NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 42, No. 27
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014
nyunews.com
Mayor extends paid sick leave By MARILYN LA JEUNESSE
JPMorgan excludes alum’s condoms
An additional half-million New Yorkers are eligible for paid sick leave with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s signing of the Earned Sick Time Act on March 20. The law, an amended version of last year’s legislation, requires businesses with five or more employees to provide paid sick time for all employees in New York City. The new law lowers the threshold for paid sick time from 15 to five employees and includes the manufacturing sectors of business, which were previously excluded. The law also modifies the definition of a family to include grandparents, grandchildren and siblings. This allows employees to take sick time in order to care for those considered family under the act. The law also eliminates the phase-in process of existing legislature and removes economic markers that would impede the law’s implementation. CAS junior Faye Chou works as a part-time employee for a small
Gallatin alumna Tiffany Gaines created a petition on March 21 against JPMorgan Chase because the bank refused to process the incoming credit card transactions from customers of Lovability Inc., Gaines’ female-friendly condom company. Chase rejected these transactions because of the adult nature of condoms. Gaines said the goal of the petition, which has reached 1,000 signatures on change.org, is to end Chase’s negative classification of condoms and push the company to process the condom transactions. “Defining condoms this way sends a harmful cultural message to men and women everywhere,” Gaines said. “Condoms need to be taken out of this category so that people, young and old, feel entitled to use them.” Gaines said Chase’s rejection has negatively affected the goals of Lovability. “Lovability’s mission is to em-
LEAVE continued on PG. 3
By ANN SCHMIDT
FELIPE DE LA HOZ/WSN
NYU graduate Tiffany Gaines created a petition in hopes of encouraging JPMorgan Chase to start processing customers’ condom transactions, which the company considers adult material.
Fox’s ‘Surviving Jack’ revives classic genre By BOB TEOH
While it certainly cannot replace “That ’70s Show” as the best period sitcom of all time, Fox’s upcoming comedy series, “Surviving Jack,” is fun and charming in its own right. Filled with cassette tapes and hypercolor clothing, the series finds a good balance between ’90s nostalgia and likeable characters. It premieres on Fox on March 27. Based on the autobiography of Justin Halpern, the creator of “$h*! My Dad Says” creator, the show follows Jack Dunlevy, an exmilitary doctor who becomes a full-time parent when his wife decides to attend law school. Played by “Law & Order: SVU” alum Christopher Meloni, Jack im-
mediately uses his no-nonsense approach to keep his teenagers, Frankie and Rachel, in line. Unlike the short-lived “$h*! My Dad Says,” “Surviving Jack” focuses on establishing relatable characters rather than landing cheap laughs. Each episode is narrated by Jack’s son Frankie, who struggles with the problems many adolescents face. From finding the courage to kiss a pretty girl to keeping in touch with his closest friends, Frankie’s awkward endeavors are a throwback to the classic coming-of-age story that has somewhat died out. Frankie’s ungainliness is counterbalanced by Jack’s tough-nosed
JACK continued on PG. 5
CONDOMS continued on PG. 3
‘Maladies’ feels forced, lacks plot By DANIEL RUBIN LIEBERSON
In “Maladies,” James Franco plays James, a 1960s soap opera star who moves into his friend’s beachside house with his mentally disabled sister Pa-
tricia, played by Fallon Goodson. After retiring from acting, James is riddled with hypersensitivities and voices in his head that narrate his actions, advise him and ultimately drive him insane. His personal delusions
COURTESY OF TRIBECA FILM
James Franco stars in the new flick directed by Carter.
are augmented by the instability of his surroundings, namely his deranged sister, sexually ambiguous neighbor and crossdressing guardian Catherine, played by Catherine Keener. The film begins with an overture of voiceovers and images that summarize the fragile story. Narrator Ken Scott, who also voices James’ internal monologue, delivers a series of maxims with an air of self-congratulation — “Sometimes it is hard to know where you are going, where you are, what time it is.” While these statements might be true, they require consequent explanation, something that is never provided. The film is written and directed by Carter, who, like each of his characters,
MALADIES continued on PG. 5