodies during wars, the American government would still need to prosecute these American soldiers in order to preserve the already fragile relationship with the Middle East. It has taken much effort to get the Afghan government on our side. If our government does not prosecute the four American soldiers, it would just add more

volatility to the existing tensions between the U.S. and the Middle East. The Karzai government of Afghanistan would see it as offensive and disdainful toward its people. Other Muslim countries would also take this matter offensively, thus becoming even more hostile toward America. In addition, certain terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda can use it as a perfect justification for their bloody wars against the United States.

Furthermore, the American society is built upon certain morals and values, including mercy, respect and humanitarianism. The reason we sent troops to the Middle Eastern countries is to spread these good values to the rest of the world that was once dominated by barbarity, cruelty and inhumanity. We do not fight against these countries so that we can humiliate them. The barbaric and inhumane act of the urinating soldiers is antithetical to the intention of our war, as well as to the values that we want to promote. To once again restore the cause of the war and promote the good American values, the government must condemn these soldiers by regarding the issue as a serious war crime.

Richard Zhang is a columnist.

Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

PIRACY

Normalization of illegal downloading raises concerns

By Ben Miller It seemed too good to be true, and it was ­— the wave against the Stop Online Piracy Act, a reaction to proposed bills that would dramatically increase the potential for government censorship of the Internet in the name of stopping illegal downloads and protecting copyrights. For a while, I was riding the anti-SOPA wave — genuinely enjoying the Internet blackouts and the sudden political awareness shown by so many 18- to 24-year-olds who typically don’t vote or call their representatives.

What I hated about SOPA wasn’t the goal of protecting copyrights, it was the security-bashing, civil-liberties-bedamned methods by which it would have solved its intended problem. It was a bit like responding to a gunshot with an A-bomb.

It turns out that what I hated about SOPA was different from what most people did: two days after SOPA was tabled, I watched the same people who had been against SOPA descend on the FBI for shutting down Megaupload like a bunch of hyenas on Dexedrine.

For the uninitiated, Megaupload was a

11

site on which one could get free bootlegs of pretty much anything. The FBI shut it down, citing massive copyright infringement and has indicted the founders and leadership team.

Here’s the thing: while allowing the FBI to shut down any website it chooses for no reason without a court warrant would be a disgusting thing, that’s not what happened here — the checks were checked and the balances were balanced, the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed. Copyright laws serve a purpose. Content creators need content to be worth something if they’re going to be able to live. I hate the servingcaviar-to-congressmen-while-claimingpoverty industry groups too, but facts are facts: filmmakers, musicians, actors and writers aren’t magical pixie creatures who can survive on buzz and appreciative feedback. They need money to survive and to keep making the art we enjoy.

I don’t deny that there is tremendous potential to be unleashed in the free sharing of creative work if that’s what its creators honestly choose to do. There are a lot of bands and aspiring filmmakers ­­— many of whom

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I love — who share their work for free, and that’s great. They’ve decided the buzz and getting their work out is more important to them, and that’s their prerogative. I also don’t deny that for many people, illegal downloading serves as a way to gain tremendous personal cultural knowledge without a high cost of entry.

What worries me is the normalization of the behavior — that once people are able to pay, they will have convinced themselves that it’s morally okay not to, even given the wide and inexpensive availability of royalties-paying streaming services — most music that worth pirating is on Spotify; the same goes for television and Netflix and Hulu.

And what’s funny is I see that normalization of illegal downloading happening the most here at NYU, among young creatives, people who will in the same breath rant about the shutting down of Megaupload and then complain that you can’t make a living as an artist anymore.

Ben Miller is a contributing columnist.

Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

The Board anticipates the new semester

We here at the Washington Square News Editorial Board are excited for the new semester. For the next several weeks, we will be moving forward with an unearned air of authority under the pretense of representing the NYU community.

We will do our best to bring a diverse array of opinions somewhat relevant to our readers (you and that other guy). Our intrepid team of undergraduates strives to be unpredictable, provocative and proactive. Ideally, we will be in your face every day with the latest headlines ripped from yesterday’s news. Anything less would be a disservice to our mentally competent readers. Anything more would take too much work. Our goal is to pick apart the news that runs in these pages and give you our take on what it actually means. The result: measured, thoughtful conclusions about the decisions made by our often-elusive university administrators, which affect not only the way our school is run, but your life within it. We also try to glean the specific ramifications of various national news stories and figure out what impact they could have on the NYU community.

Newspapers have had editorial boards since the age of Deuteronomy, and we show no signs of slowing down. In the interests of transparency, the Staff Editorial is authored by staff separate from the news sections of the WSN. Though the subjects on which we write are beholden to the authorization of our Management ­— the names on page 2 in big font — we feel that our intellectual, and even physical, removal from the rest of the editors maintains their objective journalistic decorum (or at least the appearance of such).

We encourage applicants to email opinion@ nyunews.com or attend one of our meetings at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 838 Broadway. If this semester is as eventful as the last one was, we can promise stimulating prose accompanied by plentiful puns. Yet, we will not let style overshadow substance.

Our editorial standards, while high, are far from insurmountable and apart from writing samples, no previous reporting experience is required. We hope that you’ll read WSN editorials to get some understanding about the biggest news of the day.

We feel that our longevity is a testament to the Editorial Board’s quality. Fast-reacting and tenacious, we are there when you need us and even when you don’t. So, though this is the least substantive of our contribution to campus conversations on community, we hope it imbues in you the expectation of well-cooked gourmet food for thought come our next issue. Until then, stay literate, NYU. Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

Editorial Board: Olivia Gonzalez (Chair), Atticus Brigham (Co-Chair), Maria Michalos (Co-Chair), Emily Franklin, Nicolette Harris and Katie Travers.

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, fifth floor, New York, NY 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 150 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.