WSN042712

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

washington square news Vol. 40, No. 54

Senator battles student loan rates

FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012

nyunews.com

V.P. Biden visits NYU, praises Obama

By Tatiana Baez Education comes at a cost, and that cost may rise even higher by the end of the year.

Though the current 3.4 percent interest rate on Stafford student loans is expected to double in July, New York Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is co-sponsoring an upcoming bill from Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) to prevent the increased accrual rates.

This increase is estimated to affect 7.4 million borrowers nationwide.

“The thought of this burden growing is like nails on a chalkboard,” Schumer said at a press conference earlier this week.

Lawrence White, an economics professor at the Stern School of Business, said he also believes the interest rate in student loans should not be increased. “[The increase] should be applied to new loans as they are granted and not to existing loans,” White said.

R INTEREST continued on PG. 3

Aarushi Chopra/WSN

Biden was introduced Thursday morning by Sara Moe, campus coordinator for the NYU Students For Barack Obama.

By Kayla Epstein Yesterday, the courtyard at the NYU School of Law was filled to capacity with students, members of the press and the United States Secret Service for Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign speech.

‘Veep’ star discusses venture into TV comedy

By Jeremy Grossman

It is no easy task for an actor to hold his own against a comedic legend like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, but Timothy Simons does just that on HBO’s new series, “Veep.”

The show stars the “Seinfeld” veteran as the stressed-out, foulmouthed U.S. Vice President Selina Meyer. Simons plays White House liaison Jonah Ryan, who feels entitled to boss around the vice president and her cabinet.

“To play a character that has absolutely no shame in what he says or does is a really fun thing,” Simons said, who described his character’s main intention as aggravating the V.P. as much as possible.

R VEEP continued on PG. 7

Courtesy of Bill Gray/HBO

Timothy Simons stars as a White House liasion in “Veep.”

His address focused on the success of the Obama administration’s foreign policy and laid out future foreign policy plans while drawing a sharp contrast between Obama’s policies and the proposed policies of Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney.

Zachary B. Taylor, president of the NYU College Democrats and a CAS senior, said Biden was formally invited as a guestspeaker when the Obama-Biden campaign reached out to the club last week. According to the campaign, NYU was chosen be-

cause of its national status as a premier academic institution.

“It’s been a crazy week,” Taylor said. “Everything happened in a very short time. Our conversations happened in the space of a

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Graduate student works to spread LOVE, empower Latina youth

By Esha Ray

While working with Life is Precious, a suicide-prevention program directed toward young Latinas in New York City, Wagner second-year graduate student Claudia Espinosa realized that she wanted to do something more to help young Latinas not only avoid suicide but continue to succeed.

According to research from the National Women’s Law Center, young Latina women have one of the highest school dropout rates — exceeding AfricanAmerican and Asian-American adolescents — as well as the highest rates of teen pregnancy.

“This all happens among young Latinas,” Espinosa said. “So I decided to create a program on my own

that would help the community.”

In collaboration with the Latino Studies program, the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs at NYU and the Teaching and Learning program in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, her program Latinas On the Verge of Excellence works to provide support and education to young Latinas in the city.

The girls in the program are middle and high school students who currently meet every Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. at NYU. There, they work one-on-one and in groups with their NYU student mentors in a variety of subjects. The program also hosts presentations from guest speakers to talk about different career paths, representing diverse

options from the arts to health care. Though the program was initially conceived last October, LOVE was officially initiated this spring.

Espinosa said she has already seen much enthusiasm from the girls.

“It’s up to them to come to us,” Espinosa said. “You can see that they really want to be a part of the program. You can see the motivation.”

Some of the older girls come to the program to receive guidance on how to apply for college and receive financial aid.

“I hope the mentees, in being exposed to Katinas that have gone on to college, see that these colleges are actually accessible to them,” NYU’s Latino Studies

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Washington Square news | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | nyunews.com

on the side

Compiled by the

WSN staff

weekend agenda Washington Square News

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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

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,

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BRIDGETTE DORAN

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deputy staff

em ap

university eric benson, eliza-

beth maguire

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city/state tony chau, kristine

itliong, jessica schultz

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3 Ma pc ou

rt est y

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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 ALL PHOTOS VIA FLICKR

THIS WEEKEND 1

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Friday | 11 p.m. | Le Poisson Rouge | 158 Bleecker St.

Saturday | 12 a.m. | Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater | 425 Lafayette St.

The Freedom Party

Three renowned disc jockeys will spin both ’70s-era and contemporary soul music during this danceathon at one of the Village’s most popular venues.

opinion page

3

Never Sleep Alone

Famed character-actor and cabaret singer Roslyn Hart debuts her new show, in which she plays a sexual psychologist who tries to get single audience members together during the show. Participants get $5 off the price of admission.

special issues kristina bogos multimedia james kelleher copy jordan melendrez social media agent nicole gartside

Sunday | 5 p.m. | Coles Sports Center | 181 Mercer St.

Relay for Life

Join a team for one of NYU’s most popular events. The allnight Relay for Life walk will benefit the American Cancer Society. Registration is open through Sunday.

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

Lonely cow Darcy, a dairy cow from a Brush, Colo., farm, escaped from her pen and headed to a local McDonald’s half a mile away. When the cow appeared at the drive-thru window, the attendant called the police. Sandy Winn, Darcy’s owner, said that the animal is normally well-behaved until she gets bored; then, she goes looking for attention. Winn did not realize the cow was missing until the police called. Brush Police Department clerk Vivian Llewellyn said Darcy did not order a burger during the visit.

— The Associated Press

Harvard University

PHOTO BY Rachel Kaplan

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

Laptop thefts double in April

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.

Columbia University

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.

— The Harvard Crimson

Dozens of peculiar stringed instruments hang in a guitar shop in Williamsburg.

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Columbia expands reach to Latin America — Columbia Daily Spectator

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nyunews.com | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | Washington Square news

Tatiana Baez is a staff writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

As the clock ticks down toward the New York City Councils’s vote on NYU’s 2031 expansion plan, more than 150 advocates and opponents of the plan presented their case before the City Planning Commission in the first public hearing on Wednesday.

NYU 2031 is a 20-year campus expansion plan that looks to add 6 million square feet to the NYU campus. The project includes building in the current Washington Square campus, Brooklyn and additional areas of Manhattan. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the university’s construction plan in mid-June.

File photo by Rachel Kaplan

Village residents protested against NYU’s expansion plans in February.

Though expansion in areas like Downtown Brooklyn has been welcomed by community leaders as an effort to stimulate the local economy, the 2.2 million square feet portion of the design that has been designated for the Washington Square campus has been met with much contention from Village residents.

Some residents communicated their lack of trust in NYU as a transparent institution through testimonies against the expansion plan in the packed Museum of the American Indian auditorium located in the Financial District.

“NYU claims it has listened to its neighbors, but in reality they have forged a plan that violates all of our fundamental concerns,” said Andrew Berman, the executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation.

Many Village stalwarts, including Community Board 2’s Terri Cude, also pointed to fundamental concerns centered around green spaces in the Village. Cude said the university’s planned Philosophy Garden, which would sit in the middle of the construction plan, would only serve to further alienate Villagers.

“The vast majority of people there are there for an educational purpose, a purpose that everyone supports,” Cude said. “But that’s what that open space will be. Other people will not go there, any more than they go to Schwartz Plaza now.”

$3,881

$3,561

$3,455

OPPS For the Cure

$4,095

DPhie Alpha

$4,168

University Hall

$4,535

Alpha Epsilon Phi

$5,275

Rubin Hall

$10,171

KRISTINA BOGOS/WSN

or in support of a loved one affected by cancer. These bags line the track for the rest of the night.”

In 2002, the event was proposed by Pi Kappa Alpha member and cancer survivor Matt Parvin. Today, PKA has raised the second highest amount of money for the cause, after Zeta Beta Tau. According to Childhood Cancer Society and PKA team leader Adam LudwigButterfield, Relay for Life is even more special to PKA this year because Parvin will be in attendance.

“We look at Relay for Life as our biggest event of the year and cannot wait to raise $20,000 this year for the cause,” Ludwig-Butterfield said. “We’ve held bake sales [with Insomnia cookies], basketball tournaments, alumni conference events and more to fundraise.”

ZBT team leader Cameron Wolf said the fraternity has held a variety of effective fundraisers throughout the semester, including a raffle and fundraisers at California Pizza Kitchen and 16 Handles.

Mixed reactions to NYU 2031 voiced at public hearing

By Hanqing Chen

Money raised as of 5 p.m. on April 26, 2012:

$18,940

Sigma

From this Saturday night to Sunday morning, 75 teams will fill the Coles Sports Center with hope. NYU will host its annual Relay for Life, a 12-hour event benefiting the American Cancer Society, to raise funds for cancer research. Teams come together from all sectors of the NYU community, including Greek life, residence halls, sports teams, clubs, organizations and independent student teams.

This year’s theme is iRelay10.0, in honor of technological icon Steve Jobs who passed away earlier this year from pancreatic cancer. This marks the 10year anniversary of Relay at NYU. So far, teams have raised $135,345. Last year, they raised $174,274.

The event is hosted by the NYU Chapter of Colleges Against Cancer. Emily Soukas, event chair and team captain for CAC, said one of the most successful fund-raising and spirit-raising initiatives this year was Food Truck Frenzy, an event in which food trucks position themselves in various locations by NYU buildings and donate a portion of their proceeds to the cause.

But for Soukas, remembering who people have lost is just as important as raising funds for the cure.

“The Luminaria Ceremony, a time of reflection, is the true essence of Relay,” she said. “During this special ceremony we light Luminaria Bags ­— white paper bags lit by a glowstick that has been decorated — in honor of, in memory of

$20,957

Phi Epsilon

By Claire Zajdel

Kappa Kappa Gamma

I’m mildly in support of the policy.”

Students are rallying behind Schumer’s position, objecting to having to pay any more money for their educations.

Silver sophomore Kristen Tkacz said the increase in interest rate will have a negative impact on many students. “[The increase] will affect every student and make college so much more expensive,” Tkacz said. “Why are they trying to increase the rates now, when tuition is higher than ever?”

Others are approaching the possible increase with a positive attitude, saying it will benefit the economy overall.

“Investment in human capital, especially at a young age, will always be worth it,” CAS freshman Eric Ives said. “Even though this affects a lot of people, the return will be worth it.”

Colleges Against Cancer

But the rise in interest rates could contribute to the productivity of the economy in the future, economics professor Kei Kawai said.

Though the interest rate increase may seem detrimental to students and families of college students, Kawai said the intended effect of the interest hike is to raise revenue.

She said the potential group of people who may be affected are low- to middle-income students who do not qualify for scholarships and fellowships. She added that the impact of an interest hike on a prospective student’s decision is minimal.

“Given that my guess is the tax hike will increase revenue and is not very likely to change the college going behavior of high school students, the policy doesn’t seem too bad in my opinion,” Kawai said. “While I am sympathetic toward students who will face higher future interest rates, from a social perspective,

Pi Kappa Alpha

Senators tackle student loan interest spikes

NYU community prepares for this weekend’s 10th annual Relay for Life Zeta Beta Tau Gamma

INTEREST continued from PG. 1

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While the lines between Village representatives and NYU administration about NYU 2031 are clear, the division among the larger NYU community is blurred. Some, like Tisch junior Nicholas Desmoines, are against the plan.

“I feel guilty to be part of a university that is hurting its community,” Desmoines said.

However, others see the clear academic need for the expansion.

“The Zipper [Gym] building allows us high ceilings, column free space to accommodate a fly-loft theater, production shops, studios and easy, ground floor access to the public for our theatrical productions,” Tisch Dean Mary Campbell said.

Campbell also pointed out that while the Tisch School of the Arts only enrolled 500 performing students in the 1980s, currently the school boasts around 2,000 performing arts undergraduates. She added that facilities have not been updated to suit this increase.

Other faculty members, including Ann Pellegrini, a professor of performance studies and religious studies, said they stood with Village residents.

“The 40 percent of NYU faculty who live in the super blocks aren’t feeling so super duper as we contemplate our next 20 years,” Pellegrini said.

Hanqing Chen is investigative editor.

Email her at hchen@nyunews.com.

“Cancer is something that affects a lot of people, and it has been an incredible experience to help out in any way,” Wolf said. “The bonds between our brothers strengthened immensely through our hard work, and we are very proud of our contribution to the American Cancer Society.”

Other efforts around NYU include University residence hall’s Carnival for Life, the Organization for the Promotion of Pediatric Strength’s Super Smash Bros’ video game tournament and Third Avenue North residence hall’s Lip Sync for Life contest.

“It brings people together in the same room for one night who otherwise would never interact or have a reason to know one another,” Soukas said. “There is truly every type of NYU student in the room that night: Gallatin to Stern to grad students to alumni. Everyone is there working together towards a cure.”

Claire Zajdel is a staff writer.

Email her at university@nyunews.com.

BIDEN continued from PG. 1

Biden discusses Obama’s foreign policy few minutes rather than a few weeks.”

Biden said Americans must compare Obama’s record with Romney’s rhetoric. He dismissed Romney’s criticisms by systematically relaying the key successes of Obama’s foreign policy, from the withdrawal of troops in Iran and Afghanistan to the long-awaited killing of Osama bin Laden.

“If you’re looking for a bumper sticker to sum up how Obama has handled what we inherited, it would be this: Bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive,” Biden said.

In his speech, Biden framed the victories the president has won. He also discounted Romney’s remarks against Obama’s foreign policy.

“Romney wants to take us back to the past we’ve worked so hard to move beyond,” Biden said. “He is looking through the glass of a rear-view window.”

Biden cited Romney’s references to Russia as America’s primary geopolitical threat and the governor’s calls to engage aggressively with Iran.

Biden then pointed to the

Obama administration’s diplomatic efforts and the need for global burden-sharing.

Steinhardt senior Colleen Hagerty said she found Biden’s speech refreshing.

“It was nice to hear something other than the rhetoric that young voters have been getting lately about student loans,” Hagerty said.

“Biden took us seriously, he addressed us on an issue that really is important to [students]. Foreign policy remarks often aren’t directed at younger voters but it is an issue we really care about.”

CAS sophomore Danielle Herring left the talk convinced that she will be voting for Obama in November.

“I was expecting more of a speech on foreign policy in general, more of an overview on what America is planning on doing in the future,” Herring said. “But I think it did a good job of explaining our foreign policy and what America has done in the last four years.”

Kayla Epstein is a contributing writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square news | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | nyunews.com

NYU professors selected to join American Academy of Arts & Sciences

By Rachel Thimke

This month, eight NYU faculty were elected to join the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. The Academy is an independent policy research center where fellows study complex and emerging problems in today’s political, socio-economic and cultural spheres. There are currently more than 250 Nobel Laureates and 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.

The following NYU faculty members will be inducted at a ceremony on Oct. 6, 2012 in Cambridge, Mass.:

via philosophy.fas.nyu.edu

Paul Boghossian, Silver professor of Philosophy Boghossian, who served as NYU’s chair of Philosophy for 10 years, is now director of the New York Institute of Philosophy. His studies include the mind and concepts of language and epistemology. “I am working on two book projects,” Bonghossian said. “One is on normative objectivity, on how there could be objective facts about what one ought to do and think. And the other is on self-knowledge.” He plans to continue thinking, writing and teaching.

via stern.nyu.edu

Richard Sylla, Henry Kaufman professor at Stern In the past, Sylla was the president of both the Economic History Association and the Business History Conference. Currently, he is the chairman of the Museum of American Finance. “I’m an economist with a passion for financial history because financial modernization played such a key part in historical economic development and growth,” he said. Sylla is also working on a book-length study of the financial policies of Alexander Hamilton, who was elected a Fellow of AAAS in 1791.

via nyu.edu

Marvin Trachtenberg, Edith Kitzmiller professor of Fine Arts “It’s hard to imagine what could be a greater honor than to be elected a member of the Academy,” Trachtenberg, who attended NYU from 1961 to 1962, said. “To read the history of this extraordinary institution, and scan its full membership list, gives one a sense of the depth, breadth and vitality of intellectual life in this country.” After completing his current book, “Brunelleschi and the Pazzi Chapel: Architectures of Embodied Experience,” Tachtenberg will continue his own research. “[I want] to continue work on the role of pre-modern architecture, of the medieval-Renaissance period, in the history of science, specifically its contribution to the production of knowledge,” he said.

via as.nyu.edu

Crispin James Garth Wright, professor of Philosophy Wright’s research concentrates on the philosophies of math, metaphysics and epistemology. Currently, collections of his papers “The Riddle of Vagueness” and “Imploding the Demon” are in the process of publication by the Oxford University Press. “It is a very singular honor, and I am delighted with it,” Wright said. “The Academy has, of course, an enormously distinguished fellowship, across all walks of life, but it is especially gratifying, and perhaps particularly so as a foreign national, to be placed in the company of so many of the very finest contemporary philosophical minds.”

via its.law.nyu.edu

Daryl Levinson, David Boies professor of Law Levinson has taught at NYU on-and-off for the past 10 years. His studies concentrate on constitutional law theory, remedies and sanctions.

“He is a leading expert in constitutional law and theory and one of the very best public law scholars in the country,” NYU Law dean Richard Revesz said. “An extraordinarily erudite academic, Daryl draws upon interdisciplinary sources from economics, public choice, political theory and philosophy, and his highly original scholarship touches on an exceptionally broad array of issues.”

via psych.nyu.edu

Yaacov Trope, professor of Psychology Trope concentrates his psychology research in the areas of cognition and perception. “It is a great honor I’m sharing with the students who have worked in my lab over the years,” Trope said. He is currently delving into social interaction and self-assessment. “[I research] how socially close or distant the people we learn from are and what we learn from them,” Trope said. “[I try] to examine the psychological mechanisms that enable people to go beyond those myopic concerns and see themselves in the future, through another person’s eyes, in different societies and cultures, and in hypothetical and novel situations.”

via med.nyu.edu

Danny Reinberg, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Reinberg is a biochemist and has served as director of the Laboratory of Dr. Danny Reinberg since 2006. For 20 years prior, Reinberg was an independent investigator at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where he studied ribonucleic acid polymerase. Currently, he and his team are researching the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics, or the extra-genetic information that creates the various genetic combinations found in different cells.

via psych.nyu.edu

Elizabeth Phelps, Silver professor of Psychology and Neural Science Phelps specializes in psychology and neural science and is the lab director of the Phelps Lab. Her research concentrates on the effect of emotion on memory and learning. After receiving her doctorates from Princeton University in 1989, Phelps served as a faculty member at Yale University until 1999. She is a recipient of the 21st Century Scientist Award from the James S. McConnell Foundation and was president of the Society for Neuroeconomics.

Rachel Thimke is a contributing writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

New York State passes new law against pet theft

By Kayana Jean-Philippe In New York, a stolen dog or cat could now land the thieves a prison sentence for up to four years.

Senator Carl Marcellino’s bill discouraging pet theft was passed last week. The bill, which has a number of strong sponsors in New York legislature, states that pet theft could lead to grand larceny in the fourth degree.

According to the American Kennel Club’s Pet Theft Database, pet theft increased in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, approximately 177 pets were reported as stolen.

Kirk Ives, Marcellino’s Chief of Staff, said the bill was first introduced in 1999 and arose from a constituent’s complaint about someone stealing their pet.

“The police didn’t pursue it because it’s hard to put a value on a dog,” Ives said. “We needed a bill that would prevent pet theft by increasing the penalty for it.”

Assemblywoman Deborah Glick thought it seemed appropriate that animal theft should impose a felony with substantial negative ramifications.

“There are several reasons why someone would steal a companion

animal,” Glick said. “Some thefts want to gain a reward or profit. Some steal pets to use as training animals for dog fighting. Others steal pets in the context of domestic violation.”

Cruelty-Free NYU, a student group that supports the animal rights bill, said it overlooks animals beyond the domestic level.

According to Marguerite Campbell, president of Cruelty-Free NYU, more than 10 billion land animals are suffering each year in the United States. She added that Cruelty-Free NYU would like to see a bill that prevents the suffering of all types of animals.

“We must extend our compassion and legal protection to all animals, including cats, dogs, pigs and chickens,” Campbell said. “As they have the same capacities for suffering and happiness, whether or not we see them as friends or food.”

Lisette Smith, a 17-year-old dog owner from Westchester, N.Y., said the bill and the awareness of the issue would help decrease the amount of pet thefts.

“Although it does make me feel more secure about my dog, I think it’s still the owner’s responsibility to keep close oversight of their dog,” Smith said. “It’s important for people to know about

File photo by David Lin

Some dog owners said the bill would decrease pet thefts. this issue. Now that I am aware of this issue, I will definitely think twice about where I go and what I let my dog do on his own.”

But SCPS freshmen Melissa Peng said though the bill will not change the oversight of her dog, she feels more secure about her dog’s safety.

“With the security of knowing that pet thefts will be prosecuted, it’ll remove some of the pet snatchers from the public,” Peng said.

Kayana Jean-Philippe is a contributing writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

NYU London gears up for summer Olympics

By Hanqing Chen With the Summer Olympics around the corner, NYU in London is gearing up for the international games.

Many faculty members have been taking advantage of the cultural boom the Olympics have begun to create for the city.

Michael Hattaway, a professor of literature, said he has been taking his students to Shakespearean plays in the spirit of the Cultural Olympiad, an event that runs in conjunction with the Olympics and celebrates the city’s cultural traditions.

“The cultural riches of London never cease to amaze me,” Hattaway said.

NYU London’s Student Activities Office has also secured tickets to a wide array of Olympius-related activities for students, including a tour of Greenwich where some Olympic competitions will take place, the world famous Wimbledon tennis club and a viewing of Olympic trial events in Stratford.

“There will be loads for new students to do in London as part of the Olympic legacy,” said Philip Woods, a professor at NYU London and Kingston University.

To accommodate for the upcoming Olympics, both the College of Arts and Science and the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development are also closing up their programs early this summer. They will all end

by July 26, the day before the Olympics start on July 27.

“Because there will be no programs running courses in London during the Olympics there will be no special activities hosted at the NYU London center,” said Chris Nicolussi, senior director of students, services and support. “Many of the NYU staff in London are either volunteering at the Games or have tickets to see some of the competitions.”

Hanqing Chen is investigative editor. Email her at hchen@nyunews.com.

nyunews.com | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | Washington Square news

Theatrical Trillion Dollar Day fuels action against student debt

By Rita Solomon

Students, professors and demonstrators gathered in Union Square on Wednesday afternoon to protest the rise of student debt.

Organized by the Occupy Student Debt Campaign, this nationwide day of action — dubbed One Trillion Dollar Day — consisted of theatrical enactments by street performers and musical recitals and speeches by organizers.

Demonstrators also marched to Wall Street.

The campaign, which started last November, focuses on fiscal transparency within schools, zero-interest on student debt and government-funded public higher education.

The rally gathered a large crowd of about 100 protesters, carrying enlarged dollar signs and chanting familiar Occupy Wall Street chants like, “Hey hey, ho ho, student debt has got to go,” and “We are the 99 percent.”

Andrew Ross, a social and cultural analysis professor and an organizer of the Occupy Student Debt Campaign, said there has been a unusually high degree of protests by people who are

stepping up to take citizenship seriously.

“For students who are going to college who might be oblivious to all that is happening on their doorstep, I think it’s important to open their eyes to what is going on because this kind of thing doesn’t happen very often,” he said.

Robert Oxford, a GSAS graduate student and member of the campaign, said now is the time for students to become aware of the connection between Wall Street and high student debt.

“We want to show that this is a larger issue,” he said. “Our campaign seeks to break this link between Wall Street and higher education that leaves more and more students in financial peril for simply getting a degree.”

Several protesters celebrated the event by mocking bankers. They dressed up in suits and drank glasses of champagne while others dressed in orange jumpsuits and shackles to symbolize the state of students under debt.

After various cheers and jeers from the crowd, organizers banded together and alternately gave speeches.

Rachel Kaplan/WSN

About 100 demonstrators gathered in Union Square.

Finally, cheers resounded as protesters proceeded to burn their loan papers in front of the crowd.

“This demonstration shows how people feel about [student debt],” NYU alumna Chelsea Volpe said. “It’s risen to the point where people are rebelling, and it’s an outcry.”

Katherine De La Rosa, a sophomore at the City College of New York, said she thinks the demonstration and campaign will inspire further conversation.

“But frankly, I’m not sure if either will affect any changes in the long run,” she added.

Rita Solomon is a staff writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

Thoughts from NYU’s newest members The NYU Class of 2016 boasts students from all across the country and world.

WSN talked to a few of these rising college freshmen about some of their hopes for the experiences that await at NYU. “NYU is a truly global network. The [Global Liberal Studies Program] and travel that I’ll be able to do will allow me to experience different cultures and lifestyles. My last major reason that I am in love with NYU is the city! New York City is incredible. Every time I’m there, I get this fluttery feeling like anything could happen in an instant. There are endless possibilities in New York City and, therefore, NYU.” — Kaitlyn Kieronski, 17 | Global Liberal Studies Program | Benet Academy (Illinois)

“What first drew me to attend NYU was the sense of openness in the community and in the philosophy of the school. When I visited NYU, I felt that it was a place where I could go and truly be myself, without having to fit a mold, as in some other schools. I knew that being in New York provided me with professional, social and cultural opportunities that no other school would.”

— Arielle Solomon, 18 | Education in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development | Fox Lane High School (New York)

“The city life fascinates me, and I knew that I wanted to be in the city through my college experience.

When I looked into NYU I was excited by the real world experiences it offered, in the city and all over the world. I am confident that I will be successful in fusing my passion for dancing with my aspirations to graduate with a business degree.”

— Jacqueline Ledesma, 17 | Management in the Stern School of Business | Harrison High School (New York)

“I really want to try the equipment they have at the NYU Game Center. I read about it in the Times. I’m a really big gamer, so I’ll probably be in there my whole time at NYU, working on my game-making skills.”

— James Zhang, 18 | Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences | Harvard-West lake High School (California)

“I hoped to find a college with a sense of diversity similar to that of my high school, and I felt NYU really captured this particular quality. NYU also has a strong grounding in the arts, and while I’m not going into an art major, I look forward to attending a production or art exhibition held by the university.”

— Camille Torio, 18 | College of Nursing | St. Agnes Academy (Texas)

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Bloomberg proposes new anti-smoking bill

By Emily Yang

In an effort to wage his war against smoking, Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced a bill last week that would force owners of residential buildings to adopt and enforce stricter smoking policies.

The bill would apply to buildings with three or more apartments, and violators would be fined $100 for breaking the rules that have been established by individual property owners. Bloomberg’s bill requires building owners to inform prospective tenants and purchasers about where smoking is allowed.

While the bill does not specify how the policies will be enforced, Donna Shelley, associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and former director of the tobacco control program at the New York City Department of Health, said these types of policies are self-enforcing.

“In this case, it’s really going to depend on the neighbors in the building wanting to enforce the policy itself by asking their neighbors to stop or notifying whoever the authorities are,” Shelley said. “Self-enforcement works better than expecting the city to be monitoring the situation on a regular basis because they can’t really be there all the time.”

Though this has not been officially proposed in the city, Shelley said many localities outside of New York City have already put in such regulations.

John Sirabella, the New York City Coalition for a Smoke-Free City communications manager, said the coalition and its partners in other boroughs plan to spread the word about the benefits of smoke-free housing.

“We believe that every New Yorker has the right to breathe smoke free air in where they live, work and play,” Sirabella said.

However, Audrey Silk, founder of Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, said she disagrees with the bill. Though Bloomberg is not banning smoking in residential areas, she said she thinks this is just one of the steps the mayor will take to do so.

“It’s not so much about smoking but government intruding this way in our own four walls,” Silk said. “We will have an effort to instruct tenants to start complaining about anything.”

Maria Gonzalez, an SCPS graduate student who owns an apartment in New York City, agrees that people should be allowed to smoke in their own homes.

“I generally support most other initiatives passed so far because you shouldn’t smoke in public buildings and community spaces,” Gonzalez added.

Regarding NYU students, though the law is new, according to NYU spokesman Philip Lentz the university policy already bans smoking in all student residences and academic buildings.

“We are looking at the possible ramifications of the mayor’s proposal,” Lentz said.

“However, it would be premature to make any conclusions until legislation is enacted into law.”

Bloomberg’s proposed bill will go to the appropriate committee of the New York City Council for review.

Emily Yang is city/state editor.

Email her at eyang@nyunews.com.

USC professor examines media coverage of AIDS

By Esha Ray When news of an AIDS crisis first hit newsstands across the United States in the 1980s, the disease was mostly found among young homosexual men. Quickly, however, the media was no longer reporting on AIDS as a medical issue but as a religious one.

Diane Winston, knight chair in media and religion at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, addressed and analyzed this media coverage in a lecture yesterday.

The lecture was part of the Lerner Workshop in Religion and Society series and was co-sponsored by the Center for Religion and Media, the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality Studies and the dean of the College of Arts and Science.

Through a detailed comparison of The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Dallas Morning News with a focus on the Christian community, Winston demonstrated the

impact these newspapers had on shaping the public perception of the AIDS disease, as well as their perception of homosexuality.

“Instead of seeing the epidemical or social issue, AIDS was also seen as a world issue because of the religious anxiety about homosexuality,” Winston said. “So a lot of the coverage, it wasn’t about updates on scientific progress, or medical breakthroughs or taking care of people. It was about, ‘Should these people be condemned? Are they responsible for their own problems?’”

It was not until news broke that celebrity figures such as Rock Hudson, a popular actor in the ’50s and ’60s, contracted AIDS, or when Magic Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, that the American public began to see the disease as more than just a punishment from God. Ann Pellegrini, director of the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, said she was thrilled to cosponsor the event because the topics covered were directly connected to the

interdisciplinary study of gender and sexuality.

CAS sophomore Anna Barbosa was inspired by the lecture, but she wanted more time for open discussion. “[Winston] mentioned a bit about the different communities and their reactions to AIDS and that is something, as an immigrant, that I’m really interested in,” Barbosa said. “I want to know a little more about how the Latino community took it, since a lot of them were Catholic but not necessarily attending Catholic churches in America, so I’m interested in how those overlap.”

Though Winston said AIDS coverage has improved since the ’80s, she does not think the stigma has completely vanished.

“I think there are still plenty of people who die of AIDS, and it doesn’t go recognized in the obits,” Winston said. “I think it was more prevalent in the ’80s and ’90s, but I think it’s still true today.”

Esha Ray is a staff writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square news | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | nyunews.com

NYU Madrid students catch glimpse of Spain’s genocide

By Kate Cimini MADRID — Emilio Silva, president of the non-profit organization Memoria Histórica, recently spoke at NYU in Madrid about his work identifying exhumed bodies of desaparecidos, which translates to “the disappeared ones,” from mass graves dating back to the Spanish Civil War. Mass graves dot villages all over Spain. Former dictator Francisco Franco’s genocide during the Spanish Civil War had an estimated death toll between 30,000 and 60,000.

“There is a mass grave in every village in Spain, and sometimes more than one,” Silva said. “It is not talked about, but it is known, and those are always the places no one from the village dares to go.”

In fact, Silva’s father was a victim of the WWIIera genocide. He believed in public, non-religious schooling and was considered a radical. “[My grandfather] was never allowed to discuss my father outside his childhood home,” he said.

By the mid-1900s, the Spanish were slowly coming to terms with the fact that the country was no longer under strict dictatorial rule.

And in 2000, Silva decided to speak out. He was working as a journalist then and published a piece with the intention of sharing his own story to inspire others to come forward with stories of their own.

As people did so, a new focus came to light. The survivors could be given a chance to bury their grandparents, parents and other family members.

“The first grave we uncovered was my grandfather’s,” Silva said.

Since then, the organization has operated for 12 years, exhumed more than 300 mass graves, and over 5,000 people in total have been given proper burials.

Memoria Histórica helps anyone who comes to them with a decent idea of where their loved one is buried. Whether their lost loved one was pro- or antiFranco does not come into play at any point.

“[We do this because] Spain has to see itself reflected in this mirror,” Silva said. “It has to confront its past.”

Audience members at Silva’s NYU lecture, however, could feel the political tensions of a bygone era in his lecture despite his organization’s political neutrality.

“It was apparent it was very politically charged,” graduate student Ashley Edlund said. “He used a lot of emotions and sentiment to show his political perspective on opening mass graves and didn’t give much liberty to the opposite side.”

NYU Madrid program director Anjouli Janzon, who organized the talk, said that she provided valuable insight about the political tensions.

“Although he presents a very critical view, he’s nonetheless very optimistic because he believes in those few catalysts of change,” Janzon said.

Kate Cimini is a foreign correspondent. Email her at investigative@nyunews.com.

Digital Road Map: Timeline of New York’s technological advances

By Feiye Wang

In the past few years, New York City has seen striking changes in the digital field. In an effort to create a more entrepreneurial and technology-oriented city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg drew a Road Map for the Digital City to create a city to rival Silicon Valley. WSN takes a look at how far we have come.

February 2010: First hackNY The first hackNY competition was held in New York City. College students from all over the world gathered to code and build projects in just 24 hours.

January 2011: New York City Urban Technology Innovation Bloomberg announced this project to connect universities and research. The program sparked major interest and pitted top research institutions including NYU, Cornell University and Stanford University against one another for funding.

May 2011: Road to Digital City Bloomberg announced Roadmap to Digital City, a 60-day plan to benefit the city in four sectors: industry, engagement, open government and access.

Bloomberg signed deals with various tech companies including Foursquare, Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook and sealed their partnerships.

September 2011: Cellphone Service in Subways Long-awaited cellphone service arrived in various subway stations in Manhattan platforms for AT&T and T-Mobile service users, including the Union Square Station and 23rd Street Station near NYU. November 2011: Wi-Fi in Parks November marked the start of a five-year initiative that partners New York City with AT&T to bring wireless Internet to 26 city park locations. Thus far, 20 parks have already been outfitted with Wi-Fi for public use.

April 2012: Center for Urban Science Program Bloomberg and NYU President John Sexton announced the launch of the CUSP. The applied research and science institute will be located in a vibrant Downtown Brooklyn tech hub next to the Polytechnic Institute of NYU. May 2012: Public Tablets New York City is expected to roll out its first public touch screen tablet in May 2012. They are eventually intended to replace pay phones and will be equipped with multiple applications that can guide residents and tourists through the city.

Feiye Wang is deputy investigative editor. Email her at fwang@nyunews.com.

nyunews.com | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | Washington Square news

ARTS

edited by JONATHON DORNBUSH ARTS@nyunews.com

Captivating, controversial ‘Columnist’ a lesson in history

VEEP continued from PG. 1

‘Veep’ star Timothy Simons discusses venture into TV comedy

While it certainly takes guts to mess with the vice president, perhaps it is even gutsier for Simons to mess around with the twotime Emmy winner as “Veep” is his first major acting gig.

“There are so many actors in L.A.,” Simons said, who described his character’s main intention as aggravating the V.P. as much as possible.

Simons studied theater at the University of Maine, and despite taking classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade and Second City improvisational theaters, he considers himself more experienced in drama. Yet Simons has always enjoyed making people laugh.

“I...would make jokes and not pay attention,” Simons said. “I was much more proud of getting laughs in a class than I was at actually getting a good grade in it.”

With his role on “Veep,” Simons can display these comedic chops. The “Veep” creator Armando Iannucci encourages his cast to improvise with the script in what Simons said is “a really safe environment for you to try things out.”

“And it also helps [with] Julia, who is an incredible castmate and an amazing leader of our cast,” Simons said. “Honestly, I don’t know what work environments get better than the one we have on set.”

Simons admitted that it is difficult to play an alienated character, acknowledging that the one thing every other character has in common is a mutual hate for Jonah.

Of course, the mark of Simons’ talent is how he turns Jonah into a complex individual who may garner the respect of the viewers but not necessarily the characters themselves.

“There’s an episode coming up that I kind of really like,” Simons said. “You might have a little sympathy for Jonah. You kind of see behind his smugness.”

But for anyone thinking that “Veep” will turn into a tearjerker, think again. At the slightest feeling of sympathy, expect to be immediately reminded that Jonah is, as Simons called him, a “douchebag.”

Jeremy Grossman is entertainment editor. Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.

By Clio McConnell

John Lithgow can convince an audience of anything. Throughout his extensive career, he has played a grand spectrum of characters, including everything from the villain to the family man. But his current role in Manhattan Theater Club’s “The Columnist” is arguably more difficult and more poignant than all the rest.

Lithgow plays real-life columnist Joseph Alsop, a particularly influential journalist whose career spans from the ’40s to the ’70s, who ardently supported American involvement in Vietnam among other contentious policies. Retrospectively, Alsop’s political leanings are controversial, but the mastery of this play is such that causes his stance to matter little — if at all.

The fascinating subject of “The Columnist” is the world of journalism and the way it functioned 60 years ago. Alsop was such an important national figure that he took partial credit for John F. Kennedy’s election.

When describing his influence over the president, Aslop says, “He’ll do what needs to be done. And if he doesn’t know

Long-running ‘Freud’s Last Session’ sees no definite end

By Leora Rosenberg Since its October 2011 opening, “Freud’s Last Session” has persisted as a theatrical production and recently earned the title of Off-Broadway’s longest running show. Now with a new cast, Mark St. Germain’s imagined conversation between Dr. Sigmund Freud and author C.S. Lewis continues to play at New World Stages.

The production’s run, which has been repeatedly extended, may continue indefinitely because the show is timeless in the worst of ways. Freud and Lewis spend most of the play debating the existence of God in a manner more befitting an academic journal than the stage. Lewis believes, while Freud does not, and the two stretch the debate into an 85-minute play.

Perhaps the verbal sparring is designed to ensure perpetual cultural relevancy with an issue that will never evolve. Author-scientists Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris may have brought the argument into the mainstream, but the debate itself has not changed in recent years

with little foreseeable progress in the near future.

The actors debate reasonably well but struggle with the more human elements.

George Morfogen’s understated acting draws Freud out from history’s academic veil. But Jim Stanek’s constant finger-wagging and his tendency to play too obviously to the audience never quite capture Lewis. Instead of the Christian intellectual, Stanek delivers an ideology.

In any other play, Stanek’s acting would be seen as grossly inadequate, but here ideology holds center stage.

St. Germain’s script attempts to paint each man’s beliefs as stemming from life experiences, but the presentation of dry arguments feels a bit like a lecture. As the two intellectuals cite books and explain their interpretations, the audience hopes the professors might post the PowerPoint after the show.

The show fares better when it is viewed not as a play but as an attempt to present ideologies in an educational narrative. St. Germain might be best described as an improved version of the sixth grade science teacher who

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what needs to be done, I’ll tell him.”

The acting is riveting. Lithgow’s portrayal of this arrogant man is so moving that his reaction to JFK’s assassination is both spine-chilling and heartbreaking. His supporting actors are similarly convincing, especially Boyd Gaines as his brother and fellow columnist, Stewart Alsop. John Lee Beatty’s revolving set ensures that every scene smoothly follows its predecessor.

In such a liberal city as New York, playwright David Auburn’s latest show is risky because its subject matter is so heated. In fact, the play’s greatest insecurity may be its relevance. In a theater culture where the biggest attractions are shows with flashing lights and young stars fresh from Hollywood, the catchwords of political journalism and John Lithgow might not mean much to younger theatergoers.

Granted, for this production the plot has a greater effect on those theatergoers who remember the events illustrated. The rest of us can only guess as to what it felt like to deal with these political issues firsthand. It is important, however, that younger genera-

via broadwayworld.com

writes skits about the carbon cycle. The show is preferable to a straight-up lecture.

Still, even as a thinking man’s play “Freud’s Last Session” falls short. The strength of the didactic format is to make difficult ideas more palatable and therefore easier to learn.

Here the ideas are not difficult, and the average theatergoer probably already knows them. Perhaps this is a show that should cut its indefinite run short.

“Freud’s Last Session” is playing indefinitely at New World Stages, located at 340 W. 50 Street. For tickets and more information, visit freudslastsession.com.

Leora Rosenberg is a contributing writer. Email her at theater@nyunews.com.

tions realize the purpose of dramatic literature is not mere entertainment; rather, playwrights mean to teach their audiences.

And, truly, it is much more interesting to learn history from a play than from a professor, especially when John Lithgow is the lecturer.

“The Columnist” is playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, located at 262 W. 47th St., through June 24. For tickets and more information, visit thecolumnistbroadway.com.

Clio McConnell is books and theater editor. Email her at cmcconnell@nyunews.com.

Poor direction, flat performances create lifeless film of Poe

By Christopher Gellert

The play debates religion and atheistic ideology.

via thecolumnistbroadway.com

John Lithgow and Stewart Alsop star as influential journalists.

“The Raven” purportedly tells the story of the last days of Edgar Allen Poe’s life. In this cinematic version, he aids the police on an investigation of a serial killer whose crimes mirror the grotesque and distressing murders in his short stories. To help motivate Poe’s involvement, the murderer abducts Poe’s beloved, Emily (Alice Eve).

In this film, as in every film adaptation of a literary work, something is lost in translation.

Something is also often gained because of the richness of images and the actors’ ability to embody the flesh and blood of these characters — previously found only in print form.

In this case, the emphasis is placed firmly on blood. Admirers of Poe hoping to partake in the pleasure of his tales will be treated to ghastly crimes committed against both the characters and the source material.

John Cusack as Poe is as wooden as the casket in which Emily spends more than half of the film suffocating. His emotional range seems limited to tiring misanthropy and maudlin sentiment. Eve is suitably attractive, but she is literally boxed into an unrewarding

role. Luke Evans as Detective Fields serves as her male counterpart, being as handsome as he is dull.

“The Raven” was filmed in Belgrade and Budapest, and indeed the film resembles one of Poe’s macabre fantasies of Europe more than 19th-century Baltimore. To set the story abroad could have been an interesting choice in the confluence of Poe’s fantasies and Hollywood’s style. The film would have required at least one lively actor to pull it off though, and apparently Nicholas Cage’s brand of enjoyable camp was unavailable.

Yet under James McTeigue’s direction, even Cage might have come off as irritating.

McTeigue has not directed the film as much as assembled it — as first graders do with magazine cutouts. “The Raven” amounts to little more than a sloppy pastiche. All of the blame, however, cannot go to McTeigue; writers Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare have much to account for in this adaptation, clearly marketed for those unaware of the strengths of Poe’s original tales.

Christopher Gellert is a staff writer.

Email him at film@nyunews.com.

Courtesy of Rogue Pictures

John Cusack portrays a dull version of Edgar Allen Poe in this sub-par murder mystery.

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Washington Square news | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | nyunews.com

ARTS Short films steal spotlight at Tribeca Film Festival

By Erin Whitney In the three years I have covered the Tribeca Film Festival, screenings of short films have gone by largely unreported. This year, I have found a number of little gems at the festival — some of which are even more satisfying than the full-length features.

The most unique story came from New Zealand in the form of “43,000 Feet,” which follows a man’s last thoughts as he falls from a plane from which he was accidentally ejected. A statistician, the man calculates, philosophizes and analyzes his past, present and future in a nine-minute short that will provide a refreshing perspective on time and numbers. After watching this short, at the very least, the viewers will know how much time it takes to make impact with the ground after falling out of an emergency airplane door.

Many shorts are just catchy concepts stretched over 10 or so minutes. Such

is not the case with “Pitch Black Heist,” the 11-day extravaganza’s most cinematic and deserving selection of the short film moniker. Perfectly cast with Michael Fassbender and Liam Cunningham as two robbers hired to crack a safe in complete darkness, “Pitch” captures the greatness of the heist genre in its brief 14-minute run time. It opens with a grindhouse, retro flair and closes with a twist so great it merits an encore screening.

The most beautifully photographed, Canada’s “Trotteur” is a silent short that poignantly captures a boy’s race against a locomotive to prove his worth.

The gorgeous slow motion, emotive score and the weather-beaten faces of the characters make this short feel like an excerpt from a film audiences will want to see in its entirety.

“Voice Over” succeeds in making the short film genre more interesting with its three-in-one storyline. A confused French

narrator jumps between three separate stories, one of an astronaut running out of air on the moon, another of a legless WWI soldier crawling to blow up a train and a third of a fisherman struggling to untie himself from a sinking boat. While each segment is equally enticing, the silly, disoriented narrator is the most entertaining aspect to watch.

Lily Tomlin and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Modern Family”) deliver the most laughs as a head-butting mother and son in “The Procession.” Pitied into attending the funeral of a stranger, the two attempt to escape only to find themselves in a bigger mess. It is simply worth watching as Tomlin gawks over the wonders of an iPhone while Ferguson erupts in an outburst of impatience as anyone would at a technologically challenged mother.

Erin Whitney is a staff writer. Email her at film@nyunews.com.

Jack White returns with strong, emotional ‘Blunderbuss’

By Josh Johnson

Though Jack White’s upcoming solo debut, “Blunderbuss,” has been one of the most anticipated albums of 2012, at least some disappointment is inevitable. Still, with “Blunderbuss,” White has created a strong album that is among the year’s best.

Since White has had such a prolific and high-profile career, comparisons between “Blunderbuss” and his previous recordings are unavoidable.

“Blunderbuss” is most reminiscent of The White Stripes’ “Get Behind Me Satan,” easily the band’s most divisive record. Those displeased with the folksy sound of “Satan” might find themselves once again disappointed. White is famous for raucous, cocky rock songs. “Blunderbuss” is instead a sensitive record that forgoes White’s signature blues guitar licks for an emphasis on emotion and lyricism.

Lead single “Love Interruption” is not anything special by itself, but as part of the whole album, it takes on new sig-

nificance. In the chorus, White sings “I won’t let love disrupt, corrupt or interrupt me,” but he does exactly that throughout the song. This battle between White wanting to control love and love constantly trying to control him forms the emotional basis of “Blunderbuss.”

An internal battle with love is not the most original concept, but White’s talent as a songwriter elevates the content.

“Weep Themselves to Sleep” opens with the tongue-twisterworthy line “No one can blow the shows/ Or throw the bones/ That break your nose/ Like I Can.” Most impressive is White’s singing voice. In “Freedom at 21,” he utilizes his falsetto to mask the pain of being in an abusive relationship on lines like “Cut of the bottoms of my feet/ Made me walk on salt.” Coupled with slinky electric guitar riffs, “Freedom” is a true highlight.

The title track also showcases White’s intense emotion. The cracks in his voice are almost heartbreaking as he sings “You grabbed me by the arm and left with me/ But you were not al-

lowed to/ You took to a private place to quietly blend into.” Any amateur music critic might expect a track named after a firearm to be more explosive, yet White turns that notion inside out and instead derives the power from his vocal fractures.

The effectiveness of White’s voice does not necessarily come from his technical abilities as a singer. Rather, it is the subtle vocal splinters or falsetto that cement the track’s strength. While White has always been a talented lyricist, for most of his career he has let his guitar do the talking. On “Blunderbuss,” he puts most of that responsibility on his voice, which results in a very personal record. In that sense, “Blunderbuss” is the epitome of a successful solo album.

White may forever be synonymous with The White Stripes, but “Blunderbuss” is a strong step toward a long solo career.

Maybe at the end of it, he will solve this whole darn love thing after all.

Josh Johnson is music editor. Email him at jjohnson@nyunews.com.

nyunews.com | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | Washington Square news

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BEAUTY AND STYLE

edited by shannon loughran bstyle@nyunews.com

Steinhardt senior shares style secrets, beauty benefits

By Sydney Wu

Bringing you the best fashion tips, street beauty and street style share the beauty routines and cutting-edge fashion of students around campus. This week highlights Steinhardt senior Gretchen Snyder.

Question: What is your favorite trend for spring?

Answer: Maxi dresses. You can wear them with a cardigan. You can take them off and wear them without the sleeves. You can throw it on and look cute and casual. You can dress it up. I love them.

They’re easy and breezy. Love it.

Q: What is your beauty routine?

A: I put on concealer. Then I put on foundation and powder. I put on blush or bronzer, depending on the season — since it’s summer, bronzer — mascara and maybe eyeliner. I always use clear mascara on my eyebrows because it keeps them arched. Clear mascara dries and makes the arch stay where it is.

Q: What are your favorite beauty products for the spring?

A: Nail polish and lip gloss. Nail polish because you can change it up. I change my nail polish once a week, if not more frequently, just because bright colors are in. I love pops of color, and it doesn’t necessarily have to match the outfit you have on. I just recently bought coral, teal and gold, and I’m in love with all of them. Light gray also goes with everything. White always works. Lip-gloss because you don’t necessarily have to have all of this make up to have some little shine and beauty on your face.

You throw on some lip gloss and you’re ready for the day.

Q: Other than a maxi dress, what’s the must have piece for the spring?

A: I always wear Sperrys. I swear by mine, especially living in New York City where you walk everywhere and you have to have a comfortable shoe.

If there is a blister to be had, I will get a blister. My Sperrys are the most comfortable shoes. Mine are bright red, but I wear them with everything. Cuff some jeans, put on a tank top, wear some Sperrys, put a braid in your hair and you’re set for the day.

Q: Why the braid?

A: I love it! It’s my new addiction, a front braid. The front braid probably came out last spring, but it was more tight and little. The ones I do now are loose and big, almost like a front pouf. It’s just easy. It keeps the bangs out of your face and it adds some height.

Q: What kind of accessories do you recommend for the spring?

A: Bracelets! I mean, not necessarily bangles. I’m talking random hemp or beaded bracelets. Layer them. They go with everything. I wear them with everything. I don’t care what color. Throw on a big gaudy ring and go. I wear a necklace sometimes, but I feel that just a random, almost hippie bracelet goes with everything.

Q: Any beauty tips?

A: I’m very simple when it comes to makeup.

Keep it easy, especially when it’s spring and summer. You won’t see me with caked-on makeup.

Sydney Wu is a contributing writer.

Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.

Amplify your wardrobe for any summer music festival

As the temperature climbs and the end of the school year quickly approaches, summer could not feel any closer. While the sun is in the sky, thoughts of sleeping the day away

By Rachel and spending countless hours with friends on the beach can easily cloud one’s mind. For Sanderson many, the thought of attending one of the many vibrant upcoming summer music festivals is the greatest cause of excitement.

From Bonnaroo in Tennessee to Lollapalooza in Chicago, this summer’s music festivals are gaining more attention than ever before. Not only was the music at this year’s Coachella highly publicized, the fashion caused a great deal of hype as well. A bevy of stylish stars were spotted at the festival in Indio, Calif., donning relaxed, bohemian looks that are bound to influence the style scene of musical festivals to follow.

A myriad of eclectic pieces were adorned by celebrities and festival-goers at Coachella, but the following five trends are the ones that will reign supreme this summer.

Floral Printed Shorts Cropped-tops Floral prints are unsurprisingly Set aside old, shredded denim Midriff-baring tops have been one of spring’s biggest trends, and a summer staple for the last cutoffs this summer, and trade they will remain popular into the few years, and this season is no them in for a pair of fun, printed summer. Floral printed dresses, exception. Between bralettes, shorts. Shorts decked in floral and blouses, skirts and shorts are femibandeaus and belly-exposing tribal prints were extremely popunine festival must-haves and can tees, a cropped-top is the per- lar among celebrities at Coachella be found at almost any fashionfect clothing article to wear this spring, including stars Rosie forward store. while basking in the summer Huntington-Whiteley and Whitney sun. Many stores carry a vari- Port. Stores like Urban Outfitters ety of cropped-tops. Popular and online retailer Asos carry a varibohemian brand Free People ety of decorative shorts that are perhas a wide array of bustiers and fect for any summer music festival. bandeaus, and retailers, including Topshop, H&M and Forever 21, also sell a wide range of lace and patterned cropped-tops.

via freepeople.com

via freepeople.com

Statement sunglasses No summer outfit is complete without a pair of statement sunglasses. Innovative sunglasses sported by celebrities like Emma Roberts and Miley Cyrus will not only shield eyes from the sun in the heat of a summer festival, they will amplify any outfit.

Designer Karen Walker’s sunglasses are both unique and pricey, so for a more affordable pair of statement sunglasses, try searching at stores such as Urban via karenwalker.com Outfitters or H&M.

Showing Skin Summer is undeniably the best time to show some skin. Aside from beaches, musical festival grounds are home to the largest amount of scantily-clad individuals. However, do not feel the need to wear a swimsuit to stay cool. Wearing crochet tops and dresses, sheer tops and skirts or lace clothing are tasteful and trendy ways to show skin. Mesh material is also a fun way to incorporate this tempting trend. Skin-baring clothing can be found on fashion websites such as nastygal.com.

via asos.com

via nastygal.com

Rachel Sanderson is a staff writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.

Sydney Wu/WSN

Snyder recommends maxi dresses for spring.

Test the trend: Shades of orange for spring

By Rachel Sanderson

Orange clothing is commonly associated with hunting and stints in jail, but donning some orange may be the perfect way to infuse your wardrobe with a bit of spring zest.

Despite the popularity of orange this season, the vibrant trend may not suit everyone.

A range of designers featured variations of this hue in their spring 2012 collections. Christian Dior, Cynthia Rowley, Michael Kors and Vena Cava all sent orange pieces down the runway. Both simple orange accents and even head-to-toe orange ensembles were seen on models that walked the designers’ shows.

At Donna Karan’s Spring/Summer 2012 show, one model wore a floolength orange gown with an orange statement necklace, and BCBG Max Azria’s Spring 2012 collection prominently featured subtle hints of orange.

In addition to the flood of orange on the spring runways, the color is increasingly popular among celebrities. Stars like Elizabeth Banks, Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been spotted wearing various shades of this bold color to recent red carpet events. Not only are celebrities wearing orange to extravagant events, they are incorporating the color into their wardrobes in more casual ways. Stars like Beyoncé and Rachel Bilson effortlessly work orange into their everyday attire.

Although designers and celebrities are demonstrating their fondness for orange this spring, it is essential to consider skin tone before trying out the trend. Hunting-attire orange is generally not a flattering color on anyone, so experiment with different shades like tangerine or peach.

These hues are not as brash and compliment a variety of skin tones from ivory to bronze.

Considering complexion is impor-

tant, but also think about what other colors to pair with orange pieces. To avoid looking like you are going to Halloween soiree, avoid wearing orange with black. Neutral colors such as white, cream, beige and navy nicely compliment orange.

If you are still undecided about orange and think wearing such a bold hue might push you out of your style comfort zone, incorporate the color into your closet sparingly with accent pieces and accessories, including shoes, handbags, scarves and jewelry, which can be found at most stores.

Wearing orange this spring is a must when done tastefully and in a way that suits both one’s complexion and comfort level.

Rachel Sanderson is a staff writer.

Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.

Kristina Bogos/WSN

Stacy Sahagian rocks the trend with a Frieda & Nellie necklace.

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Washington Square news | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | nyunews.com

DINING

New Yorkers sample sidewalk cuisine for Village Voice contest

By Hannah Borenstein A few years ago, lines of smiling faces next to big trucks on New York City streets meant one thing: Mister Softee. Within the past year, the presence of food trucks has completely transformed Manhattan’s dining culture. To commemorate one of New York’s unique culinary landscapes, The Village Voice sponsored a food truck tasting event on Tuesday called Choice Streets at Pier 86, the home of the Intredpid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex.

Rosemary Raposo, Village Voice event director, said the publication incorporated a Food Truck Welcome at their annual Choice Eats event in 2011 and noticed a positive response. Village Voice collaborators then decided to expand the element into its own event this year.

“Our mission was to make sure our attendees had a variety of meats, sweets and treats as well as complimentary beverages all for one small ticket price,” Raposo said. “We wanted to showcase the best and widest variety that New York’s food trucks have to offer.”

Despite the strong winds and below-50 degree weather, this goal was accomplished. Korilla BBQ, Wafels & Dinges, NYC Healhty Bites and numerous other food trucks lined the pier as attendees navigated the stations, trying samples under the monstrous Intrepid battleship. Loud techno music and unlimited samples restricted individual exchange of dialogue, giving truck owners a chance to display their personal stories.

Kathy and George Jankovic developed the concept for NYC Healthy Bites in late September.

“We knew we wanted to do something organic, but we thought we should spruce it up, so we decided to start with a cart,” Kathy said.

They brought the idea to a friend who had worked at the popular Yogo Trucks and was experienced in the unique nature of business with food trucks.

“We’re often around NYU on West Fourth and Columbia,” Kathy said.

“Young people understand the importance of organic foods and take an interest.”

At the festival, the NYC Healthy Bites truck featured its well-known Diablo Dog — a hot sausage topped

with tomatoes, diced onions and spicy cilantro sauce. They had organic, grass-fed beef as well as a vegan, tofu sausage option.

Each guest cast their vote for the best booth. The winner, to be announced in The Village Voice within the next few weeks, will receive a prize pack. The event’s environment, however, was hardly competitive.

“In the past five years, we have highlighted over 150 of our favorite restaurants with our food event Choice Eats and really wanted to extend our thanks to food trucks for contributing to the NYC food palate,” Raposo said. “Some of the best tastes in NYC are featured on these food trucks so we wanted to be a part of their growth. We scoured the city for the best food trucks and really tried to pick the best of the best.”

And it would be hard to argue the event was not a success, as everyone marched off the pier a few hours later, with souvenirs of bloated stomachs to remind them of New York’s new mobile-culinary trend.

Hannah Borenstein is dining editor. Email her at hborenstein@nyunews.com.

Dana Brawer for WSN

The contest showcased a wide variety of food truck grub.

nyunews.com | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | Washington Square news

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edited by HANNAH BORENSTEIN DINING@nyunews.com

Nutritionist’s Notebook:

Organic boutique offers fresh fare to health-­conscious diners

Question: What do you think are the major causes of the Freshman 15? What are some of the major differences between dining halls where food is cooked in large quantities and home cooked meals for a family that most students are used to? Do you think binge drinking affects eating habits, and does it have any metabolic effects?

Answer: The Freshman 15 refers to the more or less 15 pounds many freshmen put on during their first year at college. I attribute the weight gain to dormitory pay-in-advance, all-you-can-eat meal plans. These provide already paid for and, therefore, seemingly free food 24/7.

What makes people eat more than they need? Food that is readily available (check), in large variety (check), in large portions (check), round the clock (check) and for free or at a low cost (check). College food checks out on all counts.

College food service directors are not trying to fatten up students. They are just trying to please their clientele. The Freshman 15 is just collateral damage from trying to provide food that will be enjoyed by eaters with highly diverse preferences.

Among the many challenges faced by new college students is learning how to manage this kind of food environment. By the end of the first year, most students have gotten bored with dormitory food, do not feel the need to eat ice cream every night and are too busy to be eating so much. Most will stabilize

COURTESY OF MARION NESTLE

First-year causes of concern

their weight, but the heavy drinkers will have a harder time doing so.

Alcohol, alas, has calories and almost as much fat. One regular beer is just 150 calories, but a six-pack is 900. The calories add up quickly and so do alcohol’s toxic effects.

A drink or two may make you feel good but the effects of alcohol are highly dose-dependent.

Alcohol at high doses is toxic and can be deadly.

The consequences of binge drinking — throwing up and passing out — are a warning signal that you have had way too much. It is always a good idea to stop before reaching that point, for reasons of calories and of general health.

Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard professor of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. She is the author of “Food Politics” and, most recently, “Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics.” Each week, she will answer student questions about nutrition, health and food.

Marion Nestle is a contributing columnist.

Email her questions at dining@nyunews.com

By Michelle Lim Settling for supposedly nutritious fluids sometimes only adds to one’s daily caloric intake. But Organic Avenue, an organic boutique offering various vegetable and fruit juices, opened its eighth location in Greenwich Village to the neighborhood’s vegan and health conscious population.

Founder Denise Mari started Organic Avenue in 2000 by putting together her love for food, healing, vegetarianism and entrepreneurship. Her vision is LOVE — Live Organic Vegan Experience — which stays true to the company’s products.

“Organic Avenue educates people on how to transition and maintain a healthy lifestyle that is pleasurable and sustainable while also friendly to people, animals and the environment,” Mari said.

Organic Avenue provides light meal options such as Arugula Sprout Salad ($12) and Sunflower Falafels ($10), but the boutique is best known for its 20 different juices. Green LOVE ($9 for 14 oz.) — a harmony of kale, celery, romaine, cucumber, Swiss chard and spinach — is the most popular drink.

SCPS freshman Eunice Son tried the Mellow LOVE, consisting of romaine, celery, spinach, cucumber and parsley.

She said the description of the juice definitely maintains its integrity.

“It tastes just like it says it will taste,” she said. “I don’t think people drink these for

the taste, unless they like the taste of celery in a bottle.”

Son also mentioned her hobby of finding and consuming organic products — a common interest for many New Yorkers, both young and old.

“Organic foods are something I wanted to try out ever since I got to New York,” Son said. “It’s a lot easier to get organic things here, even though it’s expensive. I like the idea that something not made in a factory is going into my body.”

Organic Avenue makes products that are pesticide- and GMO-free. Because the products only stay fresh for 96 hours, the store must replace their juices every four days.

The boutique not only strives to help its costumers lead healthy lifestyles but also desires to be an environmentally-conscious business. These juices are stored in organic glasses called bioplastics, which are non-toxic to people and to the environment.

“We are committed to creating a better world, ending the suffering of the innocent [animals and people], creating a positive work environment and building a worldclass business, all while staying true to our values,” Mari said.

Organic Avenue is located on 1 W. Eighth St. at Fifth Avenue and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Michelle Lim is a staff writer.

Email her at dining@nyunews.com.

12

Washington Square news | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | nyunews.com

features LOVE continued from PG. 1

Wagner grad student launches program providing support to Latinas director María Josefina Saldaña-Portillo said. “I hope they see role models in the mentors, and how their lives can proceed and that they have options.”

Initially the program’s goal was to partner with schools in the city. But high costs caused LOVE to work with organizations like The HopeLine, which serves The South Bronx community, to help girls coming from difficult situations.

Janette Valenza Venegas, a Tisch sophomore and LOVE mentor, said her passion to volunteer with LOVE stems from her own desire as a youth for a confidante.

“I didn’t have anyone helping me out,” Venegas said. “So for me to be able to share my experiences with these Latinas who are going through the same thing I went through, I love it.”

Espinosa said she hopes to work with more organizations focused on young Latinas as the program continues. Now that the program has launched successfully, she aims to partner with local schools in the fall.

Esha Ray is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

Courtesy of Claudia Espinosa

Claudia Espinosa’s LOVE program was initiated this spring.

ITP students spotlight online users in social experiment

By Esha Ray

In today’s world of Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and other social media platforms, saying something to the world does not necessarily mean anyone is going to hear it.

But what if your personal thoughts were sent directly to someone’s email inbox? And what if that person had voluntarily signed up to hear you? What would you say?

Such a system is what a group of graduate students at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU are experimenting with in a project called The Listserve. The idea is simple: After subscribing by email on the website, one person is chosen each day to send out a message of their choosing to the entire listserv. Apart from a few restrictions, such as a length limit, that person is free to write whatever his or her heart desires.

“We’re thinking about what we could possibly do that pushes the boundaries of what we’re used to,” said Alvin Chang, a second-year ITP student and one of the co-creators of The Listserve. “Right now we’re using a technology that’s obviously very familiar. But we’re changing the way that people are interacting with it.”

Chang’s co-creators include fellow ITP students Greg Dorsainville, Josh Begley,

thelistserve.com

Zeno Koo and Yoonjo Choi.

The Listserve was launched two weeks ago, but with heavy marketing and a quirky video, the online social experiment already boasts over 11,000 subscribers from around the world. It was conceptualized in the creators’ ITP class Designing Conversational Spaces taught by professor Clay Shirky.

“The class gives students a way of breaking out of the usual constraints of thinking about online conversation,” Shirky said.

With so many ways to interact online, The Listserve brings back the idea of an intimate conversation in an increasingly non-intimate world. Recently, subscribers received an email from Swedish interface web developer Emil Stenström, who urged people to take everyday action rather than sitting and waiting for the next big thing to happen.

“I wanted something that everyone could connect with and that fits their particular life situation,” Stenström said. “So it had to be an insight about the simple things in life.

I now have 90 replies from people all over the world in my inbox, so I guess it worked.”

Begley said he was particularly interested in the idea of online fame and felt this experiment would be a good way to see how people react when given the spotlight.

“This is one of the few social experiments that’s not tied to a business plan,” Begley said. “I’m really just interested to see what people are going to say because, to be honest, I’m not even sure what I would say.”

Esha Ray is a staff writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

Entrepreneurship series ends with speakers from Peace Corp, City Year

By Katya Barannik Some of the biggest leaders in community service gathered at the Puck Building on Wednesday to conclude this year’s Reynolds Program in the Social Entrepreneurship Speaker Series.

NYU Reynolds Program director Gabriel Brodbar said the goal for the speaker series was to offer a forum of intellectual exchange between professional and aspiring entrepreneurs. “[The series] provides an opportunity for the larger NYU community to engage with and be inspired by social entrepreneurs, for students to learn more about social entrepreneurship and to become more inspired by their actions,” Brodbar said.

All events are available for download on iTunes and can be streamed on the Reynolds Program YouTube page.

At the final installment of the series, guests, including Peace Corps director Aaron Williams and City Year CEO and cofounder Michael Brown, presented their ideas on the event’s theme of the importance of service as a stepping-stone for instigating change within our society.

The discussion was moderated by

NYU Wagner senior fellow Gara LaMarche, who also served as the Atlantic Philanthropies CEO and president from 2007 to 2011.

LaMarche introduced the topic that many people in today’s hyper-competitive world are turned off by the idea of volunteering in fear that they will get thrown off track and not reach their career goals.

In response, Williams explained that volunteers gain skills that help them progress and propel forward in society.

“We [the Peace Corps] can give [volunteers] the opportunity to develop leadership skills that can make a difference both in terms of their service and also later in their careers,” Williams said.

Brown took a gap year, which he refers to as a gap leap, during his years at Harvard University.

“Service is a powerful opportunity to find yourself by losing yourself and to be part of a cause greater than yourself,” Brown said. “[It is a chance to] learn where your passions are and learn what interests you.”

Brown also spoke about what he wanted students to gain from the talk.

“I hope students take away that service is a terrific launching pad for a life of commitment, adventure, self-fulfillment as well as helping others and to begin your journey to help yourself,” he said.

Williams said modern Americans need to become global citizens, and it seems that the NYU community has taken that advice to heart. There are currently 42 NYU alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers with 1,008 in total since the organization was founded in 1961.

Linna Fang, Wagner secondyear graduate student and event attendee, volunteered part time with Jumpstart, an early childhood education organization, as an undergraduate.

“I kind of always felt drawn to the community service aspect of what I wanted to do after graduation,” Fang said. “I think just listening both to Michael Brown and Aaron Williams speak about the way that their organizations are impacting the world both domestically and internationally was great and inspiring.”

Katya Barannik is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

Photography of CAS grad wins over White Hous

By Brittany VanBibber It is not difficult to recognize the brilliant photographs of CAS alumnus Charles Dharapak, because they are everywhere.

These photographs won Dharapak the Still Photographer of the Year award in the White House News Photographers Association’s Eyes of History contest earlier this year.

Dharapak is a photojournalist for the Associated Press who began his career taking photos in Southeast Asia. Now Dharapak has turned domestic. He follows the White House beat and spends much of his time taking photos of the Obama family in action.

“People have said that covering politics and Washington is a game of inches,” Dharapak said. “You are often shoulder to shoulder with your competitors shooting the same event. But I think if you think beyond the photo op and become more conscious of the backstory and the relationships between the political players, a narrative and theme starts to develop.”

Dharapak is only the fourth

wire photographer to be awarded the title of Still Photographer of the Year, though the contest has been held by the WHNPA for 65 years.

The award is chosen in a blind contest judged by outside professional photographers. This year the judges were Pulitzer Prize winner Marcy Nighswander, photographer Bob Pearson and VII Photo Agency member Ed Kashi. The photographs are submitted by the photojournalists and can range in topic from portraits to international news and even sports action photos.

“He has his own style, his own approach and his own way of telling a story,” said Chip Somodevilla, a staff photographer with Getty Images and the Still Photo Contest Committee Chairman for the WHNPA. “A lot of photographers feel like they are shooting the same thing over and over again in Washington, but Charlie brings an enthusiasm and excitement to every assignment.”

Dharapak’s photos have graced the pages of The Washington Post, Time Magazine and the New York Daily

News, among other wellknown publications. Some of his more recognizable photos include an image of President Barack Obama sipping a Guinness beer. Another depicts first lady Michelle Obama shopping at Target.

Dharapak said a particularly special event that he photographed was the night of Obama’s election. He has also covered such events as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2002 and East Timor’s independence in 1999.

“When I was working overseas for The AP covering stories in remote places I knew that my photos would be what someone reading a newspaper would see,” Dharapak said.

“That is a great responsibility — to communicate the story concisely and effectively.”

For Dharapak, the impact of his work is what matters the most.

“Knowing that my work is reaching people and eliciting a response is inspiring in that it validates what one does and keeps you going,” he said.

Brittany VanBibber is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

nyunews.com | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | Washington Square news

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edited by jessIca littman features@nyunews.com

Renowned journalist crashes Middle Eastern studies class

By Bridgette Doran For many students, as final exams fast approach, the last few weeks of class rarely present any new or exciting material.

Dozens of students filled Hemmerdinger Hall at the Silver Center of Arts and Science on Thursday for what they thought would be a standard lecture for their International Politics of the Middle East class. However, as they filed into the rows of seats, the students were greeted with bright lights and a full camera crew.

Professor Ayda Erbal told her students that their class had been chosen to take part in an NYU promotional video and then preceded with class as usual. It was not until five minutes later that the class was let in on the real reason the cameras were rolling.

When a knock at the door sounded, Erbal had the distinct pleasure of announcing that mtvU and NYU had teamed up to bring ABC News Global Affairs anchor and CNN International’s “Amanpour” host Christiane Amanpour to the course as a guest lecturer. Her visit was part of the Emmy award-winning mtvU series “Stand In.” “Stand In,” a product of the 24-hour television channel mtvU, pairs pop culture, celebrity or political figures with a class at an affiliate school to guest-

duate se

teach unsuspecting students. Some of the show’s previous guest professors have included Madonna, Kanye West, Bill Gates and John Legend.

“I was totally taken aback,” CAS sophomore Gabriella Chavez said.

“I just thought it was going to be a normal lecture but then Christiane Amanpour walked in. It was a shock.”

Amanpour, who has spent 29 years reporting on various Middle Eastern affairs, spoke to the class about topics ranging from gender equality and economic development to the challenges currently facing college graduates. Much of Amanpours discussion revolved around her optimistic outlook on youth and her hope for resolutions within the Middle East, which was quite appropriate considering the university venue and audience.

“Young people are the same all over the world,” Amanpour said.

“You all want representative democracy. You all want to be able to vote in and vote out leaders. You all want to have the rule of law. You all want a justice system that is not stacked in favor of the smaller view but instead for everybody.”

Amanpour declared herself an extreme optimist and recognized that no matter where a person was born or what socio-economic background they come from, graduates and people entering a job market share a

Courtesy of MTV

Journalist Christiane Amanpour took over a middle eastern studies class as part of mtvU’s “Stand In” series. common goal: They want a dignified means of providing for themselves and their families.

The optimism with which Amanpour discussed the future, in terms of education, culture, the economy and international relations, was fully comprehended by the students, who enjoyed the impromptu lecture.

“Her discourse was based on the importance of the people’s voice which is something we don’t hear about a lot when it comes to dealing with foreign affairs issues,” CAS

freshman Maria Ariel said.

The 42 minutes Amanpour spent as an NYU guest lecturer were mostly used to add a first-hand perspective to the Middle Eastern studies students have been working on all semester, a welcomed change from the personal resumes guest speakers typically recite when presenting to a class.

CAS sophomore Mike Place said he will not be disappointed if there are no more camera crews awaiting his arrival for the last few weeks

of class but believes Amanpour’s lecture will be something the class talks about throughout the remainder of the course.

“It makes you more excited about what you’re learning if someone is willing to come in a talk to you, especially someone like a journalist such as [Amanpour],” Place said. “It feels like what we’re studying is really going to have an impact.”

Bridgette Doran is a senior editor.

Email her at bdoran@nyunews.com.

Pirouettes and pliés at NYU’s Skirball Center

By Clara Yang

Courtesy of The Associated Press

CAS alumnus Charles Dharapak is known for his photos of the Obamas.

The Youth America Grand Prix 2012 New York City Finals were held at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, welcoming participants ages 9 to 19.

YAGP is the world’s largest ballet scholarship competition for students. It awards over $250,000 annually to leading dance schools worldwide. The awards include the Grand Prix Award, Youth Grand Prix Award, Hope Award and special awards like Outstanding School, Grishko Model Search Award and many more. Competitors are separated by age into three different groups: pre-competitive, junior and senior.

As a New York-based non-profit educational organization, YAGP holds the final component of the competition in New York City, and Skirball has hosted the finals for the past few years.

As the judges took their places, the competitors waited in the backstage nervously, practicing their choreography one last time. When their numbers were called, the competitors entered the stage and the show began. School teachers, parents and friends cheered as participants performed their three-minute pieces.

“We see multiple points of value in this event at Skirball,” Michael Harrington, the senior director of the Skirball Center, said. “It introduces and brings young artists, and potential future applicants, from around the world to NYU’s New York campus.”

Along with Harrington, Cherylyn Lavagnino, chair of the Department of Dance at the Tisch School of the Arts, found benefits in having YAGP’s finals competition at NYU. “We are delighted to hear that this wonderful opportunity for talented young dancers is being held in our Skirball Performing Arts Center this year,” Lavagnino said. “So many exceptional young ballet dancers cannot afford the cost of excellent training. The Youth America Grand Prix offers the opportunity for these young artists to continue to pursue their dreams.”

Harrington also said the competition offers entertainment.

“On the audience front, there are four solid days of exceptional quality dance being performed on the Skirball stage,” he said.

Kaylen Ratto, director of external affairs for YAGP, emphasized how the competition is more about opportunity for the dancers than about winning and losing.

Jonathan Tan/WSN

Participants competed in their last chance to impress judges.

“The children are coming to win, but they’re also coming for the exposure, the networking and to win scholarships to some of the best ballet schools in the world,” Ratto said. “We’ve always emphasized that the organization is about the educational opportunities to help advance the careers of young dancers.”

The winners of YAGP 2012 will be announced during the YAGP 2012 Gala Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow which is being held on Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center.

Clara Yang is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square news | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | nyunews.com

features

Pro and Con breakdown of freshmen residence halls

Cost and proximity are not always key when deciding where to live during freshman year. Consider these insider tips from current students and weigh the pros and cons of each freshman residence hall before making the big decision.

Residence Hall

+

-

Founders

The newest residence hall in NYU’s housing system, Founders boasts modern features and design and also offers great views of Union Square and Midtown in rooms on the upper floors.

Lacking a bathtub, bathrooms are instead equipped with walk-in showers that makes bathing feel like you’re in a gym locker room.

Goddard

With a little over 200 residents, the Residential College is the smallest residence hall on campus and allows for a close-knit community with exciting city outings and cheap co-pays.

The absence of a dining hall makes grabbing food frustrating at times, especially since the Starbucks on the ground floor is never line-free during the day.

Hayden

Hayden’s large rooms come equipped with an extra side-room that creates more space for anything from kitchen appliances to clothing storage.

Even though it is the most popular dining hall and offers vegetarian and vegan-friendly options, Hayden’s on-campus eatery is always crowded and is closed after 3 p.m. on Fridays and all day on Sundays.

Rubin

The second-floor study lounge is equipped with a darkroom, piano room, billiard room, black-box theater, dance practice room and ping-pong room.

Despite having been a hotel, Rubin lacks air conditioning and is an old building in need of extensive renovation.

Third North

NYU offers its students free printing services each semester which eliminates the 15-minute trek to print on campus with Third North’s own printing lab. Enjoy apartment-style living, complete with a kitchen.

With movie theatres, bars and popular music venue Webster Hall all within a two-block radius, the nightlife scene can be a bit noisy.

U-Hall

All of Union Square’s most popular grocery stores are less than five minutes away. Stop by Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Food Emporium to stock up your kitchen.

With a subway stop outside the lobby doors, New Yorkers occasionally wait out inclement weather inside the lobby and tend to form long lines outside the attached Dunkin’ Donuts.

Residents will never go hungry with Weinstein’s three dining halls: one buffetstyle, one meal-exchange and NYU’s only Kosher café. The food court is also home to one of the only Chick-fil-As in the Northeast.

Despite its convenient location, the rooms are small, the hallways are cramped and the elevators are claustrophobic.

Weinstein

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18 nyunews.com | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 |

Washington Square news

OPINION

edited by olivia gonzalez opinion@nyunews.com

college

NYU social life rewards maturity

By Ben Miller

This spring at Dartmouth College, student Andrew Lohse threw back the curtain on a campus social scene of beer pong, frat basements, vomit, brutal hazing and violent gender-based assault. Many former students at Dartmouth and other top-tier schools have confirmed that at too many American college campuses, a frat-driven culture of

Illustration by Elaine Jen

violence and misogyny sits atop the social ladder. NYU might get criticized a lot for not having a community, but that is not the kind of community I am after.

Lohse, arriving on campus and only trying to fit in, found himself, in his words, “a member of a fraternity that asked pledges, in order to become a brother, to chug cups of vinegar — which in one case caused a pledge to vomit blood — ... among other abuses.” NYU has its flaws, but this kind of widespread Nihilistic violence, against others and against ourselves, is not one of them.

In many places, not participating in this foul, privilege-based system bans you to the sidelines. I talked to one friend at an Ivy League college who asked not to be named. He decided not to rush a frat or join a secret society and found himself at the bottom of a monolithic social pyramid with defined rules, boundaries and edges. To some sad souls that kind of middle-school repeat performance might seem ideal.

They can have it if they want to. I will be far, far away, at a place that rewards maturity and intelligence.

NYU impresses upon its students the necessity of curating their social lives. Curation is an odd term, but a descriptive one. You will be picking from a broad range of social experi-

ences, all of which you will seek out as part of an active process. It is a byproduct of the fragmented nature of life here. A social life does not just happen — it has to be made through active choices. You will not run into a friend or stumble across a campus club. You will have to find them.

A lot of people focus on the negative aspects of this, and they do exist — anxiety, lack of ease and a difficult transition. It is not an easy scene if you are not outgoing and willing to put in the legwork to find people.

I want to focus on the positive aspect: mindfulness. If a social life is an active rather than a passive pursuit, then by definition thought and time have been put in about what it should look like and who it should contain. There are people who I have actively brought into my social life and people who I have actively not brought in. This mindfulness is how NYU has changed me for the better. I am a better person because of my friends, and I chose each one of them for that reason. There is no monolithic social pyramid and nobody is trying to claw you off the next step to make room for themselves. It took time to find my place at NYU. It was worth the wait.

Ben Miller is a staff columnist.

Email him at opinion@nyunews.com

abroad

Overseas experience provides cultural insight

By Joe Ehrman-Dupre PRAGUE — Ceska Kuchyna is a dimly lit, cafeteria-style restaurant. As you enter, a woman bleakly says, “Good day” in Czech while handing you a card to record your orders. The decor is comprised of fake plants, fluorescent lights and plastic-looking wood. There are various stations set up for different courses. As you approach any of these stations, the person working there, who is usually not paying attention and conversing with another employee, looks at you with a raised eyebrow and brusquely asks for your order. A harsh hand gestures for your menu before serving the food up on dingy plates, which you place on an elementary school-style cafeteria tray. You feel ashamed that you do not speak Czech and intimidated by the expressionless staff. Seating is in uncomfortable booths, and chances are you will have to take your own tray to a disposal area.

Oddly enough, though, as you pay the person at the front desk and head out the door onto the cobbled Old Town street, you feel incredibly satisfied. Your belly is full of delicious Czech food, and you have just had great conversation with your friends.

Ceska Kuchyna represents an extreme version of the terrible service that can be found in the Czech Republic. We were warned about this by NYU before and after arriving in Prague.

Tipping works differently here too.

At most restaurants, the waiter visits the table only to take the order, to bring the food and when beckoned to bring the check, to collect the money.

While this way of eating out in Prague sounds peculiar, and certainly felt that way for the first few weeks, it has become a way of life here. It is what we expect now and at a place like Ceska Kuchyna, what once felt like an exciting, albeit disheartening, way of doing things now feels expected and comfortable. These feelings have developed despite the objectively negative connotations associated with a similar experience in the United States.

When I think about eating at Olive Garden or even at a diner in America, I imagine a friendly greeting, lots of smiling and frequent visits to the table to ask how the food is. I appreciate good American service, but a piece of me now feels that what I used to regard as terrible service is actually the best kind. In Prague there is almost no interruption from the waiter and they never rush customers by bringing the check early, so patrons can enjoy their food and company to the utmost. There is no expectation of friendly service and therefore nothing to be disappointed about at the end of a meal. Nowadays, I take this Czech simplicity over an extra smile or kind word from waiting staff.

At any abroad site, Americans will warn you of certain cultural aspects

Illustration by Elaine Jen

of your new home. These strange cultural phenomena will ultimately come to be the things which define your abroad experience. The aspects of studying abroad that clash most sharply with American life will stand out, make the funniest stories and make you wish you were back in Prague or any of NYU’s abroad sites for that matter. In most cases you will get used to them. The bad will become good and the strange will become normal and comforting. Those are the things you will remember when you return home.

Joe Ehrman-Dupre is a foreign correspondent.

Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

staff editorial

Military reforms should reach for gender equality This week, the Marine Corps, the most male-dominated branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, announced new directives that would integrate women into infantry combat units previously closed to them. These new policies help break up the traditional patriarchy of the Marines.

The recent Pentagon rules set out in February opened up the door for these provisions, which allow women to have just as much of a role in ground combat battalions as men. Women can now fight to defend the same rights that men do.

Though the Women’s Rights Movement long ago raised awareness of a glass ceiling that pervades many social, economic and political landscapes, little has been done to address the seemingly bulletproof ceiling that has kept women from fulfilling certain Marine Corps duties. The military cites everything from psychological studies to anecdotal evidence to prevent women from joining war-fighting battlions.

The plight of homosexuals, who, until recently, were barred from openly serving, is not too far removed from that of women in the military. Extensive reforms, similar to the decision to do away with the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, are needed in order to ensure fairness in our armed forces.

On issues of race, the military has been ahead of its time. For example, in 1948, its policy of integrating the military was at the forefront of ensuring equality of treatment and opportunity in American society and served as a beacon of social mobility for people of color in the time of segregation.

On issues of gender, our armed forces should be just as forward-thinking.

Gender-based cultural prejudice has no place in the military and is in no way an adequate justification for keeping male chauvinistic barriers in place.

This is not to say that physical standards should not be set and enforced. Disparities in gender distribution in the military are not in themselves an inequality of opportunity, but the current disparities reflect inequality codified in outdated policy that purports to protect qualified fighting women by restricting them from the front lines. Much more is needed to achieve true equality for women serving in the armed forces, and we should continue to implement progressive reforms that put capable women alongside capable men in combat. Until then, the bulletproof ceiling will remain untouched.

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.

Washington Square news | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | nyunews.com

SPORTs

edited by daniel hinton

sports@nyunews.com

Team USA needs new center for London summer games

By Sebastien Van Heyningen With all-star centers Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum electing to undergo surgery instead of representing their country at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Team USA is looking more like this year’s Boston Celtics. The Celtics have attempted to solve their frontcourt issues by starting Kevin Garnett as the center and Brandon Bass as the power forward while substituting super rookie Greg Stiemsma for about 24 minutes per game.

Nobody in that triad of big men is a true center, even though Garnett and Stiemsma are both nearly 7 feet tall. As a result, the No. 4 Celtics are currently the worst rebounding team in the NBA. Even with all of their perimeter talent, Team USA cannot afford the same deficiencies at this year’s Olympics.

Right now the New York Knicks’ Tyson Chandler is the only true center who will be suiting up in the red, white and blue this summer. Though Chandler is a candidate for defensive player of the year, he will have to deal with Spain’s fearsome frontcourt consisting of brothers Pau and Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, who leads the league in blocks. As shocking as it sounds, Team USA might be the second best team going into this year’s Olympics.

19

How do we fix this?

Garnett is a tenacious defender, proven leader and has played center almost all year for Boston. He will also be 36 when the Olympics start and has knees that routinely give out on him, so I think he would rather rest. Similarly, the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan has experience in the middle but probably does not want to suffer the extra wear and tear on his aging body. The Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins is another enticing option. Cousins possesses all the necessary skill, but a team representing the United States would not benefit from Cousins’ infamous attitude.

That leaves Team USA a shorter list of big men to battle with Spain’s frontcourt if Chandler needs rest or fouls out. Team USA must promote a solid defender that can score and draw some fouls out of the three-headed Spanish monster. This defender also needs to be young, durable, dependable and willing to prove himself on the international stage. That player is the Utah Jazz’s Al Jefferson.

At the prime age of 27 and listed at 6 feet, 10 inches and 289 pounds, Jefferson has been an enormous part of the Utah’s surprising rise this season to take the eighth seed from the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets. This team should was dead in the water, but Jefferson’s performance down the stretch has helped

NYU table tennis takes talent, teamwork to the top

By Sara Levy

Courtesy of Keith Allison

Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum will miss Olympics. keep his team afloat. This year Jefferson has committed one turnover per game, his lowest average since his rookie year in the 2004-2005 season with the Celtics. Most importantly, he is incredibly efficient and has no history of causing internal team trouble.

According to nearly every statistic and personal trait, Jefferson is the best big man for the job. After such an exciting and unpredictable season, any athlete should be willing to show off his skills with such talented teammates against the best players the rest of the world has to offer.

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

To most people, table tennis is either a hobby for kids or a game played by Forrest Gump. But for the members of NYU’s table tennis team, it is a competitive sport on par with any other.

“I think table tennis is a largely misunderstood sport because it is not a typical spectator sport, where the general public can invest itself emotionally in the game,” said Kenneth Lim, a senior and co-captain of the table tennis team at NYU. “Table tennis, until recently, is usually associated with a game that’s played in your garage or friend’s basement just to kill time. But that’s ping pong. We play table tennis.”

With this distinction in mind, Lim explained the physical and mental dexterity that the sport of table tennis requires.

“Besides being physically demanding, in which you need great core strength, footwork, explosive muscle power and endurance to compete at the highest levels, table tennis hones mental toughness, fortitude, determination and the ability to make important decisions quickly,” Lim added.

Lim and his fellow co-captains Wenhui Toh, Christopher Weller and Steven Getselevich have been outstanding during the 2011-2012 season. The Violets are a part of the New York City Downtown Division in the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association. The NCTTA currently includes 155 colleges, which are organized into 26 divisions based in six geographical regions across North America.

NYU participates in the fall and spring divisional tournaments every year and competes in several local tournaments, including the Fashion Institute of Technology Open in March and the Westchester Open in April. This spring season NYU also defeated crosstown rivals, No.1 Columbia University, for the first time in three years.

Only in their fifth season as a club sport at NYU, both the women and co-ed teams earned bids to the National Collegiate Tennis Tournament held in Plano, Texas from April 12 to 15. The fifth-seeded women’s team finished third out of 12 teams while the No.19 co-ed team placed 17th out of 24.

While growing up in Singapore, Lim started playing table tennis competitively but had to stop for about four years because of school and military duty. When he came to NYU almost four years ago, Lim resumed competing in his favorite sport.

“I’ve made many friends from different backgrounds, nationalities and beliefs through playing table tennis,” Lim said. “It’s a really great social and cultural activity.”

Practices were held weekly at FIT under the supervision of coach Robert Chen during the 2011-2012 season. At the beginning of each semester, the team holds competitive tryouts for the A and B co-ed teams and the women’s team. Players challenge each other to matches throughout the season to maintain positions on the teams.

Sara Levy is a staff writer.

Email her at sports@nyunews.com.

Robert Chen for wsn

NYU competed in the National Collegiate Tennis Tournament from April 12 to 15.

Angels, Giants duel for best rotation in Major Leagues

By Daniel Hinton and Cole Riley

via Flickr

Tim Lincecum led the NL in strikeouts in ’08, ’09 and ’10.

Courtesy of Keith Allison

Jered Wever is 3-0 with 0.78 WHIP through four starts.

Only one month into the new season, the question of best starting rotation in Major League Baseball has already popped up in headlines and conversations. WSN sports editor Daniel Hinton and deputy sports editor Cole Riley continue the debate.

DH: Whenever we rank the best starting rotations in baseball, we obviously have to start with a team’s number one starter, and my choice for the best ace is the Los Angeles Angels’ Jered Weaver.

Weaver had a career year in 2011. Everyone went gaga over the Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander’s MVP campaign, but Weaver tied him in shutouts, 2, and complete games, 4, and his ERA, 2.41, was only .01 higher.

Weavers’s got to be the favorite to win the AL Cy Young this year.

Who do you have as top pick?

CR: What about a team with two aces right in the middle of their primes?

I’m talking about Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants.

We know Lincecum’s résumé includes two Cy Young Awards and he is a four-time All-Star. As Lincecum gets off to a slow start in 2012, Cain picks up the slack and currently has a 2.37 ERA and 26 strikeouts through four starts.

He’s nearly untouchable.

DH: How about I one-up you and say that the Angels have three legitimate aces to the Giants’ two?

Last season, Weaver and Dan Haren were the best pitching tandem in the American League. In fact, Haren recorded a better K/BB ratio, 5.82, and pitched one more shutout than Weaver.

As the ace of the Rangers’ pitching staff last year, C.J. Wilson finished with over 200 strikeouts and a sub-3.00 ERA. I can’t deny Wilson’s struggles in

the 2010 and 2011 postseasons, but experience in back-to-back World Series should not be ignored either.

CR: What if I was to tell you that Madison Bumgarner, of the New York Giants, is more impressive than Wilson? What if I told you Barry Zito will win the Comeback Player of the Year award?

Listen, the Angels have the names and some statistics, but they don’t frighten me like Lincecum and Cain do. When you add Bumgarner, a 22-year-old southpaw with devastating off-speed pitches and a 2.96 ERA this season, now you’re talking best staff in the league.

As for Zito, his numbers through April are encouraging and have Giants fans rejoicing.

DH: I won’t argue that Bumgarner has the skill set to surpass Wilson, and anybody else for that matter. Wilson, however, has acquired more experience as a reliever and a starter in a much tougher league. On the other hand, 2011 was Bumgarner’s first full season in the Giants’ rotation, and he often faces much weaker offenses in the National League West. Let’s wait another year before we deem him an elite pitcher.

As for your praise of Zito, a comeback requires more than four quality starts.

CR: Have you forgotten that Bumgarner has one more World Series ring than the entire Angels staff combined?

San Francisco has bonafide winners, headlined by two aces that may lead them to another division title and a deep run in this year’s playoffs. The Giants definitely claim the distinction as having the best staff in the league.

Daniel Hinton is sports editor. Cole Riley is a deputy sports editor. Email them at sports@nyunews.com.