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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 63
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
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Hacking competition concludes after 72 hours By MICHAEL DOMANICO
Even with 1,800 teams competing in the world’s largest hacking competition, the Polytechnic Institute of NYU appeared no different than it would any other weekend. “Almost everyone [participated] remotely, but about a dozen of the students on NYUPoly teams [were] on campus participating,” said Kathleen Hamilton, the NYU-Poly communications director. The 72-hour Capture the Flag competition, a part of Cyber Security Awareness Week, featured thousands of participants from around the world — from as far away as Australia to as close as New York City. Teams that earned the most points were from universities that included Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh and Tsinghua in Beijing. The competition, which was approximately twice the size of last year’s tournament and took more than six months to plan, was judged by a panel of 35 cybersecurity experts who created different challenges, which can involve hacking into programs, systems and websites. The more difficult
the challenge, the more points the competitors earn for solving it. “We ask competitors to try and hack those websites to try and get a key,” said NYU-Poly junior Kevin Chung, a student organizer for the event. Attendees submit their solution to the NYU-Poly website to earn points. While the competition is open to the public, only undergraduate college students can advance to the finals in November. Industry sponsors, including Facebook and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will fly the finalists to Brooklyn, and the winners of that competition will receive a cash prize and a scholarship to NYU-Poly if they transfer or choose to pursue a graduate degree at the school. The challenges vary year by year and are only available to those who are registered, but they are geared toward students who want to gain hacking experience. “We try to aim it toward students who are just trying to learn,” Chung said. “The first
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Torch Day sets stage for spirited year with performances from residents Goddard residence hall performed a video game-themed show. All of NYU’s residence halls staged a variety of skits on Sunday for NYU’s annual event held at the Kimmel Center for University Life.
STORY ON PAGE 3
NYU athletics expects full Experts advocate for humane merger with NYU-Poly education at Law School By MICHELLE TRAN
Athletes at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU will soon formally join their Washington Square counterparts as part of the merger between the two universities, which is scheduled to be completed Jan. 1, 2014. NYU-Poly currently participates in the Skyline Athletic Conference while NYU’s athletics are a part of the University Athletic Association. Once both schools have finished out their respective athletic seasons for the 2013 to 2014 school year, NYU and NYU-Poly athletic departments will merge into one NCAA Division III membership within the UAA league. Assistant athletic director Dominick Ciaccia explained the merger is the outcome of years of part-
nership with NYU-Poly. “Over the last few years, NYU had begun the merger with NYU-Poly by offering athletic facility privileges to current NYU-Poly students and faculty, allowing [NYU-Poly alumni] to become members and participating in our recreation
programs,” Ciaccia said. As a result of the merger, which was first announced in 2008, major changes will affect the dynamic of certain sports teams that demonstrated increased student interest. Ciaccia
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NYU and NYU-Poly will merge in January 2014.
By AFEEFA TARIQ AND MARIA VERBAITE
Experts and scholars discussed awareness of animal rights, human rights and treatment of the environment at the NYU’s Animal Studies Initiative’s humane education conference at the NYU School of Law on Sept. 21. The conference, titled “Educating for a Just, Peaceful & Sustainable Future,” was organized by the nonprofit educational organizations Institute for Humane Education, Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers and Roots & Shoots — a youth-focused nonprofit organization. Zoe Weil, a 52-year-old co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, Jane Goodall, a 79-year-old UN Messenger of Peace and the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and Arun Gandhi, the 79-year-old grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute, were the featured keynote speakers. Weil, one of the first speakers, talked about humane education as a profession. “More than any other field or profession, educators hold the future in their hands,” Weil said in her address. She also explained what she hoped to accomplish from the conference,
which was held on the same day as the UN’s International Day of Peace. “I think the best outcome is that the 450 people who are here today leave with tools that they can use to be better humane educators, and that they feel empowered and inspired to help bring this movement to a critical mass,” Weil said. “We really do reach a tipping point where humane education begins to get incorporated into every institution of learning.” After Weil’s keynote, the director of NYU Animal Studies Initiative, Dale Jamieson, introduced Goodall, who talked about her work with chimpanzees and explained the importance of teachers. “Teaching is not confined to the teaching profession,” Goodall said in her address. “Children are made to spend too long sitting in class and not enough time going out and learning how we learn best, which is by exploring, by touching, by feeling.” Tania Goicoechea, who is a second-year master’s students in environmental conservation education at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, said this conference is a highlight of the events she has attended so far at NYU.
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Sarah Michelle Gellar returns to TV this week with CBS’s new comedy, “The Crazy Ones,” alongside Robin Williams. Gellar hasn’t had much career success in recent years — her most notable flop being The CW drama “Ringer,” which was critically reviled and canceled after one season. To remind yourself that Gellar is, in fact, a great actress, check out “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” where Gellar crafted one of the most powerful, emotionally haunted characters in TV history. “Ringer” may have failed, but as any “Buffy” fan knows, Gellar still deserves to be seen on TV each week.
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Before Denis Villeneuve made “Prisoners,” he made “Incendies,” a little-seen, Oscar-nominated epic about tensions in the Middle East. In this harrowing film, two Canadian twins get a lot more than they bargained for when they begin unearthing their family’s history. The results of their journey through the Middle East are deeply disturbing and extremely suspenseful. To put it simply, you will not forget the last 20 minutes of “Incendies.”
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‘BANGERZ’ JAKE FOLSOM While Miley Cyrus continues to stir the pot with twerkathons and “Wrecking Ball,” it can be easy to forget she actually has an album coming out. The elegantly titled “Bangerz” will be released Oct. 4 by RCA Records. Singles “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” are already ubiquitous, with heavy hitting production courtesy of Dr. Luke and, Cyrus’ rumored boyfriend, Mike WiLL Made It. There does not seem to be any doubts about
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Cyrus delivering more of her clumsy controversy on the album, but it’s possible that she and her cohorts will also treat us to some great pop music.
With CBS’s new comedy, “Mom,” the concept of Anna Faris heading her own series is an exciting prospect. Unfortunately, the pilot episode has weak jokes and a general lack of storyline. Despite that, “Mom” shows potential at possibly one day being better than it is now, if the writers can grow more in tune with the actors’ talents and if Faris and co-star Allison Janney can work on their chemistry. Decide for yourself tonight if the show has potential to be a hit. (Go to nyunews.com for a full review of the pilot episode).
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‘THE PRINCESS BRIDE: S. MORGENSTERN’S CLASSIC TALE OF TRUE LOVE AND HIGH ADVENTURE’ DYLAN JARRETT
At Maker Faire, a young girl operates a hand-built candy grabber machine.
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Everyone knows “The Princess Bride,” the movie about princes, giants, pirates and true love. But did you know that the movie is based on a book? “The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure” is the same story of Buttercup and Westley’s everlasting love, filled with the same cast of characters — Fezzik, the friendly giant, Inigo, the Spanish swordsman and Humperdinck, the villainous prince. But be prepared — the format of the book is significantly different from the movie, making for a darker, more adult and overall more enjoyable story.
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About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods. Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact managing editor Jordan Melendrez at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.
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IRHC’s Torch Day celebrates school spirit, leadership By EMILY BELL
The 10th annual Inter-Residence Hall Council’s Torch Day was held yesterday in the Kimmel Center for Student Life. Students from each of NYU’s residence halls gathered to perform, attend leadership workshops and show their residence hall spirit. The day started with keynote speaker Celiany RiveraVelázquez, the director of the NYU LGBTQ Student Center. Although each residence hall was present, two did not perform in the roll call, which occurred after the address. Representatives from each dorm were required to perform a dance, skit or other presentation that students acted out to represent their hall. “It was a lot of fun seeing how creative the other residence halls were,” said Gwen Baraniecki-Zwil, a Carlyle resident and a second-year dance major in the Tisch School of the Arts. At the awards ceremony Founders residence hall won for best banner, Third North residence hall won for spirit, Palladium residence hall won for roll call, Goddard residential college won for best costume and Gramercy Green residence won Housie’s Choice, the overall award. “NYU has a supportive community and everyone was really quick to applaud other acts and make everyone feel comfortable,” Samantha Macia, a CAS sophomore and Coral Towers residence hall general assembly member, said. The rest of the afternoon consisted of three breakout sessions led by organizational executive board members and professional staff, who are employees at the residence halls. The first breakout session formed groups based on role within individual hall
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Students from Palladium residence hall perform a skit at NYU’s annual Torch Day and win the roll call award. council. There were 16 choices for subsequent breakout sessions. Broome Street residence hall president and CAS junior Grady O’Leary attended the presidential breakout, which was led by the president of the IRHC and the presidents of the other residence halls. “It gives you an opportunity to see who you’re going to be working with, and it’s the beginning of the network we’re going to be building this year,” O’Leary said. IRHC vice president of training and development
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Student hackers convene, compete for tenth annual NYU Poly Hackathon
couple exercises are geared toward students who don’t know anything about security.” Meghan Caiazzo, a first-year graduate student at NYU-Poly, said this was the first hacking competition she entered. She competed on an all-female team. “I decided it would be a good opportunity for me to learn some general security techniques and tools,” Caiazzo said. Hacking competitions can be an attractive skill for potential employers who need someone with a strong cybersecurity background. “A lot of employers know about hacking competitions and are curious about it, a lot of them have actually participated themselves,” Caiazzo said. “It’s always a common interest in cybersecurity.” NYU-Poly’s Information Systems and Se-
curity Lab hosted the annual competition as part of CSAW. “ISIS tries to get people of all ages and all walks of life into a lab, into an environment where they can really get their hands dirty with cybersecurity,” Nicholas Anderson said. Anderson is a first-year graduate student at NYU-Poly who competed on the official ISIS team in this year’s tournament. He first participated in the competition as an undergraduate at the University of Wyoming. Anderson said the competition helped remove some of the stigma around the word hackers. “The term hacker isn’t always a malicious thing,” he said. “There are good guys out there.” Michael Domanico is a news editor. Email him at mdomanico@nyunews.com.
PEACE continued from PG. 1
Renowned scholars discuss importance of environmental awareness, animal rights
“As environmental conservation students, we got to do several interesting projects,” Goicoechea said. “But this conference is definitely the biggest event [I] have been to so far.” After lunch the conference participants were divided into smaller groups where they could discuss more specific topics, such as animal issues, sustainability and humane education in schools and communities, with the leaders of the various participating organizations. Phoebe Hevers, a 37-yearold educator at STEM Launch in Thornton, Colo., said she was looking for-
ward to these breakout sessions because of their applicability to her classroom, as her school participates in Roots & Shoots. “Part of our school’s goal is to do service learning, and so we are a problem-based learning school,” Hevers said. “We always look for problems within our community and our world that our kids can work on to solve, and then we present it to a panel. Since this is about sustainability and humane education, this is perfect and goes with our next generation science standards.” Gandhi closed the confer-
ence with a speech about his grandfather’s legacy, his personal education and the power of learning, saying that education was about the interconnectedness of the head, heart and hands. He explained how his grandfather’s vision for a more peaceful and humane world has significantly impacted him. “We must become better than we were yesterday,” Gandhi said in his address. Afeefa Tariq and Maria Verbaite are contributing writers. Email them at news@nyunews.com.
and LSP sophomore Hilary DeWitt said Torch Day took about two weeks to plan. This year, the breakout sessions were extended to 45 minutes to give more time for programming. “I think everyone who attended today showed the E-board, as well as the pro staff, how excited they were for the year,” DeWitt said. “If this is any indication for how IRHC is going to go, [residential] life is in for a great year.” Emily Bell is a news editor. Email her at ebell@nyunews.com.
NYU Divest joins citywide environmental protest By NICOLE BROWN
Over 400 environmental activists gathered in Battery Park on Saturday to protest the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. 350.org, an organization dedicated to solving the climate crisis and reducing the current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to below 350 parts per million, organized the protest with other environmental groups in the city. The protest in New York City was one of many that broke out throughout the country in a collective effort to encourage President Barack Obama to reject the pipeline. The protesters started in Battery Park and then walked through the Financial District to Pier 17, chanting and carrying a giant paper pipeline and posters as they went. At the pier the group performed a skit and shared a piece of art depicting the effects of climate change. Speakers from around the world, including Colombia and Belgium, presented their ideas. One of the 350.org organizers, Linnea Paton, said the group wanted to feature a variety of voices, and she was very pleased with the outcome of the protest, which required over two months of preparation. Deputy director and director of policy initiatives for WE ACT for Environmental Justice Cecil Corbin-Mark spoke about the benefits of switching to offshore wind energy, including improving air pollution and creating jobs.
“If you want to create more jobs, look to Europe, where offshore wind has created 60,000 jobs,” CorbinMark said. “Tell Gov. Cuomo now is the time to stop fracking and get more wind power.” NYU Divest member and Tisch senior Blake Sugarman also spoke at the protest to show NYU Divest’s support for other environmental campaigns in the city. “We reject the Keystone XL pipeline, as it represents a 17-hundred-mile-long shackle to a future which we cannot survive,” Sugarman said. Junior at the William Cullen Bryant High School in Astoria and member of the Global Kids Human Rights Activist Project Amosh Hussein addressed the crowd, saying that the United States needs to set the example for other countries like his native country, Nepal. “Let’s start today by making this change and inspiring other countries around the globe,” Hussein said. “If we won’t start, then who will?” New York City resident Jenna Agins, 29, attended the protest and said it is important for people to speak up and hopefully influence politicians’ stances on environmental policy. “Whether this protest comes to anything or not, it’s important that we make sure our voices are heard,” Agins said. Nicole Brown is a news editor. Email her at nbrown@nyunews.com.
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The protestors’ scroll illustrates the spread of industrial pollution.
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SPORTS
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Mens, womens golf teams lose in weekend tournaments By FERENC PUSKAS
NYU’s golf teams were in full swing this weekend. The men’s golf team competed at the Williams College Invitational in Williamstown, Mass. The Violets jumped up from 13th to seventh place out of 24 teams in the second day of competition. After shooting a combined 317 the first day, the men were able to pull off a solid 313 the next day to ensure their jump in the standings. Freshman Owen Lin led the effort for the men by posting an astounding 75 on day two. Senior captains Kyle Demshki and Timothy Lau also able contributed with solid 79s. Junior Matt Gjonaj rounded out the top four for the men by posting an 80-stroke count. Stern junior Kevin Chien said he was proud of the freshman players for stepping up and in confident the team will play better next week. “We are just looking forward to next week because it is a course we know,” Chien said. Williams College won their own invitational by posting a combined two-day score of 607. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in second with 611 and Trinity College rounded out the top three by posting a combined score of 612. Meanwhile, the women’s golf team dropped to sixth place on the second and final day of the Mount Holyoke College Invitational on Sunday, Sept. 22 at the Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass. Following a day-one performance in which they shot a combined 338, the women came back the next day to shoot a combined 333. Although they finished with five fewer strokes on day two, it wasn’t enough as they moved down from fifth place to sixth place in the invitational.
FILE PHOTO BY JONATHAN TAN
Captain Kristina Shalhoup improved her score on the second day. Sophomore Elaine Tse led the Violets, as she went on to shoot a 78 on day two, an impressive nine-stroke improvement from her day-one 87. “The greens were rolling better than the first day,” Tsa said about the improvement between the first and second days. Senior captain Kristina Shalhoup and rookie Paridhi Bhargava both posted solid scores of 83 strokes each. Shalhoup shot two strokes better than her day-one performance while Bhargava shot an 83 for the second consecutive day. Rounding out the top-four scores for NYU was freshman Jessica Vasso, who struggled on day two. After a solid day-
one outing of 83 shots, she went on to post an 89. Williams College finished in first place with a combined two day stroke count of 619, Ithaca College in second with 631 and Middlebury College in third. The women hope to build on this performance and carry it over to their next competition, the Williams College Invitational starting Oct. 5, The men’s next challenge will begin Sept. 28 when they compete in the Liberty League Championship in Canton, N.Y. Ferenc Puskas is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.
MERGER continued from PG. 1
NYU-Poly athletes to join Washington Square teams
said there would be no groundbreaking changes to student-athlete recruitment policies except for the inclusion of prospective baseball and softball recruits at the Washington Square campus. “To reconnect with the baseball traditions of NYU will be special and will further enhance our athletic programs nationally and globally,” Ciaccia said. Some athletes at NYU Poly had mixed feelings about the merger. “Poly athletes take a lot of pride in the amount of time and effort they’ve put into their respective sports, and it’s tough realizing that they might not have that chance anymore,” Justin Manalo, freshman guard for NYU Poly’s men’s basketball team. “However, great opportunities do come from this, for both schools,” he said. Because of the influx of new student-athletes, junior varsity level teams for both men’s and women’s basketball and soccer will be added to the upcoming season. Along with the addition of JV level seasons, roster sizes will increase three to five people on men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and
women’s golf teams. “I think the bigger roster size has both its pros and cons,” said Mikaela Santos, a Steinhardt freshman on the women’s golf team. Santos, who is currently recovering from a broken leg, understands the implications of the merger and what it would mean for her and her teammates. “It’s good that we have more people on the team, but then that just adds even more competition within the team to play,” Santos said. For the surplus of coaches and staff coming in from NYU-Poly, the administration will be offering them candidacy for openings to new and existing positions. With the additional JV teams, increased roster sizes and added baseball team, the additional NYUPoly staff could allow for an easier transition of new faculty members. “It is a wonderful opportunity and an exciting time for NYU students, faculty, staff, and administration,” Athletic director Christopher Bledsoe said. “The sport and recreation experience for members of the NYU community will be greatly enhanced.” Michelle Tran is a contributing writer. Email her at sports@nyunews.com.
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WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG? By LAWRENCE WU A good photographer always has a camera at the ready in case the opportunity for the perfect shot ever arises. Timothy Toda, a freshman in the Liberal Studies Program, carries around a canvas brown Courser camera backpack in preparation of such occasions. The bag was a gift from his girlfriend, who bought it from the popular homemade goods and crafts online store, etsy.com. With multiple pockets, it protects his camera, separating it from many of his other gadgets. Prom Photo
Backup iPhone charger & extra Canon batteries
The LSP freshman also as a sweet side, as he keeps a folded wallet sized photo of him and his girlfriend from their prom.
Toda is always prepared, which is why he always carries around an backup iPhone charger, as well as two extra Canon batteries for his camera.
MacBook Air
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With a camera dial decal on his computer, Toda uses his computer to edit his photos in Photoshop or videos in Final Cut Pro. When he’s not editing his media, he likes to scroll through tech sites, watch and upload YouTube videos, and stay up to date with Apple-related news.
Digital Canon Camera
Business Card
In times of crisis, Toda carries around an extra camera in case his DSLR camera ever fails him. Even after three years, it still works and continues to offer a failsafe option — as long as it stays in one piece.
Toda has a business card for his YouTube account, “theapplefreakk,” which focuses on reviews of technology products, particularly Apple’s new releases. Toda started making videos in 2007 and has continued to do so, garnering over 4.5 millions views on YouTube.
Canon 70D Camera
Students build on cultural connections for service By Ritansha Jalan
Unlike most college students, Stern sophomore Sakshi Bhoolabhai busies herself far outside of the classroom in a tiny Malawian village, an opportunity granted to her through BuildOn. BuildOn is a club at NYU that takes initiative in reducing poverty, illiteracy and low expectations in a unique way. “Our members participate in local community service as well as community service abroad, when they travel to Third World countries to help in the construction of a school,” said Swati Mallik, the copresident and founding member of BuildOn NYU. “This experience is truly inspiring, which is why our chapter here at NYU strives to give this amazing opportunity to as many people as possible.” Bhoolabhai, a co-president of the club, went to Malawi for 10 days to build a school. “I don’t actually have words for it except that it was a cultural explosion,” Bhoolabhai said when asked about her experience. “I went there just with the expectation to build schools, but there were so many things that I didn’t expect.” This cultural explosion took place the moment she reached Malawi and began to live with a local family. While making a connection was not always the easiest thing to achieve, they
succeeded despite the strong language barrier. BuildOn aims to create a complete cultural and social experience for members by creating opportunities for assimilation. The NYU chapter is currently planning future projects. Bhoolabhai plans to organize a trip to Nepal, a nation the national BuildOn group has already fundraised money for. “As the days progressed, I realized that communication is not restricted to language,” Bhoolabhai said. “The most important learning experience was how effective a smile is in breaking these barriers.” While volunteering in a developing country seems like a difficult feat, it is Sakshi’s passion for assisting those in need of help that allowed her to prevail. “[She is] an amazing citizen of the world,” said Elaine Freedgood, Bhoolabhai’s freshmen seminar professor. “I don’t know what she is not interested in.” “You don’t just go abroad, but you go with the purpose to go to build a school and to live with the community,” Bhoolabhai said of BuildOn. “Here you’re not just learning about the culture or just providing education, but you also grow and learn so much about yourself.” Ritansha Jalan is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
Toda always brings his Canon 70D DSLR camera with him for photo and video opportunities. He loves to take landscape shots, and he already has shots of the Brooklyn Bridge and the skyline of the Financial District. Lawrence Wu is a contributing writer. Email him at features@nyunews.com.
FITNESS FINDS By ALENA HALL With the fall semester in full swing and midterm exams steadily approaching, stress and anxiety may be killing what’s left of your summer buzz. Luckily, there are cheap and easy ways to challenge your body and restore your mind this week. This is the final week of National Yoga Month, and opportunities to try out a new studio for $10 or less are still available. Yoga helps improve your strength, flexibility, posture, stress management and overall mood. Protect your inner peace right away and give one of these five budget-friendly yoga programs a try before September comes to a close.
Yoga Health Foundation Citywide The nonprofit organization behind National Yoga Month is giving one week free yoga coupons to anyone interested in visiting one of its participating yoga studios for the first time. Register on its website, select a studio and receive the coupon via email within minutes. While registration closes at the end of September, the coupon is valid through the end of October.
Yoga to the People East Village, Gramercy Park, Midtown West and Brooklyn Yoga to the People makes yoga available to everyone with its low prices, multiple locations and a variety of Vinyasa and hot yoga styles. Most 60-minute classes are donation based, suggesting $10 if it is within your means, but the Gramercy Park location only charges $5 per class. Mat rental is an additional $2. No registration is required, but plan on arriving 15 minutes early because the classes tend to fill up quickly. And in case you plan on changing after class, know that the studios do not have showers.
Yoga Vida Union Square and Greenwich Village This Vinyasa Flow-based studio offers a week of
FILE PHOTO BY DANIEL COLE
Celebrate National Yoga Month at a variety of studios throughout the city. unlimited yoga for just $10 to any new students. Visit both locations within the unlimited week to try a variety of their Vinyasa yoga, restorative yoga and introductory meditation classes. What better time to sign up for a week of free yoga than the last week of National Yoga Month?
Athleta Upper East Side and Upper West Side Women’s athletic wear retailer Athleta hosts free community events throughout the year but puts a special focus on their National Yoga Month classes. This week the Upper East Side location is offering a “Yoga for Runners” class Tuesday evening, “Yoga for Athletes” class Saturday morning, and “Sun Salutation” class Sunday morning. The Upper West Side location has “Yoga 101” and “Nutrition Workshop” Thursday evening, “Free Yoga” Friday morning, and “Yoga Flow” class Sunday morning. RSVP is required.
Shape Up NYC Citywide NYC Service, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and Equinox Fitness Clubs teamed up to create Shape Up NYC, a free fitness program that is accessible to anyone and everyone throughout the metropolitan area. Visit their website to check out their variety of yoga classes, as well as other fitness activities, available in all five boroughs throughout the week. Alena Hall is a contributing columnist. Email her at features@nyunews.com.
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THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU Crossword ACROSS 1 Gabs, gabs, gabs 5 One jumping to conclusions, say 11 Piece of gig gear 14 Eve’s mate 15 Like Swiss mountains 16 “___ whillikers!” 17 Prefix with potent 18 Tiny bagel flavorers 20 Fairy tale bullies 22 Pasture 23 Delete with a cross 24 Two in craps 26 Cycle after wash 27 Christmas tree 28 Laudatory poem 29 Makeshift bookmark 30 Spanish bears 32 Put bubbles in 35 Ones getting all A’s
40 Keynote address presenter 41 Adjust, as sails 43 Like stencils and missing persons 46 Happy ___ clam 49 Org. on a toothpaste box 50 12-inch sandwiches 51 Room decoration with a pattern 54 Subj. concerned with booms, crashes and panics 55 Sack 56 Music devices with earbuds 57 Obsolescent Kodak product 60 See 62-Across 62 With 60-Across, doing great … or where to find 18-, 24-, 35-, 51- and 57-Across?
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A N T F A R M
B A Y A R E A
L A P D E S K
S O M E S A Y
I T E M O N E
D E S E R T S
E N E W H N A E T E M D E E W R O S R R R Y I M
M I R O S
S L I T
N I T S
B E E P
A I N L I A L L S A D F O E L S E
N E C K S
N A I A D
I R A N
O T T O
C A D M R S T O T M E C P O D O U O U S R T I S N M I S A D H E W E E R T
B E A R C U B
R A N D A L L
A N D A N T E
S A L T A I R
T R E V I N O
S E D A T E D
63 Ultimatum words 64 “There’s nothing ___!” 65 12 oz. and others 66 Special Forces caps 67 Some Dadaist pieces DOWN 1 Eight-time N.B.A. All-Star ___ Ming 2 Upbraid 3 Old TV’s Captain ___ 4 Smile that’s not a warm smile 5 Fell off the wagon, say 6 “Don’t Bring Me Down” grp. 7 Fruit to bob for 8 Plumbing, largely 9 “Orinoco Flow” singer 10 Hi-___ image 11 Early toddlerhood 12 Gorgon with venomous locks 13 Keep bothering 19 Demanding immediate attention 21 Help-wanted letters 24 Calif. air hub 25 It makes bread rise 26 Learning by recitation 29 Mom’s mate 31 Shaved ice treat 33 W.W. II command area: Abbr.
Edited by Will Shortz 1
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PUZZLE BY JEAN O’CONOR
34 Opposite of urban 36 Magnetite and others 37 “Totally awesome!” 38 Hidden exit 39 Lose forward traction 42 Spoil
43 Moon jumper, in “Hey Diddle Diddle” 44 Take back, as testimony 45 Scents 47 Smears with gunk 48 Purchase from the iTunes Store 51 Cracker
52 Nimble 53 Important blood line 55 Unadorned 58 ___ blind 59 W.W. II vessel 61 Sgts.’ superiors
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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY RAQUEL WOODRUFF OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
GOVERNMENT
GOP is preventing progress in Congress By HARRY BROWN
On Friday in a Ford manufacturing plant in Liberty, Mo., President Barack Obama lambasted Republicans for their malicious aim to shut down the government. “This is not abstract,” he said. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans will not be allowed to go to work. Our men and women in uniform, even those deployed overseas, won’t get their paychecks on time.” In less than a week, the government will be forced to shut down if a spending resolution isn’t passed. Members of the GOP are holding the White House to ransom — either allow the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare, to be defunded or the government will not be able to function. Republican attacks have intensified recently, using scare tactics and a fierce media campaign to coerce many potential Obamacare subscribers to delay their enrollment. It seems to be working — a recent poll suggests that 44 percent of U.S. adults believe that Obamacare will make the U.S. healthcare system worse. As New York magazine writer Jonathan Chait succinctly pointed
out, Obamacare “has come to fill the place in the conservative psyche once occupied by communism and later by taxes: the main point of doctrinal agreement.” The House voted last week 230 to 189 in favor of a stopgap spending resolution that proposed funding for all federal agencies except crucial funding for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Only one Republican had the audacity to vote against the bill. Obama has already stated on countless occasions that he will not — under any circumstances — sign into law a bill which would remove funding for an act that had already been passed by both houses of Congress and upheld via a Supreme Court ruling. However, House Republicans are content with holding the nation hostage. Speaker John Boehner, yielding to
the power of a 40-strong member faction within his own party led by Republican senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, allowed the defunding of Obamacare to be a condition for continued funding of the government last week. In a call to Boehner late on Friday night, Obama reiterated that he would not negotiate on the debt limit. Unable to whip any of his caucus into party line, Boehner is left in an untenable position. We have reached a stalemate in the Capitol. A couple of years ago many journalists were casting the Tea Party as an irrelevant faction in Washington, D.C. Not anymore. Welcome to the new normal of Beltway politics. Even Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana deemed the GOP “the Stupid Party” — perhaps the Extortionist Party would be a more appropriate epithet — a party bent on derailing Obamacare regardless of the economic consequences. The next seven days in Washington will be pivotal in determining the direction for the U.S. economy. The clock is running down. Harry Brown is a contributing columnist. Email him at opinion@ nyunews.com.
TERRORISM
Press inadequately covers national terrorism By CHRISTINA COLEBURN
Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, a chilling act of racially charged terrorism that took the lives of four young girls and instilled an unnerving disquiet across America. Although the attack exposed the horrifying brutality of the Ku Klux Klan and transformed the trajectory of the Civil Rights Movement, mention of the bombing was either drastically understated or completely absent from last week’s national conversation. Much of the national dialogue centered on another tragic incident — the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, dwelling on lessons learned, highlighting the need for improved security and commemorating the lives lost. Even though this commitment to countermeasures is an ideal representation of how the public responds to terrorism, this example is neither consistent nor emblematic of how Americans treat the majority of assaults on our soil. Instances of domestic terrorism — whether historic, like the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, or contem-
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porary, as in the case of the Wisconsin Sikh Temple massacre, where a white supremacist fatally shot six people — are too often denied the attention they deserve. This position does not intend to suggest that discussion of 9/11 or other occurrences of foreign terrorism is superfluous or overstated. On the contrary, the national conversation is immensely worthwhile in affirming our patriotism, reassessing security precautions and ensuring that the victims did not perish in vain. Adopting this notion simply asserts that the aftermath of domestic terrorism should inspire the same degree of awareness and sensitivity as those mediated in nonnative origins. It is not that the American public is unsympathetic towards the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. The 50th anniversary of four children’s
senseless murders at the hands of a hate group is sure to incite sadness and rage. Rather than being intentionally dismissive, the lack of coverage surrounding homegrown terrorism speaks to a deeper fear entrenched in the general consciousness. Digesting 9/11 is easier on the American sensibility than the Sikh Temple Shooting. With the former, the narrative rarely strays from the original line of analysis. With foreign terrorism, the government, media and constituents can all agree on a pattern — America is the beacon of hope in the world and external forces seek to extinguish us and the nation shall rise above these attacks. By calling domestic extremists terrorists, we acknowledge that American society is flawed, admit that internal forces threaten us and doubt the notion of rising above the ashes as a collective. Until Americans can confront the demons from within, we will continue to deny ourselves the critical opportunity to examine our darkness, discover our veracity and reaffirm our resilience. Christina Coleburn is a contributing columnist. Email her at opinion@ nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Hacker culture deserves positive social identity
This past weekend, the Polytechnic Institute of NYU played host to more than 1,800 teams of hackers competing in a 72-hour tournament — amassing in the world’s largest-to-date hackathon. The event, sponsored by Google, Facebook and the Department of Homeland Security, capped off NYU-Poly’s Cyber Security Awareness Week in an effort to make significant improvements to cybersecurity. Events like CSAW hosted by NYU-Poly last weekend promise to catalyze a distinct shift in how both the public and media speak about hacker culture. Interestingly, the term hacking originally had little to do with breaking into banks, the CIA’s website or the Pentagon. It simply meant to use open-source software in a creative or novel way, and was typically used in reference to laymen or hobbyists — computer geeks as they are sometimes called. Broad controversy over so-called hacktivist organizations such as Wikileaks and Anonymous have contributed to an already negative stigma around hacker culture. In response to two prominent hacking conferences last month, FOX News wrote that “when you bring thousands of hackers together, it is likely to be a recipe for terror.” Hacking is a technique that can be used for either negative or positive ends rather than an act of criminality or an agent of terror. Government sponsored events on cybersecurity encourage invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. Indeed, the government has always been a major catalyst in technological advancement. But it is important to note this event is sponsored by the DHS, an organization that specializes in code-breaking whose inner workings have been put under intense scrutiny after the revelations made by whistleblower Edward Snowden. While the NSA’s use of hackers is controversial, when the recipe to break security barriers is made public, hacking is beneficial by exposing the vulnerability of computer-based systems. At the 2010 Black Hat conference, for instance, a researcher showed how to get two different models of ATMs to release money. Last week, the Chaos Computer Club bypassed the fingerprint-based security of the new iPhone. Such news not only forces manufacturers and developers to improve their products, but also warns users to be careful and look for more secure alternatives while the problems are unsolved. The NYU-Poly hackathon is another example of the capabilities of hacking to improve cybersecurity, and it encourages debate among students on the need for safeguards in an increasingly digital world.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Raquel Woodruff (Chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co-chair), Peter Keffer (Co-Chair).
Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, N.Y. 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title.
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