WSN042313

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 43

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013

nyunews.com

NYU shows support for Boston victims NYU community members gathered in front of the Kimmel Center for University Life to honor and remember the victims of the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings.

STORY ON PAGE 3 BRYAN NELSON FOR WSN

Earth Day fair helps raise environmental awareness

By SU SIE PARK and NEELA QADIR

Students and faculty gathered in NYU Law School’s Vanderbilt Courtyard yesterday to celebrate the Earth Day Food and Sustainability Fair.

Hosted by the Environmental Law Society, the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and Food Law, the fair allowed students to test out free vegan food, sustainable food and small samples of produce from local farmers.

“Sustainability is most important when it comes to taking care of planet,” said Adam Waks, a member of the Envi-

ronmental Law Society.

Besides the free food, the Earth Day Fair also featured games, contests, prizes and plenty of opportunities to learn what NYU Law was doing to make the campus a greener and more sustainable place.

“This is on a state level and even on global level,” he said.

Waks emphasized that this week’s events aim to raise awareness about environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Several vendors at the fair were from the Greenmarket at Union Square. “[I] want to make sure that students make

a connection with the fantastic food that they can get in the New York area and how [it can help] the planet,” Waks said.

Stephan Cantor, owner of Deep Mountain Maple, a maple farm in Northern Vermont, was working a booth at the fair.

“I am happy to be here and be part of it,” Cantor said. “Great idea, great to just inform and educate the students in law school what the possibilities are for eating sustainably and making wise food choices here in this neighborhood.”

Phoenix proves staying power with ‘Bankrupt’

By ALANA DROF

On their fifth studio album “Bankrupt!,” French alternative rock group Phoenix delivers a distinctive sound while steering clear of the post-success trap so many artists fall into following the release of a popular album.

Equipped with 10 attention-grabbing tracks, “Bankrupt” is an album that stands on its own while maintaining a culturally reflective message.

Beginning with the catchy single “Entertainment,” the album is a force to be reckoned with. Heavy on both synths and percussion, the melody hints at the enjoyable sound of the tracks to follow.

Continuing the dance-provoking vibe, the album packs a punch with tracks like the anthem “Trying to

PHOENIX continued on PG. 5

COURTESY OF V2 RECORDS

EARTH continued on PG. 3

VIA FLICKR.COM

Earth Day promotes consciousness of global sustainability.

Changes in style divide traditional, modern hipster

By MARINA ZHENG

It’s no secret that NYU is commonly dubbed a “hipster college.” Girls are clad in high-waisted skinny jeans and Doc Martens, with male counterparts sporting the same “free spirit” uniform.

However, it’s often debatable whether these NYU hipsters truly live up to their titles. It could be they are simply modeling a stereotypical style.

Inspired by fashion, music and urban living, the concept of hipster began as an urban phenomenon of the 1940s, specifically from downtown in New York City — a style that is historically fitting for NYU.

“A lot of the discussion of hipsters in fashion history has to do with the bohemian inhabitants of our Greenwich Village,” said Nancy Deihl, fashion historian and coordinator for the Steinhardt master’s program in costume studies.

“So the identity of the hipster is a pretty appropriate topic for NYU.” Historically, hipster fashion consisted of casual clothes, as well as vintage and Bohemian attire. Much like today, thrift stores were popular among the beatnik crowd. Wearing jeans in the 1940s or ’50s was considered radical. For example, denim was a fabric conventionally

HIPSTER continued on PG. 4

2

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

ON THE SIDE STAFF PLAYLIST

5

IN AND OF

THE CITY

34

COURTESY OF HARVEST RECORDS | COURTESY OF ATCO RECORDS | COURTESY OF 14TH FLOOR RECORDS | COURTESY OF REPRISE RECORDS | COURTESY OF ALBERT PRODUCTIONS | COURTESY OF ATLANTIC RECORDS | COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL RECORDS | COURTESY OF HARVEST RECORDS | COURTESY OF EPIC RECORDS

12

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.

By JOSH JOHNSON

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,

HINTON, CHARLES MAHONEY, CLIO MCCONNELL, STEFAN MELNYK, LAVYA YALAMANCHI

DEPUTY STAFF

university KEVIN BURNS, NEELA QADIR city/state EMILY BELL,

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

“Hysteria” — Muse “Cochise” — Audioslave “The Ocean” — Led Zeppelin “The Widow” — Mars Volta

OPINION PAGE

“Solsbury Hill” — Peter Gabriel

opinion editor

SAMEER JAYWANT deputy opinion editors

“Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies” — Biffy Clyro

EDWARD RADZIVILOVSKIY, RAQUEL WOODRUFF

“Bang a Gong (Get it On)” — T. Rex

SNAPSHOT

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

foreign correspondent JULIE DEVITO senior editors GENTRY BROWN, DAN

“Wish You Were Here” — Pink Floyd

“The Great Gig in the Sky” — Pink Floyd

WSN STAFF

WICY WANG

Album designer Storm Thorgerson passed away at the age of 69 last Thursday. Thorgerson was known for his iconic cover designs, working closely with bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd to create covers that embodied the albums’ themes. To celebrate his memory, we’ve compiled a playlist consisting of songs from albums he helped visualize and package.

“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” — AC/DC

COMPILED BY THE

ADVERTISING WEST VILLAGE STAPLE CLOSES Get your Papaya dogs while you still can because the convenient late-night eat is set to close soon. The Papaya Dog and porn shop on Sixth Avenue will be replaced by new retail stores in efforts to clean up that corner of the village.

— DNAINFO QUINN SUGGESTS UPPING SMOKING AGE City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has proposed raising the New York City tobacco purchasing age from 18 to 21.

— NY1 YELLOW CABS GO GREEN For Earth Day, New York City rolled out six new electric cars to be added to the city’s fleet of taxis. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said that one-third of the city’s taxis will be electric by 2020.

— NY1

BUSINESS MANAGER

REBECCA RIBEIRO CIRCULATION MANAGER

CHLOE COFFMAN

UNIVERSITY SALES COORDINATOR

KAITLYN O’BRIEN SALES REPRESENTATIVE

ELLEN MCQUEEN SALES ASSOCIATES

ARIANA DIVALENTINO, ALISON LIZZIO, SAM WANDER CIRCULATION ASSISTANT

BENJAMIN SWINEHART

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

KALEEL MUNROE

ADVISING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

POSSIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK AGAINST NEW YORK THWARTED An alleged al-Qaeda attack was halted by Canadian law enforcement officials Monday. Two people were arrested in relation to the planned attack, and the pair reportedly had ties with al-Qaeda in Iran. The attackers planned to derail a train from New York City headed for Toronto.

— NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Workers in a silk factory in China attend to their production daily routine.

PHOTO BY KRISTINA BOGOS

FORMER NYU LAW PROFESSOR ACCEPTS OFFER AS PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT Christopher L. Eisgruber, a former NYU Law professor and current Princeton provost, was named Princeton University’s 20th president on Sunday. He will succeed Shirley M. Tilghman, who has served for 12 years.

— THE NEW YORK TIMES

GOT AN EVENT? EMAIL US AT AGENDA@NYUNEWS.COM OR TWEET US @NYUNEWS. GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE? EMAIL US AT TIPS@NYUNEWS.COM.

NANCI HEALY EDITORIAL ADVISER

KEITH LEIGHTY EDITORS-AT-LARGE

MAXIMILÍANO DURÓN, JAEWON KANG, FRANCIS POON, MERYLL PREPOSI, AMANDA RANDONE, EMILY YANG About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods.

Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact managing editor Amy Zhang at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.

NYUNEWS.COM

NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

NYU holds vigil for Boston victims

By NEELA QADIR

Students filled the staircase of the Kimmel Center for University Life last night to hold a vigil for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, as well as for the death of Massachusetts Institute

“My mother called me because I am a marathon runner, and running the [one in] Boston is an aspiration for me. So that [attack] hit close to home for me.”

EARTH continued from PG. 1

NYU begins Earth Day at Vanderbilt Courtyard

friendship to those that might not have any.

Students and faculty were asked to participate in a twominute meditation before the candle lighting. To conclude the vigil, four candles were lit for the victims.

“I just feel that they didn’t deserve this. I think this [vigil] is a good way to express my pain.”

“It is really disillusioning, especially here because we have a lot of friends or family there [in Boston].”

– SHUMENG SONG, MASTER’S STUDENT

– AZZURE ALEXANDER, STEINHARDT SENIOR

Tyler Volk, a professor of environmental studies, said the weather was perfect for Earth Day. “Flowers are blooming in the park, so appropriate for Earth Day,” Volk said. “All our relatives out there across the kingdoms of life are vital to who we are and hopefully shall be.”

Environmental Studies professor Peter Anker said he is proud to see students taking part in Earth Day events this week.

“I celebrate Earth Day every day, and love the fact that so

By JACQUELINE HSIA

“The Boston Marathon is such a big deal to a lot of people and to the city, and it was terrifying and incredibly sad that people would have any reason to do that.”

“When it initially happened I had the same reaction as a lot of people, like what’s going on in the world? Why is this happening again?”

“I live super close to where the bombs went off ... There was no other outlook on campus to discuss it or mourn, so I think that this was a really cool idea.”

– KOKEI OTOSI, STEINHARDT JUNIOR

– SCOTTIE FIGUEROA, NYU-POLY JUNIOR

– JULIANA RORDORF, GALLATIN FRESHMAN

Steinhardt faculty decide to hold vote of no confidence

By NICOLE BROWN

The faculty of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development voted to hold a vote of no confidence against NYU President John Sexton yesterday.

The full-time faculty, including

COURTESY OF NYU

In a faculty meeting, Steinhardt decided to hold a vote.

both tenured and non-tenured members of Steinhardt, held a meeting yesterday morning to discuss governance at NYU. At the meeting, the members voted through written ballots on whether they would hold a no-confidence vote against Sexton. The vote passed 106 to 12 in favor of holding a vote.

The date of the vote has not been decided but will happen before the end of the semester and will be conducted with an electronic ballot.

Professor of social studies education Robert Cohen said the Steinhardt faculty has the same issues with governance as the Faculty of Arts and Science, but the overwhelming vote to hold a no-confidence vote suggests the faculty is even more concerned.

In addition to concerns about university decision-making, the Steinhardt faculty members are unsatisfied with the subvention — or taxation — of the school, which Cohen said has reached $30 million.

The faculty voted almost unanimously to have a fiscal resolution that would call for fiscal transparency and a re-

consideration of the subvention of the school. Only one vote was not counted because it was illegible. The rest were votes for a resolution.

“That reflects a very widespread, almost universal, feeling on the part of the faculty that our school is not being sufficiently supported economically by the central administration,” Cohen said. “They’re taking too much money from our school of education every year.”

Floyd Hammack, chair of the Steinhardt faculty council and professor of education sociology, said the faculty also voted on increasing faculty participation in decision-making and allowing full-time, non-tenure track faculty to decide on how they will be represented in university governance.

“These, too, received strong votes in support of including them in the electronic balloting to be held soon,” Hammack said.

Nicole Brown is investigative editor. Email her at nbrown@nyunews.com.

many students are joining me this week,” Anker said.

Other events this week include Food Festival, Clothing Swap and Food Justice in New York City.

“I am planning to go to Clothing Swap tonight and the Food Festival tomorrow,” said LSP freshman Jasmine Luo.“The ideas of events are really creative.”

Su Sie Park is a contributing writer. Neela Qadir is a deputy university editor. Email them at university@nyunews.com.

Violent crime rises in lower Manhattan PHOTOS: WILLIAM MARTIN/WSN

– TREVOR AGATSUMA, CHAPLAIN AFFILIATE

of Technology Officer Sean Collier.

Chaplains and staff counselors were present at the event for students who wanted to talk about the tragedy.

A common message throughout the vigil was to appreciate those around you and to offer

3

According to a report from the New York Police Department, violent crime has been on the rise in a number of Manhattan neighborhoods near campus, including Chelsea, Gramercy and SoHo. This contrasts with an overall drop in violent crime citywide.

During the same time period, both shootings and murders dropped 24 percent and 30 percent, respectively. However, in neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, the rate of violent crime increased 28.7 percent.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report defines violent crime as murder and non-negligent homicide, forcible rape, robbery or aggravated assault.

In the West Village, the NYPD’s 6th Precinct recently reported 44 felony assaults this year, a substantial increase from the 16 total reported last year. They have also found a 36.6 percent increase in grand larceny charges in that area.

However, the same precinct also noted a decline in nonviolent crime — robberies dropped from 43 percent to 26 percent, and the number of burglaries remained almost the same.

Nearby neighborhoods have noticed similar upward trends in violent crime. Gramercy, TriBeCa, SoHo and the Financial District have all seen increases in grand larceny, assault and rape.

Despite the proximity of the NYU campus to these neighborhoods, Patrick Wing, the NYU Public Safety Department’s director of uniform services and investigation, said that areas near campus buildings have been spared.

“We work very closely with the NYPD,” he said. “They help us identify those trends and patterns that affect the NYU community, but we haven’t seen much of these latest trends in our area.”

Wing noted that much of this crime increase has been happening nearby and around popular clubs. He also said some numbers in grand larceny are inflated by reports of stolen unattended property.

In WSN’s February article analyzing NYU’s most recent campus security report, burglary was the most frequent crime, with 254 on and off-campus incidents from 2009 to 2011.

Wing also noted that the monetary dividing line between robbery and the more serious crime of grand larceny is easily surpassed.

“If a bag contains a credit card or a phone and a few hundred dollars, the value very quickly approaches $1,000,” he said.

Jacqueline Hsia is a staff writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

VIA FLICKR.COM

The NYPD constantly communicates with NYU Public Safety.

4

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

BEAUTY AND STYLE

EDITED BY MICHELLE LIM BSTYLE@NYUNEWS.COM

HIPSTER continued from PG. 1

NYU students create unique styles from old hipster fashion

equated with work clothes.

When it came down to it, the rule of hipster fashion back in the day was to break the rules. “[They wore] oversized, untucked shirts when the rest of the population wore neat, tucked-in shirts,” Deihl said.

“Female hipsters wore flats when heels were in fashion and natural hairstyles when salon looks were the norm.”

The NYU hipster may deserve the title in terms of location, preference and style. However, these oncedifferent and innovative factors have become somewhat overdone in recent years. Deihl attributes this change to the commercialization of hipster lifestyle.

“The look has been quite thoroughly merchandised by retailers such as Urban Outfitters, so I wonder if it really has an authenticity left,” Deihl said.

Even many NYU students question the originality of today’s hipsters.

“One of my students said

recently that everyone looks different in the same way, which I think says a lot about people’s attempt to be hip,” Deihl added.

“Compared to the selfdescribed ‘real’ hipsters with their craft beer and handmade burlap shirts, most NYU hipsters seem to merely conform to Urban Outfitter catalogs,” Stern freshman Alex Zhong said.

Today it seems to take much more than just Doc Martens and skinny jeans to be deemed a hipster, especially when everyone is wearing them. Instead, the beatniks of today may be defined not so much by the way they dress as much as the way they think.

“What the term refers to, I believe, is a person who is familiar with current trends, cultural movements, someone whose occupation is often art, music or cinema related, someone on the forefront of the creative movement,” said Idil Tabanca, the editor-inchief of the indie culture

magazine BULLETT. Tabanca argues that a true hipster, who the magazine refers to as “tastemakers” or “influencers,” doesn’t necessarily have to do hipster-esque things to be considered indie.

“The mainstream, Urban Outfitters take on the hipster culture pretty much says they have mustaches, ride bikes, make cynical jokes, love to hate things and are usually vegan,” Tabanca said. “But I think that

there are a lot of trend-following, culturally relevant hipsters who don’t do any of these things.”

Whether NYU students fit the traditional notion of a hipster or the modern-day take on the title, it’s undeniable that the university has definitely created an image for itself — a look that is uniquely NYU. Marina Zheng is a staff writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.

RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN

Students sport modern hipster fashion in Union Square.

WHAT’S IN YOUR CLOSET?

By LAYLA ILCHI Tisch sophomore Michael “Miki” Torres doesn’t let the gloomy New York City days take over his wardrobe. Usually seen sporting bright colors, “Bill Cosby-esque sweaters” or uniquely designed Converse sneakers, this dramatic writing major is a risk-taker who is fearless in his apparel.

Torres is not hesitant about displaying his collection of Crocs. The pair that started his collection were the red, Target edition, which he received for free at a charity ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“I have four pairs: red, blue, green and yellow, and I’m working on orange and purple pairs,” Torres said.

“I even have a pair in leather. Crocs are quirky, comfortable and fun, and that’s why I wear them.”

There is no question that bright color is the most eye-catching aspect of Torres’ closet.

“Wearing bright colors cheers me up and does the same for the people I encounter,” he said. “I love red, purple, orange, yellow, blue and especially lime green.”

Other statement pieces in his closet consist of fancy pants, Mandarin collars and Christmas sweaters.

“I love to pair really opposite things together, like a vintage sweater over a pair of summer short shorts,” Torres said.

Despite his natural sense for style, Torres admits he would rather go to affordable shops that give him the opportunity to spread his positive energy easily.

“I would much prefer to go to an H&M [store] or Forever 21 and get something from there that allows me to express my colorful outlook on life,” he said.

It is this color-powered influence that inspires Torres’ screenplays. He usually incorporates color symbolism into his plays and is currently helping draft a prospective web series called “The Hood Lords” about a Mexican drug cartel.

And his go-to tunes for writing? While Torres can be found listening to electronic-pop, the vast majority of the time he’s listening to chiptunes, sounds made from GameBoy chips or soundtracks from Nintendo games, including Super Mario Bros.

“It’s upbeat, moving forward and conducive to work.

It also makes great background music,” Torres said.

In addition to writing, Torres contributes to the Tisch School of the Arts as an arts representative, where he speaks to prospective and newly admitted Tisch students and gives tours of the dramatic writing department. He also volunteers for arts education and youth development nonprofits, such as youth support groups DreamYard and Live Out Loud.

Staying true to his personality and creativity is what motivates Torres’ style.

“For me, style is about knowing yourself and getting back in touch with those childlike impulses to be fun and sometimes even a bit silly.”

Layla Ilchi is a staff writer.

Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.

WILLIAM MARTIN/WSN

Torres’ Crocs collection exemplifies his style.

NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

ARTS

EDITED BY JOSH JOHNSON ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

PHOENIX continued from PG. 1

‘Phoenix’ rises to the occasion on worthy ‘Wolfgang’ follow-up

Be Cool” and the melodious “Chloroform,” which comes equipped with strong electronic influences.

Unlike their 2009 breakout album “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” “Bankrupt” flies by smoothly and seamlessly, with each track lending itself to the following jingle. And while each single can stand alone as an intriguing expression of pop-rock finesse, the album begs to be appreciated as a whole rather than à la carte.

Phoenix has managed to produce an album that you’ll play on repeat for weeks, but the band also sends a cultural message. Through tracks like “The Real Thing,” in which Thomas Mars chants, “You’re Lancelot/20year-old and bored/Run for a better future,” the band urges a sense of self and encourage listeners to open their ears and minds.

This theme continues with the

socially aware “Bourgeois,” which unapologetically proclaims, “We’re destined, wise and we socialize/Bourgeois, why would you care for more?/ They gave you almost everything/You believed almost anything/Bourgeois, your fire’s a false alarm.”

The album serves as a reminder that although Phoenix has been a band for nearly 20 years, it continues to create music that appeals to listeners in a tactile and palpable manner, proving that the key to prolonged success is accessibility.

Whether you’re a die-hard Phoenix fan, “Bankrupt!” is certainly an album worthy of appreciation. Brimming with electronic beats, ear-pleasing hooks and intriguing transitions, the record is an experience itself.

Alana Drof is a contributing writer.

Email her at music@nyunews.com.

McConaughey keeps up hot streak in ‘Mud’

By IFE OLUJOBI

“Mud,” the third feature from “Take Shelter” director Jeff Nichols, takes a grim look at classic Americana through the eyes of two teenage boys. The duo meets a mysterious stranger who entangles them in his troubles with the law.

The film stars Matthew McConaughey as the eponymous Mud, a rough and resourceful loner who has taken refuge on the island to escape murder charges. He enlists the boys, Ellis and Neckbone, to help him reach his long-lost sweetheart, Juniper, and escape from the police.

The role is perfect for McConaughey, serving as a solid continuation of the hot streak he developed in 2012 with “Magic Mike,” “Killer Joe” and “Bernie.” While Mud is a little less nuanced and a little more irritating than his recent roles, McConaughey adds his signature swag and charm to the scruffy character.

Outside of McConaughey’s performance, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson and many other supporting players are lost in seemingly insignificant roles. The most notable of these is the fantastic Michael Shannon, who is wasted in his part as Neckbone’s uncle and guardian, Galen.

Tye Sheridan, who plays Ellis, starts the film with a performance as flat as his one-note sidekick Neckbone, portrayed by newcomer Jacob Lofland. But with each passing act, Sheridan’s performance grows stronger until he is able to offer real insight into Ellis’ trusting nature and violent tendencies.

Sam Shepard also gives a standout performance as Ellis’ neighbor, Tom Blankenship, who has a mysterious

5

COURTESY OF LIONSGATE

Star casting pushes Southern drama ‘Mud’ toward greatness. past with Mud. Shepard plays the part with just the right amount of stoicism and pain.

Viewers will have to adjust to the thick Southern drawls, especially that of McConaughey, Lofland and Sheridan. Thankfully, there is plenty of time for the accents to sink in, as the film runs for a long two hours and 15 minutes. Though there are definitely pacing issues, Nichols manages to wrap everything up with a dramatic and unexpected bang.

While Mud is the center of the film’s moral conflict, it is his relationships with the other main characters that drive the story and give it an emotional backbone. His relationship with Witherspoon’s character turns out to be more complicated, desperate and sad than it initially appears, adding needed layers of depth. It also leads to one of the more poignant moments near the end of the film.

“Mud” has extra time and unneeded characters to burn.

Still, it satisfies as an intriguing moral drama with a strong central cast and chalks up another tally in Matthew McConaughey’s win column.

Ife Olujobi is a staff writer.

Email her at film@nyunews.com.

Inconsistent ‘Jekyll’ torn apart by fluctuating quality

By OLIVIA GEORGE

A battle between good and evil rages on stage at the Marquis Theater in more ways than one in the revival production of Frank Wildhorn’s musical “Jekyll and Hyde.”

With a cast led by former “American Idol” contestant Constantine Maroulis and Grammy nominee Deborah Cox, director Jeff Calhoun’s show contains some genuinely impressive moments. But overall, as the story also goes, the good isn’t quite good enough to triumph in the end.

This musical adaptation of the classic story tells of Dr. Jekyll, a scientist convinced he has created a potion that will eliminate the evil aspects of human nature. Unable to find a volunteer to test the substance on, he takes it himself to deleterious effect. His potion causes the opposite of the intended effect and instead heightens the evil within him to the point of creating a sinister alter ego known as Mr. Hyde.

Cox takes on the role of the tragic heroine Lucy Harris, a prostitute who encounters the mercy of Jekyll, the abuse of Hyde and the affection of both. From her first number “Bring on the Men,” Cox’s characteristically strong vocals display great promise, and the subtle sadness with which she takes on the deceptively playful

lyrics suggest that the pop star may actually turn out to have the acting chops for the role.

Unfortunately, Cox proves unable to sustain her emotional depth through the second act, when Teal Wicks (“Wicked”), as Jekyll’s fiancée Emma, easily outshines her during their duet, “In His Eyes.”

Maroulis, though ultimately miscast, does a fair job in his embodiment of the kind, obsessive Dr. Jekyll. His rendition of “This is the Moment” is charged in a way that suggests the madness showcased by his alter ego’s persona is already present, and simply needed a push.

When Mr. Hyde is unleashed — along with the actor’s ponytail, to signify the change — Maroulis is slightly less convincing, approaching the character in a way that recalls a little too closely his turn in Broadway’s “Rock of Ages.”

The climactic number, “The Confrontation,” in which the actor playing Jekyll and Hyde sings a duet with himself in the musical manifestation of internal conflict, has long proved problematic.

While previous productions featured Robert Cuccioli and David Hasselhoff flinging their own locks back and forth over their faces in an effort to portray the duality, Calhoun chose to prerecord Hyde’s part and have a projection of the

COURTESY OF THE MARQUIS THEATRE

Elaborate, flashy stage set-up proves distracting in “Jekyll.” character sing it, while Maroulis in flesh tackled only Jekyll’s part.

Projections are featured heavily throughout the show and, combined with the loudly revamped score, have forced the show into a rock musical, a genre that feels completely out of place with the Victorian setting. The gimmicks create a disconnect for the audience that is even more unpleasant than the one experienced by the title character.

“Jekyll and Hyde” is playing now at the Marquis Theater at 1535 Broadway.

Olivia George is books/theater editor.

Email her at ogeorge@nyunews.com.

Death of ‘Buckwild’ star reveals dark side of reality television

By JAKE FOLSOM

Earlier this month, the breakout star of MTV’s “Buckwild” — 21-year-old Shain Gandee — died in an off-road car accident. Almost immediately following Gandee’s death, MTV announced the show’s cancellation. This is not just a familiar story, it’s the way pop cultural business is done— 15 minutes of supernova, and all that remains is stellar waste.

“Buckwild” had attracted controversy prior to its cancellation — Internet comments wished for it to go off air due to offensive content. People lamented the show’s disagreeable “Jackass” antics and its portrayal of local West Virginia. In fact, Senator Joe Manchin has even openly criticized the series for perpetuating stereotypes of his home state.

However, it seems that telling a person he shouldn’t be on television because he is “acting like a stereotype” is intolerance masking as political correctness.

This sort of controversy extends beyond recent MTV fare — TLC’s “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” sparked similar conversations, as did “Buckwild’s” aforementioned muse series, “Jersey Shore.”

COURTESY OF MTV

MTV reality star Shain Gandee died earlier this month.

Some people have expressed similar vitriol for “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’s” ThompsonShannon clan. Compared to the average New Yorker, the Thompson-Shannons have very different standards for polite conversation or what constitutes a healthy diet.

But beyond such cultural differences, there is not much wrong with the people of “Honey Boo Boo.” Mama June is a far cry from the domineering pageant mom archetype — instead, she treats her daughters with warmth and good humor. The laughs on “Honey Boo Boo” never come out of derision or scorn.

Shows like “Honey Boo Boo” are attempting to achieve entertainment — not sympathy. Like any form of entertainment, the value of reality television lies in storytelling. Critics often wonder whether the presence of a camera changes the way people behave.

But “Buckwild” didn’t make Gandee decide to partake in risky off-road driving — he died off-camera on an outing with his uncle.

Gandee’s death seems to underscore the point that, for many reality stars, the actions performed on television may not be such a far cry from those of the stars’ daily lives. Would Gandee lead the same life if there weren’t a camera pointed at him? To some degree, the answer is yes. “Buckwild” may not be grade-A entertainment, but censoring content just because it’s unpalatable to some is wrong.

What is most troublesome about Gandee’s death is MTV’s reaction to it. Wild redneck antics be damned, the crudest thing we saw with regard to “Buckwild” is MTV’s listless endorsement of the disposable celebrity.

Jake Folsom is a staff writer. Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.

6

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

Interested in working for us?

Come to our Sunday Pitch Meetings.

NEWS: 5 P.M. FEATURES: 6 P.M. ARTS: 6 P.M. SPORTS: 6:30 P.M. MULTIMEDIA: 7 P.M. OPINION: 7 P.M.

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Crossword Across

1 Wing it 6 It may dangle from a dog collar 11 San Francisco’s ___ Hill 14 Pioneer in 35mm cameras 15 Food strainer 16 It flows in the Seine 17 Kind of mint 19 Electee of ’48 20 Indeterminate ordinal 21 Eric who played the villain in 2009’s “Star Trek” 22 Lively wit 24 “Just you wait, ___ ’iggins …”

26 Chicken coop 28 It’s known as the Ship With the Mighty Stinger 31 Heading for half of crossword clues 32 Plunder 33 “So that’s done!”

35 How

mosquitoes can leave you 39 Game with matchsticks 40 Repeated “Wayne’s World” cry … or a hint to each half of 17-, 26-, 51- and 63-Across 42 Letters on a motel sign 43 First Hebrew letter 45 Oxy 10 target 46 Env. within an env., perhaps 47 Highland girl 49 Baked dessert with a little crunch 51 Traditional Chinese beverage 55 Instrument played with a bow 56 “I can ___” 57 Old schoolmistress 59 Unyielding Dr. Seuss character

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE M I S S S S T S

U S P S

I M E T

C A M E

A G I T A T A T I N E R A E M I S E C E S U R P L I E N N W A K

H E N O M H E E N W S I G R E C R P T I L E

S A L A M I

A R E A

G R I M A S L I D U N I P A T I D U I R I G N F I E F T D Y S

S S N D E C A A N S T S A E N L S A N I R S

F R I E N D S

L I A R

O M N I

E S S E

E C O S L T I A R V T I U L P E

R A N A T

M A N Y

E V E N

R E S T

62 “Honest” prez 63 Multiple-

company building, to Brits 66 Implore 67 One of the Simpsons 68 “___ Meenie” (2010 hit) 69 Done with a wink 70 Hair net 71 Oboes and saxes

Edited by Will Shortz 1

2

3

4

Down

6

17

9

10

11

26

29

30 33

35

52

36

60

61

42

45

47

38

31 34 41

44

37

23

27

40

43

13

19 22

25

32

12

16

21 24

51

8

18

20

28

7

15

39

1 Simpson of the SimpsonBowles commission 2 Adroit 3 Like ballerinas 4 Motel machine sign 5 Singer Streisand 6 “Love ___ the air” 7 Someone who’s “in the kitchen” in “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” 8 Easy-to-multiply number 9 Skin-care brand 10 “They All Laughed” composer 11 ___ jacket 12 Camel’s rest stop 13 Montana mining city 18 Locale for some brief R&R 23 France’s ___ d’Avignon 25 It’s above Alta. and Sask.

27 Comic who sang “I Love to Laugh” in “Mary Poppins” 28 Radius neighbor

5

14

No. 0319

46

48

49

53

54

56

57

50 55

58

59

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

puzzle by mike buckley

29 Earth

40 Ghostly figures

30 “Wheel of

41 Hors d’___

Fortune” category 34 List shortener: Abbr.

36 Former U.S. territory 37 Break into, as a computer 38 New Haven school

44 “Have mercy!,”

e.g.

46 Earth Day

prefix

48 Tennis’s Edberg 50 Cry in a forest 51 Snaps up 52 Maverick

53 Words of

passing interest?

54 Compañero 58 Served a ball

past

60 Nitric ___ 61 Vintage Jags 64 Frizzy do,

informally

65 Peggy of “Lady

and the Tramp”

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 | TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY SAMEER JAYWANT OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

SECURITY

Equal attention should be given to everyday threats

By MARCELO CICCONET

Those who live in Boston and have relatives or friends elsewhere probably received some type of message right after the bombings, asking if they were OK. The messages most certainly finished with something like, “Be careful.” For diplomatic reasons, one normally answers, “I will,” to such advice, while wondering how it is possible to be careful with respect to events of catastrophic nature, such as natural disasters and the unpredictable anger of apparently normal people.

Fortunately, most of us are able to forget these barbarities and go back to a normal routine after a certain period of perplexity and fear. Meanwhile, we hope there will be people — including ourselves — working on minimizing the chances of catastrophic events happening. People like President Barack Obama, who is pushing against guns being too easily available, and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who argues for a more serious study of the possible asteroids that could threaten our entire species.

When we discuss what to do against such threatening, rare occurrences, a statistically appealing counterargument appears. As pointed out by psy-

chologist Daniel Gilbert in an article for the journal Nature in 2011, “because resources are finite, every sensible thing we do is another sensible thing we don’t.”

“We worry more about shoe-bombers than influenza,” Gilbert argues, “despite the fact that one kills roughly 400,000 people per year, and the other kills roughly none.” Likewise, “we worry more about our children being kidnapped by strangers than about becoming obese, despite the fact that abduction is rare and diabetes is not.”

According to this argument, we should stop spending so much on counterterrorism and invest more on healthier food and ignore the battery problems of the Airbus Dreamliner to work on influenza research.

The idea is dangerous, however. First, it makes the outrageous assumption

that a certain number of individual lives is less important than a much greater number. It also ignores the escalation property — while terrorism didn’t claim many lives in comparison to certain diseases, for instance, they could conceivably come to possess nuclear weapons, thus becoming extremely threatening.

Third, even events that have not yet caused any human harm whatsoever, such as a large asteroid impact, are obviously worth worrying about.

Furthermore, there isn’t really a problem of resources, for there are plenty of cases where money is invested in things of questionable value. If you disagree, I’ve got a Renoir painting, a contract with a talented young Brazilian soccer player and a 34.65-carat pink diamond to sell you.

Our moral intuitions, crafted during thousands of years of evolution, direct our attention to threats caused by agents, like terrorists, rather than objects, like French fries. That awareness does mean we should be more rational on fighting life threats, but it doesn’t imply we can be more reckless about rare events.

Marcelo Cicconet is a staff columnist.

Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

New tests, guidelines are bad for students

By BRITTANY SHERMAN

It’s a scary world we live in where 10 and 11-year-olds wake up crying from a nightmare about failing a test or forgetting to bubble in an answer key. A world where after-school activities are no longer simply sports but intense study sessions filled with math and English lessons — test drills that are accompanied by yoga sessions and breathing exercises.

This is exactly what is occurring in the New York public school system. The state has chosen to align its new tests with Common Core Standards, which are uniform academic guidelines being adopted by various states and pushed forward by the Obama administration.

These new tests have a greater focus on critical thinking skills, abstract reasoning, math and reading. This would have been great if the schools had been ready to adopt the tests.

Although $125 million has already been spent on the Common Core teacher-training sessions and Common Core leaders, public schools in New York City have yet to adapt their curricula to the new standards. In fact, much of the material that is presented to students on tests has not been taught yet. How can any fruitful and

SUBMITTING TO

7

meaningful results arise from these tests if the students are unaware of the material presented to them?

In defense of the new tests and their implementation at this time, Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the State Board of Regents, says that most New York high school graduates are unprepared for college-level work, and that the state could not wait any longer. Certainly, it makes sense for New York and other states to move toward a more rigorous academic curriculum and testing measures for their students. It is a crucial problem that students who graduate from high school in New York still feel unprepared when they reach college.

However, it is nonsensical to implement tests that are more rigorous than the current curriculum. The two

must converge, not diverge. Until they become aligned, there is little hope that students will perform well on these tests.

A subsequent issue is the significance of the score, not only to administrators but also to students. The scores that students receive on these tests could determine where they go to middle or high school in 2014. Students are stressed, and rightfully so, about their scores and, ultimately, their futures. As a result, parents are now asking principals to postpone science fairs because they add too much additional pressure to their children’s lives. This situation cannot be healthy.

At the end of the day, it is important to take a step back and consider why all of these changes are occurring. Undoubtedly, students are supposed to benefit, but they are missing out on science fairs because they are spending weekends at study sessions and doing yoga to relax.

There is something terribly wrong with this situation. The state needs to think long and hard about how they can benefit their children in the long run without hurting them in the short run. Right now they are doing the exact opposite.

Brittany Sherman is a staff columnist.

Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Minimum smoking age must not be raised

On Monday, New York City’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, proposed raising the legal age limit for buying cigarettes to 21. Supported by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the proposal would impose the most restrictive limits on cigarette purchases in the country, as all states except four have a legal limit of 18. The idea is clearly part of Bloomberg’s litany of restrictive health proposals that his administration is trying to implement in the remaining months of his mayorship. Although such a law could potentially decrease smoking among youth in the short term, it raises concerning implications about the rights accorded to individuals once they become legal adults.

Though it seems Bloomberg is simply trying to impose his moral code on the entire city, there are interesting points to make where public health is concerned. Studies have shown that early initiation of smoking implies a greater chance of addiction or even more severe smoking habits later in life. It has also been shown that cigarette smoke makes adolescent brains more prone to alcoholism and the use of cannabis.

But the notion that criminalizing the purchase of cigarettes for anyone under 21 would drastically reduce the number of young nicotine addicts is only tenable in a myopic perspective of our world.

The proposed law only illegalizes the action of purchasing packs of these cancer sticks — possessing and smoking them is still permitted for anyone. This effectively undermines the punitive aspect of the idea, as the innovative and streetsmart youth of New York City will likely encounter little difficulty in finding acquaintances over the age of 21 to buy cigarettes for them.

In the end, no matter how many laws and regulations are passed in an effort to deter unhealthy habits, those habits remain a matter of personal choice.

The American public has been well informed of the detrimental effects of smoking cigarettes. A legal adult who, at the age of 18, is permitted the freedoms of buying a house, casting a ballot and enlisting in the military should be allowed to make a decision regarding his own body and health.

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.

8

NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

SPORTS

EDITED BY MARY JANE DUMANKAYA SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

NYU Ping-Pong team makes leaves its mark on New York circuit

By SEBASTIEN VAN HEYNINGEN

Is it table tennis or Ping-Pong? NYU captain Kenneth Lim doesn’t really care, and his team is too good for it to matter. This year, the NYU table tennis team swept all of the regional titles.

The NYU table tennis team, founded in 2006, competes in the Downtown NYC Division and the Northeast Region of the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association. The table tennis season starts in early September and ends in May with two divisional tournaments, one in fall and one in spring. If the team does well, they qualify for the regional championship and perhaps even the national championship.

Table tennis has become an established club team at NYU with weekly practices held at King Pong in SoHo. The head coach for NYU is Vivian Hiroka Ooka, a former national junior champion in China and a former Japanese National Team member.

CAS junior Lim joined the team as a freshman in 2010 and became a captain the next year.

“There’s not a big athletics culture at our school, but we’re hoping to change that by doing well,” Lim said.

The NYU table tennis team is split up into a men’s A and B team, as well as a women’s team. The women’s team and the men’s A team compete in the NCTTA. Both squads hold tryouts at the

beginning of each semester and, like all sports, experience is a plus, but those without a background in table tennis do not need to worry.

“I’d love to take in everyone who’s interested in table tennis,” Lim said.

He added that the team is always looking for “people who love and enjoy table tennis, desire to improve and are committed to the team.”

NYU competes regularly against schools such as Princeton University, Harvard University and cross-town rival Columbia University. Kenneth pegs Columbia as NYU’s main rival.

“I’m happy to say we’re on a 2-0 streak … winning the past two Downtown Divisional titles,” Lim said.

NYU men and women’s teams won the Downtown NYC Division, with Stern senior Sandra Go named the women’s champion and Stern freshman Michael Landers the men’s champion. NYU also won both the men’s and women’s championships at the 2013 NCTTA Northeast Regional Championships on Feb. 23, held at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Landers was the 2013 NCTAA men’s singles regional champion.

Both NYU teams qualified for the NCTTA National Championships, held in Rockford, Ill. from April 11 to 14. The NYU women’s team finished third with a victory over Cornell University 3-2. NYU’s co-ed team finished 19 of 24 teams. Texas

Wesleyan University swept both the men and women’s championship.

Go and Landers both made it to the quarterfinals at nationals for women’s singles and men’s singles, respectively.

Landers was the 2009 National Table Tennis Champion and recently made a bid for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.

NYU table tennis is yet another sparkling example of NYU students excelling in their respective fields while building lifelong connections with their peers.

The best illustration of this sentiment came when Lim discussed his pre-game rituals.

“I make it a point to always do a group huddle before the tournament starts,” he said. “We have a great team with a great team spirit, and I want to make sure both my players and our opponents remember that.”

Sebastien Van Heyningen is a staff writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF NYU

NYU’s men and women’s teams won the regional tournament championship.

nyunews.com