NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 58
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2013
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EXPOSURE IN THIS BIWEEKLY FEATURE, WE SHOWCASE THE WORK OF A WSN PHOTOGRAPHER. THIS WEEK — FRESHMAN DANIEL COLE
Küstendorf, Mokra Gora
Editor-in-Chief JONATHON DORNBUSH Managing Editor
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Küstendorf, a small town located in the mountainous region of Mokra Gora in Serbia, is a quaintly styled wooden village that is so picturesque, it looks straight out of a filmset. As a matter of a fact, it is. The award-winning Serbian film director Emir Kusturica conceived the small town during production of the film “Promise Me This.” Küstendorf, named after Kusturica, is entirely made out of wood, complete with cabins for Kusturica himself, Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis and for guests staying at the town’s hotel. The wooden cabins occupy half of the mountain that the town is built on, the rest of the space is filled with props from Kusturica’s films such as classical cars, a church and a bell tower. The town’s old styling coupled with hints of Kusturica’s anti-Western attitude creates an atmosphere that is best compared to the directors movies which are often based upon fantasy and wonder. One certainly does feel as if they are in a movie when walking through Küstendorf’s main square. The town’s complete removal from participation in a westernized society adds to an eerie sense that is drawn from the town’s isolation. It is a strange sensation, a true testament to Kusturica’s powerful ability to make people experience emotions whether it be through film or villages. created from his imagination.
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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 Jordan Melendrez at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.
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Community Board 3 rejects Yo! Bus expansion plan By ALEX HUIBONHOA
The Yo! Bus’ expansion plan was rejected by the Transportation & Public Safety / Environment Committee during the Community Board 3 meeting on Tuesday night. The bus service, which is jointly operated by Greyhound and Peter Pan, began running last December and offers bus routes from Chinatown in Manhattan to the Chinatowns in Boston and Philadelphia, making 14 round trips per day. Yo! Bus requested to increase their daily round trips to 28, expanding service to Boston and services to new locations, add more spots in Manhattan’s Chinatown and expand their hours from 7 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Greyhound’s head of operations, Michael Fleischhauer, who was present at the meeting, said the bus service has served 189,000 people, and there is a demand for more access. “We have interests from customers to have more trips to Boston and [new trips] to D.C. and Albany,” Fleischhauer said. CB3 district manager Susan Stetzer responded that there does not appear to be a need for more trips. She said she almost always sees at least one Yo! Bus at the stop near her home when she goes to work. “Fourteen daily trips right now is a nightmare,” Stetzer said. “That is resulting in overcrowding, unsafe intersections and multiple buses at the same
location on multiple occasions.” Other Chinatown residents brought up concerns about pollution from the bus exhaust and the safety of children and seniors walking on the street when the buses unload. The CB3 members concluded that there is not enough space in Chinatown for bus services to expand. They recommended that Yo! Bus seek expansion elsewhere, such as Brooklyn. They did not have a problem with the expanded hours. But Fleischhauer said the company wants to stay in Chinatown, as that is where they have customer demand. They may consider expanding outside of Chinatown in the future. Stern senior Kevin Lu, who has been making monthly bus trips from New York City to Philadelphia for the past three years, said there is a negative opinion about riding Chinatown buses, mainly because of the shutdown of Fung Wah in February. “Chinatown bus services are talked about as if they’re unreliable, in the worst conditions, hiring drivers without license and drivers not knowing where they’re going,” Lu said. Unlike some other bus services, Yo! Bus rates do not fluctuate daily. The prices range from $12 to $24. But vice president of marketing and public relations of Coach USA and Megabus Mike Alvich pointed out that Yo! Bus cannot always compete with the fares of Megabus.
Steinhardt will host lecture from Gayatri Spivak By CASSANDRA CASSILLAS
The Steinhardt Department of Media, Culture and Communication will be hosting literary theorist and tenured professor at Columbia University Gayatri Spivak’s lecture, “Democracy and Representation,” tonight. Spivak is a founding member of Columbia’s Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, author of “Can the Subaltern Speak?” considered a founding piece of postcolonialism and the recipient of the third-highest civilian award in India, known as the Padma Bhushan. Dove Helena Pedlosky, assistant director of external relations for MCC, said Spivak was invited to headline the department’s annual lecture series by MCC professor Arvind Rajagopal. “The event promises to be quite popular,” Pedlosky said. “It is already at capacity with a large wait list.” Steinhardt senior Jeremy Holmes said he was looking forward to both seeing Spivak and hearing her speak. “I’m really excited to attend her lecture,” Holmes said. “I know that I’ll leave as a smarter and better person. I remember reading ‘Can the Subaltern Speak?’ and feeling more enlightened, so I can’t wait to see what she can do in person.” The event page describes the lecture topic as “the problem of political representation amid the forces of international democracy,” but Spivak had a different description in mind. “[The lecture is] a discussion of ‘development’ from a broader and more humane point of view,” she said. “Perhaps a sense of being ‘folded together’ with many different things happening in today’s world. Give a sense of the humanities’ role in bringing this about.”
Despite the packed house, Spivak provided a tip for those wanting to get the most out of her presentation. “I don’t do so well in one-time-only lectures, but I keep trying,” she said. “The trick is to ask me questions in the Q-and-A. Push me. I learn a lot that way.” After admitting that she wanted to improve, Spivak also offered insight about taking advantage of learning opportunities. “My feeling is that all should learn how to act every day remembering that everyone, poor or rich, old or young, is on holiday in the world,” she said. Spivak also offered words of wisdom to college students. “Try to say ‘yes’ first, not necessarily last, from your heart to your opponent,” she added. However, when asked to explain her own influence, Spivak was humble. “This is for others to say,” she said. The lecture is hosted by the Steinhardt Department of Media, Culture and Communications and will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at 239 Greene St. in the Eighth Floor Commons. Tickets are sold out, however there is a wait list available. Cassandra Cassillas is a contributing writer. Email her at news@nyunews.com.
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Literary theorist Gayatri Spivak will lecture at NYU tonight.
RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN
The Yo! Bus is based in New York, Boston and Philadelphia Chinatowns. “[Megabus] popularized the ‘tickets from $1 model for the bus industry and has been the leader in the category since 2006,” Alvich said. Lu said Yo! Bus still has a chance to compete with Megabus if they focus on technological
improvements and customer service. “Those are the two things that Megabus doesn’t do too well,” Lu said. Alex HuiBonHoa is a contributing writer. Email him at news@nyunews.com.
NYU Law Journal honors four NYU Law alumnae By MARIA VERBAITE
In August, the New York Law Journal awarded 16 lawyers the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is the first of its kind in the law journal’s history. Among the award recipients were four NYU School of Law alumnae, Helaine Barnett, Sheila Birnbaum, Betty Weinberg Ellerin and Judith Kaye. Each recipient will be featured in the journal’s 125th anniversary issue and honored at a celebration dinner on Nov. 4. “We were thrilled that the 16 attorneys selected for this high honor include four NYU alumnae [which is] more than any other law school,” NYU Law dean Trevor Morrison said. “It’s particularly noteworthy that all four are women. NYU Law was one of the first law schools to admit women, and many of them have gone on to become leaders in the profession.” Editor-in-chief of the New York Law Journal Kris Fischer praised the four NYU alumnae and their contributions to the field. “[They] are four outstanding women who are role models to the legal community and have contributed vastly to the community at large,” Fischer said. Barnett, a member of the class of 1964, was the longest serving president of the Legal Services Corporation, which provides vital civil legal aid for low-income Americans. Birnbaum, who graduated in 1965, one of the nation’s leading product liability defense attorneys, has been a professor and associate dean at NYU Law and currently serves as the special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Since graduating in 1952, Justice Weinberg Ellerin became the first woman associate justice of the appellate division of the New York Supreme Court. Judge Kaye, a law school graduate from 1962, served as the chief judge of the Court for Appeals for 15 years and was the first
FILE PHOTO BY LAUREN STRAUSSER
The NYU School of Law was one of the first law schools to accept women. woman to serve on New York’s highest court. Kaye expressed her excitement and appreciation for being recognized by the journal. “It thrills me to be singled out by an organization that I admire so greatly and to be honored for the work I have done over the years,” she said. “I had the opportunity to implement a good judicial system.” Similarly, Weinberg Ellerin said this award has helped her realize the positive results that have come from her work. “Receiving this award makes me immensely proud,” Weinberg Ellerin said. “I have had an impact on [the] advancement of women and am very proud of having broken through the gender barrier in many areas.” Morrison expressed admiration of the recipients, who have become leaders in the legal world and shown commitment to public service. “I hope the accomplishments of these women will serve as an inspiration to those who follow in their footsteps,” Morrison said. Maria Verbaite is a contributing writer. Email her at news@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
FEATURES
EDITED BY JONATHAN KESHISHOGLOU FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
Wobblemasterz create songs, parodies about their own lives By AVERY CHANG
For NYU’s musical-comedy duo, The Wobblemasterz, there is nothing quite like a party on a Tuesday night. The Wobblemasterz consists of Tisch seniors John Phillips and Alexandre Gresh, also known as JPhizzle and DJ Fresh Gresh, respectively. They were propelled into viral fame after contributing their cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” to a contest. Upon talking with the duo and their manager, Tisch senior Hannah Babitt, however, it became clear that Phillips and Gresh have even more to offer than covers of popular songs. Their latest endeavor, “Home-
town Anthem,” is a song based on their own lives, as the London-bred Gresh and Kentucky-based Phillips come from two very different places, yet were still able to meet in the melting pot of the world. “The song is really about celebrating our cultures and where we come from while still dishing out jokes and insults,” Gresh said. Their work follows common themes found in their daily lives and draws inspiration from everyday occurrences they find funny. Such is the case with one of their best known songs, “Tuesday Night Party,” which is their most-recent release. “We’re basically a parody of ourselves,” Phillips said with a laugh.
WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG?
“The party scenes in the ‘Tuesday Night Party’ music video were actually taken during one of our Tuesday night parties.” Their strong work ethic is shrouded in their ability to play just as hard, if not harder. Such as one night right before a show, when Phillips had an accident while at a party. “I remember he called me apologizing profusely about the 15 staples in his head that he got after being pushed down stairs at a party the night before a show that we had been planning for months,” Babitt said. “He ended up doing the show anyway and it was probably one of the best we’ve ever had.” “I actually found out the next
Sarah Richman, a Gallatin sophomore studying graphic design, rarely has a spare moment as so much of it is spent dancing and choreographing for the NYU dance team, Pulse Dance Project. When she’s not dancing, a vintage Coach satchel, filled with all her essentials, swings on her shoulder as she goes about her day. Stopping during a sunny walk to the Square, Richman gives WSN a look at her day-to-day happenings as she shares through of her bag.
Key Ring Full of Keys Richman not only dances and choreographs for Pulse, but she also dances at the Broadway Dance Center here in Manhattan and choreographs for the Maple Avenue Dance Center in her Long Island hometown of Rockville Centre. Whether running to dance rehearsals and the gym or catching a train to Long Island to choreograph, Richman’s chunky key ring allows her to hold all her activities in the palm of her hand.
Sunglasses and Wallet A pewter wallet, detailed with tiny skulls, showcases Richman’s unique fashion sense. A mix of style and practicality, Richman chooses hold-all accessories that can keep up with her fast-paced schedule as she goes around the city. “I’m constantly collecting bits of things here and there, so I need a big wallet to keep everything organized,” Richman said. The Long Island native smiles when asked about her sunglasses. “One of my eight pairs,” Richman said as she examined the shades.
Sketchbook and pen A budding graphic designer, Richman always has her sketchbook handy. The black, leather-bound book is brimming with sketches of everything from people to ordinary objects. Unlike many artists, Richman prefers to sketch with a pen. “Pens have such an amazing texture that you really can’t get from a pencil,” she said. Much of Richman’s artwork started as simple sketches in her sketchbook before their completion. You can find an ever-growing artwork gallery on her website, which she designed and created herself.
Headphones When walking to and from classes on a day like today or rushing to dance rehearsals, you can be sure Richman always has her Beats by Dre earbuds with her. The dancer and choreographer incorporates her favorite music into many of her routines, citing a number of dance inspirations including Beyoncé, Mumford & Sons, Ben Howard and Damien Rice. Vanessa Karalis is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
the university and New York City have provided the perfect setting to flourish. Avery Chang is a contributing writer. Email her at features@ nyunews.com.
JACOB GIANARIS FOR WSN
John Phillips and Alexandre Gresh write their own songs.
Sophomore adds upgrade to his Event Book app By NICOLE DEL MAURO
By VANESSA KARALIS
day that I had a concussion,” Phillips said. The Wobblemasterz’ music seem to be the anthems of the college world at NYU. “Because of their cover of ‘Diamonds,’ I had heard about the Wobblemasterz even before I came to NYU,” LSP freshman Khaleelah Logan said. “They are very representative of what I, along with all the other NYU kids came here for, to work hard while having a great time.” Their well-seasoned sense of humor shines not only through their music, but also through their wisdom about college life. The guys and their manager all met through the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, and all three said
Abhinay Ashutosh knows what it means to be a busy college student. The sophomore CAS and Stern student, who is double majoring in computer science and business, felt it was important for himself to keep his chaotic schedule — classes, homework, extracurriculars — organized. Now, thanks to him, there’s an app for that. Ashutosh designed and created Event Book, a calendar app that functions as an all-in-one personal organizer. It offers additional features to former calendar apps, such as maps, weather and location. The app recently released its second version on Sept. 6. “I think it’s for anyone who needs to manage their life,” Ashutosh said. Ashutosh became fascinated with computer coding and began teaching himself to code his freshman year of high school. Using Apple’s Xcode, a free program downloaded from the Mac app store, Ashutosh designed and coded Event Book. He then used the website iTunes Connect to license the app and make it available for free download on the app store. Event Book 1.0 debuted in February 2013, and Ashutosh said it has been downloaded over 70,000 times. Different calendar screens allow users to view schedules by day, week or month. Scroll through dates vertically to see past and upcoming month events in Month Book, and flip through d a t e s horizontally to see weekly schedules in Week Book. The app keeps users’ events organized by integrating features that would require using multiple apps. Weather technology makes it easy for someone to dress for rain or bring an umbrella, for example, and maps allows users to easily access directions to the specific places they’re going.
Ashutosh, an avid calendar user, was inspired to create his own calendar app when he found Apple’s iOS calendar did not lay out his schedule clearly. “With the iOS calendar, it was very hard to add events and see events, see when I was free,” Ashutosh said. “I like the Event Book’s different interfaces,” CAS sophomore Alex Pastron said. “I really like being able to see my schedule for the upcoming days, weeks or months.” In the 2.0 version, users can change the color scheme of event
lists, and the update gives the calendar an edge-to-edge display. “The way I see Event Book fitting into my own life I think is more of a learning experience in terms of design, business, marketing, [public relations] and, of course, coding,” Ashutosh said. “I think my main focus is starting an actual company, not around this, but based [on] what I’ve learned here rather than making another app.” Nicole Del Mauro is a contributing writer. Email her at features@ nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
ARTS
EDITED BY JEREMY GROSSMAN ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM
‘Caprice’ fails to explore serial killer psychology By J.R. HAMMERER
From “Spring Breakers” to “Pain & Gain” to “The Bling Ring,” 2013 has already seen many films that feature people turning to crime as a way to achieve their American dream. Like “The Bling Ring,” “Blue Caprice” similarly tracks a true crime tale — the 2002 Washington, D.C. sniper attacks that left 10 dead and three wounded. But “Caprice” aims the rifle inward toward its characters’ internalized feelings rather than their outward emotions. Even though the film aspires to study how one might develop into a serial killer, it’s a curiously uneventful film. “Caprice” is an unusual character study because it never seems interested in just one character. The film’s focus is actually two characters — Lee Malvo (Tequan Richmond), an isolated Antiguan teenage runaway, and John Allen Muhammad (Isaiah Washington), a divorcee who has kidnapped his two children from their mother. John becomes a father figure to Lee, raising him on violence, and the
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two become closer in their quest for vengeance against those who have wronged them. Soon enough, John is recruiting Lee to embark on a series of dangerous sniper attacks intended to hurt not just the ones they love, but all of society. Lee only accepts John’s deadly requests because John is the first adult who sees and understands his frustrations — together, they’re kindred spirits of violence. What is most disturbing about their relationship is how little John needs to do to provoke violence from Lee. John tells Lee the violence is for retribution, and Lee simply does as he is told. The surrogate father-son relationship is the film’s most interesting element, but it’s curiously underexplored. Does John truly care for Lee, or is he taking advantage of the boy’s aggression? And how is Lee reacting to the increasingly horrible things he has to do? Director Alexandre Moors, making his feature debut, treats the two as absolutes — they stay the same people from beginning to end. His cold, clinical perspective simply doesn’t engage with the thorny emotional issues he’s implying. Washington’s commanding portrayal of John is assured and terrifyingly complete, calmly plotting a reign of terror in the frozen food section of the supermarket. Richmond has enough presence to fill out Lee’s quiet, brooding character. The two of them, however, are braver than Moors. Mentioning an idea — be it the development of killers or the violence lurking beneath our culture — is not the same as engaging and exploring it, and Moors confuses the two. The 90-minute film slowly drags on, and it doesn’t climax so much as grind to a standstill. By the end, John’s final goal is to wake up the people around him, to shake them out of complacency. Considering the monotony of the movie he’s in, he should start with “Blue Caprice.” J.R. Hammerer is a staff writer. Email him at film@nyunews.com.
MUSICAL MOVEMENTS By ALEX POTOSKY Too often, music genres with names of little cultural meaning will appear. For every “punk,” “Britpop” or “new wave,” there are 10 genres whose nomenclature is fabricated by the press. These are often arbitrary designations, referring solely to a type of music’s sound. Chillwave is one such genre. The term “chillwave” was first used by the blog Hipster Runoff in 2009, and by 2010 was adopted by mainstream publications like The New York Times. It describes a sound — but unlike “punk” or “new wave,” it doesn’t signify any meaning or ideology beyond musical aesthetic. In the alternative music press culture of the mid’00s, anyone with a keyboard and a blog could take a prefix and a suffix and create their own genre portmanteau — “nu-gaze,” “witch house,” “drone folk” and “death disco,” to name a few. Chillwave proved one of the most popular of these compound adjectives. It became a catch-all phrase to refer to any band with a sound characterized by a heavy use of effects processing, sampling, looping and vocal distortion. In hindsight, the sound is perhaps typified most by Washed Out’s 2009 track, “Feel It All Around.” In 2013, with the sophomore releases of several chillwave bands, listeners are given pause — it begins to seem inappropriate to call chillwave a genre rather than a trendy flash in the pan. Genres like punk are held together by ideas, while chillwave is defined by its surface qualities. By focusing only on the sound of the music instead of the identity of the acts, it seems as though the entire chillwave classification is destined to lose meaning as soon as its bands began to experiment with new sounds. Now, we are watching this implosion happen en masse. Many of the most quintessentially chillwave acts have released sophomore albums this year — Youth Lagoon’s “Wondrous Bughouse,” Small Black’s “Limits of Desire,” among others. Unlike on their past works, these bands now sound nothing alike. “Wondrous Bughouse” is an expansive, psychedelic
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Youth Lagoon’s sophomore album takes on a sound divergent from their first. dark carnival of an album, airy and boisterous, whereas Youth Lagoon’s debut is introverted and contained. “Limits of Desire” takes the chillwave archetype and blows it up into a propulsive synthpop album, one more similar in its form and intention to the pop tracks on M83’s “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.” Even bands that were on the periphery of the chillwave style in 2009 are now moving toward different sounds. Bands like Summer Camp and Best Coast, once sunkissed and lo-fi, are opting for pristine vocals and higher production values with recent sophomore releases. Of course, many acts have remained content to continue in their style. “Paracosm,” the new album from Washed Out, has elements of Krautrock, free jazz and trip-hop, but for the most part, they keep in line with a familiar sound. Com Truise, Summer Heart and Blackbird Blackbird have also recently released work in line with earlier output. So where does this leave chillwave? As these acts continue to grow and expand, some pursuing a familiar direction and others wildly diverging, the label of chillwave seems to lose meaning. We turn to acts once said to represent the genre, and see little continuity. Perhaps labels like chillwave — defined by style rather than substance — can only be expected to lose meaning with the passing of musical trends. Alex Potosky is a contributing writer. Email him at film@nyunews.com.
Horror films scare up prestige among critics, audiences By ALEX GREENBERGER
Midway through James Wan’s “The Conjuring,” there’s an expressive moment where the camera turns completely upside-down as a character frantically runs down a hallway. There is no specific reason why the shot has to be there but the rotation achieves its goal — extreme tension. Wan’s wild camera movements have become one of the distinguishing features of his films — his most recent of which, “Insidious: Chapter 2,” a sequel to his successful 2010 film, comes out Friday. And these camera movements, largely unnecessary to the plot of his films, are examples of how Wan tackles his chilling stories as any other director might — with a wandering eye and a creative spirit. Wan takes his craft seriously, and as a result, horror films that could have been slews of shlock — such as “The Conjuring” or “Insidious” — are raised to an artistic caliber. His films are not far removed from a string of other quality horror films from this year, including Fede Alvarez’s stylish “Evil Dead” and Adam Wingard’s genre-bending “You’re Next.” At first, there seems to be nothing in common between the terror caused by camera movement in “The Conjuring” and the wild, operatic violence of “Evil Dead.” But the connection is there — all these movies are smart and challenging, and they take horror filmmaking seriously. It was only a logical progression that horror films would
move from B-grade late-night rentals to premiere films, considering the critical and commercial success of recent indie horror films. The films of Ti West and Eli Roth, both done in the styles of other horror films, have gained a strong cult fan base, while Oren Peli’s “Paranormal Activity,” done on a shoestring budget of $15,000, spurred a series that continues to be extremely profitable. Television even helped to contribute to this sudden growth of smart horror films. FX’s “American Horror Story” continues to test the limits of the genre, using nonchronological storytelling techniques to tell what could have been a simple, generic yarn. Fortunately for horror filmmakers, serious horror films have gained traction with an audience that typically favors cheap thrills in the form of jump-scares or banging music. Drew Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods,” which starts out as a semisatire of “The Evil Dead” and quickly becomes something more, has enough twists to match the most complicated noir films, and films like “V/H/S” use the found footage conceit — minus the genre’s associated camp — to produce mature results. It seems that horror filmmakers show no signs of slowing down either. In the past week at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, West and Roth premiered their respective horror films, “The Sacrament” and “The Green Inferno,” to generally positive reviews. And, if there’s any sign that Hollywood is seriously interested in what these filmmakers can do, it’s that Wan, who previously
has only worked on horror films, has been selected to direct the seventh “Fast and Furious” film. Scary as it may seem, horror films may eventually eclipse dramas in quality filmmaking. Alex Greenberger is film editor. Email him at agreenberger@nyunews.com.
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“Insidious: Chapter 2” stars Patrick Wilson.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
BEAUTY & STYLE
Spotlighting sideline shows By AYDEN ROSENBERG
NYFW: Front row access By DANA RESZUTEK
Fashion is everywhere. It is just as noticeable in the supermarket and the elevator as it is on mannequins and magazine covers. Its ubiquity is part of its timeless allure and consequently, its lasting relevance in modern society. It is curious then, that the week devoted to fashion’s very existence is thought by many to be bound to a single location. Lincoln Center is a force to be reckoned with, but it would still be a sartorial sin to ignore the goings-on throughout the rest of the city. Off-site shows are arguably the most intriguing thing about Fashion Week. With the loss of Fashion’s Night Out, which is on hiatus in New York this year, fashion lovers need off-site shows now more than ever to thoroughly experience the ever-growing breadth of the New York fashion scene. Scattered across Manhattan at venues such as Eyebeam Studios, The DiMenna Center, Milk Studios and Center 548, these shows and presentations are a testament to the fact that you don’t need to have a big name to leave a big impact. The first noteworthy feature of off-site shows is, not surprisingly, the fashion. With new designers come new perspectives, new risks and new ideas. There is much to draw inspiration from in an original collection. Moreover, following new fashion gives you options. It is easy to eyeball the work of famous designers and feel pressured to fall in love with it right then and there. Smaller scale shows, however, give you the liberty to decide for yourself, thus influencing your style in a more candid way. Off-site shows also provide their attendees and followers with a better understanding of the fashion they are presenting. The versatile array of venue options allow fashion labels a bit more freedom when it comes to creating an environment for their show or presentation. Their selection provides yet another opportunity to gain insight into the theme, tone and purpose of their collection. Take General Idea at the Classic Car Club for an example — the venue’s tall white columns, black epoxy floors and gleaming silver cars seamlessly complement the dramatic, sports-inspired pieces of the palette. Similarly, threeASFOUR at The Jewish Museum gave the geometryinspired collection the perfect setting to present its artistic fusion of ancient motifs and modern design. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of following off-site shows is the chance to learn more about up-and-coming designers. Fashion is about so much more than whose name is on the tag. Drooling over the legendary labels is all well and good, but there’s something exciting about following a new designer from anonymity to eminence. The unknowns of today are the hot tickets of tomorrow, so why not pay attention now and be part of the journey?
The concept of fashion comes with a sense of glamour, luxury and an idea of the unattainable. But when that intangible, distant image of models walking down the runway at Lincoln Center transforms from a glossy page of Vogue to a real-time moving picture, the feeling of this new reality, this possible reality is, in short, magical. Making my way up the steps of Lincoln Center, my eyes wandered to the various guests attending. Some were like me — writers, photographers, editors — the others were the lucky ones who had the opportunity to attend fashion shows for the sheer sake of enjoying the event. Looking out into the crowds of people there seemed to be an invisible schism separating those who wanted to see and those who wanted to be seen. Swarms of cameras encapsulated the fabulous, placing them in a bubble of style, on a pedestal to be viewed by all. At first, observing what the attendees were wearing seemed strange, yet those who truly appreciated the art of fashion lived and breathed it every day, which, in the simplest of ways, could be seen by what they chose to wear. Those who stood out from the crowd were those who had dedicated their lives to the concept of style. You know you’ve made it in the fashion world when what you’re wearing to a show is just as newsworthy as the pieces walking down the runway. There seemed to be somewhat of a hierarchy at Fashion Week when it came to the attendees. First and foremost, there’s the elite, the famous — those who have achieved in their lives a Louboutin-level of style and respect that grants a front row seat to the shows. Then, well, there’s everyone else — the background, the other seats and standing observers that vie to one day reach that desired front-row seat. Whether I was stuck standing in the back of the runway space or managed to snag an unfilled seat in the second row didn’t seem to matter — those whose feet could almost graze the runway were people everyone seemed to strive to be. Fashion Week is like an enormous art exhibition, each artist presenting their work to be observed, analyzed and, most of all, appreciated. Each space used for shows is transformed to fit the designer’s aesthetic. Every aspect is carefully pieced together to bring the designer’s vision to life. When experiencing a show, it’s important to remember this concept — everything presented, not just the pieces, has meaning and value. Besides the incredible opportunity it’s been to attend New York Fashion Week, it’s also been a journey that puts this international industry in perspective. Fashion isn’t, and never will be, just about the clothes. As trends rise and fall, the artistry remains behind each piece presented. No matter the choice in cut, color or texture, this industry will always bring an addicting mode of self-expression, one which will always remain in style.
Ayden Rosenberg is a contributing writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.
Dana Reszutek is a staff writer. Email her at bstyle@nyunews.com.
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EDITED BY ARIANA DIVALENTINO BSTYLE@NYUNEWS.COM
TONY intern takes on Fashion Week By DAVID BOLOGNA With homework, deadlines, subway fares and a city of eight million people, an internship can seem like just another bullet point on the average college student’s to-do list. For Gillian Fuller, however, this was far from true — she is an intern turned freelancer for the fashion department of Time Out New York magazine. A Steinhardt senior studying Media, Culture and Communications, Fuller heard of an editorial intern position through a mutual friend at NYU and began in November of last year. Using the NYU internship database to guide her along the way of her time at the magazine, she felt that NYU played a key part in helping her learn more about herself in the professional world. “You pinpoint what you want to do, what you want to improve on [and] what you don’t like so much,” Fuller said. Of course, one of her most memorable experiences at Time Out was New York Fashion Week. Receiving some of the most creative invitations was the first sign of what a surreal week it soon would be — her favorite invitation was none other than that of Betsey Johnson, who sent used pill bottles in her classic playful style. “I went to Trina Turk last year, and it was the first time I had been to Lincoln Center,” she said. “It was so cool, and it was set up as a presentation, so you could take your time and get up close to the models,” Fuller said. Having the opportunity to go to numerous fashion shows as an intern is a big perk of the job, and who wouldn’t enjoy getting a free gift bag of goodies every now and then, as well? “I went to a presentation for Journelle, and I got a La Perla thong,” she said, laughing. “Then, I went to an [Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics] show and they gave us their entire fall collection of makeup.” It’s definitely enticing to be an intern in the big, bad world of fashion, but everyone must earn their share of frivolity with some hard work first and Fashion Week is no exception. “Our Fall/Spring Fashion issue is released the week that Fashion Week starts, and it gets crazy hectic. We always have hundreds of samples coming in every day, [and] we had to contact a lot of people for credit information on stories,” she said. Additionally, Fuller played an important role in shooting the cover for last spring’s issue featuring famed model, TV presenter and contributor to British “Vogue,” Alexa Chung. “We had probably six rack fulls of [exclusive couture] clothes for the shoot, so all of us were really careful like, ‘Oh, this is Chanel. I really can’t drop it on the floor,’” she said. So what advice does Fuller have for those seeking to hold a unique job in the trendiest industry? “Definitely soak up the experience. There’s [going to] be times when you’re insanely busy, but just do it because they’re all helpful and amazing experiences,” she said. Of course though, the most crucial issue is how to dress for Fashion Week, but the intern has that covered, too. “When in doubt, wear black,” she said. David Bologna is a contributing writer. Email him at bstyle@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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SPORTS
EDITED BY FRANCISCO NAVAS SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Athlete profile: Shawn McNill-Gray, men’s soccer forward By KENNETH LIM
COURTESY OF NYU ATHLETICS
Sophomore McNill-Gray scored his first goal of the season last Saturday.
The NYU men’s soccer team defeated the College of Staten Island 2-1 on Saturday. Sophomore Shawn McNitt-Gray marked his return from a rib injury by scoring the winning goal in the 67th minute, his first goal of the season. The Violets remain unbeaten, having won all four matches they have played. For the 19-year-old economics major and computer science minor, team results matter much more than personal achievement. “Anybody can step up, anybody can play, anybody can do well for us,” McNitt-Gray said. “As long as we win games. That’s all we care about.” The left forward, originally from Culver City, Calif., said the soccer team’s goal this year is to win the UAA conference after not performing well last year. The team plays Stevens Institute of Technology, ranked third in Division III, on Saturday in a nonconference game. McNitt-Gray considers the match,
“a diagnostic test before we head into the UAA.” He also considers team chemistry and a lack of ego as some of the soccer team’s strengths. “We live together basically,” McNittGray said. “So our team chemistry’s really high, and we can talk to each other on and off the field. We know each other’s reactions.” He also hopes to increase exposure for the team — and sports in general — around campus. For McNitt-Gray, part of the reason people say there is no sports culture at the university is because they either don’t know teams exist or how talented the teams really are. “Our home field is an hour away, so we don’t get massive crowds or anything,” he said. “This isn’t a big sports school. But we do exist, and we wear it with pride.” Soccer has always been a big part of McNitt-Gray’s life. Both he and his older sister played competitive soccer since they were young. “My whole family has been really involved,” McNitt-Gray said. “My sister and
I played since a young age, and I really didn’t stop.” Even in college, McNitt-Gray devotes a large amount of time to the team and shows an impassioned commitment to its success. “I think the soccer team is the center, really,” he said. “Practice is in the middle of the day, so we have to schedule our classes and our lives around that. I don’t really have time for other hobbies.” And with the sheer amount of time McNitt-Gray spends with his teammates, it’s no wonder they know him best, beyond his soft-spoken and unassuming demeanor. “I’m kind of quiet at first,” McNittGray admitted. “But I’m really that not quiet once you get to know me. You should ask my teammates. Last year, I modeled in the Hayden [residence] hall fashion show, and I took my shirt off at the end of the runway.” Kenneth Lim is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.
As October approaches, MLB teams battle for playoff, wild-card spots By BRITTANY YU
With less than 20 games left to play in the season, only a few teams in Major League Baseball have secured a playoff berth. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening in each division:
AL East The AL East has become more interesting than expected in terms of teams vying for a wild card. While it looks like Boston has a ticket to the playoffs, the Rays, Orioles and Yankees are all in the mix for one of the two wild-card spots. The Rays appeared to have locked down a wild card, but have lost seven of their last 10 games, lowering their playoff chances to 63.5 percent, while the Orioles and Yankees are slowly inching their way closer, only one and a half and two games back, respectively.
AL Central A year after being swept by the Giants in the World Series, it looks like the Tigers will once again take the division title. The second-place Indians remain only six back, but debates about resting star players before the playoffs have already begun for Detroit. With most conversations about the Tigers inevitably involving Miguel Cabrera, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be repeating his Triple Crown title from last year due to competition from the Orioles’ Chris Davis.
concern for the Braves is Justin Upton, who is dealing with a knee injury.
NL Central The race in the NL Central is arguably the most fun to watch, as the Cardinals hold a measly half game lead over the Pirates and only two and a half games ahead of the third-place Reds. Assuming these three teams continue playing their best baseball, this race will come down to the wire and likely be decided in the last week of the regular season. Plus, the other two teams who don’t win the division will likely fill the wild card spots.
NL West With the rest of the division playing mediocre baseball at best, the Dodgers have essentially guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs. They hold a 13-game lead over the second-place Diamondbacks while the Giants, Padres and Rockies would be lucky to end the season with a .500 record. The NL West has proven to be a more disappointing race than expected with the Giants and Diamondbacks falling short of expectations. Brittany Yu is a contributing writer. Email her at sports@nyunews.com.
AL West For most of the season, the Rangers and the Athletics have been trading places atop the AL West, while the rest of the teams in the division have just helplessly watched. While the quietly successful A’s currently lead the Rangers by two and a half games, both teams will likely be playing October baseball. It’s just a matter of which team wins the division and which team takes a wild card spot.
NL East
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The Braves have taken the NL East title and run away with it. They have a 12-game lead over the second place Nationals and are 30 games over .500 with an 87-57 record. The Nationals remain six games back in the wildcard race and still have a 1.6 percent chance of making the playoffs. The only
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The Yankees might clinch a wild-card spot.
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THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU Crossword ACROSS 1 It wraps scraps 9 Scratches, say 15 Unlocked, as a computer file 16 Saws 17 J 18 Apartment dweller, e.g. 19 Transvestite of song 20 Loud laughs 22 Third neighbor? 23 Cellphone feature 25 Backup singer’s syllable 27 Eighth-day rite 28 Source of the phrase “brave new world,” with “The” 31 Splitting headache? 33 Subj. of psychological experiments with inconclusive results 34 Dirty
36 Skater Harding and others 37 U 39 Downsized 42 Was overcome with embarrassment, in slang 43 Goat sound 46 Does perfunctorily, as a performance 48 Openly state 50 Letters on a stamp 51 Scand. land 53 Parts of an “Old MacDonald” verse 54 Mughal Empire rulers 56 Related 59 Parks in a bus 60 Beggars of a sort 62 X 64 Gettysburg Address, e.g. 65 Neat and trim 66 Trample
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41 Tamed, as a stallion
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43 Mediterranean resort island, to locals
52 Strenuous college programs, for short
58 “The Sopranos” actress ___ de Matteo 61 Prefix with fuel 63 Location of the tragus
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OPINION
EDITED BY RAQUEL WOODRUFF OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Egypt needs diplomacy, not democracy By OMAR ETMAN
In light of the ongoing tragedy in Syria, the world is reminded of the value of a properly functioning democracy, and more significantly, the inherent devastation that comes from not having one. Several hundred miles southwest of Syria, Egypt is undergoing a similar, albeit less violent, dilemma. Its people are publically pleading for a safe path forward, but contrary to Western consensus, democracy might not be the struggling nation’s best solution. The Muslim Brotherhood’s rise to prominence can be attributed to the weakness of its political opponents, not its internal strengths. Hosni Mubarak’s long three decades in office eliminated the necessity for political opposition. Somehow the Brotherhood emerged from Mubarak’s reign unscathed. Though the Brotherhood ran a moderate platform in 2012, its policies took a dramatic shift when widesweeping constitutional reform was implemented, eliminating several crucial human rights provisions — equality for women and the Christian minority. His military incited violence against Brotherhood detractors. Police
brutality reached an all-time high. The Egyptian people quickly recognized that Morsi was becoming his predecessor. So the revolution continued. With the Brotherhood out of office and an interim government in place, the Egyptian people and military are left to pick up the pieces. The military, led by general Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is now the Brotherhood’s most powerful and vocal opponent. The military too is excessive in its use of violence on civilians. Because el-Sisi and his military have wrongfully misused their enormous strength, the already complex situation has been muddied further. Months detached from the height of protest and with attention turning toward Syria, it is more difficult than ever for outside nations to make definitive choices in Egypt. The United States is the world’s loud-
est proponent of democracy, and rightfully so. It is no coincidence countries with democracy are better performing — socially, economically, mentally — than those without. But for the U.S. to push democratic reform for Egypt without considering the repercussions is misguided. Morsi and his Brotherhood are an extreme Islamist group and must be treated as such. To assert the Brotherhood deserves equal political influence as its more truly moderate counterparts is dangerous. A democratically elected government that works to destroy the same democracy that put it in power is not a democracy. Although the military’s current governance of Egypt is less than ideal, it is infinitely better than any potential Brotherhood alternative. If the United States is serious about curbing the spread of radical Islam, as it proved in Iraq, then it must side with the more centrist party. For once, the U.S. needs to forego the wistful talk of renewing democracy in Egypt and give its backing to the moderate military. Democracy, it must remember, is not always right for everyone. Omar Etman is a contributing columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
FEMINISM
Miley Cyrus commodifies black culture, women By KAIDIA PICKLES
In several weeks, former child star and pop sensation Miley Cyrus will host and perform the second episode of the 39th season of Saturday Night Live. This appearance will be the latest of Cyrus’s media blitz that includes her now notoriously controversial performance at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. The debate about Cyrus should not be about what she’s doing right by American women. It should be about whether she’s commodifying women of color and twisting herself into another roadblock for intersectionality in feminism. Let’s recall her performance at this year’s VMAs with R&B singer Robin Thicke. The casual racist attitude of the performance is unnerving — women of color dressed up as animals and danced around Cyrus while she sang her summer hit, “We Can’t Stop,” and twerked. Mind you, Cyrus has claimed that she’s invented this dance move despite the fact that it has been practiced for years by black artists and musicians. On top of this, Cyrus is a propagator of a so-called ratchet culture — a lifestyle associated with lower-class people of color. Timothy Thomas, one of the songwriters for Cyrus’s most recent album, told Vibe Magazine that she said,
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“‘I want urban, I just want something that just feels black.’” I don’t believe that Cyrus should be condemned for exploring her adult sexuality in front of the probing gaze of the paparazzi and mass media. However, I think it’s a stretch to assume that what she’s doing is intentionally feminist. Her behavior more closely resembles that of a toddler acting out to receive attention — not condemnable, but not particularly groundbreaking either. In either case, how would her behavior advance feminism in a positive direction? Women are not defined by their bodies, and they should not be policed for their attire or shape. But there is a line between standing up to cultural statutes that dictate how much clothing a woman is required to wear and reacting to admittedly unfair limi-
tations on her behavior for years as a child star. What she’s doing is not for the advancement of the female gender. It’s simply for her. How am I, as a woman, supposed to believe that any man who saw Cyrus’s performance at the VMAs is going to respect me more as a result? Furthermore, feminism that lacks intersectionality is worthless. Cyrus treats black culture as if it is a stylish jacket that can be worn when it’s trendy and taken off as soon as it becomes burdensome. Culture shouldn’t be treated as a trend — much less when Cyrus has never had to deal with the societal burden of being a woman of color in America. White middle-class women have been driving feminism for decades. It’s clear that Cyrus is attempting to forge a new identity for herself as a result of the confines of her childhood fame, but in order to do so she must understand that cultures different from her own are not to be used to accessorize her music or her videos. Cyrus’s appropriation for the sake of rebellion only serves to add more bricks to the wall, keeping intersectionality out of the feminist movement. Kaidia Pickels is a contributing columnist. Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
U.S. intelligence should be kept domestic
New allegations pertaining to the activity of the NSA have been published by The Guardian. The allegations cite a confidential “memorandum of understanding” between the United States and Israel, which indiscriminately shares raw intelligence with Israel. According to the language of the memorandum, the intelligence includes, but is not limited to, “unevaluated and unminimized transcripts, gists, facsimiles, telex, voice and Digital Network Intelligence metadata and content.” Any assurance from the Obama administration that protections are in place for the privacy of American citizens is negated by not only the sensitive information being shared with a foreign country, but that it is being done without any restraint. Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who originally published confidential data obtained by former NSA employee Edward Snowden regarding the U.S. government’s controversial spying program, released an additional document on Tuesday, detailing the memorandum of understanding. Greenwald has chosen not to publish all the information Snowden released to him. By doing so, he is making sure that each of the offenses of the government gets its turn in the spotlight while also prolonging the original story of the NSA’s unconstitutional actions. If all the information had been released at once, the NSA story would now be dead. It instead lives on, and it will remain in the public view as long as new documents are being released. One of the more concerning aspects of this international agreement is the way in which the information is being shared. The memorandum allows for raw intelligence — phone calls, emails and other forms of digital communication that have not been examined by U.S. officials at all — to be passed on to the Israeli government. Despite that Israeli officials agreed to discard any information pertaining to U.S. government officials and that any information received would be dealt with under U.S. law, the memorandum itself is not legally binding — and Israel is neither under any obligation, nor is accountable for any mishandling. Although the United States and Israel share common foreign policy goals, the volatile circumstances in Syria should compel the American public to reconsider whether these mutual interests bring us too close for comfort. The degree of interdependency between America and our Middle Eastern ally is alarmingly capacious. Elevating our exposure to Israel may have the unintended consequence of rendering America vulnerable to personal privacy violations and national security threats. Sharing an inordinate amount of confidential information with any country, whether we are allies or adversaries, approaches dangerous territory.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Raquel Woodruff (Chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co-chair), Peter Keffer (Co-Chair).
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.