WSN030613

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 20

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

nyunews.com

University reputation sees small boost

By TATIANA BAEZ

RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN

Meatball Shop offers homestyle comfort in new Chelsea location The Meatball Shop, a comfort food favorite, now serves meatballs, sandwiches and other Italian favorites to customers at its recently opened Chelsea restaurant on Ninth Avenue between 22nd and 23rd streets. The cozy new restaurant also serves cocktails.

STORY ON PAGE 4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

HANNAH COHEN FOR WSN

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THRIVE ON CAMPUS: NYU students with physical impairments are offered equal opportunities on campus and throughout New York City.

DISABILITY on PG. 3

STAFF EDITORIAL: Hugo Chávez’s death marks the passing of a charismatic leader, but he leaves behind a nation mired in economic and political turmoil that few leaders are equipped to solve.

HOUSE on PG. 7

Globally known as a prestigious university, NYU ranked 29th on the 2013 Times Higher Education list of top universities by reputation, up from its 34th place spot last year.

A spin-off of the annual World University Rankings, the ranking listed the top 100 schools and was determined by an invitation-only survey sent out to different scholars in their respective fields. Although the survey is based on subjective opinions, respondents with an average of 17 years in higher education were asked to name up to 15 schools based on a provided questionaire. In response to the survey, which was carried out last March and April and distributed in 10 languages, they received 16,639 replies from 144 countries.

RANKING continued on PG. 1

Raimi, Franco discuss return to Land of Oz

By LAURA WOLFORD

Director Sam Raimi’s new film “Oz the Great and Powerful,” starring James Franco, pays tribute to the much beloved Land of Oz and its audience. Speaking out about his inspiration for the movie in a recent conference call, Raimi said his own vision for Oz came from a combination of classic Oz books, the book’s illustrations by W.W. Denslow and, of course, the 1939 cinema classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” “All of us broken, lonely individuals have within us the thing to make us complete if we only recognize it,” Raimi said. “There’s a simple beauty in loving another person and friends coming together in being selfless.”

Franco, who plays Oscar Diggs — the character that eventually becomes the Wizard — also spoke about his character’s inner struggle between good and evil.

“His character starts off as a flawed man,” he said. “He’s selfish, he’s a bit of a womanizer. He thinks that happiness will come from financial success and fame.”

Franco also discussed his initial uncertainty toward taking on the iconic role of the Wizard, especially having been an Oz fan himself.

“I wanted to be sure that they had a sound approach,” he said. “I was already hopeful because Sam [Raimi] was involved, and he’s just one of the best directors. But I wanted to be sure that they were being loyal to certain things about Oz that people expect and then also had a fresh take on it.”

As for the other characters, Raimi said he looked for the actors he believed could portray the characters’ multidimensional personalities. He cited Mila Kunis, whose character Theodora is a woman with both innocent and wicked sides, a combination Raimi

looks for in his actresses.

“I saw this real positive vibe that she put out as this Hawaiian hotel clerk,” Raimi said about Kunis’ role in the 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” “I thought, there is an innocent positive force, I believe she could play Theodora. And then when I saw the brilliant ‘Black Swan,’ where she had this real dark and nasty witchy quality, that told me that she could play the other half of the role.”

Raimi also hired Danny Elfman to compose the score, which helped tie together the story of “Oz.” “[Elfman] took the emotions that were in the movie and he elevated them,” Raimi said, pointing out the composer’s love theme that strengthens the relationship between Oscar and Michelle Williams’ character, Annie. “He took the drama and he deepened it. He basically made everything better. He was the secret sauce that brings

it to the next level. That was the best part for me, to see the movie whole and be made better and be brought together.”

Laura Wolford is a staff writer.

Email her at film@nyunews.com.

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

James Franco brings a young Wizard of Oz to the screen.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

ON THE SIDE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS BEST BOOKS WE HAD TO READ IN CLASS “MINOR CHARACTERS” BY JOYCE JOHNSON “Minor Characters” is a time capsule of the ’50s and ’60s New York City by Joyce Johnson, one of the overshadowed voices of the Beat Generation. She recalls growing up in the city, when she took rebellious subway rides down from her Morningside Heights apartment to the eccentric, edgy Village. This book allows readers to meet literary icons like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac through her thoughtful journal entries.

“THE HEMLOCK CUP” BY BETTANY HUGHES For students who have an interest in Greek philosophy, “The Hemlock Cup” is a great read. Hughes writes a biography of the mysterious philosopher Socrates. While it is a bit long, the book is broken into sections highlighting specific aspects of Socrates’ life and Greek culture, so readers can skip around as they please.

“SNOW” BY ORHAN PANUK “Snow” follows a Turkish poet named Ka on his return to Turkey after 12 years of political exile in Germany. Though he returns to investigate a rash of teen-girl suicides in a remote Turkish city, Ka is not spared from the political and philosophical turmoil in his native Turkey. Although the story may lag, Panuk’s prose keeps the reader immersed in Ka’s dreamlike wanderings through a snow-covered city as he fights for an identity.

“STILL LIFE WITH OYSTERS AND LEMONS”

BY MARK DOTY Mark Doty’s “Still Life with Oysters and Lemons” provokes personal reflection. In this short book, which is part memoir, Doty analyzes our attachment to ordinary objects and how that affects our memories and ultimately our lives. Through his own reflection on life, Doty inspires readers to do the same.

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IN AND OF

THE CITY

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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.

COMPILED BY THE

WSN STAFF

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Editor-in-Chief JONATHON DORNBUSH Managing Editor

AMY ZHANG Web Managing Editor

HANQING CHEN Deputy Managing Editor

JORDAN MELENDREZ Assistant Managing Editor

NICOLA PRING Creative Director

KALEEL MUNROE SENIOR STAFF

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

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

NEW YORK NAMED WORST CITY FOR DRIVERS Consumer watchdog NerdWallet released a study that shows New York City as the worst city in the nation for drivers. Although only 28 percent of New Yorkers drive to work, the amount of hours stuck in traffic and higher-than-average gas prices place New York at the top of the list. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Chicago are also high in the ranks.

— NY1

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

CITY NONPROFITS MAY BE ABUSING THE SYSTEM At City Hall on Monday, Mark Page, the city budget director, accused city nonprofit organizations of trying to acquire more benefits than they deserve. Page said these nonprofits have been abusing tax-payer dollars. Page’s statement came as a surprise to the rest of the council people in attendance.

— NY1

SAMEER JAYWANT deputy opinion editors

EDWARD RADZIVILOVSKIY, RAQUEL WOODRUFF

ADVERTISING BUSINESS MANAGER

REBECCA RIBEIRO CIRCULATION MANAGER

CHLOE COFFMAN

PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY OF DASH DOT BOOKS | COURTESY OF BEACON PRESS | COURTESY OF KNOPF PUBLISHING GROUP | COURTESY OF VINTAGE

SNAPSHOT

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SPOTTED NEAR JFK An international airlines pilot reported seeing an unmanned aircraft hovering near John F. Kennedy International Airport around midday on Monday. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating.

— NBC News

UNIVERSITY SALES COORDINATOR

HENRY KISSINGER HOSPITALIZED IN NEW YORK CITY Eighty-nine-year-old former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital for observation after taking a fall on Tuesday. The hospital did not issue coment on the severity of Kissinger’s condition.

— Huffington Post

CIRCULATION ASSISTANT

KAITLYN O’BRIEN SALES REPRESENTATIVE

ELLEN MCQUEEN SALES ASSOCIATES

ARIANA DIVALENTINO, CHRIS ELWOOD, ALISON LIZZIO, SAM WANDER BENJAMIN SWINEHART

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

KALEEL MUNROE

ADVISING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

NANCI HEALY

WOMEN FLOCK TO THE UN TO CELEBRATE CSW ANNIVERSARY This week, women from all over the world will gather at the United Nations in New York for the annual meeting of the Commision of the Status of Women. The CSW was established in 1956 as an international policy-making body for female equality in all aspects of society.

— Huffington Post

A siege of colored paper cranes gathers on a table at the New Museum cafe.

PHOTO BY CHUCK KUAN

CORRECTION In an article published on Tuesday, March 5 titled “Growth in applicant pool increases competition for incoming class,” WSN inaccurately reported that the NYU Abu Dhabi campus has been a portal campus for six years. In fact, it opened in 2010. WSN regrets the error.

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EDITORIAL ADVISER

KEITH LEIGHTY EDITORS-AT-LARGE

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

NYUNEWS.COM

NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

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RANKING continued from PG. 1

Survey of global scholars ranks New York University at 29th The responses came from scholars in a variety of disciplines: 22.1 percent came from the social sciences, 21.3 percent from engineering and technology, 18 percent from the physical sciences and 10.5 percent from arts and humanities. Thirty-three percent hailed from North America, 17 percent from Western Europe, 12 percent from East Asia, 10 percent from Australia and Oceania, 6 percent from Eastern Europe, 5 percent from South America and 5 percent from the Middle East.

The ranking is meant to classify universities based on factors other than academics. Reputation, THE says, can be just as important when determining the “best” schools.

“Reputation is subjective, nebulous and hard to pin down, but it matters deeply in a highly competitive global marketplace,”said THE representative Fran Langdon, senior account executive at Van Communications. “An institution’s prestige is both a sign of its success, in the fields of teaching and research, and a crucial driver of its future success,” she said.

“Reputation can be lost very quickly, and old higher education powers can not rest on their laurels,” she said.

According to Langdon, the respon-

dents may appreciate global efforts on the part of the universities, although there is no specific survey question dedicated to a global outlook.

NYU spokesperson Philip Lentz attributes NYU’s rank increase to the university’s continued efforts to expand as a global institute. NYU currently operates 14 sites on six continents, including degree-granting campuses in New York and Abu Dhabi.

“The university generally views rankings skeptically — universities are so different, meaningfully ranking them seems a profound challenge,” said Lentz. “However, like the admissions [results] we recently announced, NYU’s movement in the Times Higher Education rankings probably does reflect the upward trajectory of our reputation and the prominence we are enjoying from the creation of our global network.”

Despite NYU’s rise in rankings, it still does not compare to the top five colleges on the list. Harvard University in first place received 100 percent for their overall score, Massachusetts Institute of Technology had 87.6 and NYU had 10.8.

Tatiana Baez is university editor.

Email her at tbaez@nyunews.com.

NYU supports lifestyles of students with disabilities

By NICOLE BROWN

Over 900 NYU students are registered at the Henry and Lucy Moses Center for Students with Disabilities. The CSD aims to create a safe, educational and positive environment for students with disabilities.

“We work to develop programs that foster the personal and academic growth and independence,” said Robyn Weiss, director of the CSD. Learning specialists at the CSD work with students to understand their disabilities so they can help them receive the services they need and ensure they have equal access to NYU programs.

CAS sophomore, Abhi Elisetty, who has a physical disability that constrains him to a wheelchair, said one of his biggest challenges as a student is commuting from his home in Queens to NYU. “Though [New York City] public transportation is becoming increasingly wheelchair-accessible, it still poses a lot of barriers to people with disabilities,” Elisetty said.

However, Elisetty says NYU is one of the most wheelchair accessible college campuses among those he has visited.

The CSD has given Elisetty the opportunity to travel to Prague over spring break with a group of students.

Meanwhile, students with disabilities can find another support system in the Disability Studies and Disabilities Community, a group that includes both disabled and non-disabled members.

NYU alumna and founder of DSDC Lizza Dauenhauer-Pendley explained that members of the club do not have to declare whether or not they have a disability, and their

definition of disability includes several different types of impairments.

DSDC raises awareness of disabilities within the NYU community.

“We want to provide a safe space that honors and recognizes disability as a social identity as well as creating an avenue for positive social change,” Dauenhauer-Pendley said.

Weiss said students at NYU welcome their peers who have disabilities.

“Students with significant disabilities are entering areas of study and professions they may have shied away from 10 years ago,” she said.

Elisetty is a perfect example of a student who has succeeded despite having a disability. He is currently in the NYU Global Debate competition, and he and his partner advanced with 15 other teams into the final phase that will occur in April.

Academically, Elisetty’s goals are not limited by his disability either.

He came to NYU to pursue a degree in philosophy, and is now in the Presidential Scholars Program in the College of Arts and Science.

Through this program, he plans to explore his research interests in philosophy of the mind and ethics.

“I’m in the initial stages of developing a research project and connecting a faculty member,” he said.

Elisetty finds the university very accommodating.

“The school as a whole just generally works really hard to remove barriers for students with disabilities to the extent that they can,” he said.

Nicole Brown is investigative editor.

Additional reporting by Su Sie Park.

Email them at investigative@nyunews.com.

Developers, advocates debate future for storm-damaged park

By ANDREW KARPAN

Over the past decade, the Hudson River Park has become an athletic center for the West Village, attracting joggers and residents to use the park’s public sports facilities.

The park now has nearly $100 million in damage due to Superstorm Sandy — damage many are unsure the park has the funds to repair.

Madelyn Wils, president and CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust, noted that electricity was still down in many parts of the park. “[There are] visible issues [that] cost dollars that the park doesn’t have,” Wils said.

In June of 1998, the New York State legislature passed the Hudson River Park Act, establishing the Hudson River Park Trust as an organization to would plan and manage the park. Now the trust is pushing legislators to amend the act to allow residential developments to be constructed alongside the park in the hope that the scenic river will attract luxury housing developments that could pay for the park’s repairs.

“The Hudson River Park Trust’s job is to be a steward on behalf of the park,”

Wils said. “It is with that rather elementary notion in mind that we have been working alongside our elected officials to amend the act.”

However, the bill faces opposition from Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, who represents the Lower Manhattan district that encompasses the park.

Glick’s chief of staff, Matt Borden, explained her position.

“Residential development doesn’t belong in parks,” Borden said. “New York City has very few open spaces like the Hudson River Park and the thing with an open space is that once you lose it, you never get it back. No one would suggest building residential developments in Central Park, [and] there’s no reason they should be built here.”

Manhattan commercial developer and former chairman of Friends of Hudson River Park Douglas Durst has proposed an alternative to the Hudson River Park Trust’s plan that would involve only expanding commercial development around the park.

“Housing in that location, by the park, is [extraordinarily] challenging,” said Jordan Barowitz, the director of external affairs for the Durst Organization. “Buildings of

that size that close to the water are nearly unprecedented among New York City waterfront developments.”

But the Hudson River Park Trust recently released a study that said the park would make 25 percent less with the Durst plan than it would with the residential plan.

“We’ve already been approached by potential users for the space,” Barowitz said in response to the trust’s study. “[Nearby] Hudson Square is booming. Rents are getting significantly higher. We believe the rent that we are going [to set] for this site will make it entirely doable.”

Borden said the assemblywoman supports the concept of Durst’s but is still waiting on more details before commenting.

Ivy McCall, a GLS sophomore who enjoys jogging to the park on a regular basis, was conflicted by the prospect of housing developments in the Hudson Square Park area.

“I don’t know about having large condos looming over the park,” she said. “But I also don’t want to lose the park.”

Andrew Karpan is deputy city/state editor. Email him at akarpan@nyunews.com.

New alcohol app regulates intake

By TATIANA BAEZ

Students might receive a lesson on alcohol intake with the help of the measurement app Shots iGot. The recently released app aims to control college drinking. Cataloging over 44 common containers, the application allows users to utilize most receptacles as measuring cups to approximate the number of shots. The next step involves swiping your touch screen to set the amount of alcohol you put into the container. From there, the app calculates the amount of alcohol inside your cup by using standardized 1.5-ounce shots.

The app boasts accuracy near one-tenth of a shot.

The idea for Shots iGot came from an article that detailed how package sizes are adjusted for marketing purposes because the human brain cannot visualize volume. The co-creater, Paras Jain, is also a recent graduate of Rutgers University.

“We realized the same concept applied when students pour drinks into different size containers,” Jain said. “One bad estimate can lead to overpouring and some serious consequences. As college students, we saw the consequences of

overdrinking firsthand and recognized the potential for a simple app to serve as a cool ‘harm reduction’ tool.”

Alexandra Milonas, a clinical supervisor for the Counseling and Wellness Services at the NYU Student Health Center, said some students at NYU reported they drank five to six drinks — considered binge drinking — the last time they partied.

“Any app that would encourage students to be more informed and drink more safely is helpful,” Milonas said. “This app is a good supplemental resource, however we still encourage students to have these complicated conversations with professionals.”

Although the app is intended to lower excessive college drinking and make students aware of the quantity they are drinking, it may only be a baby step in the long process to solving a crucial problem on college campuses.

The app may even promote drinking on some level.

“I think it would be fun to measure how much I was drinking, but I don’t think it would change how much I ended up having,” said John Hatch, a sophomore at University of Denver. “We might measure out a cup to see how

much it is, but then have the person chug it,” he said.

“Without a larger effort to prevent risky drinking, one could imagine such an app being used by partiers to document and brag about how much they drank rather than to prevent such drinking,” said Susan Foster, vice president and director of policy research and analysis at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

S. Lala A. Straussner, a professor of social work at NYU who studies substance abuse and addictions, asked her class for their opinion.

Both professor Straussner and her students reached the conclusion that students who need the app might not use it while students who would want to monitor their drinking probably do not drink enough to warrant use of the app.

About 10,000 people have already downloaded the app, which is available for free in the iTunes app store.

An Android app is also in the works.

Tatiana Baez is university editor. Email her at tbaez@nyunews.com.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

DINING

EDITED BY ANGEL CHANG DINING@NYUNEWS.COM

Meatball Shop focuses spotlight on Italian staple

By ALEX PASTRON From his seat in the basement-level bar of The Meatball Shop, dubbed Underballs, executive chef and co-owner Daniel Holzman expressed his optimism about the restaurant’s new Chelsea location, which opened in mid-February.

“This restaurant has been our most successful opening,” Holzman said, as a constant flow of servers and managers moved in and out of the room.

As would be expected from such a successful enterprise, Holzman and his general manager, co-owner and life-long best friend Michael Chernow are no strangers to the restaurant industry. The pair made a very specific choice in starting meatball-themed chain restaurants.

“My partner and I were basically looking for something that would fit into the idea of healthy, inexpensive, comfort food,” Holzman said. “We wanted to have a fast-food restaurant based on our generation’s values, so we wanted to use all-natural food, organic meat and local sources, but we also didn’t want to charge a lot of money.”

Of their four New York City locations, the Chelsea restaurant is the only one with a liquor license. Designed as a space where customers can wait comfortably and have a drink while tables open up, the bar can also be rented out for parties

or dinners. Only one of the locations takes reservations for large parties, so waiting is expected at such a small, hip spot. “[The cocktail list] is an opportunity to showcase American spirits,” Holzman said. “We like to introduce people to the local brews through specialty cocktails, so we can sell a lot of them and support the local manufacturers.”

NYU freshman Tori Holbrook is excited about the new opening.

“While the location is a little far from campus, there are a lot of attractions over there, so you can have a casual, fun and really good dinner before going out,” she said.

Holbrook recommends the Smash — a warm sandwich with spicy pork balls, hot meat sauce and mozzarella cheese served on a toasted brioche bun. She calls it good comfort food that is not too heavy.

The Meatball Shop is known for its unique ordering style, as customers use a dry-erase marker to check off boxes on the laminated menu to select their meal.

The full selection of meatballs includes classic beef, chicken, pork, vegetable and the daily special. One particularly memorable special, the Cordon Bleu balls with chicken, ham and Swiss cheese, is best described by its menu caption as “frustratingly good,” especially when paired with the Parmesan cream sauce.

While this location still settles in, Holzman and Chernow are already in

RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN

The famous meatball Smash sandwich makes for a mouth-watering meal. full swing towards opening another location on the Upper East Side. From the ordering style to the comfortable yet classy atmosphere to the house-made iced tea and the meatballs, the res-

taurant certainly offers an incredibly unique dining experience.

Alex Pastron is a contributing writer.

Email her at dining@nyunews.com.

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NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

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ARTS

EDITED BY JOSH JOHNSON ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Period dramas revisit, revise perspective on American history

By ISABEL JONES

While history courses may teach one version of our past, television is establishing a different viewpoint. Some of today’s best dramas are re-examining historically profound events.

FX’s “The Americans” is the most recent drama to use this narrative device.

For example, the show’s fourth episode depicted the assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan through a particularly unusual perspective. Following KGB spies who are posing as suburbanite parents in northern Virginia, “The Americans” places audiences in an often uncomfortable and confusing situation. The protagonists are in Cold War opposition to our “home of the brave” — do we root for them or hope for their downfall?

The episode effectively portrays the Soviet panic in face of the potential ramifications of the shooting. Did the Russians do this? Is Reagan dead? Is this war? These are just some of the questions two Russian spies struggle with in an episode highlighting a drastically different viewpoint than what is typically presented in U.S. history textbooks.

Last summer’s HBO drama “The Newsroom” gave audiences a behind-the-scenes look at high-profile news stories of the last few years. The aptly titled “5/1” episode mimicked America’s heartbeat as we

first received word of Osama bin Laden’s death. Most Americans remember where they were and what they were doing on the morning of 9/11, but many did not know anyone who died on that fateful day. “5/1” shows the incredible impact bin Laden’s death had on those who suffered the most and were put at greatest risk by the terrorist’s actions.

Most Americans remember where they were and what they were doing on the morning of 9/11. But most Americans did not know anyone who died on that fateful day. “5/1” shows the incredible impact bin Laden’s death had for those who suffered the most and were put at the greatest risk by the terrorist’s actions.

AMC’s “Mad Men” frequently takes on sociopolitical issues targeted at the baby boomer generation. “The Grown Ups,” an episode from season three, depicted the day blanketed by despair in America — the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Keeping perfect historical time, “Mad Men” ran an episode on the Nixon v. Kennedy election two seasons prior, where most characters were steadfast Nixon supporters. “Everything is going to be OK. We have a new president and we’re all going to be sad for a little bit,” Don Draper told his children, glued to the television along with the rest of the nation.

Although “Mad Men” contributes little in the way of a fresh perspective,

“The Grown Ups” refreshed our collective memory and has allowed contemporary generations a proximity to historical events that would otherwise be unattainable.

By using television as a tool to study the past, audiences are able to consider the

historical anecdotes in a different way.

The window to the past we call television has revolutionized the way we perceive our nation’s most important moments.

Isabel Jones is a staff writer. Email her at entertainment@nyunews.com.

VIA FACBEOOK.COM

Keri Russell stars in “The Americans,” a drama set during the Cold War.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

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19 Way off 20 Piltdown man, for one 21 Deny membership to skater Starbuck?

23 Agree to 26 Kedrova of “Zorba the Greek” 27 Genre that includes freestyling 28 Up time 29 Cyberspace ’zine

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puzzle by will nediger

35

37 38 39 40 41

2002 sequel starring Wesley Snipes Mello ___ (soft drink) Budget chart shape City near Santa Barbara Teri of “Tootsie” Ocean predator

45 46 47 48 52 54

Traipsed (about) City of northern Spain Often-removed car part Amnesiac’s question Topmost points Hades’ river of forgetfulness

56

Command to Fido

57

Editorial strike-out

60

Give a ribbing

61

Spanish eye

62

___ ammoniac

63

Geisha’s accessory

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NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY SAMEER JAYWANT OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

PSYCHOLOGY

Overdiagnosis undermines medical treatment

By JOSEPH RAUCH The American Psychological Association has planned to release the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders this coming May. This will be the fifth edition and will include some of the most dramatic changes yet. There are too many for me to fully explore, but I will touch on some of the major edits.

One common criticism is the increased risk of overdiagnosis because the criteria for some existing disorders have become broader, such as the standard for depression. People inside and outside of the APA have also made proposals for new disorders like Negativistic (Passive Aggressive) Personality Disorder, Internet Addiction Disorder,

adult forms of ADHD and behavioral disorders specific to gambling. Some critics say these disorders just provide excuses to sell more drugs and should be redefined or dropped entirely.

Others believe it is excessive to diagnose a disorder based on the fact that someone has an undesirable trait, such as passive aggression or hypersexuality. I shared suspicions of overdiagnosis when I discovered that obesity was once on the table for becoming an eating disorder in the DSM-5. Designating obesity as an eating disorder would obviously cause problems with overdiagnosis in the United States, and people would feel pressured to buy drugs to remedy their new disorder. However, obesity does not seem to be up for discussion anymore and, with luck, some of these other so-called disorders may be dropped before May. There are also massive restructuring changes, including the integration of autism and Asperger’s syndrome into the manual, as well as eliminating the five-axis system. I was satisfied with the five axes and do not fully understand the reason for eliminating them. The five axes organize the analysis of mental illnesses, personal-

ity disorders and mental retardation, medical conditions, psychological factors and global assessment of functioning. I found that having these five factors allowed for a rich assessment of patients because it considered contributing factors and their interaction with the disorder in question.

I believe these looming changes to the DSM represent outside influences on the APA and society’s tendency to regard abnormality as something that must be changed if possible. People have often thought, “If only we could diagnose all the people that annoy us with Annoying Personality Disorder and then have psychiatrists prescribe medication that would not make them annoying anymore. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Unfortunat-ely, sometimes overdiagnosis is a watereddown attempt to do just that. As for the changes in restructuring, the only ones that could be problematic are the dimensional approach to personality disorders and the abandonment of the five-axis system, all of which have been fiercely debated.

Joseph Rauch is a contributing columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

BIOLOGY

‘Croods’ perpetuates false images of evolution

By CHRISTINA CHOPRA It is hard to imagine that as recently as 30,000 years ago, the Earth was shared by at least two distinct human species — our very own Homo sapiens and the Neanderthals, or Homo neanderthalensis. Growing fossil evidence supported by the multidisciplinary work of researchers has created an astonishing body of knowledge about the Neanderthal. We now know that the world 30,000 years ago was a very different place, and that fact has captivated the scientific imagination of paleoanthropologists since the first human fossil was discovered approximately 150 years ago.

DreamWorks’ upcoming “The Croods” will take some of the first steps to bring such scientific inquiry

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into the realm of entertainment. The movie tells the story of a Neanderthal family who, after being forced to abandon their destroyed cave, are taken on a journey to see the light, both literally and figuratively, by a dashing, intelligent and skilled Homo sapien named Guy. The differences between the two human groups could not be more apparent.

The names themselves carry a lot of subtext. Their quadrupedal walk, large brows and inability to possess advanced technologies certainly do not help this stereotype. These traits are completely false and undermine that Neanderthals were highly intelligent, tool-creating, fire-wielding individuals — formidable opponents to the ever popular Homo sapiens.

So why do we imagine Neanderthals as cave-dwelling knuckle walkers? Such confusion stems largely from paleontologist Marcellin Boule’s publication in the early 1900s. The Neanderthal specimen he analyzed and described was an elderly man who suffered from extreme arthritis, the loss of all his teeth and severe bone resorption. Such skeletal deformities were not taken into consideration in Boule’s analysis, resulting in a description that created

the cave man image prevalent today.

Despite the remarkable scientific discoveries that have been made regarding the Neanderthals since then, America cannot seem to shake this idea of the Neanderthal as a half-witted, stick-banging lunatic driven to extinction by the powerful brain of the Homo sapien. Narcissistic much?

Is such a caricature of our evolutionary past really worth advertising to America’s youth in this film? I honestly cannot give an answer one way or the other. Maybe I should just be glad there is a movie that acknowledges evolution and attempts to tell its story. But after reading the work of scientists, I cannot help but feel this film is a giant slap in the face to what has been done to create a prehistorically accurate picture of our past.

So, my advice is to go and see the film. After all, it is aesthetically beautiful and has a great message.

Maybe you will coincidentally come away with a deeper appreciation for human evolution. Maybe, in that sense, this film is good for evolution education in America. Is this wishful thinking? Only time will tell.

Christina Chopra is a contributing columnist. Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Uncertainty surrounds Chávez successor

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 58. After 13 years in office, the former leader was re-elected just last October, and he leaves behind a highly controversial legacy.

On one hand, Chávez modernized Venezuela with an aggressive anti-austerity initiative. He capitalized on Venezuelan oil and used the profits to transform the nation’s domestic infrastructure into massive social spending projects. Some of these projects include nationalizing utility industries such as oil, steel, agriculture, transportation, and expanding health care and education benefits. He did this either by force or by purchasing a majority share in private companies.

On the other hand, Chávez massively centralized political power, presenting severe obstacles to democracy. For example, he circumvented the powers of the National Assembly and changed the Venezuelan constitution at will.

Chávez’s death creates a power vacuum that could drag potential successors into a difficult struggle for the office. The Venezuelan constitution stipulates that a new leader must be elected within 30 days. In the interim, Diosdado Cabello, president of the National Assembly, will hold the post until a new leader is elected. It remains to be seen whether Vice President Nicolas Maduro, who Chávez himself groomed for the presidency, will make an attempt at Chávez’s old seat and expand presidential power. As the chosen successor to Chávez, Maduro could resist Cabello’s new position. It could provide a much needed chance for the opposition to unite behind Henrique Capriles, who lost the most recent election. Capriles represents a middle ground between a socialist distribution of wealth and an international capitalist market.

Questions also arise about the policies that the new successor would undertake. In the international arena, Chávez was doggedly persistent in his denunciation and critique of the United States as an imperialist regime. Will the new leader continue this approach?

In either case, we can hardly expect the new leader to exude Chávez’s charisma and gusto. Nevertheless, for reasons ranging from economics to oil and everywhere else in between, this election will determine the course of Venezuela’s foreseeable future.

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

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