WSN092412

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 40, No. 12

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

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Students pledge energy reduction

Talent competition dubs NYU winner

By HOWARD LEE

By JULIE DEVITO

The Skirball Center for the Performing Arts was filled with chatter of anticipation for the Kollaboration New York 2012 performance on Friday night.

As the show began, the crowd hushed, and all attention focused on the stage. As the lights turned off, Bollywood-hip hop fusion dance group Wanted Ashiqz came on.

Kollaboration New York is a non-profit organization and movement dedicated to promoting Asian-American performers. Friday night marked the group’s seventh annual New York showcase. Seven performers competed for a $1,000 grand prize, and four guest acts, including Gabe Bondoc.

In the end, LSP freshman John Quiwa was named the winner.

Quiwa will move on to the national Kollaboration competition in Los Angeles, Ca.

More than 1,000 students have signed a pledge to work toward reducing their energy use this semester. The initiative, Take the Pledge, began this month and is part of a new approach to reducing university-wide energy consumption during the fall.

Jeremy Friedman, manager of NYU Sustainability Initiatives, said in the past much of the sustainability efforts have happened behind the scenes. The office now wants to connect with students and inspire and empower them to make behavioral changes.

“The next savings don’t just come from changes in the basements and behind the scenes, they really come by engaging the entire community as a partner,” Friedman said. “We can put in the most efficient light bulbs we want, but if the students leave the lights on, we’re still wasting that energy.”

KOLLABORATION continued on PG. 5

‘Pussy Riot’ attorneys speak at NYU Law

A crowd gathered in the Greenberg Lounge at NYU School of Law’s Vanderbilt Hall on Friday for a panel discussion titled “Pussy Riot and Protest.” The panel featured the defense lawyers for Pussy Riot, the Russian punk band that garnered international attention after a performance that criticized Russian president Vladimir Putin and led to the conviction of three of its members of charges of hooliganism.

NYU women’s volleyball won all three of its matches over the weekend en route to their first NYU Violet Classic championship since 2010. Both the Violets and the Haverford College Black Squirrels held a 3-0 record at the end of the tournament, but the Violets were awarded the championship because of a point differential of +85 to +58. The Violets hosted the tournament at Coles Sports Center on Sept. 21 and 22.

During the matches against the Wesleyan University Cardinals, the North Park University Vikings and the Frostburg State University Bobcats, NYU dropped only a single set.In their first match against

PLEDGE continued on PG. 3

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Women’s volleyball wins first place at Violet Classic

By FRANCISCO NAVAS

MARGARET EBY FOR WSN

Wesleyan on Friday, the Violets dropped the first set, but dominated the next three sets 25-11, 25-18 and 25-12. Team captains junior Alexandria Mao and senior Kaylee Schanda, took control offensively and defensively. Mao made 15 kills and Schanda recorded 18 digs against Wesleyan in the first round.

“We played very sharp volleyball,” said Mao, who was voted the Violet Classic’s most valuable player. “We didn’t play to the other teams’ level. We concentrated on us.”

Against North Park University, Mao had a total of 10 kills while hitting .444. The Violets won in straight sets with scores of 25-8,

WVOLLEYBALL continued on PG. 8

Architects, urban designers go green

By TATIANA BAEZ

NYU London students now have the opportunity to get a glimpse at the issue of sustainability through an architectural perspective.

The university’s Global Local Open Border Architecture and Landscape Design initiative has brought an exhibition called “Elsewhere Envisioned” on environmental architecture and urban design to the London Center for the Built Environment. From Sept. 20 to Oct. 19, the exhibition features more than 30 designers, architects, landscape architects, scientists, historians and urbanists.

The exhibition, directed and curated by Gallatin professors Peder Anker, Louise Harpman and Mitchell Joachim, is part of a five-year plan to present exhibits in five of NYU’s global sites.

COURTESY OF GLOBAL DESIGN NYU

The exhibit features models that aim to address climate concerns.

“Gallatin and the members of the GDNYU working group are all committed to environmental sustainability and ecological de-

sign,” said Harpman, co-founder of GLOBAL Design NYU. “We wanted

GREEN continued on PG. 3

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 | NYUNEWS.COM

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#TorchDay2012 Amazing spirit #NYU student leaders making their mark at #rollcall Nice! @TeEllett

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university GENTRY BROWN city/state TONY CHAU arts STEFAN MELNYK features NICOLA PRING multimedia JAMES KELLEHER copy JORDAN MELENDREZ senior editors HANNAH BORENSTEIN,

CARRIE COUROGEN, JULIE DEVITO, BRIDGETTE DORAN, JONATHON DORNBUSH, CHARLES MAHONEY, COLE RILEY

In response to “Libertarian Gary Johnson encourages students to ‘waste vote’” (Article posted online Sept. 19, 2012) Voting for someone who represents your principals and values is never a wasted vote ... that concept of a wasted vote is media propaganda, and if you feel that way you had better WAKE UP! because you are a large part of the problem — Dave

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university TATIANA BAEZ city/state KAYANA JEAN-PHILIPPE,

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In response to “Free speech deserves protestion in face of violence” (Article posted online Sept. 20, 2012) Siddhi, thanks for taking the time and standing up for America’s first amendment. Islam keeps trying to chip away at it — as they have succeeded in doing at the UN — and it will take smart and brave people like you to stop it from happening here too.

— Arafat

foreign correspondent

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TODAY

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12 p.m.

Union Square Park

6:30 - 8 p.m.

NYU Bookstore | 726 Broadway

10 DAYS OF CLIMATE ACTION

Artist Laura Mega will join the Human Impacts Institute’s 10 Days of Climate Action with a performance on food, desire and climate as part of Climate Week.

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STARTING YOUR NOVEL IN THE MIDDLE

Author and journalist Jennifer Belle will teach “Starting Your Novel in the Middle,” a creative writing workshop hosted by the Department of Arts, Humanities and Writing at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

7 p.m.

Housing Works Bookstore | 126 Crosby St.

WILL OLDHAM ON BONNIE PRINCE BILLY RELEASE PARTY

Housing Works Bookstore will host a launch party for music journalist Alan Licht’s new book “Will Oldham on Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy,” which is based on an interview with singer, songwriter and co-author Will Oldham.

OPINION PAGE opinion editor

CHRIS DINARDO deputy opinion editor

JESSICA LITTMAN

ADVERTISING BUSINESS MANAGER

REBECCA RIBEIRO SALES MANAGER

STEFANIE YOTKA CIRCULATION MANAGER

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SNAPSHOT

ON THE WIRE

Who let the dogs out?

Two dogs, a golden retriever mix and a rottweiler, wandered onto the property of Scott and Roxanne Duff in Leechburg, Pa. Roxanne left a message for the local police reporting the lost dogs, but upon the returned call from the police, Roxanne said the rottweiler ran away. Roxanne later returned only the golden retriever mix to the owner. However, the owner suspected the Duffs were still in possession of the rottweiler and called for an investigation. When the police entered the Duff’s home and spoke to their five-year-old son, he said his mom had given the dog to a woman from the Internet. Although Scott had no knowledge of this, his wife admitted to selling the dog on Craigslist for $50.

— NBC NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

If passed, DREAM Act would not bring influx of students to university

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ADVISING DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

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— THE DIAMONDBACK

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

The Vaccines onstage at the Bowery Ballroom. For more photos, visit wsnhighlighter.com

PHOTO BY GLORIA LEE

Colo. shooting suspect applied to Texas A&M — THE BATTALION

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NYU Sydney students camp out at Taronga Zoo

PLEDGE continued from PG. 1

NYU Sustainability initiates pledge for students “There’s a lot of things we want to do to enrich the lives of students here, but we also need to ask them to help us,” he said.

The campaign is asking students to take 10 steps that will help them be more sustainable. These include turning off lights, recycling, using refillable containers, cutting back on meat, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, using compact fluorescent lightbulbs, choosing used goods, using a powerstrip for electronics, using reusable bags and talking to friends about making a change.

The office is using the 2006 university-wide energy consumption as the benchmark for their long-term aim of reducing energy use; the office was established that year.

Kayla Santosuosso, program assistant of engagement and communications, said the university is now at about 30 percent reduction since 2006, in part because of the co-generation plant that opened in 2011.

The pledge program was originally created for freshmen moving into their residence halls, but with more students showing interest, the task force decided to continue asking students for pledges.

Santosuosso also said the program will be interactive.

The office will check in with students about how their pledge is going and will revamp their social media use.

“We’re going to make sure

By SARAH KAMENETZ

JULIE DEVITO FOR WSN

Students pledged at Kimmel to save energy last Thursday. that students get recognition for the switch in their behavior,” Santosuosso said. “We’re going to be highlighting examples of simple acts of environmental change that students are making on campus via our social media and our website and our newsletters.”

Christopher Schlottmann, associate director of environmental studies, said universities have a responsibility to educate citizens and future leaders about environmental problems.

“Initiatives like this call attention to important issues and often result in measurable conservation gains, resulting in significant energy and financial savings,” Schlottman said.

CAS freshman Emily Koo, who signed the pledge last Thursday, said she intends to help by turning off the lights and other appliances around the house.

“Everyone needs a little help, and the earth does, too,” Koo said.

In addition to the initiative, the Office of Sustainability plans to reduce energy through programs such as Bike Share and Green Grant. It also plans to expand the spring NYUnplugged event: a residence hall competition to reduce energy use. This year, Friedman said a new public website will allow people to follow energy usage in real time using Smart meters instead of only receiving emails about who is winning.

The Office of Sustainability is also changing the Green Grant application process.

Instead of a one-time opportunity, the office will receive applications on a rolling basis to help fund projects in a more timely fashion.

Julie DeVito is a senior editor. Email her at jdevito@nyunews.com.

GREEN continued from PG. 1

GLOBAL Design NYU presents in London

to bring this thinking and awareness to the fore.”

The next stop for the project is NYU Abu Dhabi, followed by NYU Shanghai, Harpman added.

“Buildings are the locus and the source of many challenging environmental impacts. For instance, the majority of NYU’s greenhouse gas emissions stem from the use of energy to power, heat and cool our campus buildings,” said Jeremy Friedman, manager of Sustainability Initiatives for NYU Sustainability.

By hosting this event, the university plans to extend the issues of green architecture to other areas.

“This speaks to how important environmental issues are at NYU, to the role universities can play in solving big problems,” Friedman said.

The featured guests at the event will present their various specialties and showcase large architectural models, drawings, animations and films.

The curators have been organizing the show since October 2011

and have been working closely with NYU London faculty members. The day-long symposium of the event will be held on Oct. 19, with the help of NYU London faculty and the Bedford Square Academic Center.

This year’s exhibition showcases leading European designers while last year’s show in the United States featured North American designers. Next year’s Abu Dhabi exhibition will focus on architectural practices in the Middle East and Persian Gulf. As the show moves from country to country, the university hopes the ideas presented in the exhibitions will spark change among NYU campuses.

“Retrofitting existing buildings and changing campus culture and human behavior are key ingredients of the energy-saving puzzle, but green building plays an equally vital role,” Friedman said.

Tatiana Baez is deputy university editor. Email her at tbaez@nyunews.com.

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SYDNEY — After a week-long academic trip was cancelled, NYU Sydney students spent a wild night at the famous Taronga Zoo that overlooks Sydney Harbour. The popular Roar and Snore program that the 21 students and two NYU Sydney staff members participated in involved a night of glamorous camping in luxury tents at the Taronga Zoo and exploring the zoo at night.

NYU Sydney student life coordinator Tania Barnes booked the trip on less than a week’s notice once a planned week-long academic trip to Armidale was cancelled. Initially, students were going to go to the small town outside of Sydney to volunteer for a variety of organizations, including a women’s shelter and a primary school, but administrators discovered a few days before the trip that insurance would not cover the planned activities.

“As far as Roar and Snore goes, we haven’t determined yet whether it’s something we’ll do in future semesters,” Barnes said.

As part of Roar and Snore, NYU Sydney students and staff were treated to

COURTESY OF BEN DUMOND

NYU Sydney students saw many local critters at the Taronga Zoo.

wine, cheese and crackers, followed by encounters with snakes and lizards. They were then served a buffet dinner and went on a walk through the zoo to observe the animals when the lights were out and the zoo was mostly empty. The next day, they woke up early to a sunrise over Sydney Harbour, followed by breakfast, feeding giraffes and petting animals like koalas and seals. After the early private tour of the zoo, NYU Sydney students were able to explore the zoo during public hours.

In addition to having the opportunity to view and pet animals like ringtail possums, echidnas and koalas, NYU Sydney students learned fun facts about the animals. Taronga zookeepers told students and staff how baby crocodiles squeak like birds, elephants have large breasts, lions enjoy the smell of Calvin Klein Obsession perfume and tigers love Whiskers cat food.

“I love seeing the reactions of Roar and Snore visitors to the zoo environment and when they hear the fun stories about all of the animals,” said Taronga zookeeper BobbyJo Clow, who has been involved in the program for two years.

Overall, NYU Sydney students were happy with their night at the zoo.

“I enjoyed petting the quokka because it has a funny name and it was very soft. The Tasmanian devil exhibit was also really cute,” said junior Monica Dietrich. “Although it was a let down to not go to Armidale, sleeping over at the zoo was great.”

Sarah Kamenetz is a foreign correspondent. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

NYU-Poly fosters new finance field

By ANDERS MELIN Joseph E. Stiglitz, a 2001 Nobel laureate, addressed the annual meeting of the Academy of Behavioral Finance and Economics at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU last week.

The Academy was founded five years ago to provide a forum dedicated to the exchange of research findings and professional advancement in the field of behavioral finance and economics. The 2012 annual meeting attracted more than 200 researchers and practitioners from all around the globe, who made a total of 100 presentations on their most recent research.

“We are very happy with it,” said Russell Yazdipour, conference co-chair and professor of finance at California State University. “The arrangement has grown each year and is an important forum for researchers in this field to exchange ideas.”

Philip Z. Maymin, assistant professor of finance and risk engineering at NYU-Poly, echoed his colleague’s words.

“This is my favorite conference of the year. Given that the field is so young, it’s embodied by a sense of pioneering that you don’t get in traditional finance,” Maymin said.

“Instead of competing, researchers help and support each other.”

Behavioral finance dates back no more than 30 years. Contrary to traditional finance, which is heavily reliant on mathematical models and static assumptions regarding investor rationality and availability of information, the behavioral field emphasizes cognitive psychology and how investors make decisions. Its fundamental assumptions are that all investors are emotional human beings who sometimes make irrational decisions, and not all investors have equal access to information.

During his address, Stiglitz discussed the topic of reforming finance and economics in the wake of the global financial crisis. The remaining 100 presentations covered topics ranging from information diffusion in the stock market to the correlation between work performance and marital status of American chief executive officers.

“A lot of the topics introduced at this meeting touch on things that directly affect the choices made by individual investors,” said Gregg Fisher, founder and president of investment management firm Gerstein Fisher, after finishing his presentation on the impact of large events, such as the dot-com bubble on investor decisions.

Fisher, who is also an adjunct professor of finance at NYU-Poly, praised the academy’s choice to arrange the conference at the Brooklyn campus­— home to one of the world’s leading financial engineering programs.

Computer science major senior Robert Godlewski was pleased to gain a new outlook on a traditional field through the academy’s presentations.

“I’m interested in getting a master in financial engineering, so getting a fresh perspective on finance, financial engineering and economics is helpful,” Godlewski said.

Anders Melin is a contributing writer. Email him at university@nyunews.com.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 | NYUNEWS.COM

FEATURES Award-winning women present prose, poetry

By PRIYA KAMDAR

Filled with people, smiles and laughter, the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House was set for a night of beautiful prose and poetry on Friday.

The epicenter of the NYU Creative Writing program hosted a reading that featured the 2012 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Awards winners.

The Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Awards program was created in 1995 by the celebrated late author. Grants of $30,000 are given to female writers of fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry who showed talent and promise in the early stages of their careers. This year, six writers were awarded grants.

“I’m amazed ... by Rona Jaffe’s incredible generosity,” said Rachel Swearingen, one of the award winners. “Writing is such a solitary experience, and the thought of this community will be a great source of support for me.”

Each award winner had the opportunity to present an excerpt from their work. Julia Elliot, a fiction writer, was the first to read. She draws inspi-

ration from the legacy of her family, where, according to Elliot, the “old southern tradition of hyperbolic storytelling, tall tales, yarns and lies, has always been alive and well.”

Elliot was followed by Christina Nichol, who read an excerpt from “Waiting for the Electricity,” her first novel, which is set in the Republic of Georgia. The grant Nichol received will help her travel and work on two other literary pieces. “[I plan to] revisit some of the places that originally inspired these stories, paying attention to those details that shake up old assumptions and reveal new possibilities of what it means to be human,” Nichol said.

The only poet among the winners, Lauren Goodwin Slaughter, read several poems at the event.

Slaughter’s poetry brings a playful perspective to its subjects, drawing inspiration from sources ranging from Facebook to religious hymns. “[I love the] visual elements of poetry, the fun of trying different forms and structures,” Slaughter said.

The night ended with readings by Kim Tingley and Inara

Verzemnieks, both creative nonfiction writers. Tingley read an excerpt from her book about the early history of Florida. A former journalist, Verzemnieks, read from her latest piece “The Last Days of the Baldock,” which is about homeless individuals who resided at an interstate rest stop close to Portland, Ore. Verzemnieks expanded on the idea of what this award means for her and her work.

“When you have fallen in love with a particular subject, when you are waking up in the middle of the night thinking about it, composing sentences when you should be asleep ... it’s so hard to focus on anything else,” Verzemnieks said. “[This award] will allow all of us to follow our passions, to devote ourselves completely to this thing that has gotten a hold of us.”

CAS freshman Megan Rafferty was in awe after the reading.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was absolutely blown away by these award winners,” Rafferty said.

Priya Kamdar is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

Documentary sheds new light on alternative energy

By JENNIFER LU As a society that relies heavily on oil for energy, we often forget we may run out of resources in the future. “Switch,” a new environmental awareness film, tries to remind us not to take our natural riches for granted by exploring various options for transitioning our global energy sources to prevent an energy crisis.

“Switch,” directed by Harry Lynch and starring geologist Dr. Scott Tinker, premiered at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema on Thursday, Sept. 20. The premiere was sponsored by NYU’s Center for Urban Sustainability and Progress, an applied science research institute that aims to increase energy efficiency and sustainability. “[We] hope to use New York City as a laboratory to develop new methodologies and then export those technologies to cities around the world,” said Dr. Steven Koonin, the director of CUSP and the second undersecretary in the U.S. Department of Energy.

Koonin is featured in “Switch” as one of many experts in the energy field. He praised the movie’s nuanced representation of environmental issues. “[‘Switch’ is a] very well done depiction of the challenges in changing the energy system,” he said.

To investigate what it was like to produce all the energy that fuels the Earth, Tinker and Lynch traveled to geothermal, wind, solar and nuclear power plants and facilities all around the world for two years.

“We knew what we wanted to look at, but we really didn’t know what we would find,” Lynch said.

After exploring the different types of potential energy for the future, Tinker concluded that the best option for increasing energy efficiency and sustain-

ability is to lessen the consumption of fossil fuels and switch over to natural resources, renewable energy and nuclear power.

After the film’s premiere on Thursday, the “Switch” team led a discussion about the film and gave the audience an opportunity to ask questions and engage in a conversation about alternative energy sources.

Several audience members raised concerns such as the lack of discussion about climate change and the government mandates involved in the switch to sustainable energy. However, Tinker said this film was more about raising possibilities about alternative energy resources than setting policies in stone.

“Our goal is just to get our eyes on energy,” Tinker said.

Despite these concerns, audience members felt the documentary was thought-provoking and many enjoyed the cinematography.

“It was very informative, and I liked that I got to see the inside of power plants,” said Malcolm Kim, a second year student at the NYU School of Law. NYU may already be on the way to sustainability. According to Jeremy Friedman, manager of Sustainability Initiatives at NYU, the university has cut 30 percent of energy consumption over the past five years.

“The key to our success and conservation is infrastructure and people,” Friedman said.

Dr. Tinker and Lynch will be self-distributing “Switch,” and they will be traveling to 50 universities this fall to show the documentary. They will also visit another 200 universities in spring of 2013. The film is playing at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema at 143 E. Houston St. through Sept. 24.

Jennifer Lu is a contributing writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

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Director Steven Koonin discusses the impending energy crisis.

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NYU grad shares Parisian love story in new memoir

By GRACE WHITNEY It was Hemingway who called Paris a moveable feast in his memoirs of the city. “It stays with you forever,” he wrote. Award-winning journalist and author Kati Marton has certainly found this to be true.

Marton recently released her memoir, “Paris: A Love Story,” which details love, loss and her memories of Paris. The memoir was presented at Barnes & Noble in TriBeCa on Thursday, Sept. 20. In her seventh book, Marton shared her reflections on the three stages of her Parisian life: first as a student, next as a young woman developing her career, then with the

JOON LEE FOR WSN

Award-winning author Kati Marton presented her seventh book at Barnes & Noble in TriBeCa.

man she loved — and lost.

“Everything good in my life seems to happen in Paris,” she said to an intimate crowd of friends and fans. “In a way, every story about Paris is a love story. So is mine.”

Marton, who is 63-years-old, is a former NPR and ABC News correspondent. She was married to late newsman Peter Jennings and then to diplomat Richard Holbooke, to whom the book is dedicated. “Paris” is already at the top of several best seller lists.

The book begins with the death of her husband, Holbrooke, in 2010. It then revists the many occasions when Paris meant something to her and what the city means to her today as she deals with grief and rebuilds her life.

The book is based on the journal she kept in the wake of her husband’s death and the letters she wrote as a student in Paris.

“It was very cathartic to write,” Marton said. “I had to pick myself up and get out my bubble of grief. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did.”

“One of the things about grief is that it’s not a straight line. Loss will find all of us,” Marton said. “Part of the reason this book is doing well ... is because it captures that human experience.”

CAS senior Claire Schmidt, who studied abroad in Paris, believes Marton describes Paris accurately and remembers her time there fondly.

“I lived on the seventh arrondissement, there would be children with baguettes, a church that would ring its bell every hour,” Schmidt said. “I think I was able to find home in Paris, just like I did in New York. It became home.”

Despite the grief described in her book, Marton’s experience is focused on love.

“After all,” she said, “how can you write a book that is centered in Paris and not have it be about love and light?”

Grace Whitney is a contributing writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

KOLLABORATION continued from PG. 1

Skirball hosts competition to empower Asian-American youths According to Linda Nguyen, Kollaboration’s volunteer manager, the staff started planning the event in February. The packed audience included not only NYU students, but also fans, friends and supporters of all ages.

“We hoped for a large audience who understood our motto [‘empowerment through entertainment’],” Nguyen said. “[I think] we went beyond our expectations.”

Founded in Los Angeles in 2000, Kollaboration seeks to empower Asian and Pacific Islander youths by providing an avenue for their creative energy. The movement has grown to encompass 13 cities across the United States and Canada. In the past, Kollaboration has helped support artists such as Kaba Modern, Far East Movement and BoA. Judging the competition were Ted Fu, the co-founder of YouTube channel Wong Fu; Miss Info, a radio presenter; Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai, a spoken word artist and Mikey Fresh, online editor of Vibe.com.

“I’ve never been to a Kollaboration event [as a judge],” Fu said. “I don’t know if I’m the best judge for talent, but [I’m looking for] personality, talent [and] overall stage appearance.”

After Wanted Ashiqz’s opening performance, the first half of the competition featured Brooklyn native John-Flor Sisante, Gallatin senior Justin Kim and Fordham sophomore Bea Go, all of whom

sang original songs. The Mooks, a competing dance group, ended the first half of the show.

Previous Kollaboration competitor, Mitchell Gray, participated in the second half of the competition, along with the individual singers and freestyle dance competitors. Singers Izzy Salinel and Quiwa, and dance group UFP followed in succession.

Guest performer Gabe Bondoc was the final performer for the show.

The performances were funny, energetic and, at times, poignant. Kim began by dedicating his song to his girlfriend in the crowd.

After he finished, he said, “I love being your boyfriend. So would you be my girlfriend?”

Quiwa dedicated his song to his family and loved ones, some of whom were in the audience.

“I’m really happy it’s so close to home,” Quiwa said. “[Sometimes] it’s so far away.”

Kim agreed that performing at Skirball is a different feeling.

“I know a lot of people in the audience,” he said. “It’s comforting.”

Bondoc revelled in the ways the performances give people inspiration.

“I think [Kollaboration] gives people an opportunity to see that you can make a living off what you feel you have to do in your heart,” Bondoc said.

Howard Lee is a contributing writer.

Email him at features@nyunews.com.

JEFFREY LIU FOR KOLLABORATION

John Quiwa was named the winner of Kollaboration last week.

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Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 City square 6 Thing on a cowboy’s boot 10 Arrow-shooting Greek god 14 Overhauled 15 Man, in Roma 16 “See for yourself!”

17 Almost round 18 ___ platter (order at a Polynesian restaurant) 19 Word before Susan or Sunday 20 Help for newbies 23 Prior to, in verse 24 Swiss river to the Rhine 25 Med. care options 26 There’s no such thing as this, according to a saying 31 Evening event 34 Kiev’s land: Abbr.

35 1964 Pontiac debut 36 ___ tube 37 Sandra of “Gidget” 38 Craft with a paddle 40 Columbo and others: Abbr.

41 “Ta-ta” 42 Graduation cap attachment 43 Really strong 47 Sound heard before an MGM film 48 Weekend NBC staple, for short 49 Be a thespian 52 First woman to sit in the British House of Commons 56 Six-sided solid 57 Home of Lima and Toledo 58 Not straight, as a street 59 The Bruins of the N.C.A.A.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE C A L I F

B A D A P P H O L M A E O K S O W L E T

A L A M O

S H O R E

S O U S A

O T R N A E Y G O D X N A A C I N S T D U P S T R O T E N F R E E I E S L E W H T H A E O R R M E

P R I M E R S S P I E L E R

M A V E R I C K A M A T O L

S T A B R E P E A B R O A K S S I T E R A M

D O R A G S

A P I N G

W A L D O

G L E S S

B E G E R I T A E S Y M E R O T O P T S E E S S

A S S A S S A Y

60 The Who’s “___ Get Fooled Again” 61 Parisian girlfriends 62 Barely made, with “out” 63 Caustic alkalis 64 “I came, I saw, I conquered,” e.g.

Down 1 Government investigation 2 Prying bar, e.g.

3 “Honesty is the best policy,” e.g.

4 Large-tubed pasta 5 Former German chancellor Konrad 6 A-one 7 Rain cats and dogs 8 Officials on a diamond 9 Not as gentle 10 Broadway’s “Billy ___” 11 Stop, Yield or No U Turn 12 Move like molasses 13 Wild blue yonder 21 Identify 22 Verbal hesitations 26 Rap’s Dr. ___ 27 Elizabeth I or II 28 Hawaiian instrument, for short 29 Oklahoma tribe 30 Christmas song 31 River deposit 32 Latch ___

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14

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28

34

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50

51

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13

25 27

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12

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40

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26 32

10 16

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No. 0820

39

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Puzzle by Robert Cirillo

33 Like a car or home, to State Farm 37 Prefix with functional 38 Arrange for transport to the airport, perhaps 39 Donkey 41 Nocturnal rodent hunter on a farm

42 Wee 44 Stop working, as a car battery 45 Farm bale 46 Broad ties 49 Heart chambers 50 Quiet places along a shore 51 Meeting for Romeo and Juliet

52 Word that can follow the starts of 20-, 26-, 43and 52-Across 53 Chips ___!

54 Number of “lives” a cat has 55 Kind of wrestling 56 Pool ball striker

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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY CHRIS DINARDO OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

LAW STAFF EDITORIAL

NYU trustee also bound by law

By JESSICA LITTMAN

In the past two weeks, members of NYU’s Student Labor Action Movement staged two protests over the unfair and illegal actions of NYU School of Law trustee Daniel Straus.

Straus, who funds the Straus Institute for Advanced Study of Law and Justice with annual donations of $1.25 million, has been under fire for nearly a year because of a dispute with workers at one of the nursing homes he runs in Connecticut. Workers there, who are members of the Service Employees International Union, have been on strike for two months — since Straus’ company implemented a new contract without the consent of the workers.

The new contract includes deep cuts to workers’ pay and benefits.

Straus and his company are now being prosecuted by the National Labor Relations Board. According to the NLRB, the contract that Straus’ company, HealthBridge Management, came up with and tried to impose was unfair, and the company used illegal

tactics to try to force workers and the union to accept it.

This sort of behavior towards workers is unacceptable, and it is shocking that an NYU trustee — especially one who donates to the study of law and justice — is the culprit here. Straus gives the fellows at the Institute $100,000 a year for research, while paying his nurses only $32,000 a year. A Straus fellowship includes a lunch allowance, while his nursing home employees had their paid lunch hours cut as part of his new contract.

During the first of NYU SLAM’s protests against Straus last week, counterprotesters showed up and threatened the students and striking workers. SLAM members and striking workers who were at the protest believe Straus hired these union thugs to interrupt a peaceful protest. While these claims have not been proven, it is hard to imagine who else would have wanted to interrupt a student protest that badly. I doubt the people who threatened protesting students felt so strongly that HealthBridge Management was definitively right in

a situation in which they — the union thugs — were not personally involved.

It is still unclear whether Straus arranged for union busters to disturb the protest and threaten students. But NYU should be investigating these accusations very seriously. If Straus is guilty of trying to violently disrupt a peaceful student protest, he should be removed as a trustee immediately. Even if Straus did not break the law on the NYU campus, the university must investigate and censure him for breaking it in his unfair treatment of union workers.

The NLRB case involving Straus has not closed yet, and perhaps the university should postpone judgment until the case is resolved. But if the illegality — not to mention the immorality — of Straus’ actions is proven, the university must seriously consider whether Daniel Straus is the sort of person who should be part of an Institute for Law and Justice.

Jessica Littman is deputy opinion editor. Email her at jlittman@nyunews.com.

FOREIGN

Cuban hunger strikes deserve attention

By CARLOS ESTEVEZ

While dozens of activists flocked to Washington Square Park for last weekend’s Folk Festival, a couple dozen Cuban dissidents conducted hunger strikes throughout Cuba. The protesters in the park consisted mainly of fringe groups opposed to capitalism — socialists and remnants of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Cuban dissidents sought the release of Jorge Vázquez Chaviano, a man who remained incarcerated even after fully serving his prison sentence. The Cuban government failed to provide a reason for prolonging his captivity — imposing a judgment without trial, as per usual.

The OWS activists sang tunes about protest while the anti-capitalists held up banners denouncing greed and debt. They presented an array of serious issues coupled with dubious solutions. The socialists in particular advocated an alternative form of government able to circumvent most of the ills faced by the United States. Their methods were far tamer than a hunger strike, and yet they garnered far more media attention.

Those demonstrating in favor of socialism packed their belongings at nightfall and simply returned to enjoying the full benefits of the

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capitalist society in which we live.

For those demonstrating against the self-declared socialist government in Cuba, nightfall only meant the inevitable continuation of hunger and exhaustion. In recent years, these hunger strikes have ended in death simply because of the Cuban government’s adversity to negotiation.

Surprisingly, such a blatant abuse of human rights did not receive widespread media attention in the United States. Within our campus, even among those immersed in activism and politics, few could speak of the Cuban dissident movement with authority.

This creates a paradoxical situation in which a society deeply concerned with freedom and human rights ignores the plight of a country located only ninety miles away from our coast.

Two major factors account for the lack of mainstream debates on Cuba: national security and public opinion. Cuba does not pose a liability to U.S. security nor does it possess significant economic assets. As a result, Cuba’s opposition movements have seldom garnered the media attention given to many countries of the Arab Spring. Yet Cuba’s democratic spring has dragged on for the past 20 years. Dissident movements against the authoritarian government have been met with imprisonment, torture and even execution.

Many believe Cuba boasts exemplary education and health care systems — even though the country is poor. These myths form part of the official government propaganda, which advertises Cuba as a country oppressed by U.S. influence. For example, the socialists at Washington Square Park advertised their message through the iconic image of Che Guevara. A prima facie, his image evokes an exalted notion of revolution, hope and the struggle for the working classes. The less glamorous truth regarding Guevara involves the routine execution of prisoners without trials and his role in creating Cuba’s current government. This duality helps us understand a country that some decry for its human rights records while others laud for its apparent progress.

Back in Cuba, dissidents halted their hunger strike after the government announced Chaviano’s ensuing release.

The courage of thirty citizens prevailed against a 50-year-old dictatorship. This episode highlights a continuous struggle for freedom within Cuba that will gain momentum as more people learn the truth. Unfortunately, this attention has yet to gain a foothold in the United States.

Carlos Estevez is a contributing columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

GOP voter ID laws are preventative Voter identification measures have met a contentious chorus of partisan voices on both sides. The issue arose throughout numerous Republican-led states, including highly publicized fights in Texas, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Proponents cite the need to prevent voter fraud, while opponents reply that these measures would keep a significant portion of legally registered voters away from the polls.

In this respect, voter ID laws are akin to using a bomb to kill a bug. Bipartisan commissions nationwide have failed to find widespread evidence that voter fraud even exists. Nonpartisan groups in many of these states with new ID laws have similarly come up empty. The hullabaloo surrounding voter fraud seems to be much ado about nothing. Instead, voter fraud is merely a ploy to disenfranchise voters who plan on voting for the opposing party.

Take Florida ­— new demands for proof of citizenship and photo ID ostracize 10 million Hispanic voters who seek to cast a vote this fall. Or Pennsylvania, where a bill signed in March by Republican Gov. Tom Corbett threatens to keep 10 percent of state-wide voters and 18 percent of Philadelphia voters from the ballot box . With a 44 percent population of African-Americans in Philadelphia, this voter ID law now indentures black voters and other marginalized groups who are unable to obtain valid identification primarily because of economic constraints.

In court last week, the American Civil Liberties Union claimed Pennsylvania has only issued nine percent of the total amount of IDs they estimate are necessary to ensure complete participation. Various issues, including costs associated with obtaining photo IDs, have been weighed, and the Supreme Court seems to be paving the way for the law to be blocked, at least until after the November election.

There is a deeper disconnect that is apparent here. Republicans, instead of supporting programs and policies intended to draw poor or minority voters to their side, would rather prevent them from voting altogether. Instead of providing African-Americans in Pennsylvania or Hispanics in Florida a voice, the GOP solution via voter ID laws, is to silence them.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD: Chris DiNardo (Chair), Jessica Littman (Co-Chair), Nathaniel Chumley, Christopher Drake, Sanchay Jain, Sasha Leshner, Peter Murphy, Raquel Woodruff and Richard Zhang.

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, NY 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 150 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title.

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

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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

SPORTS

EDITED BY THE WSN STAFF SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Violets start strong at Williams

WVOLLEYBALL continued from PG. 1

NYU wins Violet Classic for first time since 2010 season

By MARY JANE DUMANKAYA

JEREMY STEBENS FOR WSN

The Violets won 3-0 at this weekend’s tournament in Coles.

25-21, and 25-10.

“I wanted to focus on being a leader,” Mao said. “Coming into UAA I wanted to provide an example for all the freshmen.”

Freshman middle blocker Nicole Frias came out strong with seven kills and five block assists, a performance that led her to being named to the All-Tournament team.

“I didn’t expect to get it because I’m a freshman ... it’s a big boost of confidence,” Frias said.

The decisive game for the Violets against Frostburg was once again marked by great performances from Mao, who tallied 14 kills and 12 digs. Frias played well and had 10 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Allie Williams hit a team high of .571 with nine kills.

Led by their team captains, the Violets kept their momentum through three sets with great organization, defense and team chemistry.

“We had Alex and Kaylee returning and leading,” said head coach

Jolie Ward.

The final scores of the first two sets do not correctly illustrate NYU’s dominance over Frostburg, as most of Frostburg’s points were errors from NYU rather than earned points.

Only in the final set did the Violet’s defense falter, giving Frostburg their first lead of the match at 6-3.

NYU quickly came back, regaining the lead with four straight points.

The set ended 25-16 as the Violets kept up their ability to capitalize on Frostburg’s defensive errors.

When asked what she expects for the rest of the season, Ward said “I can’t guarantee W’s, but we will focus on our side to do our best work.”

The Violets return to the court against the Polytechnic Institute of NYU on Wednesday, Sept. 26, in Brooklyn, NY. Francisco Navas is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

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with in 24:15 for 66th place.

Freshmen Eloisa Cusi and Louisa Warwick both placed in the top 30, with Cusi finished 23:15 for 22nd and Warwick in 23:23 for 28th.

“I’m very used to running the 5K, so I was really nervous about how my race would play out,” Cusi said. “I just had to have faith in my training. I’m quite content with my result.”

Middlebury College came in third overall with 87 points, while host Williams finished first with 78 points and MIT came in second with 83 points.

NYU will compete at the Metro Championships in Van Cortland Park, in Riverdale, NY, on Oct. 5.

Mary Jane Dumankaya is a deputy sports editor. Email her at mdumankaya@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF NYU ATHLETICS

NYU men’s cross country ran an 8K course at Williams College.

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The NYU men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Williams Purple Valley Classic in Williamstown, Mass., this weekend.

The men’s cross country team, who placed first in their previous two meets, is currently ranked no. 19 in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III Top 35 Poll. The Violets competed on an 8K course and finished third with a total of 85 points. Host Williams College came in first with 39 points, and Middlebury College had 72 points for a second-place finish.

Senior captains Dylan Karten and Kevin Bonilla finished seconds behind each other in the top 15, with Karten coming in 10th with a time of 26:38 and Bonilla in 11th with 26:40.

“This weekend we saw some strong performances from our younger guys in the JV race,” Karten said. “In the varsity race, sophomore Sebastian Oja ran very well, moving up to run with the leaders at the end of the race.”

NYU’s top finisher, sophomore Sebastian Oja, finished fifth with a time of 26:22, only nine seconds behind the first-place finisher Ben Wallis of Tufts University. Oja has finished in the top five in every race this season and is already anticipating the Metro Championships.

“This was our first meet with some very competitive teams, so it was a good test to see where we are,” Oja said. “We continue to train hard and are looking forward to having a good show-

ing at Mets in two weeks.”

Other NYU top finishers were senior captain Dave Knowles in 31st and junior Ross Wistar in 33rd.

“If we can increase our depth up front, we will be a very competitive team come championship season,” Karten said.

“Right now we’re still training at a high volume and will see the results of our work in a few weeks.”

The NYU women’s cross country team competed on a 6K course at the Williams Classic and finished seventh out of 15 teams.

Seniors Kirsten Keller and Georgina Norton returned to competition after not running in last week’s tournament. The Violets’ top finisher was Keller, who had a time of 22:58 and came in 13th out of 215 runners.

Norton, who was recovering from the flu last week, finished

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