NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
washington square news Vol. 40, No. 23
Monday, FEBRUARY 27, 2012
nyunews.com
Islamic society reacts to NYPD surveillance Brittany Residence Hall to be restored By Kristina Bogos and Julie DeVito
surveillance and how their classmates have been affected. “I think that it’s true that the NYPD’s intentions are to protect all of us as students living in New York, but they really need to take a larger emphasis on understanding what the importance of reli-
NYU administration announced in a university-wide email last week that Brittany residence hall will only be open to upperclassmen in the fall but closed to everyone next spring because of planned renovations. Tom Ellett, associate vice presidents of Student Affairs, said Brittany was on rotation to be the next renovated hall in the system. “It has to have the light safety and equipment installed,” Ellett said. “If you were to talk to students about the residence hall in the worst condition, I bet they would tell you Brittany.” This will be the first time the university has closed a building during the academic year in the last 11 years. NYU will close Brittany on Dec. 23 and begin construction shortly after. According to Ellett, Brittany
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James Kelleher/WSN
Students gathered at the Islamic Center to discuss reactions to President Sexton’s letter and future goals for the community. By Emily Yang and Julie DeVito NYU students held a public roundtable discussion on Friday after The Associated Press revealed earlier this month that the New York Police Department was surveying student Muslim organizations. The meeting was a reaction to statements made by NYU
President John Sexton and Mayor Michael Bloomberg and came after a private meeting among Muslim students last Tuesday. “Our center here at New York University has about 2,000 Muslim students and the diversity of students that we find attending New York University is pretty much replicated within our Islam-
Steinhardt D.J. brings beats abroad By Nicola Pring D.J. John Hamilton first began making beats and mixing tracks at 16. Hamilton and a friend bought a pair of turntables and started a company called Double J Entertainment. The pair invested in a music software program called Serato Scratch Live and began jockeying at high school dances and sweet 16s. “It was super cheesy,” Hamilton said. But when the California native moved to New York to start his freshman year at NYU, his parents told him to leave his equipment at home. “When I moved to school I wanted to ship my stuff out, but my parents were like, ‘No, you need to focus on your studies,’ ” Hamilton said. “But by the time they got here for Thanksgiving, I had already purchased all new stuff.” Now a senior in the music technology program at the
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, Hamilton has cultivated his hobby into a career. He said he believes the key to being a successful D.J. is playing what the audience wants to hear. “I think it’s best to know your crowd,” Hamilton said. “At the end of the day, you’re there to make sure everyone has a good time.” Hamilton has released several of his own electronic remixes. Most begin with his signature: a female voice introducing Hamilton’s work as music plays in the background. “People put [my mixes] on at parties, or they work out to them,” Hamilton said. “Sometimes people say they study to them. I don’t know how they do that, but I respect it.” The accomplished D.J. mixes at clubs throughout New York and travels across the country
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ic Center,” Khalid Latif, university chaplain and Islam Center director, said at the roundtable discussion. “We want to ... see what kind of things our community should take as next steps and hopefully positives that might be coming out of a lot of the negatives.” At the meeting, students also voiced their own reactions to the
NYU wins last game of regular season, awaits Tournament fate Monday By John Axelrod
The NYU men’s basketball team won in thrilling style on Saturday to keep their National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament hopes alive. The team defeated the Brandeis University Judges 65-63 in their final game of the regular season. The Violets trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half and were down eight points with 5:50 left before going on a 12-2 run to close out the game. “We knew that we had to make a stand defensively, and we did a good job preventing Brandeis from getting good shots,” head coach Joe Nesci said. Sophomore guard Ryan Tana started the rally with a three-pointer. After a defensive stop, junior center Devin Karch scored to pull the game within three points. “We buckled down and got stops and rebounds when we needed to,” Tana said. “We were able to keep our poise and focus the whole game.” With under two minutes to play and still trailing by two points, junior guard and co-captain Kyle Stockmal
made a layup despite being fouled. Stockmal then hit his foul shot and tied the game. The Judges responded by sinking a layup on the other end of the court to reclaim the lead. With the season on the line, Andy Stein came through for the team. The senior co-captain scored the game’s final four points. He hit a shot in the paint to tie the game, and then after a defensive stop, scored the go-ahead basket with 34 seconds left. The Violets made a couple of defensive stops in the final seconds to complete the comeback victory. “Saturday’s game showed how close a team we are,” Tana said. “Things are the hardest when you’re losing and facing adversity. It was a great team win.” Stein led NYU in scoring with 16 points while Karch netted a careerhigh of 14 points. Stockmal also scored in double figures with 11 points. Junior forward Max Wein had a big game as well, netting nine points and grabbing seven boards. The win clinched a second-place finish in the University Athletic Association and gave them their first 20-win
season since the 2006-07 season. They stand a good chance to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998. “I certainly think we should be top consideration for the tournament,” Nesci said. “I think the guys deserve a chance, but it’s out of my hands.” The tournament bracket will be released today at noon on ncaa.com. John Axelrod is a deputy sports editor. Email him at jaxelrod@nyunews.com.
File photo by David Lin
Yaffe played in 35 minutes of Saturday’s comeback victory.
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Washington Square news | monday, february 27, 2012 | nyunews.com
on the side
Compiled by the
WSN staff
best of web TOP NYU MEMES
TOP NYU TWEETS
Washington Square News Editor-in-Chief amanda randone
Says hi to classmate...Wrong Asian.
Managing Editor
jaewon kang
Timekeeper takes a sick day...What year is it?
Deputy Managing Editor
Amy zhang
Blackboard’s down... Perfect excuse to not do homeowork.
Assistant Managing Editor
james lanning Creative Director
selena chen
Gets rejected by guy out of her league... Tells friends he’s gay.
@lioncdotes #violetball, a hug from #johnsexton and a seat @TeEllet’s table for the #1831 brunch--a spectacular 24 hours at #NYU! @mtsw CB2 rejects #NYU expansion plans, claims new ugly towers will block view of extant ugly towers: t.co/XuXRSe01
senior staff
university Julie devito city/state emily yang investigative hanqing chen arts jonathon dornbush features jessica littman sports daniel hinton multimedia david lin copy maximilíano durón senior editor jack brooks,
BRIDGETTE DORAN
@t3daisher “Why don’t you wear my shoes?” “They steal my essence” #ireallyenjoymyschool #nyu
deputy staff
university eric benson, eliza-
beth maguire city/state tony chau, kristine
itliong, jessica schultz
@Phoebeyay They have a rifle and pistol club at #Purdue, something I think #NYU is lacking...? @HowAboutJeho Party in #Bobst library at #NYU....literally. Only nyu lol
via flickr
TODAY
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7 p.m. | Kimmel Center for Student Activities, Leadership and Service | Room 914
4 p.m. | Polytechnic Institute of NYU| 5 Metrotech Center | Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology at Pfizer Auditorium
Apartheid in Israel/Palestine: Legality and Morality
The NYU Students for Justice in Palestine group will discuss apartheid issues in the West Bank and Gaza.
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Pian@poly!
NYU-Poly presents a program in piano performance for free.
8 p.m. | Symphony Space | 2537 Broadway
investigative feiye wang music josh johnson film stefan Melnyk entertainment jeremy grossman books/theater clio Mcconnell dining hannah borenstein beauty & style shannon
loughran sports John axelrod, cole
riley special issues kristina bogos multimedia james kelleher copy jordan melendrez social media agent nicole gartside
opinion page
opinion editor olivia gonzalez deputy opinion editor ATTICUS
NYU Symphony Orchestra
BRIGHAM, SANCHAY JAIN
The NYU Symphony Orchestra will perform David Byrne’s “The Forest.”
advertising business manager
REBECCA RIBEIRO circulation manager
chloe coffman
university sales coordinator
Emilia Mironovici
SNAPSHOT
ON THE WIRE
Stack and stack again Melborne resident Andy Wrobel is now the record holder for the world’s largest pancake stack. On Feb. 22, Worbel created a 76-centimeter pile, beating the previous world record of 74 centimeters. This feat comes after he failed to reach this goal last year. His job as a cook for Pancake Parlour, which serves hundreds of pancakes daily, gave him practice throughout the year. This past Tuesday marked Fat Tuesday — or Pancake Day — in various British Commonwealth countries. — The Huffington Post
University of California, Berkeley
PHOTO BY Alexander Jagendorf GOT AN EVENT? EMAIL US AT AGENDA@NYUNEWS.COM OR TWEET US @NYUNEWS.
Kaitlyn O’Brien, MICHAEL RYAN, Melissa Ynegas
advising editorial adviser
keith leighty EDITORS-AT-LARGE
jaywon choe kelsey desiderio russell steinberg KIRSTEN CHANG francis poon terka cicelOVa
Three pepper-sprayed south of UC Berkeley campus following protest
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.
Harvard University
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 Jaewon Kang at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.
— The Daily Californian
Parisian-themed cups make a statement at the seventh annual Coffee & Tea Festival.
sales representatives
College committee considers smoking ban — The Harvard Crimson
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nyunews.com | monday, february 27, 2012 | Washington Square news
N.Y. State Department of Health releases same-sex union data
By Jordan Melendrez
The New York State Department of Health recently found that 7 percent of the 34,000 unions in the state since July were samesex unions. The Department of Health gathered statistics from the records of couples seeking a marriage license from July 24, 2011 to Jan. 31, 2012. But an article in The New York Times reported that the numbers most likely underestimated the amount of same-sex marriages because documenting the gender of two people seeking the license is optional on the forms. Of the total number of marriages from July to January, 20 percent documented the genders of the marriage as unspecified, according to the NYSDH. New York City was not included in the data because the City of New York’s office of the city clerk separately counts licenses issued in the city.
Carolyn Dinshaw, professor of Social and Cultural Analysis in the Gender and Sexuality department, pointed to the importance of thinking about culture beyond the city. “It’s great for us in New York City to be reminded that there is a state of New York, where there are a lot of samesex couples.” Dinshaw said. “I think most people associate homosexuality with urban.” “It’s good to be reminded of other expression outside of an urban environment,” she said. The city’s office of the clerk was unable to provide statistics of same-sex marriages for New York City. New York was the sixth state to adopt a same-sex marriage sanction following states like Maine, New Hampshire and Washington. Maryland and New Jersey are currently debating the issue. Victor Li, secretary of the NYU College Democrats, said gay rights are still controversial. He added that this issue will continue to linger in the state. “Now that the law has been vetoed, marriage in-
equality in New Jersey has been thrown a serious obstacle,” Li said. Joseph Bishop-Boros, a CAS senior and member of LGBTQ, said the number of same-sex unions is not significant. “The idea of same-sex couples getting married is so new,” he said. “While there are many couples that wish to marry, many other LGBTQ people view marriage as a conservative and repressive institution that forces them into very particular kinship structures.” But LSP freshman Yves JeanBaptiste believes the State has made much progress. “If 7 percent is specified after only six months, that’s pretty high,” JeanBaptiste said. “I believe that the Marriage Equality Act was crucial in this state,” he added. “It’ll definitely influence other states in the region to follow New York’s move to pass similar legislation.” Jordan Melendrez is a contributing writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.
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NYU Muslim community gathers for first roundtable discussion
gion is,” said Hilary Brandenburg, a Gallatin senior who took part in the discussion. Brandenburg also mentioned that she respected Sexton’s letter to NYPD police commissioner Raymond Kelly that was also forwarded to members of the Muslim community last Thursday. In the letter, Sexton said NYU parents and students have become cautious of participating in the university’s Islamic community as a result of the surveillance. “These possibilities are disquieting to our students and their families, harmful to our communitybuilding efforts and antithetical to the values we as a university cherish most highly,” Sexton wrote in the letter. “I must report our community’s alarm over the reports of this activity, and that we stand in fellowship with our Muslim students in expressing our community’s dismay.” While the letter addressed the university’s concern with the NYPD’s actions, Sundus Arain, a CAS sophomore who helped organize the campaign for Sexton’s support, said the president’s letter was lacking. “I’d really like for him to send out ... a public statement, not just a letter to commissioner Kelly,” Arain said. “I’d like for them to send out a statement saying this is wrong because nowhere in this letter does he say this is wrong, this is unconstitutional.”
Yale administrators collaborated with students and released a statement regarding the NYPD surveillance last week. However, Arain said NYU students have not yet heard back from the administration about a similar action. NYU spokesman John Beckman said he thinks this kind of meeting may take place soon. “I expect that senior NYU officials will meet with members of NYU’s Muslim community in the coming days to hear their concerns firsthand and face-to-face, and to convey the university’s support of the community,” Beckman said. “So far, I am unaware of any direct response [from the NYPD] to the letter.” Elizabeth Dann, outreach chair of the Muslim Law Students Association at NYU and a speaker at the roundtable discussion, said the meeting was a valuable addition to current conversations. “I was pleased with it,” she said. “I think the format of the response was perfect because there was more than one opinion. Everyone got to speak on a very personal level and got to have their voices heard by many media outlets.” The Muslim community will be hosting a teach-in on Wednesday this week before the Town Hall with Sexton. Emily Yang is city/state editor. Julie DeVito is university editor. Email them at cstate@nyunews.com.
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Brittany residence hall to be converted next fall
File photo by David Lin
Brittany Residence Hall will close for construction in December. will receive air conditioning, new paint, carpet, plumbing and electrical systems as well as a better fire safety system, including new sprinklers. “We’re hoping to accommodate and attract people who will only be at NYU for a semester, like students going abroad in the spring and graduating students,” Ellett said. “[Students] could regain their freshman living experience and spend one more semester close to campus and renew life around the square.” For the 2012-2013 academic year, University residence hall will be an all-freshman dorm. After construction, U-Hall will be an upperclassman dorm again. Resident assistant positions are typically offered for two years. Brittany,
however, will offer RA positions to study abroad students or graduating seniors for only a semester. Ellett also said NYU has plans to accommodate and manage occupancy of residents. According to Ellett, the university will delay the installation of wireless internet in residence halls, as construction on the walls and ceiling would jeopardize the process. As a result, Brittany will be the only dorm without Wi-Fi in the fall. Cyrah Franklin, an SCPS freshman and Brittany resident, said the building needs renovations. “The carpet is disgusting, the walls are cracked, and we need Wi-Fi,” she said. “I would stay here [next year] depending on what I was looking for. If it is someone who likes to cook, it would be difficult since there aren’t kitchens. Otherwise the setbacks are worth the cost and big rooms.” But Priya Murali, a CAS sophomore who plans to go abroad next spring, said she is not interested in living in Brittany. “I really need a kitchen, which [I could not] get at Brittany,” she said. “I’d be interested if the tuition was less than the [off-campus] alternatives I’m considering right now.” Kristina Bogos is deputy features editor. Julie DeVito is university editor. Email them at university@nyunews.com.
Steinhardt prof. wins Grammy By Wali Mbekani Steinhardt professor Herschel Garfein received a Grammy earlier this month for 17 years of work on his opera, “Elmer Gantry.” At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, Garfein accepted a Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. With fellow composer Robert Aldridge, the pair collaborated to create the American opera based on the 1927 religious satire by Sinclair Lewis. In 1989, Garfein and Aldridge began to work on “Elmer Gantry,” which took them almost four years to write and compose. They spent the following years tinkering with different portions and returning it to the shelf until they were ready to resume work. Garfein and Aldridge also composed the opera’s hymns. “As a librettist, trimming it down was difficult,” Garfein said. “The novel covers a span of 35 to 40 years, and as a performance piece it was too long. It would lose steam.” Though Garfein appreciated Lewis’s strong use of dialogue and emphasis on detail, he said his more genuine tone adds more balance to the cynicism of the original text. After years of working on the project, challenges arose in its production. Garfein said the opera received several rejections
from producers who believed that the strong American musical sentiment of the piece was incompatible with opera. “I was determined to bring real, American musical and vernacular quality to opera,” Garfein said. “Operas should borrow from the communicative power of musicals. I am happy to be on the dividing line.” In 2007, the world premier was held in Nashville. By March 2010, a new production of the opera was recorded on Naxos Classical Music label, which received two Grammys this year. Charles Jordan, general director of the American Opera Project said the Grammy will help keep the opera in the thoughts of the opera community, so when they are looking for works that resonate with audience they will look to “Gantry.” “I was very impressed with the opera and the production that I saw at Montclair,” Jordan said. “It was clear, gripping story-telling with rousing musical scenes, solos, ensembles and choruses, and the cast was marvelous.” William Wesbrooks, director of the Steinhardt program of vocal performance who has known Garfein for 12 years, said there is a powerful story behind the opera. “I’m not surprised it won the awards that it did,” Wesbrooks said. “It’s terrific when work is acknowledged in such a public way.”
For aspiring student musicians, Garfein emphasized the critical role of diligence, even through financial and artistic hardship. “Get them finished for your own satisfaction if not for anyone else,” he said. “Work to satisfy yourself.” Garfein is currently in the process of writing his new opera “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” based on Tom Stoppard’s modern comedy. Garfein hopes that the success of “Elmer Gantry” will open up more doors for him as the opera community becomes more aware of his works. Wali Mbekani is a contributing writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.
via steinhardt.nyu.edu
Herschel Garfein worked on “Elmer Gantry” for 17 years.
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Washington Square news | monday, february 27, 2012 | nyunews.com
features HAMILTON continued from PG. 1
Steinhardt sophomore doubles as student and D.J.
to play shows when he can though he is also focused on finishing his final semester at Steinhardt. “You get a lot of hands-on experience on all the mixing boards, and you learn the theory behind everything,” Hamilton said of the music technology program. “It’s great to know when you’re doing shows. If something goes wrong, you understand why.” Following graduation, Hamilton said he plans to travel frequently and release more original content. “A lot of times young D.J.s will make remixes, and they’ll send them to the bigger D.J.s,” he said. “The bigger D.J.s will start spinning them in their sets. Once you get something like that, it starts to get you some buzz.” Hamilton’s best friend Mario Faggiano acts as his manager, helping him book shows and spread the word about his work. “With the progress [Hamilton’s] made while still actively in school, I’m eager to see his development
Courtesy of John Hamilton
D.J. John Hamilton recently performed in the U.K. when D.J.-ing and production are his sole focus,” Faggiano said. Last Thursday, Hamilton traveled to the U.K. to play an exclusive set at Chinawhite, a popular London club. The young D.J. plans to stay focused on what he loves so he can get similar opportunities in the future. “This [is] probably the most unstable career path you could choose,” he said. “Since I want to do this, I need to be that much more serious about it and that much more diligent.” Nicola Pring is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
Lost portraits at new exhibit in Deutsches Haus By Esha Ray
As a child, Miriam Friedman Morris watched her father David Friedmann paint with an intensity and passion that fascinated her. But Morris was bothered that she knew nothing of her father’s pre-World War II past. “One day he got these photographs of some of these world famous chess portraits that he did in 1923,” Morris said. “He got very excited and he said, ‘You see Milly? I was a famous artist before the war.’ And that was it.” For 30 years, Morris explored her father’s past. Her determination paid off when she discovered his lost paintings in a newspaper archive in Berlin. Now, with help from the Deutsches Haus at NYU, Morris is sharing her discoveries in an exhibition called Giving Music a Face, a collection of David Friedmann’s lost portraits of some of the biggest cultural icons of the ’20s. Wednesday marked the exhibition’s opening. Daniela Leder, the cultural program coordinator for the Deutsches Haus, helped assemble the exhibition. “I hope that [Americans] can see something in the German past that is not just violence,” Leder said. “There is positive aspect, and yet these are being overshadowed, and there are ways to deal with those.” Most of Friedmann’s work focused on members of the famous Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra during the ’20s. But when the
Nazis rose to power, Friedmann, a Jew, was persecuted and sent to concentration camps, while most of his work was destroyed. During Wednesday’s exhibition, several current Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra members came to perform. “I asked [the orchestra] if they would be interested in collaborating, and they immediately said, ‘yes,’ ” Martin Rauchbauer, director at Deutsches Haus, said. CAS sophomore Rebecca Savelsperg said she was intrigued by this event both because of her German heritage and her musical talent. “I’m a cellist, so music really speaks to me,” Savelsperg said. “I think they’re really great, both the artwork and the idea behind them. There are so many museums in Germany, so it’s great to see something in New York.” Kasey Bush, a senior student worker at Deutsches Haus and history major in the College of Arts and Science, said she was amazed by how much of the artwork Morris discovered and feels proud to be part of the organization hosting this exhibition. “It’s a victory,” Morris said. “It’s a victory, not only for me, but also for my father.” The art exhibition will continue on through March 30 at the Deutsches Haus. Esha Ray is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
First conference hosted by Stern women By Brittany VanBibber Though Undergraduate Stern Women in Business has only been in existence for four years, the club planned an entire conference around igniting ambition and women’s roles in business this Friday. Held in The Henry Kaufman Management Center at the Stern School of Business, the USWIB’s first conference hosted both corporate women and young professionals. The event centered on the theme of explore, collaborate and engage. The theme was chosen because it was “fitting to start with something that’s so natural to Stern,” Stern senior and USWIB president Allie Sorrentino said. The first keynote speaker was Kathy Martine, executive vice president handling small business solutions for AT&T, who began the conference talking about skills she learned outside the classroom. “We’re trying to provide everyone with as many opportunities as possible to learn about these and see how other people navigated their own careers,” Sorrentino said.
The conference was not exclusively for Stern students. Some of the women in the crowd represented undergraduate business clubs from different colleges in New York and New Jersey. After the first keynote speaker, the women broke into groups based on their personalized schedules, which were determined by preferences originally indicated in the R.S.V.P. email. The small groups were divided into marketing, finance or communications. Within these groups the women had the opportunity to participate in personalized panels and discussions. “The speakers are really motivating, and they give you their honest advice,” said Kimberly Lopes, Stern sophomore and conference attendee. “I really appreciate that. They care about us wanting to be ourselves and not be like someone else.” The conference took nine months to plan, but the club has been hoping to put something like this together for about three years. The co-chairs of the first USWIB event, Stern seniors Sandhya Kasturi and Christeen Rico, were proud of the conference’s first-year success.
“It is really important for individuals to identify what their ambition is and where there passions lie,” Rico said. The impressive afternoon keynote speaker was Sandy Bednar, managing director of Public Finance and Chief Operating Officer of fixed income for Morgan Stanley. Bednar focused on the collaboration theme and the role of women in a finance industry that is mostly run by men. “You don’t need to make yourself like your male counterparts,” Bednar said. “There is value in being who you are.” After Bednar spoke, the women started their coffee chats, which touched on the engage theme and encouraged small group conversations with young professionals. The closing keynote speaker was Tara Dowdell, weekly commentator on Fox News and MSNBC. Dowdell also founded the Tara Dowdell group, which helps small businesses grow through better communication. USWIB plans to make this conference an annual event to promote powerful women in business. Brittany VanBibber is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
nyunews.com | monday, february 27, 2012 | Washington Square news
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edited by jessIca littman features@nyunews.com
tktktktktktk
Washington Square Review releases 29th issue
Rachel Kaplan/WSN
Fans gathered at the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House. By Sydney Wu The literati and their fans gathered on Friday night for the launch party of the 29th issue of the Washington Square Review at the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House. The biannual publication is edited and published by students of the graduate program in Creative Writing at NYU. “Seeing it as an object and having the hard copy was amazing,” said Cat Richardson, the publication’s managing editor and a second-year graduate student in poetry. The newest issue of the journal features authors such as Lydia Davis, Seth Abramson, John Fenlon Hogan and Kenneth Kronenberg. Editor-in-chief Emily Pan, a second-year graduate student in fiction, described the theme of the journal as “very human and very unusual.” “There are situations and interactions you wouldn’t normally think of,” Pan said. “One story is about a boy who really wants breasts. It’s really interesting.” The launch party featured a fiction reading by executive editor and author Darin Strauss. His books have been published in 14 languages and distributed in 19 countries. Hogan, a contributor to the journal, was the poetry reader of the night. “I love the mix of professional and amateur writing the journal always does,” Strauss said. “There’s people who are known and unknown.”
He said even though he and Matthew Rohrer were the executive editors, the two of them stepped back to let the students take the reins and put the journal together. For this event, Strauss read the first chapter of his book “Chang and Eng,” which was also his graduate thesis when he was in the creative writing program at NYU. Strauss graduated from the program in 1997 and is now a professor there. Hogan, whose poem “The Ventriloquist Speaks for Himself” was published in the journal, describes his writing as “aggressive, unrelenting and rhetorical.” Hogan said the repeated themes which surface in his writing are capitalism and God. “What I like to do most is be overwhelmed by everything that I see in whatever situation, think about it for a long time until I feel the weight of it all, then find a way to be reverent with that,” Hogan said. Columbia student Will Brewer attended the event in support of Hogan and said he thinks the experience was very intimate as readers were gathered close to the podium. “It was great to pair an established writer with an up-and-coming poet,” he said. Copies of the new issue of the Washington Square Review can be purchased at washingtonsquarereview.com for $12. Sydney Wu is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
The new york times crossword & daily sudoku The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Monday, February 27, 2012
Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Manhandle horribly 5 U. of Maryland athlete 9 Jollity 14 “Rule, Britannia” composer 15 End in ___ (finish evenly) 16 Brainstorms 17 Cut of meat 18 Pro ___ (how some law work is done) 19 Composition for nine musicians 20 Fiercely 23 OB/GYNs perform them 24 In ___ (harmonious) 25 Air safety org. 28 ___ Ness monster 30 Westerns, in old lingo
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65 Dread 66 Edge 67 “___ but known …” 68 Blues singer James 69 Bring joy to 70 Wife in “The Good Earth” 71 Having a positive outlook
Down 1 Mediterranean island country 2 Woolf’s “___ of One’s Own” 3 The “U” in E.U. 4 Popular soup legume 5 ___ sauce 6 School on the Thames 7 Outsides of melons 8 Spring bloom 9 Easily portable movie maker 10 Winner of a Fox talent show beginning in 2002 TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 11 Stimpy’s canine pal S P A L U P N E Z O U A L O N E E L O 12 ___ kwon do I N T O T H E O P E N 13 President after F.D.R. E D O U T C A N E E N D O F C L A D 21 Part of a horse that’s shod A R E C U G A W E A D O L L A R 22 Before long, poetically E R E A L E S T A T E 25 Prolonged O R T T E R M I N A L hostilities L E S S R A I S I N S 26 Clarinetist Shaw D S T C M 27 Drained of color T A K E I O R B 29 ___ Bible P Y R O M A N I A 31 Follower of ticE R L O I N S T E A K tac S T A T E S E N A T E 32 Pagan nature L E N O S C O M A S religion
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Puzzle by Sarah Keller
33 Revolutionary Allen 34 Frozen 52Across 36 Atlantic City casino, with “the” 37 Stravinsky or Sikorsky 39 Article in Paris Match 43 Sing-along at a bar
44 Raisin ___ 45 Entered up to one’s ankles 46 Train line to Penn Sta. 50 Be at odds (with) 53 Boise’s state 54 Like some diet drinks 56 Be untruthful with
57 Exams for would-be attys. 58 Veer off the beaten path 59 Clue 60 ___ Blue, 1971 Cy Young Award winner 61 Lincoln, the RailSplitter 62 WWW address 63 Day, to Diego
For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.
nyunews.com | monday, february 27, 2012 | Washington Square news
OPINION
edited by olivia gonzalez opinion@nyunews.com
Millenials
Youth battling for a brighter future By Maria Michalos “From underneath the rubble/ sing a rebel song./ Don’t want to see another generation drop,” Coldplay’s lyrics call out to a generation that has seldom witnessed great prosperity, but now must survive through a tumultuous existence. The world, teetering on a precarious axis, has made victims out of men and women who have the potential to be extraordinary, but wonder whether their ambitious hopes will emerge as auspicious realities. There is no contention that the record numbers of young people struggling to find work, leave the safety of their parents’ homes and begin their own families is an immediate cause of the Great Recession. With nearly 6 million young Americans living at home, the greatest concern remains whether the recession will ever truly emancipate the youth it has held captive. The European Union’s young, too, have suffered from vast unemployment, from government administrators that seem to turn a blind eye and from an inability to see hope in the face of stark adversity. It is true that the recent years have been overwhelmed with un-
certainty and unprecedented destruction. Dire circumstances have surrounded us, and the young have viscerally experienced the devastation of insurmountable hope. While they have been told to accept the status quo, they are educated and impassioned only to struggle to build the lives they have worked to create. Protesters from Tahrir Square to Syntagma Square to Zuccotti Park have been the loudest and most pivotal voices of recent times. Those who have been deemed lost have found the courage to be valiant beacons of change. The lost generation has fought for the most basic human rights, for the mere opportunity to carry out their lives simply and without fear of an unwelcoming future. Activists and crusaders have joined in solidarity, echoing their grievances and demanding that their lives no longer remain determined for them by government and military rulers. Some have given up their very lives for the possibility to see even a modicum of their heroic efforts prevail against systems that have long been mired in corruption and injustice. We owe it to the youth in every corner of the world challenging complacency and to the prospect of
a prosperous future, to internalize and understand these movements as the heart of a global transformation that are unequivocally vital. If we have faith that the future — regardless of inevitable obstacles — is full of hope and recognize the collective power to ignite change, our utmost desires will become realities. Protesters throughout the world have substantiated that potential and made hope all the more palpable. With austerity measures in place and unemployment at remarkable heights, Greece’s youth have expressed their vehement demand for democracy to be reinstated in the country in which it was founded. Occupy Wall Street activists have continued to galvanize their efforts to show the world that they are not a lost generation, but a generation with purpose, conviction and a willingness to alter their fate. “Every siren is a symphony,” Coldplay echoes to millions of youthful hearts throughout the world. The course of fate is not predetermined for Generation Y, and the young have adamantly proven that theirs will not be lost. Maria Michalos is a staff columnist. Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.
Economics
Government should raise capital gains tax By Richard Zhang Newt Gingrich promises to eliminate the capital gains tax so more money can flow into the market. This sounds like a good plan in theory, but after some careful thought it may not really be so great. On a personal level, most people probably hate taxes. Who enjoys letting the government get into our pockets and take away our money? It becomes even less enjoyable when the government takes more money from the poor than from the millionaires on Wall Street simply because the rich have investments. It is a growing phenomenon that wealthy people, compared with the middle class, are paying a lower tax rate because their main sources of income are capital gains rather than salaries. Capital gains are the profits earned from investments, such as bonds, houses and stocks. The current maximum tax on capital gain is only 15 percent while the highest income tax rate can go all the way to 35 percent. This leads to some awkward situ-
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ations. Because the richest 20 percent of Americans account for 86 percent of the capital gains, they are imposed mostly by the 15 percent capital gains tax. Warren Buffet, for example, has an effective tax rate of 17.4 percent — mostly on dividends — whereas his secretary pays a higher income tax. Something is wrong here, isn’t it? It is wrong because it violates fundamental logic. Does it make sense to anyone that the government should take more money from the poor than from the rich? By doing so, the government can only make the poor poorer and the rich richer, further splitting the gap of economic inequality. According to a 2011 Congressional Research report, the low capital gains tax has increased the income inequality in recent decades as dividends and capital gains become major sources of incomes for the wealthy Americans. But that is not the only reason we should raise the capital gains tax even though it is part of playing a fair game. Think about it. The government collects taxes because
it needs the money to improve our lives: road maintenance, dam construction, police’s salaries. All of these acts need money. And as a part of this community everyone should also pitch in to help build a better America by not only paying taxes but also producing goods and services. These goods and services will in turn benefit all other members of society. An investor, however, buys a stock one day, waits for a few days and then sells it at a higher price. What sort of goods and services does the investor produce? Barely anything. In a way, the Wall Street investors are like poker players who simply play the game of speculation, gaining a lot of money, but producing nothing to benefit the society. Since the Wall Street investors are nothing but poker players then doesn’t it sound like a fair game if the government raises the capital gains tax to make them contribute equally to the rest of the society? Richard Zhang is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
Send mail to: 838 Broadway, fifth floor, New York, NY 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.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Cultural tolerance crucial in foreign affairs
This week’s report of American soldiers inadvertently incinerating copies of the Qur’an in Afghanistan created a wave of unrest. Although it may not have been intentional, there should be a level of accountability. In light of the recent NYPD surveillance of the Muslim community and this event, the hostility between American officials and Muslims is growing more and more apparent. Candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are wrong in denouncing President Barack Obama’s apology. Religious sensitivity should be on every American’s mind, and the gravity of the situation for the Muslim community needs to be addressed and respected. We cannot afford insensitivity when our relations with the Muslim countries are fragile and volatile. Despite the accidental nature of the Qur’an burning, we should not legitimize this action by denying them an apology. This opens up the possibility of intolerant actions becoming normalized into acceptable behavior. We cannot afford such acrimony. Cultural sensitivity aids military tactics. We want to win their hearts and minds. These kinds of actions create the enemies that we are trying to defeat. In a recent response to the Qur’an burning, four Americans and 20 Arabs died in the riots. These deaths are completely avoidable if we would just exhibit more cultural and religious awareness. Obama’s response to the situation was an apt first step in this direction. Our emphasis should have been placed on curbing the violence brought about by the protest rather than feeding overreaction to an accidental gesture. We should take a lesson from the Soviet occupation, which never had popular support. They were driven out in economic and military ruin. Alternately, garnering the approval of the people is crucial to a successful military campaign. We cannot help the Taliban draw in more foes. An action like this is ideal recruitment material for groups promoting anti-American sentiment. Humanitarian concerns should be put at the forefront of our foreign policy in this time of occupation and counter-insurgency. Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.
Editorial Board: Olivia Gonzalez (Chair), Atticus Brigham (Co-Chair), Sanchay Jain (Co-Chair), Chris DiNardo, Emily Franklin, Matt Kao, Ben Miller and Peter Murphy.
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Washington Square news | monday, february 27, 2012 | nyunews.com
SPORTs
edited by daniel hinton sports@nyunews.com
NYU hosts Squad Championships By Mary Jane Dumankaya The top collegiate fencing teams in the country competed in the Second Annual U.S. Collegiate Squad Championships hosted by NYU at Coles Sports Center on Sunday. The tournament, started by NYU last year and spearheaded by head coach Steve Mormando, is the last non-NCAA event of the season. “There are 24 teams here, which is more than competed in last year’s NCAA Championships,” Mormando said. “It’s the strongest team event in the United States right now.” Of the 24 squads in the tournament, seven women’s teams and eight men’s teams are currently ranked in the top 10 by the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association Poll. The men’s epee team competed in NYU’s first match of the day against Brown University. The Violets lost 42-25 and were eliminated from the tournament. Ricky Woodward contributed 19 of NYU’s 25 touches in the match. “I think many of us thought we could have fenced better than we did, but it’s good to
see that our underclassmen are anxious to improve, and I’m excited to come back next year,” epee captain Woodward said. In their first match, the women’s epee team competed against Yeshiva University and won 45-15. Their next match was against Princeton University, whose women’s team is ranked second in the nation. NYU lost to Princeton, 45-23. Women’s foil, who were missing two starters, received a bye for the first round but lost 45-15 to Columbia University in the second round. Men’s foil also received a bye into the second round and met rival Columbia. Junior captain Phil Jamesson, sophomore Christian Vastola and freshman Andrew Ark led by 18 at one point and won their first match 45-30. In the third round, NYU competed against the University of Pennsylvania, whose men’s team is ranked seventh in the nation. In his second bout, Jamesson earned 12 touches, bringing the score to 30-29. The Violets were unable to hold the lead and lost 45-37, placing sixth out of 18 teams.
“At this point, we’re in the top 8 of the top teams in America,” Jamesson said. “We’re a bit disappointed with what we ended up with, but we fenced well.” Meanwhile, men’s sabre began their day with a match against Princeton University. The Violets lost 45-22. Women’s sabre met Stevens Institute of Technology in the first round and won 45-32. The Violets competed against Northwestern University in the second round. The Northwestern women’s team, ranked fourth in the nation, defeated the Violets 45-32. “We’re doing well but at the same time I’m going to miss this,” senior Lisa Verzino said. St. John’s University took home the gold medal for men’s epee, Notre Dame University won men’s foil and Penn placed first in men’s sabre. Princeton swept all three weapons in the women’s competition. NYU will compete in the NCAA Regional Championships at Boston College on March 11. Mary Jane Dumankaya is a staff writer. Email her at sports@nyunews.com.
Men fourth, women fifth at track and field UAAs By Amy Rose-Ramapuram
NYU hosted the University Athletic Association Indoor Track and Field Championships at the New Balance Track and Field Center in Manhattan. The men’s team finished fourth and the women fifth among seven teams. Washington University in St. Louis won the UAA Championships with 117 points. The men’s distance relay team of senior Matt Turlip, sophomores James Goldstein and Ryan Gilmore and freshman Dharan Kadiyala finished with a season best of 10:11.35. Gilmore pulled an amazing feat as he brought the team from fourth to the lead, helping his team win first place for the event. “I ran the 400m leg of the [distance medley relay], and thanks to Matt Turlip’s 4:10 closing mile, we won first place,” Kadiyala said. “Overall it’s such a great atmosphere and a lot of fun competing against schools who are athletically and academically sound as NYU.” Meanwhile, freshman Jonathan Simon also finished first in the 60-meter dash, completing the sprint in 6.34 seconds. Junior captain Daniel McKinney earned impressive times in the 200-meter sprint and 400-meter trials, placing first in both events with times of 22.29 seconds and a season best of 49.54 seconds, respectively. The women’s distance medley relay of
senior captain Maeve Evans, senior Laura Santoski, junior Georgina Norton and freshman Izzi Corso also performed well. Placing in second, the foursome completed the race with a season best of 12:04.49. Senior Paige Zelinsky finished second in the 5,000-meter (17:46.64), and junior Marion Burns took first in both the 200(25.94) and 400-meter (58.80) events. On Sunday, McKinney had yet another impressive performance, completing the 400-meter sprint in 48.93, a season-best. In the 200-meter spring, the junior captain beat his previous record by .07 seconds with a finishing time of 22.27. In distance, senior Andrew Zitek won the 3,000-meter event in an impressive 8:32.52. The Turlip brothers also registered outstanding performances. Matt finished second in the one mile run with a time of 4:18.02, while Justin finished second in his section and eighth overall with a time of 4:22.13. “Many of the runners need to gain more experience and overcome the nervousness that comes with such big track meets,” head coach Nick McDonough said. “Both teams stepped up and ran well across the board.” Amy Rose-Ramapuram is a contributing writer. Email her at sports@nyunews.com.