WSN020415

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 43, No. 5

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015

nyunews.com UNIVERSITY LIFE

Page to whisper its last secret

BY MARITA VLACHOU News Editor

STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BEARZI

After eight years of operation, Piperlime will be closing both its website and its physical store, which is located on Wooster Street. Gap Inc., the parent company, will continue to support its other brands, including Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta.

After more than 8,000 secrets, NYU Secrets founder Aristo Orginos announced on Sunday the page will end once it hits 9,000 posts.

Orginos, a Steinhardt senior, said ending the page was a tough decision.

“I feel pretty torn up about it, and it was a decision that I really labored over,” Orginos said.

“Primarily, my passion ran out.

With each passing day, NYU Secrets became more and more of a job and less and less of a passion.”

NYU Secrets was first established in November 2012, with the mission of sharing anonymous secrets and building a community within NYU. Orginos said he initially planned to keep the page going past his graduation, however, he now feels he can no longer continue it.

SECRETS continued on PG. 5

BEAUTY & STYLE

Popular Piperlime to pack it in next month

BY MADISON REIS Contributing Writer

Say a fond farewell to your favorite online boutique — Piperlime is shutting down. Gap’s trendy online store, along with its New York City brick-andmortar location, will be scaling back by the end of February, and by April it will be out for good.

Piperlime has built a cult following over the years, selling major brands like French Connection, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Kate Spade and Rag & Bone. It is no wonder that nearly every fashion blogger has sung its

praises at one time or another.

Starting as a high-end footwear website for fashion lovers, it was intended to compete with Zappos. But after only three years of major street cred and endless online praise, former Gap President of E-commerce Tony Lenk decided to include apparel, saying, “It’s like peas and carrots. Apparel sells footwear, and footwear sells apparel.” Piperlime then received its biggest push when featured on Bravo’s “Project Runway,” where the designers had a wall of Piperlime accessories to com-

PIPERLIME continued on PG. 3

SPORTS

Peng leads Violets to stellar season

BY KYLE LUTHER Deputy Editor

The NYU women’s basketball team is currently in the latter part of one of its best seasons in program history, posting a 17-1 record thus far. Much of the Violets’ success this season can be attributed to their senior point guard and co-captain, Melissa Peng.

Peng studies sports management and has been on the NYU honor roll for the past three years. She is from San Diego, California, where she attended Westview High School and played basketball all four years. She was made captain of her team in her senior year, and led them to the San Diego

CIF Championship. For her outstanding play, she was named San Diego CIF Division II MVP as a senior.

After a breakout sophomore year at NYU, Peng was named co-captain in her junior and senior years. When asked about how this team compares to others she has been on, Peng pointed out that the team this year is not much different but that it has continually improved.

“Each year we have gotten better and better and it’s just been a rebuilding process to get to where we are now,” Peng said. “I am hoping that we can continue to improve and compete and be a top contender in the UAA and tournament.”

The Violets 17-1 record is due

in large part to their success on the offensive end of the court.

“I think the key reason we are performing well is because we play team basketball, and every player on our team is a scoring threat on any given day.” Peng said.

Over the weekend, Peng put up 15 points and recorded 7 steals against the University of Rochester and scored a seasonhigh 17 points against Emory.

“My approach to the Rochester game was like every other game in the UAA,” Peng said.

“Every team in our conference is a top tier team so there is no different mindset or mentality.

We just came off a tough loss to

PENG continued on PG. 8

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

ON THE SIDE

COMPILED BY THE

WSN STAFF

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

TODAY IN HISTORY Editor-in-Chief

VALENTINA DUQUE BOJANINI Managing Editor

THOMAS DEVLIN Assistant Managing Editor

JOHN AMBROSIO Digital Director

HANNAH TREASURE Creative Director, Special Editions

OLIVIA MARTIN Creative Director

TEERIN JULSAWAD deputy ALEXA WONG Copy Chief

MADELINE PAZZANI deputy RICHARD SHU Multimedia

SHAWN PAIK photo SAM BEARZI video CALVIN FALK deputy photo SANG BAE, MATHILDE VAN TULDER deputy video CHRISTIAN FORTE

SENIOR STAFF

news ALANNA BAYARIN, MARITA VLACHOU features MARINA ZHENG arts ALEXA SPIELER sports BOBBY WAGNER senior editors LARSON BINZER, CHRISTINA

On this day in history, WSN reported on a protest against the World Economic Forum.

During the march on Third Avenue, 75 people were arrested, including four NYU students.

In WSN interviews, demonstrators claimed the police were using excessive force against a group of peaceful protesters.

COLEBURN, FELIPE DE LA HOZ, FRANCISCO NAVAS, IFE OLUJOBI

DEPUTY STAFF

news ALEX BAZELEY, SCOTT MULLEN,

CHRISTINE PARK features NINA JANG beauty & style SOPHIE LEWIS dining REBECCA RIDDLE film ISABEL JONES entertainment AUDREY DENG music E.R. PULGAR theater/books CAROLINE CUNFER sports KYLE LUTHER

OPINION PAGE opinion editor

TESS WOOSLEY deputy opinion editors

ANNIE COHEN, TOMMY COLLISON, MATTHEW TESSLER

BLOGS

editor EMILY BELL violet vision GABRIELLA BOWER the highlighter MARISSA ELLIOT LITTLE under the arch EMMA SCOBLE global DANA RESZUTEK

ADVERTISING BUSINESS MANAGER

ALISON LIZZIO UNIVERSITY SALES RELATIONS

CLAIRE MAHANY

STAFF CANDID

TODAY ON CAMPUS

SALES MANAGER

EMMA HOWCROFT SALES REPRESENTATIVES

National Geographic Live Biologist and photographer Paul Nicklen will speak about photographing animals and people all over the world, from the penguins of Antarctica to the Hawaiian surfing subculture. The event is at 3:30 p.m. in the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

AMY LU, BEN SWINEHART SALES ASSOCIATES

MIKE GROTT, LUXI PENG GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

KALEEL MUNROE CIRCULATION MANAGER

JESSICA TIEN

Intro to Circuits/Arduino As part of a series of workshops that focus on skills to build startups, this event will be an introduction to Arduino circuit boards. Stop by the Leslie eLab from 6 to 8 p.m. to participate.

CIRCULATION ASSISTANTS

ALEX HANSON, FIONA GORRY-HINES

ADVISING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

NANCI HEALY

Unsung Auteurs

Editors Thomas Devlin, Gabrilla Bower and Shawn Paik discuss content for the week.

JOHN AMBROSIO FOR WSN

Explore the careers of Lee Dick, Virginia Van Upp and Adelaide Pearson, three female filmmakers of the ’30s and ’40s whose careers have mostly been overlooked. The presentation will be in the Michelson Theater at 6:15 p.m.

TODAY’S EVENTS ARE FREE FOR NYU STUDENTS.

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

EDITORS-AT-LARGE

TATIANA BAEZ, NICOLE BROWN, ALEX GREENBERGER, CLIO MCCONNELL, JORDAN MELENDREZ 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 the managing editors at managing@nyunews. com or at 212.998.4302.

NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

Wage raise proposal for tipped workers

WILLIAM ALATRISTE/2010 VIA FLICKR.COM

Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced housing plans.

De Blasio confronts city housing shortage

BY ELAINE LO Contributing Writer

The New York wage board proposed to raise the minimum hourly wage for tipped workers, such as restaurant and hospitality staff, from $5 to $7.50 on Friday.

The proposal, if approved by State Labor Commissioner Peter Rivera, would take effect on Dec. 31.

Currently, New York State law permits workers’ salary to be less than the minimum wage of $8.75, as long as tips are enough to make up the difference. The wage will increase to $9 by the end of this year.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo voiced his approval of the recommendation.

“For far too long, wages for tipped workers in New York State have been too low,” said Cuomo. “Today the Wage Board has recommended a course that begins to rectify that.”

However, workers would only be paid $6.50 an hour if they made at least one and a half times the current minimum wage for tipped workers including gratuities.

Those opposed to the measure include restaurant and business owners, who voiced concerns about reduced work hours, job creation, and salary for non-tipped employees on Friday.

Additionally, labor advocates hoped to expand to tipped workers the standard minimum wage of $8.75 without tips, completely eliminating the need for a tipped wage.

CAS sophomore Nicole Callahan said tips provide an incentive for waiters to provide quality service, which

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BY ALEX BAZELEY Deputy News Editor

GRAPHIC BY DANA BROWN

in turn improves customer experience and credibility for businesses.

“It’s a sad reality, but I feel that if wages were increased, then some waiters will not be providing the service required of them,” Callahan said. “Additionally, tipped employees find tipped jobs for a reason. If they did not want to work for tips they would have found a minimum wage job.”

NYU economics professor Christopher Flinn said the hourly wage raise will change the way people tip.

“The interesting thing to consider is how such a law would affect the tips that customers leave,” Flinn said. “In most European restaurants, wait staff are paid significantly more than in the U.S., but it is also the case that most customers leave tips

of less than 10 percent if they leave anything at all.”

LS freshman Jessica Perchuk, who works at Amorino Gelato, said increased wages would not affect the way her customers tip.

“I don’t think customers would tip us less if they knew we would be getting paid more,” said Perchuk. “They tip us based on service.”

Flinn added that the wage increase may have no effect on tipped workers’ income.

“This could result in a situation where workers take home the same earnings and employment is not affected greatly,” Flinn said. “These earnings would be easier to collect taxes on, so that net wages could even decrease.”

Email Elaine Lo at news@nyunews.com.

The homeless population in New York City has reached a record high of 59,068, according to the New York Daily News, which marks a 10 percent increase in the homeless population since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office at the beginning of 2014.

Of the homeless population, roughly 25,000 are children, the Coalition for the Homeless reported in their end-of-year breakdown.

The numbers have continued to increase at a steady pace despite the de Blasio administration’s funding of preventative programs and opening 20 new homeless shelters around the city.

In his State of the City address on Tuesday, de Blasio focused on his new five-borough, 10-year housing plan. The plan involves creating more affordable housing in New York City to combat the housing crisis, as well as providing more accessible housing for the homeless.

“This administration is taking a fundamentally different approach, one that not only recognizes the need for more affordable housing, but demands it,” de Blasio said.

De Blasio’s plan for addressing the rising homeless population focuses on assisting homeless individuals and families, expanding supportive housing, improving housing options for seniors and ensuring accessible housing for individuals with disabilities.

“Nothing more expresses the in-

equality gap, the opportunity gap, than the soaring cost of housing,” de Blasio said. “New York risks taking on the qualities of a gated community, a place defined by exclusivity rather than opportunity.”

Steinhardt sophomore Grace Pozniak said the current situation is heartbreaking, and added that an important step would be to provide a wider range of programs for people trying to get back on their feet.

“I think that de Blasio’s agenda to create more low-income housing may help the situation,” Pozniak said. “The cycle of poverty is a debilitating beast, and I think providing housing could help with that, but better job training and better education and better after-school programs could help more.”

Steinhardt senior Adam Cortez, the community service chair of the Applied Psychology Undergraduate Club, agreed with Pozniak’s sentiments and said more needs to be done to solve the problem.

“We need to be addressing the rise of persons who are homeless by seeing how we can provide them with the necessary resources to excel, not just survive,” Cortez said. “How can we expect a person who is hurting and in need of help to completely turn around their lives by eating a leftover sandwich and being able to sleep under a roof during the rain and snow?”

Email Alex Bazeley at abazeley@nyunews.com.

SECRETS continued from PG. 1

No successor in place for NYU Secrets creator

“But running NYU Secrets at this point is like driving a car that’s almost empty,” Orginos said. “You keep looking at the gas meter nervously, you know it’s running out soon. You can’t enjoy the ride anymore — you can’t enjoy the scenery. You just think about the next gas station, how much it’ll cost. Secret number 9000 is my ‘empty tank.’ ” Orginos, who is currently employed in NYU Residential Life, expects the page to be finished sometime between March and April. He added that monitoring the page has been stressful.

“After two years, you have the confessions of thousands running around in your head,” Orginos said. “And it’s stressful.

And it’s burdensome. And you

want to help everyone, but you can’t. That isn’t your job. You are the conduit, not the therapist.

Running NYU Secrets has been emotionally exhausting—and I am exhausted.”

Orginos added that his recent outing by NYU Local this summer contributed to his decision to end the page.

“I still maintain that what NYU Local did was one of the worst things anyone has done to me,” Orginos said. “And yes, it has affected me and my decision.”

Throughout the years NYU Secrets has existed, there have been several new pages mimicking NYU Secrets, including Secrets 2.0, NYU Secrets 3.0 and REAL NYU Secrets.

Orginos said he is skeptical about the vitality of these pages

and others who would want to take up the task of moderating NYU Secrets. He said transferring control of the page might compromise the privacy of the page.

“It seems selfish outwardly, and I get that,” Orginos said.

“But it’s really not. When I began this page, I made the unyielding promise that I would not reveal anyone’s secrets.

That was the fundamental tenet of the page. Turning control over to someone else would be undermining this.”

The Facebook page currently has 35,392 followers. As of now, 8,732 secrets have been posted.

Throughout the page’s run, it was often criticized for its reputation for generating controversy.

Steinhardt sophomore Hannah Weverka said she does not be-

lieve NYU Secrets created a community within NYU. “I’ve always been surprised that people praise NYU Secrets for ‘fostering community’ — I’ve never really associated ‘community’ with the anonymity, toxicity and Facebook arguments that I see on NYU Secrets,” Weverka said. “Maybe a sense of community is missing at NYU, but I think that’s a big and complex problem, and I don’t think the best solution to it was the existence of a Facebook page.”

CAS sophomore Gagarin Zhao said while she is sad NYU Secrets will no longer exist, she believes it is better for it to end while students are still interested.

“It should know when to end, and now seems like a good time, Weverka said. “I’d rather see it

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

The NYU Secrets page was known for sparking controversy.

conclude on a good note than slowly be forgotten after too many years. I’m just glad I got to experience it for the two years that I’ve been here.”

Email Marita Vlachou at mvlachou@nyunews.com.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

ARTS

EDITED BY ALEXA SPIELER ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

REVIEW

REVIEW

Misty offers her best solo album yet

BY KIERAN GRAULICH Contributing Writer

VIA MARLBOROUGHCHELSEA.COM

Devin Troy Strother’s exhibition is inspired by the “basketball asthetic.”

‘Space Jam’ exhibition a slam dunk

BY CATE WRIGHT Contributing writer Devin Troy Strother’s exhibit “Space Jam” transforms the Marlborough Chelsea gallery into a Technicolor basketball court that will stir your inner 90s kid. Bursting with neon and reflective canvases, Strother’s work pays playful homage to the 1996 Looney Toons film “Space Jam,” as well as art giants such as Jackson Pollack, Lynda Benglis and Joan Miró.

Strother, who lives in Los Angeles, draws inspiration from pop culture and the role of the NBA in American life. Curiously enough, Strother is not a basketball fan, but he admires the geometric formations of the court, the iconography of the Jordan era and holograms of items used in the NBA. However, the name of his second exhibition at the Marlborough gallery also refers to the mad dash to fill the space with a few short months’ notice — a literal “Space Jam.” Strother was commissioned in September and created the entire show in mere months.

Using glitter, spray paint and thick rainbow palette-knife streaks, Strother adorns large scale pieces to create the basketball aesthetic.

The overall effect creates a visually

REVIEW

thrilling playhouse and provocative structural displays.

A large wavy cutout basketball player, entitled “Heyyyyyyyy man i’m open i’m open,” meets visitors at the door and welcomes them in. A second gallery room is lined with galaxy carpeting, more likely to appear in a Chuck E. Cheese than an upscale gallery.

In the final chamber, a mock “Space Jam” basketball court holds menacing black rectangular prisms in place of players and boasts a marble and gold-rimmed hoop. The progression through the show alludes to the growing fanaticism of Michael Jordan, from the movie.

Strother purposefully oversteps the discussion of race to focus on the appropriated aesthetics of basketball. While his color palette may sound gaudy, the cohesive exhibition shows how highbrow art can be made fun. Strother’s colorful and thoughtful work gives life to the Marlborough space, proving that his “Space Jam” thoroughly succeeds in engaging gallery-goers.

“Space Jam” is now on view at Marlborough Chelsea, 545 West 25th St., through Feb. 14.

Email Cate Wright at arts@nyunews.com.

When Josh Tillman, also known as Father John Misty, dropped “Bored in the USA,” the single for his upcoming album “I Love You, Honeybear” in 2014, most of the music world responded with praise.

Starting as a slow piano ballad, the song evolved into a sharp self-reflection that exposed Tillman’s personal disappointments and flaws. As a track, it was mesmerizing — if not a little confusing.

It has been two years since Tillman’s last solo release: the folk-and-indie-tinged “Fear Fun.” Until then, Tillman was better known as the drummer for indie-folk giant, Fleet Foxes. He had built up a solid amount of solo material, but never made any major splashes. With the release of “Fear Fun,” however, it became apparent that Tillman is more than the man behind the drum kit. His pained yet confident voice and elegant vibrato revealed that there was a very complex and broken soul behind the Father John Misty name.

“I Love You, Honeybear” sets up a landscape of contradictions, with Tillman, the leading player, as the hypocrite pulling the strings. The most compelling aspect of Father John’s music is the utter sincerity — ugly and unfortunate as it may seem. The listener is not made to feel sorry for Tillman as he airs his grievances, including America and women, but at the same time can’t help but empathize.

Perhaps this stems from Tillman’s acute awareness of his own flaws and the consequences they have on his life.

This is no better showcased than on the aforementioned lead single, during which a frustrated Tillman, lamenting

the materialism and fickle nature of the American people, wants to know “Do I get my money back?”

Tillman’s instrumentation expertly mirrors the sentiment of the album; every chord played on “I Love You, Honeybear” wavers, as if about to collapse from carrying some enormous burden.

Especially on the album’s opener and title track, the music woefully yet unashamedly presents itself to Tillman’s listeners as sweeping strings and gloomy guitar chords that rise and fall with Tillman’s vocals.

The elegant folk and Americana instrumentation seems to be just another element of Tillman’s music, as every part of the songs is integral to the the album’s beautiful yet sorrowful tone. As sad as the music and lyrics may be, Tillman masters his innermost

troubles and puts them on display without once becoming too melancholic.

As Tillman told the Guardian in an interview on Jan. 31, “I just wanted to write about love without bullshitting.”

In service of that intention, every word is functional and necessary. With these words Tillman is able to paint beautifully sincere and often hilarious pictures in the middle of this otherwise desolate setting: “I want to take you in the kitchen/Lift up your wedding dress someone was probably murdered in,” he confesses on Chateau Lobby #4.

“I Love You, Honeybear” is an intimate collection of Tillman’s most sincere and emotional moments. As flawed as he may appear, he emerges all the more admirable.

Email Kieran Graulich at music@nyunews.com.

VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Father John Misty’s “I Love You, Honeybear” is Josh Tillman’s first album as Misty since 2012.

Documentary shows long path on ‘Way to School’

BY ISABEL JONES Film Editor

A year after its international release, documentary gem “On the Way to School” is finally making its stateside debut. French director Pascal Plisson spent three incredibly fruitful years following the lives of four children and their inspiring struggle for education.

Plisson introduces us to Jackson, Zahira, Samuel and Carlito — four highly motivated children whose removed villages and challenging circumstances are a boundary between themselves and education.

A true fly on the wall, Plisson cap-

tures the atypical routines of these children with considerable ease.

Whether they are hiding from a stampede of elephants, galloping through vast terrain or pushing a broken wheelchair through a creek, Plisson absorbs it all. The fear, frustration and unparalleled drive of these four children are on display. Their character is presented to us solely through action, as the documentary itself avoids all guided commentary.

The true beauty of “On the Way to School,” however, exists beyond the footage. Not only do these children feel compelled to fight for their education — a heroic stance on its

own — but they fail to see the “I” in their struggle. Fashioning their own shoes for the journey, Jackson and his sister run nearly 10 miles through the jungle every day. They don’t complain, they never turn back. They do so because they’re excited to exercise their right to education. While we pray for snow days and excuses to rid ourselves of all responsibility, these children will never be able to imagine such an existence. Education, an intrinsic element of Western lives, is a privilege for the film’s subjects.

Although the journey is important to the film’s message, it doesn’t steal the entire focus. The relationships

these children have is just as pure and well-intentioned as their desire for education.

Carlito rides on horseback across rural Argentina with his younger sister. She sees in him as role model, asking every so often if he’ll let her steer the horse for a bit. “Don’t tell mom,” he said as he slipped her the reins, her face glowing with pure joy.

Samuel’s two brothers push him and his makeshift wheelchair for 2.5 miles across bumpy terrain, creeks and all other obstacles. While they bicker along the way, it is clear that they’d do anything for their older brother. They lovingly bid adieu as they arrive at their separate class-

rooms, secretly looking forward to the journey back home.

Zahira and her friends weather a 14-mile hike to school each Monday.

When one of the girls injures her ankle, the others help her rub the joint and try to soothe her back to good health. They resort to hitchhiking for the rest of the journey, together every step and jolt of the way.

These simple lives aren’t really that simple after all. The way these children consider themselves and each other is far more complex than a walk through the jungle.

Email Isabel Jones at ijones@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

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BEAUTY & STYLE

EDITED BY SOPHIE LEWIS BSTYLE@NYUNEWS.COM

Outcry over lack of plus-sized clothing

BY MADISON REIS Contributing Writer Target’s newest collaboration with designer Lilly Pulitzer has made a stir for a number of reasons. Tweets like, “I bet Lilly Pulitzer herself is rolling her eyes in her grave,” and “If you weren’t classy enough to have it before, you sure as hell aren’t classy enough now,” show that the brand’s usual buyers are having a social media meltdown. But there’s another demographic that is equally as upset for a much deeper reason.

In addition to announcing the collaboration, Target has announced they will be including plus sizes for the range, but only online. Target invited major plus-size fashion bloggers to the announcement of the collaboration, including Gabi Fresh, Nicolette Mason and Chastity Garner, showing that they had listened to their customers and were finally going to include plus sizes in their designer collaborations.

The community was thrilled to be able to partake in the popular collaborations. Much to their dismay, Target made no mention of not including of the plus sizes’ exclusion from stores, and indeed made no mention at all.

The only mention of plus sizes

was through the @AskTarget twitter handle.

Angry shoppers can be found all over Twitter. Sara Conley, plus size fashion blogger, tweeted, “They’re really saying we only want 40 percent of customers to be seen in store,” and Grown and Curvy Women, another plus-size blogger, tweeted, “It’s like Target is dating a fat girl but won’t take her out in public ... that’s how I feel right now.” With Conley’s 21.2k followers on Twitter, the comments have made quite an impression.

Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas said, “We’re offering [plus sizes] on Target.com because Target.com gives us an opportunity to try different things. It affords us the opportunity to be flexible in terms of our assortment, and also, keeping in mind, the last time we [offered plus in a designer collaboration], it didn’t work.” He is referring to the inclusion of plus sizes on the Calypso St. Barth collab back in 2011. Target has faced other backlash regarding plus size; last fall’s Altuzarra collection featured a grey maxi dress that in standard size was labelled “dark heather grey” but in plus size was changed to “manatee grey.”

With the average American

VIA TWITTER.COM

woman at a size 14, many retailers are pushing a large percentage of shoppers out of stores and hiding them behind a computer. This could potentially have negative effects on younger consumers. A 2010 study showed that of Ameri-

Rick Owens kicks off Year of Male Nudity

BY SAM DEL ROWE Staff Writer

When Rick Owens sent models down the runway with their genitals exposed, he certainly got the Internet buzzing about his Fall/ Winter 2015 menswear collection. The garments in question were asymmetric tunics, with gloryhole cutouts baring the models’ genitalia. The display has sparked a number of conversations, many of which focus on the gesture’s sheer shock value, and the question of why male nudity is considered discussion-worthy while the more commonplace female nudity hardly elicits comment.

Though it is necessary to question this double standard, the collection’s status as art is often neglected in the ensuing debates.

Of the nudity, Owens said to i-D magazine, “I thought it was the most simple, primal gesture-and you know I love a simply tiny, little gesture that packs the wallop.” While the gesture got people talking, it is also undeniably cohesive with the aesthetic of Owens’s work; it is crude, corporeal, and indeed primal, all qualities that

could be attributed to his oeuvre.

This brings us to the collection itself. While the geometrically cut tunics are intriguing pieces, the collection’s strengths lie in its outerwear and knitwear. Owens effortlessly reinvents the peacoat in textured leathers and wools, managing to vault the leather coat from the realm of Matrix cosplay to statement piece. Some coats also feature cutout sides, lending them a dramatic, cape-like quality.

The standout piece is rendered in shades of tan and reddish-brown, with an overall rough, worn-in finish — a refreshing reinterpretation of a menswear classic that is unmistakably Rick.

The knitwear may lack the mass appeal of the outerwear, but it presents an interesting divergence from Owens’ signature leather jackets. The knits in question are heavily textured and engulf the body lengthwise while leaving the arms bare, evoking a warrior from a desert tribe. The incredible detail of the knits, especially when paired with footwear from the upcoming installment of Owens’s ongoing Adidas collaboration, makes for

can elementary school girls who read magazines, 69 percent say the pictures influence their concept of the ideal body shape and 47 percent say the pictures make them want to lose weight. While Target has focused the controversy on the

economic aspect of introducing plus size in stores, consumers have turned the conversation to body-shaming and its harmful repercussions.

Email Madison Reis at bstyle@nyunews.com.

PIPERLIME continued from PG. 1

Gap shifts focus to more successful brands

VIA STYLE.COM

Rick Owens models shocked crowds as part of “Sphinx.” a striking statement that exhibits his experimentation.

The collection — enigmatically titled “Sphinx” — may be remembered as the one that ushered in 2015 as the Year of Male Nudity, much like 2014 was the Year of the Booty. But to focus on this one aspect is to forget the clothes themselves, to forget that what we are viewing is an art show.

That would be a shame, as this is a damn good collection.

Email Sam Del Rowe at bstyle@nuyunews.com.

plete their looks before rushing to the runway. The new style of shopping across a wide selection of brands drew in buyers far and wide, but that may have been what ultimately hurt it. The market continuously rewards highly focused and selective brands with a single type of style.

In just nine years, the brand netted a whopping $16 billion in sales, but that was only 1 percent of the clothing giant’s total revenue. It was not enough for Art Peck, the San Franciscobased CEO of Gap, who said via press release, “We plan to keep on pushing new ideas and look forward to seeing how we can apply what we’ve learned to the rest of our company to bring great products and shopping experiences to our customers.” It seems like Gap Inc. will now only feature its more established brands: Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix.

It’s not looking good for retail

brands right now. Teen clothing giant Wet Seal abruptly shut down hundreds of stores and filed for bankruptcy. Target is closing down the entirety of its Canada operation. C. Wonder, created by Chris Burch to compete with his ex-wife and preppy designer Tory Burch, has also announced that his business is coming to an end. The closing of Piperlime is hopefully the end of the madness, but for similar online stores like Bluefly, this could either be an increase in shoppers or a sign that the end is coming near.

If you’re an avid Piperlime shopper, you’ve still got some time before April, and the online store shows no indication that anything is awry. For shoppers who have never heard of Piperlime, now is their last chance. And with the current liquidation sales, now might be the best chance, too.

Email Madison Reis at bstyle@nyunews.com.

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

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23 Hubbub 24 Tennis court determination 25 Brownish purple 27 Leftover 30 #1 Michael Jackson song about an 11-Across 31 Strive 35 Smoke ___

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NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY TESS WOOSLEY OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

EDUCATION

Students must take control of own education

BY CHRISTINA COLEBURN Senior Editor

An Indianapolis startup known as Core Principle Inc. has generated buzz with the launch of Class120, a new app with which administrators, parents and professors can track students’ class attendance. The app was created to curb absences, as many college students miss lectures and use class time for other activities. Students must first give their consent to be monitored, and more than 2,000 people are already using the service. Jeff Whorley, the founder and CEO of Core Principle Inc., said college students report being absent for about 20 percent of classes on average, wasting more than $31 billion on unattended lectures. While Class120 could prove useful for those who have had difficulty transitioning into college, monitoring attendance should be seen as a temporary crutch, not a comprehensive solution.

Motivation for long-term collegiate success ultimately must come from students, who need an incentive to thrive regardless of whether they are being monitored. Indeed, many students encounter circumstances that

interrupt their educational progress.

According to a report from Complete College America, a nonprofit based in Indianapolis, only 19 percent of full-time students at U.S. public colleges earn a bachelor’s degree on time. Furthermore, only 50 of over 580 public four-year institutions across the nation graduate a majority of full-time students within the standard time frame. The report cited the inability to register for course requirements, taking too few credits per semester and failed remediation sequences as causes.

Any of these circumstances could be exacerbated if a student is regularly absent from class, but if poor attendance is the root cause of graduating late, the issue is deeper than simply having insufficient credits. There is a difference between graduating behind schedule due to credits lost in

transfer and graduating late when deficient attendance interferes with the ability to pass classes. Class120 could be helpful for students whose grades only slightly drop when personal or extracurricular conflicts compel them to skip class, as long as these students maintain an individual commitment to their education.

For students who constantly need parental or administrative assistance, Class120 is unlikely to deliver a sustainable solution.

It is undoubtedly wise for students to seek help if they have academic issues, especially if those problems include showing up to class. For a student in crisis, asking for assistance is not only beneficial — in some cases, it can save a collegiate career. However, attendance monitoring cannot replace individual motivation and maturity. Class120 may be effective for an otherwise functional student, but if poor attendance is part of a broader issue of lacking commitment to one’s education, the app will not provide enough incentive to attend class.

Email Christina Coleburn at ccoleburn@nyunews.com.

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

The need for moderate Egyptian citizens

BY OMAR ETMAN Staff Writer

It has been over four years since the start of the Egyptian revolution. For much of that time, the country felt as though it would overflow with hope in spite of obvious problems. The citizens overthrew Hosni Mubarak and voted in their first democratically elected leader. The election felt like progress, even though elected President Mohamed Morsi governed undemocratically. When Morsi was overthrown and Abdul Fattah el-Sisi took over, it was clear that the people were in control of the future for once. But now, almost one year into el-Sisi’s presidency, Egypt is in worse shape.

El-Sisi has not met expectations.

Hunger is widespread, electricity is unreliable, Christians feel unsafe and public opposition is silenced. Last week, his military executed 183 dissidents. While these problems were never going to be easily fixed, citizens are now growing frustrated at his administration’s apparent unwillingness to find a solution.

An article by Thanassis Cambanis in The Atlantic outlined the tensions between members of the Muslim

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Brotherhood, which Morsi is politically affiliated with, and most everyone else. “Right now we’re caught up in a momentary conflict between the military complex and its reactionary supporters on one side, and the Muslim Brotherhood and some religious extremists on the other,” he wrote. It is these reactionary el-Sisi supporters that are most interesting and vital to continued freedom. Non-secular, moderate el-Sisi supporters make up a majority of the Egyptian public — instead of backing a tyrant simply to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood, they must come together to leverage their potential for influence. If the disapproval of el-Sisi continues to be conflated with approval of the Muslim Brotherhood, the moderates will be trapped within over-politicized polarities that only benefit extremists.

I am not sure what is going to push

el-Sisi toward reform, but the outcome of another revolution might be too much for the already unstable Egypt to handle. Unless the ordinary citizens act, the country’s Muslim Brotherhood faction — officially banned but louder than ever — will dictate the direction of an inevitable revolution. It seems now that the choice is not between revolution and peace, but rather who will decide the revolution’s aim. The cost of moderates’ continued silence will be high.

My grandmother assures me her apartment in Cairo is safe, but after months of prodding, she now grudgingly admits that el-Sisi governs like Mubarak — even though she and seemingly everyone else voted for him less than a year ago. This is the problem moderate Egyptians face: they align themselves with el-Sisi because he separates himself from the Muslim Brotherhood, which hinders their ability to effectively critique his obviously flawed leadership. Having seen the alternative, moderates have largely chosen to stay quiet, allowing their party to run wild and the opposition to rise.

Email Omar Etman at oetman@nyunews.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Protests against speakers contrary to university ideals

As NYU seniors eagerly await the announcement of their spring 2015 commencement speaker, a recent rise in students attempting to veto administrations’ choice of speaker at universities nationwide is gaining attention. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, the number of attempts in the last 15 years to uninvite or heckle speakers has grown from 6 to 30 per year. The protests follow party lines — with speakers who are perceived to be conservative are uninvited almost 3 times as much as liberal guests. This is concerning, as a student’s university years should be characterized by exposure to a wide range of opinions, particularly those the student disagrees with. Protesting a speaker solely because they represent an opposing viewpoint is an affront to free speech.

These protests have come in several different forms, ranging from formal “disinvitations” to heckling during speeches. When former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly spoke at Brown University in October 2013, both students and community members were so disruptive in protest of the city’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy that the lecture was stopped after 30 minutes. More commonly, however, university administrations disinvite the speaker or the speaker backs out after highly publicized protests.

Condoleezza Rice turned down an invitation to speak at the spring 2014 commencement for Rutgers University after students protested her involvement in the war in Iraq, even though the administration stood by their invitation.

While NYU students have never scared away a high-profile speaker, students have expressed disappointment in past choices. This exponential trend needs to be addressed nationally ahead of 2015 commencement speaker choices so that students can be exposed to a variety of opinions.

There is a link between this trend and the overarching cultural shift of various social media websites functioning as filter bubbles. The term was coined by author Eli Pariser, who noticed that Facebook hid posts from conservative friends if users consistently clicked on links from liberal friends. Facebook’s goal is to create a more personalized news feed, but users end up in a homogenous echo chamber. It is perhaps unsurprising that more college students are protesting speakers who espouse opinions different from their own when their social networks are suppressing the views of those who disagree with them, too.

Although the overwhelming majority of students support free speech in theory, those who protest visiting speakers do not reflect this belief. If students are to advocate for free speech, they must uphold it unselectively. Advocates for free speech should not try to eliminate opportunities for unpopular views to be heard, and should in fact encourage them. Exposure to dissenting ideas is especially critical to intellectual honesty and growth in an educational setting.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD: Tess Woosley (Chair), Annie Cohen (Co-chair), Tommy Collison (Co-chair), Matthew Tessler (Co-chair) ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDAN ENRIQUEZ

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.

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NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

SPORTS

EDITED BY BOBBY WAGNER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

PENG continued from PG. 1

Women’s basketball at 17-1 under Peng be able to receive something like this but my main focus is getting back to the tournament,” she said.

With the regular season of her last year on the team winding down, Peng reflected on what it means to put this part of her life behind her.

“At the beginning of the season I refused to believe that it was my last season,” Peng said. “But as the new year is already under way I just want to give it my all

and play with no regrets. I would love to continue to play basketball after college at the next level but beginning my career in the real world is what I am striving for as I begin another chapter.”

Peng and the rest of the Violets will be back in action on Feb. 6 in a rematch against the University of Rochester. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.

Email Kyle Luther at kluther@nyunews.com.

Tourney ends with mixed results

BY JONATHAN SCHIFMAN Contributing Writer

After falling to Brandeis University on Jan. 31, the men’s and women’s fencing teams participated in the Eric Sollee Invitational, hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sunday. The Violets faced several top schools, including Haverford College, Duke University, Brown University, and Boston College.

The men’s team had a successful day, ending the invitational with a 5-1 record. On the other hand, the women’s team was not as successful, finishing 1-5 for the day.

The men’s team began the tournament with a dominant 21-6 victory over Haverford. They then defeated MIT by a large 18-9 margin and narrowly beat Brandeis 15-12.

However, the victory against Brandeis was not a turnaround win from the day before, where the Violets lost 11-16. Different fencers competed each day — the tournament in Waltham featured non-starters, while the invitational featured each team’s best fencers.

David Popkin, a senior foil fencer, spoke highly of the competition from Brandeis.

“Brandeis has a very well-rounded team,” Popkin said. “So we needed great performances from

foil, épée and saber simultaneously in order to clinch the win, and we got them. The Eric Sollee Invitational was a more important match than the previous day’s tournament, so it was obviously a great feeling to perform well when it mattered.”

Victories also came against Brown and Boston with scores of 19-8 and 18-9 respectively. NYU’s only loss was to Duke by a slim 1413 margin.

The Violets had success from each weapons squad. Some of the most notable performances came from freshmen Daniel Sconzo, Philip Shin, and Hans Engel and sophomores John Cramerus and Quinten Burgunder.

Sconzo and Shin, each from the foil team, went 15-2 and 14-3, respectively. Engel and Cramerus combined for a 24-9 record for the épée team, while Burgunder went 13-3 for the saber squad.

Even with such a successful day, NYU’s best performance at the Invitational in seven years, Cramerus believes the Violets have even greater potential.

“Overall we had a strong showing,” Cramerus said. “But I would actually say that it wasn’t our best day, which is just a testament to the strength of our team this year, and given that many of our starters are

freshmen and sophomores, it can only grow.”

On the women’s side of the tournament, NYU fencers came up short against many of the tougher schools. The Violets lost to MIT 16-11, Brandeis 17-10, Duke 20-7, Brown 16-11, and Boston 18-9. The team’s only victory came against Haverford, with a score of 19-8.

However, freshman épée fencer Stephanie Cunningham said the Violets did not go down easily.

“There was very stiff competition,” she said. “But rather than discourage us, it motivated us to push through and prove that we are a force to be reckoned with. We may not have beaten every school but we won many important bouts and never gave up.”

NYU saw some key wins from Cunningham, freshman Marissa Posner, sophomore Cydney Williams and senior Alyssa Parkhurst.

Cunningham had seven victories, while Posner, Williams and Parkhurst each had six.

The best performance came from senior foil captain Audra Fox, who ended the day with a 14-4 record.

Both NYU fencing teams will play again next week in a tri-meet on Feb. 10 at Coles Sports Center.

Email Jonathan Schifman at sports@nyunews.com.

Men’s volleyball sweeps Lenox Hill

BY BRADLEY ALSOP Contributing Writer

The NYU men’s volleyball team dispatched Hunter College in three straight sets on Tuesday.

The Violets traveled to Lenox Hill on the Upper East Side to take on Hunter on their home court. The win improved the Violets record to a solid 3-1 start out of the gate. The Hawks dropped to 3-5 in the early stages of their season.

The first set was hotly contested.

The two teams traded point for point until the score was tied at 24.

Sophomore outside hitter Chase Klein came up clutch on both of the next two points, with a kill and a forced error to win the set, 26-24.

In the second set the men completely dismantled the Hawks. The team took the first five points in an array of different ways, constituting an entire team effort. It did not get much closer than that, as the Violets kept amassing points.

As Hunter reached only nine points for the set, NYU had 19 and did not drop another point before winning the set. Hunter beat themselves on the last three points, making three attack errors and allowing the Vio-

NYUNEWS.COM Hunter NYU

lets to close out the set.

The Hawks showed a little more fight after the break between the second and third sets. Neither side garnered an enormous lead, and as the set neared an end, the score was 22-20 in favor of NYU. But the Violets swiftly took control at that point, neutralizing Hunter and taking the next three straight points for the sweep. Freshman Billy Kopenhefer and sophomore Jake Getz set up the second to last point before an attack error by Hunter’s Benjamin Cassidy ended the match.

Junior opposite Colin LaPorte led the way with 14 points, followed closely by Klein, who totaled 10.5 points on the night. Sophomore setter Patrick Merrick led both teams with 36 assists.

Overall, this match was a solid bounce-back win for the Violets, who lost last week to the lower ranked Vassar College after failing to convert many opportunities near the ends of sets. A convincing win like this will give them the momentum they need going into Thursday’s match against SUNY New Paltz.

NYU was satisfied with their per-

formance after the win, especially Klein, who had a standout game.

“I think it was a really good team win,” Klein said. “I honestly think we have the deepest bench in D3 and I’m glad we were able to show it off tonight.”

LaPorte was pleased with the way NYU fell into a rhythm after a slow start on the road.

“The team struggled a bit in the first game,” LaPorte said.

“But once we won by two we regained our composure and took games two and three with a bit more ease. I personally started to play much better in the second game and got my rhythm with my serving, which I think helped the team push forward and grasp the win.”

LaPorte and the rest of his Violet teammates are eager and confident for Thursday’s match at home, where they hope to keep the momentum from their win on Tuesday. They will put their 3-1 record on the line at 7 p.m. on Feb. 5, in a Violet Nation event at Coles Sports Center.

Email Bradley Alsop at sports@nyunews.com,

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