NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 3
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013
nyunews.com
CHRIS KLEMENS/WSN
Ravens, 49ers vie for supremacy in Super Bowl XLVII Students gathered in dorm rooms, study lounges and around computer monitors on Sunday to watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers in the 47th Super Bowl. Despite a delay due to a power outage in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the battle on the New Orleans gridiron commanded the attention of students until late in the evening.
STORY ON PAGE 8
Reorganization of university bus routes facilitates student travel By NEELA QADIR
The spring semester brought many changes to NYU, including modifcations to the NYU bus routes. Route E and a new line Route F be-
RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN
The easily identifiable NYU buses will soon populate a different route.
gan operation on Jan. 27. According to Fred S. Barlow, assistant director of Public Safety and Transportation, the bus routes had to be altered because the city is permanently closing 25th Street between Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue to create Baruch College’s public plaza. In addition, Asser Levy Place is scheduled to close in the upcoming months. “[NYU] has therefore changed the way that it provides scheduled university transportation route service to bus stop locations north of 14th street,” Barlow said. Route E has been changed because of road closures and now provides service seven days a week. The route travels in a counterclockwise loop, first stopping on 14th Street at Third Avenue before continuing along
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Professors remember life of Edward Koch By VERONICA CARCHEDI
Former New York City mayor Edward Koch died last Friday from congestive heart failure at the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital. He was 88. The former mayor, known for his boisterous personality, had been in and out of hospitals for the past week. Koch attended the NYU School of Law beginning in 1946. According to Jonathan Soffer, an associate professor of history at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU and author of the book “Ed Koch and the Rebuilding of New York City,” it was at NYU that Koch became connected to Greenwich Village. He started his political career in the Village as a city councilman and was part of a community movement to defend Washington
Square Park against redevelopment. Koch ran for mayor in 1977 and served for three terms until 1989. Despite health problems since that time, he remained an active member of public life. Mitchell Moss, the Henry Hart Rice professor of Urban Planning and Policy at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, remembers being in New York during Koch’s first mayoral race. “I think Koch had a larger than life personality,” Moss said. “He understood New Yorkers and understood that New Yorkers enjoyed having a mayor with personality. I think another part is that, since he left public life, he has touched New Yorkers by being a food critic, a movie critic, a political participant. What made
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE: CSA returns to the Greenhouse after a two year long hiatus, bringing fresh, local foods much closer to home thanks to NYU students’ efforts. CSA on PG. 3
WSN EDITORIAL BOARD: Nominee Chuck Hagel’s confirmation process was not only arduous and severe, but unnecessarily so. In an effort to screen the candidate, the committee placed him through a set of questions unrelated to the actual responsibilities of the next Secretary of Defense.
LANGONE PROFESSOR RECEIVES NATIONAL ACCOLADE: Microbiology professor Jan Vilcek received the national Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama at a White House reception last Friday. VILCEK on PG. 4
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
ON THE SIDE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FLUENT NEWS READER: The Fluent News app collects articles from a variety of outlets including BBC, ESPN, People Magazine, The Economist and more. You can even control how much you want to see from each source in the app’s settings. Fluent News also allows you to create your own sections in addition to the sections already available. By searching for a keyword and saving it, any articles related to that word will appear in your new custom feed. (Free, iPhone)
FLIPBOARD: Flipboard can be a newspaper, fashion magazine, music blog and video feed, all in one application. You’re able to compile your current favorite news sources and add Flipboard’s own compilations of various topics. It even allows you to sync your social media accounts and incorporate them all in its sleek, gridlike display. As the name suggests, users flip through each source and can expand the articles they find interesting. (Free, iPhone/Android)
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NEWS360: Similar to Summly, News360 allows you to easily scroll through stories and click on the headlines to view the entire story. What makes News360 special is that it will display several different outlets that covered the same story. When you click to read a story, the top will display tabs with the different news outlets that wrote about the same topic, and you can easily click between the different sources. News360 also lets you customize your favorite article categories and news outlets. (Free, iPhone/Android)
WSN STAFF
IN AND OF
THE CITY
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Editor-in-Chief JONATHON DORNBUSH Managing Editor
AMY ZHANG Web Managing Editor
HANQING CHEN
It’s a big city and a widespread university. Catch up with our daily updates on university and city/state news headlines other publications are covering.
Deputy Managing Editor
JORDAN MELENDREZ Assistant Managing Editor
NICOLA PRING Creative Director
KALEEL MUNROE SENIOR STAFF
SURFING THE SUBWAY FOR AN OPEN STATION Overcrowding and congestion may force the Metropolitan Transit Authority to shut down certain subway stations during peak hours for safety reasons. The MTA will need funds to redesign stairwells and passageways to alleviate the overcrowding issue. — Gothamist
POCKET: Do you ever glance at an interesting article but forget about it because you don’t have enough time to read it on the spot? Formerly called Read It Later, Pocket is an app that allows you to save articles, tweets, videos and images for further digestion later or for sharing with friends. You can view this content on your device at any time, even without an Internet connection. (Free, iPhone/Android)
SUMMLY: Summly says it all in its name. It allows users to flip through stories with the first screen showing the title, news source and beat. If the title catches your eye, you can click to reveal a summary of the article and if you’re still interested, you can click again to read the full story. With customizable sections, Summly allows you to quickly and easily get the day’s headlines or read about the story in more detail. It also allows you to share the articles on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. (Free, iPhone/Android)
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TEEN PREGNANCY RATE DROPS 27 PERCENT IN NEW YORK CITY In the last decade, the teen pregnancy rate has dropped 27 percent, even though the city’s rate is still higher than the national one. This decrease might be attributed to wider use of birth control and acknowledgment of the risks of sexual diseases. — New York Daily News
university TATIANA BAEZ city/state VERONICA CARCHEDI investigative NICOLE BROWN arts JOSH JOHNSON features KRISTINA BOGOS sports MARY JANE DUMANKAYA multimedia RACHEL KAPLAN copy MICHAEL DOMANICO,
WICY WANG foreign correspondent JULIE DEVITO senior editors GENTRY BROWN, DAN
HINTON, CHARLES MAHONEY, CLIO MCCONNELL, STEFAN MELNYK, LAVYA YALAMANCHI
DEPUTY STAFF
university KEVIN BURNS, NEELA QADIR city/state EMILY BELL, ANDREW
KARPAN books/theater OLIVIA GEORGE film JEREMY GROSSMAN entertainment ALEX GREENBERGER music ALEXANDRIA ETHRIDGE the highlighter blog SAM RULLO features HELEN HOLMES beauty & style MICHELLE LIM dining ANGEL CHANG sports FRANCISCO NAVAS multimedia REBECCA CLEMENTI,
JOON LEE
OPINION PAGE opinion editor
SAMEER JAYWANT deputy opinion editors
EDWARD RADZIVILOVSKIY, RAQUEL WOODRUFF
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FINDING LOVE ON THE GO OkCupid released a dating app called Crazy Blind Date to facilitate online dating. — The New York Times
REBECCA RIBEIRO CIRCULATION MANAGER
CHLOE COFFMAN
UNIVERSITY SALES COORDINATOR
KAITLYN O’BRIEN SALES REPRESENTATIVE
ELLEN MCQUEEN SALES ASSOCIATES
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NYU HOSTS AFRICAN HERITAGE MONTH DINNER Roscoe Brown, a former World War II Tuskagee airman, will be speaking at the ceremonial dinner. The event is located at 60 Washington Square South and will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is free. Seats can be reserved by emailing community.affairs@nyu.edu. – DNAinfo
ARIANA DIVALENTINO, CHRIS ELWOOD, ALISON LIZZIO, SAM WANDER CIRCULATION ASSISTANT
OMID GOLMOHAMMADI GRAPHIC DESIGNER
KALEEL MUNROE
ADVISING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
NANCI HEALY
FROM THE EASEL TO THE EPIDERMIS Linda Mason uses skin as her canvas at her SoHo shop, which acts as both an art gallery and a part-time makeup school. – The New York Times
KEITH LEIGHTY EDITORS-AT-LARGE
MAXIMILÍANO DURÓN, JAEWON KANG, FRANCIS POON, MERYLL PREPOSI, AMANDA RANDONE, EMILY YANG 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.
The sun rises on the French capital as morning traffic pours into the streets.
PHOTO BY JONATHAN TAN
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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 Amy Zhang at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.
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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
KOCH continued from PG. 1
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Road closures lead to new and improved bus routes
Professors reflect on former Mayor Koch’s administration Koch special is that there was no area of public life where he wasn’t a presence.” CAS politics professor Lawrence Mead said Koch is responsible for the resurgence of New York City, and that his legacy affected the policies of the mayors who followed him. “We can see Koch as a sort of forerunner of the policies in the ’80s and ’90s and later which led to the city’s current recovery,” Mead said. “The city is much healthier today than when Koch took office. The main reason is it has addressed the problems of social order and the budget, and those steps go back to Koch.” Not all professors viewed Koch
so fondly. NYU associate professor Vincent Passaro said Koch ignored the AIDS epidemic in the ’80s, disillusioned many black voters because of his dependence on the white working-class base, and turned the city over to big real estate interests. “When he became mayor in 1977, middle class people could live in Manhattan. But by the time he left in 1989, they could not.” Koch’s funeral is scheduled for today at Temple Emmanu-El in Manhattan. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former President Bill Clinton are expected to speak. Veronica Carchedi is city/state editor. Email her at vcarchedi@nyunews.com.
First Avenue, stopping at 17th Street, 23rd Street, 25th Street and the NYU Langone Medical Center. It then travels along Third Avenue, making stops at Gramercy Green residence hall, 17th Street and 14th Street. Route F provides service Monday through Thursday and stops along Third Avenue at 14th Street, 17th Street, Gramercy Green and 30th Street. Route F buses return along Third Avenue, stopping at Gramercy Green, 17th Street and 14th Street. According to Barlow, Route F operates Monday through Thursday because that is when a majority of classes are in session and most students are taking the buses. These changes aim to provide an alternative way of traveling around the road closures
Social media becomes essential part of social, academic lives By ANDREW KARPAN Social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook are already ubiquitous in our social lives, and according to a study from the Educational Forum, it can be an inseparable part of our academic lives as well. A new study from The Educational Forum, a University of Illinois-based organization of educators, recently reported on the use of social networking sites in colleges and universities around the country. Focusing on the use of Twitter, the study found that of the more than 200 million active users a third of all young adults between 18 and 29 were included. “Young people’s varied use of Twitter in learning settings was found to support a number of positive educational outcomes, including increased student engagement, active learning, improved relationship between students and instructors, and higher grades,” the report outlined. Among professors, however, views toward social networking are mixed. NYU Sociology of Education professor Floyd Hammack
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admitted that he has not yet considered using social media sites in class, preferring instead to use older forms of online communication such as email and online course management systems. “I use Blackboard ... extensively, creating groups students use to communicate on projects and I email to class members often with news articles or other material relevant to the class.” The director of the journalism program at the City College of New York, Professor Linda Villarosa, was more adamant about using social media in the classroom. “Social networking is an excellent tool for students,” she said “I encourage students to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to find story ideas and sources...insist[ing] that they create about.me and linkedin profiles to show their work, network, and make connections that will be helpful for finding internships and after graduation.” Villarosa recognizes social networking’s ability to distract students. “Facebook, especially, is a huge time suck. But I try not to fight against it because it’s also an excellent source of news and information.” Peter J. McAliney, a doctoral candidate in Steinhardt’s higher education program, did research on social networking for his dissertation. “Findings recognized that instructors who use social media technology to share timely, discipline-related news via Blackboard announcements, Tweeting, or posting on class Facebook pages ... can increase student engagement,” McAliney said.
Steinhardt professor of higher education Teboho Moja concurred with that conclusion. “Operating in a global world and with so much mobility across borders, social media has become part of our teaching strategies in higher education.” “I take into consideration the fact that students use social media for a whole range of stuff and therefore take advantage of that to link with them, connect them and continue to relate to them beyond the class through social media,” she said. “Its informal structure ... lets even the reserved students open up and participate.” Madeleine Overturf, a junior in Tisch, supports the use of social networking in classrooms to connect classmates. “Having a Facebook group for a class [would] allow for everyone in the class to communicate with each other openly,” she said. “In the future, I see social networking as a supplement to college education. I don’t think it can ever replace an actual class, but it allows for continued learning and connections with your classmates long after the semester ends.” GLS sophomore Ivy McCall disagrees. “I feel like classrooms are a place where students can get away from the calling of social networking websites,” she said, “Besides, not everyone even has a Facebook or a Twitter. I don’t think classes should try to force or even push students to use social networking sites that they might have already decided not to use.” Andrew Karpan is a deputy city/state editor. Email him at akarpan@nyunews.com.
without having overfilled buses. According to Olivia Baackes, president of the Inter-Residence Hall Council, there has been positive feedback from students about the bus routes. “While I haven’t personally ridden the F route yet, I received really positive feedback about it thus far from students on IRHC who use the NYU buses daily to get from their residence hall to school,” Baackes said. The transportation department collaborated with representatives of the Office of Housing and Residential Life, the Gramercy Green staff, the Gramercy Green Residence Hall Council, the College of Dentistry, the School of Medicine and the Office of Government and Community Affairs
for input and feedback before any of the bus route service changes were finalized. “We always appreciate the opportunity to provide input to changes in student services and are happy to hear that this has been a successful change thus far,” Baackes said. Steinhardt sophomore Maria Jung also found the change beneficial. “The bus route can be really helpful, especially when students live that far away from campus,” Jung said. “It saves time getting to and from class and makes travel easier for students in bad weather.” Neela Qadir is a deputy university editor. Email her at nqadir@nyunews.com.
NYU CSA shares fresh produce with students By TATIANA BAEZ Fresh, local food is now coming to NYU students in the form of a community-supported agriculture program. After a two-year long hiatus, the CSAatNYU is back and is currently operating out of the Green House at Seventh Street residence hall. A Community Supported Agriculture is an organization where members purchase a share of food from a local farm for an entire season. The size of shares and items they include can vary. The original CSAatNYU had its home in the Kimmel Center for University Life but then moved to St. Mark’s Church and became the Washington Square CSA. NYU students decided to bring CSA back this year under the direction of volunteer coordinators, including CAS senior Jason Lindy. To do so, they reached out to the WSCSA. According to Margaret Weinberg, Gallatin freshman and the group’s social media outreach coordinator, CSAatNYU has 18 shares in total. One belongs to the Green House, another belongs to the Student Food Cooperative at NYU, and the other 16 are divided between 30 different people. “This project has been very successful, and we are incredibly pleased,” Weinberg said. “There was a moment where we were worried we wouldn’t get enough shares, but we did and were able to pull it off. Not only do we have enough shares, but there are a lot of people benefiting from the program because most students decided to split shares.” CSAatNYU collects its food from Norwich Meadows Farm, a farm in upstate New York. The group sources from the same place as the WSCSA, which still maintains its primary location in St. Mark’s Church. The group’s distribution model also
mimics that of the WSCSA. Adrienne Haeberle, a coordinator for the WSCSA, believes having a CSA within NYU is beneficial for students. “Nourishment is grounding, and with the hyper-frenetic pace of a university lifestyle, the experience of selecting your vegetables, thinking of what you’re going to prepare, cooking a meal and enjoying a meal is a terrific way to keep yourself sane and in touch with what really matters in life,” Haeberle said. “Good food, good people and environmental stewardship.” Although there is some continuity in what food each share holds, most shares, which are distributed once a month, offer different food each time. Rita Chapot, an NYU-Poly sophomore, bought a share from CSAatNYU and said she enjoys experimenting with the food she receives. “[The CSA] has really pushed me to diversify my cooking because I have all these veggies I’ve never even heard of before,” Chapot said. “The best surprise so far has been finding the Jerusalem Artichoke.” The group aims to expand to other non-dining residence halls within the next few semesters. They hope to incorporate CSA into the Lafayette Street, Greenwich Hotel, Broome Street and Gramercy Green residence halls, among others. They also welcome the involvement of more NYU students. “CSAs are a good thing,” Lindy said. “It maximizes the profit that goes directly to small farmers. It is cheap for kids with not a lot of disposable income. It’s healthy, seasonal and organic. Ultimately we’d like CSAs to become just an integrated part of how students get their food in residence halls.” Tatiana Baez is university editor. Email her at tbaez@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
FEATURES Microbiology professor earns national honor By HANQING CHEN Jan Vilcek, an NYU professor of microbiology, launched his medical research career on a hunch and spent his career researching the power of the human body’s natural arsenal of antibodies. Once a Czechoslovakian medical student who defected to the United States during the tumultuous post-World War II era, Vilcek brought his research to NYU in 1965. He pioneered work on an elusive, natural antibody called the interferon. The study eventually allowed him to lead a team of researchers to develop Remicade, a drug that eases the symptoms of certain autoimmune diseases. His work most recently gained recognition on the national stage last Friday, as President Obama awarded Vilcek the National Medal of Technology and Innovation at a reception at the White House. The award is one of the highest honors the U.S. government can grant American scientists. Vilcek was one of 12 recipients this year. Vilcek’s medication is commonly used to treat symptoms of Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis and is used by over two million patients nationwide. Vilcek’s career took off after he stumbled upon a lecture by
medical researcher Alec Isaacs. Isaacs was promoting an idea that seemed far-fetched to many researchers at the time — the idea that the interferon could have a very significant effect on people’s health. “[The interferon] was very poorly defined,” Vilcek said,
The award is one of the highest honors the U.S. government can grant American scientists recalling the academic atmosphere when he was a university student in Czechoslovakia. “All the tests for it were indirect, so there were very few people interested in working on it ... Some people even doubted it existed.” However, Vilcek believed in the existence of this natural an-
VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG
Vilcek’s research aided in the creation of life-saving drugs.
tibody despite widespread academic skepticism in the medical field at the time. He kept the idea in the back of his mind as he continued his research. Incorporating interferons as a key part of the body’s defense mechanism returned to him when he experimented on ways to identify the presence of the tick-borne encephalitis virus. “It suddenly occurred to me that maybe [the] interferon played a role in this particular type of experiment that I was doing,” he said. The discovery of its significance eventually sparked Vilcek and other researchers to look into the larger family of antibodies called cytokines, the overproduction of which causes certain types of arthritis. As the puzzle pieces of how cytokines worked in the body came together, researchers began to develop the drug. Vilcek and his research partner, Junming Le, joined forces with a biomedical research company called Centercor to develop Remicade, the Crohn’s disease drug treatment. Claudio Basilico, a colleague and friend of Vilcek’s for over 40 years, spoke of his complete confidence in Vilcek’s research early on. “He was one of the researchers I definitely wanted to keep when the microbiology department shrank,” Basilico said. “He is a very intelligent and persevering man.” In fact, Vilcek faced several setbacks during initial clinical trials as they failed to produce viable results. “Thankfully we had the support of researchers in London,” Vilcek said. The process of developing the drug took over a decade, and it was finally released to the market in 1998. Recently, Vilcek and his wife established the Vilcek Foundation to help recognize foreignborn scientists’ and artists’ contributions to the U.S. “Dedicated to advancing science and medical education, Dr. Vilcek has used his success to inspire the next generation of physician scientists at NYU Langone to be vital member[s] of the medical center’s community,” said Robert I. Grossman, dean and CEO at NYU Langone. Hanqing Chen is web managing editor. Email her at hchen@nyunews.com.
NYU alumna creates dig By ALENA HALL
It was 2009 when New York-based personal trainer Kenneth Yim remembered refusing to remove his shirt because he was embarrassed by his overweight, unshapely physique. Yim’s friend, Dana Zilber, a 2004 graduate of the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, felt motivated to help her friend achieve a healthier lifestyle. Over the next six months, Zilber advised Yim as he transformed his body by tracking meals and recording workouts. But she soon noticed that one of the keys of Yim’s success was sharing his journey with friends on Facebook. Since then, Zilber and Yim have wanted to help people worldwide achieve similar health and fitness success. They spent the next three years brainstorming ways to help people get fit with the support of a community working towards the same goal. The product of their efforts was fitID. Launched at the beginning of January, the smartphone app is a free fitness application that allows users to track their weight-loss progress, discover fitness resources and share their fitness goals with Facebook friends and the fitID community. “If you look at the fitness culture today, we are all iPod warriors,” Zilber said. “We put on our headphones, we hop on a treadmill and we don’t want anyone to talk to us. We [have] developed this disconnected fitness culture, and it doesn’t have to be this way.” FitID is available online and on iOS and Android devices. The application uses a news feed feature, similar to Facebook’s news feed. When fitID users upload photographs and descriptions of their diet and exercise choices, the updates instantly appear on the fitness feed. Other users can like, comment on and learn from the information provided in the posts. The app also
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offers users the option t book and Twitter. “FitID fosters a sense o members because it’s all ests, gyms, training prog products,” Yim said. Unlike other fitness ap a gadget or focus on a s fitID allows marathon and yogis alike to store t progress regardless of th Roberto Martinez, 35, que, N.M., has lost 17 pou weeks of using the app. M gled throughout his life and fit lifestyle, said join has renewed his motivat “The knowledge they’v they’ve given, and witne their own goals has bee said. “Today, for the firs can be as fit as I want to ue to work hard, docum and progress...I will achi GSAS first-year studen ID would provide him a ways to perfect fitness a “It [would be] an easy hit different muscle gro and how to eat the right your progress,” Lehrer sa By using fitID, studen countable in a social com gaging, interactive and f “If you focus on thre meals, workouts and pro socially accountable way to achieve results,” Zilbe
Alena Hall is a contributing w Email her at features@nyun
Creative courses b the class
By
COURTESY OF HOUSE OF YES
1. FLY HIGH WITH AERIAL SILKS Impressive aerial acts aren’t just for the circus. An instructor at an Aerial Silks Technique class with Skybox at the House of Yes will teach you how to twist in the air with pieces of silk and swing in hoops suspended in the air. Learn the fundamentals of aerial silks while receiving individual attention in a beginner class with less than six students. House of Yes, $30
2. ATTEND FASHION BOOT CAMP Fashion fever has gripped New York as the city prepares for New York Fashion Week, the most anticipated annual event in the fashion industry. Get into the fashionista spirit by taking the Introduction to Fashion course at the Fashion Portfolio Academy. This fourpart course will introduce you to different fashion trends, the basics of design construction, figure and technical sketching and the skills necessary for designing an inspiration board. Come next September, you just might end up inside the tents at Lincoln Center. Living Social Deals, $49 to $179
Bryna Shuman is a staff writer. Em
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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EDITED BY KRISTINA BOGOS FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
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Professors rock out in concert to provide financial aid By HELEN HOLMES
When Richard Allen, professor of Cinema Studies at the Tisch School of the Arts, was creating a name for his band, he had a wealth of inspiration to choose from, including his favorite ’80s musicians the Kinks and Ray Davies, the Beatles, as well as countless classic films. Allen decided the name of his band should reflect his career as a film professor. He chose “Thaumatrope,” after a Victorian era toy that doubles as a viewfinder. “I liked the cinematic connection, and the idea of me becoming a rock musician was a bit of a magic trick too,” said the professor-turned-rock-star. If one professor playing a guitar is a magic trick, “Group Therapy: Scientists, Shrinks, Films Scholars and Rock & Roll,” a three hour concert at (le) poisson rouge this Friday night will be nothing short of fantastical. The show will feature the frenetic musical stylings of three different bands comprised of NYU faculty members: Thaumatrop, SIG!!! and The Amygdaloids. All proceeds from
pplications that rely on specific style of training, runners, weight lifters heir data and track their he activity. a resident of Albuquerunds within the first five Martinez, who has strugto find a healthy weight ning the fitID community tion and self-confidence. ve shared, moral support essing progress towards en invaluable,” Martinez st time in a long while, I o be. As long as I continent my meals, workouts ieve my goals.” nt Adam Lehrer said fitand other students with and health routines. to way to learn how to oups, how to condition things that will improve aid. nts hold themselves acmmunity that is fun, enfree. e things, tracking your ogress, and you do it in a y like fitID, you’re bound er said.
the event will benefit the Robert Sklar Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship fund that provides financial aid for students in the Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program at Tisch. “I am chair of my department and set myself the task to raise money for student fellowships because I believe the cost of education at NYU is just too high and there is simply not enough student aid,” Allen said. “These concerts are my way of contributing to the cause.” The scholarship program, which launched last year, raised $100,000 in scholarship funds last year. Friday night’s concert is only one facet of this year’s 10-month long program, an endeavor which Allen and his fellow musicians hope will raise over $500,000. The foundation has raised $13,000 in funds so far this year. Howard Besser, professor and director of the Moving Image Archive and Preservation Program at Tisch, hopes the “Group Therapy” concert will peak students’ interest in film preservation while also raising scholarship funds.
“The event will memorialize film historian Bob Sklar, a critical member of our faculty, who died in a bike accident last year,” Besser said. “It is part of a 10-month fundraising campaign in Bob’s honor, and it is related to a year-long celebration of the 10th anniversary of the MIAP Program, which will commence in September.” Tisch freshman Zeke Foerster is skeptical about attending a show in which professors are performers, but supports the scholarship fund and its goal. “Tisch is a great place, really, but personally I wouldn’t go see a professor playing in a concert,” Foerster said. “That being said, anything to raise money for the film program, especially for a scholarship I support completely, because I’m a film student too.” “Group Therapy” begins at 7 p.m. at (le) poisson rouge, at 158 Bleecker St. Tickets are $10. Helen Holmes is deputy features editor. Email her at hholmes@nyunews.com.
COURTESY OF DANA ZILBER
writer. news.com.
Gallatin graduate Dana Zilber founded fitID.
eyond sroom
You are sitting in your 200-person Introduction to Psychology lecture during the second week of classes, and you are already bored. Learn to love the classroom again by exploring the top five nonacademic classes in New York City.
y BRYNA SHUMAN
3. TAKE A BARTENDING COURSE If you are over 21 and looking to learn the ins and outs of bartending, take a three-hour mixology seminar at the Authentic Bartending School. Taught by certified professionals, the energetic class offers a basic overview of bartending from shot pouring and martini mixing to providing recipes for popular mixed drinks. For those who enjoy the seminar, the Authentic Bartending School offers a full certification course that can help you land a part- or full-time job as a bartender. Groupon, $19 - $50
4. LEARN TO BELLY DANCE Looking to branch out from the monotony of weight lifting and running treadmills at the gym? Enroll in an exciting Belly Dancing Basics class at Mosaic Studios. Not only does the class offer a thorough introduction to the basics of belly dancing in an exciting and upbeat environment, it also provides a wonderful cardio and upper-body workout with a fitness expenditure equivalent to that of an average hour spent at the gym. Mosaic Studios, $16 5. CRAFT GLASS CREATIONS Learn the art of glass bead making by attending one of Urban Glass’s weekend workshops. The sessions cover basic flame techniques and the skills necessary to turn delicate glass rods into beautiful glass beads. Classes in kiln forming and stained glass design are also offered. Prices vary
mail her at features@nyunews.com.
COURTESY OF AMYGDALOIDS
Amanda Thorpe, Joe LeDoux, Daniela Schiller and Tyler Volk discuss playing as Amygdaloids.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Monday, February 4, 2013
Crossword ACROSS 1 Barbershop floor sweepings 5 Cuts at an angle, as a mirror 11 Car navigation aid, for short 14 Balm ingredient 15 “Grease” co-star Newton-John 16 CD-___ 17 Crisp, spicy cookies 19 Orangutan, e.g. 20 Scottish form of “John” 21 First son of Seth 22 Kilmer of Hollywood 23 Prepares oneself 27 In the open 29 Bit of fireplace residue 30 Triangular pieces of browned bread 34 Student transcript fig. 35 Hannibal Lecter’s choice of wine
36 “Marching” insects 38 Even the slightest bit 39 Sound boosters 42 Golf reservation 44 Towing org. 45 Orange snacks 49 Band’s booking 50 Friars Club event 51 U.F.O. shapes, traditionally 53 Prominent part of a basset hound 54 Falco of “The Sopranos” 58 Web address, for short 59 Ambulance destinations, in brief 60 17-, 30- and 45-Across, literally and figuratively 65 Letter before omega 66 Start of a play
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38 Had a meal 40 Low poker 18 Toward the rising holding sun 41 Droops 23 Lady ___ (pop 43 Gloria of Miami Sound Machine diva)
45 Goosebumpproducing 46 Like some voices after shouting 47 Fashion icon Ralph 48 Ride the waves on a board 52 Dirt clumps 55 They’re rolled in craps
56 Worldwide: Abbr. 57 Swelled heads 61 Record producer Brian 62 Not at home 63 Genetic stuff 64 Where clouds are
24 Provider of N.F.L. For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit coverage card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday 25 “I can’t take crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. anymore!” AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit 26 Strategic maneuver
28 “La Dolce ___” 31 SeaWorld whale
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.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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OPINION
EDITED BY SAMEER JAYWANT OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
STUDENT LIFE STAFF EDITORIAL
Students should say no to alcohol
By MARCELO CICCONET
A couple of months ago I attended a seminar about improving social skills in the academic world. At some point, the speaker talked about how to properly refuse an alcoholic beverage during a social event. She explained that it’s not polite to say, “Sorry, I don’t drink alcohol.” You have to tell the other person that you are “in a soft-drink mood” that day, so as not to give the impression that you are judging your interlocutor’s drinking preferences. As a matter of fact I do judge people who drink alcohol, and here is my judgment — if your genetic code is such that you appreciate ethylbased beverages, the amount that you drink is not my business, as long as you keep the consequences of your drinking habits to yourself and those who support your behavior. If you are a soft drink person who decided to start drinking just to fit into a certain group, then you should be ashamed for following the crowd and not attempting to change our alcohol-centered culture. It seems easy to argue against the consumption of alcohol. To start with, I could list some disturbing long-term
effects to the cardiovascular, immune, digestive and nervous systems. If those aren’t frightening enough, I could bring in some up-to-date statistics showing the correlation between booze and violent crime, hospital visits, sexual abuse and car accidents. If that still doesn’t scare you, an emphasis on the gravity of binge drinking and on the amplified damaging effects of alcohol when the brain is developing, such as during the teenage years, should settle the question. But those facts are widely known, and yet social pressure outweighs worrisome prognostics for too many individuals. The path is well known: some social drinkers turn into daily alcohol consumers, and a portion of these drinkers eventually become alcoholics. The pressure is due in part to the shallow view that alcohol is necessary for a person to feel more confident in social settings. Another part is that alcohol has been omnipresent in social events since mankind discovered it, and few have bothered to question those social conventions. Is it really necessary to drink alcohol in order to appreciate live music and conversation? The third important factor is marketing pressure. Companies
condition us to believe that vodka X is associated with an “awesome party with lots of hot girls,” or that beer Y is synonymous with fun gatherings with your friends, like watching a game. Sure enough, special ads are prepared for festive occasions such as Mardi Gras, when consumption increases. This type of marketing is regulated by certain industry standards in most countries — in Brazil, for instance, beer ads must be accompanied by suggestions for moderate drinking. Considering the implications of alcohol in public health and safety, one wonders how strong the lobby of those companies must be in the American political sphere. The measurable facts are clear, and the only reason they are ignored is that the cultural hype surrounding drinking has reached a level that leads non-drinkers to feel bad about their sobriety. In light of this, I warn the soft-drink person who is concerned about social politeness it is wrong to say “Sorry, I don’t drink alcohol.” Instead, it suffices to subtract the “sorry.” Marcelo Cicconet is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
INTERNET
Swartz tragedy undermines university system By NIKOLAS REDA-CASTELAO
The tale of Robin Hood is the widely popular folk legend of a common man who takes up arms against the wealthy and distributes their riches to the poor through daring, heroic feats. In today’s society, where people constantly feel the duress of the mighty thumb of the elite, the appeal of such a tale is clear. It is also fair to draw the comparison between a 14th-century folk hero and a modern day martyr like Internet activist Aaron Swartz. However, one must first analyze the situation and the man before labeling him a martyr and a contemporary Robin Hood. Three weeks after the tragic suicide of Aaron Swartz, developer of the social news and entertainment page Reddit and the Demand Progress campaign against Internet censorship, the online community is still indignant about his alleged “killers,” the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the federal government. The online world has gone into a near mass mourning and has expressed extreme anger with MIT and the government for Swartz’s sentencing and, consequently, his death. Swartz’s punishment wasn’t death, but rather a 35-year prison sentence for the leak of over two million articles from the journal database JSTOR
SUBMITTING TO
to the public, which he accomplished through an MIT computer. Swartz’s death was a suicide carried out in reaction to his sentence, but it is also important to note his longstanding battle with depression and the fact that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people in his age group. To call it politicized is arguable, martyrdom a bit far-fetched. There are several questions that must be asked. Why, after JSTOR declined to press charges back in 2011, did MIT continue to press them even though Swartz returned the data? Why did he receive a longer prison sentence than violent criminals or sexual predators would for their crimes? What was his crime? Apparently being Robin Hood, but rather than stealing coins he stole information. MIT very much plays the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham in this situation, an authority in academia and someone who collects at the discretion of people he wishes to please. Swartz did not just undermine MIT, he undermined the prestige of the university system. A quick glance at the history of the university system, the sole center of scholarship for many centuries before the prominence of lending libraries and public information, shows that the distribution of information exclusively to these institutions is
threatening. Universities are still businesses — exclusivity of information attracts talent and prestige, which collectively empower the university. If for a single instant the incredible wealth of information of universities was shared with those who don’t pay hefty fees to attend them, there would be a huge shift in influence in the academic world. Prestige drives the university system, and Swartz struck the behemoth, throwing it into a frenzy. Aaron Swartz might seem to fit the template of the man from legend, until one realizes Robin Hood is nothing more than a folk tale popularized by 14th-century gents who told romantic stories in England. Anyone can look at English history and tell you that simple burglary did not remedy centuryold errors of broken systems. Changing the role and place of information in our society is a drawn-out process and requires a conversation involving both sides, because theft does not change the system and thieves only get caught, as Swartz and Robin Hood did. However, Swartz’s story is not a folk legend. Martyr or not, he suffered real world consequences. Nikolas Reda-Castelao is a contributing columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
Senate dwells unnecessarily on Hagel’s past
The Senate battle over Chuck Hagel’s nomination for Secretary of Defense last Thursday was disappointing and arguably unfair to Hagel. Republicans made it their priority to tear into Hagel by asking leading — and misleading — questions. Democrats were also hesitant to refocus the discussion on constructive issues. Hagel clearly exercised caution before answering any question, and while many in the mainstream news media perceived this caution as evidence of intellectual inferiority and cowardice, a case can be made for the opposite — his reservation is warranted given the complicated dynamics of the current geopolitical world. These nuances often require more complex explanations that take into account a historical perspective. Sen. John McCain grilled Hagel on his opposition to the surge strategy in Iraq in 2007. Rather than looking into Hagel’s reasoning behind the decision, McCain was more interested in entrapping his old friend in a series of leading questions. McCain, arguably the staunchest advocate of the surgency strategy in the Senate, engaged in a battle of the egos, attempting to get Hagel to somehow concede that the strategy was successful. Hagel refused to give a yes or no answer and claimed that McCain was oversimplifying the issue. Questioning by Sen. Lindsey Graham was equally severe, unsurprising given that McCain was seen conferring with Graham during a break following McCain’s interrogation. Graham, an experienced courtroom attorney, put Hagel on trial, cutting off nearly all of the nominee’s responses with his own trite commentary on Hagel’s perceived shortcomings. He shamed the candidate on his comments about a “Jewish lobby” intimidating Congress, ironically underscoring America’s constant, irrational refusal to criticize Israel. Graham brazenly continued the political spectacle McCain started, quite noticeably demonstrating an aversion to rational discourse and an intent to limit Hagel’s actual speaking time. Rather than focusing their questions on the deepseated challenges that face the Department of Defense, such as budget cuts, the committee members ate up hours challenging Hagel on largely non-substantive statements that he made in the past. The committee irresponsibly handled Hagel’s confirmation hearing, addressing Israel over 160 times but giving Afghanistan a mere 20 mentions. While Hagel’s nomination is still likely to be secured, his farcical confirmation hearing exemplifies a disturbing facet of American political discourse.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Sameer Jaywant (Chair), Raquel Woodruff (Co-chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (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 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.
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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
SPORTS
EDITED BY MARY JANE DUMANKAYA SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Ray Lewis deserves Super Bowl glory
By KARTHIK RAMAKRISHNAN
Sports legends are born from stories that transcend the field, the court, the arena or the stadium. We, as fans, attach superhuman qualities to star athletes based on their experiences and lives, putting them on pedestals so high that nothing short of tremendous scandals can bring them back down. Ray Lewis, the larger-than-life linebacker on the Baltimore Ravens, is one of the most intriguing athletes in professional sports. Lewis ended his illustrious 17year career on Sunday night, helping his team narrowly defeat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII by a score of 34-31. Lewis came from virtually nothing — his undying work ethic brought him up from the depths of poverty to two Super Bowl championships. Born to a teenage mother whose husband left her, he grew up as the older brother of four siblings. Lewis put his all into athletics, and while attending the University of Miami in 1992, the linebacker proved himself to be a tenacious defender, making enough tackles to earn the fifth rank in his college’s history. In the spring of 1996, Lewis was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round, where he stayed for his entire career. Colin Kaepernick, the young 49ers’ quarterback, has a very different, more feel-good personal story that propelled his rapid rise to stardom. Born out of wedlock, he was abandoned by his mother immediately after birth and was adopted by a Wisconsin couple
when he was a few weeks old. He was afforded many opportunities since day one, and he breezed through high school with stellar grades and excellent records in football, basketball and baseball. After replacing starter Alex Smith on Nov. 19, Kaepernick was given the starting quarterback role in a bold yet brilliant coaching move. The Super Bowl was just his 10th start in an NFL game, but the quarterback handled himself with composure and gave it his all, coming up short by just three points. Kaepernick’s story is Cinderellalike given his meteoric rise from inconspicuous back-up to Super Bowl starter. However, Ray Lewis’ record-breaking career makes him more deserving to hoist the Super Bowl XLVII trophy. Arguably the best linebacker to ever play the game, Lewis deserved another championship to end his long, storied career. One of the best team leaders currently in football, his work ethic and motivational words inspire his teammates, and the intangibles he brings to the field were necessary for the Ravens to make their surprising run for the championship. Kaepernick will have his own one day. With more experience, he will reap success. But this season is for celebrating Ray Lewis and his contributions to the game of football. Lewis’ second ring was well earned, and we are all waiting to see who will take up the leadership mantle Lewis has left behind. Karthik Ramakrishnan is a staff writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.
VIA FACEBOOK.COM
The Ravens finished off the 49ers with a final score of 34-31.
Super Bowl blackout alters course By NISHAAD RUPAREL In the midst of an electric atmosphere, at the New Orleans Superdome, the thunderous Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker Ray Lewis emerged out of the player’s tunnel. At the onset of the NFL season, Lewis was a hapless and injured veteran, with an outside shot of returning to the field. Now, here he was, playing a Super Bowl fans expected. On the other side of the field stood Lewis’s unproven counterpart, Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, young and dynamic, hoped to restore the sterling reputation of the San Francisco 49ers franchise by leading them to their first Super Bowl victory since 1994. When both teams took the field, the Ravens’
REBECCA CLEMENTI/WSN
Students gather to watch the Super Bowl.
presence was felt immediately. The Baltimore defense kept San Francisco to a dismal six points and forced two turnovers. At the half, the Ravens led the 49ers 21-6. In the third quarter, Jacoby Jones put Baltimore up by 23 points. Then the power went out in the New Orleans Superdome. In the middle of the biggest national sporting event, the resilient stadium that once stood against Hurricane Katrina lost its lights. The absurdity of it all was powerful enough to break the Ravens’ momentum and provided the 49ers with the energy they needed for one final push. Two different teams took the field. The 49ers answered the Ravens’ dominance with a passing touchdown from Kaepernick to Crabtree, a Frank Gore run and a David Akers field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Niners inched closer to the Ravens and gradually continued to close the gap. With just about four minutes left in the game, the 49ers got the ball on their own 20-yard line, down by only five points — a chance for Kaepernick to drive them 80 yards down the field for a game-winning touchdown. And nine plays later San Francisco came up five yards short. Lewis, and the Ravens, had closed out the 49ers and won their first Super Bowl Championship since 2001. The game tied the knot on some fantastic storylines: the matchup of the brothers Harbaugh, the Cinderella story of Kaepernick and Lewis’ career. When the lights go off for good tonight, everyone in Baltimore will sleep happy. Nishaad Ruparel is a staff writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.
