NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 40, No. 15
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
nyunews.com
Subway wall anti-jihad ads stir controversy
Lawsuit hits city against NYU2031
Advertisements from the American Freedom Defense Initiative were posted in ten New York City subway stops on Monday, Sept. 24. The ads, which will be posted for four weeks, display the sentences: “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” Pamela Geller, the executive director for the AFDI, said the intiative made the ads as a counterargument to the anti-Israel ad messages. “[Our purpose is] to tell the truth about the savage jihad war against innocent civilians,” Geller said. “[We hope to increase] public awareness of the nature and magnitude of the jihad threat.” The Metropolitan Transportation Authority originally rejected the ad because it
On Tuesday, 11 groups and 11 individuals banded together and filed a lawsuit against New York City for its approval of the NYU 2031 expansion plan. NYU 2031, dubbed the Sexton Plan after NYU president John Sexton, is the university’s plan to expand the campus by 6 million square feet by 2031. The City Council voted last month in a 44-1 decision to allow the university to proceed with its expansion plan. However, opponents have alleged that several government agencies, including the City Planning Commission and City Council, yielded to NYU demands and illegally granted public land to facilitate the project. “We are asking the courts to do what the university administration and city officials refused to do: listen to the public and the broader NYU community, consider alternatives and serious environmental impacts
By EMILY BELL
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By TONY CHAU
JOON LEE FOR WSN
Students get up close and personal with Sexton
Approximately 30 students throughout NYU were selected through a lottery system for a dinner with Sexton. The event was designed to create open communication between the president and student body.
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No Doubt reunion a mix of pop and punk
By ALEXANDRIA ETHRIDGE
During their time apart, the members of No Doubt embarked on individual projects and experimented with different styles of music. The most notable of these endeavors was lead singer Gwen Stefani’s pair of solo albums, which spawned numerous dance-pop hits such as “What You Waiting For?” and “Hollaback Girl.” Now, a decade after their last record, the band that brought ska-punk to the masses is back with “Push and Shove,” their sixth studio album that struggles between staying true to their punk roots and heading in a new pop direction.
COURTESY OF INTERSCOPE RECORDS
“Push and Shove” starts off poorly with chaotic tracks like “Settle Down” and “Looking
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Psychology prof wins theory award By KAITLIN GU
Tessa West, assistant professor of psychology at NYU, has spent her career researching race relationships between various racial and ethnic groups in the United States. West recently won the 2012 Theoretical Innovation Prize, which is awarded by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. “I try to capture the perspectives of both individuals involved in an action,” West said. Prior to starting her career at NYU, West attended the University of California, Santa Barbara as an undergraduate. She developed an avid interest in psychology and began doing research her freshman year. “[Research was] truly one of my best experiences in college,” West said.
She then went on to graduate school at the University of Connecticut where she received a doctorate in psychology. Through her investigations, West has been able to work with some of the most prominent figures in her field, to whom she attributes much of her current qualities. She completed her honors thesis under the direction of James Blascovich, a psychology professor at UCSB, and worked with David Kenny, a professor at UConn who was co-awarded the Theoretical Innovation Prize. West’s research focuses on the race relationships in the United States and the way these relationships have changed in modern society. “Racism is often expressed subtly, not overtly, and in many cases it can be difficult for in-
dividuals to know if they were treated a certain way because of their race,” West said. She said NYU has affected her research in many ways, as the university offers a diverse community in terms of race, nationality and beliefs, providing fuel for a bulk of her studies. “I have been pleasantly surprised at undergraduate students’ willingness to share their differing perspectives with myself and my graduate students,” West said. West’s research takes into account both sides of a relationship. She tries to figure out where both parties contrast and uses this information to improve interracial relationships. Many NYU students have shown interest in West’s work.
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