WSN050213

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 49

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

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Hayden renovations to begin in 2014

TAKING A STAND

By NICOLE BROWN

JOON LEE/WSN

Labor rights activists rally thousands of protesters to march downtown in a major May Day demonstration.

Student activists join in May Day march

By DANIEL HUANG

The New York City Student May Day Convergence, a daylong demonstration that spanned lower Manhattan, brought together students from all over the city. University student activists joined in the march.

The NYU Student Convergence began at 1 p.m. at Washington Square Park. Within half an hour, what had started as a handful of

students — indistinguishable from dozens of others enjoying the sun — had ballooned to a crowd of at least 60 vocal advocates. Bearing cardboard signs declaring their cause, students discussed their message with each other and passersby. At one point, a street musician joined in, plopping down in the middle of the crowd and crooning old folk songs to a nostalgic guitar riff.

“We wanted to bring out as many social justice groups as possible to this convergence,” said CAS sophomore Kristina Mayman, one of the event’s organizers and a leader of Students Against the Sexton Plan.

Before long, the ground was covered in messages of protest.

These signs called attention to an entire spectrum of issues.

One read “System change, not climate change.” Another, “Free

Palestine.” Many mentioned John Sexton, from printouts of his face and reminders of his $1.3 million salary, to ones that read, “How’s the business, Sexton?”

Members from NYU Divest, SLAM, Students for Economic Justice, Students Against the Sexton Plan and many other clubs were in attendance. Their presence

MAYDAY continued on PG. 3

‘Iron Man 3’ proves best in trilogy

By LAURA WOLFORD

Watching your favorite superhero being destroyed is never an easy task, especially when he’s beaten to a bloody pulp. But if he gave up right then and there, then he wouldn’t be a superhero, would he?

Iron Man bounces back in the first of many “Phase 2” projects for Marvel in “Iron Man 3.”

Ever since his traumatic experiences in “The Avengers,” Tony Stark faces a whole new set of obstacles. While battling a serious anxiety problem, his life and the world around him shift.

When audiences are first re-introduced to him, he no longer sleeps and spends his time focused on tinkering with his suit for improvements.

Meanwhile, terrorists and con men are dominating the non-

COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS

Tony Stark faces his personal demons in his latest adventure. supernatural world as they destroy the planet from the inside out. Tony must once again make the choice between controlling his own selfish tendencies and

making the world a safer place for the people around him.

“Iron Man 3” delivers what Marvel fans have been craving since “The Avengers,” as Iron Man is as witty as ever. The film is full of surprises and twists at every turn and, shockingly enough for Tony, full of heart.

Robert Downey Jr. stuns as always, encompassing every fine detail of who Iron Man is while also leaving his own imprint on the character. His delivery is perfectly timed, making the most serious and uneasy moments laughable. Downey connects to the audience through the duality of Tony’s serious, ass-kicking side and sarcastic, ridiculous persona.

This plays out in a few memorable scenes between Tony and

IRON continued on PG. 8

Hayden residence hall will see some improvements in the near future. Renovations for the freshman dorm will begin after the student commencements end in 2014 and finish in May 2015.

A former hotel first constructed in the early 20th century, the hall houses 700 first-year students each year. The refurbishments on every floor will include the installation of sprinklers, the repair of plaster walls and new bathrooms, windows and floors. The lounges and offices in the building will also be updated.

Students will not be living in the residence hall during construction, but the dining hall will remain open. The university is in the process of determining how to replace Hayden beds for the 2014-15 academic year, university spokesperson Phil Lentz said.

Lentz also said that the building is landmarked, so any renovations must be approved by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission before NYU can proceed with any construction.

LPC issued a permit on March 29 for the current repairs of the elevators in Hayden, but the upcoming renovations require new permissions.

The application for the major renovations has not yet been submitted to the commission.

Nicole Brown is investigative editor.

Email her at nbrown@nyunews.com.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: CITY SCHOOL LUNCHES ARE INADEQUATE FOR STUDENTS: In a letter to the editor, students from the EBC High School for Public Service call for the improvement of school lunches.

OPINION on PG. 7

CLIVE DAVIS INSTITUTE CONTEST WINNERS MIX IT UP:

DJ Swivel collaborated with the Tisch School of the Arts to teach students about the music industry and help four students produce songs.

SWIVEL on PG. 3

FRESHMAN LAUNCHES ONLINE VINTAGE STORE:

A GLS freshman decided to create a better thrift shopping experience for New York students with her online clothing store, Bummer City Apparel.

BUMMER on PG. 4

COURTESY OF CARMEN MACDOUGALL

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

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

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MAYDAY continued from PG. 1

Students joined protesters on May Day march through city

was reminiscent of the way Occupy Wall Street gained strength — by being an umbrella movement that absorbed the causes of many into one unified stand.

“We have the highest total student debt in the nation,” said Gallatin junior Riley O’Neill, another organizer of the demonstration. “At a basic level, this alone should be something students care about.”

CAS junior George Georgiadis broadened the scope of the day’s protests.

“This is a movement for everyone that feels disaffected somehow,” Georgiadis said.

At 3 p.m., the protesters headed to Cooper Square and joined a small but dense assembly of students from other schools gathered in front of the Cooper Union Foundation Building. Different speakers took turns in the center, sharing their thoughts and passions, their voices amplified by the entire assembly through an Occupy-style mic check system, with the crowd echoing a single speaker.

An hour later, they were chanting the word “March,” as the group headed to Union Square with signs bobbing in the air, where it fed into a larger, citywide rally for labor and immigration reform.

“We’re reviving a tradition that’s been lost in this country,” explained Jonah Birch, a graduate student at the NYU department of sociology. “It’s so important for us to rebuild a movement that can fight for the working people.”

For many, not being able to see immediate results is taken as a sign of ineffectiveness.

Julian Gonzalez, an LSP sophomore, ignored the cynics and focused on the positives.

“Hope is the only thing we have,” Gonzalez said.

“The origin of the word radical comes from the Latin meaning roots. So a radical is somebody who is firmly rooted in his beliefs. What kind of soil is a radical rooted in? It’s rooted in hope.”

The last event of the day brought NYU students back to Washington Square Park. In a gathering dubbed Dance Your Debt Away — more party than protest — participants were invited to celebrate their stand and reflect on the day’s successes. As Riley said, “At the end of the day, activism is and should be fun.”

Additional reporting by Casey Dalrymple. Daniel Huang is a contributing writer. Email them at cstate@nyunews.com.

JOON LEE/WSN

Labor demonstrators march toward City Hall.

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Producer DJ Swivel guides recording students

By TANAY HUDSON

Three students from the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at the Tisch School of the Arts recently had the opportunity to work with Jordan Young, popularly known as DJ Swivel, a Grammy Awardwinning music producer who has worked with Beyoncé, Whitney Houston and Kanye West.

Swivel hosted two workshops in which he discussed his career. He then opened multiple engineering sessions to Tisch students where he showed them how songs were created, mixed and more. Afterward, students were encouraged to submit original material so they could win the opportunity to work in the studio with Swivel.

Tisch junior Gian Bravo and Tolu Adeyemo co-produced the song “You Don’t Know,” and fellow Tisch junior Kiah Victoria performed the vocals.

Tisch sophomore Michael Adubato’s song, “It’s Alright,” also won him the opportunity to work in the studio with Swivel.

Adubato, who wrote and produced the track along with Tisch sophomore Hannah Gross, said working with Swivel was helpful for his future career.

“Though I’ve been pro-

ducing for awhile, I’m just starting to get into more conventional songwriting,” Adubato said. “I’ve got a way to go, but winning the contest was a gratifying personal benchmark.”

Bravo, who has indirectly worked with Swivel in the past, said the producer is good at his job in part because of his rapidity. “‘You Don’t Know’ has a somewhat complex arrangement and a wide range of unique sounds,” Bravo said. “Swivel was able to put all the sounds in their own places sonically while maintaining a balance throughout the different sections of the song, all in a matter of four hours.”

For both Bravo and Adubato, working with Swivel allowed them to hone their skills.

“It was fun to interact and communicate with Swivel on a musical level in order to help enhance the vision we originally had for the record,” Bravo said.

“It was especially interesting watching him use familiar software and hardware in ways I wouldn’t have thought to,” Adubato said.

Jeff Rabhan, chair of the Clive Davis Institute, said the institute is incredibly fortunate to collaborate with artists like Swivel.

“These sorts of exchanges

COURTESY OF DJ SWIVEL

DJ Swivel worked with Beyoncé and Kanye West. between leaders in the field and our students are exactly what our educational approach is about, since they both promote creativity and lead to real opportunities for our students in the world of recorded music,” Rabhan said.

During his session with the students, Swivel said he tried to treat them more like clients.

“There’s something different about actually showing up to a studio outside of school and working with a professional in the business, as opposed to just attending a regular class,” Swivel said.

“I didn’t want this to feel like a course requirement,” he added.

Swivel also said he would love to continue to work with NYU and share his experiences with the students.

“For me, it’s incredibly

rewarding to give back to the next generation of music industry professionals by passing along the skills and knowledge that was once passed to me,” he said.

The next step for the winners is to have their tracks mastered by Chris Gehringer, a Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer. Bravo said after Gehringer masters “You Don’t Know,” it will be used for Victoria’s upcoming EP, which is currently in the works.

Adubato, on the other hand, is unsure of the public release date and details for “It’s Alright.”

“In the meantime, I have plans to show the track to my mom,” he said.

Tanay Hudson is a staff writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

Annual Strawberry Fest returns to campus

By SU SIE PARK

Students can find some reprieve in the middle of finals preparation because NYU’s annual Strawberry Festival returns to campus May 10.

CAS freshman Tyler Maxin, a festival co-chair, said the theme of the 28th annual Strawberry Festival is outer space, and decorations will give the location an intergalactic feel.

“It’s hopefully a good way for students and faculty to unwind right before finals, to celebrate the coming of summer and for the sometimes disparate community to come together,” Maxin said.

Sponsored by the Program Board at NYU, Strawberry Festival is an afternoon of carnival games, interactive booths and live music. The highlight of the event is when students dig into a block-long strawberry shortcake.

Be the Strawberry, a contest that allows students to be the event’s mascot, is entering its second year and may become an annual contest in the future.

The festival will include free food, as well as games and activities organized by organizations on campus such as the IRHC, LiveWellNYU and others. It will also feature bands and DJs to set the mood.

Maxin also said Strawberry Festival is known for having unique bands.

“We still hear so much about the Lightning Bolt show from a couple years back, so hopefully this year is no different,” Maxin said, referring to an outdoor concert featuring the band Lightning Bolt during a bird-themed Strawberry Festival in 2011.

Katherine Passaro, a senior in the College of Arts and Science and cosponsorship chair, said Strawberry Festival is a great way to cap off the year.

“Strawberry Festival has been one of my favorite NYU events since freshman year, so I always expect great things,” Passaro said. “It is just a wonderful day to hang out and enjoy everything the event has to offer, and I imagine this year will be the same.”

Each year Strawberry Festival offers new giveaways and food vendors.

This year’s vendors will include Paul’s Burgers, Wild Bill’s Soda, People’s Pops and Red Bull, among others, Passaro said. Strawberry Festival offers students an opportunity to get to know vendors of these brands, from both local mom-and-pop shops and national brands.

Cindy Tsui, a sophomore in CAS, will attend the Strawberry Festival this year and said she is excited for the festival.

“We take over an entire street,”

Tsui said. “Dedicating that space to an event for NYU students gives us community and a mini-campus environment.”

The Strawberry Festival will take place on LaGuardia Place between West Third Street and Washington Square South from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Su Sie Park is a staff writer.

Email her at university@nyunews.com.

VIA FLICKR.COM

NYU’s Strawberry Fest features a block-long strawberry shortcake.

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FEATURES

EDITED BY KRISTINA BOGOS FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

Students bring low-cost back to vintage

By BRYNA SHUMAN

GLS freshman Carmen MacDougall has always loved thrift shops.

When she moved to New York, MacDougall noticed that vintage clothes in the city often come with high price tags, and she perceived a lack of constant circulation of clothes. With college students in mind, MacDougall was inspired her to start her own online vintage clothing store.

MacDougall’s store Bummer City Apparel launched in January, after she had been at home in Chicago for winter break.

“In New York everything is super expensive just because it is called vintage, so I decided to start my own clothing site with more reasonable prices,” MacDougall said.

“When I was home I started buying items from thrift stores and brought them back to New York.”

Bummer City Apparel sells a wide range of vintage pieces at low prices. MacDougall and her partner, Tisch freshman Ben Klein, hand pick and photograph each piece before uploading it to their site to begin the selling process.

“I’d been running a photo blog called Bummer City for a couple years, so I offered to do the photog-

raphy and design for the site, and attach the name ‘Bummer City.’ I took all the pictures you’ll see on the site,” Klein said. “We’ve been talking to some really interesting designers, including some NYU students, and we’re hoping to sell items designed exclusively for BCA pretty soon.”

The duo is currently looking to set up stands at festivals and fairs in the city over the summer. Bummer City Apparel is also negotiating collaborations with local artists and bands, like the alternative group Del Water Gap, to sell their pieces on the artists’ site.

The store ships anywhere in the United States, but their target audience is students and people in the New York area. A member of the Bummer City Apparel team can also meet with customers in the East Village or on campus to hand-deliver items, thus eliminating shipping costs.

“Overall, they make the process so simple,” said CAS freshman Megan Rafferty, who has been a Bummer City customer since the website’s inception. “Pieces of great quality are hand-delivered to you for low prices. It’s the perfect system for a college student living on a small budget.”

Rafferty was also impressed by

the selection available. “[Bummer City Apparel] picks the best stuff out of a cute vintage store for you, so you don’t need to do the work of digging around,” she said. “The prices are so much better than any thrift shop I’ve ever visited in the city.”

Although it is still a relatively new endeavor, MacDougall and Klein have big plans for the future of Bummer City Apparel as it continues to grow.

“It’s all taken off so fast,” MacDougall said. “I’m not really sure yet where it’s going to go, but that’s also the most exciting part.”

Bryna Shuman is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

TOP 5 MUSIC FESTIVALS FOR SUMMER FUN Warm weather brings fun summer music festivals to New York, including Popfest, Camp Bisco and Electric Daisy Carnival. For information on where, when and how to catch great artists like Passion Pit and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs this summer, log on to nyunews.com.

LSP freshman seeks to hype up society

By DEBORAH LUBANGA

While most freshmen spend the first few months of school adjusting to life in college, LSP freshman Nihar Suthar dedicated his time to inspiring others to dream big and make the most of every day.

When Suthar arrived in Greenwich Village last fall, he noticed the number of expressionless people that ride the subway and wanted to develop a way to inspire them. In June, Suthar will release his first book, “Win No Matter What.” The book offers a collection of inspirational true stories and tips for how to improve your mood, attitude and perception of others. “[‘Winning No Matter What’] is the overlying theme of the entire book,” Suthar said. “It’s about how to improve your everyday living and how to win no matter what happens, no matter what you face.”

Suthar spent five months collecting and writing stories before he signed a book deal in March with Balboa Press, a publishing company that specializes in inspirational and self-help books.

Suthar had previously started his own self-help company, Hype Up Your Day LLC, which helped lead to the deal. “[Suthar] has a platform, which is the most important thing for an author,” said Balboa Press brand manager Sandra Powell, referring to Suthar’s self-help company.

“So if he’s doing the right things, like getting the information out there, he has a good chance [at having his book sell].”

Suthar started Hype Up Your Day LLC as a Facebook page in high school. He launched it as an official company in 2012. Working with a core team of five people, Suthar uses social media such as Twitter,

Instagram and Tumblr to send out daily inspirational messages.

GLS junior Deborah Soh is part of the social media team that manages the company’s accounts.

“I truly enjoy my work with Hype Up Your Day, as it has allowed me to spread happiness and optimism to people, which in turn has changed the way that I approach my own life,” Soh said. “Having positive energy in one’s life is very important, and Hype Up Your Day provides that.”

Suthar and his team have been working on ways to spread their positive message to the corporate world by devising plans to offer businesses short and long-term strategies to increase employee motivation, morale and productivity. As part of their corporate packages, the team will host events where professional motivational speakers coach employees on setting goals and becoming leaders.

“The training is going to make [employees] better personally and professionally,” said Kevin BostonHill, one of Hype Up Your Day’s motivational speakers. “The motivational part of it will get people excited about work as opposed to thinking it is just another thing they have to do.”

The Hype Up Your Day team is currently marketing their services. This summer, Suthar plans to host showcases in and around New York City as a way to take his startup company to new heights.

“I would like to see [Hype Up Your Day] become big,” Suthar said. “I would like to see us reaching out to as many businesses as we can, inspiring and helping employees around the world.”

Deborah Lubanga is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF NIHAR SUTHAR

Suthar founded a company focusing on self-help last year.

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ARTS

EDITED BY JOSH JOHNSON ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Brilliant acting cannot redeem ‘Generation’s’ lackluster plot

By NORA BLAKE

The famously strong and silent Keanu Reeves has returned to the spotlight in “Generation Um…” as a rambling, choppy character with a dim sense of heart. Writer and director Mark Mann succeeds in highlighting the often underrated acting ability of his leading man. Undeniably the star of the show, Reeves’ performance redeems an otherwise disappointing, rambling film.

“Generation” follows John (Reeves), a loner who spends his time driving aimlessly around Manhattan, often accompanied by audacious Violet (Bojana Nova-

kovic) and reserved Mia (Adelaide Clemens). When John decides to drop off his “girls” at their shabby apartment and take to the streets alone, he stumbles upon an abandoned but functional film camera and uses it to express his submissive persona. Several sequences of John filming the girls later, we begin to learn more about the dynamics of the trio’s relationship and the world at large.

Their time together is stylistically compelling — Mann flexes his considerable cinematic prowess in these scenes. However, there is little substance here. The screen time given to these charac-

ters gives us few chances to connect with them. In fact, it only further distances us from them.

The movie’s story is made most compelling by its visuals, but the vacuous dialogue is given the task of conveying the film’s meaning.

Mann’s halfhearted attempts to create a deep indie film ultimately do not succeed, because the symbols he highlights are unattached to themes or interpretations. As the film continues, there are several instances where more context might have been helpful.

The reasons behind Violet and Mia’s friendship with each other or how John met them are all de-

tails which would have provided the audience a better idea of who the characters are. “Generation” is a film about three friends, but their friendship exists in an empty vacuum.

Despite the opaque and mostly dry supporting characters, the director makes a smart choice in focusing on John. Reeves returns to film in a big way, despite his character’s passive personality.

By the end, Mann has displayed John’s thoughts and actions almost fully, though much of this fulfillment occurs because of Reeves’ superb performance. Everything from his facial expres-

Cold storytelling dooms ‘Iceman’

By ZACK GRULLON

A killer with a conscience is a character done to death in film. But with the talented Michael Shannon as the titular murderer, one might think “The Iceman” would offer an intriguing, or at least entertaining, tale. Unfortunately, the only thing that makes this film stand out is that it’s based on a true story.

Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski (Shannon) worked as a hitman for Roy DeMeo (Ray Liotta) during the ’60s and ’70s, only to be arrested in the ’80s for the crimes he committed.

He earned his nickname from his sadistic method of freezing his victims, which counfounded the police as they attempted to determine each victim’s time of death.

Even though Kuklinski killed over 100 people, the film tries to evoke sympathy from the audience.

Scenes show his love for his family, which includes his wife Deborah Pellicotti (Winona Ryder) and their two teenage daughters. Yet, that is simply not enough to add any dimension to this character. Little attention is given to the reason Kuklinski is so violent. There is only one scene, in which Kuklinski visits

his troubled brother in jail, that suggests there may be something dysfunctional in the family. This backstory would have been much more fascinating to explore.

The film delves further into clichéd mafia fare as we see the machinations with DeMeo’s gang and how its members betrayed Kuklinski. Unfortunately, watching Liotta play a mobster only serves as a reminder of his role in the farsuperior “Goodfellas.”

“The Iceman” treats its dark subject matter so tamely that reading the Wikipedia page on the real Richard Kuklinski is more shocking. The film does not have the audacity to explore the figure enough to offer anything introspective. There are several actual interviews with the real Kuklinski the film could have drawn from if it wanted to portray a more gripping character.

In one such interview, Kuklinski discusses how he beat his wife and threatened to kill his daughter. In “Goodfellas,” when we saw the main character abusing his wife, both his world and the film became darker. But in “The Iceman,” Deborah is merely a stock character, and her reasons for putting up with Kuklinski’s violent tenden-

cies remain unexplained.

Nevertheless, the saving grace to the watered-down titular character is the performance of Michael Shannon, who glides between subtlety and explosive rage with finesse. The film also features some surprise, welcome appearances by David Schwimmer (“Friends”), who plays a naive member of DeMeo’s gang, an unrecognizable Chris Evans as Kuklinski’s accomplice and James Franco as one of Kuklinski’s victims.

Even with these strong performances, “The Iceman” will likely melt along with other clichéd mafia films in years to come.

Zack Grullon is a staff writer.

Email him at film@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF MILLENNIUM FILMS

Michael Shannon delivers a menacing performance.

sions to the way he responds to his co-stars is indicative of his acting range and his dedication to his character. Regardless of the quality of Mann’s story, Reeves’ performance is a powerful thing to behold.

Though Mann’s project is weak, “Generation Um…” is made tolerable by its main character. Even if Reeves’ performance alone cannot salvage this erratic and confusing piece, his presence stands out as a great return to the movie screen.

Nora Blake is a staff writer.

Email her at film@nyunews.com.

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OPINION

EDITED BY SAMEER JAYWANT OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

City school lunches detrimental to students

By CARLOS LOPEZ, HERBERT LUNA, JONATHAN SANTIAGO, CHARINA TAVAREZ and HEAVEN VALLES

The students of EBC High School for Public Service in the Bushwick community are appalled over the state of our school lunches. Insufficient and poor quality foods are discouraging and distracting to students throughout the school day, and it seems that the issues with school lunches are citywide and affect the 1.1 million students in the Department of Education school lunch program, which is run by Eric Goldstein. If more money were provided for the school lunch program, food and education quality would improve.

A recent survey we conducted of 160 EBC students made it clear exactly how unhappy we are with our school food. The average rating of food quality was 2.6 on a scale of one to 10, with 94 percent of students marking 5 or below. Additionally, 66 percent are “not satisfied” with the food variety, as compared to the 1.3 percent that are “very satisfied.” Also, 89 percent of students believe they receive the same food on three or more days of

the week, 76 percent believe there are “no food options at all” and not a single student feels “very full” after a school lunch.

The food given in New York City public schools is also negatively affecting students’ stamina in class and their long-run educational progress. Meals lack protein, vitamins and calories, which are essential for a healthy diet.

Each student is different — for example, students who play sports need more calories to maintain their momentum in games. Even students who don’t play sports need energy to focus in classes.

Hunger can affect grades, test scores and even the health of the students. Instead of concentrating on lessons, they are concentrating on growling stomachs and the next possible meal. This is a serious issue for students, who will ultimately receive lower grades, as well as parents who will be upset with their child’s grades, and teachers who could possibly lose their jobs when schools and the state of New York get bad ratings.

Obviously, the food the students consume has a major impact on their health and success.

The problem is the limited funds we receive from the government.

Every student’s school lunch costs a measly $1.75 per meal. Schools across the country have hundreds of students, accumulating a cost of over $600,000 annually per school.

For us to get better and more filling food, we need to increase funding. Even a few more cents per meal can make the difference between a reheated slice of pizza and a healthier choice such as a piece of fish or some vegetables.

A large amount of government money is going to funding wars, but the students who are working hard for a better future for the United States are put in second place. It doesn’t seem right, and we need a long-term solution.

We are confident that it is not just the students at EBC High School that feel this way. This is something that affects us all as students, teachers, parents and citizens of the United States.

Carlos Lopez, Herbert Luna, Jonathan Santiago, Charina Tavarez and Heaven Valles are students at EBC Bushwick High School for Public Service.

Email them at opinion@nyunews.com.

MEDIA

Fast-paced media prevents social change

By IAN MARK

There is a man in Africa named Joseph Kony who is forcing children to become soldiers. A horrible storm called Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast and thousands are still affected. A recent school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in which 20 children and six adults were slain demonstrated our need for more effective gun control. All of these issues received press coverage but have been more or less forgotten since then. An in-depth article on any of these topics today would be met with questions, from editors and readers alike, such as “Why is he writing about this now?” and “How is this relevant?”

There has always been an emphasis on topicality in journalism, but that emphasis has drifted toward an obsession in recent years, as the proliferation of news sources has created desperation for rapid reporting.

Scandals that used to play out over weeks take place over the course of a day. The national attention span has waned. Our society has become increasingly impatient, and our media coverage reflects that.

Take this hypothetical: A politi-

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cian says something racist and 45 minutes later, it’s all over Reddit and Buzzfeed. CNN and Fox News have analysts onscreen within the hour giving pundit perspectives. After two hours, a statement is issued, claiming the politician’s remarks were taken out of context or misconstrued. Then 10 minutes after that, a so-called representative of the insulted minority group goes on MSNBC to explain why the statement was not apologetic enough and why this will hurt him going forward. After three hours, the story is dead.

This fast-paced coverage is perhaps inconsequential for unimportant events like the previous example. But it hurts worthy causes such as ousting Kony, helping vic-

tims of Hurricane Sandy or fighting for stricter gun control in the wake of Sandy Hook. These issues arise in the national consciousness for a week or two and then are forgotten.

We have traded something for this 24-hour news cycle, for this incessant coverage of anything and everything. We have traded something for Twitter, for Reddit, for a world always and instantly connected. What we have traded is the ability to differentiate between filler and real stories, between the issues that deserve our undivided attention and those that simply exist to pass the time. We have made it harder for social activism to gain traction. The public is losing influence in Washington, D.C., because it is distracted and no longer pays any attention to Washington. By covering everything, the media cheapen the stories that deserve extensive coverage and hurt those who could be helped by extended public attention, as oxymoronic as that phrase has become.

Ian Mark is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Editorial Board reflects on spring semester

As we look back on an eventful semester filled with momentous change, the WSN Editorial Board would like to contextualize our recent memories and offer guiding principles for the continued advancement of our country.

The end of April hopefully marks the closing of a dark chapter for the world. In the last few months, we have seen the slightest step toward sensible gun control shut down by Congress, a terrorist attack on our own soil and Syria’s government use chemical weapons to kill countless citizens. On campus, we have watched as two of NYU’s schools held a vote of no confidence against NYU President John Sexton. But as April showers turn to May flowers, our world forges on.

What lessons have we learned as we watched horror and hope unfold around the globe? First, we learned that it has never been more incumbent upon the American citizenry to mobilize and exert its influence over its paralyzed, corrupt government. Congress has dropped all pretenses of political legitimacy and quite obviously panders to the highest bidder. Our elected representatives have deviated from responsibility because we have allowed them to do so. As individuals, we hold little influence over politicians — as a lobby, coalition, political action committee or any other organized body, we can reclaim our rightful clout and restore America’s broken democracy.

We must cease to view the rest of the world as an us-versus-them dynamic. The increasingly interdependent nature of our global system demonstrates every day why American exceptionalism is no longer an adequate justification for unilateralism. As a nation we must adapt to changing world dynamics, and if we do not recognize the new intricacies of international trade, security and aid, we will quickly lose our competitive edge — if we have not lost it already.

Ultimately, we on the Editorial Board are grateful for the opportunity to critically examine the key issues of our time and present a nuanced perspective to our readers. Rather than dictating how you should think, we have tried to emphasize the details of each issue and contribute to the general political discourse that is so essential to a just and righteous society. We encourage you to keep reading, analyzing and contributing — enlightened readers are enlightened citizens, after all.

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

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

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, N.Y. 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title.

WSN does not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

IRON continued from PG. 1

Downey Jr. faces new villains, inner demons in ‘Iron Man 3’

a young boy — he is incredibly kind to the boy one minute, and the next, he’s ordering the boy to fetch him a sandwich.

Downey isn’t the only scenestealer, though. Gwyneth Paltrow holds her own as the fiery Pepper Potts. She is no longer the docile personal assistant we once knew — she has become more of her own woman, and Paltrow makes jaws drop as Pepper finally enjoys her shining moment.

Ben Kingsley makes his mark on the “Iron Man” franchise as the cunning villain, the Mandarin. Kingsley takes the villain to a whole new level as he effortlessly portrays the dimensionality of the Mandarin though his well-tailored acting skills. Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce take their supporting characters and turn them into major players, with their fluently delivered one-liners and the care they give to developing their characters.

As in every “Iron Man” film so far, the writing is full of oneliners, sarcastic comebacks and scenes jam-packed with non-stop action. Nevertheless “Iron Man 3” also has something we have rarely seen before in Tony — a heart.

Tony seems to be much more aware of the world full of people around him as he begins to take on the selflessness that we admire in other superheroes.

“Iron Man 3” is everything Marvel fans could ask for and more. However, without giving too much away, the ending may not be what the diehard fans want to see happen. But not to worry — “Iron Man 3” delivers in every other way imaginable.

Tony Stark has once again proven himself to be everything we need a superhero to be. He says it best himself: “I am Iron Man.” Laura Wolford is a staff writer.

Email her at film@nyunews.com.