NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 10
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013
Parkchoonmoo
Diesel
nyunews.com
Falguni & Shane Peacock
Highlan
Blanc de Chine
BEST OF
Costello
new york fashion week Day-by-Day Coverage: Fall/Winter 2013 on Pages 4 & 5
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
ON THE SIDE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS If you’re not celebrating Valentine’s Day, you will most likely be trying to forget it even exists. Here are a few entertaining options to help you do just that.
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“BREAKIN’ UP” BY RILO KILEY Jenny Lewis celebrates her newfound singledom with this incredibly upbeat song. The bouncy synths, the female back-up singers and the line “It feels good to be free” are perfect for a Valentine’s Day that defies convention and rejoices in freedom from romantic entanglements.
“ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND” The premise of Jim Carrey’s best movie is based on erasing bad memories. You can join Carrey in his quest for ignorant bliss, but you may find that the past is worth holding on to.
WSN STAFF
IN AND OF
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HANQING CHEN
It’s a big city and a widespread university. Catch up with our daily updates on university and city/state news headlines other publications are covering.
Deputy Managing Editor
JORDAN MELENDREZ Assistant Managing Editor
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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,
RECOGNIZED NYU LANGONE NURSE SITS AT SOTU Guests that sat with first lady Michelle Obama for the State of the Union address included Menchu de Luna Sanchez, a nurse who helped save infants stuck in the hospital when it lost power during Hurricane Sandy.
— NBC
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HINTON, CHARLES MAHONEY, CLIO MCCONNELL, STEFAN MELNYK, LAVYA YALAMANCHI
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LOST YOUR METROCARD? TRY LOSING $92 MILLION The Metropolitan Transit Authority, in spite of its notorious money troubles and fare hikes, was found by a state audit to have somehow overlooked about 92 million dollars in various bank accounts and other funds.
— Newsday
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 “F**K YOU!” BY CEE LO GREEN The ultimate tell-off song is a perfect way to dismiss V-Day. Skip the radio edit and go straight to the explicit version, which puts Cee Lo slightly ahead of Danger Mouse in the post-Gnarls Barkley world.
THE “HARRY POTTER” SERIES If you really want to forget about the holiday — and the rest of the world for that matter — pick up the first “Harry Potter” book and read all seven books from cover to cover. You can spend the entire weekend reading the best young adult fiction series ever written. By the time you’re done, you will have entirely forgotten about Valentine’s Day.
opinion editor
SAMEER JAYWANT deputy opinion editors
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BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES NEW GREEN INITIATIVE In his next State of the City address, Mayor Bloomberg will announce an initiative that would encourage the buying of electric cars. The mayor hopes to install 10,000 parking spaces for electric cars over the next seven years.
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BRINGING MUSIC TO A NOISY CITY Sing for Hope Pianos has announced plans to revive a program from 2010 in which 88 refurbished pianos decorated by children and artists will be placed in locations around the city this summer for public use.
— Washington Post
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CUOMO FACES FIGHT OVER FIREARM POLICIES Last Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s gun-control laws were faced with discontent and signs during a rally outside the Capitol on Tuesday.
A shopper proudly sports his American-made hat by keeping the tag attached.
– Wall Street Journal
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KEITH LEIGHTY EDITORS-AT-LARGE
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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.
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NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
Union distributes bloody MetroCards in protest By FAY LIN
Hoping to sway the New York City Council hearings on subway safety, a local union handed out MetroCards splattered with fake blood to subway riders last week. The Transport Workers Union Local 100 handed out cards at three different subway stations, which were chosen because of their proximity to concurrent City Hall meetings where metro accidents were on the agenda. In addition to blood stains, the cards also featured a picture of the Grim Reaper on the back and the union’s demands. “We want to raise awareness of danger on the platforms because there are often fatalities that no one hears about,” said TWU Local 100 spokesman Jim Gannon. The city reported 55 deaths last year. Though most advocates of subway safety have suggested high-tech barriers to reduce the subway deaths, this union advocates something much simpler. “While the MTA is proposing numerous high-tech solutions that would cost billions of dollars and take decades to implement, transit workers have a quick, easy and no-cost solution to many of the deaths on the tracks,” Gannon said. “Reduce speeds coming into stations.” Other suggestions outlined on the back of the so-called “Grim Reaper Cards” included placing transit agents on crowded platforms and using an emergency switch to shut off power. However, Aaron Donovan, a media liaison for the Metropolitan Transit Author-
ity, rejected these proposals and said they would cause more harm than good. “The fact is that slowing down trains would create crowding conditions on trains and platforms and would actually create a more dangerous condition,” Donovan said. Donovan also noted that the number of subway fatalities is minimal compared to the total number of individuals commuting. Last year, the subway system transported approximately 1.64 billion people, and 55 of those individuals were in fatal train accidents. Despite disagreements, both parties agree that safety is the main priority. “We want to work with the TWU on an increased public education campaign,” Donovan said, “[such as] updated car cards in 100 percent of cars, paid media campaign, enhanced station announcements, safety flyers in stations, etc., to remind customers to be aware of their surroundings and stay away from platform edges.” Tisch freshman Valeria Rotella is in favor of any policy that will ensure safer subway transportation. “I don’t think that the recent accidents on the subway would have been prevented by this policy, but it’s still something,” she said. “But what’s really fascinating is that since these deaths were publicized, I’ve seen people more wary on the subway, myself included.” Fay Lin is a contributing writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.
COURTESY OF JIM GANNON
MetroCards spattered with fake blood raised subway safety awareness.
Study challenges traditional crime prevention theories
By HELEN OWOLABI
Many people attribute the decrease in crime in New York City during the mid1990s to the efforts of the New York Police Department. Last month, however, David F. Greenberg, a professor of sociology at NYU, challenged this premise in “Justice Quarterly.” In 1994, Bill Bratton became the new police commissioner of the NYPD and brought with him new policing tactics. These tactics included the broken windows theory, in which small crimes in problem areas are given more attention as a way to prevent more serious crimes from ensuing. Other innovations include the CompStat computer system, which geographically maps crimes, and officers’ stop-and-frisk strategy, in which an officer can frisk a person he or she suspects could commit or has already committed a felony or misdemeanor. Many people attribute these practices to the decline in crime in New York City, but Greenberg’s research disputes these claims, and he criticizes both the broken windows theory and stop-and-frisk. Greenberg explains in his study how “much of the research that has been done evinces limitations and weaknesses that render it incapable of providing a definitive explanation.” Many studies that show how the NYPD was the catalyst only use data from a short time period, according to Greenberg. Another problem Greenberg addresses is that previous studies focused on the New York City area as
CHUCK KUAN/WSN
New research questions city crime rate drop in the 1990s. a whole. Greenberg’s own research and analysis effectively resolves both of these issues with the help of Richard Rosenfeld, who invited Greenberg to collaborate with him. Rosenfeld, a criminologist and professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri, St. Louis and former president of the American Society of Criminology, showed data of the New York City area from 1988 to 2001 and analyzed the rates of different crimes in all the city’s precincts. This allowed Greenberg to come up with interesting conclusions about the NYPD. He found that the rise in stop-and-frisk arrests between 1988 and 2001 had no correlation to a decline in violent crimes. He also discovered that prison admission rates and police force sizes decreased during this period — further evidence to support his belief that the NYPD was not contributing to a reduction in felonies. However, Greenberg cannot pinpoint the cause for the
sudden decrease in crime in the ’90s. “No one knows for sure what did bring about the crime drop,” Greenberg said. Possible causes include stabilization of the market for crack cocaine, reduced price of illegal drugs leading to less violence and less theft and removal of lead from the environment. Beau Shaw, a professor of philosophy at NYU, grew up in New York during the 1980s and suspects a different cause. “The creation of the perception of a more effective police force was a way of advertising the city as a harmless place to potential wealthy tourists and residents, whose increased presence in New York has contributed to the reduction in crime,” Shaw said. Greenberg, Rosenfeld and David Weisburd, another collaborating criminologist, are continuing their analysis and research on this muchdebated topic. Helen Owolabi is a contributing writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.
Fewer seats at graduation for seniors’ friends, families
By LESLEY GREENBERG
According to NYU’s website, graduating seniors may only request a maximum of three guest tickets for the all-university commencement ceremony at Yankee Stadium this year. This is a decrease from last year’s limit of four guest tickets per graduate. Students with large families should delay their anger for the moment, however. “Typically we give out four guest tickets to each graduate attending the all-university commencement,” said John Beckman, NYU spokesman. “Most likely that is what will happen this year, too.” When deciding how many guest tickets to allocate to each graduate, the university has to consider multiple factors. First of all, every graduate who wishes to attend the ceremony must have a seat. Additionally, although the university is aware that some who receive tickets will not arrive, they do
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not “double-book” seats. Since Yankee Stadium has a finite amount of seating and NYU has a one ticket per seat policy, they must limit the number of guest tickets given out. “I’ve been planning things working under the assumption that I would get four tickets like they’ve always done,” CAS senior Alyse McGuigan said. “I think they should be a little more accomodating and understand this usually happens once in your life, and you want to share it with as many people as you can.” Attendance at the all-university commencement varies depending on the speaker. More popular speakers draw more attendees. This year’s commencement speaker has yet to be announced. “But if it were someone likely to draw a larger than normal turn-out,” Beckman said, “then we might provide three guest tickets — instead of the customary four — to ensure that all students get seated, and we wanted to be upfront about that.”
As a result, the website currently states that students may only be able to request three guest tickets. The university asks students not to take more guest tickets than they need, and most students comply with this request, according to Beckman. He also noted that students were only given two guest tickets when graduation was held in Washington Square Park. The commencement has been held at Yankee Stadium since 2008. “That gives us some flexibility in helping people out at the last moment,” he said. Typically, about 9,500 students attend the all-university commencement, and Yankee Stadium has 50,287 seats. Tickets for the all-university commencement must be ordered online between March 18 and May 10. Lesley Greenberg is a staff writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.
FILE PHOTO BY DAVID LIN/WSN
Students celebrate their commencement in Yankee Stadium.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
BEAUTY AND STYLE Friday: Parkchoonmoo By ARIANA DIVALENTINO Severity and starkness were key themes in the Parkchoonmoo Fall/Winter 2013 show in the Studio at Lincoln Center. The collection’s theme of the collection was “arctic,” was present throughout with layers of wool, silk and leather creating wintry pieces like knee-length jackets, down coats and flowing, oversize knit sweaters. As is designer Choonmoo Park’s signature style, the pieces used a neutral color palette, made up mostly of black, white, gray and cream, with the occasional subtle hint of navy or slate blue. The inspiration for the collection was a nature documentary, which featured an iceberg breaking from a massive glacier. The image moved Park, leading her to consider the fragility of the environment and the intimidating power of nature. This idea translated into the icy hues and geometric features of the glacierprinted dresses. Angular patches of padding were featured on several articles of clothing, a nod to the beauty of the Arctic and to the
concept of providing humans with protection against the threatening environment. This idea was also apparent in the practicality of the collection: water-repellent and padded outerwear (including duvet wraps, carried over the models’ arms) are winter-friendly attributes not often seen in designer fashion. Oddly, each model wore a pair of chunky white athletic sneakers. Though a bit incongruous with the bundled-up style of the collection, it did not detract from a beautiful and unconventional show. Models sported appropriately stark but elegantly tight, center-parted low ponytails and neutral makeup with dewy cheekbones, which did not take attention from the clothing. Some of the standout pieces were the most dramatic, including satin wraps, mesh tops with silk patches, and a long silk-jersey dress with an unexpectedly open back that elicited an audible reaction from the audience. Ariana DiValentino is a staff writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.
Costello and Tagliapietra’s inspiration stemmed from aerial maps and topographic lines, which could be seen in the printed blouses and dresses.
Monday: Alice + Olivia F/W 2013
Alice + Olivia’s Victorian-inspired presentation at High Line Sta
–SANJANA KUCHERIA
Thursday: Costello Tagliapietra
RYAN HAMILTON/WSN
Sunday: Blanc de Chine By JEWEL JIANG Apsaras, the female spirits of clouds and water, are beautiful symbols of the rich culture of Dunhuang, an oasis on the famous and mysterious Silk Road of ancient China. In myths, the Asparas are able to fly without wings by using the support of light and floating fabrics and ribbons. They are also the inspiration for the Blanc de Chine Fall/Winter 2013 collection, “Dunhuang.” Weightlessness is the emphasis of the women’s collection, inspired by the traditional soft, flowing dresses of the Apsaras. Velvet and silk are used extensively, creating an elegant, fluid feeling. Several pieces, including a reversible brown jacket and a silk crepe dress, made use of asym-
metrical cuts to bring out the illusion of weightlessness and movement. The show opened with an asymmetric signature print tunic, shown with black silk skinny pants. The colors set the tone for the whole show, signaling a shift from the label’s spring collection that featured mainly monochrome pieces. Models wearing more colorful pieces emerged after the first look. Garments included a multi-green draped front dress with print linings, a long, multicolor dress and a stunning long navy qipao, or cheonsam, with blue sequin detailing. The colors were inspired by sancai tones — the tri-color tones used in the glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty as well as on Dunhuang murals depicting the dresses of Apsaras. The men’s collection was not
as exciting as the women’s, with the only new element being the smooth waterfall collar, inspired by Tang Dynasty robes. The collection featured the standard silk shirt and formal and casual style jackets with flat front pants. The Silk Road was once the most important connection between East Asia and the West. It was an important route for the exchange of goods, and more importantly the exchange of cultures. The name “Dunhuang” symbolized the motto of Blanc de Chine as an amalgamation of traditional Chinese culture and modern style. The fall/winter 2013 collection served the name well. Jewel Jiang is a contributing writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.
This collect fashion, bu clo
NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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EDITED BY MICHELLE LIM BSTYLE@NYUNEWS.COM
“
Known for bright, daring designs, Alice + Olivia did not disappoint this season –VALERIE NELSON
”
ages featured Baroque prints with eye-catching modern accents like studs and animal prints.
CHRIS KLEMENS/WSN CHUCK KUAN/WSN
Saturday: Highland
tion is not something that is obvious menswear ut that is what makes it art: classic fall-weather othing with a twist that induces thought. –MAXIMILÍANO DURÓN
Tuesday: Diesel Black Gold By HILARY PRESLEY Inside the gritty Pier 57, new creative director Andreas Melbostad debuted his sexy, bikerinspired fall/winter 2013 collection for Diesel Black Gold. Melbostad’s girl is, simply put, a badass. She loves an impeccably tailored jacket and her skirts as short as they come. She prefers spikes and studs to dainty sequins, and wears her hair greased up and slicked back in a faux-hawk. She is strong, confident, and undeniably sexy. The inspiration behind the collection was the vibe of a classic gas station and the need for speed. This translated into aerodynamic, body-skimming silhouettes, an abundance of grommets, zippers and buckles and the brand’s favorite material: leather. Melbostad looked to iconic motoring garments and blended them together into spiked and studded denim jackets and micro mini versions of pit stop jumpsuits. The entire collection was in bold blacks and whites, on trend and edgy. In an all-around stellar col-
By MARINA ZHENG The soundtrack to Falguni and Shane Peacock’s Fall/Winter 2013 collection could not have been better suited for the looks displayed on the runway. Models strutted out to the sound of classical violin music interwoven with an ear thumping dub-step rhythm. Not the most predictable of pairs, but, for some reason, it just worked. Unsurprisingly, the clothes themselves incorporated this stark contrast of feminine elegance and dark edginess, pleasantly complementing each other to a T. Think ’40s silhouette-inspired peplum cocktail dresses spruced up with dramatic pointed shoulders and silver metallic bodices resembling armor. Gowns with costume-like feather accents dripping in hand-embellished beading featured both leather accents and mesh cutouts. Graphic prints evinced an Erté influence. The prints were softened with the additions of delicate lace and luxurious silk velvet. Again, Falguni and Shane
lection, one piece that stood out was a metallic chunky knit with quilted leather detailing. Even the more timid of the fashion set could pull that off, especially when paired with tattered jeans or a smart pencil skirt. Another dress of note: a moto shift finished with panels of black lace, an unexpected touch that was far from girly. Trends to note are the bold, structured shoulder in outerwear, a slight ankle flare in the pants and mock turtlenecks. The entire collection featured noticeably high necklines, which provided a welcome balance to the micro mini skirts and second skin leather pants that proved turtlenecks can in fact be sexy. Accessories oozed just as much sex appeal. Shoes were black, pointy and wrapped around the ankle. Clutches, encrusted with dangerous looking spikes, were structured and tiny, just big enough to fit the keys to your getaway vehicle. Hilary Presley is a staff writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.
chose to focus on the duality of soft versus hard through their use of masculine prints alongside classic girly fabrics. A particular standout was the metallic jacquard suit jacket that had a 3D pop-out illusion, giving the garment a baroque textile quality. Dark, sensual hues evoked a sense of mysterious sexiness. But while they composed the main palette for the collection, brighter shades ranging from red to sea green and violet still popped. A particular show-stopper was a black sequined sweetheart dress with feather trim, worn under a graphic print coat with feathered sleeves. The black embellished gown with the sheer cutouts will undoubtedly be seen on the next daring red-carpet walker. Falguni and Shane Peacock’s most recent collection is for the brave soul, the strong, wild and audacious woman whose sensuality and femininity refuses to be sacrificed. Marina Zheng is a staff writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.
Wednesday: Falguni & Shane Peacock
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
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Crossword ACROSS
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For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.
NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY SAMEER JAYWANT OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
CIVIL RIGHTS
Gay rights must become universal pursuit By PETER KEFFER Recent events in the United Kingdom and France have expanded the rights of same-sex couples in the western world. Within two days of each other, governments in both London and Paris voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill allowing the marriage of same-sex couples. Despite this similarity, there is a dramatic difference between the public reactions in the two neighboring countries. On the eve of the vote in London, there was little public opposition to the bill. In Paris, however, hundreds of thousands of people — spurred on by the conservative voices within the country — converged on the city in opposition to the bill. The discrepancy reflects a fundamental difference in conservative attitudes toward homosexuals in these countries. Conservative parties have a history of opposition toward gay rights. Nicolas Dhuicq, a member of the French conservative opposition Union for a Popular Movement, or
U.M.P., stated late last year that not only are homosexual parents incapable of teaching their children what is right or wrong but that the children whom they raise are more likely to become terrorists. Although such slander thankfully does not reflect the consensus of the U.M.P., it does show the perceived incompatibility between conservatism and gay rights. Same-sex marriage does, however, fit into the greater conservative ideology of social cohesion and stability, which treats the family as the bedrock of a functioning society. The U.K. government that passed same-sex marriage is conservative. In fact, Prime Minister David Cameron affirmed that he supports same-sex marriage because he is a conservative. The gap that nevertheless exists in the conservative ideology is the unfounded insistence that a family with homosexual parents is fundamentally different from a family with heterosexual parents. But the reality is that the values conservatives find
in the traditional family are the same as those in non-traditional family. Such an attitude should be adopted by France and, ultimately, the United States. The debate over same-sex marriage has become trivial. Your rights as a human being should not be dictated by the person you love. Marriage is not necessarily a religious ceremony, but it is necessarily a civil one, and it affords married couples the civil necessities of a typical relationship. Rather than being radical opinions shouted across the political chambers of western countries, these notions are slowly becoming accepted truths. As both sides of the political spectrum prioritize the rights of their citizens, this debate no longer falls in line with or against a single political ideology. Gay rights are, and should be, both a liberal and conservative pursuit. Peter Keffer is a foreign correspondent. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
MIDDLE EAST
Egypt must reform in wake of revolution By CARLOS ESTEVEZ It only takes a walk through the streets of Luxor to realize the predicament of the Egyptian people. Many houses lack electricity, walls and even roofs. Many Egyptian men linger near tourist locations, selling souvenirs. They swarm tourists and plead for some business. They tell stories of hungry children and long periods of time without work. Their state of desperation ultimately forces them to sell their products at devastatingly low prices. In the eyes of tourists, street vendors swindle foreigners by selling products for many times their fair market price. But these sellers do so out of necessity. Even the landscape of Egypt displays the plight of its people. The channels of the Nile, Egypt’s oncesacred river, have become a dumping ground for piles of garbage. Many towns lack paved roads and most of the existing paths lack much-needed maintenance. A drive from Cairo to Alexandria reveals a desert landscape dotted with abandoned construction projects. Unfinished buildings,
SUBMITTING TO
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roads and even bridges reflect a state of decay. Some buildings are barely standing, with collapsed walls and floors. While driving through the highways in Cairo, you notice that many buildings have been painted only on the side that faces the highway. Other buildings have a plethora of colors as individual residents make the effort to paint the outside of their apartments. Many of these buildings exude an air of nostalgia for the times when they were built, presumably a period of greater stability and wealth. Two years after the 2011 Tahrir Square protests, the hopes and dreams of revolution have been displaced by stark reality. Dismantling Mubarak’s regime did not lead to more stability. Rather, it worsened the living conditions for a great number of Egyptians. Now, people have to wait up to a day simply to fill their vehicles with fuel. Although Egypt has moved in the right direction, it has lost a sense of order, worsened by politicians who seek to enrich themselves by deceiving their electorate. The general population supports the Muslim Brotherhood
— a party that uses the term “secular” in order to brand any opposition to politicians as “alien” to Islam and deceptive to voters. Many uneducated citizens ultimately find themselves voting for the Muslim Brotherhood as an affirmation of their faith. A majority of the collegeeducated population sees this issue as the primary obstacle towards improving the situation in Egypt. Unfortunately, this new democracy causes continued corruption, protests and frustration from all sides of the political spectrum. Beyond the field of politics, Egyptians face a major decline in tourism. Many cities that rely heavily on tourism, such as Edfou and Luxor, currently face dire economic straits. In order to move forward, Egypt will need to focus on restructuring its economy and significantly reforming its political system. Unfortunately for the Egyptian people, the situation will worsen before it begins to improve. Carlos Estevez is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
America must be open to nuclear disarmament
On Tuesday, North Korea performed a nuclear test with a blast of over seven kilotons — its third and largest test since 2006. The North Korean government declared that this was a “first response” against the United States and, if Washington, D.C. remained hostile towards them, this would not be the last. This loaded measure followed a statement submitted by the North Korean National Defense Commission in January, which affirmed that a nuclear test would be intended for the United States, “the sworn enemy of the Korean people.” New Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday that the United States must have credibility in promoting nuclear disarmament after North Korea’s nuclear test. To Kerry, this means the United States should build its credibility by responding to North Korea, which will increase our leverage with Iran. But the true sign of credibility in the nuclear nonproliferation argument would be for the United States itself to shrink the size of its massive nuclear arsenal. This may not be immediately feasible, but military action is certainly not the answer. U.S. government officials view Tuesday’s test as an offensive measure, but North Korea has publicly announced their actions as a defensive tactic to dissuade American aggression. Most commentators, including Kerry, have proposed some display of strength or aggression in response to North Korea’s nuclear test. Given the United States’ storage of nuclear weapons in South Korea for over three decades to potentially use against North Korea and China’s increasing support for tougher sanctions against North Korea, such a display would only exacerbate the problem. A far better response would be diplomacy. North Korea is like a bee and the United States is like a child. It is important to remember that the bee is just as afraid of the child as the child is of it. North Koreans are indoctrinated from an early age to fear an American attack. Past militaristic actions by the United States have done nothing to mitigate these fears. Our government will have to accept that North Korea, and every other country, has just as much right to the defensive capabilities of nuclear weapons as we do. America is no longer in a position of moral authority where it can dictate to the world who is or is not allowed to have nuclear weapons. It would be foolish and ultimately dangerous to continue acting as if we are.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Sameer Jaywant (Chair), Raquel Woodruff (Co-chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co-chair), Jess Littman, Ian Mark 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.
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NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
ARTS
EDITED BY JOSH JOHNSON ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Oscar-nominated director reinvents chick flicks with ‘Safe Haven’ By SHAWN FLANAGAN
There is perhaps no better day to release the latest film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel than Valentine’s Day. The newest Sparks-inspired film is “Safe Haven,” directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lasse Hallström, whose previous work includes family dramas and light comedies such as “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.” For “Safe Haven,”
Hallström stepped out of his comfort zone and broke the traditional formula of previous Sparks adaptations. “Safe Haven” follows a young woman (Julianne Hough) who tries to escape her mysterious past by absconding to a small town in North Carolina. Her bond with a widower (Josh Duhamel) forces her to confront a secret as a detective (David Lyons), hell-bent on finding her, closes in.
VIA FLICKR.COM
Lasse Hallström aims to break the mold of Nicholas Sparks adaptations with “Safe Haven.”
“I am really drawn to stories that tell about people. Real people and relations,” Hallström said. “I’m interested in stories driven by character as opposed to stories driven by plot.” This is the director’s second partnership with Sparks; he also directed “Dear John,” which starred Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum. According to Hallström, “Safe Haven” gave him the opportunity to expand his filmmaking horizons more than many of the films he has previously directed because he was able to experiment with intensity. “I guess the new element was the thriller element,” he said. However, the biggest difference between this film and Hallström’s others is the use of improvisation. To capture a realistic effect in each scene, he did not allow the actors to use the script in many shots. “This is more improvisational than any other film I’ve made, really,” he said. “[The actors] bring their own personality to these parts because I encouraged a lot of improvisation. And I think that gives the film a freshness that it probably wouldn’t have had if they were stuck to the written page. I wanted it to feel like a documentary on two people falling in love.” Thanks to Hallström’s directing, the characters’ interactions with each other feel natural rather than overrehearsed. Cinematographer Terry Stacey complements Hallström’s directing with frames featuring stunning images, vivid colors
and breathtaking landscapes. “[The cinematography] doesn’t feel stylized or false,” Hallström said of Stacey. “It’s just very pleasant to the eye. It’s not beautified or sentimentalized, it’s just beautifully painted.” Over the years, Sparks’ films have developed a reputation for being chick flicks, but the director insists “Safe Haven” is a film for everyone. “I think guys would enjoy the film, too. I don’t think that it is a chick flick,” Hallström said. “Chick flick implies that there is something sentimental about the story that only chicks can appreciate. But I don’t think there is anything that would scare guys off. I think they could enjoy this one as a good movie, so I want you guys to go see it.” Shawn Flanagan is a contributing writer. Email him at film@nyunews.com.
WSN AT THE MOVIES: While “Safe Haven” opens Thursday, there are still several releases set for Friday, Feb. 15. For coverage of the film world leading into the Academy Awards, including reviews of Oscarnominated movies, stay tuned to nyunews.com and wsnhighlighter.com.
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