WSN032813

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 29

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Town hall renews campus dialogue

WILLIAM MARTIN/WSN

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By VERONICA CARCHEDI

THRONES COMMENCES STORM OF SWORDS: The HBO fantasy epic kicks off its much anticipated third season on Sunday with dramatic flair.

THRONES on PG. 5

HANNAH COHEN/WSN

WORKPLACE GENDER INEQUALITIES REMAIN: According to a recent study, women are underrepresented in the highest paying U.S. jobs as compared to men.

JOBS on PG. 3

Faculty and students gathered to discuss their concerns with the university’s controversial expansion plan at a town hall meeting hosted by the University Space Priorities Work group at the Kimmel Center.

HALL continued on PG. 3

Cooper, Gosling rise beyond expectations in ‘Pines’

By JEREMY PICK

WOMEN ARE SUFFERING FROM INHERENT BIASES: A study by Yale University showed that women face significant academic and work-related obstacles.

OPS on PG. 7

STUDENTS CITE LACK OF INFORMATION WHEN STUDYING ABROAD: A British survey shows students’ reluctance to study abroad.

ABROAD on PG. 3

The first of three town hall meetings organized by the University Space Priorities Working Group convened yesterday to discuss space concerns regarding the university’s expansion plan.

The group, which met for the first time in October last year, included representatives from the faculty, Faculty Senators Council, Administrative Management Council and Student Senators Council.

Seven panelists of the Working Group Space Subcommittee presented a modified space plan that included a reduction in density and footprints of proposed buildings and greater open-space

Derek Cianfrance first wowed audiences at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival with the critically acclaimed “Blue Valentine.” This year, the director returns to the big screen with “The Place Beyond the Pines,” a film about consequences and how the results of our actions can often affect future generations.

With “Pines,” Cianfrance has crafted yet another masterpiece.

“Pines” is split into three acts, and each one follows a different set of characters and details the lives they lead in Schenectady, N.Y. This intricate structure allows each of the film’s stories to intertwine and go into places one wouldn’t expect.

The first act almost exclusively features Ryan Gosling, who shines as the quiet motorcycle stuntman Handsome Luke. As Luke stops in Schenectady to perform with a carnival, he soon discovers that a former lover, played by Eva Mendes, has given birth to his son.

In order to provide for the two of

them, Luke decides to rob banks.

Despite his hard exterior, the audience can see that Luke doesn’t want to lead a criminal lifestyle.

He’s simply doing what he must to provide for his son. Cianfrance makes the audience sympathize for Luke by including some heartbreaking family bonding moments to show how much Luke cares for the son he never knew he had.

The film calms down during the second act, which introduces Bradley Cooper as a cop named Avery Cross. Cross pursues Luke after his string of robberies, only to find himself dealing with deeper problems within his own police department. Fresh from “Silver Linings Playbook” fame, Cooper delivers another wonderful performance, this time as a father whose personal guilt makes him look differently at his infant son.

The action heats up again in the third act. Set 15 years after the events surrounding Luke and Avery, the final act introduces Dane DeHann (“Chronicle”) and new-

comer Emory Cohen as Jason and AJ, the sons of Gosling and Cooper’s characters respectively. The ramifications of Luke’s robberies and Avery’s reputation have profound effects on their sons, who happen to be close friends.

DeHaan and Cohen have amazing chemistry — any scene featuring the two is fascinating to watch.

Their complicated friendship leads to a tense finale that brings almost all of the characters together and brings the entire film full circle.

Cianfrance packs “Pines” with beautiful imagery. Schenectady is brought to life by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt’s gorgeous work. The marvelous opening shot stands alongside the greatness of the famous continuous shot at the beginning of Orson Welles’s “Touch of Evil.”

A haunting score by Mike Patton also helps shape the atmosphere of the city. In a way, Schenectady almost becomes a character of its own, ushering in each new person as time passes and the story progresses.

With fantastic performances across the board and spectacular direction by Cianfrance, “The Place Beyond the Pines” is truly the first must-see film of the year.

Jeremy Pick is a contributing writer.

Email him at film@nyunews.com.

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ON THE SIDE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS

By JONATHON DORNBUSH While the first half of the year can often be slow on the video game release calendar, 2013 has seen some of the finest games to debut in years. Here are two of our favorites.

BIOSHOCK INFINITE Few games have achieved the complete immersion that characterized 2007’s “BioShock.” Its successor, “BioShock Infinite,” not only meets the expectations set by the first game but manages to completely shatter them. Set in a floating city in the sky during the height of American Exceptionalism in 1912, “Infinite” asks players to find an imprisoned girl and return her to solid ground. Despite the game’s lush environments, engaging gameplay and fascinating look into cultural and societal norms, it is the girl, Elizabeth, that will truly wow players. Beautifully acted and never intrusive, Elizabeth is a technical and narrative marvel who manages to evoke more emotion than most recently released pieces of art have.

TOMB RAIDER While the long-running series is known more for its objectification of protagonist Lara Croft than it is for its quality, the recently released reboot wipes away the sins of the past in spectacular fashion. Lara’s character experiences a real, fully realized emotional arc, and players will quickly learn to care about her plight. Traversing an open-world island with a hodgepodge of tools, exploring this gorgeous locale for hidden collectibles becomes as thrilling as the combat. Don’t let the mediocre supernatural elements to the plot dissuade you — this new Lara is one worth fighting for.

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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.

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

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

JOON LEE

OPINION PAGE opinion editor

SAMEER JAYWANT deputy opinion editors

EDWARD RADZIVILOVSKIY, RAQUEL WOODRUFF

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SNAPSHOT

GIANT IRON BIRD SWOOPS DOWN ON FLATIRON As part of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, a 12-foothigh, 12-foot-wide bird sculpture made of 5,000 nails was installed in front of the Flatiron Building. Dubbed “The Bird,” the odd, metallic installation was previously on display at the Paul Kasmin Gallery, located at 515 W. 27th St. – DNAINFO

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CELLPHONE THEFT PEAKS IN UPPER WEST SIDE NYPD statistics monitoring the Upper West Side indicate that grand larcenies, which includes cell phone thefts, accounted for most of the crimes reported.

– DNAINFO

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

LAST CALL IN BUSHWICK Community Board 4 in Bushwick voted to pass a “no-liquor after midnight” policy on Sunday nights. The rule only applies to new businesses currently vying for their liquor licenses, or ones that need to renew their permits.

– GOTHAMIST DENNY’S EXPANDS DOWNTOWN Denny’s, the popular low-budget diner chain, is moving into an upscale apartment complex in downtown Manhattan. Community Board 1 members and building residents are in the process of trying to repeal the decision to grant Denny’s a liquor license, which would allow them to serve beer and wine 24 hours a day.

– DNAINFO

Tourists admire the Palace of Versailles on a cloudy day in Versailles, France.

PHOTO BY REBECCA CLEMENTI

COMPILED BY THE

DELI SEDER Famed Katz’s Deli in the Lower East Side held its first ever Passover seder Monday night. The deli offered traditional dishes to diners for $60 a plate. The deli was opened in 1888.

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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.

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HALL continued from PG. 1

First of three town hall meetings focuses on 2031

access. Afterwards, the subcommittee fielded questions from a faculty-heavy audience.

Many faculty concerns echoed the 35 department resolutions passed last spring that revealed uncertainty or disapproval of NYU 2031, including insufficient academic space and construction near faculty housing in the South Superblock.

Few students attended the meeting, but those that did raised concerns regarding space allocations for Greek life, clubs and sustainable construction.

CAS senior Tammy Cho said that she and many students felt isolated from decisions on the expansion plans.

“The students haven’t really had an opportunity to say how they feel, not because they don’t have an opinion but because they don’t have a platform to really share their experience,” she said in a question to the panel.

Mariam Ehrari, SSC senator on the Space Subcommittee, responded that there are many access points for students such as University Committee on Student Life meetings and town halls with NYU President John Sexton. She explained that SSC conducted a survey to gauge the space needs for students and clubs.

After the town hall concluded, Ehrari elaborated on student representation within the Working Group. She said that despite having only two student representatives out of 27 total members, the non-student majority is responsive to the student perspective.

“I feel as if what we say resonates,” Ehrari said. “We’re bringing in a voice that didn’t even exist.”

However, Ehrari explained that unlike the faculty, which has departments, there is no established platform for senators to connect with students.

Despite SSC efforts, reaching out to the NYU community remains a challenge.

“That’s probably the biggest failing of this process so far, of being able to — in a serious, structured fashion — solicit student input about this process and about what’s going on,” said Corey Blay, the other Working Group SSC senator. “I feel like students still have been left in the dark.”

The Financial Subcommittee town hall will take place tomorrow and the Quality of Life Subcommittee will be next Wednesday. The Working Committee will submit a resolution to Sexton in May. Veronica Carchedi is city/state editor. Email her at vcarchedi@nyunews.com.

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Lack of information affects study abroad decisions

BY CRISTINA CABRERA

A recent survey conducted by the British Council concluded that many college students in the United Kingdom and the United States feel they lack information to make an informed decision to study abroad.

The Education Intelligence program surveyed 10,800 students in total from October to December 2012. The survey was presented at the British Council’s “Going Glo-bal” conference on March 4 to 6.

The survey revealed that only 24 percent of U.K. students surveyed and 22 percent of the U.S. students surveyed felt they had sufficient knowledge to make an informed decision of whether to study abroad. As a result, many fail to take the opportunity provided by their universities.

Tulane University freshman Eva Dunder recognized that students could be unaware of the information available.

“There are resources to make an informed decision, but I feel like most of these resources are ones which students must seek out themselves,” Dunder said.

Other reasons chosen by students surveyed for failing to study abroad included cost, concerns about acquiring a visa,

lack of proficiency in a foreign language and difficulty leaving family and friends.

University of Warwick student Emily Lawless, for example, said she would not feel comfortable studying abroad.

“I think if the opportunity was there it’d be a great experience, given all the new sights and things to do,” she said. “But, as it’d be expensive and I like being around friends and family it’s not something I’d do myself.”

However, the study does not apply to all universities.

About 19 percent of the students at the University of South Carolina, which has around 23,000 undergraduates, study abroad.

The University of California, Los Angeles has an undergraduate enrollment of about 25,000 and sends about 30 percent of its students abroad for at least a semester.

Of the most recent graduating class at NYU, 43 percent studied abroad for a semester or more.

Compared to other universities of similar size, this percentage is significantly higher, especially because it only represents one class and not the entire student body.

USC freshman James Kelly said the reason some students may not study abroad is fear of falling behind on credits, but in his experience, the university helped him

plan his schedule so he could still graduate in four years.

“Academic advisors help as much as they can if you say you want to study abroad,” Kelly said.

The NYU Office of Global Programs tries to eliminate any concerns students have.

“To help students engage in the NYU Global Network, the university has taken away barriers that are common at other schools,” said Christopher Nicolussi, senior director of the NYU OGP. NYU students have recognized these efforts. Steinhardt junior Pria Shah said she was provided with useful information about living arrangements, classes and travel requirements.

NYU Langone Medical Center plans to commit more brainpower to treating some of the most common brainrelated injuries.

Last week, Langone launched a new comprehensive Concussion Center at an event featuring former NHL player Adam Graves and brain injury experts. The Concussion Center will treats head injuries and facilitate research on concussion treatment.

“The Concussion Center offers an access point to the latest diagnostic tools and expert clinicians across a wide range of disciplines to address the multidimensional physical and cognitive effects that can result [from brain trauma],” said a spokesperson for Langone in a press release.

Dr. Dennis Cardone, an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Langone and one of the leaders of the new center, said concussions are more complicated injuries than they appear to be.

“Most people can recover from a concussion within seven to 10 days. But there is a population who may have short and potentially long-term effects that can impair various physical and mental aspects of a person’s health and require specialized care and coordinated resources,” Dr. Cardone said.

Ted Coons, a psychology professor at NYU’s Center for Neural Science, said concussions can also have psychological effects.

“The kind of effect depends on what regions of the brain are involved,” Coons

Additional reporting by Nicole Brown. Cristina Cabrera is a contributing writer. Email her at investigative@nyunews.com.

FILE PHOTO BY JONATHAN TAN/WSN

Financial and language barriers often keep students at home.

NYU Langone to treat head injuries at Concussion Center

BY BILLY RICHLING

“I was particularly impressed with the information and assistance provided when applying for my visa,” Shah said.

Gallatin freshman Emma Spett said the resources at NYU have greatly helped her plan a study away this summer in Malawi. She also recognizes that NYU even helps students travel to locations outside of the 13 NYU portal campuses.

“My advisor was very helpful in regards to getting credit for the program, since it is through the University of Rochester,” she said.

said. “If it’s the frontal regions, there can be personality changes, often in terms of mood, responsibility and planning. More generalized concussions are manifested as confusions about time and space, and inability to focus in general.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries occur each year in the United States.

Nikki Webb, head athletic trainer at NYU, said she believes the number of diagnosed concussions has risen in recent years.

“Athletes are becoming more aware of the symptoms and dangers, so more diagnoses are being made and treatment is happening, which is great,” Webb said.

Webb said it is standard procedure for all NYU athletes to be removed from play if a coach believes they are concussed. The injured student is then formally evaluated.

In addition to providing clinical care and conducting research, doctors at the center will provide safety information for students and families.

Sam Barder, a CAS freshman on NYU’s ultimate frisbee club team, said he thinks concussion research is very important.

“I think concussions and other headrelated injuries could end up being the demise of sports like football,” Barder said. “So looking into concussions in order to prevent them, and being able to find ways to limit their occurrence and effects, would be a huge help to athletes everywhere.”

Billy Richling is a contributing writer.

Email him at university@nyunews.com.

Study points to workplace inequality

BY TANAY HUDSON

Despite popular perception to the contrary, inequality between men and women remains in the workplace, according to recent research by the Center for Research on Gender in the Professions.

In a study conducted by the University of California, San Diego, a group of researchers found that women are overrepresented in low-paying service jobs and underrepresented in the most highly regarded careers.

The study, which analyzed the fields of law, medicine, science and engineering, revealed that women make up 15 percent of equity partners, 34 percent physicians and 21 percent scientists and engineers — but 91 percent of registered nurses. Researchers also found that 15.7 percent of board seats in Fortune 500 companies are held by women.

Director Paula Lee at NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development said the 81 percent statistic may be a result of many women pursuing traditionally lower paying career fields.

“Popular fields for female students have included nursing, education, human service, communications, fashion and entertainment,” Lee said.

Inequality exists among even the wealthiest of NYU alumni. Research firm Wealth-X recently found that only 10 percent of NYU’s alumni with a net worth of over $30 million are female.

Marjorie Cormany, a second-year graduate student in the Silver School of Social Work, is not surprised by the findings.

“I do think women have a harder time but I am optimistic that this is slowly evolving,” Cormany said.

Lin Ling, a Stern senior entering the workforce when she graduates in May, said she thinks the number of women in higher paying career fields will rise quickly.

“As many companies ... continue to increase their efforts in supporting women’s lifestyle choices, like parental leave, it will become easier for women to pursue their careers,” Ling said.

Tanay Hudson is a contributing writer.

Email her at university@nyunews.com.

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SPORTS

EDITED BY MARY JANE DUMANKAYA SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Denver Nuggets are overlooked, hidden NBA gem

By ANTON LI

All season long, teams, fans and the media have overlooked one of the NBA’s most legitimate championship contenders — the Denver Nuggets. By far the most under-appreciated team in the league, the Nuggets have found themselves continually ignored and dismissed by the media as early playoff-exit material.

Given that they are a smallmarket team devoid of recognizable superstars in an absolutely stacked Western Conference, such dismissal comes as little surprise. But after a recent 15-game winning streak, people are finally starting notice to what has long been glaringly obvious — that this team, tucked safely away from attention in the misty isolation of the sky-scraping Rocky Mountains, is truly something special.

Boasting the fourth best record in the league, Denver ranks strong by all statistical measures. But to really appreciate what makes the Nuggets such a powerful force, one must go beyond the stats.

What makes them stand out from every other team in the league, and every other team in history, is their very unorthodox and style of play.

The core aspect of the Nuggets’ identity is their ridiculous propensity to score points in the paint, in which they lead the league in by a wide margin. They recently went on a 51-game streak of outscoring their opponents in the paint, which is by far the longest such streak in existence — the next highest is a mere 30. Put simply, the Nuggets may very well be the best inside-scoring team in NBA history.

How do the Nuggets go about imposing such inside dominance? Their elite ability to score in fast-break situations certainly helps. Stocked with speed and athleticism at all positions, they run the ball at every opportunity — off turnovers, missed baskets or even made ones — catching opposing defenses off-guard and putting themselves in the position to score easy dunks and layups.

It comes as no surprise that the Nuggets rank as the highest scoring fast-break team in

the league.

Another integral part of Denver’s identity is their teambased approach to the game, a rare sight in today’s league.

The Nuggets have a remarkable balance to their offense, with six players averaging double figures per game, and three only slightly below that mark.

There is no ball-hogging scorer and the ball is constantly moving; every player is involved.

Having three proven playmakers in Lawson, Miller and Iguodala helps ensure this fluidity.

The Nuggets’ teamwork is a welcome change from the increasingly superstar-dominated culture of the NBA. More importantly, their relentlessness in attacking the basket, which they do in many ways. Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are all more than adept at beating their defenders off the dribble, setting themselves and teammates up for easy baskets.

Andre Miller continues to be an excellent lob passer, constantly setting up big men Kenneth Faried and Javale McGee for vicious slams. Add in the always active and cutting Corey Bre-

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The media often underestimate the talented Denver squad. wer and the quiet but effective clean-up man Kosta Koufos, and the Nuggets become a nightmare for even the leagues’ most elite defenses.

For all their unique strengths, the Nuggets still have many doubters. Questions are often raised about their suspect perimeter shooting and their ability to win in slower-paced

games and crunch time. But despite some slight weak links make no mistake about it: Even though this team may be built differently, it can win with the best of them. Overlooking the Nuggets is a big mistake.

Anton Li is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

ARTS

Conspiracies shine in ‘Room 237’

By CHARLIE SPECTOR

More often than not, conspiracy theories are disregarded as flights of fancy — things that either don’t make sense or are just unbelieveable. But in Rodney Ascher’s new documentary “Room 237,” conspiracy theorists have their moment in the spotlight. A surprise smash at both Cannes and Sundance film festivals, “Room 237” takes a look at one of modern cinema’s most well-known films — Stanley Kubrick’s classic “The Shining” — and breaks it down piece by piece until it is reorganized in ways that are vastly different from what viewers may have imagined it to be.

When Ascher saw “The Shining” for the first time, he knew it was a different kind of film.

So he watched it over and over again. After repeated viewings he found there were certain aspects of the film that stuck out in oddly mysterious ways. To delve into the mystery further, Ascher sought out five experts whose subject areas range from conspiracies to the paranormal and nearly everything else in between to decode this puzzle.

The five experts use their individual areas of expertise to decode Kubrick’s masterpiece shot by shot.

Ascher often slows down footage and pauses it while the experts explain their intricate theories, many of which are based on lore that claims the hotel was a Native American burial ground. Based on “Room 237,” it seems like every frame in Kubrick’s film can be interpreted in a new way. The most significant example of this is when a superimposition of the film is run forwards and backwards simultaneously. Several eerie images and symbols appear when this occurs, suggesting that there may be subliminal messages in “The Shining.”

At the beginning of the documentary, a disclaimer states that the opinions in the film are neither those of Kubrick’s estate, which is owned by his brother-in-law and the executive producer of nearly all of the late director’s films Jan Harlan, or those of his surviving relatives. The viewers should not interpret the conclusions of “Room 237” as absolute truths. Perhaps the disclaimer is the essence of the film itself. It’s a warning that we could be seeing something that’s mind-blowing and revelatory, but could also be a series of random facts.

In either case, “Room 237” plays out like a mystery. It draws you in and keeps you

close, but it doesn’t give you the answers. In the most liberating way possible, the answers are yours to decide.

Charlie Spector is a contributing writer.

Email him at film@nyunews.com.

WSN AT THE MOVIES “Room 237” and “The Place Beyond the Pines” are not the only intriguing film releasing this week. For more film reviews, as well as weekly reviews of your favorite television shows, check out our Arts blog, the Highlighter, at wsnhighlighter.com.

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ARTS

EDITED BY JOSH JOHNSON ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Wavves repeats familiar themes on ‘Heights’

By ALEXANDRIA ETHRIDGE

It’s clear just from the title of surf-rock/pop punk group Wavves’ fourth album “Afraid of Heights” that the band has recently been through some tough times. Fortunately, it appears they have emerged no worse for the wear — the album features 14 tracks about the inner turmoil that we all struggle with from time to time.

Wavves continue the indie surfrock trend popularized by bands like Best Coast and Surfer Blood with a record that is just as sunny and bright as their last. “Afraid of Heights” opens with cheerfully chiming synths on “Sail to the Sun” before slipping into a sultry bassline over drums that try their best to knock your teeth out. Lead singer and frontman Nathan Williams shouts verses in a voice reminiscent of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, but also keeps things interesting with a variety of whistles and wails.

Lest anyone say Wavves have nothing new to share, the track “Dog” features an endearing, basscentric melody with a strumming guitar riff and the surprise addition of a cello in the background. Rather than sounding out of place, the cello strengthens the instrumentals for a more mature, polished sound.

In various interviews, frontman

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Nathan Williams has mentioned dealing with depression and anxiety while working on the album, which is apparent through songs like “Paranoid” and “Everything Is My Fault.” However, it’s hard to tell whether or not he’s being sincere when he sings lines like, “We’ll all just die the way that we lived/In a grave, in a grave, in a grave,” in a monotonous, adolescent drawl.

While the album shines in its instrumentals, tracks falter with repetitive lyrics that are shallow and self-absorbed rather than introspective and honest. The song “That’s On Me” features a Foo Fighters-influenced guitar riff that is certainly enjoyable but repeats the words “That’s on me” numerous times in a way that emphasizes the self-indulgent nature of Williams’ brand of moodiness.

Overall, “Afraid of Heights” is well-composed and contains numerous tracks that are sure to be hits with fans and critics alike, but it does little to delve into the complexities of depression and anxiety beyond indulging in clichés. For all of Williams’ talk about getting older and more mature, there’s not much in “Afraid of Heights” that we haven’t heard before.

Alexandria Ethridge is music editor. Email her at aethridge@nyunews.com.

Kristen Chenoweth discusses career, explores family dynamics in ‘Weekend’

By ISABEL JONES The dark comedy “Family Weekend” stars the effervescent Kristin Chenoweth as a deadbeat mom who is taught an unconventional lesson as she parents her teenage daughter. At a recent press event, Chenoweth revisited her old high school days, offering a glimpse into her childhood as an ambitious teen.

“I was a Type A perfectionist personality. I did choir and drama. I know, it’s shocking,” Chenoweth joked. “I was a cheerleader. I was like the kid from ‘Glee’ in a tiny town.”

Family dynamics — however dysfunctional — are the focus of “Family Weekend.” When asked about balancing her busy schedule with familial obligation, Chenoweth discussed her own sense of responsibility.

“I had a stay-at-home mom and my dad had his own business. But even with his business, he was at the important events,” she said. “So I wish I could tell some tale about ‘Oh, they were never there for me, I was alone,’ but no, they were great parents. I try to be the same for my niece and nephew and godchildren.

‘Mound’ revival builds tension through flashbacks

By ALEXANDER TSEBELIS

Lanford Wilson’s “The Mound Builders,” which won him an Obie Award for Distinguished Playwriting in 1975, seems even more timely in its newest incarnation.

Audiences can watch the team of potsmoking archaeologists in bell-bottoms with the same sort of curiosity they might display for Native American remains. The team worries about an incoming freeway interchange disrupting the site, which the audience already knows will be built.

The story opens with professor August Howe (David Conrad), a year after much of the play occurs, going through slides of the dig. He clues us in that his wife will become his ex-wife and that he will resign, we just don’t know how. So we start digging.

Sharing a house with August and his wife, Cynthia (Janie Brookshire), are August’s assistant Dan (Zachary Booth) and his pregnant wife Jean (Lisa Joyce). They are joined by August’s sister Delia (Danielle Skrasstad), a convalescing drug addict and former novelist, and occasionally graced by the presence of Chad Jasker (Will Rogers), the aggressive and usually drunk owner of the house and the land below.

The cast is nearly uniform in its quality, and Joyce stands out as excellent.

Brookshire is the exception — she neither appears nor acts much like an archaeologist’s wife, which weakens the play.

The archaeologists often talk about

the house, where the ancient Mound Builder men would “sit for hours and tell hunting stories.” After August’s sister arrives, the lake house transforms into a modern, co-ed incarnation of this ancient storytelling ritual. She sleeps or lies awake in the living room while characters filter in and out, telling her of their lives and their dreams.

Despite August’s privilege of hindsight, he doesn’t tell us what’s going to happen, and that makes it all the more gut-wrenching when we find out. The ending is powerful, if a little abrupt, and one might wish there was another moment to breathe before the cast comes back and bows. But hoping for a few more moments before the illusion is broken is simply a sign of good acting and a well-constructed world, courtesy of Jo Bonney’s unobtrusive direction.

The play ends on a note of loss and melancholy, no doubt intensified over the 40 years since it was written. Maybe all our society will leave behind are our freeway interchanges — those magnificent swirling structures reaching into the sky. Maybe someday archaeologists will ask what they were for, and Dan’s answer about the mounds will still apply: “People aren’t happy unless they’re building something.”

“The Mound Builders” is playing now through April 14 at the Signature Center, 480 W. 42nd St. Alexander Tsebelis is a contributing writer. Email him at theater@nyunews.com.

I think I do pretty good.”

But like every family, Chenoweth cited a bit of dysfunction in her own.

“I did grow up in a great family, but we have our issues. Each family unit is different. I’m a multitasker … I stay on schedule … but I’m a wreck in my personal life,” she said. “When we fly off the rails, and we do, we remember that really it’s about love, and forgiveness is a hard thing to do.”

When asked about her experience working with co-star and “Partridge Family” alumna Shirley Jones, Chenoweth said is was a big moment.

“She was the deal back in the day when they did movie musicals all the time,” Chenoweth. “So for me to get to work with her, that was me meeting an idol.”

In “Family Weekend,” Chenoweth plays a tough, strict mom. But she tries to play her role as someone who is the boss and not as an evil mother. And although she enjoys her comedic roles, Chenoweth admitted that pursuing comedy is difficult, and she divulged her desire to play diverse roles.

“When I was on ‘Glee’ I played a drunk has-been. I don’t know why they’d think of me for

that,” she said. “‘Pushing Daisies’ was even more different. I don’t want to be typecast.”

When asked which facet of her multiple threat persona she enjoys most, Chenoweth said, “I really like concertizing because I’m myself. I really like that people bought the ticket because they wanted to see me. I like singing music I’ve chosen for a reason. That’s my favorite.”

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

COURTESY OF FOOTPRINT FEATURES

‘Game of Thrones’ soars to new heights in third season

BY JOSH JOHNSON

The weather may be getting warmer in New York City, but make no mistake — winter is coming. “Game of Thrones,” HBO’s acclaimed fantasy drama based on George R.R. Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire” book series, will begin its third season this Sunday.

The season premiere centers on the aftermath of the epic Battle of Blackwater Bay. The city of King’s Landing begins to rebuild after the costly victory over Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane). Despite his heroic efforts at Blackwater, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) has been relieved of his duty as Hand of the King in favor of his father Tywin (Charles Dance). No longer in a position of power, Tyrion once again finds himself noth-

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

Daenerys Targaryen searches for her dragons in the season premiere.

ing more than a stain on his family’s name.

Dinklage is as fantastic as ever. He perfectly balances his sense of humor with a painful drive to please a father who has done everything short of disowning him.

While most of season two focused on kings clashing, Daenerys Stormborn (Emilia Clarke) spent a lot of time on the sidelines.

Though she largely schemed to take the Iron Throne with blood and fire, she found herself in essentially the same place she was at the end of the first season — without an army, and without the Throne.

Season three aims to rectify the lack of Daenerys plot movement by putting her literally in the market for a new army. More importantly, her dragons are growing up. They’ve moved on from just perching on Daenerys’ naked body to hunting and breathing fire, which is all kinds of awesome.

The standard “Game of Thrones” creatures — dragons, white walkers and direwolves — are fully represented. In addition, season three introduces giants and a ridiculous scorpion-child warlock.

Season premieres of dense ensemble dramas are always burdened by exposition and the need to introduce new characters and plotlines. But “Game of Thrones” has always been completely committed to its world, and the third season shows no sign of winter ever leaving.

Josh Johnson is arts editor.

Email him at arts@nyunews.com.

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Crossword Across

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For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554.

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NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY SAMEER JAYWANT OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

WORKER’S UNIONS STAFF EDITORIAL

NYU should assist its female graduate employees

By ASHLEY BATE and KAITLIN NOSS

This Women’s History Month there is a curious silence about how NYU’s recent cuts to graduate employee health benefits contribute to making the university less inclusive. NYU’s continued denial of collective bargaining to research and teaching assistants inhibits our ability to address these cuts and other ongoing challenges for women in the academic workforce.

A study by Yale University shows that women face unique obstacles when breaking into academia. There is still a gap between the wages of men and women in the academic field, for one, and an even wider income gap between women and women with children. Females in the workforce still face a lack of family-friendly policies, like paid family leave, affordable dependent health care and child care subsidies.

This is not just a problem for individual women pursuing academic careers, since it also jeopardizes the inclusiveness and quality of our institutions of higher education. Many women with children do not pursue graduate education because of the lack of resources

and options for family support.

As graduate employees at NYU, we witness these obstacles first hand.

While we earn one of the more nationally competitive stipends, NYU is sorely lacking in many of the family-friendly policies mentioned above.

The recent cuts to graduate employee benefits signal academia becoming less sustainable for women in general.

For example, NYU increased dependent health insurance premiums by 33 percent this year, bringing the cost to insure a dependent child to $4,460 or nearly 18 percent of our annual stipend. This is prohibitively expensive for most of us and particularly prohibitive for international students or those from low-income backgrounds.

And while early GSOC–UAW organizing helped increase the availability of child care subsidies for NYU graduate students over a decade ago, the subsidy remains a mere $200 per semester.

Finally, we lack any type of guaranteed family leave.

At the University of Massachusetts and University of Washington, on the other hand, UAW-represented graduate employees have succeeded in getting the university to pay for a majority of dependent health care

premiums — 65 percent at UW and 90 percent at UMASS. UAW graduate employees at the University of California, Berkeley have bargained for four weeks of paid family leave.

These are some of the many reasons why we, and a majority of our colleagues, support GSOC-UAW. Overall, collective bargaining puts us in a stronger position to address real challenges we have as workers at the university and make the university better and more accessible at the same time.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we urge NYU to respect graduate employees’ right to a democratic choice on winning back our Union so we can work for a more inclusive NYU. Ashley Bate is a Ph.D. candidate in the NYU Department of Biology. Kaitlin Noss is a Ph.D. student in American Studies and Henry J. MacCracken Fellow. Email them at opinion@nyunews.com.

TERMS OF USE Columnist Iam Mark argues that society would benefit from more widespread use of certain racial words that have developed a stigma over time. Read his argument on nyunews.com.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

South Sudan arranged marriages violate girls

By CODY DELISTRATY

“You will marry this old man whether you like it or not because he has given us something to eat,” Aguet’s uncle told her, according to a report by Human Rights Watch that came out earlier this month.

Aguet, a 15-year-old girl from South Sudan, was forced to marry a 75-year-old man in exchange for 80 cows. In a country where average annual income hovers around $1,000, according to World Bank, and a cow can be worth between $50 and $500, there is an enormous incentive to sell your daughter in exchange for food.

Forced child marriages are still the way out of abject poverty for struggling families in South Sudan because of the perverse dowry system. As many as 48 percent of girls between 15 and 19 in South Sudan are married, and some are married off at as young as 12 years old. When livestock offers come in, girls are sold.

Historically, in most countries, the bride’s family provides a dowry.

Even in the United States, not long ago, it was typical for the bride’s

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family to pay for the entire wedding. The system in South Sudan, however, has older men essentially buying young girls, stripping them of their ability to receive an education and enabling an institutionalized problem of domestic violence and marital rape.

The situation in South Sudan is not a product of some cultural convention, but a socially destructive custom derived from deep-rooted poverty and perpetual economic insecurity.

Outside of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, many women are unable to find jobs, as the only ones available are in agriculture.

Women’s financial contributions

to their family come solely in the form of a dowry.

In South Sudan, these dowries are the single most important, changeable factor in destroying gender equality and women’s lives.

Many men either go into debt or resort to stealing cattle in order to get married.

The South Sudanese government should create initiatives in communities to facilitate either the doing away with dowries entirely or the more thorough consultation between marrying parties. Speaking about marriage outside the terms of dowries would give women a say in their future while allowing poorer men to get married without needing to steal or go into debt.

It’s not a simple solution. There would have to be a large amount of funding for these initiatives and some convincing would have to be done. But the status quo needs to be changed, and a change is possible.

Cody Delistraty is a contributing columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

Universities must back student discourse

It’s an undeniable fact that sex is a part of college life.

It’s on most students’ minds, even if they’re not doing it.

But at Central New Mexico Community College, it’s not acceptable to even talk about it.

The college suspended its award-winning student newspaper, the CNM Chronicle, after it published an issue on sex. According to the administration, the issue, which included stories about sexual positions, BDSM, LGBT issues and abstinence, was “offensive and not appropriate for the educational mission of CNM.” But after backlash from students and the community, CNM President Katharine Winograd claimed the real concern was that the issue featured a minor, a 17-year-old high school student, who said she was abstinent.

Winograd’s assertion is disingenuous, considering how the appearance of a minor’s name in a publication with their consent is not illegal, as long as the information is honestly reported and lawfully obtained, as verified by the Student Press Law Center. The newspaper’s editor-in-chief had also obtained parental permission.

The real reason for suspension, disappointingly, is that the CNM college administration maintains an oversensitivity to sex. The school converted a fundamental aspect of human nature into a highly charged issue.

Of course, the college administration reserves the right to suspend the student newspaper over inappropriate or mishandled content if warranted. The school’s name is attached to every edition, and CNM officials must be wary of publishing opinions that will affect the school and the paper’s reputation.

The question is not whether the school has the right to suspend the paper, but what material should demand such action. Those who call this a freedom of the press issue must recognize that this applies to government censorship, not private institutions.

In this case, the CNM administration was not justified in suspending the Chronicle. The issue was not offensive to any specific racial or sexual group, only to people who are afraid to talk — or read — about sex openly. The student newspaper staff addressed the topic conversationally, with the intent to make its readers more comfortable with discussing intimacy and sexuality.

The WSN Editorial Board supports any student publication that attempts to improve discourse on delicate topics that can have major consequences for all students.

Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

EDITORIAL BOARD: Sameer Jaywant (Chair), Raquel Woodruff (Co–Chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co–Chair), Nickhil Sethi, Matt Luo, Nina Golshan, Ian Mark, Jess Littman, Marcelo Cicconet

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, N.Y. 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 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.