WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR BY VALENTINA BOJANINI While talking to my Colombian grandmother on the phone a couple of weeks ago she gave me a valuable piece of career advice: “Valentina, when the Internet becomes popular, no one is ever going to read a print newspaper, they’re just going to go to a computer.” Granted, she only reads the newspaper for the obituaries and hasn’t really used the Internet since 2006, but she’s right. Most of us get our news online, not from print newspapers. The media industry has been changing drastically for several decades, and it’s time for us to catch up. For the past 43 years, WSN has been publishing in print at least 4 times a week, and as wonderful as it’s been, it’s just not the way news works anymore. In the most drastic change in several years,
“dying”
the media issue STAFF PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN FORTE
WSN will now be publishing in print once a week. We will still publish online daily, but our print issues will look slightly different, they will be longer, and will showcase one of our strengths, longform pieces.
And it is not just newspapers that are affected by the shift in how people consume media. The desire for on-demand content have made it so that radio and television are no longer the go-to for news and entertainment. That is why, for our first redesigned issue, we looked into how the student media at NYU — WNYU and NYU-TV — are adjusting with the times.
We named this the Dying Media Issue, but that’s a bit tongue-in-cheek. Radio, television and newspapers are a cornerstone of society, and are by no means dying — but they are changing. But if we’re wrong and newspapers, radio and television actually are on their way out, I can always follow my grandmother’s other career advice: go into advertising.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS SENIOR STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
VALENTINA DUQUE BOJANINI Managing Editor
THOMAS DEVLIN deputy MARITA VLACHOU Assistant Managing Editors
ALANNA BAYARIN MADELINE PAZZANI Digital Director
BAILEY EVANS deputy MATTHEW TESSLER Creative Directors
ALEXA WONG TEERIN JULSAWAD
Interested in working for us? Come to our Sunday Pitch Meetings. UNDER THE ARCH: 5:30 P.M. NEWS: 5 P.M. FEATURES: 5:30 P.M. ARTS: 6 P.M. MULTIMEDIA: 6:30 P.M. SPORTS: 5:30 P.M. OPINION: 5 P.M.
Creative Director, Special Editions
OLIVIA MARTIN Copy Chiefs
ANNE CRUZ ANTHONY MCMILLAN Multimedia
SAM BEARZI photo MATHILDE VAN TULDER video CHRISTIAN FORTE deputy photo SANG BAE, HARK KANWAL, HANNAH SHULMAN deputy video CALVIN FALK Social Media Editors
FRANCISCO NAVAS SOPHIE LEWIS
news ALEX BAZELEY features NINA JANG arts AUDREY DENG sports BOBBY WAGNER senior editors JOHN AMBROSIO,
LARSON BINZER, CHRISTINA COLEBURN, JONATHAN KESHISHOGLOU
DEPUTY STAFF
news LEXI FAUNCE, CHRISTINE
WANG, JUSTINE MORRIS features GRACE HALIO beauty & style DAVID BOLOGNA dining KENDALL LEVISON film ZACH MARTIN entertainment ALLISON STUBBLEBINE music KIERAN GRAULICH theater/books JOSEPH MYERS sports KYLE LUTHER
OPINION PAGE
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR, W MEDIA GROUP
KALEEL MUNROE ALUMNI COORDINATOR
JILLIAN BRANCHAUD GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
JILLIAN BRANCHAUD, ALISHA MAHTANI CIRCULATION MANAGER
FIONA GORRY-HINES SALES ASSOCIATES
ALEXANDRIA HANSON, RHEA NAYAK
ADVISING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
NANCI HEALY EDITORIAL ADVISER
RACHEL HOLLIDAY SMITH EDITORS-AT-LARGE
EMILY BELL, NICOLE BROWN, KAVISH HARJAI, SHAWN PAIK, DANA RESZUTEK, BRYNA SHUMAN
opinion editor
TOMMY COLLISON deputy opinion editors
RICHARD SHU
BLOGS
violet vision GABRIELLA BOWER the highlighter E.R. PULGAR under the arch HANNAH TREASURE
ADVERTISING BUSINESS MANAGER
ARIANA DIVALENTINO SALES MANAGER
EMMA HOWCROFT
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 the managing editors at managing@ nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
NYU 2031 expansion timeline APRIL 14th, 2010
NYU officially announces the 2031 expansion plan
JUNE 17th, 2010
Plans for the 40-story “Pinwheel Tower” on Bleecker Street, the centerpiece of the expansion plan, are announced
NOVEMBER 18th, 2010
NYU announces that it has dropped its plans for the controversial “Pinwheel Tower”
MARCH 16th, 2011
NYU announces plans for four major university buildings in Greenwich Village
JULY 25th, 2012
The city council approves NYU’s plan for expansion
SEPTEMBER 25th, 2012
Eleven groups file a lawsuit against New York City for approving NYU’s 2031 plan
By LEXI FAUNCE Deputy News Editor
What is NYU 2031? NYU 2031 is a long-term strategy proposed for future growth to address the university’s concern for lack of space. The expansion plan was developed by the administration in conjunction with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s planning efforts. The New York State Court of Appeals announced at a hearing earlier this June that development on academic infrastructure at Washington Square could begin.
What You Need To Know: The plan outlines a 25-year strategy for locating up to six million square feet of additional territory divided amongst academic space, student services and affordable housing for faculty and students. University expansion will occur in three areas: core, neighborhood and remote. Major development will be concentrated in NYU’s core location of Washington Square in two southern superblocks the university already owns. NYU 2031 also recognizes the need to broaden the school’s location to include areas of the Greenwich Village neighborhood as well as new sites outside of Manhattan such as the Polytechnic Institute of NYU in Brooklyn. The destruction of the Coles Sports Center is also included in NYU 2031, and the gym has a tentative closure date of Nov. 15. NYU has already begun preparing a replacement fitness center at 404 Lafayette Street in order to facilitate a smooth transition into the construction period.
NYU 2031 Advocates: Supporters of the plan include President John Sexton, various members of the NYU administration as well as outside local businesses in the surrounding Greenwich Village area such as the New York Housing Conference and the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development.
Opposition to NYU 2031:
MARCH 15th, 2013
NYU faculty approves a vote of no confidence in university president John Sexton
MARCH 15th, 2013
A state judge blocks half of the 2031 expansion plan, with the plan for the Coles redevelopment left intact
OCTOBER 14th, 2014
NYU wins an appeal against the decision made by the state Supreme Court, redevelopment plans left intact
JUNE 30th, 2015
The state Court of Appeals rules in favor of NYU following an appeal by opponents of the plan, giving the final green light to the plan
NYU students have shared their discontent with the expansion plan and subsequent increase in tuition as they circulated “Disorientation Guides” on Aug. 31 outside the Presidential Welcome at Madison Square Garden. A rally on Sept. 1 at Washington Square Park drew more scrutiny to NYU 2031. The rally was led by Whose NYU, a coalition demanding more financial accountability from the university. NYU 2031 has also received some pushback from members of the Greenwich Village community — such as the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation — who are uneasy about the lengthy construction project in residential areas as well as the prospective loss of four public parks.
Statement from the Administration: NYU spokesperson Matt Nagel said while space is at a premium for NYU, New York State’s highest court ruled no area designated for construction is considered parkland and the plan will not cause additional pressure on tuition levels beyond the current annual assessment undertaken every year to set tuition levels. “NYU will be here for a long time; so will our neighbors. We are determined to work with them, to be sensitive to their concerns, to be good and faithful stewards of blocks, and to have the construction of the new building be exemplary when it comes to mitigating the effects of construction,” Nagel said in an email. Email Lexi Faunce at lfaunce@nyunews.com.
VIA NYU.EDU
Dr. Sacks was a professor of Neurology at NYU School of Medicine.
In Memoriam Oliver Sacks
By ALEX BAZELEY News Editor
Oliver Sacks, the neurologist and acclaimed author, died on August 30 after a long battle with cancer. He was 82. Sacks was a professor of neurology at the NYU School of Medicine. He went to Oxford University for his medical degree. Many of his books comprised in-depth case studies of past patients, allowing readers a greater insight into the way the mind works and a look at dealing with various neurological disorders. He gained fame after his 1973 book “Awakenings,” was adapted into a 1990 film starring Robin Williams. While he wrote a number of memoirs, his most comprehensive biography, “On the Move: A Life,” was published earlier this year. Sacks was diagnosed with ocular melanoma nine years ago, and despite treatment that left him blind in one eye, the cancer continued to spread. He wrote about his battle with cancer and his coming to terms with it in an op-ed for The New York Times in early 2014, giving a look inside the head of a man known for looking inside the heads of others. “Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal,
on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure,” Sacks wrote. Orrin Devinsky, the director of the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and a close friend of Sacks’s for 25 years, shared what he felt made Sacks so special. “I referred many patients to Oliver for a second opinion, and the response was almost invariably the same: I would receive a note that was five or six pages long, filled with insights into this person I had known for a decade, about their families, their desires, fears and their inner life, their strengths and weaknesses,” Devinsky said. “And then the patient would see me a week or month later and tell me it was the most remarkable experience, asking, ‘When can I see Dr. Sacks again?’ Everyone loved him — patients, staff, colleagues.” Devinksy took Sacks to his first — and last — baseball game, a sport with which Sacks never really seemed to engage. “He had the most multilayered and nuanced mind I have ever known, so that while the rest of us spoke and thought in words, he thought and wrote in chords,” Devinsky said. Email Alex Bazeley at abazeley@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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Skirball hosts NEA ceremony By TEGAN MOSUGU Contributing Writer
Entertainers from Nigeria and all around the world gathered to celebrate the 10th Annual Nigerian Entertainment Awards at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts on Saturday night. While it takes place in the United States, the Nigerian Entertainment Awards celebrates and recognizes the contributions of African entertainers all over the world. The awards ceremony started off with a pre-show event that showcased new acts from the African diaspora emerging on to the global scene. Shortly after, the main show started with a celebration of the best entertainers in Africa and around the world. Hosted by Nigerian pop star Ice Prince Zamani and Nigerian-American actress Osas Igohodaro, the night featured choreographed performances
and recognition to entertainers in both the film and music industry. Unlike other awards ceremonies, there was plenty of interaction with presenters and audience members; it was common to see artists get off stage and dance with the crowd. Miss Nigeria USA Frances Onyemaechi Udukwu, who presented the Best Female Disc Jockey of The Year Award, appreciated the electrifying energy that was present in the crowd during the awards ceremony. “The energy in the crowd was great,” Udukwu said. “Shout out to DJ Cuppy doing her thing in Nigeria, America and the UK.” African hip-hop artist Fata EL Presidente said he enjoyed the event but said it was not without flaws. “This was my first time attending it, but for next time, the execution should be better,” Presidente said. “I was expecting different people
and more variety, but hopefully they will incorporate it next time.” Some of the major winners from Sunday included 26-year old Yemi Alade, who picked up an award for Best Female Artist of the Year. Sports pundit Jimmie Akinsola of the Beat FM took home the award of Entertainment Personality of The Year. Barbara Sam, director of operations at Africa Connect, commented on how important she thinks the awards ceremony is to honoring these great contributions. “The Nigerian Entertainment Awards has done an incredible job connecting the diaspora to Africa,” Sam said. “It is really important to honor and celebrate both upcoming and seasoned artists in the entertainment industry.” Email Tegan Joseph Mosugu at news@nyunews.com.
Incubator features NYU developers
Tenth annual Nigerian Entertainment awards took place at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
NYU retracts mistaken Langone press release By CHRISTINE WANG Deputy News Editor
By KIRSTEN RISCHERT-GARCIA Contributing Writer
With a first-date simulator and a murderous ape side-by-side, the second annual NYU Game Center Incubator Showcase saw developers and gamers alike get their first taste of the eight games that have been in development for the last few months. The Incubator program, now in its second year, gives a select few graduating students room to collaborate and work on their projects, as well as access to resources to help develop their games. Following introductions by Game Center director chair Frank Lantz and Incubator program coordinator Dylan McKenzie, the featured developers gave short presentations on the eight unique games developed over the three-month program. The first student to present was CAS alumnus Kenny Sun, who majored in computer science. “Circa Infinity,” Sun’s platformer revolving around concentric circles, skyrocketed in popularity after a review by YouTuber PewDiePie. The types of games ranged widely, from basic platformers to online multiplayer games. “BADBLOOD,” which was created by Game Center MFA student Winnie Song, is a game of hide-and-seek in which aggression is drawn out in the player. In contrast, “An Awkward Date,” created by Poly alum-
STAFF PHOTO BY HARK KANWAL
VIA NYU.EDU
Ninja Tag is a murderous fast-paced local multiplayer stealth brawler for Mac and PC. nus Abe Gellis and NYU Poly PhD student Fernando de Mesentier Silva, offers gamers the ability to virtually experience first-date jitters. “Sumer,” an MFA thesis project created by Misha Favorov, Sig Gunnarsson, Josh Raab and Geoffrey Suthers, focuses on gathering resources to sacrifice and win favor from the gods and is loosely based on the Sumerian creation myth. “It brings together this feeling of sitting together and playing a board game while still keeping all of the action and excitement of video games,” Gunnarsson said. Tisch alum Gabe Cuzzillo illustrated the many stages a game can go through. His own prototype, “Ape Out,” begins as a stealth game about a bald man who experiences paranoid vision and then transitions to a murderous ape that smashes his opponents to the beat of lively jazz music. Other featured titles were “Ninja Tag,” a fast-paced local multiplayer game that encourages backstabbing, and “Beglitched,” a retro-styled pixelated game in which the player explores an alien computer.
Those who attended the Incubator were also eager to support the developers and offer their feedback. Larry Shen, who graduated from Tisch School of the Arts this past spring, observed that the environment’s welcoming nature makes it easy to be a part of. “I like this event because it’s a very casual environment but at the same time there’s a lot happening,” Shen said. “It feels like there’s a lot of talent here and people are going places but it’s easy to get involved.” James Marion, who just finished up his MFA at Tisch, developed the game “Peter Panic,” which features the musical voices of many Broadway stars. He believes part of the value of the Incubator comes from how collaborative of a space it is. “I don’t think it’s particularly hard to get started but if you are someone like me who has a hard time finding inspiration it was helpful to have a bunch of people around me pushing me,” Marion said. “You get the sense that they benefit from your well-being, kind of like a family.” Email Kirsten Rischert-Garcia at news@nyunews.com.
Following the trend of tremendous NYU megaprojects, NYU Langone Medical Center inadvertently announced plans to open a new facility in the Lower East Side. Because the lease has not been officially signed, the press release announcing the project was later taken down, yet it stated that this facility will offer a variety of services to try to better provide health care for the surrounding community. The 40,000 square foot site is in the works to open at Essex Crossing in 2018 at the corner of Delancey and Clinton Streets, and it will share the space with several dozen units of senior housing, according to The LoDown NY. While not yet set in stone, the new project, which will become the Joan H. and Preston Robert Tisch Center, was made possible due to a multimillion dollar donation from Joan H. Tisch and will be an extension of the already existing Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health. “The site is expected to open late 2018, and will provide a comprehensive array of services, including primary care, ambulatory surgery, urgent care, cardiac procedures, orthopaedics and sports medicine, plastic surgery, and more,” the now removed press release read. CAS sophomore Bismah Akhter, a pre-medical student, eagerly anticipates this new site and believes that it will make influential, positive contributions to the surrounding community. “Especially in this day and age
where there’s an ever increasing doctor and hospital shortage — especially in the city where I’ve seen so many hospitals closed down — it’s good that NYU is trying to come up with a solution to this problem while also giving their students more opportunities to grow and prosper in their respective field,” Akhter said. Lisa Greiner, Senior Director of Institutional Communications for the NYU School of Medicine, confirmed that the new facility would be built, but could not comment on details of the deal since the lease has not yet been officially signed. “The press release about the new facility was really about the donor making it possible, giving a gift to create such a facility, but the only issue is that we didn’t realize that the lease hasn’t yet been signed,” Greiner said. “Until the lease is signed we can’t talk more because if it wasn’t to be created at Essex, it’s still gonna happen, but we just don’t know where.” Even without a confirmed location, Akhter feels that just the news of a new medical facility is a much welcomed announcement. “NYU is building a medical facility which is a benefit not only to NYU since it’s medical students have another location to garner more experience, but for the people of NYC since they now have another superb medical facility open to them for whatever medical woes they might have,” Akhter said. Email Christine Wang at cwang@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
ARTS
EDITED BY AUDREY DENG ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM
REVIEW
INTERVIEW
Many Hedwigs, many variations By LEAH MILLER Contributing writer
Former drag queen Yitzhak comes up to the mic, clears his throat and announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not … Hedwig.” Hedwig descends from the ceiling in a blaze of golden locks and leggy fishnets, landing on the stage with a walk unique to the actor. The show has been open for a year and a half featuring a rotating cast. Neil Patrick Harris originated the role in this Broadway revival, followed by Andrew Rannells and Michael C. Hall. Next to don the wig was John Cameron Mitchell and then Darren Criss. Closing out the run for the show’s final seven weeks is actor Taye Diggs. Each Hedwig brought new life to the character. Neil Patrick Harris brought a gritty glitz to the role. The way he kicked and jumped around the Belasco stage was shocking for its sheer physical stamina. Harris’ execution of the choreography in numbers like “Sugar Daddy” was crisp and deliciously sinful, but it also brought added complexity to the more poignant songs like “Hedwig’s Lament.” His highcaliber vocal skills were immortalized on the Original Broadway Cast soundtrack, yet his acting was slightly subpar. Harris seemed to play everything on the surface, like a Barbie doll version of a complex human. Andrew Rannells, the next Hedwig, was a little one-note rocking all of the high-energy
anthems like “Tear Me Down” but falling a little flat with the stripped-down emotional songs like “Wicked Little Town.” He didn’t seem to have the emotional maturity the role requires, and it often felt forced and superficial. Rannells’ voice wasn’t stylistically matched to this score. Next, at 44 years old, Hall had the acting chops and maturity to pull off the emotional range, as well as the physical stamina to control the stage and jump around in the frenzied choreography. Hall’s Hedwig wasn’t as pleasant to look at or listen to, which served to further character development and feel more real. He really leaned into the rejection and dejection the character faces. It’s difficult to compare John Cameron Mitchell to the other Hedwigs because he is so embedded in the evolution of the character. For instance, he hurt his knee early on in his run and had to perform in a full leg brace, but the producers revamped the script and choreography to incorporate the injury in the plot. It added a deeper level of subjugation and humility to the relationship between Yitzhak and Hedwig. Mitchell made up for any missing physical energy with his high intellect and subtle, slow-burning humor. Darren Criss was the youngest Hedwig at 28, and it was unclear whether or not he could handle the chops of this show. Though a little callous with some of the subtler jokes, he had a convincing and moving grasp of the variety of deep feelings. He also brought back
VIA FACEBOOK.COM
Taye Diggs will close “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” this week.
a much needed energy and physicality to the pulsing core of the show. Most recently, Taye Diggs put on the wig as Hedwig. Diggs is the first black Hedwig, and with his deft handle on puns and witticisms, he is unapologetic and eager to make the audience uncomfortable in just the right way. The choreography didn’t sit very well on him a nd his vocals weren’t quite up to snuff, but that only helped personify this broken yet defiant “slip of a girly boy.” Diggs will be the last to play Hedwig on Broadway. Diggs and Hall captured the personal characterization of Hedwig best, but Criss had the best physicality, sharing the unofficial title of best vocals with Harris. Taking all these factors into consideration, one could argue that Hall was the best Hedwig to take the stage. “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” finishes its run on Sept. 13 at the Belasco Theatre, starring Taye Diggs. Email Leah Miller at arts@nyunews.com.
VIA FACEBOOK.COM
Carla Bianco, an NYU grad played the role of Maureen in Rent on Broadway and in Los Angeles.
Bianco talks ‘Rent,’ one-woman show By E.R. PULGAR Highlighter Editor
Carla Bianco is on the rise. After coming off the successful debut of her new live show at Broadway’s renowned supper club 54 Below, which moves to Philadelphia on Sept. 14, WSN spoke with Bianco over the phone to discuss her journey from the Broadway stage to pop music. A Steinhardt alumna, Bianco got her start after a chance meeting with Jellybean Benitez, a producer who helped Madonna to stardom, while working on a music and musical theater degree. The story of how she got her start became the inspiration for her current live show. Bianco said the show is organized thematically. The performance follows Bianco at different places in her life, from joyful moments like the birth of her son Luca, to whom she dedicated a song that appears on her first record “All This Time,” to what she described as a rock-bottom period that led her to “Rent.” “A friend of mine called me — I was living in LA, she was in New York — and told me there was this part in the show, the performance artist Maureen,” Bianco said. “She told me, ‘you’re perfect for this role.’” After listening to Maureen’s solo, “Over the Moon,” Bianco auditioned for the role on a whim and, after a seven-callback process, was cast as the understudy, before eventually taking over the role. Bianco emphasized that the cast wanted to honor the legacy of playwright Jonathan Larson, who passed away the day of its first preview performance. “He’s the heart of the show,” Bianco said. “Every night, there’s this wooden plaque backstage — it
says ‘Thank you, Jonathan,’” Bianco said. “You couldn’t walk through the door of rehearsal or that theater without being present with that feeling of devotion to that show and Jonathan’s work.” Along with her work in theater, Bianco continued to focus on pop music with a mature and contemporary sound. She eventually found success when her song “The Lover That You Are” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Charts. Her second album, “Give Voice,” was released in collaboration with charities such as Autism Speaks and Voices of Education, with the proceeds from the project going to each of these foundations depending on the song. “Broken and Blessed” explores the perceptions and thoughts of a disabled child. The proceeds of that song go to the American Foundation of Disabled Children. Bianco wanted to write from the viewpoints of those who are unable to tell their own stories. Handling pre-production herself and working with several studio musicians, including a gospel choir, Bianco described the project as more collaborative than her last record, and looks forward to making more songs with a pop sensibility moving forward. Whether working with different charities or taking the Broadway stage, Bianco emphasized getting into character as a vital part of her live performance and her music. “I come from a theater background, so [the album] has a bit of theatricality to it,” Bianco said. “You get into the spirit of the character you play, and that’s what I tried to do with these songs.” Email E.R. Pulgar at epulgar@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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ARTS
EDITED BY AUDREY DENG ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM REVIEW
Vic Mensa thrills at Mystery Concert By KIERAN GRAULICH Music Editor
The Mystery Concert on Thursday was an incredible display of noisy abandon and twisted juxtapositions. Every performer, Tei Shi, SOPHIE and Vic Mensa, showcased a sharp contrast in all of their sets, matched with an incredible energy. R&B newcomer Tei Shi, the concert’s opener, matched her intimate, spritely soprano with the booming, elephantine cadence of her backup band. Her voice reverberated throughout the Skirball Center for Performing Arts like an early morning haze, crescendoing into a thick wall of highs and lows: a stark contrast between the voice and the instrumentation. Her sound translated particularly well on stage — to the point where she had effectively won the audience over by the end of her set. Her voice, while light and relaxed, is certainly not lifeless. There was a warmness and swagger in the
cadence of her voice that carried throughout the entire theater, captivating the audience for her entire set. Whatever calmness there was in the air by the end of Tei Shi’s set was immediately expelled the moment SOPHIE came on stage. SOPHIE’s blend of booming bass with chipmunked sounds and vocals, mixed with odd drones and quirky sounds made his set an absolute spectacle. Often keeping the audience in anticipation for minutes at a time, any change to the beat or tone whatsoever made the audience go wild. SOPHIE knows how to musically punch you in the stomach and make you enjoy it; almost every bass drop or beat thrown out into the ether knocked the wind out of you. For such a new artist, Vic Mensa has mastery over the stage, keeping the audience captive for every moment of his set, from his stunning rendition of his recent hit “U Mad?” to the two prerecorded jam
STAFF PHOTO BY HANNAH SHULMAN
Vic Mensa performs at the Welcome Week Mystery Concert. tracks of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Arguably, the highlight of his set was his perfect marriage of his own energy with that of the audience’s on his cover of Chance the Rapper’s “Cocoa Butter Kisses.” Even as he burned through new material, Mensa had the crowd
REVIEW
Action series runs out of fuel By ETHAN SAPIENZA Staff Writer
With its convoluted, generic action movie plot, Camille Delamarre’s “The Transporter Refueled” isn’t in demand, and it obviously doesn’t care. While a film like “Straight Outta Compton” touched on the United States’ glaring problems of police brutality and racism, “Refueled,” the fourth film in the “Transporter” franchise, should be granted the unsavory award of least relevant release of the summer, and what’s worse, it’s truly awful. When creating such a superficial action film, it’s best to use an easily understandable or over the top plot as a vehicle for thrills. “Refueled” magically does neither, and instead chooses an idiotically nuanced heist-revenge tale that is both illogical and horribly presented. The film opens with a Russian fellow (Arkady Karasov) and his crew wildly gunning down a couple of goons, resulting in his declaration that he now controls prostitution in the French Riviera. After an embarrassingly long 40 minutes or so of meandering and Audi promotion, the plot is finally made
joining in and partying with him as he ruled the world from on stage. Mensa closed out his set by jumping into a crowd of strangers and collapsing on the floor, then promptly walking off the stage, ignoring the crowd’s plea for an encore. Skirball’s Mystery Concert pro-
vides a venue for mysterious artists to make lasting impressions, and the lineup this year brought many new captivating voices to light. Email Kieran Graulich at kgraulich@nyunews.com.
REVIEW
Commit to ‘Sleeping with Other People’
VIA FACEBOOK.COM
“The Transporter Refueled” is a thriller which was released on Friday. clear: four prostitutes are looking to rob and ruin the kingpin, employing the transporter’s (Ed Skrein) help by kidnapping his father (Ray Stevenson). It’s as underwhelming and closed off as it sounds. For a movie so focused on driving, it’s amazing how the plot is littered with dead ends and pointless drivel. After losing grizzled star Jason Statham, the action series is hoping to reboot itself with Skrein, who is most recognizable for playing Daario Naharis in season three of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Skrein was tasteful and sexual in a supporting role on the fantasy drama, whispering lines meant to lure in the viewer. Now he sags in the lead role of driver/ assassin Frank Martin. His acting is tedious, to the point where you can see him focusing on how to make his voice more gravelly. At points, his overstated masculinity and line delivery make for preposterously inaudible or indigestible dialogue, like twice uttering his pseudo-catchphrase, “I hate being late.” No kidding, Frank. Skrein’s performance is exacerbated by the fact that Statham was just featured in Paul Feig’s underrated comedy, “Spy.” His role
as secret agent Rick Ford is the best part of the comedy, where he essentially plays this ‘refueled’ Frank, though in “Spy” he’s fully aware of the hilarity of the character, while in “Refueled” he isn’t. Every other character is flat enough to be a cardboard cutout, as demonstrated by the tremendously vague backstories for the potentially inspiring prostitutes. It’s with these roles where the film fails the most, and unforgivably so. “Refueled” could join the summer of female empowerment and make this quest for vengeance compelling and righteous, but chooses to objectify, undermine and shed no care for its leading women, including scenes that strictly feature a woman’s dancing behind and no other part of her. They’re nameless, pretty faces who crumble in the presence of Frank and his father’s machismo. Coupled with uninspiring action, it’s clear that the film is little more than that: an anonymous, personality-free exercise in offensive filmmaking. “The Transporter Refueled” opened Friday in theaters nationwide. Email Ethan Sapienza at film@nyunews.com.
By ANUBHUTI KUMAR Staff Writer
Promoted as “a romantic comedy with commitment issues,” “Sleeping with Other People” definitely does not have any issues getting the audience committed to its endearing and modern storyline. This romantic comedy follows the stories of two late bloomers who lose their virginity to each other in a one-night stand in college and head in their own directions. Years later, in very different places in their lives, they meet again. The lead couple, Lainey and Jake, played by Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis, respectively, strike up a friendship at a sex addicts’ meeting but decide that the relationship must be kept strictly platonic if they hope to stay in each others’ lives. Set and shot in New York, this film premiered at Sundance and TriBeCa Film Festivals earlier this year, and gave a fresh perspective to the tried and true tropes of the romantic comedy genre. The movie’s irresistibility lies in the progression of the protagonists’ relationship. Even though it starts out purely physical, the heart of the movie chronicles the lead pair as best friends. When they take sex off the table they become all the more intimate, advising each other on their romantic lives, having loud private conversations in the middle of department stores and taking drugs before going to a
child’s birthday party. The joy, silliness and honesty Lainey and Jake exude in these scenes is what grabs the heart of the viewers. As the two grow closer throughout the film, the warmth and chemistry between the actors is palpable. Along with insightful and witty work from writer and director Leslye Headland, the characters create unforgettable moments throughout, from the struggle to find an unsexy safe word to the climatic scene where Jake fights to stay on the phone with Lainey at a police station while defending himself with a desk lamp. Rather than coming off as cheesy and shallow, Headland’s fresh take on the tired genre is a success. This portrayal of a lasting connection in a generation that insists on instant gratification feels like something worthy of aspiration. Brie and Sudeikis’ realistic, flawed characters and their believable acting make it apparent why Jake and Lainey would begin to care for each other as they help each other overcome unhealthy tendencies and find love. It’s cute. It’s funny. It’s insightful. The balance of heartfelt and laughout-loud moments of “Sleeping with Other People” makes it worth a long-term commitment. “Sleeping with Other People” comes to theaters on Sept. 11. Email Anubhuti Kumar at film@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
“There’s no question that TV and the way it’s being consumed is changing.”
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IS TELEVISION DEAD? by MARITA VLACHOU Deputy Managing Editor
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Remember those days when you had to anxiously hurry home, sit on your couch and wait for your favorite TV show to start? Well, those days are probably over. For good. With more and more viewers streaming content online, TV networks find themselves in a position where they have to revamp their presence. A Deloitte study published earlier this year showed 53 percent of viewers prefer streaming TV, while 45 percent of viewers still choose to watch TV programming live. This trend also applies to student media outlets like NYU-TV, an administrative department within the NYU Division of Libraries that offers two 24hour channels for students on NYU Cable. NYU-TV content specialist Nora Lambert said they have worked on increasing their web and social media presence to adapt to this new media environment. “We have to sort of be where the viewers are,” Lambert said. “A major focus for us is to make sure that we get more and more stuff online so that it’s really simple for people to watch it and really engage with it.” Tisch senior and NYU-TV assistant editor Jens Victor said the industry is shifting toward more video on demand and distributing content directly from the
creators to consumers. “There’s no question that TV and the way it’s being consumed is changing,” Victor said. “Right now, I believe the only thing that’s keeping the traditional cable broadcast system still relevant is the network’s coverage of live events, most of which are already available online.” Vivian Feke, general manager of TV2, a student-run independent media organization at Kent State University, said they have noticed that many of their viewers access their content online. “With more news going digital and online to places such as Facebook and Twitter, the impact is increasingly positive in a sense where content is linked together to bring viewers to live streams more often, or to watch more of the videos on a site,” Feke said. Lambert added that a main reason for the turn to the Internet is the freedom it offers people with accessing content at any time of the day. “People are not locked into sort of one way of consuming media, they can do it on their own terms and on their own time, and that’s definitely a challenge but it’s also pretty exciting,” Lambert said. In an effort to adjust to the onlineonly trend, NYU-TV has worked to offer students HBOGO, an online streaming
service NYU students can access in the residence halls. Lambert said because students can access general entertainment through the streaming service, NYU-TV can now focus on providing more NYU-centered content, including coverage of panels and university events. “We can really focus on picking items that really accompany the scenes that we try to address each month to enrich the students’ experience of the city and of the university,” Lambert said. Steinhardt visiting assistant professor Jeremy Blatter said while the easy access to the Internet can be beneficial for the audience, it should also be assessed carefully for credibility issues. “Certainly the accessibility of all kinds of content is incredibly exciting, and I think could be a great boom culturally,” Blatter said. “There’s almost no content that anyone can’t get their hands on. At the same time, one of the disadvantages of that is that the quality of that content is also incredibly diverse.” An additional challenge for TV networks is how to make streaming services a profitable business for them. On top of that, Tisch junior and NYU-TV student editor Katie Sadler said one of the reasons why consumers prefer streaming services is the lack of advertisements. “Media companies are going to have
to figure out how to make money through these services,” Sadler said. “Most online streaming services make their money through subscription fees or licensing, but I’m sure that many people working for those companies are still wondering if they can make enough money that way.” While many people think this change is something new for the United States, Steinhardt visiting assistant professor Shawn VanCour said TV has always been more diverse than people tend to think. VanCour explained that in the 1950s there were many delivery vehicles for people to choose from, including living room sets and larger projection screens in bars, theater television with live fights shown on giant screens in specially equipped movie theaters as well as early efforts at paid TV through the Phonevision system, which was used for watching movies at home. “While the present moment indeed represents an important shift in our television landscape, it also offers an opportunity to question what we think we know about ‘traditional’ forms of television, which were often much more diverse than we commonly recognize,” VanCour said. Email Marita Vlachou at mvlachou@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
STAFF PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN FORTE
STAFF PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN FORTE
RADIO TUNES INTO THE WEB WNYU, the university’s student-run radio station, is pushing toward online content to adapt to the digital age. Though the station has a successful and reputable FM grid, with past guests including The Cure, Björk and Kurt Cobain, WNYU’s general manager and CAS senior Sam Barder said radio isn’t as appealing as it used to be. “Ten years ago people would have tuned into WNYU if I told them about our station more so than they do now,” Barder said. “Now it is more of a struggle to get more student listeners, but it is not an insurmountable challenge.” While the switch to online content deemphasizes many traits of oldschool radio journalism, it also opens the door to a more convenient source of information and entertainment. College radio stations across the country have felt pressure to move online, move to HD radio or have even been bought out by other larger radio stations in efforts to stay current. Columbia University’s radio station, WKCR, has created an HD station and regularly asks listeners for pledges and donations. WNYU, on the other hand, has avoided these modernizing tactics because they get a large portion of their budget from NYU’s Center for Student Activities, Leadership and Service. The station is also in a unique position in that its radio band is a residual of the UN radio, so it doesn’t have to pay for the public wavelength. With funding from the university
and its public radio status, WNYU has been able to keep its FM band and maintain a balanced budget. This semester, however, WNYU must begin paying for their antenna’s space, which had previously been leased from Bronx Community College without a fee, according to Barder. Instead of resorting to pledge drives or HD radio to pay for this new cost, WNYU plans on hosting benefit concerts and merchandise sales. Despite its commitment to the FM band, WNYU has also adjusted to the domination of the Internet. WNYU has managed to have online content for almost every hour of the day, and Barder said one of his goals this year is to fill the full 24-hour online broadcast. CAS graduate student Lydia Chain, who studies radio journalism and was a news director at WNYU last year, said the Internet has made radio more accessible. “With podcasts there is a greater sense of intimacy and immediacy that you don’t necessarily get from the radio,” Chain said. “It’s nice to have it prepackaged — it’s much more convenient. Listeners don’t have to tune in at 7 p.m. on Friday, I can listen instead when I’m doing the dishes.” Despite their accessibility at any time of the day WNYU program director and CAS senior Tyler Maxin said online podcasts pale in comparison to the authenticity a radio segment offers. “Radio has a rich history of offering public forums, which gives it a sweet
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by ALANNA BAYARIN Assistant Managing Editor egalitarian feeling that online media doesn’t necessarily offer,” Maxin said. “The Internet is extremely busy — you constantly have to hoister it up with ads. We’re in a moment of the Internet which purports itself to be an extremely accessible medium, but sometimes it comes across as cluttered.” Associate news director and LS sophomore Rachel Gilman added that the abundance of online news sources makes online publishing less substantial. “The push toward online content makes the old versions — like in the newspaper or on the radio — less special,” Gilman said. “Anyone can put something online and it has made online production less significant. It’s an oversaturated market.” Chain added that the use of podcasts can be beneficial to the disk jockey, making the Internet age beneficial to both consumers and producers. “Running a radio show, there is a lot more pressure to keep things interesting minute to minute because it’s easy for someone to just hit the scan button to a different station,” Chain said. “While podcasts make it harder to get people to tune into the station originally, once a listener has downloaded the podcast and has committed to listening to the show on the subway for a little bit, you have more freedom to experiment with more personal and in depth stories.” Email Alanna Bayarin at abayarin@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
FEATURES
EDITED BY NINA JANG, KENDALL LEVISON AND DAVID BOLOGNA FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
Village offers quick breakfast options By KENDALL LEVISON Dining Editor
Having morning classes is always a bummer, but they’re even worse when you skip breakfast. No one should be expected to learn at 8 a.m. on an empty stomach. If cooking breakfast when you are still half asleep sounds like a nightmare, never fear. New York City is full of places to grab a quick bite while rushing to class. As a bonus, many are affordable enough that you will not blow your whole budget for the day before noon. It might surprise you, but some of the best quick breakfasts can be found not in restaurants, but at grocery stores. It would be hard to find a better deal than those at Garden of Eden. At both of their downtown locations (14th street between Fifth avenue and Broadway, and 23rd street between
Sixth and Seventh avenues), you can get a small coffee plus a bagel and cream cheese, muffin or Danish for under $2.50. At Westside Market (corner of Seventh avenue and 14th street, Third avenue between 11th and 12th Street), every item on the breakfast menu is just three dollars. Top choices include the classic bacon, egg and cheese on a roll, a veggie omelet sandwich and oatmeal. And in case your brain still isn’t in school mode, all sandwiches also include a free 12-ounce coffee. Those lucky people who only have afternoon classes can still take advantage of the morning meal deals, since breakfast at Westside runs until noon. If you prefer your breakfast on the savory side, some of the city’s best Mexican food is available before 7 a.m. For example, the East Village’s Downtown Bakery (69 First Ave.) might be more well-known for
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Westside Market offers an array of breakfast options in close proximity to some major NYU dorms. its early morning fare than anything it serves at lunch. Their breakfast burritos and tacos are filling enough to last you through even the longest seminar. Although the restaurant’s huevos rancheros and chilaquiles (eggs scrambled with fried tortillas) might be difficult to eat while walking, they are still worth trying. When your walk to class takes you past Chinatown, you
Music program welcomes director
sweet but not spiced — think butternut squash ravioli rather than pumpkin pie. If you’d like to expand your bun horizons, the red bean and salted egg buns are also good choices. Since the buns cost only a few dollars each, you can afford to take a chance on the more unusual flavors. Email Kendall Levison at klevison@nyunews.com.
Style icons become more accessible By KAITLYN MCNAB Contributing Writer
By LINGYI HOU Staff Writer
Music entrepreneur Larry Miller launches his tenure as the new director of the Steinhardt music business program. Miller hopes to continue to prepare students to become leaders in the ever-changing music marketplace. Formerly a music associate professor in the program, Miler succeeds Catherine Moore, who had directed the program since 1997. Miller, a seasoned radio executive and music entrepreneur, joined the Steinhardt faculty in 2013 with extensive experience in the business of radio, record music, music publishing, digital music service and music products. Most recently, Miller launched the highly successful music business podcast “Musonomics” with NYU students. From his newly appointed position, Miller hopes to enhance the prestige of the music business program. In doing so, cultivating a more diverse environment for students. “The programs are in fantastic shape, both undergraduate and graduate,” Miller said. “The thing that I want to focus on for the next few years is dramatically improving the visibility of our programs in the United States, in the industry and around the world. I want everyone who has ever thought about studying music business to think first
could be passing some of the best cheap breakfast eats in the city. A good place to start your day is Golden Steamer (143 Mott St.). The pork bun is a perfect introduction to Chinese baked goods. With a nice balance of sweet-salty pork and tender dough, just think of it as another kind of bacon sandwich. Another customer favorite is the pumpkin bun. The bright yellow filling is
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Larry Miller is the new director of Steinhardt’s music business program. about music business programs at NYU Steinhardt.” Miller emphasizes the program’s global approach as one of the key components that attracts students to the program. “Our global graduate program gets students to study in London and Rio during J-terms,” Miller said. “For undergraduates, they get opportunities to go to Prague, Paris, London or Sydney to study. It’s not just about American music business. This is a global industry.” Seeing the impressive amount of talent in the student body, Miller is confident about the continuous progress of the program. “They are incredible. I consider myself privileged to stand in front of them,” Miller said. “So on the one hand, is the music business on a downward trend? Yes, it is, certainly
for physical music. But I am more than hopeful when I look at them.” Steinhardt junior Karina Barroso, a music business student working with Miller at “Musonomics,” believes Miller will foster a new potential while continuing to grow the program and its visibility. “He will bring such great leadership to the hungry students because he doesn’t allow us to stay safe in our everyday thinking, our imagination or our goals,” Barroso said. “Larry sets the example that by keeping up to date in the industry, learning from personal experience and thinking outside the box, one can definitely make the most of their efforts in the music business.” Email Lingyi Hou at features@nyunews.com.
Beyoncé’s position between pop culture icon and style icon has long been a topic of debate among critics in the fashion industry. Although some now say that after becoming the cover model for U.S. Vogue’s famed September issue, she has finally crossed over and can be considered a style icon. Be that as it may, The Man Repeller’s Emilia Petrarca considers whether contemporary and celebrity fashion icons — like Beyoncé — are authentic style icons. Unlike some stars of the past, today’s icons have stylists to perfect their looks, and their popularity and can easily be viewed and imitated from social media. In this new style landscape, it is worth investigating how a celebrity becomes a style icon. As trends come and go, the figures in fashion that stay true to their own personal style are the ones that can be deemed authentic. Kanye West has retained his title as a trendsetter and creative force in the media for almost a decade. No matter how many times his aesthetic changes, he has always been on the cusp of the next big thing with everything from shutter shades to foxtail keychains to monochrome sneakers. Today, his style is no longer as urban and eclectic as it was back in 2004, but urban-
inspired to a strategic, cleaner level that gives his highfashion threads a bit of an edge, the same edge that can only be described as an edge that is unique to him. West has stayed authentic, even while wearing pieces from major fashion houses such as Givenchy and Balmain. This same aesthetic is largely duplicated in the world of men’s street style. His wife, Kim Kardashian, has evolved greatly as a fashion figure in the past five years. The media starlet used to simply follow trends and was not a source of style inspiration. However, Kanye’s style began cropping up in Kardashian’s fashion choices as well, leading to the high fashion figure everyone now knows. Kim has developed her own aesthetic and started new waves of fashion trends that are now staples in many people’s wardrobes, including the crop top and pencil skirt duo, bodysuits, neutral colorways such as hunter green, camel, and black. Style icons don’t have to wear head-to-toe designer clothing. Instead, showing personal style by challenging current trends and wearing bold looks are the mark of style icons today. Without raw originality, no style icon is truly iconic. Email Kaitlyn McNab at bstyle@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
FEATURES
EDITED BY NINA JANG, KENDALL LEVISON AND DAVID BOLOGNA FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
by CHLOE serves up affordable vegan fare By EMILY HARRIS Staff Writer
Being vegan in the Big Apple is quite hard, especially if you lead the life of a busy college student. However, if you are that college student who is taking veganism out for a spin on these Manhattan streets, there might be a solution: by CHLOE. Opened this summer by celebrity chef Chloe Coscarelli, this restaurant doesn’t offer your ordinary vegan fare. Located at 185 Bleecker St., this is the place to hang out with your friends between classes or grab a quick bite on the way to work. By CHLOE is a completely vegan, all-natural restaurant. What immediately makes by CHLOE stand out from other trending health food pit stops is that it is casual, quick and easy. For a college student with a million things to do even before taking into account
NYUNEWS.COM
STAFF PHOTO BY MATHILDE VAN TULDER
Vegan eatery by CHLOE opened over the summer. a restrictive diet, by CHLOE is an important resource. The menu at by CHLOE encompasses anything and everything. From gluten-free ice cream to a classic burger and mac ‘n’ cheese made with sweet potato cheese substitute, by CHLOE has many foods vegans thought they had to give up. All of the salads can be made gluten-free upon request, as well as a few of the burgers and sandwiches. Still want more than just an entree? From the soup of the day to sweet potato fries, the sides menu is drool-worthy. The restaurant also has full bakery and sells an array of fresh juices. Most vegan spots tack on a hefty price tag, but by CHLOE leaves less of a dent in your wallet. While By CHLOE is not cheap, the portions and the quality of
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food match the price, unlike many similar restaurants. Eating is not just eating. It’s going out to dinner with your roommates or grabbing coffee with a few people from your class. For those on a restrictive diet, these casual outings can turn into a chore. But vegan and non-vegans alike can enjoy by CHLOE. Good food is good no matter what, and by CHLOE definitely impresses in that category. Just minutes away from Washington Square Park, by CHLOE is a great spot to try out if you are a vegan and looking for a quick bite to eat. If you’re not a vegan, at least go for the sweet potato fries — they are worth it. Email Emily Harris at dining@nyunews.com.
e t a p. d p to ew ws a up ur n Ne y e Sta ith o uar w Sq n to g in h s Wa
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
OPINION
EDITED BY TOMMY COLLISON OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
POLITICS
Trump poses serious threat to Republican Party By ELIZABETH MOORE Contributing Writer Billionaire businessman Donald Trump signed a pledge of loyalty to the Republican Party Thursday, agreeing to support the future Republican nominee and promising not to run independently should his own campaign be unsuccessful. It is a gesture meant to promote party unity and save the Republicans from a split vote in the general election — though, realistically, the pledge is in no way legally binding. It also represents a decision by the GOP to tie itself to the brazen Trump, which is a risky endorsement of his controversial stances, including his condemnation of anchor babies. Not only is
the reputation and credibility of the Republican Party at stake, its future nominee stands to inherit huge vote losses in the upcoming general election as a result. The oversaturated pool of presidential hopefuls has already been forced to engage with the media circus that has erupted around the bombastic businessman, suffering the consequences of running against a loose cannon. To compete for the spotlight in what has disintegrated into a political shouting match, Republican candidates are now participants in a race defined by inflammatory remarks and media stunts. However, the real threat to Trump’s fellow GOP candidates stems from the fiery antiimmigrant rhetoric that has been
a feature of his alarming ascent to the top of the polls. The party has struggled in the past to overcome a lack of support from the Hispanic community, and soundbite-worthy stances on illegal immigration will only prove detrimental to the candidates come next November. Despite this reasoning, GOP candidates continue to find themselves dragged toward controversy by the Trump black hole. Recently,
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who once occupied the position of the unfiltered everyman now commandeered by Trump, succumbed to the loud-mouthed mogul’s gravitational pull. Christie, previously considered relatively moderate on immigration issues, proposed a method of tracking immigrants he likens to tracking FedEx packages. This disregard for privacy and human rights seems to be nothing more than a desperate grab for media attention by a candidate who has taken a nosedive in the polls. While extreme positions on immigration may be necessary for candidates wishing to hold their own against the front-runner reality star in the primary elections, the race to the right is ultimately
a race away from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Polling projections suggest that Republican candidates will need to garner 47 percent of the Latino vote to win the White House, a number that seems unattainable given the nativist rhetoric currently dominating the Republican Party. Even candidates who have largely avoided alienating the Hispanic community will suffer the negative impact of Trump’s promised support should they win the Republican nomination. Anchor babies are the least of Republicans’ worries with the Trump anchor hanging heavy around their necks. Email Elizabeth Moore at opinion@nyunews.com.
INTERNET
Freemium focuses internet away from ads, toward content
By MATTHEW TESSLER Deputy Digital Director
The Internet is a mess. As much as it is a fantastic resource for information, it is cluttered with distracting advertisements that prevent users from efficiently viewing content. Ads may be the most straightforward way to monetize the Internet, but ads also prevent users from focusing on the information they really want. In addition, companies’ obsession with revenue, active users and time spent on platforms leads to addictive interfaces, unnecessary and inappropriate methods of tracking and an often an inferior product. Hulu’s recent announcement of an ad-free subscription tier is the
latest example in a trend of content providers looking into more sustainable models of publishing content on the web. The constant barrage of advertisements detracts from the Internet’s original appeal of fast content delivery. The number of people using ad-blocking software increased dramatically over the past few years in response. In addition to profits being undercut because of this trend, the cost-per-click has been consistently declining. This is troublesome for the advertisementfunded web, and businesses are being forced to look elsewhere for revenue. The answer to the issue is that users have to pay. Not just by agreeing to stringent terms of
service agreements and allowing companies to track their usage patterns all across the web, but by giving companies and creators money for their services and content. It is not a panacea, but it is preferable to companies tracking every move to find out what will make us click an ad. The option of directly financing a platform is preferable to the unpleasant charade of intentionally addictive interfaces and cluttered content.
Companies, with a direct stream of revenue, could focus on delivering a compelling product in an efficient way rather than selling their users’ private data to third parties or forcing them to view ads. Freemium, or a mix of free and paid content, is the solution to these woes. From Spotify, which is free with ads and ad-free with a subscription, to The New York Times, which limits the number of free articles a month or a digital subscription for full access, companies are giving users the option to pay for an ad-free experience. YouTube, which has been free but unprofitable for years, is introducing an ad-free subscription service, which will hopefully mean no more waiting for an ad
to finish. Individuals can directly fund creators through crowdfunding platforms like Patreon. Increasingly, the option to pay is being made available. Some may shudder at the thought of paying for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Google, but it could be a welcome, optional relief for others. In exchange for actual dollars, companies can take the ads away and hopefully the tracking as well. For millennials, paying for platforms and content could become as common as their parents paying for cable. Ad-blocking is not a sustainable solution, but it is certainly sending a message. Let us pay. Email Matthew Tessler at mtessler@nyunews.com.
UNIVERSITY LIFE
NYU should avoid marketing their current celebrity students By DANA RESZUTEK Editor-at-Large
Celebrity buzz around the NYU campus is not exactly news. From constant Alec Baldwin sightings to bumping into Spike Lee outside the Tisch building, seeing the rich and famous around school basically comes with the acceptance letter. Headlines in major fashion publications and gossip columns have already welcomed the latest star to join NYU’s campus. Karlie Kloss, part of the class of 2019, even highlighted her own first-day jitters on her own Instagram account, which earned nearly 200,000 likes on social media. Other notable alumni include the Sprouse twins and Haley
Joel Osment. With the idea of the celebrity slowly overwhelming our generation’s mindset, it is unsurprising that a university would join in the fame-obsessed ideal. However, adding extra attention to these famous, but still enrolled, students can be seen as not only taking advantage of paying undergraduates, but also putting an unfair spotlight on hardworking individuals. It comes as no surprise that NYU, like all colleges, displays its alumni as a sign that their students go on to prosperous careers. On the university’s school-specific sites, alumni that have gone on to great success are noted in the hope of attracting prospective students who dream of mirroring that success.
Displaying instances of fame that may have been precipitated by an NYU education is a completely fair, not to mention, smart marketing strategy — the more celebrity alumni a university can claim, the greater the boost to its reputation. But with recent stars joining the NYU undergraduate community, the celebrity-student crossover may have crossed the line. Even before Kloss’ first day, the
university had already featured in an advertorial video a current, famous undergraduate: Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin. Liukin, who is a student in the School of Professional Studies, sat in Washington Square Park to discuss her transition from gymnast to NYU student. The video combines montages of Liukin’s athletic career and shots of the Washington Square campus, indicating that she is now moving on to tackling her latest role as a student. Using a blatant endorsement tactic, NYU successfully spotlighted the celebrity specifically for marketing their program, seemingly taking advantage of a famous student’s attendance. Although with celebrities it is
harder to differentiate success caused before or by the university itself, it is important to recognize the line between students and alumni, active academics versus successful, working professionals. While it is understandable that NYU would want to attract students by showing off how they can go to school with celebrities, this tactic ignores that Kloss and Liukin are students like everyone else. They are here to learn, not to entertain their classmates. NYU must acknowledge that a famous student’s role is not to promote its school more than any other undergraduate. Email Dana Reszutek at dreszutek@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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OPINION
EDITED BY TOMMY COLLISON OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
UNIVERSITY LIFE
Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone By CHRISTINA COLEBURN Senior Editor If I could somehow go back in time, I would tell my freshman self that the life she envisions for herself can only begin at the end of her comfort zone. It is a piece of advice my mother gave me freshman year whenever I tried something new or set out to do something that initially felt uncomfortable. What may have come easy to some people felt challenging to me; my shyness and flailing self-esteem tended to exacerbate already-tense situations. Saying hello to acquaintances from class was nerve-wracking. What if their circle of friends was so full they could not possibly make room to smile and wave back to me in the dining hall? Submitting an essay that I had worked exceptionally hard on made my heart beat two times faster than normal. How could the professor not sense my insecurity through my writing, an intricately — if not desperately — crafted collection of strongly worded assertions that I could never convince myself were
legitimate, even when substantiated with an inordinate amount of sources and statistics? I thought joining a student organization would be a disaster. How could the years of bullying I had endured in middle and high school not follow me from my small town in New Jersey to NYU, perpetuating the notion that I was less worthy, less deserving and less capable of being loved? I thought that no one would talk to me. I thought that not a single person would like me. It would be an arduous journey from move-in day to graduation. At this point, much can be said about my college career. In keeping with my fears, many things have been utterly terrifying, but few experiences ever constituted a legitimate disaster. Plenty of ex-
periences, more than I give myself credit for, have gone exceptionally well, and what has made the difference is an overdue refusal to be defeated by shyness. I want to say hello to my peers, confidently submit a paper and make potentially lifelong friends. I want some things to be scary, provided that I can rise to the occasion. That is part of the full and enriching life I want to live and it does not begin — though, believe me, I checked — on the cusp of my insecurity. It begins, as my mother poignantly reminded me, at the end of my comfort zone. Those are the words of wisdom I would give to my 19-year-old self, or any other freshman students walking around campus with the mistaken belief that their anxieties stand a chance against their fortitude. That is the piece of advice all freshmen should take to heart. Do not let insecurity consume you. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone and in this case, it is best lived on the edge. Email Christina Coleburn at ccoleburn@nyunews.com.
CITY LIFE
Cooper Union expansion dangerous, reckless By RICHARD SHU Deputy Opinion Editor With only 1,000 students and a generous endowment — including land under the Chrysler Building — Cooper Union was famous for being the only college in the United States to guarantee free tuition for every one of its students. But in 2013, Cooper Union announced that, for the first time in its 150-year history, it would charge the incoming class of 2018 tuition. This prompted understandable outrage, both from students, many of whom sat in at the president’s office for 65 days in protest, and from faculty who saw the tuition as a fundamental deviation from Cooper Union’s mission and a violation of the original ideas on which the college was founded. A group of alumni and faculty sued, and on Wednesday the New York State Attorney General announced a settlement and published its final 56page investigation into the finances of Cooper Union. The findings were not pretty. In 2001, the new Cooper Union President George Campbell put forth a massive expansion plan to create the striking silver building
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on Cooper Square — located opposite our journalism department — using a $175 million loan. Unable to raise the money through fundraising, both Campbell and his successor, Jamshed Bharucha, went ahead with their expansions anyway, running massive deficits and signing a crippling 30year mortgage with MetLife on the land the Chrysler Building stands on. The implementation of tuition was the last in a long line of financial blunders, each meant to cover up the last. And even after charging tuition, the college was only barely able to put a dent in its deficits. The parable of Cooper Union shows that even a little bit of greed can be massively destructive to a university’s reputation, and that expanding facilities doesn’t always result in a better school. Administrations that are looking to grow for growth’s sake
risk putting the interests of their plans before the well-being of their students, their community and their legacy. And by keeping their financial trouble under wraps, the board was effectively eliminating the larger Cooper Union community from the conversation. This is why NYU’s own expansion efforts are so worrying. As Cooper Union demonstrates, expansion does not necessarily make a university better. An improved university would feature an administration that is open with its community and listens to and fully considers the needs of students and faculty before making any sudden moves. As repeated votes of no confidence and petitions against outgoing NYU President John Sexton have shown, the NYU community at large is against these expansions for many of the same reasons that the Cooper Union community was against theirs. And until the NYU administration begins earnestly listening to its community, they risk making the same mistakes of stubbornness that Cooper Union did. Email Richard Shu at rshu@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Taxi medallion system needs overhaul
The existence of Uber and other on-demand car services in New York City’s iconic, taxi-saturated landscape has been a matter of debate since Uber launched in the city in May 2011. Yellow cabs are a cultural mainstay here, but the convenience and comparatively low prices of Uber — and other transport apps such as Lyft and Gett — have taxi companies worried that their artificial monopoly is in immediate danger. Traditional taxis in New York City are governed by the medallion system. Medallions are effectively licenses to operate a traditional taxi in the city. However, the city does not issue them like regular driver’s licenses, but sells them at auction at exorbitant prices — anywhere from hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars. Medallions are not affordable for the average taxi driver, so they are sold to companies who then rent them to prospective drivers. These companies treat the medallions less like operating licenses and more like assets, in much the same way a landlord would hold apartments to rent and collect value. This medallion system creates a market for speculation which results in bubbles and busts the same as any other widely traded commodity. This results in unnecessary instability which wouldn’t exist in traditionally structured companies. And it keeps the supply of cabs on the road artificially low, creating a level of scarcity that insures fares stay high. Uber put a major dent in this system, ending a decadelong speculation bubble that saw medallion prices rise from $250,000 to over $1.2 million. In the four years since Uber’s introduction to the city, prices fell down to around $800,000. This bubble burst is a signifier that, in addition to being technologically outdated, the old taxi system was not financially sound. Ride-sharing apps provide an alternative that, at the end of the day, is more or less the same for drivers and more convenient for riders, including service for the disabled and to outer boroughs. All this is not to say that Uber has a perfect business model. A pending lawsuit against Uber alleges that the company compensates its drivers as independent contractors — freeing Uber from the obligation of regulation and paying for benefits — while managing their schedules and hours as if they were employees. Similarly, Uber pays fees in many cities if drivers are fined or their cars impounded, flying in the face of existing city ordinances which require all vehicles in this industry to have a permit. Nevertheless, the panic of the taxi market in the face of a threat like Uber shows that a system built around market speculation, where taxi companies coast on the artificial scarcity of medallions without innovating or expanding, is not stable.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Tommy Collison (Chair), Richard Shu (Co-chair) ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDAN ENRIQUEZ
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.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
SPORTS
EDITED BY BOBBY WAGNER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
NYU soccer teams in good shape By KYLE LUTHER Deputy Sports Editor
Both soccer teams took to the pitch over the weekend, impressing in their openers but losing in their next games at Gaelic Park in the Bronx. In the opening game against Hunter College, the men’s team rallied in the second half, scoring two goals to overcome an early one-goal deficit and held on for a 2-1 victory. Hunter scored in the first minute of play when Brandon Fiscina took a pass down the right side and continued down the line chipping the ball over Violet keeper Lucas Doucette’s head. Neither team scored again until the 83rd minute when NYU freshman midfielder Robert Shellow tied the game on a 35-yard shot. With time winding down, sophomore forward Malcolm Montilus received a pass all alone in front of goal
and easily scored, clinching the game. The second game against Manhattanville College was a onesided affair. The Violets fell behind in the 14th minute after a goal by Manhattanville’s Omar Parra. Things unraveled in the 72nd minute. The Violet defense conceded twice more, before junior striker Bryan Walsh scored late on an assist from attacking partner sophomore Malcolm Montilus to make it 3-1. This was the first game under new head coach Kim Wyant after Joe Behan suddenly resigned due to family health concerns after the first game of the season. But with a 1-1 record, Montilus is confident that the Violet’s young team, with 13 new players, is constantly making progress. “Even though we were blindsided by this event our team has stuck together and are still committed to growing as a group,”
Montilus said. The women’s team also began their season strong, defeating Johnson and Wales University 3-0. A pair of sophomore forwards McKennah Spagnola and Teressa Fazio were central to the NYU offense. Fazio scored early in the sixth minute off a cross from senior defender Maddy Clappin. Spagnola scored in the 21st minute off an assist from senior forward Melissa Menta and added one more goal in 53rd minute to cap a comfortable victory. In their second match of the year, against Vassar College, the Violets were bested 2-1 in overtime. Down 1-0, they tied the game on a breakaway by freshman Megan Carver in the 52nd minute. The game would remain at a stalemate for the next hour until Vassar’s Rebecca Andrews scored the golden goal in the 106th minute.
Captain reflects on NYU admission
Midfielder Bryan Walsh scores in Manhattanville game. Fazio was encouraged by the team’s loss in their second game, saying that she feels confident in the team’s potential. “I truly think we’re going to have a very successful season and getting an early loss was important to keep us motivated and focused on our goal of competing for an NCAA championship,” Fazio said.
The men’s team will be back in action to host the City College of New York on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and the women’s team will take the pitch three days later to face Whitman College in the Stevens Institute Cup in Hoboken, New Jersey. Email Kyle Luther at kluther@nyunews.com.
Captain always on the move
By BOBBY WAGNER Sports Editor For NYU men’s soccer captain Petter Aasa, learning to call Greenwich Village home has been a process. Before being recruited by former head coach Joe Behan, the junior midfielder, born in Umeå, Sweden, knew next to nothing about the university in downtown Manhattan that would later become his home away from home. “I didn’t know anything about the school,” Aasa said. “I had only been to New York City for three days with my parents.” Aasa spent the three years prior to his freshman year at NYU at a boarding school, where he constantly travelled with his teammates to play soccer. Shattuck-St. Mary’s, in Minnesota, served as a temporary residence to Aasa, while his real home remained either on the pitch or back in Sweden. “My boarding school was 40 minutes outside of Minneapolis,” Aasa said. “It was very strict, we had to stay in on weekends and we had a curfew, so coming to New York was absolutely a big difference.” After touring NYU’s campus, he felt at home enough to extend his stay in the United States. But what he could never fully prepare for was life in New York, away from his friends and his family, enduring the struggles of a rigorous soccer training schedule on top of an even more rigorous Stern finance course load. “It’s really all about time management,” Aasa said. “Obviously Stern takes up a lot of time and soccer takes up a lot of time. But if you stay on top of your work both on and off the field, athletically and academically, it’s not that tough.” Now, over two years removed from those first days at NYU, Aasa has both a city and a locker room — filled with 25 of his closest friends — that he can call home.
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By ALEX BAZELEY News Editor
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This years men’s soccer captain is junior Petter Aasa. Aasa has grown into his own here at NYU, not just in the community, but also on the pitch. When the whistle blows, gone is the easygoing Swede who enjoys exploring the parks New York City has to offer. Instead you will find the ultracompetitive captain who has earned his way to the 2014 UAA All-Associate Second team and 2014 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Division III Metro Soccer First team. Three-year teammate and NYU goalkeeper Lucas Doucette spoke to Aasa’s determination and ability. “He’s one of the best players I have had a chance to play with, yet one of the most humble and hardworking,” Doucette said. “The two don’t usually happen together.” Aasa left no doubt about the team’s goals this year, coming off a 2014 season in which they started strong and fizzled out by the end of the year. The squad is looking to win the UAA and make it to the NCAA tournament — and to Aasa, that’s the only the thing really matters. “I’m just really excited for the season and to play along with the guys I’ve played with since my freshman year,” Aasa said. “All I want is for the team to win.” Email Bobby Wagner at bwagner@nyunews.com.
On the pitch, whether it’s dribbling a ball or leading her teammates, Melissa Menta never stops moving. Off the pitch life isn’t much different, as Menta takes both her studies and soccer all over the world. “The first time I was on a plane, I was three months old,” Menta said. “My dad is really into traveling, so ever since I was little he really pushed that.” Now, however, Menta has settled down as the captain of the women’s soccer team. Coming from Westchester, New York, she’s been playing soccer since she was four, and helped lead her high school team to the state finals for the first time in the history of the school. Since then, she hasn’t slowed down, traveling to Italy, Brazil and London just to play soccer. She’s also studied abroad in Prague and visited California, Florida and Canada. To Menta, traveling with her various soccer teams has been the opportunity she needed to see a multitude of ways of life. “The type of soccer they play in different countries is so obvious when you’re playing the other teams,” Menta said. “The conditions that women’s teams play in outside the United States — the fields we played on were dirt. [In Brazil], they were so excited to be playing Americans, and we would trade jerseys after every game.” As Menta knows all too well, being a leader both on and off the field means stepping up and staying strong in the face of adversity. Her freshman year, she tore her ACL in a game against Washington University in St. Louis. Two years later, at the same field against the same team, she broke her leg after a rough slide tackle from an opponent. NYU managed a 4-3 win the day of the second injury, as Menta watched the game
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This years women’s soccer captain is senior Melissa Menta. from the locker room to see then-senior Cami Crawford score four goals — something Crawford told Menta she did just for her. Despite the bad luck, Menta considers that day as one of her favorite memories. “Being able to leave St. Louis, beating the team that took me down twice, and knowing that my team had my back the whole time, that was something that’s going to resonate with me for a long time,” Menta said. She’s majoring in sports management, but is not quite sure where that’s going to take her. In the long term she’d like to go to law school — another thing her dad encouraged her to do. But for now, she’s focusing on soccer: last year, she helped lead the NYU soccer team to their second-ever trip to the DIII NCAA Championship. Despite taking a loss in the first round, Menta insists that it was far from the end of the road for this team, and she has her sights set much higher for this season. “I really want to make sure that everyone reaches their own personal potential, and if I can bring that out in them, that would be awesome,” Menta said. Email Alex Bazeley at abazeley@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
SPORTS
EDITED BY BOBBY WAGNER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Womens golf team has record breaking tournament
By MICHAEL THOMPSON Staff Writer
NYU men’s and women’s golf teams kicked off the regular season at the St. Lawrence Invitational in Canton, New York last weekend. St. Lawrence University was host to a record performance by the women’s team. The Violet women dominated the competition, shooting an overall team score of 594, a substantial 56 strokes ahead of their closest opponent, SUNY Cortland. They
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set a number of individual and team records, building on what was one of their strongest seasons ever last year. The team shot an overall score of 300 the first day. There were several standout performances, most notably sophomores Angela Yang (71), Kristin Lee (75) and Alyssa Poentis (76). Day two saw the Violets build on their strong performance in the first day, notching a team score of 294. Lee went even lower on Sunday, shooting 70. With that performance, Lee set school records
for lowest single round score and lowest 36-hole score. Yang finished with an overall score of 149, good enough for a tie for second place. “It feels great to start the season off so strong,” Lee said. “Breaking multiple records today definitely boosts our confidence as we prepare for more difficult tournaments.” With strong performances on Sunday, freshmen Jenni Bluetling and Catherina Li also cracked the top five. “I’m sure I can speak for all of
us when I say that Todd [Kolean] and Meaghan [Kenny] are running an excellent golf program here at NYU,” Li said. The men’s team also performed well, finishing fourth in a 12-team field. With an overall team score of 631, the Violets were led by a mixture of old and new players. Freshman Lucas Oberholtzer finished 13th in the individual competition with an overall score of 155, split 78 and 77. Senior Julius Oppenheimer tied for 30th, shooting a solid score of 162. Sophomores
Hartej Gill and Daniel Lynch also finished in the top 35, with respective scores of 161 and 163. After a good start for both teams, expectations and confidence are growing for their upcoming events next weekend. “If we continue playing the way we did this weekend, I think we’ll be difficult to catch,” Lee said. “After the way we played today, though, I feel proud to say that I play golf for NYU.” Email Mike Thompson at sports@nyunews.com.