WSN020314

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 42, No. 3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014

nyunews.com

Classes made portable with app redesign

Advocates call for democracy in Ukraine

By KAVISH HARJAI

The student-developed app Kipin Hall celebrated the integration of a webbased educational platform into mobile solutions for Apple and Android devices today. The app, which facilitates the classroom experience in a way similar to NYU Classes, has launched at colleges across the country, including NYU, Columbia, Baruch, Rutgers and Harvard, for students and faculty to download and test.

The application was initially in a web-only beta phase during the fall semester. In January, the application launched for a class on iTunes — an online course catalog program that various students around the world can access. Up to 50,000 students experimented with Kipin Hall.

Abhinay Ashutosh, CAS sophomore and Kipin Hall co-founder, helped redesign the application to a mobile solution based on feedback from those who used the beta version. Ashutosh said the design was more than a recoloring of the interface. Rather, it was a reconsideration of how people responded to the application.

“The initial design lacked a mobile solution, which students and some

KIPIN HALL continued on PG. 3

By MIMI MCCANN

Local Ukrainians held a forum on Feb. 2 at the Ukrainian National Home to discuss future plans for providing aid to Ukrainians, who have been protesting in the nation’s capital, Kiev, following the government’s decision to align with Russia instead of the European Union. Plast, the national scout organization of Ukraine, organized the forum.

The group of six panelists included members of three different nonprofit Ukrainian interest organizations, journalists and Ivanna Bilych, a lawyer who recently graduated from the NYU School of Law. Olya Yarychkivska, a doctoral student in genetics at Columbia and a member of Razom, one of the nonprofit organizations that planned the forum, said the goal of the meeting was to bring various Ukrainian organizations together to determine a course of action.

“We are going to have an event LAWRENCE WU/WSN

Local Ukrainians assemble to promote democracy in Eastern Europe.

UKRAINE continued on PG. 3

NYU community mourns Philip Seymour Hoffman

By CLIO MCCONNELL and IFE OLUJOBI

The Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died in his New York City apartment yesterday around 11:30 a.m. The cause of death appears to be a drug overdose as Hoffman, 46, was discovered with a hypodermic needle in his arm.

Hoffman had a history of substance abuse, reaching as far back as his days at NYU — he graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts in 1989. Soon after finishing his studies, Hoffman checked into rehab and had been sober until a relapse in 2013, which he discussed in an interview with TMZ. Before his death, Hoffman was working on several projects, including the final installments of “The Hunger Games” film saga, “Mockingjay” parts one and two. In addition, two films starring Hoffman, “God’s Pocket” and “A Much Wanted Man,” recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Highly respected for his skills as a character actor, Hoffman has given profound performances throughout his career. A prolific

actor on both stage and screen, Hoffman won an Oscar in 2006 for his leading performance as the titular character in Bennett Miller’s “Capote.”

The actor also received three Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor and three Tony Award nominations for various productions on Broadway. He was most recently seen on stage in Arthur Miller’s masterpiece of modern tragedy, “Death of A Salesman,” and was nominated for the Best Leading Actor Tony Award in 2012.

Steinhardt sophomore Delaney Parker said she was particularly moved by Hoffman’s performance.

“It was shocking and deeply painful to hear the news about Hoffman this afternoon,” Parker said. “It’s surreal being in the neighborhood where this tragedy took place. He was a tremendous talent that will be sorely missed by not only the performing arts community, but the New York community as well. Seeing his Willy Loman on Broadway was chilling. His riveting performance inspired me and reinforced my love for live theater in New York.”

Hoffman has long been

praised as one of the greatest actors of his generation. Perhaps what most distinguished the man from his colleagues was his impeccable judgment in choosing projects.

“He’s just one of the best actors,” Tisch junior Gabriel Cuzzillo said. “He was in consistently good stuff for 20 years, which is hard to say about anybody else.”

Mary Schmidt Campbell, dean of the Tisch School of the Arts, issued a statement after his death, sending condolences to Hoffman’s family.

“We at NYU Tisch are shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Philip Seymour Hoffman,” Campbell said. “Phil was not only one of the great actors of his generation, but was also committed to inspiring the next generation of artists.

“As his career blossomed Phil maintained a close relationship with his alma mater. Just a couple of weeks ago he met with a group of Tisch faculty to learn more about the school’s plans for the Institute of Performing Arts Center.”

Hoffman is an inspiration to both NYU and the larger artistic community, and he will be greatly

FILE PHOTO BY RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN

Hoffman returned to his alma mater to discuss his acting method. missed. He is survived by his longtime partner Mimi O’Donnell and their three children, Cooper Alexander, Tallulah and Willa.

Clio McConnell is arts editor. Ife Olujobi is film editor. Email them at arts@nyunews.com.

2

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM

ON THE SIDE

COMPILED BY THE

WSN STAFF

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

chinese new year Exposure

Editor-in-Chief NICOLE BROWN

To ring in the Year of the Horse, crowds gathered in Chinatown for the 15th Annual Lunar New Year Parade on Feb. 2. City residents and tourists lined up along Mott Street to watch floats, marching bands and dragons walk down the streets. Approximately 5,000 people participated in this year’s celebration, which concluded with an outdoor festival that featured musicians, dancers and other performers.

Managing Editor

MICHAEL DOMANICO Deputy Managing Editor

CASEY DALRYMPLE Assistant Managing Editors

TATIANA BAEZ JONATHAN KESHISHOGLOU Creative Director

CICEK EREL

Special Issues Director

LYANNE NATIVIDAD SENIOR STAFF

news KAVISH HARJAI, ANN SCHMIDT arts CLIO MCCONNELL features BRYNA SHUMAN sports FRANCISCO NAVAS multimedia FELIPE DE LA HOZ copy THOMAS DEVLIN, PAIGE MANKIN web KIMBERLY HART senior editors TONY CHAU, ARIANA

DIVALENTINO, MICHELLE LIM, STEFAN MELNYK, NEELA QADIR, DANIEL YEOM

DEPUTY STAFF

news LARSON BINZER, SCOTT MULLEN,

AFEEFA TARIQ books/theater DYLAN JARRETT film IFE OLUJOBI entertainment BOB TEOH music JAKE FOLSOM the highlighter blog VALERIE NELSON features HANNAH TREASURE beauty & style DANA RESZUTEK violet vision blog GIANNA COLLIER-PITTS dining CHANDLER WEST sports CHRIS MARCOTRIGIANO multimedia HANNAH LUU, LAWRENCE WU video ALEX LINZMEIER

OPINION PAGE opinion editor

PETER KEFFER deputy opinion editors

CHRISTINA COLEBURN, OMAR ETMAN, NINA GOLSHAN

ADVERTISING BUSINESS MANAGER

ELLEN MCQUEEN

CIRCULATION MANAGER

CHLOE COFFMAN SALES MANAGER

HANNAH LUU/WSN

ALISON LIZZIO UNIVERSITY AND ALUMNI COORDINATOR

CLAIRE MAHANY

SNAPSHOT

TODAY ON CAMPUS

SALES REPRESENTATIVES

ARIANA DIVALENTINO

Queer Salsa Dance Lesson Get a crash course in salsa and merengue in a gender-neutral environment at the Kimmel Center for University Life in suite 606 from 6 to 8 p.m. Don’t forget to bring socks, as street shoes aren’t allowed in the Dance Studio. All are welcome and partners aren’t necessary.

ADVISING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

NANCI HEALY EDITORS-AT-LARGE

(Un)bound: A Ghanaian Arts Festival African Heritage Month kicks off with an opening ceremony at Kimmel’s Eisner and Lubin Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. The event will feature Ghanaian art, including spoken word and dance performances, created by NYU students who have studied abroad in Accra.

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Celebrations of the Chinese New Year fill the streets in London’s Chinatown.

PHOTO BY WICY WANG

Carnegie Hall presents a night with the Philadelphia Orchestra — an ensemble previously praised by The New York Times — at 8 p.m. Led

by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the orchestra will perform two Czech pieces and a piano concerto featuring Radu Lupu.

TODAY’S EVENTS ARE FREE FOR NYU STUDENTS.

GOT AN EVENT? EMAIL US AT AGENDA@NYUNEWS.COM OR TWEET US @NYUNEWS. GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE? EMAIL US AT TIPS@NYUNEWS.COM.

HANQING CHEN, JONATHON DORNBUSH, JAEWON KANG, RACHEL KAPLAN, JORDAN MELENDREZ, JONATHAN TAN

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 Michael Domanico at managing@ nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.

NYUNEWS.COM

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

UKRAINE continued from PG. 1

KIPIN HALL continued from PG. 1

Residents gather, demand reforms in Ukraine

Educational platform receives mobile makeover with new app professors, find more convenient to use,” Ashutosh said.

“One big feature students and professors wanted was the ability to take their classes with them, so we created a native mobile app for both iPhone and Android, which are available on Feb. 3 on the App Store and Google Play.”

Emanuel Hahn, Stern senior and president of Tech@NYU, said the app’s differences from NYU Classes are one of the benefits of Kipin Hall.

“First off, it’s a huge improvement to NYU Classes just in terms of its user interface,” Hahn said. “All your classes are very well displayed at the top and there’s no confusion or unnecessary clicking to move from one point to another. It strips away a lot of the unnecessary sections in NYU Classes and consolidates them in a single page under each class.”

The new design will also allow the academic community to be more connected.

Stern senior and chair of Tech@NYU Kimberly Pham said the social nature of Kipin Hall is a great advantage.

“It just makes a lot more sense. As part of a generation where we’re used to interfaces like Facebook, I think Kipin Hall does a great job of capital-

3

every Sunday while the revolution is going on,” Yarychkivska said. “We’re going to do something here in New York every Sunday to support, to do fundraising, to spread information and for moral support.”

Ukrainian protesters hope to gain independence from Russia’s influence and join the European Union. Ukraine’s prime minister, Mykola Azarov, resigned on Jan. 28, and the current government abolished much of the legislation that had been passed earlier in the month which limited freedom of speech and freedom

izing on that sort of information flow and organization,” Pham said. “It’s also inherently a much more social product, encouraging student interaction via commenting and question and answer.”

Professors are able to try out new teaching methods and see how receptive students are.

Furthermore, clubs and organizations will be able to cut down on email correspondences and manage activities with more ease, Ashutosh said.

Hahn was also excited about how the app fits into the modern world.

“Abhinay put a lot of effort into design and it shows in Kipin Hall,” Hahn said. “It’s just pleasing to look at from the get-go. NYU Classes or Blackboard, on the other hand, look like [they were] meant for the ’90s. Kipin Hall is designed to represent what the internet is more like today.”

Possible future plans include a trial at NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and a pilot for online classes for pre-med students at a large medical school in New York City.

Kavish Harjai is a news editor. Email him at kharjai@nyunews.com

of assembly.

Local activists rallied in Kiev during a protest that resulted in the deaths of six protesters and left thousands injured.

“There have only been a few policemen reported injured, but officially six people already died because the police is using weapons,” Yarychkivska said. “Tons of people kidnapped, more than thousands injured. Press is really targeted. More than 120 journalists have been targeted.”

Walter Zaryckyj, former NYU political science professor and executive director of the Center for

LAWRENCE WU/WSN

The Plast’s crest hangs outside the Ukrainian National Home.

US-Ukrainian Relations, said he is worried about what might happen if the president doesn’t step down.

“The bottom line is, they started shooting at people and ended up having bloodletting,” Zaryckyj said in an interview before the event.

“Now the big question is, what is beyond the bloodletting?”

During the meeting, the panelists and members of the audience discussed ways to offer support to Ukrainians after the revolution.

“We understand that after this ends, there will be a lot of work to do for the future,” Yarychkivska said. “We will need to give them informational support, professional support to bring democracy to Ukraine and kind of bring them to the West.”

Razom has several chapters in different cities along the East Coast, which are collaborating to unite their efforts. Oksana Redko, a senior at Temple University, attended today’s forum as a representative of the Philadelphia chapter.

“We needed a representative here to understand what is going on in the New York area, because the central community is here,” Redko said. “We are trying to communicate with each other and to unite all the organizations into one.”

Mimi McCann is a contributing writer.

Email her at news@nyunews.com.

THE GAZELLE: CORE CURRICULUM TO BE RE-EXAMINED Published on TheGazelle.org on Feb. 1, 2014

By EMINA OSMANDZIKOVICĆ Among the NYU Abu Dhabi community, the core curriculum has been an issue of concern. According to the official school’s website, the objective of the program is for students “to grapple with profound and enduring questions about the human and social condition while developing essential intellectual skills.”

For freshman Janna Kiseeva, the core curriculum exemplifies the liberal arts degree. “[The cores] represent the breadth of the university education and are there to take one out of one’s comfort zone.”

As an upperclassman, Paloma Saco-Vertiz has taken several cores and acknowledges that there are both benefits and drawbacks to such a curriculum.

“The cores, unless they are writing intensive, are not very difficult, but they pose a difficulty for students who are not interested in certain fields.”

Challenges & proposals For Adam Ramey, a Political Science professor at NYUAD, the core curriculum leaves many questions to be answered.

“How do we go about teaching a core class? Do we teach it in the same way as a standard course? What about the syllabus?” he wondered.

In fact, the execution of the core curriculum presents itself as a major challenge.

“We are currently working on having regular meetings of core curriculum faculty instructors to make sure there is more uniformity,” stated Ramey.

From a student perspective, Kiseeva agrees that certain changes should be made in order for students to receive the best university experience.

“It would be better if students had the opportunity to choose certain areas of cores that are of their particular interest and choose core classes within these areas,” explained Kiseeva. “I say this because four areas that encompass all the core classes are mandatory and choosing two classes in each category is too much.”

Saco-Vertiz, on the other hand, does not think that major changes should be made.

When it comes to the choice of classes, however, she believes allowing students more freedom would be beneficial.

“Maybe instead of selecting

two classes out of each of the four major areas of the core curriculum, students should select one,” proposed Saco-Vertiz.

Changes happening on the Square Parallel to NYUAD, the core program of the NYU New York’s College of Arts and Science has recently been given attention as well. Formerly known as the Morse Academic Plan, or MAP for short, it has now been renamed the core curriculum.

Similar to some NYUAD students, NYU New York senior Alison Everett had both positive and negative reactions to the cores.

“This program helped me, but I was more eager to take more [introductory] level courses to different fields because of my major and my interests, and the MAP requirements got a little excessive in fields that I did not necessarily [want] to study and explore,” stated Everett.

NYUAD cores commission Charles Grim, the NYUAD Vice Provost for Academic Administration, confirmed that there is a commission currently working on

COURTESY OF THEGAZELLE.ORG

Pieces of the core curriculum create a puzzle for students. potential changes to the core curriculum. Moreover, he agreed that the program has issues to be solved.

“I have heard that the number of courses in the core make it hard for students to fulfill their major requirements,” said Grim. “It’s not that the classes are too intense, rather it’s that the number of required cores is big.”

What is certain is that the cores will continue to be a part of the education NYUAD provides for its students during their university years.

“As for changes, some ideas were floated, but nothing definitive has been laid out yet,” explained Ramey. “The one thing that appears clear is that the core is here to stay.

It’s possible that we may reshuffle things a bit, but that’s just speculation at this point.”

For now, the core curriculum retains its familiar form and any changes remain to be seen.

Emina Osmandzikovic is a staff writer at The Gazelle.

Email her at editorial@thegazelle.org.

4

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM

FEATURES

EDITED BY BRYNA SHUMAN FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

Summer camp to shed light on STEM subjects at NYU this year

By BAILEY EVANS

Digital Media Academy will make its first appearance at NYU this summer.

The academy offers a series of science, technology, engineering and mathematic courses for people of all ages. “[Since] there’s so much growth in kids wanting to take tech classes, Digital Media Academy just expanded to a bunch of different universities across the United States,” said Marcus Duvoisin, assistant director of curriculum and instruction for the Digital Media Academy.

The camps offer instruction in a range of subjects including graphic design, game design, robotics and photography. The Digital Media Academy recruits university students with experience in STEM subjects as camp instructors.

“Mostly we’ll reach out to students to be a part of our instructional staff to be an instructor or TA, and our courses range from engineering to game programming,” Duvoisin said.

“We’re not limited to those fields, [but] usually the majority of who we hire is from those majors.”

SCPS junior Sam Tan, who worked as an instructor at the UCLA program this past summer, said working at the STEM camps allowed him to explore several career paths both inside and outside of the four fields.

“I learned a lot through the teaching process and loved every minute of it,” Tan said. “DMA is what solidified my career choice of wanting to becoming a teacher.”

The camps are held at 25 major universities including Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Duvoisin said camp locations are determined by several factors.

“They always have a list of criteria like average income of a family around the campus,” Duvoisin said. “They also look at growing trends in kids and teens having an interest in the subject and then the size of the campus. NYU is a major university, and we usually stick with major universities.”

Tan said camps expose young people to explore subjects not typically taught in schools.

“STEM camps allow kids to harness and ameliorate skills they already possess,” Tan said. “It may also awaken other interests and bring about skills they didn’t even know they had.”

In addition to the academic component of the camps, there are several social aspects that instructors will facilitate, Duvoisin explained.

“The kids we get at camp are introverted, very shy or are lacking social skills, and that’s something that we try to address,” he said. “We put them with like-minded kids, and we do character and social skill building activities.”

Tan added that academic and social aspects of the programs require a diverse set of skills from college students who wish to work as instructors.

“Those with passions to teach should apply to STEM camps this summer,” Tan said. “No matter how broad your skills may be with technology, programming, photography or filmmaking, there are always more things to learn. Also, in the meantime, you get to work with wonderful co-workers and get to change the lives of kids.”

Bailey Evans is a staff writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

How to stay stress-free during the new semester

By HANNAH TREASURE

After the long weeks of winter break spent catching up on sleep, visiting family and watching Netflix, the return to New York City for a full schedule of classes may feel overwhelming. Here are just a few ideas to make that transition as stress-free as possible.

Buy a planner. Not only are planners great for remembering assignment due dates, but they can also help you set aside time to spend with friends or by yoursef.

There’s no shame in penciling in a nap or deciding to finally see that movie you have been meaning to check out with your friends. Simple reminders are the best way to clear your head and to visually organize how you want to allocate your time this semester.

Explore the city. Whether it’s finding a new study spot, visiting an art gallery or taking a brisk walk through the snow, go outside and take in the vitamin D you can’t soak up in the lower levels of Bobst Library. Additionally, loving the place you live always makes waking up for the morning class you somehow talked yourself into signing up for a little easier. Remind yourself of the bigger picture and why you came to New York in the first place.

Find your anthem. Shamelessly belting out a song that says exactly what you need to say but cannot vocalize yourself is sometimes the

VIA FLICKR.COM

Planners can help reduce stress by organizing workload. best kind of meditation. You probably should not spam your Twitter feed with the entirety of the song in 140 characters segments, but having auditory motivation does not hurt. Or if you prefer actual, quiet meditation, your patience is admirable.

Know your resources. When the speed of your classes and other commitments in your life inevitably picks up, figure out who you can turn to for advice.

No matter if it is a friend, family member, professor or the NYU Wellness Exchange, there are people who want to listen and help manage your stress.

Make sure you take the time to build quality relationships with your professors and faculty members so you feel comfort-

able letting them know when you’re struggling before it’s too late in the semester. They also want you to be successful.

Make your room feel like home. It is much easier to sleep through the night in a place you feel relaxed and settled in. Hang up pictures or inspiring quotes, spray some tropical Febreze to pretend you have actually done laundry in the past couple weeks or stock up on your favorite flavor of tea. Make yourself feel welcome — you deserve to know there is a cozy place that is waiting for you at the end of the day.

Hannah Treasure is deputy features editor. Email her at htreasure@nyunews.com.

Strive for College reaches out to high school students

By BRYNA SHUMAN

A new chapter of Strive for College, a national organization that pairs low-income high school mentees with university students to guide them through the college application process, recently launched at NYU. The NYU chapter of Strive for College trains students to be mentors for high school juniors and seniors and pairs them with the mentees from one of four participating high schools in New York City.

Mentors help their mentees through every step of the college application process, such as identifying possible schools, filling out applications, writing personal essays, preparing for standardized tests and finding financial aid. The college students not only provide the high school participants with different resources, but also teach them how to effectively use those resources to aid their college search.

“We really want to focus on the relationship between the mentors and their mentees, and establishing a bond between the two,” said Brynn Sherman, CAS sophomore and director of curriculum for the NYU Strive for College chapter. “The mentors are the main resources for these kids, because they are not only giving their time but their experiences and knowledge as well.”

Mentors come from different social, economic and geographic backgrounds, which provides mentees with a wide range of college application experiences to draw from.

“What makes Strive for College so great is that not only have mentors gone through the college application process, but they have gone through the college application process fairly recently,” says Atish De, CAS sophomore and director of resources for the NYU Strive for College chapter. “We’re

knowledgeable about what needs to be done, and what obstacles have to be overcome.”

For many of the mentees in the program, college would not be a possibility without programs like Strive for College. Many high school students with a low-income background don’t think going to college is an attainable goal. Strive for College aims to change the way high school students view college.

“The interesting thing about many of these students is not that they don’t want to go to college, but that they actually believe they can’t go to college,” De says. “One of our biggest challenges is not helping them get into college, but proving to them that they have the potential to thrive and be successful in obtaining a higher level education.”

Mentors dedicate a lot of time to help ensure the success of their mentees. Besides their weekly meetings, mentors edit the mentee’s application and essay through

an online server and exchange phone numbers and email addresses so mentees can be in contact whenever they have a question.

However, mentees are not the only participants who benefit from the Strive for College partnership.

“I couldn’t believe it when, every week, my student would sincerely thank me at the end of our ses-

sion,” Sherman said. “For me this stuff was easy, because I had already been through it all. But they won’t get it any other way. When he thanked me, I realized what a difference this can really make in turning someone’s life around.”

Bryna Shuman is features editor.

Email her at bshuman@nyunews.

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

Students represent the organzation’s NYU chapter at Club Fest.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

5

ARTS

EDITED BY CLIO MCCONNELL ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Fallon, Meyers prepare to join late night TV history

By KATHY DIMAYA

Johnny Carson, known as the King of Late Night, set the precedent for “The Tonight Show’s” casual and easygoing tone. In his record 30-year stint on the air, he influenced much of today’s late night lineup, namely David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon.

NBC’s rich late-night history has led to Jimmy Fallon’s exciting takeover of “The Tonight Show” and Seth Meyers’ inheritance of “Late Night” later this month, but controversy continues over how these comedi-

ans are chosen.

“Tonight with Steve Allen,” a precursor to “The Tonight Show,” introduced the now common staples of late night television — the monologue, celebrity interviews, audience participation and comedy sketches. When Jack Paar took over the show in 1957, he changed the name to “The Tonight Show” and followed Allen’s format. After Paar, Carson’s transition into the show lacked the fanfare and fuss that marked the future takeovers of the show, but Carson certainly left big shoes to fill.

The network’s first late-night controversy occurred in 1992, on the question of Carson’s replacement. Many people favored Letterman, the host of NBC’s “Late Night,” to replace Carson, but the network tapped frequent “Tonight Show” guest-host Jay Leno instead.

In 2004, the 50th anniversary of “The Tonight Show’s” debut, NBC announced that Conan O’Brien, who had replaced Letterman on “Late Night,” would succeed Leno in hosting “The Tonight Show.” “The Tonight

Show with Conan O’Brien” premiered in June 2009 and lasted for a brief six-month stint before the network made plans to move O’Brien’s time slot half an hour later to accommodate “The Jay Leno Show.” Instead of allowing NBC to push back “The Tonight Show,” O’Brien moved to TBS, and Leno resumed his hosting duties.

With Jimmy Fallon taking over “The Tonight Show” and Seth Meyers taking over “Late Night,” there seems to be a pattern involving “SNL’s” Weekend Update

anchors transitioning into more serious roles on nighttime television. To some, this pattern poses an assumed succession problem.

Furthermore, it seems like Lorne Michaels has a monopoly on “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show” — all of which he produces. Michaels has a track record for discovering big comedic stars, but perhaps his picks are meant for even greater endeavors.

Kathy Dimaya is a contributing writer. Email her at entertainment@nyunews.com

Buzz builds for Sundance selections

By ZACK GRULLON

The 2014 Sundance Film Festival showcased new films expected to please audiences in the coming year. For the past 30 years, the festival has provided an oasis for new and niche filmmakers to premiere their films and has become one of the most important independent film festivals in the United States.

This year’s festival saw many directors returning with new films. Zach Braff reappeared at Sundance after a decade with “Wish I Was Here.” Critics say the film deals with similar themes as his previous film, “Garden State,” such as father issues, oddball friends and unfulfilled goals. After “The Guard” hit Sundance in 2011, writer-director John Michael McDonagh returned with a completely different starring vehicle for Brendan Gleeson in “Calvary,” wherein Gleeson plays a melancholy priest whose life is threatened during a confession. Writer-director Gregg Araki is a regular at Sundance, having premiered nine films there in his career, and this year he showcased yet another strange coming-of-age story — “White Bird in a Blizzard,” featuring Shailene Woodley and Eva Green.

Some of the feature films premiered at Sundance stemmed from shorts played at the festival in years prior. The festival’s opening film “Whiplash” started as a short from writerdirector Damien Chazelle. The story involves a young, aspiring drummer (Miles Teller) who receives Sgt. Hartman-esque training from a music instructor (J.K. Simmons) to prepare the boy for his school’s showcase competitive band. Chazelle’s film won this year’s U.S. Dramatic Competition and Audience Awards. Kat Candler’s “Hellion” also started as a short at Sundance in 2012.

The feature stars Aaron Paul as a broken father of two children

alongside Sundance breakout Josh Wiggins.

Many A-list actors at Sundance this year are starring in atypical fare. “Frank,” based on the real life enigmatic English comedian-turned-musician Chris Sievey, features Michael Fassbender wearing a papiermâché head for the majority of the film that showcases Fassbender’s finesse with body language and delivery in a musical dramedy. “Camp X-Ray” features Kristen Stewart as a guard at Guantanamo Bay who develops a relationship with one of the prisoners. While the film itself has received mixed reception, critics have been lauding Stewart’s performance.

“Saturday Night Live” comedians Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig took more serious roles in “The Skeleton Twins,” the story of twins who reconnect after faking their deaths to escape their boring lives. “The Voices,” a horror-comedy from Marjane Satrapi, stars Ryan Reynolds as a factory worker who seeks advice from his talking pets.

Nevertheless, of all these entries Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” has garnered the most prestige. Linklater has filmed scenes for a few weeks every year since 2002 in order to capture the real-life growth of a child to a young adult. Featuring Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and newcomer Ellar Coltrane, the film tells the story of a boy growing up as his parents’ relationship disintegrates. An innovative and remarkable feat in storytelling, critics expect “Boyhood” to make an impact in theaters.

So far, only festival attendees have seen the films, but distributors large and small have already picked up many of them. Moviegoers should look out for these titles in theaters throughout the year.

Zack Grullon is a contributingwriter. Email him at film@nyunews.com.

6

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM

INFORMING YOU FIRST

Washington Square News

Interested in working for us?

Come to our Sunday Pitch Meetings.

@nyunews

NEWS: 5:30 P.M. FEATURES: 6 P.M. ARTS: 6 P.M. MULTIMEDIA: 6 P.M. SPORTS: 6:30 P.M. OPINION: 7 P.M.

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550

THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU For Release Monday, February 3, 2014

Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS

41

1 Bird’s

“arm” 5 Pasta often baked with tomato sauce 9 Place to live 14 Birthright seller in the Bible 15 Mimicked 16 U.C.L.A. athlete 17 ___ of one’s existence 18 In some common women’s office attire 20 Embarrass 22 Lexicographer Webster 23 Good name for a garage mechanic?

24 What may lead to an emotional explosion 27 Command opposite to “gee” 28 Blood component 29 News, Post, Tribune, etc.

31 Basketball officials, informally 35 NW Indiana city 36 Half-quart container 40 Sit for a painting, say

42 44 50 51 55 57

58

59 62 63 64 65 66 67

68

L. Frank Baum princess “Like I care!”

Gentlemen: Abbr.

Unlock, in poetry Creamy French cheese Trac II successor ___ Bora (former Taliban stronghold) Dutch-speaking isle in the Caribbean Gridiron runback Lab container Pass, as a law “Green-eyed monster” Villa d’___ Seized vehicles Card game played without twos through sixes Protected, as horses’ hooves

DOWN Calendar, e.g., informally 2 Novelist Allende 3 Refrain syllables 4 Whom hosts host 5 Electrocute

U N U M

M E W L

O D I E

O F O L D

D I N A R

M B O F R I O N R I N S L I N A E D G P A G O J A V E U C E B S E B A T S P A R P E O R I E T T E A T S A C E S M H R S E Y S A N

2

I N G E S O R T A T I N Y

E S G S E R R P G A T U C R N T A K Y S P I M I L O L L L E Y T I M O N E

S U G A R C O A T E D

R I P S N O R T E R

T E A S E

A S S E T

U N P C

N O S E

D A D F A C E E N T S E L S E

3

4

5

14

6

7

No. 1230 8

9

15

17 21

24

29 31

12

13

48

49

23 26

28

37

11

19 22

25

36

10

16

18

20

32

33

27 30

34

38

35 39

40

41

42

43

50

51

55

56

59

44 52

53

45

46

47

54

57

58

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68 PUZZLE BY DAVID STEINBERG

6 Classic

26

7 Carpentry

30

8 Dog

collar add-on

32

Dhabi

33

toothpaste brand piece inserted into a mortise

1 Google

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE J O G S

1

9 ___

34

10

Verve

11

Highly unconventional

36

12

Related to food intake

37

Provides money for, as a scholarship

39

13

38 40

Generic collie name

42

21

Beehive sound

43

25

Role

45

19

Pasta sauce brand Score between a birdie and a bogey Comedian Philips Hat with a tassel “Uncle ___ wants you” Afternoon office pick-me-up Ending like -like ___ tide Identical Candidate for the Top 40 Daytime drama, informally Schlep Actress Mendes

46

Starts of tennis rallies

47

Step on, as a bug

48

Fluctuation of musical tempo

49

Like an envelope that’s ready to be mailed

52

Memoranda

53

Front of an elephant or back of a car

54

Caterpillar stage, for example

56

Classic record label

60

N.F.L. linemen: Abbr.

61

W.S.J. rival

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/ crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

@nyunews

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY PETER KEFFER OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

HEALTH

India leads by example with vaccinations

By HARRY BROWN

Last month, India celebrated a milestone for the nation. For the past three years, India has not had a single case of polio, making the country officially polio-free. This is a landmark achievement for both the Indian government and the volunteers who have promoted the benefits of vaccinations and dispelled scaremongering. The same cannot be said for preventable diseases in both the West and Africa. In recent years, preventable disease outbreaks increased greatly due to a fear of vaccinations and inept responses from national governments. The Council on Foreign Relations has released a report and interactive map demonstrating the rise in preventable diseases. It’s time to follow India’s lead and reassert that these diseases are preventable in practice, not just in theory.

When 191 member states signed the Millennium Development Goals, the objectives did not seem insurmountable, with 15 years to achieve them. Now, with the deadline soon approaching, it appears far more unlikely that any politician or leader will be able to claim

that the MDGs have been a complete triumph. There have been notable successes with the decline of HIV/AIDS cases, and the number of people with HIV receiving treatment has increased tenfold since 2002. However, for other diseases, the same cannot be said.

Nongovernmental organizations and volunteers are still reeling from the effects of spurious articles from the discredited British physician Andrew Wakefield who, in 1998, published a paper in The Lancet, a British medical journal, which falsely linked the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine with the appearance of autism in children. It was later discovered that Wakefield had entirely fabricated his research and no such link had ever existed. But this still has not stopped fear mongers,

including high-profile actress Jenny McCarthy, from trumpeting Wakefield’s fictitious research.

For each new person promoting falsehoods about vaccines, the MDGs become that much harder to accomplish. India, a country known for its political dysfunction, has achieved extraordinary success by setting clear policy goals with adequate levels of funding and clear lines of responsibility. Last year, in the span of just five days, 172 million children received the polio vaccine. Political leaders and NGOs alike should take note of India’s success and pave their own way to eradicate preventable diseases, engaging directly with the vaccine skeptics.

As Deepak Kapur, chairman of India National PolioPlus Committee, stated to The New York Times, “The success of India, the fact that India can do it against all odds and expectations, is a phenomenal achievement. Now, the lessons from India can be transferred. And it proves that it can be done elsewhere.”

Harry Brown is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

WAR ON WOMEN

Republicans sexist toward Wendy Davis

By CHRISTINA COLEBURN

After leading a high-profile filibuster, skyrocketing to Democratic stardom and raising over $12 million, State Senator Wendy Davis and her gubernatorial campaign now face a major challenge — recovering from discrepancies in her biography. Since The Dallas Morning News released a damaging exposé about her early life, Davis has been subjected to intense criticism from conservatives and some has taken a disgustingly sexist turn. RedState editor Erick Erickson, who often refers to Davis as “Abortion Barbie,” tweeted that she “had a Sugar Daddy Ken” and “is so cute when she is lying.” Tea Party activist Todd Kincannon, who has since deleted his Twitter account, called Davis a “hooker,” a “whore” and suggested that she “[paid] off [her] loans in exchange for sex.” Others accused Davis of being a negligent mother.

While sexist attacks seemingly come with the territory of being a female politician, regardless of liberal or conservative leanings, the transgressions against Davis are particularly disconcerting. Within these prominent pundits’ misogynistic insults is the trou-

SUBMITTING TO

7

bling irony that the Republican Party is still reeling from the aftermath of the war on women rhetoric, a narrative that the GOP is desperately trying to recover from. Despite Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus’ insistence that the war on women is fictitious and Senator Rand Paul’s contention that the Democrats have actually waged the battle, few can argue against the polling figures.

In the 2012 presidential election, President Barack Obama swept 55 percent of the female vote, whereas Gov. Mitt Romney only carried 43 percent.

As the GOP works to combat the war on women narrative, conservatives must remember that maintaining respectful rhetoric is critical to successfully shedding the anti-woman image. Abortion, birth control and family structure are all polarizing subjects that are certain to generate strong

opinions, as they should. Still, there is a stark difference between being passionate and being spiteful — an important distinction when female outreach is needed to stay electorally competitive. While selecting Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers to deliver the State of the Union response may be an indication of progress, her promotion will mean little if the GOP does not address the crux of the matter — the tone of its message.

Ultimately, Republicans must acknowledge that they are their greatest liability, not the Democrats. Had Erickson and Kincannon criticized Davis’ policy instead of sexually degrading her, the backlash would have likely remained on Davis’ controversy rather than shifting toward them. Regardless of whether a voter is pro-choice or pro-life, few can deny that dubbing a woman “Abortion Barbie” is alienating and derogatory. As long as its representatives continue to choose sexist language over respectful discourse, the GOP will continue to be held hostage by the fight for gender equality.

Christina Coleburn is a deputy opinion editor. Email her at ccoleburn@nyunews.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Prostitution arrests wrongly target victims

As discussions of Super Bowl XLVIII began, talk of sex trafficking at major sporting events resurfaced, as it undoubtedly will do again before the Olympics and World Cup. While recent reports have failed to find any correlation between the Super Bowl and instances of sex trafficking in the host city, the dialogue the game ignites reminds us that the United States’ handling of sex trafficking, particularly as it pertains to prostitution, needs legal and societal reform.

The surge in prostitution arrests in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl is not demonstrative of any successes on the part of New York or New Jersey police department efforts.

New York has passed multiple laws over the years supporting the notion that prostitutes should be treated as victims rather than criminals, including the implementation of a statewide court system tailored to the needs of victims. Yet the state has taken a disturbing number of steps back in policy. Bowing to growing pressure from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Cindy McCain and the unrelenting media attention, police forces have arrested over 30 percent more women so far this year than normal. The arrests made are a superficial solution to a problem that, based on reports by various nongovernmental organizations such as The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, does not quite exist.

Rather than continuing to implement policies that perpetuate a vicious cycle, law enforcement officials should redirect their focus toward rehabilitating the victims of prostitution.

The Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars, a nonpartisan research group, recommends that lawmakers fund efforts to investigate juvenile prostitution rings and provide training for authorities to better communicate with underage sex workers. The institute has also advised officers to increase penalties for the clientele, as well as enact legislation that would more firmly criminalize promoters of the practice. While punishment is suited for the largely illegal offense, it is misguided to charge the subject of the abuse instead of the practitioner.

Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of the New York Court of Appeals welcomed the introduction of specialized courts, saying that there is a need “to recognize that the vast majority of children and adults charged with prostitution offenses are commercially exploited or at risk of exploitation.” The specialized courts are a necessary first step, yet there remains much to be achieved. Regardless of how a particular court is structured, a victim of sex trafficking should not be made the defendant in our criminal justice system. More efforts should be spent bringing the perpetrators — not the victims — to our courts.

Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

EDITORIAL BOARD: Peter Keffer (Chair), Christina Coleburn (Co-chair), Omar Etman (Co-chair), Nina Golshan (Co-chair)

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor 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.

8

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

SPORTS

EDITED BY FRANCISCO NAVAS SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Case Western tops men’s basketball in UAA meeting

by FERENC PUSKAS

The NYU men’s basketball team traveled to Pennsylvania and Ohio this past weekend, competing against their rivals in two UAA Conference match ups.

After starting their road trip off strong by defeating Carnegie Mellon University 76-65, the men lost 73-80 to Case Western Reserve University.

The Violets stormed out of the gate and completely controlled

the first half against Case Western with fluid passing and smart shots. Besides shooting 46.7 percent from the floor in the first half, the Violets shot 62.5 percent from behind the arc. This skillful offensive play, as well as a stout defense, allowed the Violets to lead 41-32 at halftime.

LS freshman Romas Marcinkevicius said the team put forward a strong game during the first two quarters.

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Sophomore Max Ralby dribbles the ball up the court.

“We were able to play our game and execute our plan,” Marcinkevicius said.

Although the Violets dominated the first half, they fell short in the second half.

Case Western began building momentum throughout the half, which culminated in their team tying the game with seven minutes remaining.

Although the Violets put up a fight, Case Western took over the game. The Spartans’ starting unit outplayed the Violets and eventually won the game by going on a 18-6 run in the fourth quarter.

Marcinkevicius said the team’s second-half performance failed to live up to its strong first half.

“It was a tough game and we just kept trading buckets,” he said. “In the end, we just ended up on the shorter side of it.”

Although NYU did not win, the Violets took several positives away from the game, including their work under the basket. The Violets controlled the paint on both ends of the court outscoring Case Western 34-14, and hauling in eight more offensive rebounds than Case Western.

Additionally, NYU’s bench outperformed Case Western’s bench. Led by CAS junior Iyoha Agho, the Violet’s bench scored 13 points, while the Spartans’ bench scored none. Their perfor-

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Senior Ryan Tana challenges defenders at Carnegie Mellon game. mance demonstrates the depth of NYU’s team, which will help the Violets moving forward.

The team will face Carnegie Mellon again Wednesday, Feb. 7

at Coles Sports Center.

Ferenc Puskas is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

NYU wrestling takes down Gettysburg, Muhlenberg

By SEAN BILLINGS

NYU wrestling came out on top at a dual meet against Gettysburg College and Muhlenberg College, two Centennial Conference opponents, on Feb. 1.

Coach Bruce Haberli spoke to the team before the matches on Saturday, encouraging them not to take the two teams lightly.

“We very much need to leave here with two victories today,” he said, addressing the team.

The Violets first faced off against Muhlenberg who fielded only a three-man lineup. In those three bouts, the Violets came up victorious. However, Stern freshman Wayne Yuan lost, despite fighting valiantly against Division III National Ranking Honorable Mention opponent Jaryd Flank.

NYU won the 149 lb. and 157 lb. weight classes with impressive performances from CAS juniors DJ Albonico and captain Matt DiGiovanni. The Violets collected forfeits at the remaining seven weight classes to win the dual meet with a team score of 52-4.

The Violets then refocused to take on the host, Gettysburg College. Yuan rebounded by pinning his opponent in the second period of his match and helped

give NYU a 6-0 lead in the duel.

NYU collected a forfeit at the 133 lb. weight class and went on to win six of the next eight matches to clinch the dual meet with a team score of 36-9. NYU recorded two more pin falls at the 197 lb. and heavyweight classes after impressive performances from CAS senior captain Dan Brereton and LS sophomore John Klein.

After the two victories, NYU improved their overall season record to 6-8 and their Centennial Conference record to 3-3.

DiGiovanni said that these wins are crucial in keeping the team’s spirit high before moving into the individual portion of the season.

“This season, we have been struggling with a lot of injuries and it has hurt our dual record.

Going into Gettysburg, we were missing three of our starters but still felt strong in our ability to win,” DiGiovanni said.

“As a team, we wrestled strong and won in a dominant fashion only losing two bouts [all day].

I feel these were good wins for our team, helping us build confidence before an important upcoming weekend of duals versus Ursinus College and McDaniel College.”

Yuan said capturing another win helped him move past a rough patch.

“I didn’t wrestle so well my first match, but it felt good to pin in my second match and to get another

win under my belt since I haven’t won in a while,” Yuan said.

The Violets are improving from top to bottom and looking strong moving towards the postseason.

The men return to the mat at

home to take on Yeshiva University in a Centennial Conference match up this Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Sean Billings is a contributing writer.

Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Junior DJ Albonico sizes up his Muhlenberg opponent at a match in Gettysburg, Pa., on Feb. 1.