NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 1
MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013
nyunews.com
Courses shift from Blackboard to NYU Classes By SU SIE PARK
Students are saying goodbye to Blackboard as NYU completes the transition to NYU Classes, a new online resource for courses. The university is currently in Phase 3 of the transition process, which involves developing and testing the Classes system.
Phase 1 of the transition began last January, and Phase 2 was carried out throughout the fall semester. Phase 3, the final phase, will continue through the spring semester, and will be complete by August 2013. Phase 1 involved testing the usability of NYU Classes with faculty and students, and developing
an effective content transition strategy for Blackboard users. The phase provided a teaching and learning service for selected courses both in New York City and at NYU’s global sites. Phase 2 worked to expand NYU Classes to thousands of professors and students in some NYU programs, including the Liberal
National campaign contest sparks student debt debate
Studies Program and some NYU Abu Dhabi courses. It carried out a full service support model, including documentation and training. Phase 3 will finalize the transition process. For the spring semester, Classes will work as the University’s primary learn-
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KRISTINA BOGOS/WSN
In a contest refereed by distinguished guests including Chelsea Clinton, George Stephanopoulos and Madeleine Albright, students participating in “Up to Us” work to raise awareness of student debt. The winners will be announced in April later this year. STORY ON PAGE 4
Cuomo urges caution in flu crisis By SU SIE PARK
NYU students returning to the city after winter break should brace themselves for a particularly brutal flu season in New York this winter. This year, the New York State Department of Health confirmed 2,884 documented cases of the flu, compared to 1,169 in 2011. In response to this year’s serious flu season, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a public health emergency last Saturday in New York and issued an executive order allowing pharmacists to administer flu vaccinations to minors for the next 30 days. “We are experiencing the worst flu season since at least 2009,” Governor Cuomo said in a press release. “Influenza activity in New York State is widespread, with cases reported in all 57 counties and all five boroughs of New York City.” The executive order suspends a State Education Law which prohibited pharmacists from administering the vaccine to patients
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Hathaway, Hoffman among NYU alumni seeking Oscar gold
By JOSEPH EHRMAN-DUPRE
NYU has an incredibly rich lineage of Academy Award winners, including — but certainly not limited to — Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Angelina Jolie. With the 85th Academy Awards coming up Feb. 24, this exclusive group of NYU alumni may welcome a few more into its ranks, with nominees Ang Lee, Lucy Alibar, Tony Kushner and Philip Seymour Hoffman, all graduates of Tisch School of the Arts. “What is gratifying is that these extraordinary artists are such an integral part of the Tisch School community,” Tisch dean Mary Schmidt Campbell said. Campbell noted that both Lee and Kushner screened their films, “Life of Pi” and “Lincoln,” respectively, for Tisch students, and that Hoffman often returns to teach.
“One thing I’ve always thought is that Tisch doesn’t just train actors or writers or directors, Tisch trains artists,” Tisch acting professor Laurence Maslon said. “Each of these folks is not just a leader in his [or] her respective fields, but an industry leader in terms of vision, commitment and bringing artistry forward into American culture.” Lee has already won an Oscar for Best Director for “Brokeback Mountain” in 2006, but in “Life of Pi” Lee uses his understanding of humanity and human nature to craft a meticulous rendition of a story once deemed unfilmable. Because of his efforts, Lee has once again found himself in the Best Director and Best Picture categories. Lucy Alibar and Tony Kushner compete against each other in the category for Best Adapted Screenplay. Alibar wrote “Beasts
of the Southern Wild,” finding rare awards success with an independent film. Her words capture the life of young Hushpuppy and her Louisiana bayou home, the Bathtub. Kushner, meanwhile, tackles the tale of Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s biopic “Lincoln.” Kushner’s dense, lushly detailed and historically prescient writing keeps the dialogue-dense film engaging. Tisch’s only acting nomination this year is with Hoffman, who previously won Best Actor in 2006 for his role in “Capote.” Now nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “The Master,” Hoffman’s larger-than-life personality and intelligence blend into a likable but ultimately antagonistic character as the leader of The Cause, a group reminiscent of Scientology. While it is impossible to know
VIA WIKIPEDIA.COM
Ang Lee, Anne Hathaway, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Tony Kusher have all received multiple Oscar nominations. whether these alumni will take home the gold, there is perhaps one surefire winner. According to most entertainment pundits, Anne Hathaway is poised to win Best Supporting Actress for her performance in “Les Misérables” as the tragic single mother Fantine. Hathaway, however, hails not from Tisch but from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
In what may be one of the most unpredictable Academy Awards in recent memory, NYU students should take pride in having their alma mater so widely represented. “Their work is the gold standard and inspires all of us,” Campbell said. Joseph Ehrman-Dupre is a contributing writer. Email him at film@nyunews.com.