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washington square news Vol. 40, No. 38
THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012
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Green appliance rebates successful
Grand Central to celebrate centennial
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, an initiative is offering New York State residents rebates for purchasing energy-efficient home appliances. President Barack Obama introduced the act in 2009 as part of his economic stimulus package in response to the recession. While the ARRA’s primary goal was to create and save jobs, its secondary objectives were to invest in infrastructure, education, health and green energy. Last week, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority started the $3.5 billion “Buy Green, Save Green NYS High-Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program,” which is one of the act’s main initiatives. NYSERDA is giving rebates to consumers who purchased qualified refrigerators and washing machines on or before March 19, 2012 — $350
Grand Central Terminal is getting dressed up for its big centennial birthday. The centerpiece of the centennial celebration will be the renovation of the 42nd Street entrance, which opens into Vanderbilt Hall. The hall, which is now used for private events, was the former main waiting room for the terminal. Though a timeline for the celebration is still in the works, the entrance reconstruction should be officially underway and will be finished for the 100th anniversary on Feb. 1, 2013. Additionally, Vanderbilt Hall will welcome new features, including a restaurant cafe. The celebration will also showcase a series of exhibits about the station’s history. In May 2013, an exhibit curated by the New York Transit Museum will display historic train cars.
By Jessie Morrison
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By Claire Zajdel
Jonathan Tan/WSN
NYU Law discusses voter identification laws
The School of Law hosted a discussion yesterday afternoon on voter identification laws with assistant attorney general Thomas Perez and three other panelists.
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STORY ON PAGE 3
A majestic return for ‘Thrones’
By Jonathon Dornbush
In just its first season, “Game of Thrones” has managed to accomplish a feat that few shows before it have — it established a completely fictional world replete with political and familial intrigue. More importantly, it makes viewers care about the characters of Westeros. And all of them — well, those who survived — have returned in fantastic form in the season two opener, “The North Remembers.” “Remembers” faces the difficult task of balancing the many familiar characters with the completely new characters. No longer are they all in a few centralized locations — nearly every main character is isolated in some distinct region. The episode jumps around and updates characters’ current plights in engaging fashion. And it is time well spent as the form cleverly reflects
the story. Just as the characters are separated, the Seven Kingdoms is severely fragmented with kings rising up to challenge King Joffrey’s claim to the throne. Among them are newcomer Stannis Baratheon, the late King Robert’s brother whose brief but enjoyable scenes depict a worthy combatant in the clash for the throne. On the topic of kings, Joffrey opens the episode with more charming arrogance than ever, and fans will continue to love to hate this young king. His uncle, Tyrion, arrives at King’s Landing while Peter Dinklage proves at every turn why he won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Dinklage’s Tyrion is charming and clever; though the Lannister family is filled with terrible personalities, it is still impossible not to be enamored by his performance. While Dinklage is a standout, the entire cast — particularly
Anitra brings life and soul to new album By Angel Chang
Courtesy of HBO
Conleth Hill plays advisor Varys in Game of Thrones. the Stark family in their expanded roles — continues to impress. With the brother’s father absent, Robb Stark amusingly taunts Jamie Lannister with his direwolf. Jon Snow,
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Candice Anitra, Tisch alumna and Brooklyn-based songstress, wants to defy social constructs. “There are ways that we’re defined by our society, by our family and by our peers,” Anitra said. “There are ways that we’re objectified aggressively. There are ways that an identity can be given to you. I could never understand this.” Having spent much of her time at Tisch learning to grasp, rather than confirm, the ringing reign of her vocal talent, Anitra is now ready to introduce her sophomore album, “Big Tree” — a soulful and energetic record that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. “In my second album I’ve devel-
oped this idea that, as humans, we are able to connect over our vulnerabilities,” she said. “We’re able to thrive after defeating the obstacles in our way.” Her biggest obstacle was identifying with her voice: “[At Tisch] I had a hard time feeling confident as a singer,” she said. Nonetheless, Anitra’s voice teachers at NYU helped her learn how to self-script — conveying a story through song and developing her body and mind as a performer. By 2006, Anitra had written a stage play, instructed a youth theater workshop and assumed lead vocals for a local New York City band. These experiences allowed her to base her abilities in collab-
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Washington Square news | THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 | nyunews.com
on the side
Compiled by the
WSN staff
Weekend Agenda 3
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Washington Square News Editor-in-Chief amanda randone Managing Editor
jaewon kang Deputy Managing Editor
Amy zhang Assistant Managing Editor
james lanning Creative Director
selena chen senior staff
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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-
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beth maguire city/state tony chau, kristine
itliong, jessica schultz
Map courtesty
of google maps ALL PHOTOS VIA FLICKR
investigative feiye wang music josh johnson film stefan Melnyk entertainment jeremy grossman books/theater clio Mcconnell dining hannah borenstein beauty & style shannon
loughran sports John axelrod, cole
riley
THIS WEEKEND 1
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Thursday | 7 p.m. | Brooklyn Museum of Art | 200 Eastern Parkway
Friday | 7 p.m. | Bush Terminal | 241 37th St.
Saturday | 8 p.m. | 285 Kent Ave.
Sunday | 7 p.m. | St. Ann’s Warehouse | 38 Water St.
Guerrilla Girls Present “The Guerrilla Girls’ Art Museum Activity Book” This book, which launches on Thursday at BMA, is by the feminist group The Guerrilla Girls and gives advice on how to look for the lack of female artists in mainstream museums.
Brooklyn Fashion Week{end}
This event, the 13th annual Brooklyn Fashion Weekend, comes after New York Fashion Week and displays the work of local as well as international designers.
Magnetix
Elephant Room
This French electro-rock duo will play along with the local band Xray Eyeballs for $8 in Williamsburg.
See this well-reviewed comedy show masquerading as a magic show.
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
Saw VII: The Baked Foot An Austrian man reportedly sawed off his own foot to continue collecting unemployment benefits. Expecting a health check from Austrian Public Employment Service officials, Hans Url, 56, used a circular saw to sever his foot at the ankle after his wife and son left the house. Then he proceeded to cook the detached foot in an oven to prevent any possibility of reattachment. According to the service’s spokesman, Url’s deliberate amputation might not automatically grant him benefits. — NBC
University of Pennsylvania
Admit rate remains steady — The Daily Pennsylvania Ohio State University
Actress and author Kristen Johnston came to the NYU Bookstore yesterday to read from her new book, “Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster.”
PHOTO BY JOHNATHAN TAN
President Obama addresses energy, hecklers, hoops at Ohio State — The Lantern
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.
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REBATE continued from PG. 1
‘Buy Green, Save Green’ succeeds for refrigerators and $250 for washing machines. Under the program’s conditions, the newly purchased appliance must be certified by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency. CEE’s communications director Sarah Griffith explained that eligibility for rebates for high-efficiency home appliances are rated under CEE’s system of tiers, according to the well-known Energy Star rating. Together, these two systems establish efficiency standards for American and Canadian products by their water and energy usage. “Purchasing super efficient home appliances is a great move for consumers and for the environment,” Griffith said. “By incentivizing these products, NYSERDA is helping consumers save money and benefiting all New Yorkers through overall reduced energy use.” CAS freshman Erik Battista, who plans to live off-campus next semester, said his decision to buy a highefficiency appliance would primarily be based on its cost. “Only if my budget could afford it,” Battista said. “I would have to consider the return I’d get on energy savings before I made a purchase.” Rae Zimmerman, professor of Planning and Public Administration at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Pub-
lic Service, praised the Energy Star rating’s influence on home appliances. “Energy Star has a long history of innovation within the technology spectrum, especially as technology continues to rapidly advance,” Zimmerman said. “Energy Star appliances use less energy [and] are better for the environment.” In the past few years, New York State has held similarly popular programs aimed to promote the purchase of more environmentally friendly appliances. The 2010’s Great Appliance Swap-Out made nearly $17 million in funding available for consumers to buy Energy Star-rated home appliances. Last year’s identical “Buy Green, Save Green” effort ran out of its allocated funds within five days. Though the process was scheduled to run until April 30, NYSERDA received its maximum number of rebate applications on March 21 — three days into the start of the program. “This program has been a great success as evidenced by the high demand,” Kate Muller, director of communications at NYSERDA, said. “We are now using a [waiting] list for incoming applications in the form of a first-come, first-served basis.” Jessie Morrison is a contributing writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.
Panel discusses voter ID laws By Rita Solomon The NYU School of Law hosted a forum yesterday on the onging rights controversies over voter identification laws. Among the panelists present at the discussion were Guy-Uriel Charles, professor of law at Duke University, Samuel Issacharoff, professor of constitutional law at NYU Law and Wendy Weiser, director of the democracy program at Brennan Center for Justice. Assistant attorney general Thomas Perez opened the discussion by voicing his concerns about the effects of voter identification laws. Such laws require voters to show a valid ID at the polls. In the past, laws have been criticized for discriminating against the poor and minority populations who are less likely to afford photo IDs or passports. “The seemingly little things like where you vote affect the voting process,” Perez said. “The prerequisite of identification and the inconvenience of several locations are, at times, purposely set up to disproportionately affect certain communities.” Perez also discussed several cases of voting bias against groups, including an incident in Texas where he noticed deliberate discrimination against the Hispanic community. “The Hispanic community had an 89 percent growth increase, but the disparity between Hispanics without the prerequisites to vote ranged from 46 percent to 126 percent,” he said. “This meant that the increasing Hispanic population was that much less likely to vote.” It is for populations like these that Perez and the Civil Rights Enforcement agencies vow to fight. In ad-
dition to the Hispanic community, the CRE works closely with AfricanAmericans and Chinese Americans, citizens who are not proficient in language and those in the military. “Our mission is to provide anyone eligible to vote with the necessary resources,” he said. “Oftentimes we have had to file lawsuits against various states, but we also emphasize education and knowledge of litigation.” But, some panelists, like Charles raised concerns about some of the ideas Perez discussed. “I’m concerned that voter registration periods cause voter disenfranchisement, especially in the AfricanAmerican community,” he said. NYU Law professor Burt Newbourne suggested requiring that the government provide all citizens with identification as a possible soultion to the problem. The panelists proceeded to criticize low voter turnouts for elections and several sections of the Voting Rights Act — a legislation that outlawed discriminatory voting practices. Following the discussion, Tisch freshman Elizabeth Quist said the discussion provided an interesting introduction to the complexities of politics. “I love how this forum was focused and had diverse views,” she said. Third-year law student Lynn Eisenberg said she found the discussion informative and enlightening. “I thought [Perez] did a good job of delving into motor voter [laws] as well as the Voter Identification laws,” she said. Rita Solomon is a staff writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.
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Road to selecting commencement speakers
By Feiye Wang and Yingying Yu
NYU attracts influential people — ranging from prominent celebrities to politicians and policy makers — to dole out advice to the graduating class. This year is no different, as the administration has invited Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer to deliver this year’s commencement speech. But the yearly announcement belies a long and detailed selection process. It begins in May when the Academic Affairs Committee of the University Senate sends out a call for nominations, according to deputy director for public relations Phil Lentz. Members of the university community, including students and alumni, may submit their commencement speaker suggestions with a two-paragraph statement explaining the candidate’s connection to the city and the university as well as why they would be deserving recipients of honorary NYU degrees. “We have had some wonderful rec’s from students — wonderful ones that are very sincere,” Floyd Hammack, cochair of the Faculty Senators Council, said. The council meets twice every spring to pass on recommendations to the Board of Trustees. “We receive other recommendations that are more pro forma,” Hammack said. Lentz said candidate selection is based upon outstanding contributions or leadership during the course of their career and how the achievements exemplify the university’s ideals and purposes. The Senate AAC, Trustee AAC and entire Board of Trustees must approve the nominations. Once a speaker is approved by the Board, he or she can be invited to speak for any
Can’t wait for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s words of wisdom? Check out these four life lessons from the podium at Yankee Stadium.
File photo by David Lin
Former U.S. President Clinton sent off NYU’s Class of 2011. year. In fact, since she was appointed justice, Sotomayer has been on the shortlist for several years. After Board approval, approximately three to five of the original candidates remain. Every year NYU President John Sexton then formally invites each to speak at the ceremony. Many longtime alumni still clearly remember the impact of the commencement speech at their graduation. “What I remember most was Bill Cosby making us laugh,” recalled Ronald Rapatalo, vice president of the NYU Alumni Association and 1997 graduate. For Rapatalo, the most memorable commencement speech wisdom is not necessarily the secrets to success, but simply the smaller pleasures in life. “I have to admit, I was expecting something serious that I could take away, but what I appreciated was Bill Cosby making us smile and laugh,” he said. Feiye Wang is deputy investigative editor. Yingying Yu is a staff writer. Email them at university@nyunews.com.
On finding happiness: “You should strive to find happiness everyday and not believe that it comes at the end of a journey, and most people are happiest doing what they are good at. You can’t quit when you fail; you can’t quit when you mess up and when life seems to deal you a tough hand.” -Bill Clinton, former U.S. President, 2011 Address On taking risks: “I would like you to consider that when you commit to something or someone and it proves to be unfulfilling by your measure, that is painful. But in my life I’ve learned that when you do not commit, you do not risk and you discover you should have, that is even more consequential. The myth of the risk-free life is just that: a myth.” -Alec Baldwin, actor, 2010 Address On teamwork: “There is no problem we face here in America or around the world that will not yield to human effort, to cooperation, to positive interdependence that makes clear humanity is going on, our challenges are ones that summon the best of us. And we will make the world better tomorrow than it is today.” -Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, 2009 Address On valuing privilege: “Everyone in this stadium can celebrate what each of us has been given.” -Laurence Tribe, Harvard Law School professor, 2008 Address
BIRTHDAY continued from PG. 1
Grand Central to celebrate its 100th birthday John Michael Kennedy, spokesman for the Grand Central Terminal at Goodman Media, said these renovations will enhance the image of Grand Central. “It’s less a renovation than it is a revitalization and refresher of what is already in place,” he said. “I think that pretty much everyone would say that Grand Central is the heart of New York City, and Grand Central is really the vibrant microcosm of the city.” “It deserves an entrance that reflects its significance,” Kennedy added. Commuters said the reconstructed entrance will bring a new face to the New York City landmark. “I think that the new entrance will attract more tourists and make it more appealing to come to the station, even if you only ride the subway like I do,” Bronx resident and communter Alicia Montez, 32, said.
But the construction may also create congestion and slow people’s commute. Some New York residents, however, foresee a few drawbacks. “I think that the renovation will be a nice improvement, but I think it might make commuting a little more difficult,” Queens resident Chiakin Kim, 26, said. CAS freshman Mariel Sanchez, who commutes through Grand Central Terminal, also expressed her frustration with the construction. “Renovations can cause all sorts of problems because it restricts people’s access and mobility to the stations,” Sanchez said. “Supposedly the new entrance will really open things up with more doors for people to enter through.” Claire Zadjel is a staff writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.
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Washington Square news | THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 | nyunews.com
features
edited by jessIca littman features@nyunews.com
ANITRA continued from PG. 1
Tisch alumna brings life, soul to her sophomore album oration and served as a stepping-stone to creating albums. “I have definitely matured in the way that I write,” she said about her second album. “I hear more clearly. What I get and what I hope people get from my music is its motion and the stories that it tells. I want to be a poet and to never sing things that don’t
Luke Leifeste for WSN
Candice Anitra’s album “Big Trees” was released earlier this week.
move me.” Anitra’s husband Adam Weinstock also serves as her manager. “The power of her voice and quality and content of her music [touch] me,” Weinstock said. “[These qualitites] clearly resonate with all who have the privilege of being exposed to her.” Aside from making music, Anitra’s greatest joy in life is being a mother. “My kids inspire and make me laugh every day,” she said. Though she is grateful for everything she has achieved she still has many goals. “The idea of her licensing music for use in TV or in film is one exciting route, as is her writing songs of substance for others to perform,” Weinstock said. Anitra’s ultimate passion lies in propelling listeners to connect with themselves emotionally. “I want them to be inspired, to act, to find their own passions, to be the artists that they all are inside,” she said. Big Tree hits shelves March 27. The album release party is on April 5 at DROM, 85 Avenue A at 7 p.m. Angel Chang is a staff writer. Email her
New app links local strangers By Esha Ray Have you ever been surrounded by a large group of people with no one to talk to? Now, there’s an app for that. EchoFriendly, a new app created by CAS alumnus Christian Levis, allows users to interact with people in their surroundings in real time without the barrier of initial introductions. With a few friends and collaborators, Levis conceptualized the idea for the app years ago as a biology and English major when he was in sitting in lecture bored and trying to find a way to pass the time. “If you think about it, there are a lot of situations where you’re in a group environment or a group setting, and it’s difficult to talk or interact with the people that are there as well,” Levis said. Without the prior connection of friendship in real life or through social media, it is not as easy to strike up a conversation, he said. But EchoFriendly attempts to erase all of that. Once us-
ers create an account, they can create chat rooms based on their location. Other users of the app then search for these available chat rooms, which are constantly updated and sorted by proximity. Through these chat rooms, users can easily interact with others and talk about whatever common experience they are facing — whether it is a boring lecture, a concert or even a small coffee house discussion. Chat rooms can be as private or public as the conversation starter wants them to be, so people can interact exclusively with their existing friends or branch out and meet new people. For big events, concerts or festivals, EchoFriendly also provides an easy way to scope out the scene through the perspective of other attendees. “Starting a random conversation with somebody can go anywhere,” said Donald Drohan, EchoFriendly’s vice president of sales and marketing and Levis’ longtime friend. “But if you have a common purpose of discussion, everybody knows what they’re getting into.”
He said the app has received positive feedback from people attending large events and that he, along with other collaborators, hopes to work on more features that are suited for such occasions. CAS junior Jenny Tang said she sees EchoFriendly as a great concept, but is unsure about how often she will use the app. “It seems like a mobile Omegle, and that’s only fun if there’s a ton of people online,” she said. But others like CAS junior Joe Bozzo said he would definitely use the app during lecture or perhaps during the leadership conferences which in he participates. EchoFriendly is currently used by people around the world, taking the act of striking up a conversation with a stranger to a global level. Currently, it is availiable for free at the iTunes app store. Android and Blackberry versions are still being developed. Esha Ray is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
nyunews.com | THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 | Washington Square news
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ARTS
edited by JONATHON DORNBUSH ARTS@nyunews.com
Galdston introduces songwriting major By Walinase Mbekeani
Follow us on Twitter: @nyunews
Phil Galdston, Steinhardt’s songwriter-in-residence, recently signed a contract with Imagem Music, an independent music publisher. Under Imagem, his duties will include licensing, accounting and collecting. This is a great change for Galdston, as a majority of his career was devoted to songwriting. He received his first record deal at 17. After several years as a performer and recording artist, Galdston realized that he preferred writing to performing. He became what he calls a pure-songwriter, which he finds just as rewarding. “Everybody thinks that being a performing artist is the top line in the ladder,” Galdston said. “But for my part it has been an incredibly rewarding career to be behind the scenes. Every song is another kind of challenge. It all feeds into the same kind of excitement of creation.” By signing with Imagem Music, Galdston will be exposed to a more global perspective with a wider range of opportunities — a luxury he enjoys as an NYU professor. “I have gotten to work with so
many talented students from different countries,” Galdston said. “I think I’ve gotten a lot more out of teaching than the students have gotten out of me.” Galdston’s role at NYU is spread over different areas within Steinhardt. Currently, he is part of the development of Steinhardt’s songwriting concentration, which will provide a Master’s degree in songwriting, the first degree of its kind offered in a major American university. The first students for this concentration will be admitted in the fall of 2012. Galdston calls on three questions in the creation process: What do we want to communicate, to whom do we want to communicate and by what means? From there, he says he can decide whether the topic in question is stimulating and if it produces a sufficient feel and sound. Galdston has explored these questions with many popular artists, including Beyoncé, Celine Dion and Vanessa Williams. “They entrust me with ideas that they want to sing about,” he said. “There are also times where I write a song without much thought of
via steinhardt.nyu.edu
Galdston recently signed a contract with Imagem Music. who is going to sing it.” After all of the roles he has taken in the music world, Galdston hopes his experience can translate into wisdom for his students and coworkers. “The talent required for songwriting does not necessarily include being a great musician or musical performer,” he said. “It’s about the sensibility of what it takes to put together music and lyrics to create a message that moves people.” Walinase Mbekeani is a contributing writer. Email her at music@nyunews.com.
THRONES continued from PG. 1
Game of Thrones, a king among shows Robb’s brother, continues to discover how difficult being a member of the Night’s Watch is while the episode ends with the hunt for Arya in a particularly striking series of events. Queen Cersei will clearly go to extremes to find Arya, and the few scenes of Cersei’s hunt deliver well-executed, horrific displays of power that will certainly leave viewers hanging on for the next episode. “The North Remembers” is a well-paced and beautifully shot reintroduction into the universe, setting into motion much of the conflict that will likely pervade the coming season. Though there are already plenty of characters, “Remembers” expands the scope
SPORTs
of the series far beyond anything that has been yet shown, and does so with gorgeous scenery and wonderful dialogue exchanges. Some characters are short-changed — Daenerys and her dragons are not featured nearly enough — but this juggling act will likely determine whether this season will manage to live up to the first. For the time being, it promises plenty of opposition, a more aesthetically and characteristically varied dynamic and much more of the characters we love. How could that ever be a bad thing? Jonathon Dornbush is arts editor. Email him at jdornbush@nyunews.com.
edited by daniel hinton sports@nyunews.com
Volleyball finishes 11-0 in conference play By Sara Levy NYU men’s volleyball secured a perfect regular season record within the United Volleyball Conference, defeating SUNY New Paltz in five sets on Wednesday night. The Violets are now 19-6 overall with three matches remaining until the UVC Championship. “It is an honor to go undefeated in the regular season of our conference,” head coach Jose Pina said. “It is a testament to the perseverance and hard work of our student athletes.” The Violets dropped the second and third sets to the Hawks but bounced back to take the last two sets 25-12 and 15-13 en route to their eleventh conference victory. “We’ve overcome injuries, schedule conflicts and some very tough opponents, but have been able to keep our focus,” Pina said. The Violets became the first undefeated champion in the conference’s brief history.
Senior opposite hitter Patrick Dodd led the team with 22 kills and sophomore middle blocker Nick Capriccio followed with 18 kills. Even with the win, junior opposite hitter George Koch said last night’s match did not go exactly according to plan. “A mistake in our lineup during the first game forced us into running an offense we have never run before, which included three reserves due to injuries and classes,” Koch said. “The plan for us is always to win in three, but when we go to five, it’s really gratifying to know that we can face adversity and come out on top.” NYU will begin the final week of the regular season on Saturday, March 31, against NYU-Polytechnic Institute. The first of three final non-conference matches will take place at the Coles Sports Center at 2 p.m. Sara Levy is a staff writer. Email her at sports@nyunews.com.
FRINGE APRIL 5, 2012 The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation
Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 The620For new york times crossword & daily sudoku Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, March 29, 2012
Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Pass quickly, as on a highway 6 Rummage 10 Treat badly 14 Karma believer 15 Title accompanier: Abbr. 16 Team members 17 Many a nude beach visitor 18 ___ bread 19 Narc’s find, perhaps 20 Subject with force 22 Perfectly behaved 24 Not under any circumstances 26 Big name in vacuums 27 Furnace fuel 31 Heals, in a way 33 Has a tab 34 The One, in “The Matrix” 35 Kind of pitcher
40 Storage unit 42 Maintains, as an itinerary 43 Double-check, e.g. 44 One of two in Monopoly 45 Port. is part of it 46 Word needed to be added to 12 appropriately placed answers in this puzzle for their clues to make sense 48 Music genre 49 Spills
67 George Orwell’s alma mater 68 Part of many a generator 69 Bandy, as ideas 70 Waste time 71 Act rowdily
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47 Showy 49 Linger 50 “Vive ___!” 51 Ancient Mexican 52 Party principle 54 Johnny Storm a k a the Human ___
56 City near Provo 58 But, in Bolivia 59 Standout 60 Still-life subjects 61 Search here and there 64 Digits, e.g.: Abbr.
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 | THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 | Washington Square news
OPINION
edited by olivia gonzalez opinion@nyunews.com
KONY 2012
Jason Russell tugs on heartstrings for funds By Mark Putterman MADRID — In combining the traditional entertainment-based content of sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube with an ethic of social change, Kony 2012 and Invisible Children have taken full advantage of the power of social media to spread ideas and information. The film, the brainchild of Jason Russell, co-founder of Kony 2012, tells the story of warlord Joseph Kony and his militant group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, who have been abducting children in Uganda and Central Africa for the past 20-odd years, converting the boys into soldiers and the girls into sex slaves. It melds Hollywood sheen with an emotive call to action, presenting a heartbreaking problem and a simple solution: to stop Kony by sharing the video and purchasing special Kony 2012 wristbands and stickers. The sensation of Kony 2012, which has received over 84 million views on Youtube, is both inspiring and disheartening. On the one hand, Russell’s deft craftsmanship has moved hundreds of thousands of young Americans to act on an issue that does not impact their daily lives and raised millions of dollars thus far for the cause. On the other hand, the black-and-white version of the myriad of issues plaguing Central Africa and Uganda presented in the film is dangerous in its simplicity.
Indeed, when Russell sits his fiveyear-old son down, on camera, to explain who Joseph Kony is, he may as well be addressing his audience. The film presents a narrative that, through its simplicity, is thoroughly misleading. Kony 2012 fails to mention that Kony and the LRA are no longer active in Northern Uganda — the geographical focus of the film — and have not been active there for six years. Moreover, the film misrepresents the actual numbers of the LRA by implying that Kony has at his command 30,000 child soldiers. In fact, this is the total number of children abducted by Kony over the past 20 years, not the under 300 active LRA combatants recently estimated to be operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Moreover, the film neglects to mention that the Ugandan government, which Invisible Children aims to support, has committed a great number of human rights abuses themselves. I give Russell and Invisible Children the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are indeed earnest in their desire to help those affected by the LRA, and that the organization understands at least a bit more of the complexities of the situation in Uganda and Central Africa than are presented in the film. That said, in the making of this film, a conscious decision was made that in order to reach the biggest
audience, raise the most money and stop Kony, the film had to be dumbed-down to make people care. Indeed, the realization must have been made that in order for people to act, the problem and the solution had to be made as simple and easy as possible. They may be right — a 30-minute didactic discussion about the realities of the political situation in Central Africa would probably not have been quite so successful. And so we are left with a film in which evil is unequivocally evil, good is unequivocally good and the power to stop Kony and the LRA lies in a mere click of the mouse. Whether or not Kony 2012 will lead to Kony’s capture or lead to substantive changes to the political and economic instability plaguing Central Africa is yet to be seen. But that seems to be beside the point. “The next 27 minutes are an experiment,” Russell says over sweeping satellite images of Earth and a sprawling soundtrack at the beginning of his film. Whatever his motives are, it seems Russell is experimenting with the power of social media and adept storytelling to pull on our heartstrings and on our wallets — and he is sure to be pleased with the results. Mark Putterman is a foreign correspondent. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
foreign policy
U.S. gov’t hides drone programs from its citizens By Chris DiNardo In December 2009, 14 women and 21 children fell victim to a series of cluster bombs in Southern Yemen. They were not the targets, but they became victims nonetheless. Flying miles above us is the piece of technology that will usher us into a new era of militaristic engagement. Equipped with the Hellfire missiles responsible for the destruction, these Predator drones unabashedly occupy the skies above foreign nations in the Middle East. To be clear, there are really two drone programs in the United States One public program takes place in countries with which we are allegedly at war and one private, CIA-run drone program, which is shielded from the eyes of those who hold our leaders accountable — the American people. Both programs are pervasive to the point where defense contractors responsible for Predator missiles can hardly meet the government’s demand for more. By a large majority, the public is pleased that the U.S. is ending its combat mission in Iraq and withdrawing troops in Afghanistan. Yet, a lack of adequate intelligence doesn’t allow the public to see
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the monstrosity occurring here. As a staff writer for The Atlantic, Conor Friedersdorf writes, “official secrecy makes robust civic debate impossible.” When facts about U.S. foreign policy are classified as state secrets, we cannot be fair and accurate judges of high-ranking government officials’ behavior. When a majority of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay were released without charges it proved just how wrong the government can be. Now we are using those same policies to kill people, not just imprison them. Actually, we do not know how the system works. How people end up on the CIA’s kill list remains a state secret, as does where the drones are being launched and whom the victims are. In fact, if it were not for Wikileaks, we would not know about the extent of the civilian casualties or that the missiles were even American. In addition, the use of drones are lauded as a humane alternative to other forms of modern warfare, since American troops are not on the ground risking their lives. But supporters do not allow for any discussion of those resultant civilian deaths, which ratchets up anti-American sentiment and thus creates more of the enemy we are trying to defeat. Hence, the cycle continues.
For those so trusting of the government to pursue the proper terrorists and criminals, I say fine. But if the government is so noble and lawful in how they exercise their power, then they should have no problem explaining the legal justification behind it, or at least the national security threats they are deterring. If they are not, then not only is it healthy, but it is also morally necessary that we challenge the administration on these issues. Otherwise, this nonchalant attitude toward conflict will bring about a terrible consequence: a normalization of death as an appropriate byproduct of American action. If we merely call it “strategy in wartime,” then we do not acknowledge that murder by machine is still murder. And drones do murder. One former CIA officer, who witnessed a drone strike in realtime, recounted his experience. “You could see these little figures scurrying, and the explosion going off, and when the smoke cleared there was just rubble and charred stuff,” he said. That’s the way we do business today, without any oversight or outrage or, as it seems, empathy. Chris DiNardo is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Operations Clean Halls invades privacy Yesterday, the New York civil rights advocacy groups sued the New York Police Department over its Operation Clean Halls program. We believe the program, in which landlords invite police to patrol private apartment building hallways and surrounding areas, is a violation of New Yorkers’ constitutional rights. The program, which has grown to at least 3,895 buildings in Manhattan alone, has caused many false arrests for trespassing and police harassment. This is too great a price to pay for whatever modicum of safety the program produces. Operation Clean Halls is reminiscent of the NYPD Stop and Frisk tactics, which recently caused controversy regarding racial profiling. In the context of such departmental racial bias and an inefficient use — or misuse — of power, it is inappropriate to grant the NYPD the authority to patrol private residences in efforts to pursue crime with overly broad concepts of probable cause. The implementation of this program is stressful for the residents and requires them to carry identification at all times. The program seeks to increase safety and protect residents from crime, but its invasive, if not abusive, approach is counterproductive. In addition, the program’s constitutional problems are compounded by its social ramifications. Blacks and Hispanics consist of 94 percent of those arrested in Operation Clean Halls. This fact makes the NYPD’s legally questionable random searches look anything but indiscriminate. Even if police search all who enter the buildings, their choice to search only those in landlord-selected housing causes an undue impact on communities already living in quasi-police states. Police Chief Ray Kelly has justified the program by saying, “This is the level of safety that people have in buildings with doormen.” Though residents in buildings with doormen — who do not frisk — many believe the program is a necessary inconvenience, most directly affected by it regard it as more of a burden than a blessing. Though the landlords’ enrollment in the program has requested police presence, we see parallels between Operation Clean Halls and wanton discrimination against other minorities under the guise of legitimate law enforcement. Were the NYPD to make great efforts to enforce the law in perhaps more visible majority-minority settings, such as strictly monitoring whether gay bars ID their patrons (coupled with loose enforcement elsewhere), there would likely be greater uproar. The injustice of granting unrestricted police access should concern all, not just minorities. 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.