NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
washington square news Vol. 40, No. 35
Monday, March 26, 2012
nyunews.com
Sotomayor selected as graduation speaker
Shooting discussed at prof ’s Shabbat
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will speak at the 180th NYU Commencement ceremony on May 16 in Yankee Stadium. The first Latina Supreme Court justice, Sotomayor grew up in a Puerto Rican family in a housing project in the South Bronx. She graduated as valedictorian in high school and went to Princeton on a scholarship, graduating summa cum laude. At Yale Law School, Sotomayor served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal and as managing editor of the Yale Studies in World Public Order. Today, she lives in Greenwich Village. “Justice Sotomayor, like all our honorary degree recipients, was chosen for her record of achievement and because her accomplishments exemplify the impact we hope all our graduates will have on the world,” NYU spokesman John Beckman said.
Students from the Jewish community gathered this weekend to discuss the recent shooting of Jewish schoolchildren in Toulouse, France. Each week, Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, university chaplain at the Bronfman Center, hosts a Shabbat lunch at his Gramercy Green apartment featuring a speaker from outside NYU to address student attendees. Saturday’s honorary guest was Marie-Laure Charrier, deputy consul and head of press and politics of the Consulat Général de France in New York. “Mme. Charrier’s personal account brought home to the Jewish community in New York all the sadness which has permeated France this past week,” Sarna said. “Her message was clear: This was a tragedy for all of France, an attack on the principles which define it.” Sarna said the purpose of the
By Julie DeVito
R COMMENCE continued on PG. 3
By Julie DeVito
James Kelleher/WSN
Student director raises fast money for short film ‘HandGun’
Tisch junior Max Ash (left) raised almost $3,000 in less than 24 hours for his eight-minute action comedy “HandGun,” starring Jack Quaid (right) as one of the main characters, Rob.
R SHABBAT continued on PG. 3
STORY ON PAGE 4
Violets earn all-American honors at NCAAs By Cole Riley
City residents remember Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire By Mary Jane Dumankaya
When freshman Austen Blease and senior Molly Rippe represented NYU at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis this past week, it was from two separate perspectives. Blease, a diver, was set to debut in his first ever National Championships while Rippe, a swimmer, was ready to cap off her impressive four-year career. Heading into Indianapolis, Blease was regarded as one of the best divers in the country. He won 13 of 20 events in his rookie season and garnered six University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week awards. This week, he competed in the three-meter and onemeter events. On Wednesday, Blease finished 21st out of 22 in the three-meter preliminaries. He recorded a total score of 400.15 in 11 dives with his highest score coming on the inward dive (42.00). The top eight finishers advanced to the Finals and attained All-American status, while those ranked ninth through 16th advanced to
R SWIM continued on PG. 8
Courtesy of NYU Athletics
Austen Blease debuted in his first national competition.
Community members gathered on Friday at NYU to honor the victims of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire on its 101st anniversary. In 1911, the fire broke out on the eighth floor of what is now NYU’s Brown Building, located on the corner of Green Street and Washington Place. A fire marshall at the time said the fire was probably caused by an unextinguished cigarette in a seamstress’s bin of scrap fabric. Of the 146 workers, 126 were young immigrant women, mainly of Italian and Jewish descent. Because the fire escapes collapsed and the ladder brought by the Fire Department was too short, over 50 men and women jumped to their death from the ninth floor. The women on the ninth floor also discovered they had been locked in the burning room. The fire claimed over 100 lives and began a nationwide movement for labor reform. This year, dozens of people gathered to march from Union Square to the building and held up handmade blouses, each adorned with a sash that has the name of a fire victim.
An eighth-grade class from the World Journalism Preparatory School in Queens participated in the march after learning about the fire. “I think it’s a very devastating tragedy, but if it wasn’t for what happened, our working conditions wouldn’t be the same,” eighth grader Marcella Arcabascio said. Victims’ families also attended the event. Robert Del Castillo came to honor his great-aunt Josie Del Castillo, who was only 21 when she died. An uncle and nephew, Lou Miano and Dylan Christou, came to honor their ancestors, Rosina Cirrito and Santina Salemi, who perished in the fire. “Santina’s sister Frances did survive, and she became a nun after that because she always felt her survival was a miracle,” Miano said. During the ceremony, union leaders and city council members spoke about the historical importance of the fire and its relevance to current labor laws. Afterwards, the names of the victims were read aloud as flowers were placed in their honor under a wreath in front of Brown Building.
TRIANGLE continued on PG. 3
2
Washington Square news | monday, March 26, 2012 | nyunews.com
on the side
Compiled by the
WSN staff
BEST OF WEB
TOP NYU TWEETS
Washington Square News Editor-in-Chief amanda randone
“No one is beyond being challenged, as long as you’re challenging them with the use of your mind.” -John Sexton #NYU #SMSP @SanaHMH
Managing Editor
jaewon kang Deputy Managing Editor
Amy zhang
I’m going to be the first one in my family to go off to college #NYU @MakeMe_Famous_
Assistant Managing Editor
james lanning Creative Director
selena chen senior staff
TOP COMMENTS “Throw money at it, that’ll fix the problem and relieve your social guilt.” — VV VV VV In response to the article “Students, faculty respond to Kony 2012” on March 19 “Where are the articles on our recently graduated citizens who can not find work in their fields of study and are overburdened with student debt?” — pjt2352 In response to article “Fiscal Policy Institute reports benefits of DREAM Act” on March 19
“My only disagreement with the context of your article ... is your assessment that Paul has ‘no chance’ of securing the nomination. There is no question (and yes, Dr. Paul admits) that the chances are slim, but it is far from impossible. Not many people are around to remember the nomination of Wendell Willkie for the Republican nomination in 1940, but he was a darker horse than Ron Paul going into the convention.” — OscarDaGrouch In response to article “Ron Paul’s libertarian values admirable, but won’t win” on March 19
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
deputy staff
university eric benson, eliza-
beth maguire city/state tony chau, kristine
itliong, jessica schultz investigative feiye wang music josh johnson film stefan Melnyk entertainment jeremy grossman books/theater clio Mcconnell dining hannah borenstein beauty & style shannon
loughran
TODAY
sports John axelrod, cole
1
2
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, 12 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays | Gulf + Western Gallery, Eighth Floor Gallery | 721 Broadway
4 to 6 p.m. | Dennis Riese Family Recording Studio 510 | 194 Mercer St.
Show Three 2012: Photography & Imaging Thesis Exhibition
A group of Tisch School of the Arts photography and imaging seniors display their work in the third of four showcases. Show Four, which will be a combination of the three previous exhibitions, will be the conclusion for all of the students graduating with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree. The gallery is available until April 14, 2012.
3
Clive Davis Recorded Music Internship & Career Fair 2012 Meet representatives from important labels and other recorded music industry professionals at this annual fair.
8 to 10 p.m. | Kimmel Center for University Life, Eisner & Lubin Auditorium
“The Turkish Passport”
This film, which screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of Turkish diplomats who worked to save Jews during the Holocaust. Four speakers will be present at the screening as well.
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
BRIGHAM, SANCHAY JAIN
advertising business manager
REBECCA RIBEIRO circulation manager
chloe coffman
university sales coordinator
Emilia Mironovici
SNAPSHOT
ON THE WIRE
Eight lives
A veterinarian said the “flying squirrel” phenomenon may have saved the life of a cat who survived a 19-story plunge from a high rise building in Boston. The cat, Sugar, has no broken bones and suffered only minor bruising on her lungs. Her owner, Brittany Kirk, opened the window to enjoy the weather when Sugar escaped. The Animal Rescue League has estimated that Sugar fell between 150 and 200 feet. The phenomenon refers to a cat’s tendency to spread its legs apart to slow down a fall. The building’s management installed a screen on the window to prevent future plunges. — The Associated Press
University of California, Los Angeles
UCLA library to launch project cataloging all forms of social media involving Arab Spring — The Daily Bruin
WSN hosted a panel of former editors for current staff last weekend.
PHOTO BY david lin
Yale University
Yale attracts humanities postdocs — Yale Daily News
sales representatives
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 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 Jaewon Kang at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.
nyunews.com GOT AN EVENT? EMAIL US AT AGENDA@NYUNEWS.COM OR TWEET US @NYUNEWS.
GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE? EMAIL US AT TIPS@NYUNEWS.COM.
nyunews.com | monday, March 26, 2012 | Washington Square news
COMMENCE continued from PG. 1
Sotomayor to speak at graduation Gallatin senior Dan Fitzgerald thinks Sotomayor is a good choice for the graduation. “I’m thrilled that she is a native New Yorker and taught at NYU Law,” he said. “I think that it will give her a real connection to the students.” CAS senior Julia Liu is also excited to hear Sotomayor speak. “This is a big event that will only happen once in a lifetime — graduation and the ensuing transition to the real world,” Liu said. “I heard that the Associate Justice had taught at the NYU Law School previously so it’s good way to start the graduation process, hearing from someone who knows NYU and who is very successful in her field.” This year, the university will continue the tradition of awarding individuals with honorary doctorates based on their individual accomplishments. Beckman said honorary degree recipients are selected through a multi-stage process that involves open nominations and review by a Senate Committee and the Trustees. There will be three honorary degree recipients this year: NY Times columinst David Brooks, Roman Catholic priest Patrick Desbois and molecular biologist Charles Weissmann.
Philanthropist Sylvia Hassenfeld will receive the Albert Gallatin Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Society. The Lewis Rudin Award for Exemplary Service to New York City award will be presented to Metropolitan Museum of Art president Emily Rafferty. “I was delighted by the news that I was to receive an honorary doctorate from NYU, particularly because I initiated my scientific career in the Department of Biochemistry of NYU in 1961, and I am being honored exactly at the timepoint of my final retirement from Scripps Florida, a little more than 50 years later,” Weissman said. CAS senior Jude Dworaczyk was named valedictorian of Class of 2012 for the College of Arts and Science last week and will give a speech at the school commencement. “To be named valedictorian at a school the size and caliber of NYU is an amazing feeling,” Dworaczyk said. “Coming to NYU has really helped me to mature and to grow as an individual. The biggest thing I’ve learned while being at NYU is to work hard everyday to make the most of the opportunities that you have in front of you. Julie DeVito is university editor. Email her at jdevito@nyunews.com
City announces water efficiency program By Claire Zajdel The New York City Department of Environmental Protection recently announced details of a rebate program to replace inefficient toilets in the city. The initiative, set to launch in January 2013, is part of DEP’s Water for the Future program, which aims to reduce wasted water and to provide clean, safe water across the city. The program will replace 800,000 existing toilets with new high-efficiency models that cut water waste from five gallons per flush to 1.28 gallons. Hired staff and maintenance will discard old toilets and repurpose the old porcelain into bathroom countertops or bathtubs. Those eligible for the program will receive $125 vouchers to cover the cost of replacing their toilets, according to DEP spokesman Corey Chambliss. “Landlords and tenants in large residential buildings replacing toilets with higher-efficiency models are eligible,” Chambliss said. “The initial phase will target large residential buildings, with subsequent phases likely expanding the reach of the program.”
SHABBAT continued from PG. 1
Jewish students discuss shooting in France lunches with diplomats is to create a global exchange of ideas between the Jewish student community and representatives from other countries. “Many NYU students aspire to careers in government or public service, and the informal setting of our home provides an ideal opportunity to understand these worlds from the inside,” he said. In the morning of March 19, a gunman on a motorcycle opened fire outside a Jewish school in Toulouse, killing a rabbi, his two young sons, another child and three paratroopers. The gunman was identified as Mohamed Murah, a 23year-old Frenchman of Algerian descent. “It was really a great trauma for the whole nation,” Charrier said. “The attacks are really attacks against the very principles of the French Republic. The principles of tolerance, of freedom, liberty and fraternity.” Elke Weiss, a Hunter graduate student at the event, said she was touched by the tragedy and predicted that the incident will cause a great deal of Islamaphobia. “The gunman wounded the heart of the Jewish community, wounded the heart of
the African community but did more damage to his fellow Muslims,” Weiss said. “What we need to do is accept that you can wear a hajab or a yamaka and still be fullfledged citizens without sacrificing your own ethnic identity.” Gallatin junior Aliza Ben Arie said the attack in France jolted the Jewish community, as she believes any act of violence that leads to death can do. “In the long run, I don’t think this will have greater impacts on the American Jewish community, unless leadership takes action now to motivate the Jewish community to start speaking out against Antisemitism again,” Ben Arie said. As French presidential elections approaches, it is important for France to remain united regardless of race and religion, Charrier said. “We have to fight terrorism with education,” she said. “We have to fight hate with friendship. We have to teach our kids who is the other. These are the values of the French.” Julie DeVito is university editor. Email her at jdevito@nyunews.com.
The program will help reduce water waste in New York City by 30 million gallons per day. It will also help reduce the financial burden paid by building owners, who must pay an annual fee of $30.40 for each low flush toilet and $66.52 for each regular flush toilet in their buildings. Since NYU owns many large residential buildings, the university hopes to take part in the initiative for both sustainability and financial reasons. Cecil Scheib, director of Energy and Sustainability at NYU, said that NYU-owned dorms are roughly split between older, 3.5 gallon-per-flush models and new, low-flush models with a 1.6 gallon-per-flush rating. Although NYU operations is still working out the details of the toilet replacement process, older buildings such as Rubin, Brittany and Hayden residence halls are the first in list for new fixtures. “NYU will be replacing its 3.5 gallon-per-flush units in dorms with 1.28 gallon-per-flush high-efficiency toilets over the next couple of years,” he said. “These older toilets serve over 4,200 students, and replacing them will cut NYU’s water con-
sumption by about 5 percent. Since this will also save money from NYU’s water budget, it’s a good deal all around.” According to NYU Wagner professor of planning and public administration Rae Zimmerman, users will have to adjust to the new toilets. “One of the problems with low-flow toilets is if people keep continually flushing the toilet because they don’t think the waste goes down properly, that’s going to be a problem so you will lose the advantage of the low-flow,” she said. Tisch freshman and Rubin Hall president Forrest Durell thinks this replacement could further improve his dorm, which has already repainted the building’s walls and renovated the flooring. “It would coincide well with the upgrades on Rubin that were done over the summer,” Durell said. “I believe anything that helps the environment is a worthwhile and substantial improvement.” Claire Zajdel is a staff writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.
Students get jumpstart on college admissions process By Jessie Schultz Nonprofit, private and new for-profit schools have recently started engaging students in the college search process earlier, according to The New York Times. Shawn Abbott, NYU assistant vice president of admissions, has noticed that more students have opted to begin their college search sooner. “I am pretty confident that more students start the college search process before their junior year because prospective students have more access to information about colleges and universities via the Internet than ever before,” he said. Abbott also attributed the early start date to the fact that competition to top universities has increased dramatically over the past few years. At NYU, about 30 percent of applicants were accepted last year. Jordan Knudson, a senior at Langley High School in Virginia, said she started thinking about college as a freshman. “Competition to get into the best schools
TRIANGLE continued from PG. 1
Anniversary remembers victims of fire Philoine Friedman, the daughter of Sidney Hillman, the leader of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union at the time of the fire, said she attends the ceremony every year. “You have to remember these people, remember what happened for the future,” she said. “I think it’s important.” There is currently no official memorial dedicated to the victims, but there are plaques around the Brown Building acknowledging the tragedy and its victims. “We are starting a competition for an artist to design a public arts memorial for the victims of the fire and to the social activism that came out of the fire,” said Joel Sosinsky, an executive board member for the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition. “We have been working with NYU, which is the owner of the building, and they have graciously been working with us and have said that we can use the building as part of the Public Arts Memorial.” Mary Jane Dumankaya is a staff writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.
3
Rachel Liu for WSN
is so tough that you can’t help but start early if you want to even have a chance at getting in,” she said. “There is so much more that schools consider beyond good grades and essays today that in order to be prepared you need to start at least your sophomore year, but that’s pushing it.” But Vivian Liu, a senior at Middlesex School, a boarding school in Concord, Mass., said she was required by her school to visit colleges during the spring of her junior year. “I started compiling a list of colleges at the end of this past summer,” Liu said. “I think it’s kind of silly to start early because I had a different idea of which college I wanted to go to freshman year than I did this past year. I wish I took college more seriously freshman and sophomore year.” Iris Rivera, college counselor at Hayfield Secondary School in Virginia, said she continues to advise students to wait until their junior year before starting the college search process. “High school needs to be more than just the waiting ground for college,” she said. “I see students miss out on being a high school student because they’re gearing up for the next big thing. It shouldn’t work that way.” Though Steinhardt professor Jonathan Zimmerman thinks the trend makes sense, he said it visits untold misery on educational system and young people. “The American upper middle-classes are increasingly anxious about transmitting their status down the generational chain,” he said. “You can’t simply assume that your kids are going to inherit your class status.” Jessie Schultz is deputy city/state editor. Email her at jschultz@nyunews.com.
4
Washington Square news | monday, March 26, 2012 | nyunews.com
features
Tisch student doubles fundraising goal for mock drama By Nicola Pring
James Kelleher/WSN
Ash works with seven-year-old Jorge Vega, one of the four main characters on set.
Late on Saturday night — while most NYU students were partying or hanging out with friends — Tisch junior Max Ash was directing his first short film. The film, an eight-minute action comedy called “HandGun,” details a mock shootout between a group of young men and a seven-year-old boy at a diner. This project was made possible by the impressive amount of money Ash raised in a short period of time. “HandGun” is for a class called “Intermediate Film Narrative” in the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at the Tisch School of the Arts. Each student in the class is required to write and direct a short film. “The class is designed to develop the student’s aesthetic and technical skills with the goal of completing a compelling narrative film,” said Ash’s professor, Zipora Trope. Trope has been teaching “In-
termediate Narrative Film” on and off for eight years. NYU gives students $500 toward their projects, and any additional funds are raised independently. Ash chose to use Kickstarter, an online fundraising tool for creative projects, to get the money for his film. He set a goal of $1500 but has already almost doubled that number in under 24 hours. There are still 16 days of fundraising left to go. While a lot of the money came from family and friends, Ash said, “There were also donations from people on Kickstarter who just like to give money to projects. There was someone I don’t even know who gave me $100.” Despite being slightly behind schedule during the shoot on Saturday night, Ash operated with high energy and a calm demeanor. “That’s just my personality,” Ash said with a smile before leaping up to give notes to an actor before his next take. Ash had the idea for “Hand-
Gun” while at a restaurant in his native city of Huntington, N.Y., several months ago. “There was little kid in the restaurant who was shooting at me with his hands, and I don’t know why, but I just decided to join in,” Ash said. He thought the encounter was a great idea for a short film and immediately turned it into an eight-page script. Several people on Ash’s production team are members of Hammerkatz NYU, a sketch comedy group that Ash performs with. “Max did a really nice job of casting comedians,” said Rob Tanchum, a Tisch sophomore and fellow Hammerkatz member who supervised the script for “HandGun.” “He combined a few different people from different sketch teams which was a really great idea.” Tisch sophomore and Hammerkatz member Jack Quaid is a main character in the film. Quaid recently appeared in the first “Hunger Games” film. Quaid is also in Dupree, a
sketch and improv group, with Ash and Tanchum. “It’s pretty long but it’s definitely worth it,” Quaid said of the hours of the film shoot, which took place over three nights, from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. “I’m really proud to be here.” Two of the other main characters are played by Nick Packard from comedy sketch and impov group Gentleman Party, and Michael Antonucci from comedy sketch groups BLEAK! and Captain Hippo. Following filming, a friend of Ash’s will edit “HandGun.” Trope said she is looking forward to seeing the finished product. “I truly believe that making a film is one of the hardest things to do,” she said. “The students and I always share a sense of pride when we watch the final film. Most of them are really prepared to start the amazing journey toward becoming professional filmmakers.” Nicola Pring is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
Top 5: Open-air markets welcoming spring shoppers By Nicola Pring
As the weather gets warmer, outdoor markets open all over the city. Among the vintage clothing, accessories, artwork, furniture and fresh food, discoveries are vast. But five markets stand out from the rest in New York City.
1. Super!Market Super!Market is the perfect one-stop shop for vintage clothing, jewelry, housewares and more. Located on Mulberry Street in NoLiTa, Super!Market offers the best secondhand and handmade items for your summer wardrobe and your apartment. Open every Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 268 Mulberry St. 2. Madison Square Eats Madison Square Eats returns to Madison Square Park on May 4. This outdoor food market features vendors from some of the most popular restaurants and food carts in downtown Manhattan. The market’s fall 2011 vendors included favorites like Momofuku Milk Bar, Calexico and Wafels & Dinges. Madison Square Eats is only open for one month, so mark your calendar — you won’t want to miss it. Open May 4 to June 1, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Worth Square (on the west side of Madison Square Park)
1
2 via madisonsquarepark.org
via super-marketnyc.com
3. The Antiques Garage This Hell’s Kitchen market is the perfect place to find interesting artwork and vintage jewelry, furniture and fine silver. If you’re thinking about redecorating your dorm or apartment, be sure to stop by The Antiques Garage and browse goods from over 100 vendors. Open every Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 112 W. 25th St. (between Sixth and Seventh avenues) 4. Union Square Greenmarket The Union Square Greenmarket is an environmentalist’s dream. Open year round in Union Square, the Greenmarket offers fresh produce, fish, baked goods and more from hundreds of local farmers. The Greenmarket is a great place to find fresh, delicious food as well as educational programs. Open every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. North and west sides of Union Square Park 5. Hester Street Fair The Hester Street Fair, located on the Lower East Side, was once home to New York’s oldest pushcart market. Today, the fair offers a huge selection of fresh foods and vintage items. Past vendors include Luke’s Lobster, Brooklyn Taco Company and The Teaologist. Hester Street Fair opens on April 28 and is sure to have something for everyone. Open every Saturday until May 7, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Corner of Hester and Essex streets Nicola Pring is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
3
4 via hellskitchenfleamarket.com
File photo by Carina Wong
5 via hesterstreetfair.com
nyunews.com | monday, March 26, 2012 | Washington Square news
5
edited by jessIca littman features@nyunews.com
Weekend Destinations Abroad: A trip to Zagreb, Croatia By Bryan Meisel Zagrab — In a time when Vampire Weekend is considered mainstream and Bushwick is becoming the new Williamsburg, Prague can seem like a humdrum destination. NYU students abroad who are seeking Europe’s newest hip city should look to Zagreb, Croatia, for their weekend getaways. Unfortunately, most people who head to Croatia only go to sit on the beaches in Dubrovnik and bypass the nation’s growing capital city. On my first day there, I went exploring and found myself at the Museum of Broken Relationships. This museum exhibits objects from peoples’ past relationships from around the world in hopes that individuals can move on by glancing back at the past. No visit to Zagreb is complete without a stop at the Muzej Suvremene Umjetnosti, or the Comtemporary Art Museum. The new MSU consists of mindboggling exhibits and a fourstory tobaggon to take you down to the cafe. When you finish sight-seeing, head to Tkalciceva Street. It’s filled with lots of young, artsy cafes, galleries and bars. Any 20-something hipster should make a beeline to Caffe Bar Cica (Tkalciceva 18), where the bartenders quickly whip up coffee drinks during the day and pour microbrews at night. After chatting with the bartender
about the modernization of Zagreb over a pint of Velebitsko — a local beer produced by an old man in the mountains — he offered me a taste of mistletoe rakija. I would only recommend this for the brave, as it is definitely a drink that will put hair on your chest. The center of Zagreb is Ban Jelacic Square and the adjacent Dolac market. Every morning, rural farmers cart their crops into the square. Everything here is fresh and delicious. One of the salesman told me the word “organic” doesn’t exist in the Dolac Market because every food is considered organic. Anyone could easily make a meal out of the food sold here, but if you are looking for a more luxurious experience head over to Makronova (Ilica 72). Here you can indulge in macrobiotic, vegetarian delicacies, such as homemade gnocchi with a vegan creme sauce or a tempe bruchetta accompanied by a glass of locally produced wine. For a cheap and delicious dinner, stop by Mlinar for freshly baked bread and sandwiches. Zagreb is a very easy city to navigate as it has a comprehensive tram system. Inexpensive tickets are sold at tobacco stands and are also available onboard, where they cost more. Travelers coming from Central Europe can take a train to the city’s main train station, Glavni Kolodvor. Those coming from farther away can find fairly cheap tickets on Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa, easy-
Bryan Meisel for WSN
In a weekend trip to Zagreb, Brian Meisel visited Croatia’s historical St. Mark’s Church. Jet, Wizz Air or Germanwings. Hostels in the city are abundant and cheap, but those with a few
extra Kuna to splurge should look at the Westin Zagreb (Doubles start from 84 euros per night.)
Bryan Meisel is a foreign correspondent studying at NYU Madrid. Email him at features@nyunews.com.
Gallatin freshman works to raise awareness of Chick-fil-A By Nicola Pring
Aarushi Chopra/WSN
Hillary Dworkoski started the petition online in January.
Gallatin freshman Hillary Dworkoski had never heard of Chick-fil-A before coming to NYU. When Dworkoski moved from her native Santa Monica, Calif., to New York in the fall of 2011, she recognized the restaurant’s presence on campus as a problem. Chick-fil-A is a fast food restaurant based in the southern United States which was recently launched into public light for donating money to anti-gay rights groups like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. “[This] is an obvious situation where a group of people, based off of something [the members] were born with, is being discriminated against and hated by an organization we are forced to keep on campus,” Dworkoski said. Chick-fil-A’s interests and donations have been a source of controversy at NYU for several months. Last November, the Student Senator’s Council voted to determine whether the restaurant should be banned from campus. After a lengthy debate, the SSC voted to keep Chick-fil-A at NYU. “If we decided to ban CFA on that
issue alone it would mean that anyone or organization who shared that belief would also be at risk,” CAS senator John Boyd II, who voted to keep the chain, said. “A belief, no matter how terrible or offensive, should always be protected.” Angered by the SSC’s November decision, Dworkoski created a petition on Change.org in January to ban Chick-fil-A from NYU. “I decided to start the petition because having Chick-fil-A on campus completely undermines the reason I came to NYU: to be at one of the most LGBTQ friendly schools in the country,” Dworkoski said. “The fact that representatives of our own student body refused to do anything about this issue seemed ridiculous to me.” Dworkoski spread the word about her petition via Facebook and Twitter, and it soon garnered over 10,000 signatures. “As more and more students saw it, it really started to grow,” Dworkoski said. Dworkoski also had help from student groups like Queer Union and NYU4OWS. On March 1, Albert Cotugno, chairperson for the SSC, sent a mass email
to the entire student body addressing and reaffirming the decision made in November. Dworkoski believes that notifying students about the issue in this way has in fact helped her cause, not hindered it. Dworkoski continues her effort with support from students in the “Ban Anti-Gay Chick-fil-A from New York University” Facebook group, including Gallatin freshman David Salay. “NYU, a school that is supposedly known for acceptance of the LGBT community, is sponsoring a company that funds anti-gay hate groups,” Salay said. “And by doing so, NYU actually plays a role in channeling money to these groups.” Dworkoski is now working to raise awareness and extend the issue beyond the NYU community. “[I am] connecting to students across the country who are working toward removing Chick-fil-A from their schools,” Dworkoski said. “I’m really trying to focus on raising student awareness and support as much as possible.” Nicola Pring is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
FRINGE APRIL 5, 2012 Classified Ad SPERM DONORS WANTED Healthy males between 18-39 Earn up to $160 per week Call Repro Lab 332 E. 30th Street NY NY 10016 T: 212 779-3988 The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation
Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 The620Fornew york times crossword & daily sudoku Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Monday, March 26, 2012
Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Patriot Allen with the Green Mountain Boys 6 Things “bursting in air” 11 With 17-Across, value of some opinions 14 Pageant headgear 15 Sans-serif typeface 16 Many, many years 17 See 11-Across 18 *Some reddishorange caviar 20 Work unit 21 Silent performer 22 Renders null 23 *Major road 27 Steve of “The Office” 28 Prisoner 31 *Nancy Pelosi was the first person ever to have this title in Congress 35 Hypothetical cases 38 French king
ANSWER R O C O C O
O N A P A R
A T L A S T
S H A
S T A T E P E N
W I S H B O N E
A G N O S T S I G C T
C H A P E A U
39 Driver’s licenses and such, in brief 40 *Parliamentary procedure 47 Big supermarket chain 48 See 26-Down 52 February occasion, some of whose honorees can be found in the answers to the five starred clues 56 Four straight wins to start the World Series, e.g. 58 Tidy 59 Ash holder 60 *Really hunger for 62 Had title to 64 Buckeyes’ sch. 65 Snoozed 66 World, in Italian 67 Mind-reading skill, for short 68 Part of the body above the waist
69 Show of overwhelming love
Down 1 “And so on, and so on” 2 ___ del Fuego 3 Where airplanes are repaired 4 “A work of ___ is a confession”: Camus 5 “If I Ruled the World” rapper 6 Fundamental 7 Commercial suffix akin to “à go-go” 8 Distance runner 9 Blast sound 10 Ljubljana dweller 11 Dish marinated in sweetened soy sauce 12 Lumber 13 Low bills 19 “___ Rae” (Sally Field film) 21 Not very spicy 24 Not masc. TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 25 State south of T E R S T U S H E S Ga. E L A M I N L O V E 26 With 48-Across, M I N E M A R L E E leader of the P A S T I E S D A S House of O H A I R O O R T Representatives, L O N I W A N D A 1977-87 G O R A N A T T E R 29 Turner who O U T S E R M O N S founded CNN R S T H E M E 30 Hesitant sounds P A R O D A G O G 32 Dog sound I M U S I L O N A 33 Cow sound R H Y T H M S R B I 34 Francis Drake, I E H O O L I G A N Isaac Newton or M A I N R E P O S E Mix-a-Lot A R S E A S O N E D 35 Needle
1
2
3
4
5
6
14
15
17
18
20
7
8
24
10
11
32
37
33
42
50
51
39
43
44
47
45
46
48 52
53
57
54
49
55
58
60
30
34
38 41
29
22 26 28
40
13
16
25
31 36
12
19
27
56
9
21
23
35
No. 0220
61
59 62
64
65
66
67
68
69
63
Puzzle by Samuel A. Donaldson
36 PETA target
37 What a ramp does
41 White-feathered wader
45 Suffix with differ 46 Hi-___ monitor 49 “No idea”
55 Keep one’s ___ the ground 56 ___ gin fizz
57 Scaredy-cat
50 Texas city on the 61 ___-Jo (’88 Rio Grande Olympics track 51 The “L” of L.B.J. star) 43 Surgery sites, for 53 Bury short 62 Meditation sounds 44 Word before 54 Areas explored know and care 63 “Holy moly!” by submarines 42 Purposely ignore
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, march 26, 2012 | Washington Square news
OPINION
edited by olivia gonzalez opinion@nyunews.com
acitivism
Voice of Valencian youth deserves attention By Laura Schaack MADRID — Student protests beginning in Valencia, Spain, have spread to ignite demonstrations by youth activists throughout the country, which have not lost any momentum since their initiation on Feb. 16. Tensions are so high that, following the first round of protests, a Valencia deputy, Mònica Oltra of the Grupo Compromís opposition party, was expelled for wearing an anti-protest t-shirt and refusing to take it off. While cities like Madrid, Pamplona and Barcelona have all joined in the protests against the government’s recent budget cuts to education and unemployment benefits, Valencia remains the most fervent with their most recent demonstration last month. Thousands of textbookwielding students were blocking the streets and calling for change. However, this was by far not the largest. Feb. 21 saw over a million students across Spain take to the streets, and the group’s particular immensity in Valencia went beyond the control of normal security measures and incited the usage of police brutality that has led to extensive media coverage and the origin of the controversy we see confronting Spain’s population now. With bi-weekly demonstrations scheduled and remarkable self-organization by Valencia’s youngsters, many have
coined the term “Primavera Valenciana” or “Valencian Spring.” Spain’s economic downturn has not been without impact on its youth, but when funding was cut to education in a region that already copes with limited supplies and no air conditioning in its schools, Valencians of all ages were up in arms. With 23 percent unemployment, one of the lowest rates in the country, Valencia remains an unrelenting voice against the state’s faulty allocation of funds, which has been beyond ineffectual since Spain’s economic downturn in late 2008. Valencia could be said to operate as a poster child for the irresponsible government spending of the last decade. In 2006, a bulk of the city’s funding went to installations and statues mirroring Gaudi’s style in the city’s parks — including a 250,000-euro cultural center — in hopes of attracting tourism. To augment the population’s growing dissent, Valencia’s government is in the midst of the largest corruption investigation in the region to date. Clearly the protestors’ demand for the resignation of Valencia’s representative, Paula Sanchez de Leon, and for better action taken by the government during such a precarious economic climate where stakes are high is not without grounds. However, when criticized for overly violent treatment of student
protestors, the government responded by saying the police officer’s displayed “proportional physical force,” and it is not backing down. This statement was released under consideration of the arrest of more than 25 protestors, mostly of high school age and including six minors, causing online videos of police violence to spread like wildfire. This has, in fact, been an overarching trend in the recent demonstrations as the median age of protestors is much lower than most large-scale protests. College, high school and even some younger students are organizing themselves. Now that the protests are a family affair, it is hard to say whether the degree of youth participation is a result of their being more aware and involved as citizens, or if their desire to intervene indicates a worsening political climate whose severity arouses the sensibility of pre-teens and their parents alike. Though apathy should never be condoned, the environment that provokes such a wide-scale, impassioned response from the youth population deserves our undivided attention, as it is clear that the affected population is more comprehensive and that the issue holds more at stake. Laura Schaack is a foreign correspondent. Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.
Religion
NYPD surveillance result of wrong queries By Sarah Mirza When you ask the wrong questions, you get the wrong answers. So, when you ask, “Who are the people most likely to become homegrown terrorists?” Your answer, based on media portrayals and social biases, is usually always going to be, “Duh. Muslims. Specifically young Muslim men.” Then your next question would be, “Well, where can I find young Muslim men?” This seems to be the exact thinking that led the NYPD right into Islamic Centers and Muslim student groups all over the Northeast. Instead, if they had asked “Why might some people turn to extremist views?” or “How is it possible for American-Muslims to resort to terrorism?” they would have been led to a very different answer of disenfranchisement and anger that comes out of places far from campuses of elite
SUBMITTING TO
7
universities. I don’t say this to make an excuse or show empathy for those who have turned to hateful and violent means but to emphasize that extreme actions like NYPD surveillance should not be done without full understanding of the problem or just cause based on concrete evidence. I am very disappointed that this city’s distinguished police force would use stereotypes as their main justification to intrude on uninformed students in an environment that is meant to be safe. No student, no Muslim and no American should have to feel that their every action is being scrutinized in the place where they worship or study or talk about Vampire Diaries. To do this is to equate Muslims with people who should be watched, implying they are people who should be feared. This thought truly hurts me. In my four years at NYU, I have seen the Islamic
Center promote worthy causes, serve communities in need, collaborate with people of all cultures and religions and create diverse programs that promote mutual understanding. I find it unbelievable that anyone could be suspicious of such an organization or of the people dedicated to it. As an American, I understand the very vital need for counter-terrorism efforts domestically and internationally. But, as a Muslim-American, I will not stand for the unwarranted violation of anyone’s rights or freedoms just because people who look like them, speak the same language as them or recite verses from the same holy book as them committed atrocious crimes unrepresentative of their greater community. Sarah Mirza is a contributing columnist. Email her 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
Rivera misses point with clothing critique Weeks after Trayvon Martin’s death, Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera has sent shock waves through a nation that has always struggled to reconcile its racial tensions with attempts at political correctness. On the morning of March 23, Rivera suggested Trayvon Martin’s death was caused by his wardrobe. In regards to the tragic shooting, Rivera said, “I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly to not let their children go out wearing hoodies. I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was.” Reportedly, Rivera made this comment out of concern for the safety of his own son. Yet, to blame the shooting on Trayvon’s hoodie is to blame the victim. This is akin to blaming a rape victim for wearing scandalous attire. The legal system holds criminals responsible for their actions through conviction. To equate the crime with the victim’s clothing ignores the real reason crimes occur. In many localized conflicts, wearing certain clothing can be a death sentence. Just 200 years ago in lower Manhattan, Irish immigrants and “Nativists” identified each other by the color of their clothes before they even heard each other’s accents. In some American neighborhoods, wearing red or blue clothing is interpreted as a sign of gang membership, yet this does not discourage people across the country from sporting those colors. Should Hispanic and black Americans worry that if they wear a hoodie, they are in the same amount of danger as someone wearing a blue bandana is in a Blood-run neighborhood? Of course not. Hoodies are not part of this dynamic. If they were, we would be treating wholesome American neighborhoods like hostile gang territories, where a simple choice of clothing can have fatal implications. Clothing should not be an excuse for pigeonholing minority groups. We should learn from this slain youth that it is not wrong to wear wrongly stigmatized clothing; it is wrong to kill an innocent person. The issue at stake is larger than just hoodies but about the identity they are sometimes associated with. Americans have every right to prosecute criminal elements, but Americans have no right to persecute (though they often do) those associated with them. 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, Peter Murphy and Richard Zhang.
8
Washington Square news | monday, march 26, 2012 | nyunews.com
SPORTs
edited by daniel hinton sports@nyunews.com
Distance relays, sprinters highlight invitational
Courtesy of NYU Athletics
Kevin Bonilla placed third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. By Amy Rose Ramapuram NYU’s long-distance runners and sprinters highlighted the men’s and women’s track and field teams’ overall performances at the Monmouth University Season Opener on Saturday in West Long Branch, N.J. Junior distance runner Kevin Bonilla was the star of the match, with a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. The 1,500-meter run featured three impressive finishes by Violet runners. Of 109 competitors, sophomore Ryan Gilmore grabbed 25th (4:09.87), freshman Dharen Kadiyala 38th (4:15.52) and junior Brian Broderick 40th (4:15.83). The 4x100-meter relay team of junior Daniel McKinney, sophomore Gilson Cortes and freshmen Ramon Perez and Jon Simon finished seventh with a time of 43.49. Cortes also sprinted his way to a 21stplace finish in the 400-meter dash. “We all gave really great efforts and competed well,” Cortes said. “All in all, it was a pretty good start to the outdoor season.” The women’s team had similar success in the 1,500-meter run. Freshman Alyssa Binczyk and senior Audrey Vera finished 16th and 30th, respectively, against a field of 77. Junior Georgina Norton registered the most impressive finish from the women’s squad. In the 800-meter run, Norton grabbed ninth place with a time of 2:25.56, and sophomore Lorraine Brancale was right behind in 12th place (2:26.83). The Violets return to action next weekend and will either compete at the North Carolina State University Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C., or the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights Invitational in Teaneck, N.J. Amy Rose Ramapuram is a contributing writer. Email her at sports@nyunews.com.
SWIM continued from PG. 1
Violets earn honors at NCAAs the Consolation Finals and were awarded Honorable Mention status. Blease just missed the cut. “This was definitely an eye-opening experience for him,” diving coach Scott Donie said. “Now he understands what it takes to compete at the national level.” Blease had much more success in the one-meter dive on Friday. He placed 14th with a preliminary-round score of 421.40 in 11 dives, advancing him to the Consolation Finals. He finished 15th overall with a total score of 393.30, giving the rookie diver Honorable Mention All-American status. “We’re just scratching the surface of what Austen is capable of,” Donie said. “We’ll see an even better performance from him next year.” Senior co-captain Molly Rippe competed in her fourth National Championships, closing a successful run in NYU violet. On Wednesday, Rippe finished 32nd out of 39 swimmers in the 500-yard freestyle event. Although she didn’t advance to the finals, her time of 5:06.69 was a season-best. In the her second event on Thursday, the senior swimmer captured another season-best in the 200-yard freestyle, taking 39th out of 42 with a time of 1:56.83. Despite the tough finishes, Rippe was poised to close out her NYU career in impressive fashion on Saturday. In her last event as a Violet, Rippe finished in 11th place in the 1,650-yard freestyle and garnered Honorable Mention All-American honors, her third ever at NYU. Cole Riley is a deputy sports editor. Email him at criley@nyunews.com.
Foil captain places 13th nationally By Mary Jane Dumankaya Sophomore captain Philip Jamesson was the only representative from NYU at the NCAA Fencing Championships at Ohio State University this weekend. Jamesson placed 13th out of 24 foil fencers. He has competed in the tournament for the past three years, finishing in 13th place in 2010 and 16th place in 2011. “[Jamesson] represented NYU fencing well this past weekend,” freshman and fellow fencer Andrew Ark said. “He has worked very hard to get to the NCAA tournament for his third straight year.” Jamesson won five of his first seven bouts on the first day of the NCAA championship tournament. But his winning streak didn’t last long, and he lost five more bouts to end the day with an overall record of 7-7. At the end of the second day, Jamesson finished 13th of 24 athletes, with 11 victories in 23 bouts. “Unfortunately, top 12 are All-Americans, so I was off by one place,” Jamesson said. “But I have to keep some per-
spective. It’s the top 24 guys in the country, and everyone here has performed at a high level for years.” Qualification for the NCAA Championships depends on a fencer’s overall record during the season and performance at the NCAA Regional Championships. Jamesson finished seventh out of 34 fencers at the Regionals held this year at Boston College. For the second time this season and the 15th time in his career, Jamesson also received UAA Athlete of the Week for his performance. “We are all proud of Phil,” senior fencer Ricky Woodward said. “His work ethic and fencing skills are a great example for the whole team.” The top teams in the nation were represented, with fencers from Ohio State, Princeton, Stanford and Notre Dame finishing in the top four in foil. NYU placed 22nd out of 24 teams overall. Ohio State, the tournament host and top-ranked team in the nation, won the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2008. Mary Jane Dumankaya is a staff writer. Email her at sports@nyunews.com.
Courtesy of NYU Athletics
Philip Jamesson impressed at Ohio State University.