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NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 14

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

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Clive Davis reflects on pioneering institute By NICOLE DEL MAURO

It is hard to imagine that Clive Davis, an award-winning record producer with five Grammy awards under his belt and the man with the golden ears, was not always aware of his affinity for music. “I was an ordinary listener of music,” Davis said. “It was not anything [that seemed to] take over my life.” Now, 40 years later, he has not only established himself as the sole recording producer in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but the founder of a pioneering program for recording artists at NYU. While working at the law firm Rosenman and Colin in New York after graduating from NYU’s College of Arts and Science and Harvard Law School in the 1950s, Davis was offered the assistant counsel position at Columbia Records and eventually became president in 1966. Only then, in the musical revolution of the ’60s, did he discover his gift for music.

CLIVE continued on PG. 4

DAVID LIN/WSN

Global movement marks Bradley Manning’s 1,000th day in jail Imprisoned for one thousand days without trial, Bradley Manning has sparked a global synchronization of protests speaking out against his illegal detainment. Prosecuted as a source for leaked Wikileaks documents, Manning was arrested in May 2010 on suspicion of aiding the enemy.

STORY ON PAGE 3

Violets overtake Brandeis Judges in final home game of season By MARY JANE DUMANKAYA

The Violets played their final home game of the regular season on Saturday Feb. 23, against the Brandeis University Judges in Coles Sports Center. NYU won the game 59-57. On Feb. 22, the Inter-Greek Council and the Commuter Student Council hosted a sports rally for the basketball game as part of the Violet 100 events. Students gathered in the Commuter Student Lounge to get into the NYU spirit. NYU’s five senior players were honored prior to the beginning of the game. Seniors and co-captains Carl Yaffe, Kyle Stockmal and Max Wein, and fellow seniors Cory Stockmal and Devin Karch were all celebrated for their contributions to the team. In his last regular season game,

Yaffe scored 19 points, securing his place in the record books. Yaffe is fifth in career scoring in NYU history, with 1,347 points scored during his college career. “Being fifth all time on the career scoring list is an honor, there are so many amazing players on that list and I am grateful to be among the best in NYU history,” he said. Kyle Stockmal shot eight points, two of which were three-pointers. He will be remembered for his threepoint field goals, as he maintains the record for most consecutive three-point field goals (11), third most three-point field goals in a single game (7), third most threepoint field goals in a season (73) and fourth highest three-point field goal percentage (47.1), which he achieved during the 2011-2012 season.

BRIA WEBB FOR WSN

Kyle Stockmal evades the defense on his way to the hoop.

“It felt great to beat Brandeis,” Kyle Stockmal said. “They are our rivals in the University Athletic Association, so that on top of having a win on senior night was awesome.” Cory Stockmal came off the bench to play for 28 minutes, scoring four points. “It meant a lot to the five of us to win our last home game at Coles and I know it is something that I will always remember,” Cory Stockmal said. “We also had great fan support this year and it was great to go out on a high like we did.” Karch scored 19 points in his last game, and Wein scored two points. “I loved the fan support we received for both of our Tear It Up games and for senior day. Having the opportunity to play in front of such an involved crowd was unbe-

lievable,” Wein said. The Violets finished their season 15-10 overall, with a 13-3 record at home. NYU was hoping to make it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Championships for the second consecutive time. “We expected a lot more from our team this season,” Kyle Stockmal said. “The fact that we couldn’t get wins on the road really hurt us this year.” On Monday Feb. 25, NYU men’s basketball will find out if they have been invited to participate in the Eastern College Athletic Championship. Mary Jane Dumankaya is sports editor. Email her at mdumankaya@nyunews.com.

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

ON THE SIDE

IN AND OF

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AMY ZHANG Web Managing Editor

HANQING CHEN Deputy Managing Editor

JORDAN MELENDREZ Assistant Managing Editor

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KALEEL MUNROE SENIOR STAFF

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BY FRANCISCO NAVAS As convenient as it is to stream on your computer, iPhone and Xbox 360, ESPN does not have the rights to show you Turkish soccer or Russian hockey, and a real sports fan cannot go without following their favorite team. Check out these top five websites to catch your favorite international sports. VIA FLICKR.COM | COURTESY OF COCA COLA | COURTESY OF LIZ CLAIBORNE

–Gothamist FINER POINTS OF BLOOMBERG’S SODA BAN According to the soda ban, which will take effect on March 12, pizzerias will no longer be allowed to sell 20-ounce and 2-liter bottles, and kid-friendly restaurants are not allowed to serve plastic pitchers, which means higher costs for larger groups. Bottle service mixers will also be affected by the ban; say goodbye to free carafes of soda and cranberry juice because only water and juice will now be free.

–Gothamist

Editor-in-Chief JONATHON DORNBUSH Managing Editor

It’s a big city and a widespread university. Catch up with our daily updates on university and city/state news headlines other publications are covering.

NEW YORK CITY FLOUNDERS IN FOOD LABELING Oceana study finds that a significant portion of the city’s fish is mislabeled. Every sushi restaurant they sampled sold mislabeled fish. Salmon weighs in as the most highly mislabeled fish. Buy whole fish at the supermarket to avoid being duped.

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

BASKETBALL Living in New York can be hard for the large population of Californians in NYU, usually Los Angeles Lakers fans. Although quality is not the greatest, and there are a million ads, Vipbox has multiple language links for ever NBA college game. It can be also used for other sports like handball, rugby and table tennis. FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL On FirstRowSports, an American, a Brit and an Aussie can catch their own brand of whatever they choose to call “football.” Darts and World Wrestling Entertainment events are also possibilities, which Vipbox lacks.

university TATIANA BAEZ city/state VERONICA CARCHEDI investigative NICOLE BROWN arts JOSH JOHNSON features KRISTINA BOGOS sports MARY JANE DUMANKAYA multimedia RACHEL KAPLAN copy MICHAEL DOMANICO,

WICY WANG foreign correspondent JULIE DEVITO senior editors GENTRY BROWN, DAN

HINTON, CHARLES MAHONEY, CLIO MCCONNELL, STEFAN MELNYK, LAVYA YALAMANCHI

DEPUTY STAFF

university KEVIN BURNS, NEELA QADIR city/state EMILY BELL, ANDREW

KARPAN books/theater OLIVIA GEORGE film JEREMY GROSSMAN entertainment ALEX GREENBERGER music ALEXANDRIA ETHRIDGE the highlighter blog SAM RULLO features HELEN HOLMES beauty & style MICHELLE LIM dining ANGEL CHANG sports FRANCISCO NAVAS multimedia REBECCA CLEMENTI,

JOON LEE

OPINION PAGE opinion editor

SAMEER JAYWANT deputy opinion editors

EDWARD RADZIVILOVSKIY, RAQUEL WOODRUFF

SPECIALTY My best friend throughout high school was IraqGoals. Although its streaming quality is terrible, this baby can bypass any Internet blocks, like those at work or at school. It serves mostly soccer but has tennis and basketball as well.

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REBECCA RIBEIRO CIRCULATION MANAGER

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NYU STUDENT ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF STALKING LIZ CLAIBORNE CEO NYU student Naphtali Brooks was arrested last Wednesday for stalking and threatening the CEO of Liz Clairborne, William McComb. After allegedly sending threatening emails to the company’s CEO, Brooks is said to have received direct responses from McComb asking him to stop, but appeared at the company’s headquarters on Wednesday. Brooks is reportedly on voluntary leave from NYU.

ROOMMATE’S RECOMMENDATION When watching SportsCenter is not possible on a TV, this website streams ESPN and ESPN 2 as well as the BBC.

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SALES REPRESENTATIVE

SALES ASSOCIATES

ARIANA DIVALENTINO, CHRIS ELWOOD, ALISON LIZZIO, SAM WANDER CIRCULATION ASSISTANT

OMID GOLMOHAMMADI GRAPHIC DESIGNER

KALEEL MUNROE

ADVISING

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT AT PUBLIC SCHOOL BLENDS QUESTION OF SLAVERY AND MATH Principal Adele Schroeter of Public School 59 has ordered sensitivity training for her entire staff due to a fourth-grade homework assignment that blended math and social studies. The teacher included slave-related questions such as asking the students to calculate how many times a slave was whipped.

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NANCI HEALY EDITORIAL ADVISER

KEITH LEIGHTY EDITORS-AT-LARGE

MAXIMILÍANO DURÓN, JAEWON KANG, FRANCIS POON, MERYLL PREPOSI, AMANDA RANDONE, EMILY YANG

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KAITLYN O’BRIEN ELLEN MCQUEEN

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STYLISH THIEF LIFTS WALLETS OFF NEW YORKERS A well-dressed woman in a fedora and sweater is implicated in thefts that have occurred in the West Village and Union Square areas. Thefts occurred at SideBAR and the restaurant Recette. The investigation continues.

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Rushing waters cascade down Ithaca Falls on a beautiful, cold day in February.

PHOTO BY JORDAN MELENDREZ

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About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods. Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact managing editor Amy Zhang at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.

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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

Protestors rally against Manning’s imprisonment By VERONICA CARCHEDI

Heavy rain and wind pelted approximately 20 protesters as they huddled under the Union Square subway on Saturday to mark the 1,000th day of Bradley Manning’s imprisonment without trial. Manning, a 24-year-old army intelligence analyst, was arrested in May 2010 for releasing information about U.S. actions in Iraq to Wikileaks. He was kept in solitary confinement for 10 months, but then was moved to better conditions in April 2011 as a result of a public petition to President Obama. Though charged with 22 counts, including “aiding the enemy,” a capital crime, he remains untried. “This has gone on far too long,” said Clark Stoekley, one of the organizers of the protest in Union Square. The constitutional limit for detainment is 120 days without an arraignment, but Manning was held for 600. If this fact can be proven, the case will ultimately be dismissed. But according to Stoekley, this may be difficult because of unlawful command influence by Obama, who has stated that Manning broke the law. Another lie, Stoekley said, is that Manning’s information leaks were a threat to national security. “We have seen no proof of any harm done, no lives lost, just embarrassment mostly with our diplomacy,” he said. He added that some good effects might have come from the release — namely, the end of the Iraq war and the intensification of the Arab Spring. A large focus of the event was to show that Manning’s actions were heroic and not treacherous. “Our contention, along with mil-

lions of people around the world, is that Bradley Manning is a hero for exposing what the [United States] has been up to in the global war on terror,” said Debra Sweet, the main event organizer. “He did a huge service...at a great personal risk.” According to Sweet, the goal of the protest was to bring justice as well stopping the deception and war crimes of the U.S. government. For Pamela Drew, a columnist and observer of the protest, events like these are paramount to highlighting issues of government secrecy. “Public support is the most important element,” she said. “The only way we can have an impact is using our voices, and because the mainstream media does not cover [this issue], it is the only way we have to raise public awareness.” On Tuesday in Fort Meade, Md., a judge will decide whether to dismiss the Manning case based on lack of speedy trial. If not dismissed, the trial is expected to start in June 2013. “It needs to become the trial of the century,” Sweet said. Veronica Carchedi is city/state editor. Email her at vcarchedi@nyunews.com.

DAVID LIN/WSN

A Manning supporter bears sign in Union Square in spite of rain.

Three NYU dining halls receive high sanitation grades By FAY LIN

With 13 dining locations, hygiene maintenance could be a challenge for NYU. However, the university has successfully maintained clean dining areas and has received all A’s in the past year — a step up from 2011 when the Hayden dining hall received a B and the Weinstein dining hall unofficially received a C. The latest inspections, conducted by the New York City Department of Health, took place on Jan. 29, Feb. 4 and Feb. 11 in Dunkin Donuts, Weinstein Kosher Eatery and Hayden dining hall respectively. Inspections of the dining locations are done at least once a year and are unannounced. The DOH assesses personal hygiene, equipment maintenance, vermin control, food handling and food temperature. Each violation adds points to the ultimate score. Scores between zero and 13 receive an A, scores between 14 and 27 receive a B and scores of 28 or more receive a C. If an institution receives a score higher than 13, the score is not graded, and the DOH returns in about a month to allow the institution a chance to improve before giving an official grade. This happened at Weinstein Dining Hall in 2011, when it received a 51 initially, but later scored a 12. Hayden received a 27 in 2011, but brought it down to a 15. All of the dining halls received less than 13 at the most recent inspections, so their scores were released immediately. Compared to other universities in the city, NYU measures up. According to the DOH, dining locations at Fordham University and Columbia University also received A’s in 2012, but Columbia’s John Jay Dining Hall received a score of 43 on Feb. 19. According to Owen Moore, NYU director of dining services, the process for maintaining dining hall hygiene centers around food handling practices. Procedures are implemented at various intervals depending on the regularity of usage of the equipment. “For example, a grill is cleaned several times a day, while an oven is cleaned once at the end of the day,” Moore said. Moore added that NYU complies with govern-

ment regulations for safety. “We work with certified and credible national and local vendors,” he said. According to Moore, NYU also has its own policies that include inspection of the food when it is delivered, while it is in storage and prior to serving. Some students sympathized with the difficulties of maintaining sanitation. “Relative to the number of students that come through the dining halls every day, the staff does a remarkable job keeping the halls clean and running smoothly,” said CAS freshman Ravi Pancholi. Tisch freshman Irene Lazaridis, however, claimed she received uncooked chicken at

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The latest inspections, conducted by the New York City Department of Health, took place on Jan. 29, Feb. 4 and Feb. 11 in Dunkin Donuts, Weinstein Kosher Eatery and Hayden dining hall respectively.

”

the Third North dining hall. Moore said that all of the NYU dining cooks and chefs are ServSafe trained and carry a thermometer that they use to test the temperature of the food before it is served. Moore encourages students to report any issues they find in dining halls. “If this did occur, we certainly want to take measures to ensure it doesn’t reoccur,” he said. Students should send complaints to dining. services@nyu.edu. Fay Lin is a contributing writer. Email her at investigative@nyunews.com.

Lower East Side bars investigated for code, law violations By AMANDA ZAMBITO

New York City Police Department and other city officials are cracking down on Lower East Side bars to check for violations of city codes and regulations. The latest round of inspections occurred last weekend, and the venues targeted included Tammany Hall, Boss Tweed’s, Leftfield, The Suffolk, Fat Baby, La Caverna, and Recoup Lounge.

The Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots, an organization run by the Criminal Justice Coordinator’s office, leads these inspections. MARCH is a project done in conjunction with the Department of Buildings, the Department of Environmental Protection, New York Fire Department and the State Liquor Authority. Mayor Rudy Giuliani created MARCH in 1990, but this organization’s activity has increased by 35 percent since Mayor Mi-

VIA YELP.COM

NYPD surveyed Lower East Side bars to prevent illegal drinking among minors.

chael Bloomberg took office. The recent inspections are a testament to the mayor’s rising investment in this organization. Violations included failure to maintain emergency lights, watering down alcohol, not abiding by requirements to serve food and underage drinking. When contacted about the inspections, many bar owners chose not to comment. Two restraining orders unrelated to the MARCH inspections were also served on Feb. 14 to the LES bars PKNY and Lolita. Police charged these establishments with serving alcohol to underage drinkers. Matt Friedlander, general manager of Lolita, clarified that his bar did not serve alcohol to underage drinkers. “What happened with us was a sting operation orchestrated by the NYPD,” he said. “We didn’t serve an underage guest, we served an underage auxiliary officer.” According to Friedlander, an auxiliary officer is a police officer between the ages of 18 and 20 who is trained by the NYPD to avoid getting carded, enter bars and be served. “Our procedure is to turn the underage drinker away. If they are using a fake ID, the fake ID is confiscated,” Friedlander said. “We are retraining our staff, we are going to have more of a security presence at the door and the parties that did serve the alcohol to the underage drinkers are

no longer working here.” Due to the pending court case resulting from this incident, Friedlander refrained from commenting on any further questions. NYU students, of which approximately 7,000 are under 21 years of age, are within close proximity to LES bars. Because of this, the Office of Residential Life and Housing Services is quick to stress the seriousness with which underage drinking and the use of fake IDs are handled at NYU. “At new student orientations, first floor meetings in the residence halls and meetings with individual schools, our public safety officers and Residence Life administrators consistently emphasize that use of fake IDs is illegal, and students, if caught, especially with fake drivers licenses, are liable for legal penalties,” said Philip Lentz, director of public affairs at NYU, in an email. CAS freshman Kiyon Hahm does not believe the recent bar closings will have much affect on underage drinking, despite the possibility of beefed up security by LES bars. “People are going to find a way no matter what, no matter how many restrictions you’re going to have,” he said. Amanda Zambito is a contributing writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

FEATURES CLIVE continued from PG. 1

Founder of recording institute celebrates lifetime achievements at NYU

After the musical talents of Janis Joplin caught his attention at the Monterey Pop Festival in California in 1967, Davis went on to sign artists like Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys. Yet Davis’ contribution to the music industry encompasses more than signing artists to record labels. He noticed that no program offered students simultaneous training in business, performance, history and criticism of recorded music. According to Mary Schmidt Campbell, dean of the Tisch School of the Arts, Davis recognized that gap in music education. He set out to create the blueprint of the Clive Davis program. Within months of establishing the institute, Tisch formed a partnership with Davis to jump-start the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Campbell said that Davis was meticulous in researching the cornerstones of the program. “He is exacting,” she said. “We collected some catalogs of some music schools and he said, ‘We ought to look at everything.’ He wanted to do the deep-dive research. It’s fantastic to work with somebody who is driving you towards absolute excellence.” The program was formally established in 2003. “He said that film has always been regarded as one of the leading art forms of the 20th century, but [that] in fact more people listen to recorded music than watch film,” Campbell said of Davis. Davis came to the university expressing interest in creating an academic program. “Recorded music is every bit as influential in our culture, but [it] didn’t receive anywhere near the scholarly investigation,” Campbell said. Tisch’s location was what drove Davis to

“

Perfect your craft, whatever it is, and be the most prepared for whatever your mission, goal or responsibility is. It’s the way that people move on and succeed and fulfill their dreams. - Clive Davis

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develop a new program. “New York City is still, to me, the creative capital center of the world and the hot spot center for media and communication all over the world,” Davis said. “The Tisch School of the Arts is so unique and special. It’s housed every kind of objective of the development of those who want to study somewhere in the arts.” When a group of students from the institute recorded their cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” last December as part of a contest by Universal Music, Davis was listening.

RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN

Clive Davis discusses professional and personal trials at Tishman Auditorium. “I’m very proud of what the students have done,” Davis said. “To see the growth of the school, the quality of the students, the seriousness of their work, [...] the interest in the institute around the world is very heartwarming,” he said. Since the establishment of the program, Davis has helped build the institute’s faculty. He was instrumental in bringing in record producer Swizz Beatz, who served as producer-in-residence in the institute from 2010 to 2011. More recently, he took part in a moderated Q&A discussion with Billboard’s editorial director Bill Werde at NYU’s Tishman Auditorium last Thursday to speak about his life and his new autobiography, “The Soundtrack of My Life.” Jeffrey Rabhan, chairman of the recorded music program who previously managed acts at Sony BMG while Davis was chairman of the label, was grateful for Clive’s ability to help establish them in the music industry. “He’s been an amazing supporter and a great mentor in many ways,” Rabhan said. “He has really served as a conduit for us and to the industry as a whole.” While Davis has been consistently generous, helping aspiring students both inside and outside of NYU, he is a reminder that success ultimately lies in an artist’s own hands. “My best advice [for students] is what I’ve done myself, is to work hard, is to study hard, is to be prepared, is to not take anything for granted,” Davis said. “Perfect your craft, whatever it is, and be the most prepared for whatever your mission, goal or responsibility is. It’s the way that people move on and succeed and fulfill their dreams.” Nicole Del Mauro is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

New music blog reviews By BHARGAVI GANESH For Jake Cheriff, a Steinhardt freshman and member of the band Modern Diet, music has always been about sharing. Over winter break, Cheriff started a blog called Ghetto Pug with his roommate, CAS freshman Bernardo Ochoa. The pair use the blog to review underground or non-mainstream artists. In addition to Ochoa and Cheriff, the blog’s regular contributors include Steinhardt freshman Dan Hemerlein, Middlebury College freshman Brendan Gell and Northwestern University freshman Justin Wolf. “I’m always reading other music blogs to find new music, and one day I decided I wanted to start my own,” Cheriff said. “The other pugs in Ghetto Pug are all friends of mine who I’ve been sending music back and forth with on Spotify since way before I started [the blog]. Bernardo is one of my roommates, Dan plays bass in my band and Justin and Brandon are friends from back home.” Each review on the blog includes a short opinion piece and a clip of the track being reviewed. At the end of each review, the track is rated based on a scaling system from one to five in six categories: groove, lyrics, obscurity, intricacy, dopeness and remi-

P O T

niscent of. The groove category assesses the rhythm or swing of the piece, the lyrics category rates the quality of the words, the obscurity category observes the popularity of each song, the intricacy category examines the complexity of the track, the dopeness category measures the reviewer’s general feeling about the song and the reminiscent of category provides readers with similar bands for reference. “The scale is more or less derived from what I look for and notice when I listen to an artist for the first time,” Cheriff said. “If it doesn’t groove or the lyrics are cheese, I’m probably not going to listen for very long.” The five members mesh different styles and artistic tastes. They each contribute their unique opinions but still manage to find common ground. “We are all very open to each other’s taste in music,” Gell said. “We understand that not a single one of us can represent all the types of music that our readers will enjoy.” Dylan Owen, an independent songwriter, rapper and hip-hop artist and a junior at the NYU Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, was featured on the blog on Jan. 7. “It was awesome getting my song [‘The Book Report’] featured. I saw my link tagged through Tumblr one day, and that was the first I heard of the blog,” Owen

Budget-friendly muse for unique out

MEET MISS SUBWAYS AT THE NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM From 1941 to 1976, New York City subways featured posters of the winners of Miss Subways, the MTA’s annual beauty competition. The posters, as well as information about the lives of former Miss Subways, are on display at the New York Transit Museum until March 25. 14-38 Boerum Place, Brooklyn. Admission: $7. “TREASURES FROM THE VAULT” AT THE MORGAN LIBRARY The Morgan Library’s “Treasures from the Vault” exhibit features a rotating selection of works from the museum’s archives. Until May 5, the collection displays items such as a handwritten letter from J.R.R. Tolkien, which includes commentary on “The Hobbit,” Beethoven’s 10th violin and piano sonata, and a letter from Alexander Hamilton to Martha Washington after George Washington’s death. 225 Madison Ave. Admission: $10 with a student ID. THE MUSEUM OF RECLAIMED URBAN SPACE The Lower East Side’s MoRUS is a celebration of local efforts to transform

vacant space into vibrant community spaces and gardens. The museum also offers weekend tours of area gardens, squats and areas of community activism. 155 Avenue C. Suggested donation: $5; tours: $20. LESLIE-LOHMAN MUSEUM OF GAY AND LESBIAN ART The first museum in the world dedicated to gay and lesbian art, the Leslie-Lohman Museum features several changing exhibitions each year and events such as poetry readings, film screenings and panel discussions. Currently on exhibit is “Making History, Making Art: The Work of Jonathan Ned Katz,” a collection of pieces made by the West Village gay and lesbian historian. 26 Wooster St. Free admission. THE NEW YORK EARTH ROOM For an escape from city life and a sight of pure earth, visit the Earth Room, a space with 250 cubic yards of soil inside a residential building in SoHo. The space, which was designed by artist Walter de Maria, has caused visitors to marvel at its simplicity and question its purpose since it opened in 1977. 141 Wooster St. Free admission.

Caitlin Schnack is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

EDITED BY KRISTINA BOGOS FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

Inside the storm: A nurse’s heroic rescue mission

s underground sounds

By KRISTINA BOGOS

COURTESY OF JAKE CHERIFF

Five musicians bring their own tastes to unique music choices. said. “Since then I’ve been keeping up with it to check out new music because they post some cool alternative content that I haven’t seen elsewhere.” Jake Perlmutter, a Bucknell University freshman, frequents the blog and is incorporating some features of Ghetto Pug into a blog of his own. “[The blog] is a great way to find new music because they synced the Tumblr account with Spotify. I can

eums tings

subscribe to their playlist and it automatically adds new songs they put up,” Perlmutter said. “It’s an awesome idea, and I am currently using their model to form a blog on our campus called Campus Vinyl.” Get a taste of Pug’s musical styles at http:// ghettopug.tumblr.com. Bhargavi Ganesh is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

By CAITLIN SCHNACK Skip the crowds at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and check out one of these five lesser-known city museums with low admission fees or free entry. Learn about the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s very own beauty pageant or see what J.R.R. Tolkien thought about “The Hobbit.”

Monday, Oct. 29, was a normal night for NYU Langone transport nurse Menchu Sanchez, even as hurricane-force winds funneled through the streets and 12-foot waves from the East River crashed against Manhattan’s coastline. At 8 p.m., when lights went out after the hospital’s back-up generator failed, Sanchez and medical staff were at a crossroads. During a two-hour deliberation on how to transport the sickest baby in the hospital, a premature and ventilated infant with a rotten bowel, a confident nurse just shy of five feet tall took the lead. “I told the doctors, ‘Can I hold the baby [on the way] down, I’m going to hold the baby down,’” Sanchez said. “They said, ‘No we cannot do that because it’s not allowed, that’s not the protocol.’ But then I said ... ‘This is the only way we can bring the baby down safely and effectively.’” Around 10 p.m., with several staff members, Sanchez began the descent down nine flights of stairs in total darkness with the baby cradled in her arms. While sirens sounded outside and weird smells permeated the stairwell air, medical doctor Hannaise Cruz pumped the baby’s oxygen bag while Dr. Martha Caprio recorded the baby’s breaths. Nurse manager of the 9 East Pediatrics unit Gail Geraghty walked down backwards to guide the team while medical students lined the stairwell with cell phones and flashlights to light the way. “My other hand was looking for a way to walk because I wanted to balance myself and feel secure,” Sanchez said. “I’m thinking, if just one step that I miss, it’s going to mess up everything else because I have the baby with me.” Sanchez made four trips that night, carefully moving ventilated babies and babies on feeder growers to nearby hospitals including Mount Sinai and St. Luke’s. Ambulance crews drove from Ohio and Chicago to assist during the storm, surviving on nothing but chips and crackers from vending machines. It wasn’t until the babies were placed in the arms of staff members at other hospitals and hooked to machines with power that Sanchez knew they were safe. “She stands out as a leader,” Geraghty said. “Where someone else would have shied

away from taking that responsibility, she was ready to go and wanted to be a part of it.” Sanchez’s heroism that October night immediately caught the eye of President Barack Obama. On Tuesday, Feb. 12, she was invited to attend the 2013 State of the Union address for exemplifying American ideals of heroism. Addressing the need to end gun violence and the duty for Americans to look out for each other, Obama urged citizens to follow her lead. “We should follow the example of a New York City nurse named Menchu Sanchez,” said President Barack Obama at his 2013 State of the Union address. “When Hurricane Sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, she wasn’t thinking about how her own home was faring. Her mind was on the 20 precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe.” As Obama spoke her name to millions of Americans, Sanchez, who was seated between Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden at the Capitol building, couldn’t feel anything but bliss. When the First Lady nudged and smiled down at her as the president said her name, Sanchez nudged and smiled back. “My heart was so overwhelmed ... I am so, so happy,” Sanchez said. “I did not realize he would give me that kind of mention. This is not just for me, it’s for the nurse [staff] as a whole.” The conglomeration of creativity by the entire medical staff that night gave Sanchez and her fellow nurses the confidence they needed to transport 20 at-risk infants to safety. She displays the same perseverance she exudes at work with her own two kids. “She’s outstanding,” said Judith Sanchez, Menchu’s husband. “I am like the third child ... [She] helps the kids grow up the right way.” Even though she describes her home in Secaucus, N.J., as a pigpen, a space with an unlivable first floor due to mass flooding that ruined her home, she says her life hasn’t changed. “What had happened is probably meant to happen because ... it’s just a regular thing to us. It happens everyday, saving lives,” Sanchez said. “This, being a hero, is in everybody’s heart, everybody can be a hero by just doing what is supposed to be done.” Kristina Bogos is features editor. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

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Though barely five feet tall, Sanchez worked to save 20 infants during Hurricane Sandy.

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

ARTS

‘Revengeance’ delivers combat distinct from previous ‘Metal Gear’ entries By Kai Zheng

Despite its title, “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” has no resemblance to its parent franchise’s gameplay staples. Developer Platinum Games takes the already established character Raiden and gives him his own over-the-top storyline and combat system. Players should not expect the game to include any form of espionage or hiding under the series’ iconic cardboard box, for “Revengeance” focuses instead on the thrill of the fight. By the end of the short story, which lasts a mere four to six hours, Raiden will have killed hundreds — if not thousands — of cybernetic soldiers, A.I. dogs and mechs. The game’s quirky, stylish and simply insane events are actually one of its strongest points. “Revengeance” does not slow down. In one moment, Raiden is slicing apart cyborgs, and in the next, he’s jumping from missile to missile while cutting down helicopters or destroying towering mechs. While the game’s graphics are not the industry’s finest, they are clear and detailed enough to convey all of the action. “Revengeance” plays like a typical action game, like “Devil May Cry,” with a satisfying twist. Once Raiden weakens enemy cyborgs, he is able to enter Blade Mode. In Blade Mode, time slows down and Raiden is given the ability to slice his sword in all directions. Enemies are instantly cleaved apart in varying ways, depending on how the player chooses to slash Raiden’s blade. If Raiden is able to slice off enough parts of his enemy, he is then able to rip out their spines and restore his own health. While refueling with enemy spines is exaggerated and somewhat sadistic, it also adds a strategic element to killing. In other games, henchmen are often dispatched first because they tend to annoy players and interfere with

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the ultimate goal of defeating the boss character. In “Revengeance,” it is advantageous to leave some weaker enemies behind and focus on the boss. If Raiden is low on health, the player can quickly dispatch a henchman and take his health-replenishing spine. “Revengeance” does not introduce revolutionary gameplay elements, nor does it provide a large, engrossing story, but at the same time, it does not have to. The game has satisfying combat and ridiculous set pieces that make players feel like skilled cybernetic ninjas. “Revengeance” is clean and fast-paced, and it executes its core gameplay mechanics to perfection. Kai Zheng is a contributing writer. Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.

PHOTOGRAPHER/WSN

Robotic dogs are one of the many over-thetop foes players will face in “Revengeance.”

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OPINION

EDITED BY SAMEER JAYWANT OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

Congress must act to protect women By JESS LITTMAN

The last two Congresses — the 111th and 112th — made history with near record lows of number of bills passed during their respective tenures. While their ineffectiveness is wasteful and harmful to the country, our representatives had good reason to disagree so strongly on many of the bills that they failed to pass. But last year they failed to pass one law that makes perfect sense — a law that should not be controversial at all — the Violence Against Women Act. The Senate passed the reauthorization of this essential bill with an overwhelming majority two weeks ago. But now, the House has introduced their highly edited and stunted version of the bill, and it seems that once again, VAWA may not be reauthorized. Or it may pass, but it might be lacking some important provisions. The best part of the Senate’s approval of the bill was not the bipartisan support it received but the expanded protections for under-served groups — namely, Native Americans, immigrants and members of the LGBT community.

Women of all races, nationalities, ethnic groups and sexual orientations who are victims of violence need the protections and support services funded and authorized by VAWA. But those women who come from traditionally marginalized communities need them even more. House Republicans disagree. Rather than recognizing that these groups need special protections, they say that naming these groups leaves out others who are unnamed even though they have no specific examples of groups not enumerated in the Senate bill. Furthermore, they could easily add more groups to the list of those who need expanded services if that were actually their problem with the bill. But it’s not. The GOP’s problem is that they don’t want to make female victims a priority. They want to balance the budget instead of funding life-saving programs. They want the folks at home to see that they don’t support the LGBT community in any way — not realizing that a majority of Americans support gay marriage — an issue that is much more controversial than providing services to LGBT vic-

tims of gender-related violence. VAWA provides services that save lives. Its protections and programs are essential for all women, and declining to pass the bill for the second year in a row would not only be a huge failure on the part of Congress, it would endanger the women who need these protections. Prominent among these women are the marginalized groups that the Senate wants to protect. They need the Violence Against Women Act. If we’re going to live in a safe and just society, we all need the Violence Against Women Act. Jess Littman is a staff columnist. Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.

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RELIGION

New Atheism needs fresh perspective By MARCELO CICCONET

As science advanced over time, the God hypothesis became increasingly less necessary as a way to explain the occurrence of natural events. This caused religiosity to decline, especially among educated people. As secular states developed and freedom of expression emerged as a human right, criticism of religion — both by philosophers and scientists — became widespread. In this sense, the so-called New Atheists movement — led by Richard Dawkins, Dan Dennett, Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens — is not new. It was, however, started because of the way the power of religion started to be utilized — the terrorist attacks of 9/11 wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for blind faith in the concept of a rewarding afterlife. The New Atheists present a modern supporting framework for individuals who are able to overcome the frightening concept of eternal punishment, which is often presented to them during a religious childhood. The movement also helps people realize that adages like “anything is possible” or “God

SUBMITTING TO

works in mysterious ways” are merely shortcuts, ways of avoiding more intellectual explanations. Many books written by New Atheists provide excellent guidance out of the mazes and away from the traps of faith in its pure form. However, despite recent attempts such as Dawkins’ “The Magic of Reality” and Harris’ “Free Will,” the New Atheists don’t have the same level of success they used to with laying the foundations of a fulfilling atheist life. As it turns out, the pursuit of happiness is a journey far more complex than understanding the way the brain works. Throughout history, besides supernatural affairs, many aspects related to the self and life in society were taken care of by religion. It often provided valuable answers in the individual and collective realms, including the practice of meditation and the act of gathering to celebrate a common purpose. As technology becomes increasingly powerful in a highly interconnected world and cultures clash on an unprecedented scale, it becomes too dangerous to leave guidance on these complicated topics to people

who base their rationale on dogmas and supposedly sacred books from the ages of tribalism, dreams and entities that are indistinguishable from imaginary friends. This gap has been recognized. We can see the emergence of interesting movements, such as secular humanism. Thinkers such as Alain de Botton are starting to approach the topic. Unfortunately, there is not yet a solid, structured proposal, and the average atheist is in great part left to find his way through life alone, having to learn and test alternatives by himself. This is partly because the territory of the mind is largely unknown, and an honest, confident answer cannot be formulated yet. It is promising that New Atheists treat the topic carefully, but we need more people — newer atheists — to start thinking and acting toward that goal. Because, as the cliché goes, life is too short — a fact we atheists are very aware of. Marcelo Cicconet is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Fiscal cliff will not lead to bipartisan budget proposal

Even though there is less fanfare this time around, our country once again faces a self-imposed economic ultimatum, dramatically named the fiscal cliff. The cliff would end certain tax breaks and initiate massive spending cuts originally slated to take place at the end of 2012. Without congressional action, up to hundreds of billions of dollars in expiring tax cuts, new taxes and automatic spending cuts could be lost. Although these measures would reduce the deficit, enacting them simultaneously would be harmful to the economy overall and would likely send the United States spiraling back into a recession. Lawmakers cut a last-minute deal on Jan. 1, which postponed the bulk of the decision-making to a later date. Their deal only included tax increases, and left spending decisions to be made before a new ultimatum — this Friday. For all the hype surrounding the March 1 deadline, what goes undermentioned by politicians and the media alike is that the fiscal cliff is an artificial construct that does little to foster compromise. The idea is that when faced with such drastic cuts to the budget, both parties will work to find common ground in order to save the economy. What actually happens is that each side sits and waits to see who will receive the blame. Once the public has decided, that side then gives a little ground and a deal is made to postpone the cliff once more. The most disturbing aspect of this outrageous, often irresponsible debate is the relative ease with which a true compromise could be struck. As we have seen through the course of the negotiations, President Obama’s administration refuses to give up increased government revenue in the form of higher effective tax rates for the wealthiest of Americans, and congressional Republicans have insisted that spending cuts must be an integral part of any bargain. What is lost in this bitter, partisan duel is the notion that the two negotiating parties’ proposals are not mutually exclusive. Nearly all independent economists have affirmed that a balanced approach, which includes both spending cuts and tax revenue, is the best prescription for our economic ailment. However, when either or both parties decide to hold the entire process hostage, whether for substantive concerns or political points, the American and global economies suffer greatly. American politicians must heed the voices of their constituents who are demanding a resolution to the crisis and accept that a real compromise is one that satisfies nobody.

Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Sameer Jaywant (Chair), Raquel Woodruff (Co–Chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co–Chair), Nickhil Sethi, Matt Luo, Nina Golshan, Ian Mark, Jess Littman, Marcelo Cicconet

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, N.Y. 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 150 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title.

WSN does not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

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