Washington Square News February 8, 2016

Washington Square News

Left to Right: Politics at NYU

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM

NYU, Columbia Team Up for Human Rights

By JAMI TANNER Contributing Writer

NYU Law’s Center for Human Rights and Global Justice is teaming up with Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute to create The Human Rights Methodology Lab. The program seeks to pursue the experimentation of various methodologies to analyze an extensive range of humanitarian issues and, ultimately, discover the proper strategies to address them.

The lab will operate under a partnership with the Human Rights Watch and a $100,000 grant from the Open Society Foundations, an international organization that works toward improving the lives of individuals living in marginalized communities.

The program’s official press release outlines the unique precedent the research lab will establish by collaborating with both human rights advocates and experts from various fields.

Senior Women’s Rights Researcher at Human Rights Watch Amanda Klasing said the chance to discuss methods with experts in other disci-

plines is an invaluable resource.

“It allows researchers to develop innovative projects with data and approaches that can help us improve our advocacy for ending abuses,” Klasing said.

Researchers behind the initiative hope it will be as successful as their pilot workshop that was held last May, where experts of varying fields joined researchers in reporting the water and sanitation rights in indigenous communities of Canada.

NYU Center for Human Rights and Global Justice Faculty Director Margaret Satterthwaite clarified that the distinction of the lab, from the existing human rights research of both universities, is its collaborative methods in forming solutions. The project is multifaceted and strays away from the traditional, linear pursuit toward reaching conclusions — a strategy that is revolutionizing the practice of research.

“This is not a new research project, but a space to bring together experts across disciplines to review and improve plans for actionoriented research,” Satterthwaite

CRIME LOG Feb. 2 to Feb. 8

By GRETA CHEVANCE Deputy News Editor The NYU Department of Public Safety received six reports of larceny, one report of harassment, one report of trespass and one report of controlled substance between Feb. 2 and Feb. 4.

Larceny On Feb. 2 at 12:20 p.m., a student reported that she left her jacket at Kaufman Management Center on Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. and that it was no longer there on Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. Police notification was declined.

On Feb. 2 at 12:50 p.m., a student discovered that his case containing two billiard cues was missing from Tisch Hall. He left it there on Feb. 2 at 12:30 p.m., but denied notification of the police.

On Feb. 3 at 11:17 a.m., an employee reported that cash and products were missing from the vending machine at Weinstein Residence Hall while he was restocking it. Police were notified and a report was filed.

reported that her iPhone was missing from the dental cart. She left it on the cart at 12 p.m. to help students, but it was missing when she returned at 1 p.m. Police notification was declined.

On Feb. 4 at 2:20 p.m., a student at the Dental Care clinic filed a report about her missing bag which contained her NYU ID and phone. She left it on the hook at 1 p.m., but it was missing when she returned at 1:45 p.m.

Harassment On Feb. 2 at 12:30 a.m., a student at Gramercy Green reported that another student left him a threatening phone call. The student declined notifying the police.

Trespass On Feb. 3 at 12:59 p.m., at 10 Astor Place, an administrator reported that an unknown male entered an empty office, and provided a false name and left the building when asked who he was there to see.

NYPD was not notified.

Controlled Substance

On Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m., a student reported that his wallet was stolen from an unlocked locker at Coles Sports Center at 3 p.m. NYPD notification was declined.

On Feb. 4 at 10:15 a.m., marijuana was found in Palladium Residence Hall after Public Safety received a report of controlled substance.

On Feb. 4 at 1:45 p.m., an employee at the Dental Care clinic

Email Greta Chevance at gchevance@nyunews.com.

STAFF PHOTO BY HON LUM CHEUNG CHENG

The NYU Law School has just announced that it will collaborate with the Columbia Law School to create The Human Rights Methodology Lab. said. “For example, in May I will present a research plan for a study on the right to water in Haiti, and lab participants will critique the research design and offer suggestions for improvement.”

Professor Sarah Knuckey, director of the Columbia Law School Human Rights Clinic and co-director of the Human Rights Institute, said experimentation in research is critical in finding solutions that are capable of

tackling the inherent complexities of human rights crises.

“There are currently too few formal spaces for human rights advocates to critique and experiment, and the lab responds to the needs of researchers to innovate, test and share new research tools and techniques,” Knuckey said.

Satterthwaite said the ultimate goal of the program is to improve the efficacy of human rights advo-

cacy, which she argued is only possible through substantive research.

“Improving methods helps us solidify the evidence base for our advocacy, and gives us tools to help understand the dynamics behind violations, their scope and intensity and ultimately, their causes,” Satterthwaite said.

Email Jami Tanner at news@nyunews.com.

Tandon Team Makes Hyperloop Possible

By JEFF KOPP Contributing Writer Tandon students are developing a way to move at the speed of sound. Six Tandon students are competing to design a Hyperloop — an extremely high speed method of transportation — and are now advancing to the final round of the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition in California.

Hyperloop is a new mode of transportation proposed by Elon Musk, the founder of the high-end electric car brand Tesla known for privatizing the space industry by founding SpaceX. Musk proposed that Hyperloop would essentially work as a giant, airless tube that would transport pods containing people and freight at hundreds of miles per hour. He proposed the concept as an open-source project, meaning that engineers from all over the world can develop the technology.

SpaceX is hosting a year-long competition for college students that started in June 2015. In January, teams submitted a final proposal package, and 115 teams were invited to an in-person design weekend at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

The teams each gave a presentation and had a booth where they could explore other designs.

Darren Yee, Tandon senior and leader of the project, named Slate, said although their presentation was not flashy like many

others groups’, it is modified for a wide variety of clients. His team envisions their design to start off being used to transport freight, eventually carrying passengers.

In addition, Yee said this transition from carrying freight to passengers will alleviate some safety concerns associated with the new technology.

“To say that our design is unique would be an understatement,” Yee said. “With any sort of new technology there’s a significant amount of safety concerns, and freight would be a great opportunity to show the public that Hyperloop is safe and economically viable.”

Chris Lysiuk, a Tandon junior who is working on the business side of the project, echoed that sentiment.

“With a project like this it’s easy for one company to monopolize the system, but our approach to make a modular sled for freight allows for collaboration and innovation — you can call upon other companies to make passenger variants,” Lysiuk said.

For the remainder of this semester, the team will be working on physically constructing their pod at Tandon. They’ve received a grant from NYU, but are also working on securing outside sponsorships.

Dean of Engineering Katepalli Sreenivasan said Tandon faculty will be working closely with the Slate team throughout the spring, and he looks forward to

STAFF PHOTO BY JAKE QUAN

Current Tandon Senior Darren Yee is leading the NYU team in SpaceX’s Hyperloop design competition. watching the team advance in the competition.

“The fact that they are still in the competition says something about their enthusiasm, hard work and creativity,” Sreenivasan said. “We will work more closely with the students to see how else we could support them so as to enable to do well in the next round.”

The team will transport their pod to California for the final competition on an unspecified date this summer, where they will try out their pod on a test track.

Email Jeff Kopp at news@nyunews.com.

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Talking With the People Behind the Ban the Box Movement

By ANNE CRUZ AND LEXI FAUNCE News Editors

In the last two weeks, NYU has made significant strides in a national movement to remove questions of previous disciplinary action or criminal history — known as the box — from applications concerning employment or higher education. On Jan. 27, WSN reported the Silver School of Social work had removed the box from its Master’s program application, and on Feb. 1., NYU sent a letter to the Common Application organization calling for more research on the box’s possible effects on applicants and campus safety.

WSN sat down with Incarceration to Education Coalition, a student group which has advocated for the box’s removal, to discuss their efforts to abolish the box in NYU’s undergraduate application. The organizers interviewed were Gallatin alumnus Eric Sturm, CAS alumnus Emma Pliskin and Gallatin junior Sumathy Kumar. The interview was edited for clarity and length.

How has NYU responded for calls for removing the box in the past?

SK: We organized the sit-in [at the Welcome Center] to try to get NYU to write the letter to the Common App, demanding that

they condemn the box as racist, with a threat to boycott if the Common App doesn’t agree.

ES: Around 5 p.m. when the building was closing we said we [IEC] will leave if we are guaranteed a meeting with you to discuss this letter to the Common App. At the meeting the idea the administration presented was “We are not going to say that we reject the box; we don’t believe there is enough evidence to say that.” There’s been basically a consensus for the last, I’d say 40 years, of studying incarceration and recidivism rates. Probably the biggest thing you can do to reduce recidivism and improve people’s lives who have been incarcerated is giving them an education.

SK: You can’t advertise yourself as in and of the city when you refuse to open your doors to many people that are in the city. If the city is mostly black and brown, and black and brown people are the most targeted by mass incarceration, they’re the ones who have to check the box.

It’s complete hypocrisy.

Could you take us through the chronology of what’s happened within the last two semesters with IEC? EP: The plan was for each of us to rewrite our letters and come back together. We added things to our letter but did not change

the overall tone and intention of the letter. They added things to their letter but did not change the overall tone and intention of their letter. Following that meeting, we requested that they not send out their letter to the Common App. They said they would send it out anyway.

EP: One of our major concerns was the notion of urgency.

For every application cycle, for every year, there are slews of people who are unable to access education and whose quality of life continually diminished at the hands of this kind of racist thought. One thing that they did incorporate into their letter upon hearing that concern was a notion of urgency. They want preliminary data by the next admissions cycle.

You didn’t want NYU to publish their version of the letter?

Wouldn’t any letter be better than no letter at all?

EP: We stated in the meeting, no, please don’t send out this letter, because it is a stalling tactic.

ES: The question we’re asking them is “Will you publically condemn this?” and basically the answer to that is no because they want more research. And if the headline was “NYU refuses to condemn the box,” that’s a very different headline than “NYU says let’s do more research.”

What do you think it’ll take

to get NYU or the Common App to budge on their stance?

ES: One thing that we are doing that is part of it is developing a national campaign to make this happen. Some IEC members are involved in a national Abolish the Box campaign. NYU has to know the whole country is looking to them as a model for

equal opportunity admissions and if they want to say that we are a school that is committed to inclusion, racial justice, all these things that we say that we are committed to, we have to be the leaders here.

Email Anne and Lexi at news@nyunews.com.

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The Incarceration to Education Coalition has urged NYU to remove the criminal conviction box from their undergraduate application.

What Is the Box?

By ANNE CRUZ AND LEXI FAUNCE NEWS Editors

Washington Square News sat down with members of the Incarceration to Education Coalition to flesh out some discrepancies between the group and NYU administrators over whether disciplinary and criminal history questions should be included in applications to the university.

Students applying to NYU undergraduate programs using the Common App are asked to disclose the following: 1. Have you ever been found responsible for a disciplinary violation at any educational institution you have attended from the 9th grade (or the international equivalent) forward, whether related to academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct, that resulted in a disciplinary action?

2. Have you ever been adjudicated guilty or convicted of a misdemeanor, felony, or other crime?

Here are some points you need to know about the movement to “abolish the box.”

The Letter

- The IEC claims NYU administrators have distorted and diluted their original letter intended to be sent to the Common Application. In particular, IEC stated NYU administrators did not include the notion of the university refusing to use the Common App in their next admissions cycle if the Common App did not agree to remove its disciplinary and criminal history checkboxes.

- After this discrepancy, the IEC stated it asked the administration not to send their altered version of the letter to the Common App. However, on Wednesday, Jan. 27, NYU’s Vice President for Enrollment Management MJ Knoll-Finn sent the letter to Common App’s Board Chair Gil J. Villanueva and CEO Paul Mott.

NYU Supports Education for Incarcerated Individuals - NYU created its own Prison Education Program to give incarcerated individuals at Wallkill Correctional Facility the chance to take courses in intensive liberal arts study and introductory courses from the university’s professional schools. Once released, students enrolled in PEP will be allowed to continue their education at NYU or transfer into another institution.

University Employee Applications Don’t Have the Box

- Those who wish to work for NYU are not required to “check the box” on job applications.

The Fair Chance Act states New York City employees are only required to disclose such information after they have been offered a job.

Policies Addressing the Box are Inconsistent Across the University - Only students applying to NYU undergraduate schools through the Common App are subject to answering questions about their disciplinary and criminal history.

- Some NYU graduate schools, such as the Silver School of Social Work, have abolished the box all together.

- The NYU Wagner School of Public Service has not issued a public statement regarding abolishing the box all together, but does not include questions concerning criminal history.

WSN reached out to NYU administrators for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Email Anne and Lexi at news@nyunews.com.

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Tisch Creativity Shines at Sight and Sound

By ANDREA ANICETO-CHAVEZ Contributing Writer

Since 1981, NYU faculty have selected films from the Sight and Sound film class for Tisch sophomores to be screened each semester, illuminating the fresh talent of students within the renowned undergraduate program.

This semester’s ceremony kicked off at 6 p.m. on Feb. 5 where 51 films were screened. Separated into three different rooms in 721 Broadway, there was a diverse spectrum of genres including filmmaking, studio and documentary. Students compete in each course to get the Viewers Choice Award, an award voted on by the audience at the end of the showcase. Faculty count the votes and winners will be announced this Monday, Feb. 8 on the Kanbar Event Series Facebook page.

Crowds became reverent as they filled each screening room, getting swept up in the style of each film.

Laughter often projected through the walls, with a particular com-

motion being emitted from the screening “Le Dieu de l’Amour,” a comedy directed by Wyatt Nelson.

The film follows a married couple that encounters a problem within their relationship as they learn about an endangered tree species.

Interestingly, sock puppets play the couple, a choice that pleased the crowd tremendously.

While laughter adorned Nelson’s screening, a more serious tone emerged during “I Know No Country,” an inspiring documentary directed by Antonio Salume. The film is based around Mexican-American poet Paco Marquez, a poetry teacher at Brooklyn Dreams Charter School.

While he depicts poetry as the essence of his life, the audience gets a taste of the cultural differences between America and Mexico.

“I wanted the audience to really get into this poet’s world and appreciate the power of silence and thoughts — to get into the process of what writing poems is like,” Salume said.

The film revolves around Marquez’s poem “I Know No

PHOTO BY ANDREA ANICETO-CHAVEZ

The films of NYU’s talented Tisch sophomores are screened each semester to showcase their prowess.

Country” and how it correlates with his work, activities and daily life.

In the next room over, a beautifully orchestrated dark comedy dubbed “How You Came To Be!” was screened. Directed by Alejandro Cervantes, the film follows a 19-year-old college girl who films a video about herself for her unborn baby before giving it up for adoption. The film is

Cantor Screens Feel-Good Show

By DARIA BUTLER Staff Writer

As part of the Kanbar Event Series, the Cantor Film Center hosted a free screening on Thursday evening of the new comedy “Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life.” The show, which airs on Fox, follows a group of friends as they navigate life post-graduation.

Amid today’s slew of period dramas, this is a fresh and modern feel-good comedy that is completely relevant to millennials. The format of each episode is that of a cautionary tale, teaching various life lessons. At this particular screening we were taught “How to Survive Losing Your Phone” and “How to Survive Being a Plus One.” Jack Cutmore-Scott stars as the title character, a recent college graduate who is still trying to figure life out now that he’s out of school and in the real world. NYU Tisch graduate Justin Bartha plays his older but not necessarily wiser brother, Josh. The show boasts a light-hearted, “New Girl”-y feel. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and it encourages the audience to do the same.

After the screening, the audience was treated to a Q&A with five of the stars, Jake Cutmore-Scott, Meaghan Rath, James Earl, Charlie Saxton and Justin Bartha. The session was casual and candid, filled with

camaraderie, laughter and more than a few curse words.

Bartha, the oldest of the five, said older generations can still relate to the show.

“I think everyone’s a mess,” Bartha said. “No one ever knows what they’re doing and I think everyone can identify with that.”

Saxton added that the show make the older demographic feel nostalgic for a different time.

“I feel like our generation that’s watching can sympathize, and I feel like an older generation that’s watching will be able to reminisce, if you will,” Saxton said.

The discussion was then opened up to the audience for questions such as if the cast watched any other Fox shows or what their advice would

be to young, aspiring actors.

When asked to share one word they’d choose to sum up their twenties, the stars responded with words like “turnt,” “drunk” and “unicorn.” The fun, lax event appropriately concluded with the castmates filming the enthusiastic audience up on their feet waving and cheering.

Although there is a slight screwball, absurdist element to the comedy, it effectively and quite realistically portrays a group of good friends just going through life and failing hilariously many times along the way.

“Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life” airs on FOX on Sundays at 8:30 p.m.

Email Daria Butler at entertainment@nyunews.com.

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHELLE SANDERS

The cast of “Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life” stop by the NYU Cantor Film Center for a Q&A on their new series on Fox.

comprised of one single take. While the girl is describing moments in her life, a film crew steps in and changes the set design to suit her descriptions. The actors go from changing the fabrics in the background, adding in a dining set and taking out chairs, all while strategically timing it to the speed of the girl’s story.

The movie acts as a testament to the kind of effort and ingenious

thinking that’s being bred in the film program.

“The hardest thing was timing, and getting the scene transitions fast enough that it wouldn’t affect the pace of the comedy,” Cervantes said.

“We did about 10 rehearsals and takes to get the one take down.”

Email Andrea Aniceto-Chavez at film@nyunews.com.

History Through the Eyes of the Portrait

By TONY SCHWAB Staff Writer

Early American painting is often mocked as a simplistic imitation of European painting, and with some justification. It took around 200 years for the U.S. to establish the type of art institutions necessary for good work to be produced consistently. But as the country came into its own, so did its art. “Picturing Prestige: New York Portraits 1700-1860,” the new show at the Museum of the City of New York, gives a great account of this development.

The exhibit showcases the strong sense of diversity of New York. The subjects depicted are from all over Europe, varying greatly in profession if not in class. All the styles popular at the time are featured, from Rococo and Baroque to Neoclassical and Romantic.

The exhibit is divided into three rooms, each representing a different era of the city’s history. In the first, New York’s pre-revolutionary status as a British outpost is covered.

Here, four paintings by John Wollaston stand out. His subjects are posed more casually than normal for the period, giving them a sense of happiness that sticks out. Most of the paintings in the exhibit are displayed alongside plaques about the lives of the subjects. Although the descriptions of the subjects are brief, every word used can elicit an emotional response from its audience.

This is often touching, as when a Wollaston portrait of an ambitious young man is paired with the infor-

mation that his family lost all their land after siding with the British in the revolution.

The second room spans from the beginning of the Revolutionary War until 1815. As America became an independent nation, patriotic work celebrating its military victories was in high demand. Some paintings within this time period will be instantly recognizable, such as portraits of George Washington and Andrew Hamilton later used on the one and 10 dollar bills, respectively.

The portrait of Hamilton, by John Trumbull, stands next to one of his wife by Ralph Earl, and they stand out as the highpoint of the exhibit.

Trumbull depicts Hamilton against a stark black background from which he emerges as a strong, resolute leader. His wife is shown in a beautiful, lavish style emphasizing her extremely colorful dress. It is a clever choice on the part of the museum exhibiting the two portraits beside one another.

The third room is of the paintings from 1815 to 1860. Here, the French influence is very clear. Several portraits of military officers resemble those that Gros did of Napoleon. A number of portraits of the Brooks Brothers founders shows that those depicted in the exhibit helped establish institutions that we still live with today.

“Picturing Prestige: New York Portraits, 1700-1860” is on display at the Museum of the City of New York.

Email Tony Schwab at entertainment@nyunews.com.

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Sophomore Premieres EP at Bitter End Residency

By DAVID ROTH Contributing Writer

The West Village’s Bitter End welcomed NYU sophomore Kate Yeager this past Wednesday night for the debut of her first EP, “Your Girlfriend.” After performances from two fresh-faced fellow singer-songwriters and a half-hour comedy set, Yeager, now a Bitter End artist-in-residence, finally took the stage.

The crowd filtering in was increasingly composed of a beaniewearing, light denim indulging cast of characters coming from campus to hear her latest effort.

As if to immediately shift the tone from the smooth and soft musicians that preceded her, Yeager opened with the first track from her new EP, “Go, Go, Go.” The track, with its upbeat, rambling rhythm, began like a starting gun, indicating to the slightly sedated crowd that this show would not be limited to smooth vocals and lightly strummed guitars. The song featured a somehow still fresher-faced guitarist on a twanged strat that fit in nicely

with Yeager’s southern-tinged voice and made the performance far more Alabama Shakes than Norah Jones. The track also demonstrated Yeager’s impressive vocal ability, which proved equally capable of effortless highs as it was of growls and teeth-showing.

The set continued, alternating between these two modes through her verses and choruses, respectively, on “Coming Around” and “Slip of the Tongue,” the latter of which fittingly showed Yeager’s talent for scatting and use of her voice as a rhythmic instrument.

On “Take a Chance,” and the EP’s titular track, “Your Girlfriend,” Yeager’s tongue becomes sharper, as Yeager playfully teases and taunts her lover to lure him from his current girlfriend, and less playfully as she declares that she “wants to be the one to set you on fire, but doesn’t let you burn.”

Between songs, Yeager told the crowd she “likes to keep these things personal,” and keeps her promise with a final third of songs lamenting lost loves

and feelings of vulnerability.

On “Disappointment” she admits her lack of surprise at the unfaithful lover she lost, saying she’s “not as mad as she should be.” The show closed with the only single from the EP, “You Got Me Dancing,” whose singsong chorus was maddeningly catchy and by far the least interesting song from the set.

The strong voice behind Yeager’s bluesy, strummed tunes was the saving grace of the performance, adding an element of roughness that makes for a more interesting and enjoyable show than those of the night’s earlier players. She shows a talent for communicating with the audience, citing a desire to “create something that is every bit of you and share it.” This desire shows in her music, a feat that is made possible by the soaring vocals that are as impressive as they are emotive.

“Your Girlfriend” is now out on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play.

Email David Roth at music@nyunews.com.

STAFF PHOTO BY MEETALI GUPTA

On Feb. 3, NYU musician Kate Yeager performed her new EP “Your Girlfriend” at The Bitter End.

‘SLUT’ Casts Teens for Realism

By WILLA TELLEKSON-FLASH Contributing Writer

Provoking messages intimidate audiences as soon as they step foot into the blackbox theater of Dixon Place. Screens glow with offensive tweets, like “Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are… Unless you a slut.

Then be ashamed,” which demonstrate how people use degrading language colloquially.

“SLUT” sets out to provoke conversation about slut-shaming and the derogatory way society judges female sexuality — and it succeeds tremendously.

“SLUT” tells the story of 16-year-old Joey (Lexa Krebbs), who is a member of the “slut squad” — her New York high school’s dance team. On a seemingly ordinary weekend, she pre-games with three of her closest friends before heading to another party uptown. What happens in the cab on the way to that party, though, changes everything. Before the audience can figure out what has happened, Joey’s friend Jane finds her vomiting in the bathroom, her ripped underwear in hand.

Though the synopsis is enough to leave a pit in your stomach,

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Featuring a cast of teenagers, “Slut” is a new play which explores complex yet realistic themes and incidents which occur in a 21st century high school.

Joey’s classmates’ reactions are even worse. It seems that they will take any excuse to place the blame on Joey — her skirt was too short, she was drunk, she brought condoms — she must have wanted it.

The teenage cast brings the rawness of Joey and her classmates’ experience to life. They take the audience into their reality, where swearing and studying go hand in hand. They talk about grades and hook-ups

and parties, but their youthful light-heartedness is lost when Joey has to give a statement to the assistant district attorney.

Gone is her mini skirt and crop top. 16-year-old Krebbs embodies the pain of a girl who is scared and ashamed.

As Joey begins to recount her story from a dimly lit desk, the audience watches as Joey’s classmates and friends judge the events from the other side of the stage. The stories of the

classmates watching Joey and the audience watching the play parallel in a hauntingly beautiful manner.

The show ends in tears — both Joey’s and the audience’s.

Joey appears so alone, but her story is not uncommon. One in four girls are sexually assaulted by the time they turn eighteen.

One in five college girls will experience rape or attempted rape. This story is much more than fiction.

“SLUT” holds up a mirror that may be a little hard to look into. The play is bold and vulgar but that is what makes it so successful. Director and writer Katie Cappiello puts it beautifully: “We can’t address it if we can’t face it.”

“SLUT” is playing through Feb. 27 at Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie St. Email Willa Tellekson-Flash at theater@nyunews.com.

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NYFW: Don’t Catwalk, Catpause

By SOPHIE FAY SHAW Staff Writer

There’s a slew of Fashion Week designers this year who are using their platform to push the boundaries and make a spectacle. Both traditional catwalks and modern presentations have their pros and cons, but presentations seem to be constructed for the age of Instagram.

The slower pace of presentations is a welcome break from the rush of Fashion Week. On runways, the models quickly strut by, which shows the movement of the clothes accurately, but does not allow time to question or savor. Fashion presentations give viewers time to mull over all of the looks, inspect the details and frame an aesthetically pleasing snapshot. But there’s more to these presentations than being able to get a

high quality Instagram photo.

Designers create their own world when they organize a show. Their entire concept is applied to the set, hair, makeup and of course, the clothes. Tommy Hilfiger’s tropical escape for his Spring/Summer 2016 runway show, where he brought the sand and sea of the Caribbean island of Mustique to New York. The atmosphere affects how the collection is viewed. While many designers successfully create their atmosphere for the runway, the time spent by the guests is fleeting. Presentations provide guests ample time to be immersed in their surroundings and see the collection fully through the lens of the designer.

By allowing people to spend more time with the collections, the show becomes more of a communal experience. Moreover, this experience can be shared by

larger audiences as the presentations run for several hours allowing people to come and go as they please.

Presentations also offer more opportunity for hair stylists and makeup artists to be applauded for their work. Designers can utilize the hair and makeup to elevate the collection, which can really show during a presentation.

During this past New York Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2016, Kate Spade, J. Crew and Alice + Olivia were just a few of the brands that held presentations.

For Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 2 show, West chose to combine elements of both runway and presentation. The models marched onto the runway in a series of battalions, pausing at their marks for enough time to study the clothing.

While the traditional runway will never be replaced, alterna-

Fashion: A Name-Driven Industry

By GRACE DIXON Contributing Writer

Regardless of its moral standing, nepotism has played an integral role in the fashion industry for generations. Nepotism — by no means a modern concept — benefitted prominent fashion model of the ‘60s Marisa Berenson; Chanel model of the ‘80s Ines de la Fressange and numerous models and designers before them. The influence of this factor extends beyond the high-fashion model status currently enjoyed by Kendall Jenner and is regarded as a time-honored tradition, revered among celebrity children or grand-children whose sights are set on careers within the fashion industry. Ubiquitous among hiring practices, family connections play a dominant role in determining who gets the job.

Though hard work is undoubtedly an element in many of the emerging stars’ quick rise to fame, family connections serve as an undeniable catalyst for ascension. In some cases, this component does most of the work. Critics of Brooklyn Beckham, amateur photographer and child of Victoria and David Beckham, condemn his recent shoot for a Burberry campaign as depreciation to the profession of fashion photography.

The snubbed professionals claim that cases like these exemplify the industry’s penchant for favoring connections — and followers — over talent honed through experience.

Following this train of thought, a condemnation of the stardom enjoyed by Georgia May Jagger or Stella McCartney

is essentially a condemnation of the system upon which the fashion industry rests. Jobs are often acquired through connections with previous internship bosses, successful ex-coworkers and friends of a relative. College students receive constant instruction to stay in touch with any potentially useful contacts, with the common understanding that even a notification of a job opening often comes from contacts. Erasing the influence nepotism holds would require a complete restructuring of the entire industry. Redefining a field centered on relations would require a social and industrial reordering almost too vast to be accomplished.

Gigi Hadid’s success serves as a testimony to this fact in the same way as one overeager mother’s efforts to connect her daughter with a friend’s auntin-law who serves as an editor for a reputable style publication. Shocked condemnation of the near immediate success of models and designers who exploit such openings speaks to an ignorance of the field’s history and central values.

Nepotism will continue to be a vital part of fashion lest the industry as a whole stops vetting their influencers using the family tree.

Email Grace Dixon at bstyle@nyunews.com.

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH SHULMAN

The careers of both Gigi Hadid and Brooklyn Beckham have been greatly benefitted by their parents’ success.

STAFF PHOTO BY HANNAH SHULMAN

Presentations are becoming an increasingly popular way for designers to showcase their fashion collections. tives are growing in popularity and rightfully so. Plenty of designers will showcase their collections through presentations this upcoming Fashion Week, and the au-

diences will not be disappointed.

Email Sophie Fay Shaw at bstyle@nyunews.com.

Strive for Health, Not Quick Fixes

By SHIVA DARSHAN Contributing Writer With the large number of juice bars and yoga studios around the city, there has never been a better time to get fit. Wading through the thicket of nutrition and diet advice out there can be overwhelming.

A plethora of advice and information is available to consumers. To students like Yaqing “Stella” Wang, a freshman in Liberal Studies, eating healthier meant sorting through all the health information available online until she found one that worked for her. Wang started a diet based on an article she remembers reading to avoid the freshman 15. She recently cut out most carbs and meat out of her diet.

“I felt sick about eating stuff like that after reading the article,” Wang said. After reading the article, Wang switched over to primarily eating vegetables. She reported losing some weight as well as generally feeling better and healthier because of the diet.

Despite Wang’s success, much of the information online and in books are rife with inaccuracies. According to Lisa Sasson, a registered dietician and clinical associate professor of nutrition at Steinhardt, consumers should be wary of diets that promise too much.

Most popular diets, according to Sasson, are unhealthy and unsustainable.

“In many ways, they’re the worst thing you can do,” Sasson said. “People do lose weight,

because they are eating less calories…but the diet had nothing to do with it.”

Diets that proscribe certain foods are particularly dubious.

According to Charles Mueller, a clinical associate professor of clinical nutrition at Steinhardt, no reputable nutritionist or dietician would advise cutting out an entire food group or ingredient except for medical reasons, such as an allergy or Celiac disease. Mueller cited the gluten-free diet as an example.

“There are all kinds of people on low or no gluten diets who don’t need to be,” Mueller said.

Smaller changes, such as eating less sugar or adding vegetables to each meal, work far better than radical overhauls of one’s diet. CAS junior Raj Sanghvi challenged himself last year to avoid consuming added sugar and as result became more conscious of his sugar intake. Though he has not stopped eating sweets, he eats them more consciously and in moderation.

According to Sasson, the same guidelines that nutritionists have used for years still apply: eat a variety of foods, eat more plants, eat less processed foods and added sugars and exercise more. Both professors also agreed that there is no single solution or quick fix for dieters, but developing healthier eating habits in the long term coupled with exercise is the most effective way to become healthier.

Email Shiva Darshan at dining@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

FEATURES

EDITED BY KENDALL LEVISON FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

Battle For Food App Supremacy

By KATE HOWARD Contributing Writer

When NYU students become tired of dining hall pizza and Palladium salads, many combat their variety dilemma by using food delivery services.

While most students at NYU use Seamless for delivery, there are many other food delivery services around campus — such as Maple, Caviar and Postmates — that offer different approaches to food delivery.

Maple is a newer app founded

by David Chang, the founder of the Momofuku restaurants, delivering in the NYC area below 42nd Street. The app is distinguishable from other competitors because it offers a choice of five ready-made meals for lunch and dinner instead of catering from other restaurants. The meal options change every day and include fresh, farm-to-table ingredients. Both lunch and dinner have an inclusive flat rate of $12 for lunch and $15 for dinner,

with a delivery time of around 30 minutes.

Pro: Affordable meals prepared by big-name chefs Con: Limited number of options

If you are looking for a little more variety, Caviar is a useful app. It is located in 14 different cities and delivers to Manhattan and Brooklyn. The app is easy to use and sorts restaurants by cuisines. It includes restaurants like Baohaus and Otto’s Tacos that Seamless doesn’t have, but they have a $9.99 delivery fee, so ordering for Caviar can be a more expensive service.

Pro: A wider range of restaurants Con: Higher prices If you are used to Seamless and are looking for a similar alternative, Postmates would be a good option. The two apps share similar layouts and have a large variety of restaurants from which to choose. While Seamless delivery prices vary by restaurant, Postmates has

a delivery fee of $5 and a 9 percent service fee. It delivers to Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens and is open all hours of the day, on-demand.

Pro: Fast delivery Con: Additional service fee While most students seem to favor Seamless, some have had mixed experiences with the company.

“I’ve had times where my food never arrived,” CAS junior Lydia Nieto said. “Seamless was able to refund me my money, but didn’t contact the restaurant to find out what went wrong, which wasn’t so great.

That happened twice, but other times it has been speedy.”

Even with these mixed experiences, students continue to use Seamless. “It’s good,” said Connor Borden, a freshman in CAS. “It takes a long time, but it always shows up.”

Email Kate Howard at dining@nyunews.com.

Students Behind MLK Week

By IMANI JOHNSON Contributing Writer

Student clubs on campus were the driving forces behind MLK week, NYU’s annual weeklong event dedicated to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. The MLK committee, led by Assistant Vice President for Student Diversity Monroe Francis, worked with multicultural clubs across campus to bring about a diverse collection of events.

In addition to the Black Student Union, clubs involved included the Academic Achievement Program, which supports underrepresented students on campus, and the African Heritage Month Committee. Also represented were Gentlemen of Quality and Women of Excellence, Strength and Tenacity — two groups which unite and empower students of color.

The week’s opening gala, “Afro-Elegance: A Night of Unity,” was held in the Union Square Ballroom as a collaborative effort between the Academic Achievement Program and the African Heritage Month Committee.

“We wanted to use these events to showcase our diversity and come together to support and be proud of one another,” said CAS junior and AAP staff member Chinekwu Osakwe. “Because MLK week is the first week in Black History/ African Heritage month, we wanted to create an event that would energize and empower our community.”

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The Gentlemen of Quality worked with Tandon School of Engineering to put on a production of “The Meeting” at the Tandon campus’s Pfizer Auditorium on Friday. In the play, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. meet up with one another after Malcolm X’s house is bombed and prior to his assassination.

GQ member Christopher Hearns hosted a post-show discussion on behalf of the organization and explained GQ’s connection to the production, highlighting the lives of these men of color.

“People such as Dr. King and Malcolm X made it their life’s mission to give people like us opportunities to be where we

are,” Hearns said. “So it is only natural that we pay homage to them, and more importantly honor their pursuits by picking up where they left off.”

The BSU also teamed up with AHM for the MLK day of service. On Saturday the two organizations painted the walls of M.S. 53, a public school in Far Rockaway Queens, to benefit local educational communities.

The motivated individuals involved in NYU’s variety of student clubs were responsible for the success of MLK week and will continue to promote racial awareness and inclusion in events to come.

Email Imani Johnson at features@nyunews.com.

Six Clubs to Join This Semester

By OLIVER SHENBERG Contributing Writer

If you weren’t able to attend the most recent Club Fest or if you’re looking for some more information on new clubs, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a rundown of some of the newest and most interesting clubs we saw at Club Fest this year.

Build-a-Robot Club

Irish Cultural Society

The Build-a-Robot Club, or BARC, is a club for those who may be interested in robotics, but have no experience. Started last semester, BARC is the perfect place for students who want to learn about robotics, programming or engineering in a low-key environment.

If you’ve ever dreamed of having your own BB-8 robotic companion, BARC is the place to start.

The Irish Cultural Society is an organization that celebrates the the history of Irish culture in the city. A major selling point for joining the club is that many of the club’s lectures, musical performances and other events are hosted in the Glucksman Ireland House (1 Washington Mews), one of the prettiest and most unusual building on campus.

Economics Review

Nepali Student Association at NYU

Wondering what to do with that toiled-over essay on aggregate demand? Try submitting it to the Economics Review. Since 2015, the Economics Review has been devoted to promoting rigorous discussion of economic theory and policy at NYU. This online publication is completely run by NYU students and they accept work from all members of the NYU community regardless of school or major.

First Timers Club @ NYU So you probably made a New Year’s Resolution to work out more, and then failed to follow through. Instead of feeling down about yourself, join the First Timers Club (FTC). The group highlights offbeat fitness events with names like “Fiercefit Dance Cardio” and “Shack Track and Field” going on around the city. FTC provides a supportive environment where students can participate and work out without feeling nervous about their “first time.”

Health Leads Club Health Leads, a national non-

VIA NYU.EDU

Many NYU clubs hosted events in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. for NYU’s annual MLK week.

profit, selects a group of NYU students to join the New York Health Leads team as volunteer advocates. Though Spring applications have closed, those interested can apply as a Summer Fellow or for the Fall 2016 cycle. Volunteers work at Bellevue and Woodhull hospitals, helping patients learn about resources that can improve their health.

Combining both cultural appreciation and social activism, The Nepali Student Association educates members on the culture of Nepal and ways to help some of the country’s residents who are most in need. Past events have included a Nepali food expo and information sessions about study abroad opportunities in Nepal.

Share Meals Club Share Meals has recently become an NYU All-Square Club, allowing them to expand their mission of “ending hunger and loneliness in college communities.” The club accepts meal swipes as donations and provide them to students who might otherwise not be able to make it through the semester with their meal plan.

For more details about how to get involved, check out all these clubs on Facebook or OrgSync.com.

Email Oliver Shenberg at features@nyunews.com.

VIA TWITTER.COM

There are many interesting clubs you may have missed at NYU’s clubfest.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM

College Republicans

By GRETA CHEVANCE Deputy News Editor The NYU College Republicans know they’re outnumbered. But they’re ready to talk. They’re ready to argue.

So, on Thursday nights at 7 p.m., you’ll find the group in meetings of about 20 people in their conservative safe-haven, hashing out major right wing talking points, drafting makeshift resolutions to gun control debates while lobbying for the final slice of free pizza. It is their free market, where they choose how to share their views and beliefs free from the university-wide stigma placed on them.

Stern senior and Secretary for College Republics Ben Swinehart said the mission of the club is to increase discussion surrounding conservative ideology.

“NYU is an incredibly liberal university and we are one of the few conservative, leading clubs on campus with a sizable influence,” Swinehart said.

CAS senior and Media and Communications Director for College Republicans Matthew Glaser said the club is a way for students of all backgrounds to learn more about the GOP. “We associate ourselves with a party and not just a principle, although the Republican Party is thought of as a party of principle,” Glaser said. “We are a platform where students can come express and learn more about conservative ideology, and what GOP candidates have to offer.”

With March Madness approaching, SPS junior Eli Nachmany, the Field Director for College Republicans, created a March Madness Republican Primary bracket for the club.

The attendees of the “Debriefing the Iowa Caucuses” meeting voted, with the majority favoring candidate Marco Rubio.

The club hosts informative and social events, all structured on the conservative mindset. Past speakers include Fox News correspondents, policy experts and candidates for office at the state, municipal and federal level.

SPS sophomore Cole Solaas joined College Republicans because of the consistent views held between the organization and his family.

“I was raised in a Republican family, and this group is in many ways representative of a little piece of home because they hold the same conservative views as my parents hold,” Solaas said. “I am able to have similar interactions and discussions as I would back at home.”

College Republicans encourages students to educate themselves on current issues based on the prospect that this generation will eventually be administrators of this country.

And the group is certainly hoping this happens. In a country that seems to have shifted to the left among young people in the last decade — as evidenced by the wide-ranging support for Vermont senator Bernie Sanders in the presidential race — the College Republicans are trying to mobilize a new generation on the right side of the aisle.

While previous club events have allowed for greater national political advocacy, Nachmany stressed the importance of continued conservative activism on college campuses.

“As young people, it is our duty to make sure the conservative voice is not drowned out by the liberal inclination that young individuals tend to have,” Nachmany said. “Through engaging programming and our great members, we are sure we have a positive, if indirect, impact on voter turnout.”

Email Greta Chevance at gchevance@nyunews.com.

Top 3 Candidates*

Depending on who you ask, young people are either uninterested in politics, or leading a democratic revolution.

According to the Pew Research Center, millennials are less interested in politics than previous generations. Yet, in the early stages of the 2016 primaries, youth voters have proven that their mobiliztion can drastically influence an election.

In this issue, Washington Square News sat down with four of NYU’s most prominent

political clubs to find out what makes them tick. Members of NYU College Republicans, NYU College Democrats, NYU College Libertarians and NYU’s branch of the International Socialist Organization were also polled on various political issues ranging from voter registration to candidate preference. In taking a glimpse into the lives of politically active students at NYU, we hope to see how they view themselves as participants in this year’s election.

International Socialist Organization at NYU

By LEXI FAUNCE News Editor As the 2016 presidential election season kicks into high gear, the results of last week’s Iowa caucuses confirmed the largest population of millennial voters supporting a self-proclaimed democratic socialist than ever before. NYU’s International Socialist Organization is taking full advantage of this movement by backing candidate Bernie Sanders as he attempts to make socialism mainstream in U.S. politics.

ISO members sense that an overall shift right in the political spectrum has created an opening for the socialist party, as Republicans hold fast to conservative values and Democrats move right to centrism. Some members like graduate student Sean Larson feel socialism may be a positive alternative during this period of polarization between the two dominating parties.

“What the International Socialist Organization is trying to do is continue to get people excited about bringing socialism to the U.S.,” Larson said. “We want to make sure this moment isn’t just a moment that slips away once the Democratic nomination takes place. We need to build on this movement.”

ISO may not be far off in speculating how a new age of socialism may take root during this election. A Gallup poll showed 47 percent of voters would consider voting for a socialist, and Hillary Clinton’s 0.3 percent margin of victory over Sanders in Iowa’s incredibly tight race further demonstrates this trend. At the forefront of the socialist agenda is the millennial generation, who have shown extensive support for Sanders’ attack on Wall Street.

Members of ISO are drawn to Sanders because they feel as he is the only candidate speaking about issues that are relevant to college students, such as free higher education. Larson said Sanders’ cam-

paign is refreshing as millennials have never seen a candidate who’s fought back this hard against the oppressive electoral system.

“The system of the Electoral College doesn’t leave a lot of room to talk about specific issues like free education and free healthcare, to the point where a lot of the electoral system doesn’t reflect the variation in political opinion in the country,” Larson said.

ISO member and Gallatin sophomore Nikki Camera said the Democratic Party has proved itself to be inept and the socialist alternative addresses the struggles and frustrations of the working class millennials have become accustomed to.

“Sanders speaks to the world millennials have grown up in,” Camera said.

“We’re supporting this idea of a radical change in our political system.

But this isn’t just a trend in American millennials, it’s happening all over the world. It’s becoming a global phenomenon.”

Building on Camera’s idea of the incompetence of the Democratic Party, graduate student and ISO member John Snowden extends this to the entire political spectrum.

Snowden believes that in order to make real change in party politics it will take significant political organization.

“As socialists, we want to try and unite around the common principle of the working class and the idea of it being the heart and center of the United States,” Snowden said. “We’re striving to unleash the creative potential of people who have been eviscerated by capitalism for centuries.”

Email Lexi Faunce at lfaunce@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

College Democrats

By DIAMOND NAGA SIU Deputy News Editor Much like the rest of the country, the NYU College Democrats are divided. Opposed to the Republicans, but still divided.

At their reenactment of the Iowa Caucus that had taken place on Monday, Feb. 1, supporters of Bernie Sanders huddled in one corner, mirroring his quarrelsome demeanor as they shared their #FeelTheBern moments. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton’s supporters recited their #IStandWithHer motives.

NYU College Democrats President and Gallatin senior Chloe Chik said events like these are perfect examples of how the club tries maximizing member interaction while teaching and discussing politics at their meetings.

“The mission of the College Democrats is to better serve the NYU community and students as a whole of the Democratic party,” Chik said.

The group discusses topics that range from environmental issues to foreign policy, and the supplemental activities can include anything from guest speakers to movies. The only true consistency is their weekly Thursday night meeting time.

While most members discussed either Sanders or Clinton, a few democrats stood in the room’s fourth corner, where no candidate’s picture was displayed, since they had not yet committed to a candidate. They oscillated between Sanders and Clinton, as the two groups prepared to defend their respective candidates in a friendly mock debate, set up to sway the undecided members.

The inclusive environment is why CAS sophomore Fadumo Osman said she continues to participate in the club. As the College Democrat’s Campaign Director, Osman leads their collaboration efforts with other groups.

“If students are joining a protest about climate

change or Black Lives Matter, I mobilize our members to join through advertising at meetings, sending it in the emails or posting in the Facebook group so that students don’t feel uncomfortable at joining these new initiatives,” Osman said. “As long as it’s aligned with the Democratic Party, then it’s no issue.”

Osman believes that this united advocacy is what makes the club so special to her.

“It’s insane how closely bonded the membership is beyond our general meetings,” Osman said. “I think that’s what keeps us both a fun club as well as a club that informs its members.

Striking a balance has been difficult, but without that personal connection, we wouldn’t have the active membership that we have.”

Staff manager and CAS junior Drew Weber said these events are how he found his core friend group.

“I am definitely in a bubble, since I’m constantly surrounded by people who care about politics,” Weber said. “But in general, I think the current generation has been unfairly pegged as apathetic. I think we’re less apathetic and more frustrated with the current [political] climate.”

Weber said he thinks NYU College Democrats help fight irritations with our country’s political atmosphere by discussing politics in an engaging and intellectually stimulating collegiate environment — breaking the stereotype of youth being politically disinterested.

Defense/Foreign Policy* Most Important Political Issue * Out of 50 students who took the survey

88.37%

Email Diamond Naga Siu at dsiu@nyunews.com.

Authoritarian

Republican

Left

Right Democratic

Libertarian

Libertarian

*

Registered to vote

Where Does Your Party Fall?

Socialist

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College Libertarians

By CHRISTINE WANG Deputy News Editor The classic definition of libertarianism revolves around freedom from government interference. But the NYU College Libertarians feel that no definition fully encompasses the spirit of libertarianism.

Tandon sophomore and President Derek Mizell believes that, even among the only 30 members, libertarianism manifests in a broad spectrum.

“People try to look for oversimplified definitions because they want the quick and easy answer so they can decide in three seconds whether they want to give something another thought,” Mizell said. “When you try to explain libertarianism you can’t reduce it down to a couple of words because if you do that you’re limiting the possibilities and scope of libertarianism.”

Among the College Libertarians, some members value stereotypically republican, socialist or democratic ideals, but consider themselves libertarian because of their dedication towards liberty rather than an allegiance to a party.

This can make libertarianism a potentially vague concept, but in actuality there is a common denominator — liberty.

Although Mizell enjoys the flexibility of libertarianism, such as being able to address issues directly instead of siding with a particular party, he also recognizes that it can make the political philosophy seem ambiguous and confusing to the mainstream.

“At the last two club fests, people come up to us and say, “‘What’s a Libertarian?’” Mizell said. “But if they go up to a Democrat or a Republican, they say, “Oh,

I know what that is because I’ve seen a Buzzfeed article. Sometimes people think we’re a food club.”

NYU is mostly regarded as a liberal university, but Tisch sophomore and Social Media Outreach Coordinator for the club Calvin Tran said he doesn’t feel that NYU students are drawn to a particular party.

“When I think about NYU I don’t consider them liberal or conservative,” Tran said. “It’s about people who care a lot about things they see. You go outside, and you see homeless people, injustice, a really abusive police system and you have an immediate reaction to that.”

Thomas Resnick, Gallatin freshman and secretary for the club, said higher education is one of the hot topic political issues the club discusses. Resnick feels low-income students should receive tuition assistance, but the problem ultimately lies in reforming education policies.

“I believe people who do not have the ability to pay, in the context of a society with some government, should get some kind of assistance, but that doesn’t mean we force every single last American to go to college at 18 for four years,” Resnick said.

Despite a Libertarian candidate never having won a presidential election nor having won more than 1 percent of the popular vote, Tran thinks they’re already making a big difference.

“Libertarians don’t have a big political presence only because they’ve won so many victories,” Tran said. “We have freedom of speech. We have that ingrained in our constitution. We’ve been fighting for free trade and open borders and we’re slowly winning those battles. We’re winning them in the sense that it’s becoming mainstream. It’s becoming part of our political system.”

Email Christine Wang at cwang@nyunews.com.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM

OPINION

EDITED BY RICHARD SHU OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

EDUCATION

Trans-Pacific Partnership Necessitates Education Reform

By RICHARD SHU Opinion Editor On Thursday, the Trans-Pacific Partnership was officially signed by 14 countries, including the United States. The TPP is set to be one of the largest free trade agreements in the history of the world, reducing over 1,800 different trade restrictions and tariffs in economies all around the Pacific. But with any radical change comes great resistance. Politicians and activist groups within the United States have called the TPP a threat to the economy, claiming that it would ship U.S. jobs abroad and impair economic growth.

Economists are virtually all in agreement that free trade is, on the

abstract whole, a good thing. It leverages what is known as comparative advantage between nations — the relatively basic idea that some nations are more efficient at producing certain goods and services than others. The United States, which has led the world in technology and high-skill manufacturing, has a lot to gain in this regard. And by reducing restrictions and tariffs on U.S. exports, the TPP is set to give these industries an even greater boost.

But a natural and necessary consequence of comparative advantage is that other nations will specialize too. In particular, developing nations — where average worker productivity is lower and technology not nearly as robust — should see growth in low-skill manufacturing

jobs in order to match growing U.S. high-skill exports.

Here is where the anxiety comes from. Free trade means specialization, and specialization means that U.S. low-skill manufacturing will shrink. On the whole, the U.S. economy will benefit, but the grand economic restructuring threatens to leave employees in low-skill sectors behind. That does not mean there will be a shortage of jobs. Quite

the contrary: technology, advanced manufacturing and services require a lot of labor and growth in these sectors means many more opportunities for jobs — often with higher average pay to boot.

Rather, the problem lies in education. Workers in shrinking sectors will need a great deal of education and retraining in order to meet growing demand for skilled labor, but an education system that has become increasingly unaffordable for average citizens — that has marginalized and stigmatized lateradult education — prevents workers from adapting to and reaping benefits from the new economy.

Rather than sticking to a cumbersome protectionist model that preserves inefficient jobs at the

expense of greater growth, politicians need to recognize the radical new possibilities that a specialized economy will bring. Greater state and federal funding for vocational training and university will not only allow workers to adapt to the new economy, but also break through the stratified economic system that has impaired educational achievement for decades. There is no use obstinately sticking to an outdated economic structure — instead, the United States needs to recognize the TPP as an opportunity to take control, innovate and provide the opportunity that so many Americans deserve.

Email Richard Shu at rshu@nyunews.com.

INTERNATIONAL

To Defeat Boko Haram, Nigeria Needs Global Aid

By PATRICK SEAMAN Staff Writer As airstrikes rain down on the Islamic State in the Middle East, Nigerian children burn alive. In a deadly attack last week carried out by Boko Haram — an Islamic extremist group active in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon — the world was reminded that the Nigerian government is incapable of dealing with the crisis on its hands. Nigeria is plagued with a weak government, increasingly impoverished citizens and a displaced population of over 250,000 people in the past 10 months due to Boko Haram.

Despite claims from Nigerian President Muhammadu

Buhari that the militants have been “technically defeated,” attacks and conflict rage on in Nigeria. And of the 276 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram almost two years ago, 219 of them remain missing.

While the focus on the Islamic State is warranted, and deserving of even more commitment, the seemingly willful ignorance of the atrocities committed by the powers at play in West Africa cannot continue. Human lives are at stake, and it is the responsibility of those countries that can do something to aid governments who are hard-pressed to respond to critical issues.

In the global fight against terrorism, it is imperative that states address and respond ade-

quately to all threats, regardless of geographic or quasi-imperial interests in the afflicted region.

The world must look at Boko Haram as a challenge and a threat to stability everywhere, not just stability in West Africa. Boko Haram is not invincible. However, they will not go away unless the countries they have terrorized form a strong, united front.

The Nigerian government has all too clearly proved their inef-

fectiveness in protecting their people. They have consistently presented false information on the whereabouts of the missing Chibok girls, claimed truces were in place when they clearly are not and have been to the negotiating table more times than one can count. Boko Haram is not going to negotiate, so the only course of action is, well, action.

The United States and United Nations need to back a Nigerian-led coalition of West African states, namely those most affected — Niger, Chad and Cameroon. A coalition like this already existed and made significant progress, but that progress was halted once Nigeria claimed Boko Haram was defeated. These

efforts must be compounded with U.N. and U.S. support, including training for troops, supplies and military counsel. Organizations that live to inspire fear thrive when countries can be singled out, draining time and resources through small-scale attacks and retreats. They lose that power when a full offensive is taken, and one must be taken in order to protect the lives and dignity of innocent people. If it isn’t, then the thousands of lives taken and millions disrupted

by Boko Haram will go unanswered, and terror organizations will have gotten away with one more atrocity.

Email Patrick Seaman at opinion@nyunews.com.

CITY

NYC Area Median Income Figures Must Discount Suburbs

By SHIVA DARSHAN Staff Writer Living in New York City is becoming increasingly difficult for low and middle income New Yorkers. Luxury developments and rich transplants are driving up rents and pushing out local residents. To combat this, Mayor Bill de Blasio has championed his Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. The MIH program requires that about a quarter of units meet affordability benchmarks based of the Area Median Income. Yet these AMI benchmarks still remain out of reach for many New Yorkers.

The AMI is the annually-released figure representing the average

household income for an area. For New York City, the U.S. Department of Housing and Development calculates AMI using household incomes of the five boroughs plus Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, three of the five richest counties in New York state.

Consequently, the AMI is $60,500 for single person and $86,300 for a family of four, well above New York City’s median household income of $52,737. The MIH program uses 60 percent of the AMI as the lowest affordability benchmark, yet because of the AMI’s suburban inflation this benchmark amounts to about $51,800 — more than the median household incomes of Brooklyn and the Bronx. Under the current

affordability guidelines, if Brooklyn and the Bronx were people, they would fall into the very low income category, the 40 percent and 50 percent of AMI range, a category which is not served currently by the MIH program.

The inflation of the AMI means rezoning under de Blasio’s MIH program will do little to help those who need it most. As it stands, over 43

percent of New Yorkers fall beneath the 60 percent of AMI affordability benchmark. Within neighborhoods such as Harlem and East New York, the inflated AMI figure could push out residents whose median incomes are about $33,000. When two-thirds of New Yorkers are in one of the three AMI based low income categories, it is time to question the legitimacy of the city’s AMI figure.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development justified its inclusion of the three suburban counties by claiming it makes building units viable to developers. Yet, New York is one of the most lucrative real estate markets in country.

It is already viable for developers.

However, inflating the AMI makes it

easier for developers to overcharge struggling New Yorkers.

A rationally calculated city AMI that only used the data from the five boroughs could lay the groundwork for substantive improvements to the city’s livability. This more reasonable AMI, about $60,000 for a four-person household, would make the MIH’s 60 percent AMI benchmark actually affordable to residents in neighborhoods such as East Harlem and the Lower East Side. A proper city-wide AMI would be relevant and useful figure for evaluating and not just a guise for gentrification.

Email Shiva Darshan at opinion@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY RICHARD SHU OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

GOVERNMENT

STAFF EDITORIAL

Zika Panic Does Not Justify Rights Infringement

By CONNOR BORDEN Contributing Writer Donning its robes of misplaced fear and widespread paranoia, Zika has sat down on the epidemic throne.

Despite how little doctors understand about this virus, the World Health Organization has declared a state of public health emergency as a result of this disease. Its rapid spread across countries and continents is undeniable, even now landing in the United States. The precautions set forth by the WHO, Centers for Disease Control and other countries’ health groups presumptively limit the freedoms of women across the Americas, which is unacceptable.

It goes without saying that the potential risks of the Zika virus mean that any sexually active woman should take extra precautions. However, women looking to be mothers should certainly not be barred from becoming pregnant. Some countries have requested that the women of their country refrain from pregnancy entirely. El Salvador has asked that women set this portion of their lives aside until 2018. None of these countries have announced they would

make an effort to provide support in contraceptives or abortion services to avoid pregnancies. It is unrealistic and highly invasive to ask women to abstain from sex as their only option for birth control.

It is true that Brazil has suffered from a sudden flood of microcephaly, a condition in which newborns experience severely impaired brain development. Scientists later found evidence of Zika in some of these infants, but an epidemiological study has not yet reached completion.

Therefore, the public health agents still do not have the solid proof necessary to allow these flagrantly unjust precautions. Zika can be transmitted sexually — which can be combatted with the use of condoms — as well as through mosquitoes, but the United States specifically has been diligent in protecting its citizens against

the type of mosquito that carries this virus.

In recent years, the anti-vaccination trend has caused some far more malevolent diseases, such as measles, to come roaring back into newborn populations. Concerns should lie with the conditions that are killing children, or even with viruses much more potent and deadly than Zika which, for the vast majority of the population, just causes a rash and a fever. The real concern here is panic about the Zika virus, which can all too easily lay the path for unwarranted infringements on individual rights. While Latin America has allowed fear to overtake concerns for rights and practicality, where governments have passed sweeping measures that limit women’s anatomical freedom, the United States must take care not to make the same mistakes. Public health should be a matter that is left to the states. Declarations of public health procedure from central governments as sweeping as these overstep the boundaries of a federal government.

Email Connor Borden at opinion@nyunews.com.

POLITICS

Clinton’s Campaign Belongs in the ‘60s

By PHOEBE KUO Contributing Writer Hillary Clinton has long proven that she has the ability to get things done.

As senator of New York and Secretary of State, she won many hard-fought battles and cemented her place as one of the great politicians of our time. Yet, her campaign fails when it comes to winning the support of the younger generation, and the reason why boils down to her approach to social media. In terms of engaging the young electorate, Clinton’s campaign team has simply failed to keep up with the times.

Back in the 1960s, the information delivery process was a one-way pipeline: the mass audience received messages from TV, radio and newspapers, but there was no machinery for immediate feedback. It was easier to control the effect of a single advertisement, which meant politicians had much more control over their image. Take JFK for example: despite his womanizing behaviors, he leveraged his media presence in order to project an air of moral uprightness that eventually metamorphosed into his legacy.

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Times have changed. The Internet spreads good and bad news faster than ever. Unlike in the days of JFK, the masses are no longer silent; instead, they enthusiastically comment, retweet, create and riff on content. The internet has given them a voice, and they love to exercise that voice whenever possible.

Clinton’s campaign team and her policies, however, remain conservative. The official Clinton campaign Youtube channel has tons of campaign videos, but oddly, the comments sections are almost empty. Every other campaign channel, from Martin O’Malley to Donald Trump, allow comments because their campaigns recognize the value of engaging the audience in every way possible. Whether the comments are positive or negative, the freedom to comment is a vital part

of modern politics. Haters gonna hate, and they should be allowed the freedom to hate.

This is not to mention that Clinton’s ads are not engaging at all. They mostly consist of dry reruns of her speeches while in office and laundry lists of past achievements. For the younger generation, these references are distant and lack relevance to their sphere of experience. To millennials, Clinton seems more like a relic from the past.

Clinton excels at public speeches.

As an indisputably experienced lawyer, she’s confident and unhesitant when taking rebuttals. If TV was the only measure of campaign success, she might have beaten Sanders by a greater margin in the recent Iowa caucus. However, campaigns now exist in interactive spheres, where audiences can participate, not just observe. If Secretary Clinton wants the last laugh, she has to show her younger voters that she’s able to play their game and win their vote by keying into the specific concerns of the current generation.

Email Phoebe Kuo at opinion@nyunews.com.

Hamilton Must Be More Than Just Talk

In his interview with university-wide publications, Andrew Hamilton was poised to set the stage for his coming presidency.

The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford took the opportunity to stress his dedication to the faculty of NYU and prioritized a reciprocal relationship between the faculty and the administration — a move nowhere to be found in the Sexton playbook. Student and faculty groups across campus still bear grudges against Sexton’s indifference to their concerns. Hamilton’s devotion to promoting a collaborative administration made important strides in bridging the gap between faculty and administrators that Sexton’s tenure created.

Many of the frustrations that the NYU community had with Sexton’s leadership centered on his lack of focus on the needs of the school community. Under his leadership, NYU expanded its hold on Greenwich Village with its NYU 2031 plan, as well as creating the global network it maintains today. However, the Sexton administration also presided over skyrocketing tuition, wore down the trust between the school and the community and incited a number of controversies about the administration’s treatment of students and faculty. Whether or not he was as earnestly committed to the university as Hamilton assures, Sexton did not inspire confidence in the faculty that he had the university’s greater interests at heart.

Contrast with Hamilton: he insists not only on continuing to work on chemistry research within the department, but also on listening to faculty concerns and involving committees of professors in the administrative process. His remarks served as an immediate counterpoint to the Sexton administrative approach that so much of the schoolwide community was sick of — he promises to be a president who puts the faculty first.

But in order to keep this promise, Hamilton must deal with the long list of grievances that Sexton left behind. It seems questionable to expect a faculty-driven university when more than 5,000 of the 7,000 professors at NYU are not tenuretracked and lack the job security they need to do good work for the university. Bringing the fractured faculty into the fold of the university would be a step in the right direction. Additionally, Hamilton has yet to address the 2031 plan, despite it being widely contentious among faculty. On this matter it is crucial that Hamilton avoid Sexton’s failure to take community concerns into account.

Rhetoric is not policy, but it does set expectations, and it seems that Hamilton has crafted a clear message. The new president has not explicitly disavowed the actions of his predecessor, instead opting to set forward a vision of a future made brighter by close collaboration between the administration, faculty and students. Hamilton is hopeful, but he will need to make good on his optimism for the university. We have heard hollow promises before — what we need now is action and accountability.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD: Richard Shu (Chair), Emily Fong (Co-chair), Abraham Gross (Co-chair) STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BEARZI

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.

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SPORTS

EDITED BY MICHAEL THOMPSON SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Hockey Testy in Weekend Wins

By RACHEL RUECKER Deputy Sports Editor

The NYU men’s hockey team wiped the ice with their opponents this weekend, continuing their winning trend from last week by beating Montclair State University 7-2 and Marist 7-1.

After a slow first period, the action intensified in the following period when an early hooking call to freshman defenseman James Moeller resulted in an MSU power play goal. NYU would go on to take over the game, however, beginning with freshman forward John Kowalewski’s tying effort at 8:20 of the second.

Freshman forward Keaton Baum scored to put NYU in front 2-1.

Before the frame’s end, MSU got handed a 10-minute misconduct, and by the time all was said and done, NYU had outshot them 195. Baum pointed to the team’s resurgent intensity as a key factor in the period.

“We realized in between periods

that we needed to really focus on using our speed as a team,” Baum said. “When we came out in the second we were more fired up and ready to go.”

The Violets continued scoring in the third, first with an unassisted effort from senior forward Denis O’Hara to push the Violets ahead 3-1. Kowalewski’s second of the night also came unassisted at 8:53, and junior forward David Shaby got NYU’s fifth of the night shortly after.

After MSU eked out a power play goal, sophomore forward Michael Conslato scored at 15:55, displaying an almost embarrassment of riches.

Junior forward Peter Jorgensen finalized the score at 7-2 with 2:16 remaining. Jorgensen was thrilled with the team’s effort and aggressiveness in the rink.

“We have a lot going for us right now and our mindset is just to bring it every night and you see that in the scores when we play a lower-seeded team like Montclair,” Jorgensen said.

The Violets were back at it on Sat-

urday night against Marist College, which turned into another exercise in superiority as NYU skated circles around the undersized Red Foxes.

Beginning with a 2-0 first period thanks to freshmen forwards Gil Lipkin — who notched his first on the season — and Jack Orne. A couple of kills by Marist rounded out the first, but they were still outshot handily at 21-7.

In a wild second period, the Violets found the back of the net four more times, including the night’s second for both Orne and Lipkin.

There must have been something in the NYU freshmen’s water, as the next two goals were both scored by first-years as well with Moeller and forward Matthew Welch each nodding one. Lipkin was elated to get his first two at such an exciting time in the season.

“It was nice to see a number of guys on the third and fourth lines picking up points in tonight’s game,” Lipkin said. “I think it really speaks to the depth of our team and shows that we can

Track Does Better Than Score Indicates

By MICHAEL THOMPSON Sports Editor

Sometimes looks can be deceiving.

The finishes of the NYU men and women track teams may seem underwhelming at first: ninth out of 12 and 12th out of 15, respectively. However, when considering the competition the Violets were up against, the finishes are more of a feat than a disappointment.

The Violets track teams were fully back together for the NYC Metro Championships on Friday after competing in two simultaneous events the week before. As the only Division III team in a field of presumably superior programs, the Violets were impressive, finishing with respectable numbers in a highquality field.

The men’s distance relay team of senior Max Avila, sophomores Malcolm Montilus and Max Mudd and junior Curtis Mann was the Violet’s most successful group, finishing in fourth with a strong time of 10:19.53. Facing elite competition, the result was definitely satisfying for the Violet competitors.

A collection of strong performances from a number of Violets led the way. Senior Daniel Rieger finished sixth in the onemile race, with a speedy time of 4:23.26. Sophomore Neil Sadler finished under a second behind him, placing eighth. The 800-meter event featured two Violets cracking the top-20, as sophomore Vince Booth and junior

Conner Meenan both finished a hair above two minutes. Top-20 appearances were also seen in the 500-meter, where freshmen Soham Kamat and Daniel Sovich finished with times of 1:09.13 and 1:10.90.

Freshman Harley Centner finished the 200-meter dash in 26.26 seconds, while junior Nick Torsitano and junior Fred Lam placed 20th and 21st in the 400-meter.

Senior Eddie Cruz-Desintonio finished with a respectable time of 2:38.35 in the 1000-meter, which was good enough for an eighth place finish.

Strong performances against elite competitors weren’t limited to the men, as notable performances were also abundant on the women’s side. Junior Justine Morris was the Violets’ star individual performer, finishing in the upper tier of the 3000-meter run. Her time of 10:35.31 was good enough for sixth, which was ahead of competitors from schools such as Columbia, LIU Brooklyn and Iona. Sophomore Lara Dorsky, who had a strong 15th-place finish in the 5000-meter run, was exuberant simply to compete to her personal best.

“I was really happy to break 20 mins in the 5k in my second indoor 5k, since I haven’t ran under 20 minutes since high school,” Dorsky said.

The women also impressed in team competition, as seniors Rebecca Turlip and Sarah Sisk, junior Wendy He and sophomore Ireland Gibson led the medley

STAFF PHOTO BY HANNAH SHULMAN

The NYU Ice Hockey team once again won both their matches over the weekend. score no matter who’s out on the ice.”

Things got scrappy when the team’s Canadian connection, junior defenseman Evan Ripley, got into it with a Marist player. NYU then had to head to the penalty kill late in the second when Moeller and Lipkin got tossed in the sin bin for roughing.

Unfortunately, sophomore goaltender Jack Nebe’s bid for a shutout was ruined when Marist got

a power play goal early on in the third, but NYU wouldn’t be trifled with and scored a seventh, this one coming from sophomore forward Steven Esposito.

The Violets will gear up for their last regular season game back at the Sky Rink on Friday at 8:30 p.m. against the University of New Hampshire.

Email Rachel Ruecker at rruecker@nyunews.com.

Volleyball Continues Early-Season Slump

By BRANDON HERRERA Staff Writer

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Daniel Rieger led a group of four Violets in the mile, placing sixth with his time of 4:23:26. relay team to a solid fourth place, finishing in 12:29.11.

Not to be outdone, freshman Alyssa Jean’s time of just over eight seconds in the 60-meter earned her a 14th place in a 32-women field. Meanwhile, junior Simone Cooper was the Violet’s best performer in the triple jump with a 10th place finish. Sophomores Emily Dethlefs and Maggie Lalowski and junior Kassi Chrysanthopoulos took the 9th-11th spots in the one-mile run, each finishing within three-and-a-half seconds of each other.

Love will be in the air next weekend as the Violets hit the track at the Boston University Valentine’s Invitational. The action kicks off in Boston on Friday and runs through Saturday.

Email Michael Thompson at mthompson@nyunews.com.

The NYU men’s volleyball team, ranked eighth in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association dropped two of three matches this past weekend. The Violets (3-4) opened the trio of matches with a Thursday night victory over Baruch College at the ARC Arena in Manhattan, winning 3-1 in four sets. This would be a slow start for the Violets, who lost the opening set 23-25 but soon hit their stride, winning the next three sets (25-20, 25-17, 25-12). In the end, NYU outplayed the Baruch Bearcats with a .243 hitting percentage compared to their opponents’ .039. Senior outside hitter Nick Benson led all players with 16 kills while junior outside hitter Chase Klein notched in 12 more. Sophomore middle hitter Chase Corbett also pitched in with a match-high of six blocks.

On Friday, NYU competed against Springfield College at the Morgan Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, losing three sets to one (26-24, 1825, 19-25, 16-25). The Violets were able to win the initial set but could not keep the momentum going as they lost the next three against a very good Pride team. Benson led NYU with 13 total kills and four digs, while Corbett and senior middle hitter Phil Bueno also

reached double digits in kills.

In their last match of the weekend, the Violets were topped in five sets by the University of Puerto RicoMayaguez at the Morgan Classic. NYU proved a worthy opponent against the Division II team, keeping toe-to-toe throughout the match. The two took turns winning sets as they split the first four, setting up the night for a fifth and final set. But Puerto Rico had the last laugh, edging out the Violets 15-13.

In his first match of the year, senior opposite Colin LaPorte posted team-highs of 18.5 points and 16 kills against Puerto Rico. Corbett hit a team-best of .421 percent while junior setter Derrick Chiu recorded a match high of nine digs.

After a tough weekend competing in front of hundreds of fans, Sean Leahy still remains hopeful for his team.

“Going forward, we need to continue our hard work in practice to become more consistent in competition,” Leahy said. “We remain focused on our UVC [United Volleyball Conference] matches starting this weekend in Elmira, on a game-by-game basis.”

NYU’s next match will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 10 in Union, New Jersey, against Kean University.

Email Brandon Herrera at sports@nyunews.com.

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SPORTS

EDITED BY MICHAEL THOMPSON SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Swimming Hosts NYU Invitational

By ASHLEY ARNOLD Staff Writer

Over the weekend, NYU’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams hosted the NYU Invitational at the Palladium Athletic Facility. Rather than the more common meets between schools, the invitational did not keep a score for each participating university, instead focusing on individual performances. The Violets competed with schools within NCAA’s Division I which included Lehigh University, Drexel University and Saint Peter’s University. Sophomore Austin Palmer did well in both the 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle, taking fourth place for the 400-yard freestyle relay team, which included senior Frank Bozzi and juniors Steve Turnbull and Peter Schott.

Turnbull seized victory for the 100-yard butterfly and placed second in the 200-yard butterfly. The relay squad for the 200-yard medley consisted of Turnbull, along with junior Andrew Bui and sophomores Avery Soong and Wentao Zou. Junior Jason Bo won the 200yard individual medley and finished third in both the 200yard butterfly and the 100-yard butterfly. Sophomore Dylan Adler took third in the one-

meter and three-meter diving competitions, while freshman Max Falb placed in fourth for the three-meter competition and fifth place in the one-meter.

Sophomore Brienne Renfurm was victorious the women’s 50yard freestyle and placed third in the 100-yard backstroke. She also participated in the 400yard freestyle relay team along with freshmen Alex McGurk and Haley Wen and sophomore Isabelle Corgel. Corgel excitedly recounted her experience of the daunting freestyle relay.

“I had a great time swimming in the meet and watching my teammates finish off their seasons in such a positive way,” Corgel said. “I’m excited to see what the team can do at our next meet.”

Junior diver Ashlie Pankonin

won both the one-meter and three-meter competitions.

Freshman Haley Wen was successful in the 500-yard freestyle and also placed second in the 200-yard freestyle and fourth in the 1,650-yard freestyle. For Wen, her success was simply a piece of a larger puzzle.

“I was really happy with my swimming this weekend and proud of how well my teammates did,” Wen said. “Everyone raced well and we had some good competition.”

The Violets next travel to Rochester, NY for the UAA Championships hosted by the University of Rochester from Wednesday to Saturday, Feb. 17-20.

Email Ashley Arnold at sports@nyunews.com.

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Austin Palmer, of NYU’s men’s swimming team, was a double-winner over the weekend.

Hoops: Men Trend Up, Women Falter

By SUHANA JAGADESAN Contributing Writer This weekend’s NYU basketball action was the tale of two teams, as the men came out victorious and the women had to return to the drawing board.

Ranked seventh in the nation by the NCAA, the women’s team began their road trip with confidence, but realized quickly that their opponent, Carnegie Mellon University, was a worthy adversary. Senior forward Megan Dawe was the high scorer for the night, with 17 points. She also added six rebounds. The Violets had a grasp on the lead before the end of the first quarter thanks to junior guard Kaitlyn Read, who scored seven straight points. But it was during the second quarter that the Tartans took the lead and held tightly to their advantage for the rest of the game. In the end, it wasn’t that close, as the Violets suffered their second-largest loss of the season, 70-57.

Sunday’s game proved to be a closer for the women’s team. The last time the Violets faced Case Western Reserve, the Violets easily handled them, winning by a comfortable margin of 82-70. However, this battle against the Spartans didn’t quite have the same result.

The first quarter ended with a five point lead for the Violets, after a successful layup by Dawe. However the Violets lost their lead in the second quarter, trailing 39-34 at halftime. Things wouldn’t change much, even though the Violets narrowed the lead in the second half, and they dropped their second straight 67-65.

The men’s team left the court with a cheerier disposition on Friday, as they managed to escape with a 70-67 victory over Carnegie Mellon, improving their UAA standing and overall record. The Violets had a shaky start, struggling to gain an edge, and trailed 43-31 at halftime. Senior guard Max Ralby looked to his teammates to recover from the inconsistent first 20 minutes.

“Road games in the UAA are always tough. I think we came out a little flat and early foul trouble hurt us in the first half,” Ralby said.

But the 12 point deficit wasn’t enough to keep the Violets down.

The second half was a turning point, as the Violets slowly but surely crept back into the game. The Violets finally charged ahead into the lead late, going on to win 70-67. Sophomore Ross Udine hoped the victory would be a learning experience for the team.

“We fell behind early cause we

just didn’t come out with enough energy and they did,” Udine said.

“And I’d like to see us come out with more assertiveness on the defensive end so we don’t fall behind early.”

The men’s team used their momentum from Friday to clinch yet another win against Case Western, but the Spartans didn’t make it an easy victory for the Violets. Unlike Friday’s game, the Violets went into the half with a six point lead. In the second half, the Violets’ lead started to wane, but they quickly recovered with the aid of Ralby’s layup and steal, extending the Violet lead to 6556 over the Spartans. The Spartans put up a fight, with Spartan Javier Alvarez giving his team a 74-71 lead splitting a set of free throws. But NYU rallied back with two free throws from Udine, and after a potential Spartans game-winner missed, the Violets survived 80-79.

The teams will continue their pattern of traveling together next weekend, as they square off against Emory University on Friday and the University of Rochester on Sunday.

Email Suhana Jagadesan at sports@nyunews.com.

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Wayne Yuan of NYU’s wrestling team won both of his matches on Saturday.

Wrestling Rights the Ship Over Weekend

By ELI EDWARDS Contributing Writer

The NYU men’s wrestling team bounced back from Wednesday’s loss against the United States Merchant Marine Academy with convincing wins over McDaniel College and Washington and Lee University this past Saturday in an event hosted by Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. The Grapplers got back on track, improving their record to 11-5 in dual meets this season. These two Centennial Conference matchups boosted the number 22 ranked Grapplers into third place in the conference — only behind Stevens and Ursinus College.

The first match of the day pitted NYU against 11-7 McDaniel College. The Grapplers took care of business beating the Green Terror 29-9. Junior Nathan Pike, wrestling at 133 pounds, continued his fantastic season by beating McDaniel senior Ryan O’Boyle with a fall at 1:48, improving his record to 23-2. Pike’s stellar performance might be an indicator for more to come with the UAA championship on the horizon. Along with Pike, sophomore Raymond Jazikoff and junior Nick Matthews had strong days against McDaniel.

Jazikoff won 20-4 on a technical fall against Wade Bishop in the 157-pound matchup. Matthews, who came in fourth at the Citrus Open in Florida two months ago, won by decision. The Grapplers led throughout the match and did not slip up.

After handily beating McDaniel

College, NYU had momentum going into their next match against Washington and Lee. They throttled the Generals in a lopsided 45-3 win, continuing their success in the Centennial Conference. From the lowest weight class to the highest weight class, the Grapplers had no problems.

In the 125-pound weight class, junior Wayne Yuan had a strong outing winning by Decision 8-2 over Washington and Lee’s Ethan Hartman. The junior has been a consistent cog in NYU’s starting lineup throughout the year and now has a record of 12-12 after winning both his matches on Saturday.

“I thought we really dominated and showed how tough we are as a team,” Yuan said. “We looked physical out there and dominated our opponents.”

The toughness that Yuan mentioned really showed, as NYU only lost one of their matches against Washington and Lee. Sophomore Anthony Calvano got his groove back after losing his first match against McDaniel.

Calvano at 141 pounds beat his opponent 4-1, giving the Grapplers a lead of 9-0 at that point.

NYU never looked back.

At this point in the season many of the Grapplers are looking to build their resumes, as the postseason lies ahead. The team has a week to recuperate as they are back in action for the UAA Championship in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Email Eli Edwards at sports@nyunews.com.

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