WSN020613

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

washington square news Vol. 41, No. 5

weDnesday, february 6, 2013

nyunews.com

McKibben speaks at Cooper Union

Pizzaiolos refine craft at Forcella

By Margaret Weinberg

Fried pizza sanctum Forcella is offering pizza enthusiasts a chance to be the masters of their own Neapolitan pie. Running through Feb. 21, the one-on-one pizza making sessions with renowned pizzaiolos Giulio Adriani and Aurelio Petra are being held at all three of the restaurant’s locations.

After calling in to reserve a spot, patrons are invited into the warm yet sophisticated atmosphere of the pizzeria. For the price of one pizza, they are given the choice to make any pizza on the menu, including the margherita, made with tomato sauce, bufala mozzarella, parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and basil, or the pignasecca, a succulent sausage pizza.

The montanara, dubbed the “original New York fried pizza,” is an extremely popular choice at Forcella. To make the montanara, customers are shown how to form balls of dough and push the air out into the crust, creating a thin pizza base. Afterward, the dough is fried in sunflower oil.

Fresh tomato sauce, chunks of juicy mozzarella, luscious basil, and even some truffle oil are added atop the fried dough before the pizza is placed in the wood-fired oven.

It is Adriani’s love for the craft that makes him a good teacher. After being intrigued by a pizzaiolo friend of his father’s when he was a teenager, Adriani began making pizzas as a hobby.

He had attained an MBA and first worked as an accountant, but he decided to invest fully in the pizzerias because of his love for the specialty.

Adriani designs his pizzas in a way he claims is different from that of American

By Jordan Melendrez

Chuck Kuan/WSN

Forcella’s pizzaiolos offer a hands-on demonstration of their unique pizza recipes. techniques. The essence of the pizza lies in balanced and blended tastes, which is concocted by simple toppings. In his mind, pizza is one of the most distinct foods in the world, down to the simplest details of baking it.

“It is the only food in the world that cooks in one minute,” Adriani said.

Adriani plans to share his passion for pizza with the world by opening a school dedicated to the pizza-making craft in the next two months.

“There is a big market of amateur pizza makers. And there is a lot of misguided infor-

mation about pizza-making,” Adriani said.

Although the popular sessions are fully booked, Adriani might extend them for another month. Keep a look out for Adriani’s announcements, as NYU students will soon receive a 20 percent discount when ordering pizzas.

Forcella’s flagship pizzeria is at 334 Bowery, with other locations at 377 Park Avenue South and 485 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg.

Margaret Weinberg is a contributing writer. Email her at dining@nyunews.com.

Bill McKibben, the co-founder of 350.org, spoke at Cooper Union’s Great Hall last night.

Presented by NYU Divest, the event was called “Divesting From Fossil Fuels: A Conversation with Bill McKibben and NYC Students” and focused on McKibben’s non-governmental organization 350.org, the Keystone pipeline and an upcoming rally to discontinue its construction.

McKibben’s campaign against fossil fuels includes the Climate Forward Rally on Sunday, Feb. 17, during which McKibben, 350. org and people from across the nation will convene in Washington, D.C., in front of the White House to persuade President Obama to discontinue the Keystone XL pipeline. In conjunction with this protest, NYU Divest is encouraging the university stop investing in the top 200 publiclytraded fossil fuel companies.

McKibben, who was showing photographs from 350.org rallies or group gatherings, compared the battle between environmental advocates and wealthy fossil fuel

MCKIBBEN continued on PG. 3

Cloudy translation: Advance Placement scores and class credits

By Fay Lin

For high school students across the country, College Board’s Advanced Placement courses and tests give them a head start when they enter college, earning them credits and many times exempting them from certain classes.

But schools like Dartmouth College have recently decided that they will no longer transfer AP exam scores into credits for graduation.

Starting with the Class of 2018, Dartmouth students will only be able to use their scores to place out of introductory classes.

The change in policy comes after an experiment conducted by the school’s psychology department revealed that 90 percent of students who scored a 5 on the AP psychology exam failed a placement test modeled after the final exam of Introduction to Psychology. The study also found that students who chose to take the course after failing the placement exam did not perform significantly better than peers who did not take AP Psychology or scored lower on the AP exam.

NYU currently accepts some AP scores of 4 or 5 for credits towards graduation, with spe-

cific policies depending on the department.

Shawn Abbott, assistant vice president of NYU Admissions, said the rigor of AP classes should not be undermined.

However, arguing from a dif-

ferent direction, he says t he lack of complete availability of all AP courses to every high school means not all students come from equal backgrounds.

“I have to wonder if Dartmouth’s decision is a more eq-

uitable policy for a university where not everyone is coming to the table with the same advantages,” Abbott said.

Similar concerns about allowing students to place out of certain courses with their

via flickr.com

CREDIT continued on PG. 3

The AP program was created by the College Board.

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Washington Square news | wednesday, february 6, 2013 | nyunews.com

on the side staff recommendations Straight from the sports desk, here are the best athletes to follow on Twitter.

5

in and of

the city

34

12

Joey Barton: @Joey7Barton The Englishman who plays soccer for France’s Marseille, Joey Barton is a very controversial figure on the field. He received his last red card on Feb. 3, after collecting two yellow cards in five minutes.

Barton tweets several times a day, often entering into Twitter wars.

JaVale McGee: @JaValeMcGee34 The Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee is more often known for his strange personality than his basketball skills. McGee is free to be himself on Twitter, where he often retweets himself and occasionally posts under his alter ego, Pierre.

Brandon McCarthy @BMcCarthy32 A pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Brandon McCarthy is one of the funniest athletes on Twitter. McCarthy is particularly known for his hilarious tweets regarding his wife, Amanda.

Chris Kluwe @ChrisWarcraft Chris Kluwe, the Vikings punter, does not hide his love for “World of Warcraft.” But besides video games, Kluwe is also a big supporter of marriage equality.

SNAPSHOT

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.

Is New York “killing us”?

An Algorithm Nation map based on search results from Yahoo finds that New York is “killing us.” Once a user types “New York” into the browser, “is killing me,” followed by “is overrated,” are the most popular autocomplete results.

–Gothamist Students rally for gun control Students at Manhattan’s Dalton School rallied Monday for gun control reform in honor of last month’s Sandy Hook victims.

Among the speakers was a survivor from this summer’s movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo.

–NY 1 Cooper Union faculty stand behind students On Monday, Cooper Union faculty members sent an official letter to CU administration stating their opposition to the new proposal of tuition-based programs.

The letter was in response to a protest staged back in December 2012, when 11 CU students barricaded themselves in a school building in protest of the proposed implementation.

–Village Voice

Compiled by the

WSN staff

Washington Square News Editor-in-Chief Jonathon Dornbush Managing Editor

Amy Zhang Web Managing Editor

Hanqing Chen Deputy Managing Editor

Jordan Melendrez Assistant Managing Editor

Nicola Pring Creative Director

Kaleel Munroe senior staff

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

advertising business manager

REBECCA RIBEIRO circulation manager

Chloe Coffman

university sales coordinator

Kaitlyn O’Brien sales representative

Ellen McQueen

Four rescued from Central Park pond Four people were rushed to the hospital Tuesday afternoon, after two teenage boys had fallen through an icy pond. Two others then proceeded to jump in for rescue. None of the injuries sustained were life-threatening.

sales ASSOCIATES

-NBC New York

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Ariana DiValentino, Chris Elwood, Alison Lizzio, Sam Wander circulation assistant

Omid Golmohammadi KALEEL MUNROE

Casino to open at New York Mets Citi field New York Mets owners are making moves to open up a Las Vegas-style casino next to Citi Field in Queens.

The attempt is an effort to make up for money lost following the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme.

–NY Post

advising DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

NANCI HEALY editorial adviser

keith leighty EDITORs-AT-LARGE

Maximilíano Durón, Jaewon Kang, Francis Poon, Meryll Preposi, Amanda Randone, Emily Yang

CORRECTION In a previous version of the article “Congressional medalist opens MLK Week,” WSN inaccurately reported that Monroe France was the director of the NYU LGBTQ Student

The London Eye ferris wheel illuminates the evening sky on a balmy summer night.

PHOTO BY JOON LEE

Center. In fact, he is the assistant vice president for student diversity.

WSN also incorrectly reported that Manavi Khurana was the event coordinator. In fact, she was a collaborator from the Stern Graduate Student Organization. The main event coordinators were Francesca Walker, Leslie St. Jour, David Clark and Aisha Abdelmula.

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

About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods.

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

nyunews.com

Teacher evaluation stalemate continues despite rising stakes

By Lesley Greenberg

Since Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg failed to reach an agreement with the United Federation of Teachers regarding teacher evaluations by the Jan. 17 deadline, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has threatened to step in and take over.

By missing this deadline, New York City schools lost $250 million in state education aid, and they stand to lose another $200 million in federal aid if an agreement is not made by September.

The federal aid is part of the Obama administration’s Race to the Top program designed to create teacher evaluations that are more meaningful, making it easier to rid schools of ineffective teachers. The New York State legislature approved broad outlines for the new evaluation system, with 20 percent of a teacher’s rating based on students’ growth on state tests, 20 percent on local measures and the remaining 60 percent on classroom observations.

Professor Mark Alter, who teaches educational psychology at NYU, agrees with the state’s outlines.

“I understand the need for accountability in teaching, but I truly believe evaluating teachers by standardized tests will not eliminate the bad teachers but ironica-

lly punish the ones who often work the hardest,” he said.

NYU educational psychology professor Jay Gottlieb has a similar view.

“Teachers should be evaluated by having multiple knowledgeable observers conduct multiple observations of a set of lessons,” he said.

“There should be some a priori agreement on what type of pedagogy and classroom management practices the observers would like to see or what they expect.”

Unfortunately, the city and the UFT have yet to come to an agreement. In mid-January, after the Department of Education declined to help mediate the talks, UFT President Michael Mulgrew responded with a public statement.

“The city’s blind rejection of outside help in resolving these remaining issues is unexplainable and poses a serious threat to our ability to reach an agreement before Thursday’s deadline,” he said.

After failing to meet that deadline, Mayor Bloomberg blamed the UFT. “Instead of working with us to tie up loose ends of this agreement, [the UFT has] continued to insert unrelated, extraneous issues in these negotiations. The effect was to set the talks back, time and time again,” he said in a Jan. 17 press release.

According to the press release, the deal fell apart because the UFT demanded a sunset clause for June

MCKIBBEN continued from PG. 1

NAACP adds voice to Bloomberg soda ban

By Komal Patel

via flickr.com

Gov. Cuomo pressured UFT to reach an agreement.

2015, allowing for renegotiation after that date. The clause was not granted.

Although the New York City school system has until September to come up with its own agreement, the UFT is not against state involvement.

“I welcome Governor Cuomo’s involvement, and while we would prefer a negotiated settlement, it’s good to know that should the talks fail again, people who actually understand education will be part of the decision-making process,” Mulgrew said in a statement.

Lesley Greenberg is a staff writer.

Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

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In the war against Mayor Bloomberg’s soda-restricting law, the CocaCola Company has found some potentially surprising allies.

The New York State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Hispanic Federation have filed an amicus brief against a law set to take effect on March 12. The law bans the sale of soft drinks over the size of 16 ounces in efforts to reduce the city’s obesity rates.

Recently, the fact that the CocaCola Federation financially supports both of these organizations is causing more raised eyebrows.

The NAACP remains firm in its position that the law enacted by Mayor Bloomberg unfairly attacks minority business owners.

“Our stand against Mayor Bloomberg’s soda ban is about basic economic fairness,” said Hazel N. Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference in a press release. “Bloomberg’s ban attacks the little guy, while giving a pass to big corporations.”

The NAACP press release failed to address any suspicions raised from their financial connection with the Coca-Cola Company.

The president of the Hispanic Federation Jose Calderón, doesn’t see any problems with what may seem to be

a conflict of interest. He said in an official statement that partnerships do not affect the agenda of the Hispanic Federation.

Bloomberg’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley, argued that the law would offset negative health effects of large sugary drinks and indirectly help minority communities.

“The obesity crisis calls for bold action,” said Dr. Farley in an issued statement. “Sugary drinks are a leading cause of this epidemic, and they increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. This regulation will help those suffering from obesity and its health effects, including members of minority groups who are disproportionately affected.”

Gallatin sophomore Madel Beaudouin, a member of NYU’s Latinas on the Verge of Excellence Mentoring club, said that although she was skeptical of the NAACP’s and the Hispanic Federation’s motives, she did sympathize with small shop owners.

“As I understand it, the bodegas are going to be really hurt because while the corporate chains can handle the loss of revenue, essentially these small mom-and-pop stores need all of the help they can get,” Beaudouin said.

Komal Patel is a contributing writer.

Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

CREDIT continued from PG. 1

Environmentalist encourages New York universities to divest

companies to balancing a scale.

“Washington is just about power...

On the one hand, Exxon has piled huge amounts of money so the scale tips in their direction. We have to pile enough bodies and passion and energy on the other side of the scale.”

Even though topics were solemn, the audience often raised their hands to cheer, clap and laugh. After receiving a standing ovation, McKibben shared the stage with student panelists including NYU alumna Belinda Rodriquez and Columbia University senior Joe Shortsleeve.

Shortsleeve asked what else could be done, noting that many people believe university divestment alone cannot sustain a movement. McKibben responded that he believes more non-violent disobedience must be increased.

“We’ve learned from 25 years that asking isn’t getting it done, so we better do a little bit more

nyunews.com | wednesday, february 6, 2013 | Washington Square news

than just repeat the same thing over and over,” he added.

NYU professor of environmental science Julianne Warren said she was excited about New York City’s involvement in the divestment from fossil fuels because the diversity of the city meant a stronger community. This compassion from the city seemed to reflect McKibben’s own personality.

“Some have called him a rockstar, but that is almost the inverse,” Warren said. “His whole effectiveness comes from humility and love ... that accounts for the type of worker he has become.”

According to Warren, NYU Divest is currently working on convincing the university’s Board of Trustees to stop investing in fossil fuel companies and to reinvest in more sustainable energy sources.

Jordan Melendrez is deputy managing editor. Email her at jmelendrez@nyunews.com.

AP credits not measuring up to college courses AP credits are cropping up in some departments. NYU chemistry professor John Halpin suggests that AP classes taken in high school may cover similar content but lack the true pressures of the college experience. He says that students who skip the first level of chemistry may have trouble adjusting to the high standards without an introductory

Number of NYU Credits (by school) biology 4,5 Calculus ab 4,5 English Language English Literature 4,5

U.S. History 4, 5

Chuck Kuan/WSN

AP test scores as a guide for placement, but he reiterates that Dartmouth may have the right idea.

“After all, it is called the Advanced Placement program, not the Advanced Credit program,” he said.

Fay Lin is a contributing writer. Email her at investigative@nyunews.com.

Translating Ap Scores to Nyu credits

Politics (U.S.) 4,5

Bill McKibben answered questions posed by student panelists.

course to ease the transition from high school to college.

Former AP Biology student and CAS freshman Sarah Reed agrees.

“AP Biology and Principles of Biology have very similar lectures, but Principles of Biology requires much more comprehension and synthesis and less memorization,” she said.

Abbott supports the use of

CAS

GLS

Poly

Steinhardt

STern

Tisch

8 4 0 4 4 4

8 4 0 4 4 4

4 4 0 3 3 3

8 4 0 4 4 4

8 0 0 4 4 4

8 4 0 4 4 4

graphic by rachel pham/wsn

Depending on your AP score and school, students can receive a certain number of credits.

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Washington Square news | wednesday, february 6, 2013 | nyunews.com

arts

Songwriter’s Portrait: John Darnielle

By Josh Johnson

With today’s ever improving technology, it has become increasingly easy to make music with the click of a button. However, one thing that can’t yet be replaced by technology is the art of lyricism. Great lyricists are few and far between these days, so it’s important to recognize them before record companies start building love song writing robots (see: Bieber, Justin). WSN’s first installment of this column focuses on John Darnielle, the frontman of the Mountain Goats, and his five best lines.

5.) “I wandered through the house like a little boy lost at the mall / and an astronaut could’ve seen the hunger in my eyes from space” — “Woke Up New” When the narrator in “Woke Up New” breaks up with his girlfriend, his empty stomach can be seen from the heavenly bodies. Not even the Great Wall of China can achieve that feat. By cleverly replacing heartbreak with hunger, Darnielle avoids cliché and instead illustrates a man utterly lost in his newfound state of life. The fact that the narrator is wandering aimlessly around the suburban monstrosity that is the mall is the icing on the world’s saddest cake.

4.) “When you punish a person for dreaming his dream / Don’t expect him to thank or forgive you / The best ever death metal band out of Denton / Will in time both outpace and outlive you / Hail Satan!”

— “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton” Telling someone to “follow your dream” isn’t exactly the most original thought, but Darnielle’s eloquent and exact wording make the idea seem revelatory. The foreboding threats are perfectly punctuated by a positively playful “Hail Satan!” that is so gleeful, it has to be meant solely as a means to panic the backward-thinking masses.

3.) “I hope you die / I hope we both die” — “No Children” Note to the editors of Webster’s Dictionary: you can replace whatever definition you have for the word “bitterness” with this acidic gem.

2.) “Held under these smothering waves / By your strong and thick-veined hand / But one of these days / I’m gonna wriggle up on dry land” — “Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod” This line refers to Darnielle’s plan for escaping his abusive

stepfather, and it represents the songwriter at his most devastating. What makes it so affecting is that it’s just so yearningly hopeful. The line’s buoyant attitude is absolutely heartbreaking, and never before has a drowning metaphor been used so impeccably. The fact that it’s the last line of the song makes it even more of a gut-punch. Plus, it makes titling a song “Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod” justifiable, which is a miracle in and of itself.

1.) “The most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you / And that you’re standing in the doorway” — “Going to Georgia” Not only is this line from “Going to Georgia” the best line Darnielle has written, it’s one of the best lines ever written by anyone. The beauty of this line lies in its simplicity – Darnielle flawlessly encapsulates the ever elusive feeling of “love” without using a word more complicated than “doorway.” He simply has a way with words that few people on this planet can match.

Josh Johnson is arts editor. Email him at jjohnson@nyunews.com.

Tense college lives collide in new play

By Leora Rosenberg

Set in a college dorm room, “Collision” explores its characters’ attempts to form a consistent moral compass. Grange, a well-spoken, radical philosophy major, exerts a charismatic and sociopathic influence over his impressionable roommate, Bromley. He arranges for both of them to bed Doe, a classmate, and the experience irrecoverably bonds them. Grange charms Professor Denton next, and then he guides the deterioration of the foursome’s morality.

The resulting conversation is an unusual and wonderful show.

Lyle Kessler, the playwright, does not feed his audience easy entertainment. Kessler simply allows the audience to watch as the four friends take on increasingly important roles in each other’s psyches, while also containing their social lives solely in one room.

However, Kessler’s storytelling is sometimes sloppy. He leaves Doe woefully underdeveloped, and Denton’s appearance seems implausible. But the group bonding remains engaging. They perform acts of escalating violence, and the lack of a storyline becomes the

most compelling aspect.

“Collision” is the rare play that manages to explore ennui without boring its audience. Even an hour in, it’s not clear how the show will end. The climax must provide either an emotionally satisfying explanation of what scarred these students or give a chilling demonstration of the horrors scarred people can inflict. The tension builds, and the students must either face their demons or explode. The resolution underlines the play’s thematic core.

The script of “Collision” intentionally ignores important questions. What about the people outside this room? Why has nobody noticed the characters’ deteriorations? What are the warning signs?

Who could help and how? What kind of society lets this happen?

By focusing instead on the damage that could have been avoided, Kessler leaves his unasked questions to fester and nag.

“Collision” is presented by the Rattlestick Theater Company at 224 Waverly Place and is playing now through Feb. 17.

Leora Rosenberg is a staff writer.

Email her at theater@nyunews.com.

nyunews.com | wednesday, february 6, 2013 | Washington Square news

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edited by josh johnson ARTS@nyunews.com

My Morning Jacket frontman impresses with solo debut

By Alexandria Ethridge

With his debut solo album “Regions of Light and Sound of God,” Jim James has apparently taken a page out of Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” and done his best to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.

While “Regions” is certainly a departure from his previous work, the My Morning Jacket frontman delivers a solid album of multi-genre medleys that will have you casting aside your Netflix queue in favor of some classic transcen-

dentalist poetry. Whereas James’s last album with MMJ, the well-received “Circuital,” bordered on the edge of alternative, his solo effort is a soulful and psychedelic experience from start to finish.

James based “Regions” on graphic novelist Lynd Ward’s “Son of God,” which celebrates a humble, idyllic life over one of wealth and fame. In that mold, the album opens with classic piano, orchestral strings and soft static, giving the impression that the song was recorded live. James plays every instrument featured on the album with

Courtesy of Removador

the exception of drums and strings, embodying a do-it-yourself ideology that is rare in the music industry today.

James’ trademark muted falsetto and love of reverb dominates the album’s tracks, particularly on “State of the Art A.E.I.O.U.” and “A New Life.”

The tone of the album noticeably adds a brighter, less weary sound to several tracks, mirroring the change of heart demonstrated by the character in Ward’s novel.

Featuring a variety of instruments ranging from harp to saxophone to what might be an electric organ, “Regions” is full of intricately orchestrated details that are sure to please listeners.

While James’ lyrics are hardly intelligible, it quickly becomes clear that the words are not as important as the way he sings them or the manner in which they blend with the accompanying vocals and instrumentals for a thoroughly funky effect.

Overall, “Regions of Light and Sound of God” proves that James’ solo career is off to a solid start, though one might wonder if he’d be happier simply herding sheep in the countryside than touring the country.

Alexandria Ethridge is music editor.

Email her at aethridge@nyunews.com.

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Quirky comedies struggle to find large audiences

By Ife Olujobi

Last week, ABC announced that fan favorite comedy “Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23” was canceled after two seasons. “Apartment 23,” along with the witty comedy “Happy Endings,” also on ABC, were struggling ratings-wise and showed only modest improvement following a time slot change made in hopes of boosting viewership.

The two ABC comedies represent only the beginning of a trend. During the same week “Apartment 23” was canceled, the favorably reviewed FOX sitcom “Ben and Kate” was also canceled in the middle of its first season after airing only 13 of its 19 episodes. Meanwhile, on NBC, “Parks and Recreation” and “Community” struggle to maintain viewers, despite a dedicated fan base. It’s obvious that well-liked comedies must go to great lengths to be successful today.

So when fans and critics can agree that a comedy is of good quality, why aren’t people watching?

The first answer to that question comes in the form of ratings. Sitcoms like “Modern Family” and “Two and a Half Men” rank among the most highly viewed shows. With the success of other family comedies like “Suburgatory,” “Raising Hope” and even the sci-fi infused “The Neighbors,” could the success of the sitcom lie in its content?

All of the previously mentioned shows center on modern American family life and its challenges. People want to watch shows about themselves — that’s why reality television is so popular — but scripted shows can capture the essence of everyday life and romanticize it. Perhaps a lack of reality explains the constant endangerment of niche comedy shows.

Yet this trend cannot explain the success of “The Big Bang Theory” and the high ratings of newer shows like “New Girl” and “2 Broke Girls.” One must also take into account the continuing success of shows like “Glee” and “How I Met Your Mother” as more examples of popular — yet unrealistic — comedies.

The fate of a show, then, is largely dependent on a network’s lineup. “Apartment 23” beat the FOX sitcom “Raising Hope” in ratings in both the 18-49 demo and total viewership, but the show still got axed, while “Raising Hope” remains on air and will likely be renewed. This could be because FOX only has three sitcoms — “Raising Hope,” “New Girl” and “The Mindy Project” — while ABC has seven sitcoms in its lineup. ABC can afford to trim the fat, while FOX needs to keep the laughs.

Save for special instances, though, it seems better for a show to be well liked by many than fervently loved by few. “Parks and Recreation” has been in danger of cancellation since its inception, but now, with the critical acclaim for the fifth season bringing in a larger audience, its fate looks secure for the first time since its beginning. Hopefully more good shows like it can find their footing so that America can keep on laughing.

Ife Olujobi is a staff writer. Email her at entertainment@nyunews.com.

via facebook.com

Krysten Ritter and Dreama Walker starred in “Apt. 23.”

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Washington Square news | wednesday, february 6, 2013 | nyunews.com

The new york times crossword & daily sudoku The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Wednesday, February 6, 2013 Edited by Will Shortz

Crossword ACROSS

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open house FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8th

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Edited by Will Shortz

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1 Dona

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58

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48 49 51 52 54 55 56 58 59 60 63 64

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nyunews.com | wednesday, february 6, 2013 | Washington Square news

7

opinion

edited by sameer jaywant opinion@nyunews.com

Gay Rights

Boy Scouts policy condones discrimination

By Jessica Littman

The Boy Scouts of America, a group that is meant to educate and empower young men through team-building and outdoor education activities, has been mired in scandal for the last few years because of its ban on gay members and troop leaders.

Over the years, gay fathers have been forced to stop participating in their sons’ troop activities, and gay scouts have been kicked out of the organization.

When the Boy Scouts announced recently that they would consider dropping the ban on gay members, fans of equality everywhere rejoiced — for a minute. Upon closer reading of the Scouts’ plan, however, one discovers that they are not considering lifting the ban on gays for the organization as a whole. Instead, each individual troop will make its own decision about allowing gay members.

This is a clever move by the Scouts on the national level. If they lift the ban, they’re just passing the blame for discrimi-

nation to individual troops, and they can sit back and pretend to be open-minded and accepting.

Meanwhile, individual Boy Scout troops can continue to openly discriminate against gay boys who want to participate or gay fathers who want to be involved in their sons’ activities.

What is more, bringing the decision to discriminate down to the local level means that the discrimination will be directed at specific scouts and troop leaders. The troop leaders who decide whether to discriminate against gays will actually be deciding whether to discriminate against familiar young men and members of their troops. If troop leaders decide to continue the discrimination policy in some cases, this means that the boys who are forced out of the Scouts will feel marginalized and personally targeted by adults they know rather than by a faceless organization with which they are unfamiliar.

That is not to say that the national organization should continue their policy, which is unfair, discriminatory and despicable.

Rather, they should lift the ban on gay scouts altogether and dictate that all troops must accept any member who wants to join, regardless of sexual orientation.

Discrimination cases against the Boy Scouts have reached the Supreme Court, which ruled that the organization had the right under the First Amendment to exclude gay scouts and troop leaders. Just as discrimination on the basis of race is banned despite the First Amendment, so too should discrimination based on sexual orientation be prohibited.

As a nation, we are evolving.

Gay marriage is slowly becoming legal in more and more states, and as a whole our society has become more tolerant of differences in sexual orientation and identification. It is time for the Boy Scouts to catch up with the rest of America and to stop causing emotional distress to young boys who only want to learn and have fun.

Jessica Littman is a staff columnist. Email her at jlittman@nyunews.com.

Health

In flu season, New Yorkers lack basic hygiene By brandon jacobi

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been teetering on the proverbial line between suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and being downright disgusted by people’s vile public habits. With the recent flu and norovirus epidemics, my trepidations have become unbearable with every subway ride and trip to a public restroom.

To calm the pre-med hypochondriac ingrained inside of me, my online research revealed that both illnesses could be easily combated by simply washing hands frequently and avoiding infected individuals. The real kicker here, especially for those living in a major city, is that we have to help ourselves help others evade contracting the flu, norovirus or any other contagious illness.

The first and certainly most neglected rule is to be courteous enough to keep our germs to ourselves in public places. As a commuter to NYU, I’ve witnessed an unacceptable number of subway riders sneeze into their hands and then proceed to use that same hand to hold the railings and poles.

Since sneezing into the upper arm is

SUBMITTING TO

too complicated, perhaps we should start investing in anti-bacterial wipes to bring onto the trains. The MTA could conceivably provide them at every station, but that’s as likely as the subway ever running on schedule.

Another critical and overlooked rule is to simply wash our hands after using the restroom. Hand washing was one of the first things we learned in preschool when we weren’t busy picking our noses or throwing rocks at the opposite sex. Despite this early life lesson, I constantly see people walking out of the bathroom without washing their hands. Yes, I am calling out my fellow NYU students. I notice you. I also notice when you wash your hands with just water and not soap. There was an old joke on “Seinfeld” about wanting people who are simultaneously at the bathroom sinks with you to at least pretend to wash their hands to satisfy others’ concerns. That’s not good enough for me. Hand washing literally takes seven seconds (I timed it), and there’s no reason for any of us to abstain.

Understandably, there will be circumstances in which contact with other individuals is unavoidable, but

some precautions should be taken.

Some hospitals have appropriately isolated and quarantined people infected with the flu so someone who has broken a leg will not be exposed to them. However, not nearly enough hospitals have implemented such a system. Every hospital should designate specific areas for contagious and non-contagious patients.

This may prove to be extremely costly and convoluted with hospital overcrowding these days, but hopefully some type of compromise could be reached to employ this preventive care.

Public health is not something that should be taken lightly, especially with how effortless it is to avoid contagious germs. I remain cautiously optimistic that with time and further epidemic crises, more attention and focus will lay the foundation for a serious remedy to this problem. Until then, we need to abide by these previously discussed precautions for our own wellbeing and defense. Which raises the question — why are you still reading this and not washing your hands?

Brandon Jacobi is a contributing columnist.

Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

staff editorial

Obama administration memo contains loopholes

This past Monday, the Justice Department released a document that outlines the legal basis for the Obama administration’s notorious use of the extrajudicial drone program.

Although this memo provides the most detailed reasoning for the administration’s secretive policy to date, the memo is not official documentation and contains serious loopholes.

For example, one of the loopholes concerns what the administration considers to be an imminent threat. On one hand, the memo asserts that no one can be targeted unless he is an operational leader and poses an imminent violent threat to the nation. But if you read further into the document, the definition of “imminent” is infinitely broadened to the point that it loses any real meaning: The United States is not required “to have clear evidence that a specific attack will take place in the immediate future.” So the legal threshold for carrying out a drone attack is very weak because the target does not have to be in the process of planning a specific attack on United States — he must simply be suspected of involvement in general terrorist activities, whatever that means.

Moreover, not only is the power on what constitutes an imminent threat expanded but also limits on this power cannot be enforced in any court: “the Department notes that under the circumstances described in this paper, there exists no appropriate judicial forum to evaluate these constitutional considerations.” There is no way to check the constitutional legality of this issue. How convenient. This self-authorization sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations. The number of people killed by drone strikes is about 4,000 — the official number is not released by the administration — and this includes four Americans.

Of course, there may be a time when the government can use legal force for an imminent threat, but this should only be done under very narrow circumstances. For example, if a police officer sees someone carrying a gun on the street, he should not seek to obtain a warrant from a court. Obviously, the threat is imminent in that case.

The release of this document is also relevant in light of John Brennan’s nomination to become the head of the CIA since Brennan has been closely involved with the drone program. The vote for his confirmation will take place later this week. Hopefully the Senate Republicans and Democrats will pose constructive questions about this memo to Brennan.

Given the recent confirmation hearing with Chuck Hagel, however, this hope is unfounded.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD: Sameer Jaywant (Chair), Raquel Woodruff (Co-chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co-chair), Nickhil Sethi

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.

8

nyunews.com | wednesday, february 6, 2013 | Washington Square news

dining

edited by angel chang DINING@nyunews.com

Top 5: Mardi Gras Meals

By Bryna Shuman

Mardi Gras, a celebration of good food, funky music and carnivalesque fun, falls on Feb. 12 this year. And while we might not be able to celebrate in New Orleans, many spots in the city are conjuring up the Louisiana-style revelry. Check out the top five places to celebrate the festival this year.

1. Bourbon Street Bar and Grille | 346 W. 46th St. With its brick walls, gas-burning street lanterns, second-floor balconies and jazz music, Bourbon Street is a recreation of New Orleans’ French quarter. Perhaps even more authentic is the food — Mardi Gras menu items include crawfish boil ($10), spicy Cajun jambalaya ($24) and real alligator sausage ($12). Top your meal off with $5 hurricanes and, of course, a plethora of beads, feathers and fun.

2. Great Jones Cafe | 54 Great Jones St. What seems to be a small hole-in-the-wall is actually one of the best places to get traditional Cajun cuisine in the city. The cozy restaurant, lit by colorful strings of Christmas lights, serves generous helpings of southern favorites, including collard greens ($5.95), cornmeal fried catfish ($17.95) and ya ya gumbo ($18.95). Top your meal off with a slice of bourbon pecan pie ($5.95) or, in honor of Mardi Gras, a slice of king’s cake.

3. Creole | 2167 Third Ave. While Creole is an exquisite and swanky supper club, its reasonable prices appeal to even a college student’s budget. Creole features live jazz or blues musicians almost every night. Popular menu items at Creole include the okra chicken gumbo ($13.95), Louisiana crab cakes ($23.95) and Creole catfish strips ($10.95). For dessert, try Creole’s unique twist on a New Orleans favorite: a hot sweet potato beignet ($6.50).

4. The Delta Grill | 700 Ninth Ave. The Delta Grill is hosting its annual Mardi Gras party, where a $25 cover at the door includes an all-you-can eat buffet, free hurricanes and live music by Citigrass, a band combining traditional bluegrass music with a twist of rock ‘n’ roll. The buffet is sure to include some Delta Grill favorites, such as shrimp creole, fried okra and crawfish popcorn.

5. Le Poisson Rouge | 158 Bleecker St. Le Poisson Rouge is hosting its annual Two Boots Mardi Gras Ball, a blowout party that benefits the Lower Eastside Girls Club. The party features stiltwalkers, body painting and an all-star performance lineup that includes this year’s King and Queen of Mardi Gras, Cyndi Lauper and Questlove. Tickets are $25 in advance or $125 for VIP, which includes dinner and open bar.

Bryna Shuman is a staff writer.

Email her at dining@nyunews.com.

Calliope brings taste of Mediterranean to New York

By Ariana Divalentino

An East Village restaurant recently launched a new breakfast menu for those seeking items other than the cereal in their dining halls.

Combining Mediterranean and New American cuisine, Eric Korsh and Ginevra Iverson opened Calliope last spring and have recently started serving breakfast Tuesday through Friday, beginning at 8 a.m., The selection includes traditional staples like egg, pastries and granola, as well as adventurous dishes like mackerel and tripe.

“I’ve been cooking since I was a teenager,” Korsh said, “and the truest expression of that comes at dinner. But people eat breakfast, too.”

He went on to explain that the early morning hours and menu were born of the necessity to remain competitive.

“This is New York. If you have a restaurant, you need to be open,” Korsh said.

Despite this, the food does not come across as an afterthought. Emphasis is placed on carefully crafted meals. Popular items include eggs with mayonnaise ($6), and the apricot-orange blossom puree and fruit ($9). As for entrees, the omelet with Swiss chard, sorrel and Parmesan cheese ($10) is flavorful and texturally pleasing.

The average college student, however, may find the prices somewhat limiting.

With the average entree ranging from $10

Chuck Kuan/WSN

Calliope’s expertly prepared breakfast dishes include a country-style omelet. to $17, Calliope makes for a feasible occasional outing but not a regular destination. Still, the splurge is worthwhile for these exceptionally prepared dishes.

In addition, the vintage-style tables and wall mirrors contribute to the peaceful environment. Calliope would be the perfect place to get some reading done or enjoy an early meeting with a friend.

When asked what sets breakfast at Calliope apart from nearby restaurants, Korsh cited the food’s “artisanal quality.”

“This is a great area, but there aren’t many places serving their own smoked fish and fresh pastries,” he said.

Calliope is located at 84 E. Fourth Street, at Second Avenue.

Ariana DiValentino is a staff writer.

Email her at dining@nyunews.com.