NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 42, No. 6
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2014
nyunews.com
Professors honored with MLK award By SHARMEEN KHAN
Last night, five professors were awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Faculty Award for their achievement in promoting the ideals of MLK’s teachings. The five professors who received awards included Tisch professor Yemane Demissie, Steinhardt professor Shabnam Javdani, CAS professor Elizabeth OuYang, Silver professor Marcella Hall, and Law professor Bryan Stevenson. Students were given the opportunity to nominate any professor with a written statement. The committee of Student Diversity Programs and Services only considered the written statements of students to determine the award recipients. The event opened up with speeches from Patricia Carey, associate dean for Student Services at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, and provost David McLaughlin. McLaughlin called the recipients a SHAWN PAIK FOR WSN
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
VIA FLICKR.COM
One Day in Abu Dhabi
CVS to cease tobacco sales
Winter Olympics kick off Friday
What do our desert colleagues wake up to out east?
Despite the inevitable loss of profits, the move is admirable and for the best.
Will the politics of Sochi hurt the spirit of the Games?
STORY on PG. 4
STORY on PG. 7
STORY on PG. 8 IVAN SEKRETAREV/AP
Billy Joel not moving out of Madison Sq. Garden anytime soon By ALEXA SPIELER
Before an artist’s success was defined by YouTube views or Twitter followers, there existed a time when the music spoke for itself. A musician’s credibility was defined by the mastery of his or her craft. Though potentially a difficult concept for teenagers of the current generation to grasp, on Feb. 3 Billy Joel reminded onlookers
at Madison Square Garden that for the music to move you, sometimes all you need is a piano. The historic announcement came in December, with Joel and MSG unveiling the plans for him to perform once a month at the venue. The Jan. 27 concert was the first in the series, and dates are set through September with no official end to the residency. These shows mark the first time Joel is tour-
ing solo since 2008. Aiming to capture the essence of his powerful, passionate music, Joel transforms his set for every performance. Certain songs are kept for an element of consistency, such as “New York State of Mind,” “Pressure,” “Miami 2017” and “Allentown.” However, Joel did not hesitate to catch the crowd — one that peaks at an 18,200-person capacity — off guard, alter-
ing his set with numbers he doesn’t typically perform. Before delighted audience members, Joel performed both “The Downeaster Alexa” and “Captain Jack” in an unprecedented rarity. Since 1980, Joel has virtually removed “Captain Jack” from his setlist. The decision to include unexpected songs led to the removal of classics such as “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” but the
audience didn’t seem to mind. As Joel concluded the set with “Piano Man” and an encore featuring “Big Shot” and “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” the reverberating echoes of audience members’ voices synchronized with Joel’s heartfelt lyrics, reinstating the music’s power and reminding everyone of its ability to make thousands of
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