ILLUSTRATION BY EASTON SELF; DESIGN BY ANNA LETSON, WENXUAN NI
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Bias Hotline Fights Discrimination By NATASHA ROY Contributing Writer
NYU took measures to help students of all backgrounds feel safer on campus with its newly implemented Bias Response Line. The tool allows students to report incidents of marginalization via phone or an online form. When students contact the BRL, they are able to talk to administrators in NYU’s Office of Equal Opportunity who speak with them about an incident of marginalization and possibly take further preventative actions. Some universities have similar practices in place, although few of them seem to target student marginalization specifically. For example, Pace University’s Ethics Reporting Hotline allows students and faculty to anonymously report violations of the law or violations of the university’s policies. It also publishes law enforcement contacts for each part of its campus. University of Southern California also provides a similar service called the Help & Hotline. Students and faculty use this to ask about laws that affect their job opportunities. Pace and USC’s resources specifically target state and federal law violations. CAS freshman Grace Meng said the Bias Response Line can provide an extra source of support during the transition to college. “I think it’ll be really nice, especially for new students who are adjusting to being here,” Meng said. “It’ll help with inclusion.”
While the majority of students think the resource is useful, some, like Stern sophomore Stacy Young, do not see it carrying out well in practice. “I think in theory it’s a good idea, but a lot of times when something’s put into practice, it doesn’t actually translate well,” Young said. Young also pointed out that the BRL might not actually prevent marginalization. “While it’s a nice concept that you can submit examples of bias retroactively, I don’t know how it will affect things in the present while it’s occurring,” Young said. Other students, like CAS freshman Charles Thomas, see the response line as being useful if consequences are involved. “I suppose if it’s connecting to the police, it might be effective, or if it’s academic, like connecting to school-related punishments, it might be effective, too,” Thomas said. While students were unsure
whether or not they would personally use the BRL, they could envision it being useful to their peers. “It depends on the severity of the situation,” Thomas said. “I don’t really feel like I could be discriminated against in any significant way. Maybe if it happened to someone else and it was severe or caused emotional trauma, it might be necessary to call the response line.” Since the BRL is a fairly new measure, it is unclear whether or not it will truly be popular or effective with students. However, it has been seen as a representation of NYU’s diversity efforts. “It’s really good because coming from such a varied school, it’s important that we don’t overlook any parts of the student body,” Young said. “I think it’s very important to not lose sight of how diverse the student body is.”
Email Natasha Roy at news@nyunews.com.
Walking around New York in the last few months, you may have noticed bright, new kiosks popping up on street corners in place of old phone booths. These LinkNYC stations — which provide Wi-Fi, web browsing and phone charging — are the first public product of Sidewalk Labs, a startup spun out of the Google NYC offices with the goal of creating a completely connected New York. The service plans to install a network of 7,500 LinkNYC terminals across the five boroughs, providing improved access to data and communication for New Yorkers. One of these new locations will be directly outside of NYU’s Third North residence hall on Third Avenue. It is a project rooted in a noble cause and one that many New Yorkers, like current Third North resident and Tisch freshman Jazmin Palmer, are optimistic about. “When I first got to New York I was getting lost all the time and was running out
Trump Controversy Reaches State Level By DIAMOND NAGA SIU News Editor
STAFF PHOTO BY ANNA LETSON
The bias response hotline is now available as a resource for marginalized students to feel safer on campus.
LinkNYC Has Explicit Consequences By STEVE MALKO Contributing Writer
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Proudly proclaiming his Trump allegiance, Nachmany changed his Facebook profile picture with the caption “Let’s make America great again.”
of cellphone data,” Palmer said. “It would have really been helpful to have access to Wi-Fi and maps all around the city.” However, the project has already been subject to concern, with reports of people setting up camp around the terminals for hours on end and some using the terminals to view explicit material. Some have expressed concern over what this new, unfettered access could bring to local communities and businesses. In addition, Officer William, a Public Safety Officer at Third North, said he worries about the privacy of the students using them as well. “There are lots of ways to manipulate technology and [there] could be issues with private media on devices that connect to these stations,” William said. “I do think access to some things should be restricted.” Other students like Gallatin sophomore Evan Berk simply see these potential abuses as just part of life in the city. “There are already issues with public behaviors,” Berk said. “It’s not a new
safety worry.” Since hearing complaints, Sidewalk Labs has moved to curb unrestricted browser access while leaving key features such as maps. The discussions are similar to those when the internet first entered libraries and public schools, reflecting a society needing to grapple with ever improving, and evermore visible, technology.
Email Steve Malko at news@nyunews.com.
STAFF PHOTO BY ANNA LETSON
LinkNYC stations have been installed on the street along 3rd Ave to provide city services; however, they’ve been used for more than just quick Wi-Fi access.
NYU College Republicans is not alone in its candidate endorsement divide — the New York College Republicans Federation is also having controversy over the 2016 election. Cornell Republicans threatened to sue SPS senior Eli Nachmany for decertifying the club after it officially endorsed Libertarian Gary Johnson instead of the Republican party candidate. Cornell sophomore Olivia Corn is the Cornell Republicans chairwoman, and she said this decision was made after multiple Facebook polls as well as a 5-1 vote among the executive board. “[He] decided that our actions were unacceptable and steamrolled a secret and illegal vote through his executive board, which resulted in our chapter being stripped of our credentials,” Corn said. “As soon as I was made aware of this, I tore through the federation’s constitution and bylaws, and I found [there are] at least four sections he violated.” She then began planning to appeal against the removal and said that these actions had two goals: to get Cornell reinstated in the federation and to force Nachmany to relinquish his role as chairman of the federation. Corn succeeded in her latter goal when Nachmany resigned on Friday, Sept. 16. Nachmany refused to comment on the record. “He disliked our support for Gary Johnson and explained to me that even though Cornell did not violate any part of the Federation’s constitu-
tion, he expelled us as a message to other college chapters to fall in line with the Republican Party candidate,” Corn said. “In addition, Eli is a paid Trump staffer, something our lawyer believes may put the Federation’s 527 status in jeopardy.” On Sept. 15, the Cornell Republicans’ lawyer, Ronald Kuby, sent a letter to the College Republicans National Chair titled “Emergency Appeal By Cornell College Republicans.” It said that the decreditation was an infringement of freedom of speech and of the club’s due process rights. “The Federation issued a press release stating that it had conducted a meeting and was revoking my client’s credentials because College Republicans had the temerity to endorse a candidate other than Donald Trump in the upcoming election,” Kuby said. “This ultra vires act was masterminded by Mr. Nachmany, a Trump supporter who has taken a leave of absence to work on Trump’s campaign.” Kuby closed the letter by saying if action was not taken within 10 days, the club would proceed to sue Nachmany. “Also, now that Eli’s schedule has been cleared because he no longer has any duties as Chairman, he should have plenty of time to continue to try and Make America Great Again,” Corn said. “Eli Nachmany believes he is untouchable, that he can do whatever he wants without repercussions: I am here to show him that he is not.”
Email Diamond Naga Siu at dsiu@nyunews.com.
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Tisch Student Speaks at Social Good Summit By YORAI VARDI Contributing Writer
How many college students can say they spoke on the same stage as Vice President Joe Biden? At least one Tisch freshman can! Emma Demuth delivered a speech at the Social Good Summit on Sunday alongside an impressive list of speakers that included ambassadors, actors, activists and members of the UN. Demuth was speaking as a representative of the Taco Bell Live Mas scholarship, a program that provides scholarships to students eager to change the world through nontraditional pathways. WSN sat down with Demuth before she hit the stage. WSN: Can you summarize your speech for us in less than a minute? Emma Demuth: Our speech is about the Live Mas Scholarship winners and why it’s important to believe in kids like us who are taking nontraditional career paths. We’re focusing on why it’s important to recognize ambition and drive, and not just standardized test scores and GPAs, because sometimes that’s not really relevant in many careers, especially a lot of careers that are important in
changing the world and beyond. WSN: Can you tell me more about the process of getting the scholarship? ED: I first learned about the Live Mas Scholarship when I saw a commercial for it during the college football championships. The scholarship appealed to me because you just had to make a two minute video about your passion. No recommendations, essays or GPA were necessary. I did not learn that I won it until a few months later when the CEO of Taco Bell personally Skyped me to tell me, which was pretty crazy. A few weeks later I got a call from a production company in LA who wanted to feature me in a mini-documentary series that they were working on. A week later, they flew to my hometown and followed me around school and work for a few days to essentially document my life, which was a unique experience to say the least. A few months after that I got a call to come up to Chicago for a creative workshop which resulted in making a commercial for the VMAs. A month after that I was invited by Taco Bell and MTV to photograph the VMA pre-party and
to attend the show, which was an incredible opportunity. WSN: So you’re a director, right? ED: Yes, I’m a director and a photographer. WSN: So how are you going to use that to change the world? ED: I’m really interested in documentary filmmaking, and photojournalism, so hopefully, I want to spend the next twenty years traveling and finding things that inspire me to create WSN: When did you start? ED: I started probably in the fourth or fifth grade, so when I was 11-ish? WSN: And what got you into photography? ED: I started out, actually in fashion design, and I was taking pictures of my friends wearing the clothes that I made, so I kinda got into photography through that and after playing around with the camera I got into moving pictures which for me became filmmaking, and now that’s my main focus. WSN: What do you think your biggest impediment is going to be in pursuing your passions? ED: People will always tell me that what I’m doing is not financially
Inaugural Week Marks New Era
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Tisch freshman Emma DeMuth spoke at the Social Good Summit amongst an accomplished list of others. WSN: What’s the one, overarching message you would want our readers to take away from reading this interview? ED: Keep doing what you’re doing. Follow your dreams. Follow your passion. Don’t let anyone else tell you you’re wrong because ultimately you know what’s best for you, and know that there are other people out there that believe in you. You have something to give the world.
Email Yorai Vardi at news@nyunews.com.
NYU Drops in U.S. News Rankings
By JEMIMA CHARLOTTE MCEVOY Contributing Writer
By ABRAHAM GROSS Deputy News Editor
Andrew Hamilton will be officially inaugurated as the 16th President of NYU on Sunday, Sept. 25. That news may strike many as odd, given that the former Oxford vice chancellor began assuming the responsibilities of the office nearly nine months ago. The harried transition from John Sexton to Hamilton lifted a weight off the university and was greeted with fanfare but passed without much ceremony. According to Hellen Schall, Senior Presidential Fellow, the delayed inauguration was intentional. “[Hamilton] made the choice not to do it the minute he came,” Schall said. “We did a series of welcome receptions for him in January, but many presidents choose to wait a few months or so.” Waiting also gave the administration time to plan not just the inauguration ceremony, but an entire week full of community events and activities. The inauguration week calendar is crammed with talks and events, as many as 10 a day, ranging from the whimsical — a Monday night A Cappella Showcase in Kimmel Center — to the profound, with talks with bold titles like “Faith,” “Imagination,” “The City” and “The Earth.” Community Squares, spaces constructed to foster com-
stable, so I definitely lose some sleep over that; but I think it’s really important to do what you want to be doing and follow your passion, even if it’s not necessarily the “safest” move. WSN: Would you tell anything to the 10 year old you, knowing what you know now? ED: I would tell her to just keep making things. Even if it’s just little arts and crafts, keep your mind working. Keep doing creative things. Keep your passion. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re doing anything crazy, because you’re not. WSN: How do you think being at NYU is helping you or will help you achieve what you want to achieve? ED: I applied to NYU ED1. I’ve wanted to live in NYC and go to NYU film school since I was in fifth grade. When I found out that I was accepted, I was insanely excited. Going to school here still feels like a dream to me. I think it’s helped me in a lot of ways. The people are amazing, they’re all very creative, they motivate me everyday. The teachers are all amazing and they inspire me every day. Honestly just being in Greenwich Village is very inspiring with all the creative energies here.
STAFF PHOTO BY ANNA LETSON
NYU has set up a whole week of events preceding President Hamilton’s inauguration. munity engagement with generous helpings of coffee and snacks, will pop up across campus throughout Wednesday and Thursday. Though meticulously organized, many of the events did not come from the top, as Lynne Brown, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and University Relations, explained. “A lot of ideas came from the bottom up. Some of it was student affairs listening to students, but a lot of it was also students coming directly to us,” Brown said. “The goal was really to facilitate all of these ideas.” The message is appropriate coming from a president who promises greater community engagement and openness under his leadership. One event, the graduate student “lightning challenge,” brings academic openness to the fore by publicly pitting graduate students against each other, with a panel of judges determining who has best explained their thesis in three minutes. The week will culminate on Sunday in what Brown calls “the Big Show,” an inauguration with a
modern twist that was unavailable when Sexton entered the office in 2002: livestreaming. This will be the first NYU Presidential inauguration for a truly global campus, a reality Hamilton was mindful of by including the first Making a Difference Awards into the ceremony. A student, faculty member, young alumnus/a and employee will each be awarded for making a contribution to the city, region, nation or world. The awards, like NYU, are meant to blend the local and international. Though the celebration is for Hamilton’s appointment, students cannot help but recognize the years of university struggles that led to this moment. For Hamilton, inauguration week is less a celebration of him than a reconciliation and celebration of NYU as a whole. “He wanted to touch as many parts of the community as he can,” Brown said. “He wants to hold a mirror up to the community and say ‘look at yourselves, you have a lot to be proud of.’ ”
Email Abraham Gross at agross@nyunews.com.
NYU students were shocked when U.S. News’ national university rankings revealed that the university has fallen down four spots from its 2016 ranking at number 32 to its present position at number 36. U.S. News considers a number of factors such as first-year student retention, graduation rates and the strength of the faculty when ranking schools. On their website, they recommend that students don’t use the list as their only resource when choosing a college. Steinhardt freshman Molly Dolan said she focused more on acceptance rates than rankings when applying to universities. “NYU is a dream school for so many people, and a small change in ranking won’t affect how people view the school,” Dolan said. NYU has also fallen in the QS World University ranking from number 46 to number 53. Additionally, the university rose in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings to number 30 from number 38. NYU spokesman John Beckman said the ranking isn’t too important as emphasis should be put on the raw data as opposed to a vaguely explained ranking system. “The real news isn’t the ranking which is a comparison that uses some secret formula U.S. News has brewed, it’s the improvements that NYU has shown,” Beckman said. “If you
look at the uncooked data, NYU showed progress in exactly the areas you’d want to see it: graduation rate is up; selectivity is up; SAT scores are up; percentage of freshman from the top of their high school class.” Tisch freshman Zachary Sherman agreed that NYU will still be a household name even if it doesn’t rank as highly as before. Sherman said that NYU’s applicant pool speaks for itself. “NYU had the largest application pool of all private schools last year, which shows that its reputation is only growing,” Sherman said. “The administration shouldn’t focus too much on how to move up four spots.”
Email Jemima McEvoy at news@nyunews.com.
FILE PHOTO BY MATHILDE VAN TULDER
Often ranked as the #1 Dream School, NYU has fallen in its overall ranking.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM
ARTS By EMILY CONKLIN Contributing Writer
EDITED BY HAILEY NUTHALS ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Feminism Revisited in X-Plicit Art
The only feature that catches the eye is the stark, black-and-white sign reading “MACCARONE.” It’s hung next to an unassuming industrial entrance, where a dark shadowy void beckons visitors into “Coming to Power: 25 Years of Sexually X-Plicit Art by Women.” The space is unadorned, L-shaped, filled with concrete and track lighting. Five black walls, one bubblegum pink. The colors, lights and works draw the eye towards the brightness of the rosy hue. Occupying the space is the story of women and sex, inexplicably combined and cooperating through every medium. Over the 25 years the exhibit’s work spans, co-curated by Pati Hertling and Julie Tolentino, these female artists (including Niv Acosta, Jim Fletcher, FlucT, Xandra Ibarra/La Chica Boom, Kia Labeija and Narcissister) have worked to expose and embrace the idea of sexual desire — specifically, what that desire means for women who refuse to hide it behind closed doors or keep it tucked beneath layers of skirts and civility. The gallery guides the viewer from darkness into the light, mimicking the journeys of the artists. Directly facing the front
door is the first highlighted work: three raised black pedestals, about breast height, containing a diaphragm, a condom and a birth control pill. It is the beginning: the small, simple objects that fight on the front lines for sexual expression to be uninhibited by its natural consequences. As the viewer moves through the gallery, they pass bold paintings and collages. The vibrant colors and multitude of acts involving varying sexual orientations, cultures and mediums offer the visitor a broad spread of artists who had the rare courage to represent the act of sex in public art. There is a feeling of nakedness and discomfort as the viewer gradually assimilates into their new visual environment. Then, a pink wall is reached. A certain lightness of soul is felt; poetry, whimsicality, a distance from reality. Abstract patterns, handwriting, soft figures. It creates, in a sense, the emotions of sex. A new level of understanding presents itself. Femininity is embraced, and women are empowered. Black walls return, a heaviness falls over the gallery. Now the halls are filled with dark coloring and shadowy images — leather, pimples and shocked expressions. Sounds emanating from a small television
PHOTO BY EMILY CONKLIN
“Coming to Power: 25 Years of Sexually X-Plicit Art by Women” featured in The Maccarone Art Gallery showcases 25 years worth of work curated by various female artists. featuring a passionate scene add a fitting soundtrack. The more psychologically complex side of sex is aroused, and a new visual template is acquired. The viewer seems to be looking in on the private desires of the artists and their subjects. All of a sudden, the exhibit ends. A woman looks longingly out the window in a photograph. Seemingly sad and bored, the exhibition closes. The journey that the visitor un-
Billie Marten: A Rising North Star By KEVIN SCHULMAN Contributing Writer
Singer-songwriter Billie Marten marks herself as a triple threat on her debut album. “Writing of Blues and Yellows,” released on Friday, combines a golden voice, prodigious guitar prowess and poetic, unabashedly honest songwriting. The 17-year-old musician hails from Ripon, North Yorkshire, England — a location that she features prominently in songs such as “Heavy Weather,” in which she writes of a journey through an English winter. Marten’s connection to home is a salient theme on the album; in fact, the final song on the album, an impromptu cover of Edward Barton’s “It’s a Fine Day,” was recorded at her home, with the faint accompaniment of birds outside her window and her father mowing the lawn. While embracing her home and history, her lyrics frequently channel wanderlust and restlessness, contrasting the desire to find happiness in the present with the need to further explore the world. In this way, Marten bends time and space, imagining distant lands and lives in relation to her own, crafting narratives that seem magically suspended in time while reflecting on the passage of time. Marten is a natural songwriter both in her seemingly effortless ability to construct emotionally articulate narratives and also in her frequent use of naturalistic imagery and themes. However, in contrast to
an idyllic portrayal, her songs utilize the natural world as a mirror for human experience, reflecting both the highs and lows in songs such as “Hello Sunshine,” in which the sea and sky are juxtaposed as differing states of mind. This contrast between “blues” and “yellows,” to which the album title alludes, is a prominent theme throughout these songs. Marten’s attention often seems drawn to the horizon, imagining it as the gateway to the beautiful unknown in songs such as “Live” and “Untitled,” but also reflecting a restlessness and determination that permeates songs such as “Lionhearted” but is tempered by a degree of self-doubt on others, such as “Green.” Sonically, “Writing of Blues and Yellows” is often sparse. Yet, it remains always stunning, largely due to exceptional attention to detail in both production and orchestration. Many of the most memorable moments on the album are understated, and listeners will happily stumble upon them unwittingly. For instance, the end of “Lionhearted” features a moment where Marten harmonizes her vocal melody with a contrapuntal melody on the guitar as her voice loops and layers before fading out. In “Milk & Honey,” her bare voice lingers on a note as she sings of savoring the moment. Besides Marten herself, other performers on the album deliver subtly brilliant performances, such as drummer Rich Cooper, whose bass drum in “Lionhearted” feels like
the heartbeat Marten sings about. Marten’s musical influences are also reflected on the album, as “Milk & Honey” alludes to a Nick Drake song of the same name, while the intertwining of melody and harmony in guitar and voice throughout the album evokes the song-crafting of Joni Mitchell. Despite her humble beginnings, Marten is a rising star in the United Kingdom, garnering a nomination last year for the prestigious BBC “Sound Of…” poll, previously won by Adele and Ellie Goulding. She also worked with leading producers such as Cam Blackwood, best known for his work with George Ezra and Gavin James. Considering her age, many have said that Marten is ahead of her time. This is wrong — without a doubt, Billie Marten’s time is now. “Writing of Blues and Yellows” was released on Sept. 16 on Chess Club / RCA Victor Records.
Email Kevin Schulman at music@nyunews.com.
dertakes while experiencing “Coming to Power” is one where both feminist history and self-discovery combine to open the eyes and mind. Where have we been? Where are we going? This exhibition celebrates the feminist movement both as it was and as it is today. It shows the deep wrinkles of complexity that women experience every day as humanity grapples with the question of the private life of desire. The artists whose works compile “Coming
to Power” have laid the foundation for future generations to continue to push the envelope and question boundaries, both public and private. It offers a new definition of what it means to be free. “Coming to Power: 25 Years of Sexually X-Plicit Art by Women” is on display at Maccarone at 630 Greenwich St. through Oct. 16.
Email Emily Conklin at entertainment@nyunews.com.
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17-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Marten debuted her album “Writing of Blues and Yellows.”
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‘Snowden’ Sparks Privacy Debate By BRADLEY ALSOP Staff Writer
Over the course of this incredibly turbulent and seemingly interminable election cycle, it would come as no surprise that certain notable but non-presidentially oriented events of recent history might recede into the depths of the public awareness. Director Oliver Stone seeks to remedy that with his latest film “Snowden,” a morally righteous but dramatically flawed work. The film concerns the title character, Edward Snowden, a former employee of the CIA and an independent contractor for the NSA, who leaked thousands of federal government documents concerning surveillance of the American people three years ago. The documents, as well as the search for Snowden himself, cast a significant shadow on the practices of the Obama administration and raised questions concerning our own privacy in the United States. Stone seeks to answer one of these questions, which serves as the narrative force for the entire film: Are we ever in private? The film begins at the end of the story, working its way from when Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) discloses the confidential information to be leaked to the press to his chosen confidants, documentarian Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo), and Guardian journalists Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto) and Ewen McCaskill (Tom Wilkinson). The
interactions between the journalists and Snowden serve as conduits to revisit the formative moments of Snowden’s life and career. The viewer follows Snowden through his beginnings at the CIA; meeting his now girlfriend, Lindsay Mills (Shailene Woodley); and, finally, following him to every locational post during his tenure with the federal government, from Geneva to Japan to Hawaii. Throughout the film, Stone attempts to portray Snowden as a man constantly in ideological flux: a conservative patriot, certain of his position in helping his country in one moment, and in the next a wary independent on the brink of disillusionment. Stone, for all intents and purposes, skillfully navigates this narrative transition. The scenes where Snowden is exposed to the impropriety of the security practices of the federal government are some of the most arresting of the entire film. It is where the film finds its strengths, exposing the underbelly of these hallowed institutions. However, it is a shame that Stone does not makes these scenes a point of emphasis. They are interspersed between confusing segues from one location to the other, a hyper-focus on the romantic relationship between Mills and Snowden that verges on saccharine and moralistic montages that do not seem to know which side of cyber security to support. In a panel with Stone, Snowden,
Gordon-Levitt, and Woodley livestreamed to 800 theaters after a screening last Wednesday night, moderator and New York Magazine critic Matt Zoller Seitz asked Snowden what his advice was for people who wanted to make a difference in transparency like Snowden himself. He did not have an exact answer, but his core message was this: it’s not about who you know or where you went to college, it is about what you see. And if you see or hear something, share it with the world. Stone did just that with an exceptional story. What Snowden neglected to mention was that the presentation of your message could be just as important as its content. It’s a shame, because Director Oliver Stone might have found that advice useful himself. “Snowden” was released in theaters on Sept. 16.
Email Bradley Alsop at film@nyunews.com.
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Joseph Gorden Levitt stars in Oliver Stone’s new feature film “Snowden” based on the story of Edward Snowden, former employee of the CIA.
‘AHS’ Keeps Fans Guessing By LILY DOLIN Staff Writer
The “American Horror Story” marketing team had a lot of fun with its sixth season. Throughout the summer, it released dozens of creepy and confusing trailers, leaving fans guessing as to what the theme of the season might be. From menacing dolls to lagoon monsters, the teasers were successful in garnering a considerable amount of hype for the new chapter. On Wednesday night, “AHS” season six was revealed to be “My Roanoke Nightmare.” But did the premiere live up to the hype? This chapter of the show is different. It sets itself up like a documentary, where real live people tell their story, which is then reenacted by actors. The plot for this episode focuses on Matt and Shelby (Andrew Holland and Lily Rabe), a young couple who move into an abandoned farmhouse. As with most horror movies, the house is obviously dangerous. Almost as soon as the couple moves in, strange things begin to happen. Shelby nearly drowns in her tub because of unseen assailants, and Matt finds a bloody pig on their doorstep. Though these instances were certainly shocking, the plot developed slowly and takes a while to get to the “horror.”
After Shelby understandably freaks out over the terrifying events at her home, Matt calls his sister Lee (Angela Bassett) to keep her company. Lee, a former cop with a drug problem, frequently clashes with her sister-in-law. One night as they are fighting, a torch-wielding mob approaches the home. Shelby and Lee follow the sounds of the intruders to the basement, where they see a home video that appears to feature a man with a pig’s head. This is the part of the show where things became a bit confusing. Suddenly, the lights go out and the women are locked in the basement. When they finally emerge, there are strange voodoo dolls strung around the house. Even more terrified than before, Shelby drives away. In her panic, she accidentally hits a woman on the road. This brings the episode to its climax. Shelby exits the car to find the woman she hit, only to be led astray into the dark and twisted woods. Nearly immediately, she finds herself lost and stumbling in the dark. Eventually, she reaches an enclosed area with those same voodoo dolls hung up. Soon, she’s surrounded by the torch-bearing mob, with the last shot of the episode showing a scalped and bloody man falling to the ground.
It’s often hard for shows to live up to the hype surrounding them, and although “AHS” got off to a slow start, it is suspenseful and intriguing enough to keep audiences wanting more. There are a lot of questions left unanswered by this premiere. What is the connection to Roanoke? Since the show is set up like a documentary TV series, will there be different episodes with different stories, or will it be one continual story? With these questions and more, one thing is for sure: the season has started, but we’re still guessing.
Email Lily Dolin at entertainment@nyunews.com.
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This past Wednesday, the sixth season of American Horror Story was revealed to be “My Roanoke Nightmare.”
STAFF PHOTO BY SARAH PARK
The Strand Bookstore hosted the “Print Matters” panel where publishers, illustrators, and editors spoke on the value of print in today’s age of tech.
Print Matters Panel Ignores Digital Divide By JORDYN FISCHER Contributing Writer
It’s common knowledge that e-books were a revolutionary creation. The ability to carry a library within a tiny electronic device, delighted readers and terrified the publishers who thrived off of print. E-books were a scary new variable, rumored to be to books what computers were to typewriters. Books were going to die out; to quote our elder generation, “it was the death of print.” After attending the “Print Matters: Art, Literature, and Design in the Digital Age” panel at the Strand Bookstore, one gets the sense that the reality of this apocalyptic statement has not yet been realized, nor will it likely ever be. The panel, made up of publishers, illustrators and editors alike, discussed the state of print as it stands today and their own beginnings within print media. Many of the panelists spoke of how print media was thriving and flourishing. E-books were also failing, according to Michael Bierut, a professor at the Yale School of Art, who said, “They cannibalized each other. Today, they are at 15% [of market sales]. They’ve lost the war!” The panelists were all quick to agree with Bierut’s point. Sharon Gallagher, CEO of Distributed Art Publishers, Inc., gave the audience a copy of a list of 10 reasons why print matters, which she had written down for the panel audience to keep. Her point behind the list, though, was her main objective. Gallagher said, “The physicality of a book makes your brain dance. You want to be involved as physically as you are mentally.” Each panelist had beautiful words to say on the topic of books and print media. Their optimistic views on how books
shaped their future, and would continue to shape the next generations, were inspiring. However, the fact remains that the panelists never actually discussed why print matters. Most of the panel was spent waiting for them to get to the point, and when they did, they tried to avoid the issue like putting frosting on a burnt cake. Much of their dialogue was focused on the greatness of print media and never touched on digital media within publishing. Throughout the panel, the general dismissal of e-books and digital media was tangible. “Computers come into play, as they always do,” Dan Simon, founder and publisher of Seven Stories Press, said when asked if he prefers computers or print when designing book covers. Sharon Gallagher said she felt that, due to digital media and genre publishing, books were being “commodified,” and described e-books as an “invasion.” Regardless of the panelists’ disdain for digital media, the future of print is digital. Many students buy their books off Amazon, use their computers to write their papers and email them to professors. Many of us have read books online, be it through the Kindle app or the PDF of a course textbook. Print media has survived the invasion of the e-book, but brought with it a disdain for reading electronically. This panel would have been a great opportunity to discuss how the two forms could combine and what it means for the future of print media. Sadly, the panelists and moderator focused on their happy days of publishing, turning their back to the future to focus on the past that has been long gone.
Email Jordyn Fischer at books@nyunews.com.
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FEATURES
EDITED BY ABIGAIL WEINBERG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
Our Nearest Neighbors: Pigeons By DIYA JIANG Contributing Writer
When you’re reading or hanging out with friends in Washington Square Park, do you ever notice another small community pacing around, shaking their little heads? These snuggly birds are the permanent residents of the park. “The pigeons are so beautiful!” said Stern freshman Jane Lin as she fed them sunflower seeds in the park. The pigeons moved their heavy bodies and nodded their little heads to pick the food off the ground. Don’t be fooled by their vacant stares and clumsy walks: pigeons are in fact extremely intelligent animals. Scientists have shown that pigeons are not only able to recognize themselves in mirrors, but also to distinguish the alphabet and to recognize different people by photographs. Paul, who refers himself as the “Pigeon Man” in Washington Square Park, agreed with these findings. “Pigeons are very smart,” he said, sitting on a bench as seven pigeons landed on his body. “I know them all and they know me.” Paul has been feeding the pigeons
in the park for 14 years. It is fair to say that no one knows the pigeons better than he does. He estimates there are about four hundred pigeons living in Washington Square Park. In summer, when the days are longer, he usually comes to the park at noon and feeds the pigeons until sunset. Many students and tourists stop by to take pictures of him, and he poses for the camera with several pigeons resting on his shoulders. “People really don’t know much about them,” Paul said as he passed a handful of melon seeds to a little girl. “They can walk in snow you know, when we’re all freezing ourselves in the winter.”
He’s right. Most of us don’t pay much attention to these little buddies. Pigeons are, in fact, valued in other parts of the world. In 2013, a Chinese businessman bought Bolt, a one-year-old racing pigeon, from a Belgian breeder for $410,000, according to Time Magazine. That’s more than enough to cover an entire undergraduate education at NYU. Pigeons are not just an inseparable part of Washington Square Park; they are also one of the many elements of New York City that are far more than what they seem.
Email Diya Jiang at features@nyunews.com.
PHOTO BY VERONICA LIOW
Also known as “rats with wings,” pigeons are found on almost every block of New York City.
Fashion Fails Women in Leadership By VRINDA ANAND Contributing Writer
Fashion is stereotypically seen as women’s world, and one would naturally assume that this industry is run by women. But according to the World Economic Forum, the consumer base of the fashion industry is 85 percent female while leadership positions are dominated by men. The disparity of the gender ratio in the top administrative and creative positions in the fashion world is shocking, to say the least. As society strives towards gender equality and the empowerment of women, it is saddening to see the industry, which was pioneered by women, stifled by systemic sexism in a patriarchal career field. Even worse, while there is no dearth of female talent and employees in the industry, with women comprising 68 percent of the workforce, only 25 percent make it as board members. What is stopping women from rising to the top? Harold Brooks, Guess visiting professor of Fashion and Fashion Business at Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU, attributes this to the traditional gendered social role of women as homemakers, which interferes with their ability to sustain rigorous careers. “Maintaining a work-life balance is challenging for everyone. The pressures of maintaining a family as well as a very demanding career has greater pressure on women than it has on men, unfortunately,” Brooks said. On the other hand, men, who are deemed to be more authoritative and risk-taking, are seen as
better suited to be creative heads and CEOs of fashion houses and brands, especially since these brands have merged with multinational conglomerates such as LVHM and Kering. Presently, only three of LVHM’s and two of Kering’s brands are headed by women. The lack of female leadership is disheartening, especially when women make up the majority of the graduating class at fashion schools. Talent, hard work and striking a balance between work and home, rather than gender, should be the key factors in determining a person’s success in the fashion industry — or any other industry for that matter. Phoebe Philo, the designer and creative director for Celine, is the perfect example of a woman who decided to find a creative balance between the two. Then there is Diane von Furstenberg, who single-handedly created her eponymous fashion empire in New York City in 1972 while raising two daughters. “It is very important for a woman to have a family and equally important to have an identity outside of the home,” von Furstenberg said to the Business of Fashion. Although men have dominated the fashion industry for many years, change is coming. Recent shifts, such as the appointments of Bouchra Jarrar at Lanvin and Maria Grazia Chiuri at Christian Dior — the first time a female designer has led the storied French brand — are a sign for optimism. “I believe in today’s society, people are elevated and moved to positions
of authority based on their talent and work. No longer are they pigeon-holed because of their gender,” Brooks said, who strongly believes that one’s success is predicated by talent and the ability to stay in power. Designers are valued, first and foremost, for their creativity, novelty and ability; gender should not be a part of this equation. While it is true that women are a minority in this industry, it is their responsibility to push their limits and believe in themselves in order for the the world to realize their worth. “My mother always taught me that fear is not an option and it turned out to be very good career advice. Know what you want and go for it!” von Furstenberg said in the same Business of Fashion article. In the 21st century, women are no longer obligated to assume domestic roles. It is up to them to find a balance between their personal and work life.
Email Vrinda Anand at bstyle@nyunews.com.
STAFF PHOTO BY ANNA LETSON
While many think the fashion industry is dominated by women, men are behind the labels being worn.
PHOTO BY VERONICA LIOW
Seafood is readily available around New York City, but its sources may be more questionable than you think.
Exploring NYU’s Seafood Practices By ANNA CHEN Contributing Writer
The Lipton Dining Hall has long been at the center of NYU’s sustainability and health efforts, but its more antiquated seafood practices may be subject to criticism as global fish populations are threatened by overfishing. Managed by NYU vendor Aramark, Lipton uses sustainable fish farms to source its meals, including the baked Alaskan Pollock fillet cooked with lemon, parsley and thyme served last Friday. But at what cost do we get these fish? So far, these Fish Fridays have been a hit among the student population primarily due to taste. Each Friday, a certain fish dish is served for both lunch and dinner. Stern freshman Matthew Chen particularly enjoyed last week’s fish entree and thought it was better than most of Lipton’s typical offerings. “My friend had three plates and we agreed that the flavors blended perfectly for a light, creamy taste,” Chen said. “It was one of the best meals I’ve had on campus so far.” Lipton Dining prides itself on cage-free eggs, seasonal local fruits and meatless Mondays, but seafood at NYU has been a particular challenge with mixed results. NYU Environmental Studies Professor Jennifer Jacquet has developed her career analyzing different environmental practices, including fish farming, from an economic perspective. According to Jacquet, the first step in understanding NYU’s seafood is to look at the species and its sourcing. “If you are not certain of the species, where it is caught or how it is caught, it is very difficult to talk about sustainability,” Jacquet said. Roughly 30 percent of NYU’s food ingredients have been sourced locally, but seafood appears to remain an exception. In September, the fish it served primarily came from Alaska in the northern Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asian waters such as the Mekong River Delta. Lipton advertises on the NYU Dining Services website that its seafood comes from sustainable farming practices, but fails to disclose which practices
or where specifically these farms are located. Additionally, NYU’s sustainability rating has stagnated, with its long-expired 2011 Gold rating for the STARS Higher Education program. NYU currently partners with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program and the Marine Stewardship Council, and has reported in past years that 60 percent of Lipton’s seafood is certified as sustainable. But seafood status outside of Lipton’s program remains unclear, with fewer reported statistics and less monitoring. Recently, overfishing and fishing farm malpractice has become a larger issue globally and may affect NYU’s dining options in the near future. While Lipton’s current two most common types of seafood, Alaskan Pollock and Pangasius Catfish, are not in danger of overfishing, crowd favorites such as the smoked salmon at Palladium Dining Hall’s Sunday Brunch are under threat. The International Monetary Fund tracks farm-bred salmon as a commodity and estimates that prices have increased 59 percent in the last year. Cited causes include fish scarcity and expensive farming practices. Additionally, more obscure fish species have been rebranded, such as “Rock Salmon,” formerly known as Lesser-Spotted Dogfish, so that salmon fans are more accepting. As these price and marketing trends in fish markets change, NYU will need to further examine its seafood sustainability practices. Professor Jacquet suggests turning to scallops, oysters and other bivalves. “Bivalves are the best hope we have for farmed aquatic animals,” Jacquet said. “However, catching wild bivalves can still be very destructive, so understanding where and how each species is caught is still crucial.” Until NYU comes up with better seafood alternatives, NYU students can enjoy next week’s Fish Friday special, Coconut-Ginger Striped Pangasius, as a sustainable alternative to other dining options.
Email Anna Chen at dining@nyunews.com.
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FEATURES
EDITED BY ABIGAIL WEINBERG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
Chess Club Draws Social Players By FAITH GATES Contributing Writer
The clock is ticking. Everyone is watching. One wrong move and it could all be over. The intensity of chess is just one of the draws to the game for the NYU Chess Club. While the game itself may be complicated, the idea of Chess Club is simple: play chess each week and hang out with people you have something in common with. Chess Club president and CAS junior Venkat Iyer said that the group started for chess players who sought out others to play against. “When we meet, we chat, play some games, and relax for a couple hours; it’s really very laid back,” Iyer said. “The biggest thing that helps connect people is having
some common ground, and naturally, when people in Chess Club meet, they have the common ground of the game. It’s common to ask someone to play a few games with you and chat while trying to beat them.” Iyer, who is in the top five percent of skilled chess players in the country, is drawn to chess because of the logical thought and extrapolation that it requires, and how it rewards intuitive thinking. He believes it has stood the test of time because it is one of the most intellectual games out there. The history of the game fascinates many of the members. Embert Lin, a Stern senior in the Chess Club, said that one of the most amazing things about chess is that mathematically, any one game of chess can never be repeated.
“The game will still be played for years and there won’t be any repetitiveness,” Lin said. “There are so many combinations.” Because there are so many different styles of games to play, Lin says chess never gets boring. He described once playing a six hour game and once playing a two minute game. The club has a variety of students with different skill levels, from beginners to professionals. While NYU also has a Chess Team where students compete competitively around the country, the club is open to a more casual crowd. “It’s a great game to play every week. It’s a great destresser. You don’t have to worry about school; you just play chess and you’re in a different environment,” Lin said.
Insects Could Be Your Next Diet Staple
May 16th, Washington Square Park. A beautiful sunny day where several tables were occupied by chess players, concentration and focus is the key to win. Chess is also quite present around the city. Chess Club Vice President Daniel Zhu said club members sometimes play against the chess players in Washington Square Park, Union Square and Central Park. However, Zhu referred to them as “hustlers” because they prey on the inexperience of the other players. While betting on chess games in the park is common, it is rumored the
club might also like to incentivize their games. Lin said the club doesn’t play for money; however, they might make some other sort of wager to keep the game interesting. “What happens in chess club, stays in chess club,” Zhu said with a smile.
Email Faith Gates at features@nyunews.com.
Google Puts Fashion at Your Fingertips By PAMELA JEW Contributing Writer
By DIYA JIANG Contributing Writer
Insects are usually described as “gross,” “dirty,” “scary” or “disease carriers.” Among all the names people have given to them, “yummy” has never been a part of the vocabulary. However, this may no longer be the case. You are not reading this wrong. Entomophagy, also known as bug-eating, has in fact become very popular in New York City. Chefs of the new generation dedicate their time to inventing thousands of insect-inspired dishes such as cricket flour cookies, grasshopper tacos, fried worms and rootworm beetle dip, to name a few. Mario Hernandez, head chef of the Mexican restaurant The Black Ant, incorporates bugs into many of the dishes he creates. “We’d like to think of bug-eating as art,” Hernandez said. “It is also a way to present our culture to the world.” The Black Ant is a famous bug-eating restaurant located in Greenwich Village. With insects as a central theme for its decoration, design and menu choices, the restaurant celebrates the Mexican insect eating culture. Different kinds of bugs are used as the major ingredient in various dishes, combined with traditional seasoning and “black ant salt,” a special mixture of cooked ant and other secret ingredients. Chef Mario is very proud
PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA LIEPEN
PHOTO BY JOSH SIEGEL
Potato croquettes with a side of salsa verde. Topped with grilled grasshoppers. and very happy about people’s growing passion for bug eating. “We update our menu every two months,” Hernandez said while presenting the restaurant’s hottest dish, Croquetas De Chapulin, served with crickets. “Bugs are great. Very delicious.” In fact, insects are more than delicious. They are considered a great source of protein for their low calorie count and high nutrition level. In 2013 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published a report that listed the numerous nutritious as well as ecological values of insects, encouraging the adoption of these bugs as a common food source. In response to the appeal, Columbia University published “The Insect Cookbook,” which comments on the historical and cultural aspect of insect eating while introducing various cuisine choices. Many fitness lovers regard insects as an alternative to other meat and consume them on a daily basis for muscle training. Others consider them an interesting snack. CAS freshman Kalkidan Tadese first tried eating insects for her eighth grade
science experiment. “It really wasn’t bad,” Tadese said. “Now I go get bugs with my friends once in a while.” She encourages people to try them out. “The idea of eating bugs is scary, but we should always step out of our comfort zone and try something new,” Tadese said. Most bug eaters start by taking an adventurous first step and later developing a habit. Meanwhile, scholars like John Gershman, a clinical professor of Public Service at Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, are looking at the bigger picture. Professor Gershman describes entomophagy as an alternative to the food system in a deteriorating ecological environment. “Bug eating is not a new approach but rather a plausible solution that lacked the attention in the past,” Gershman said. “When the problems of climate change, food security and carbon footprints arise, insects really bring out how we can improve our food system.”
Email Diya Jiang at dining@nyunews.com.
For this year’s New York Fashion Week, Google partnered with LikeToKnow.It, “the Instagram shopping tool that allows top bloggers and fashionistas to share shoppable posts with their followers.” Here’s how it works: you link your Instagram account and authorize LiketoKnow.It. Then search “little black dress” on Google and a sequence of images of women wearing black dresses will appear based on related media in the LiketoKnow.It database. Click any of the items, and you are transported to a shopping safe haven and platform where you can purchase those paycheck-draining outfits on Instagram, where Google acts as the middleman between you and the retailer. In terms of Fashion Week styles, entire designers’ collections will appear within the sequences of styles on Google, but LiketoKnow.It makes the entire look shoppable. The specific Fashion Week looks and designers can be found by searching “Fashion Week” or “Fashion Week + Designer.”
Google has made the consumer’s wants easily accessible. In order to bring these looks to the screen, NYFW bloggers have to constantly keep up their feed with runway content, which sometimes means posting up to five looks a day. Now everyday people can wear the sought-after looks gracing the runway for this upcoming spring/ summer. You can get that Lanvin moto jacket or your favorite athleisure look from the Alexander Wang collab with Adidas. LiketoKnow.It partnered with Google increases high-end online commerce and welcomes customers to buy without the critical looks of the ritzy department store employees. For individual style, people can buy and embrace wearing the more eccentric looks from the runway. With this outlet, Google brings the consumer more options, ushering in more fashion individuality and more capital for big name designers. So pick up your laptop, look through Fashion Week lookbook and buy your favorite dress for your next big event.
Email Pamela Jew at bstyle@nyunews.com.
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nostalgia and an incredible amount of gratitude. I also feel I have a new perspective on the industry and life in general. The front rows are viewed as the epitomal level of status. I found myself in this row of prestige a couple of times, but much more often in the third or fourth. From the back rows I noticed how the front rows of fashion week are like the popular tables at lunch in third grade where everyone is trying to squeeze in and be with the cool kids. The thing is, there are no cool kids in fashion. I don’t think there has ever been a time when fashion has been more accessible and individuality more wide-ranging than now. Just as I realized that there’s no place for popularity at NYU, no one can really be popular in the fashion industry. In an industry where creativity reigns, who wants to fit in anyways? And then I read a piece by Haley Nahmen from Man Repeller who had just experienced her first fashion week ever. Ironically I saw her last weekend at the TOME show and was too afraid to talk to her. Had I known she felt the same imposter syndrome as I have felt for the last six seasons, I would have immediately approached her and maybe we could have shared some tissues for our fashion week tears together. The fact is, everyone in fashion — and in life in general — is just faking it. Nobody has any idea what they’re doing and in this realization we find our shared humanity. There is something comforting in this fact and I think this is why fashion continues to have such a huge impact on our lives. Clothes are our armor. We can put on a perfectly fitted tuxedo jacket and enter a boardroom ready to pitch our point of view; we can put on oversized sunglasses and feel like Anna Wintour; we can put on a silk slip and feel utterly feminine but pair it with a moto jacket to remind the world we are strong. So while I spent so much time at my fashion weeks pretending to fit in but feeling like I really didn’t, there was actually no place I was better suited to be. We all share a love for fashion and what it can do for us. We all share the love of an adrenaline rush when the lights dim and the models start strutting. Most importantly, we are all just doing the best to fake it ‘til we make it.
beauty & style editor
STAFF PHOTOS BY ANNA LETSON, POLINA BUCHAK PHOTOS BY ECHO CHEN, MIKUS KANNENIEKS
I
will never forget my first fashion week assignment: it was only my second week of living in New York in 2014 and I hadn’t stopped missing my family. I had only been prepped for what I was about to encounter in a 45-minute fashion week boot camp the day before. I was sweating profusely in the never-ending L train tunnel on 14th Street. The assignment was a presentation for the brand A Moi. It was their inaugural collection as well as my inauguration as a fashion journalist. Models stood on platform blocks in masterfully crafted clothes with a French Riviera resort aesthetic. Thinking I would make a good impression, I got to the presentation an hour early — rookie mistake. Everyone in the industry knows fashion shows and presentations run at least 20-30 minutes late. Every fashion week that followed was met with both rites of passage and distinct memories I will never forget. I evolved from a fashion journalist to fashion editor the second semester of my freshman year. For my second fashion week (and every season after that) I was running the Washington Square News coverage of this coveted global event, one that I dreamt of being a part of since I was 12. While I soon found myself taking this opportunity for granted, it seems the universe would always find a way to remind me of the surreal nature of being a part of New York Fashion Week. I saw the late Bill Cunningham this past February. I was sitting in Skylight Clarkson Square chewing gum and obnoxiously popping bubbles. I also hadn’t washed my hair in three days, so it’s safe to assume he didn’t take a picture of me. I met a childhood hero, Whitney Port, with whom I chatted (fangirled over) for ten incredible minutes. She was just as sweet in person as she appeared on “The Hills.” I single-handedly covered men’s fashion week this past summer. It was one of the most exhilarating and fun times of my life. My only worry was whether to take an Uber or the subway to my next venue and whether to wear heels or flats. No schoolwork. No other commitments but to review over 17 collections. As my last fashion week as Beauty and Style Editor comes to a close, I look back with an absurd amount of
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM
OPINION
EDITED BY EMILY FONG OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
UNIVERSITY LIFE
Why Not Take Dining Dollars? By APARNA ALANKAR Contributing Writer It has been almost a year since Starbucks opened a new location at 25 Union Square West, right next to Carlyle Court, an NYU residence hall. Many students were hoping the store would accept dining dollars — it would be a convenient option for both Carlyle and other Union Square dorm residents looking to get a quick coffee fix. Unfortunately, the Starbucks at Carlyle has still not joined the NYU Dining Program, leaving NYU students no option but to either put up five dollars or forgo that espresso frapp. The new Starbucks on
Waverly operates in a similar manner. NYU does not allow the purchasing of gift cards with dining dollars to use at stores that don’t take NYU currency, dining dollars or campus cash. A Starbucks opening right next to an NYU residence hall while declining to take dining dollars is disappointing. Starbucks heavily markets itself to college students, and this approach should include setting up more of their college branches to join university dining programs. College students offer a great source of revenue to coffee businesses. 40 percent of Starbucks’ customer base are made up of young adults from ages 18 to 24.
As a place where students can order a drink, meet friends and get work done, the franchise is continually evolving to boost revenue and remain relevant with its young customers. Most recently, Starbucks has partnered with Spotify to launch a “new digital music experience” where they introduce mobile tracks to select campuses around the country. Many students at NYU partic-
ipate in the university’s dining program. NYU meal plans are expensive and they typically turn out to be incredibly wasteful. Millions of dollars are left over each year from unused meals and dining dollars. Many universities expect this cash back and calculate their annual budgets accordingly. Most students look to spend as much of their prepaid meal plans as possible — even if that means drinking a truly dangerous amount of coffee each day. Obviously, wanting a store to join a university dining dollar program so that you have access to a convenient source of caffeine is a level of entitlement that may be unique
to the American undergraduate. However, Starbucks is a franchise that caters largely to college students, and such an approach should consider the fact that most students want to find ways to spend their meal plan stipends. Hopefully, the Starbucks stores at Carlyle and on Waverly will work towards joining the NYU Dining Program and begin taking dining dollars soon. A franchise that is already highly popular with NYU students should have more than one card-taking store on campus.
Email Aparna Alankar at opinion@nyunews.com.
UNIVERSITY LIFE
Hamilton Doesn’t Need a Party, He Needs a Plan By NISHAD MORE Staff Writer For the last year there has been one word on the lips of every NYU student: Hamilton. However, the Hamilton in question is not the titular character of the hip-hop musical that is taking Broadway by storm, but rather a different Hamilton: NYU’s 16th and newest president. While Andrew Hamilton has been intimately involved with the NYU community since last spring, his appointment as our newest president will become official on Sept. 25, following a celebratory Inaugural Week. Hamilton stands to inherit a university that operates and functions increas-
ingly like a conglomerate, just another one of New York City’s many multinational corporations. On campus, jokes are made about the appointment of a British man being the last piece of the puzzle before NYU turns into an almost colonial power around the world, perhaps soon even having a campus on Mars. But let’s look at the facts: NYU is a school bursting at its seams. This year, we received more applications and admitted more first-year students into the Class of 2020 than ever before. The admissions division used to place the undergraduate population at about 20,000 prior to this academic year, and it is now stated at about 25,000
— astronomical for a big-city private institution. Housing is at 103 percent capacity, which means that there are more students who get accepted into housing than there are beds, resulting in many of them being placed at off-site locations like the Affinia Hotel. The increases in student population, aside from a more and more skewed student-to-faculty ratio, could bring with it
higher costs to both students and the school, even though many students already receive insufficient financial aid and struggle to pay for one of the most expensive schools in the world. In inheriting an institution with all its problems and its prestige, Hamilton has two choices: to continue down a path of quality-reduction in the pursuit of expansion, or to focus on what the university already has achieved and make it better. So far, Hamilton has made strides in affordability, but nothing worth throwing a party over. Certainly not a party on the scale of Inauguration Week, with its plethora of events that “celebrate the
spirit, drive and innovations of NYU” that seem to be more of an administrator-worshipping carnival than an earnest welcome. It is hard to justify the week-long celebration of a man who has, so far, stayed the course of high expenditures and rising tuition. While tuitions continue to rise and promises of affordability become increasingly more doubtful, students are left to wonder where is the money for this week coming from, and whether the entire spectacle is an excuse for spending money that could perhaps be put to better use.
Email Nishad More at opinion@nyunews.com.
POLITICS
Matt Lauer Perpetuates Sexist Double Standard By BLAKE WARANCH Contributing Writer Last week, NBC hosted a Commander-in-Chief Forum with presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump moderated by TODAY show co-anchor Matt Lauer. While Lauer was present at the forum, he certainly did not moderate much of anything. Instead, he seemed to use the time exclusively for brutally interrogating Clinton on her past scandals. While Lauer’s first question to Clinton seemed innocent enough — he asked what she thought would be an important characteristic for a commander-in-chief — his true intentions were re-
vealed when he didn’t even let her finish answering before interrupting her to pivot to her emails. Because of this, Clinton was relegated to spending time discussing already well-known facts about the email scandal, instead of having a meaningful conversation about policy, plans or literally anything new and relevant to the upcoming election. Throughout the rest of the forum, Lauer interrupted Clinton 16 times — approximately once every 90 seconds. At one point, Clinton actually had to protest her treatment, asking him to “let [her] finish” when she was talking about a particularly important topic. In contrast, Lauer did not interrupt Trump a sin-
gle time during the entire program and actually allowed him to get away with at least six blatant lies. Questions Clinton was asked focused on issues of trust and empathy, issues voters generally don’t point out in male candidates. As Clinton neared the end of one of her question segments, implying that Trump’s fear mongering was playing into ISIS’s
hands, Lauer interrupted her again to bring up the agreement to not attack the other candidate that they made at the beginning of the interview. But Clinton had not even said Trump’s name. Later, Lauer again mentioned the agreement to Trump, stating that he should “try to keep the attacks to a minimum,” to which Trump responded “to a minimum,” implying he would still be attacking. He then spent several statements throughout his interview slamming both Clinton and President Barack Obama, all of which Lauer let pass without disruption. This type of subtle misogyny in the media is partially to blame for Clinton’s so-called likability
problem. Journalistic ethics does not condone a biased narrative, yet this is exactly what Lauer did throughout the event. As the moderator, he was supposed to be the great equalizer between the candidate and the electorate. Thanks to his influence, the forum served as a continued example of the intense gender bias and double-standards in our media and the political sphere. NBC’s Lester Holt will be moderating next Monday’s debate, who might hopefully start turning this culture of bias around by holding both candidates to the same standard onstage.
Email Blake Waranch at opinion@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY EMILY FONG OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
EDUCATION
STAFF EDITORIAL
Coding Proficiency Is the New Literacy By EMILY FONG Opinion Editor No other field of study has exploded in the past few years like computer programming has. With the prominence of Silicon Valley and the rise of the tech economy, it is no wonder that computer literacy has turned into one of the most valued skills for students entering the workforce. However, as with any STEM field, students may find that learning to code is a tedious and often frustrating process for those without a significant interest in the sciences. This is unsurprising, given that efforts aimed towards increasing computer programming knowledge are heavily influenced by vague promises of potential careers somewhere down the line. But even if a student is disinclined to join the tech workforce, it is still important to be able to learn how to code. Humanities majors should learn to code for other reasons than the job-based justifications sloppily presented to them. For example, technology is beginning to play a huge role in the production and the consumption of arts and literature
today. The next great American novel likely won’t be written without a word processing program. Amateur journalists sitting at home now break news from their own websites. Computers are used to design stages and curate lights and sound in theaters, not to mention that some of the most captivating works of modern art — a favorite of mine is Nam June Paik’s Electronic Superhighway — play off the effect technology has on our lives. When those studying the humanities learn to code, new possibilities open up for their various projects. And of course, it’s super satisfying to be able to finish a project yourself without having to call the IT guy every time something fails to work as it should. Especially important is ensuring underserved demographics have the chance to learn how to program. For women, people of color and students
in developing countries, having coding skills is a pathway to upward mobility. A dearth of programming skills should be seen as a literacy problem — with more and more of the world being digitized, we’ve come to rely so heavily on technology that often it is inseparable from the way we live our lives. Technology, computers and coding are the keys to the future. Yet when we only give those keys to Silicon Valley-types — a group that is overwhelmingly male, white and well-educated — we are invariably locking out the rest of the world. Therefore, everyone should have, and take, the opportunity to learn how to code. At NYU, the computer science department has a number of introductory courses designed to teach those without a programming background, and other individual classes exist that teach in alternate programming languages like Processing. Resources exist in abundance; it’s just a matter of finding and diving into them. The wise would do well to take that plunge.
Email Emily Fong at opinion@nyunews.com.
CULTURE
Tinder Social? Not Social at All
By GRACE HALIO Deputy Managing Editor
It has been a long road since Tinder’s inception in 2012 — in four short years, user engagement has skyrocketed, individual profiles have become more streamlined and the app has entered everyone’s social lexicon. However, the introduction of Tinder Social — the feature that allows individuals to go on group dates with their friends — has sparked controversy, with many fearing the death of romance and the rise of hookup culture. With this feature, the app has branched outside people’s individual Tinderspheres and into their social lives. The idea behind Tinder Social is that people can view which of their Facebook friends are on the app, add those friends to a group, swipe through other groups together and then hit the town with the ones that they mutually find desirable. Users who are not particularly extroverted agreed that Tinder is the best vehicle for finding hookups without the usual awkward interactions. The app provides an easy opportunity to break the ice with a
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GIF, emoji or a pickup line. However, Tinder has taken the traditional oneon-one conversation in the bar and moved it straight to your phone. When you walk into a bar or log into Tinder, you presumably are doing so with the goal of finding a hookup, or even a relationship. Because of that, the factors you use to judge a potential partner in-app or in real life are generally the same. These principles are not the same for group interactions, however. When you create your own social group and preselect the other group that you’re meeting, it gets rid of the spontaneity in talking to new people. There is a lack of excitement and intrigue — ideas so fundamental to building genuine relationships — when you’ve already prejudged and had some cursory interactions with the people you’ve met.
Beyond this, Tinder Social represents the potential to go from an irrelevant bonus feature to something actually invasive. People already read too far into who is on Tinder to begin with, particularly when they panic and question why someone in a serious relationship may be on the app. Tinder Social not only takes away the quality of in-person interaction, but also adds the fear of others seeing the profiles of those they believe shouldn’t be on the app through the Facebook add-in feature. If people disengaged from this specific feature and instead openly communicated with one another, they would have more insight into social relationships. If I may venture a guess, the answer to the problems posed by Tinder Social is to simply use the app less. Moral panic always seems to ensue when developers change a non-threatening privacy feature. Things of this nature would not be alarming if people were less involved with the social media lives of others and more involved with their real lives instead.
Email Grace Halio at opinion@nyunews.com.
NYU Bias Hotline Offers Constructive Resolutions
Earlier this year, administrators working with the Office of Equal Opportunity debuted a new Bias Response Line. The system is described as “a mechanism through which members of our community may share experiences and concerns regarding instances of bias, discrimination or harassing behavior that occur within our community.” Students have the opportunity to contact the response line online or by phone. Posters advertising the response line have been popping up all over campus, demonstrating that the administration is responding meaningfully to issues of diversity and inclusiveness that have recently become central to university policy. Attempts to address concerns of bias on other college campuses have led to severe overreactions, such as publicly humiliating microaggressors instead of addressing these issues constructively. In the absence of official university resources, students often resort to insular spaces where affirmation is valued over actual solutions. The creation of the response line was a smart move on NYU’s part, as it allows for the community to vent frustrations in a confidential manner with a trained administrator. Even if reported biases turn out to be minor slights, it is better for those concerns to be acknowledged and resolved rather than left to fester. In more serious cases of discrimination, the bias response hotline connects students with someone that can help them resolve the problem. While the hotline promises results, it does not cut to the heart of the central issue that still plagues college campuses — the role of a university administration in addressing prejudice. The hotline provides an alternative to mob justice and public shaming, but it also serves as an avenue for students to call people out for injustices of any scale, under the auspices of victimhood. It implicitly validates students’ feelings of offense, placing them in the same crisis-worthy category as depression and domestic abuse. A catch-all hotline, while well-intentioned, should not equate serious cases of danger or trauma with everyday slights. There is a debate to be had on whether or not these slights merit the same sort of response. But on this matter, NYU remains agnostic. Since it has become increasingly difficult to discuss topics related to microaggressions nowadays — especially in academic settings — provisions like the Bias Response Line are becoming more necessary. By promoting an official and oneon-one system of reporting discrimination, NYU administrators are offering an outlet for students’ complaints without prejudgment. While the system needs improvement with regard to its clarity and ease of use, the creation of the Bias Response Line is an important step towards a healthy campus environment. With this move, NYU has come down adroitly on the campus bias issue, and ideally will continue this trend when trying to solve these dilemmas in the future.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at opinion@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Emily Fong (Chair), Paris Martineau (Co-chair), Akshay Prabhushankar (Co-chair) STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BEARZI
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SPORTS
EDITED BY RACHEL RUECKER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Soccer Scoreless in Double OT By RACHEL RUECKER Sports Editor
After a hot start to the season saw the NYU women’s soccer team go 4-1, they journeyed to Hartford, Connecticut to play Trinity College in attempts to continue their early success. Though the Violets battled hard, they were held scoreless throughout the game. Senior goalkeeper Cassie Steinberg’s finesse was hardly necessary as the Bantams got just two shots on goal, though she did make one outstanding save at the top of the second overtime period to keep things even. But the Violets 18-8 advantage in shooting was not enough as the score was nil after an hour and a half. Strangely enough, the Violets were forced into two frames of extra time last week against Stevens Institute of Technology in their only loss of the season so far, which they dropped 2-3. Senior captain Lexi Clarke and Trinity College’s Alexa Barbaresi both received yellow cards at 55:10 and 82:00, respectively. Freshman forward Alex Benedict led the team in shots with
seven, with Clarke and junior forwards Teressa Fazio and Mckennah Spagnola all following behind with two. Fazio expressed the difficulties that arise from such a long game but thinks it bodes well for their midweek match up against Ramapo. “It was a tough match all the way through against a quality opponent,” Fazio said. “It’s
never easy going into double overtime but we stayed focused and we will be keeping the momentum going for Wednesday.” The soccer squad will be back home on Wednesday at 7 p.m. as they play Ramapo College in hopes to continue their success and not go into double overtime.
Email Rachel Ruecker at rruecker@nyunews.com.
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NYU tennis competed this past weekend at both Fordham University and Vassar College.
Tennis Bounces Back at Vassar By TONY SCHWAB Contributing Writer
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Women’s soccer dominated the field this past weekend in a game against Trinity College, yet couldn’t bring home the win. The score remained 0-0.
Coming off a rough first weekend, the men’s and women’s tennis teams both had strong performances, with the men taking part in the Four in the Fall Tournament hosted by Fordham in the Bronx and the women competing in the Vassar College Scramble. On Saturday, the men went 16-5 overall, winning nine of 10 matches against St. Francis College and seven of 11 against Fordham. Matt DeMichiel, who was one of the few bright spots for the Violets last week, won both of his singles matches and split his two doubles matches. Fellow senior Umberto Setter won both of his matches, as did juniors Samuel Khoshbin and Jiri Honajzer. Boding well for NYU’s future, French freshman Xavier Pacthod won all four of his matches and Vishal Walia won both of his. On the women’s side, things were even better. The team went 9-3 in singles and 1-1 in doubles in matches against both Vassar College and Connecticut College. As is often the case, junior Laila El Dessouki carried the team, winning both her singles matches before winning a doubles match Against Connecticut College with partner Judy Kam. Three freshmen, Kam, Nikki Ong and Rupa Ganesh, also had victories. The women had a short slate of matches Sunday, as singles were cancelled due to rain. They took on players from Conn. College, Vassar and SUNY New Paltz. Sophomore Alice McGinty, Ganesh, El Dessouki and sophomore Flora Shiyanova each went 3-0 in doubles. Ong won both of
her matches. El Dessouki was especially dominant, partnering with Shiyanova for an 8-1 drubbing of New Paltz and with Kam for an 8-3 victory over Vassar. Sophomore Ayesha Das and Ong had the closest victory of the day for the Violets, prevailing 8-6 against a resilient Vassar pair. At the end of the weekend, Shiyanova spoke about the team’s recovery from a tough start to the season. “Second matches are always much better,” Shiyanova said. “We had more time for team bonding and got used to outdoor courts. We were also better cheering for each other and that helped us to keep a positive attitude. Also, our attitude was different, we really wanted to bring victories to NYU.” The men were just as successful Sunday, finishing the weekend with an overall record of 31-9. Matt Demichiel had a busy weekend, going 4-0 in singles and 2-2 in doubles. After his matches, DeMichiel commented on how their practice helped shape their success. “I think the fact that we had an extra week of practice helped a lot,” DeMichiel said. “The TCNJ match was helpful because it got us all into a competitive mindset and reminded us of the mentality you have to have in a match, and everyone was able to carry that over to this week.” Next weekend the men will travel to the Stevens Institute of Technology Invitational in Hoboken, New Jersey while the women will be in Geneva, New York for ITA Northeast Regional Championships.
Email Tony Schwab at sports@nyunews.com.
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SPORTS
EDITED BY RACHEL RUECKER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Volleyball Lengthens Win Streak By MICHAEL THOMPSON Staff Writer
The NYU women’s volleyball team’s steady improvement this season was on display again this week. The Violets dominated the Ducks Classic in Hoboken this weekend, taking out their three opponents in a total of 11 sets, extending their winning streak to five matches. The Violets (9-3) kicked things off on Friday with an exhilarating five-set comeback win over SUNY Oneonta (21-25, 18-25, 2523, 25-21, 18-16). After dropping the first two sets and appearing to be on the verge of defeat, the Violets stormed back, winning the next three sets — two of them by just two points — to steal the win. Down 11-4 in the third, the Violets rallied, eventually knotting things up at 16. The team finally grabbed the lead at 21-20, thanks to a ball
handling error. NYU came back once again in the fourth from an 8-2 deficit to tie things up at two sets apiece. According to junior middle blocker Rayne Ellis, the Violets had to quickly adjust to a few foils thrown at them by Oneonta. “Sometimes it takes a couple of sets to find the flow of the game,” Ellis said. “The team we were playing against had a couple of trick plays that we weren’t ready to defend. But then our coach switched up the lineup, told us to wake up, and we pulled through.” The Violets finally completed the comeback late in the fifth, making up a three-point deficit to stun Oneonta. Sophomore outside hitter Shelby King led the team with 14 kills, while sophomore and junior liberos Stephanie Mao and Grace Napolitano combined for 33 digs. “The whole team had bile in our throats, because if we had lost that
two and a half hour game our confidence for the weekend would have been shot,” Ellis said. The pressure that was so prevalent on Friday was nowhere to be found on Saturday, as the Violets dismantled Hartwick College 25-13, 25-14 and 25-17. Hartwick totaled just 19 points, and the Violets dominated in kills (38-16), aces (13-3) and assists (32-16). This time around, sophomore outside hitter Annie Singh led the team in kills with 12 and aces with six. Meanwhile, sophomore setter Daryl Mitchell led in assists with 25, and Napolitano notched 14 digs. The Violets made it a clean sweep with 25-21, 25-22 and 25-17 wins over SUNY Oswego. The Violets saved their best set for last and again dominated a team in every major category. The Violets held wide disparities in points (61-35), kills (44-26), aces (11-7) and assists (41-25). A few new faces appeared
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on the stat sheet, with junior outside hitter Jenna Dickey’s 12 kills topping the leaderboard. Mitchell and Napolitano once again led in assists and digs, with 38 and 11. The win marked the Violet’s seventh straight-set win of the year. The Violets will try to keep up their momentum this week
against St. Joseph’s College Tuesday. The team will be back in multi-match action this weekend at the Baruch Tri-Match at Baruch College, just a hop, skip and a jump away.
Email Michael Thompson at sports@nyunews.com.
Golf Places Third at Weekend Invitational By MIGUEL DE LAVEAGA Contributing Writer
By KENADEE GALLEGO Contributing Writer
This fall, NYU welcomed the class of 2020 at Madison Square Garden, a group that, like many others, hails the university as the center of operations of renowned schools like Tisch and Stern. But the opportunities for students at NYU are vast and go beyond the big-name programs. The School of Professional Studies, for example, is home to a wide array of sportsrelated education courses and majors that give their students unimaginable resources. Offering Bachelor of Science in Sports Management, Master of Science in Sports Business and many more related for those interested in pursuing a career in sports, SPS guarantees quality guidance for sports majors. From annual participation in the Baseball Winter Meetings to Women in Sports panel discussions, students can be confident that NYU has just as much to offer for those inclined towards such endeavors. Academic Chair of Sports Management Professor Wayne G. McDonnell states the key role New York plays in the program. “We are in the epicenter of the sports business world and our students use the city as a laboratory for learning,” McDonnell said. “The industry actively participates in the program through adjunct
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Women’s volleyball competed twice this past weekend at Stevens Institute of Technology, winning both games.
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The School of Professional Studies gives sports enthusiasts to study the business and management of the industry. faculty, guest lectures, onsite visits, special panel discussions and extraordinary internship opportunities.” For an undergraduate degree, students take 38 units of major core sports-based courses that span over topics such as introductory principles, organizations, finance, accounting, research, business development, marketing and consumer behavior. SPS offers four concentrations that students must choose from: Event Management, Organizational Management, Sports Law and Sports Media. Furthermore, 600 hours of internship experience are required but there are also 15 units of electives available for exploration of minors or double concentrations and even additional sports courses. When courses like the Advanced Seminar in Sports Management (FOX Sports University Course) lead to NYU students working with NYC FC and the YES Network to pitch an integrated marketing campaign for the team, the world can rest assured the next James L. Dolan is walking somewhere around Washing-
ton Square Park. The opportunities increase in graduate school when students are able to choose between a 42 unit degree or a 15 unit certificate. Concentrations offered cover Professional and Collegiate Sports Operations, Sports Marketing and Sales, Global Sports Media and Sports Law. For the 15 unit certificate programs, students can delve into Legal Issues, Sports Economics, Financial Analysis, Revenue Strategies and Pricing and Planning and Developing of Major Sporting Events. And if somewhere in NYU there’s someone itching to boot Charles Barkley from his position, SPS also offers a course in Sports Broadcasting. Though NYU isn’t famed for its athletics, students that enroll in SPS in hopes of setting the world of sports management on fire are in good hands. As Dean of Admissions Shawn Abbott assured the incoming class of freshman, “You didn’t come to NYU to watch a football team, you came to NYU to own a football team.”
The NYU women’s golf team took home a third place finish in the Ann S. Batchelder Invitational at the Nehoiden Golf Club, hosted by Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The two-day event, held Sept. 17 to Sept. 18, was won by Amherst College. Amherst bested second place Williams College by four strokes (616, 620), with NYU right behind, posting an overall score of 628. Highlighting the performance for NYU were freshmen Ashley Tsoi and Patty Treevichaphan along with junior Kristin Lee, who all finished tied for sixth with scores of 156. Junior Alyssa Poentis came in close behind the sixth place trio, finished tied for 15th herself. The Violets came into the weekend off a very solid season opening performance in the St. Lawrence Invitational, where the team took first place. In a tournament that featured NYU posting their second lowest tournament score ever, the Violets had reason to look forward to their next competition. Freshman Arisa Kimura finished first among all competitors, posting an impressive 75. When asked how she was able to adjust to college golf
so quickly, she credited her versatility to a mindset she’s managed to adopt. “I think I’ve just been playing the game I’ve always been playing by not thinking about the change,” Kimura said. “I think about one shot at a time and just enjoy myself out on the course. I try not to apply more pressure on myself by thinking about how college golf is a higher level.” Kimura kept the same mindset while heading into this weekend’s event, and while she struggled on day one, she was able to shave off a few strokes on Sunday. By focusing on the positives and working off little improvements, Kimura looks forward to next weekend’s event. “[I] take it one shot at a time and remember that I made it this far by believing in my game,” Kimura said about her attitude for next weekend’s action. Another Massachusetts event is on the horizon, as the Violets head back into the Bay State this time to the Mt. Holyoke Invitational. Held at the Orchards Golf Club, this scorable track gives NYU an opportunity to post some low numbers.
Email Miguel de Laveaga at sports@nyunews.com.
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Email Kenadee Gallego at sports@nyunews.com.
NYU women’s golf competed this past weekend in a tournament at Wellesley College, finishing in third place.
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