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Washington Square News

THE HUMAN RIGHTS WEEK

ISSUE PHOTOS BY JESUS KUMAMOTO, CHRISTIAN FORTE, AND DANIEL COLE

2 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

Groups rally against forced emigration

By CARMEN RUSSO Contributing Writer

An alliance of humanitarian groups rallied on Thompson Street at the south part of Washington Square Park on Saturday to raise awareness of the global crisis of forced migration brought on by recent media coverage of Syrian refugees.

The rally delved into the matter from a global perspective as speakers encouraged others to stand in solidarity with immigrants from Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Libya, Eritrea and Somalia. The rally also reminded the crowd of the struggle of immigrants who risk their lives to cross the Mexican border and to gain entry into the United States.

Saturday’s event was sponsored by Campaign for People’s Goals, International Migrants Alliance, International Action Center, International Tribunal of Conscience, The Migrant Center at St. Francis of Assisi and Fuerza Mundial Global.

Bernadette Ellorin, a representative of the Campaign for People’s Goals, said sus-

tainable migration goals look good on paper because they aim to eradicate poverty and provide resources to underdeveloped countries. However, Ellorin said, these goals are not practical and have not made any significant progress in amending the worldwide migration problem.

“The U.S. needs to stop funding mercenary armies that are causing forced displacement,” Ellorin said. “Migration is not a choice. It is a means to survive.

Mothers have to leave their children behind to raise other people’s children — that is not a choice.”

Ellorin helped organize the rally in response to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Summit, which was held this weekend at the UN headquarters in New York.

Although Ellorin’s organization is concerned with immigration issues globally, she said it is just as important to reach out to the general public at home to educate them on forced displacement.

Ayako Mie, an NYU graduate student at the Arthur L. Carter

Journalism Institute, attended the rally to learn about the migrants who survived their journeys to another country.

“I’m interested in how the immigrants can sustain their lives in a foreign country where they are often met with racism,” Mie said.

Camillo Perez Bustillo, rally speaker and representative of the International Tribunal of Conscience, organized a tribunal at NYU to discuss Mexico’s ongoing human rights crisis. The committee’s meeting marked the one-year anniversary of the 43 students who disappeared from Ayotzinapa, Mexico on Sept. 26, 2014.

“We convened to honor and commemorate their example against forced migration and displacement,” Bustillo said.

The event ended with a march to the Migrant Center at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi as people of all ages and backgrounds chanted for global solidarity and an end to funding wars abroad.

Rally in Washington Square Park demands nations open borders and provide safety for migrants.

Email Carmen Russo at news@nyunews.com.

Poly students join life on the Square

NYU student in North Korea appears on CNN

By JUSTINE MORRIS and CHRISTINE WANG Deputy News Editors

By BRIDGET BROWN Contributing Writer

VIA NYU.EDU

Students at NYU’s Brooklynbased Polytechnic School of Engineering can now live on NYU’s Manhattan campus, an option that was not available prior to this year.

NYU spokesperson Matt Nagel said the reason why some students have to live outside of their home campus did not meet the requirements for NYU’s guarantee of four years of housing.

According Nagel, the university has done its best to accommodate students who did not complete the requirements, such as meeting deadlines, but are still in need of university provided housing.

“Because we had a large demand for housing this year, some students who are no longer guaranteed housing, but were still seeking housing, were housed in Brooklyn,” Nagel said.

Poly sophomore Nick Read said living on the Manhattan campus has allowed him to experience more of the NYU community by living closer to many of the stu-

PHOTO BY JESUS KUMAMOTO

NYU Poly students are now allowed to live on the Manhattan campus. dents he will be graduating with.

“I’ve met a lot of cool kids recently who go to the main campus which is cool, and I connect with them as well as I connect to Poly kids,” Read said.

Read had initially planned to live in Brooklyn on Poly’s campus, but the university had no record of him signing up to live there.

Read was then assigned to dorm in Green House on the Manhattan campus, with only a 15 minute commute to his classes at Poly.

“I would definitely prefer to live over here, and I kind of found that out as I started adapting to Manhattan,” Read said.

Although living in Manhattan has its perks, Read noted a downside to living away from campus as well. He said certain programs required for his major are only available on the computers in the labs at Poly, making it more difficult to

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complete his assignments.

Poly sophomore Tim Welman said he prefers the Manhattan campus to that of Brooklyn because Poly only has one dining hall, and the variety of options at main campus has been refreshing. Welman also said he enjoyed the friendly nature of the Manhattan public.

“Food wise, it’s more convenient,” Welman said. “The random strangers you meet here are a lot more interesting. We’ll be walking and people will just come up to us and tell us their life stories.”

Nagel stated that many other students had the same desire as Read and Welman, and that there was more of a demand to live in Manhattan than there was to live in Brooklyn.

Email Bridget Brown at news@nyunews.com.

Stern junior Joo Won-moon, who made national headlines after he was arrested last April for illegally entering North Korea, was presented to the media last Friday, making a prepared statement.

Won-moon gave a speech praising North Korea and its government at Friday’s press conference. Others who have been detained in North Korea stated after their release that they were coached on what to say in such statements.

In his speech, Joo talked about his hopes for release.

“I broke the law by illegally entering, I will accept any judgement as given,” Won-moon said. “But, as a young college student who wanted to satisfy his curiousity, I hope to be treated generously.”

In an interview with CNN last spring, Won-moon said he had wanted to be arrested.

“I thought that by my entrance — illegally I acknowledge — that some great event could happen, and that event could affect the relations between the North and South,”

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Won-moon said.

Last spring, NYU spokesman John Beckman had confirmed that Won-moon attends NYU, but was not taking classes at the time and the university did not know of his travels or intentions.

“When we heard the news reports, NYU got in touch with the student’s family to express our concerns over his welfare and to convey our support. His well-being is in our thoughts and prayers,” Beckman told Newsday.

North Korean authorities have not disclosed whether they are going to prosecute or release Won-moon.

A spokesman for the South Korea’s Unification Ministry said last spring it was asking for Won-moon’s release.

“It is deeply regrettable that North Korea is detaining Joo Won-moon, who is a South Korean national, without any explanation to our government and his family,” the spokesman said. “The government strongly demands the North immediately release Joo and return him to the arms of his family.”

Email Justine and Christine at news@nyunews.com.

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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

Professor asks for NYUAD transparency

By KATI GARRITY contributing writer

VIA WIKIMEDIA.ORG

After threatening to expel Freshman Nia Mirza, NYU is now offering to pay her full housing costs.

Mirza gets financial aid after housing fight

By LEXI FAUNCE Deputy News Editor

NYU is offering to pay housing costs for LS freshman Nia Mirza after initially threatening to expel her for failing to comply with the school’s residential policy at global sites, it was announced last Friday.

The reported $11,486 in fees for oncampus accommodations at NYU’s Washington, D.C. location were originally too steep for Mirza and her family to afford. The university has now agreed to provide financial aid in order for Mirza to comply with NYU living regulations and continue her enrollment in the Liberal Studies Program.

Mirza said in a press release she would comply with moving into on-campus housing because she did not want to start a fight with the university. However, Mirza said NYU is exploiting its students because of its unpredictable behavior.

“I got a call from the dean, and he said that they will try their best to meet my need,” Mirza said in a press release. “It struck me as a very strong promise. I was very happy, and I’m convinced that they’re going to help me, but I also feel they’re inconsistent.”

Mirza initially drew attention in the media over the summer for creating a Change.org petition concerning the university’s recent increase in tuition and received more than 5,000 signatures online as of print. According to the Washington Post, the 19-year-old Pakistani was inspired to start the petition when the $64,000 annual cost of attending NYU increased to $71,000 after she had committed to the school through early decision.

Her conflict with the university continued over a misunderstanding in residence plans. NYU policy requires all students to live in oncampus housing at global sites, including the Washington location.

However, in order to cut down on costs, Mirza had requested an exemption from the university’s policy to live off campus with her aunt and uncle.

Mirza received emails from administration personnel who authorized the exception over the summer.

However, during the first week of school Mirza disclosed she would be living with different relatives than she originally intended.

This led the university to threaten expulsion if she refused to comply with NYU’s housing policy. The university revoked their exception and

required Mirza to either pay for on campus housing or withdraw from NYU altogether.

NYU Director of Global Programs Beth Haymaker corresponded with Mirza throughout the summer over email. Haymaker said living in NYU housing is a requirement of all first year students even though she acknowledged Mirza’s initial request to live with her family had been granted.

“Given that your initial, exceptionally-approved arrangement with your aunt and uncle is no longer available and that this new housing request has not been approved, you will need to move into the NYU DC residence immediately if you would like to continue at NYU for your undergraduate studies,” Haymaker said in an email to Mirza.

The issue garnered attention from NYU’s Student Labor Action Movement who held a protest supporting Mirza’s position on Friday, Sept. 18.

After demonstrating for roughly an hour, SLAM was invited to a meeting with Haymaker, NYU’s Dean of Liberal Studies Fred Schwarzbach and NYU spokesperson John Beckman to negotiate over Mirza’s specific case.

LS freshman and SLAM member Lina Wu said SLAM was trying to protect Mirza’s right to remain at the university and her rights as a student. Wu added that Mirza does not deserve to be punished for speaking out.

“The university’s decision was disturbing in the aspect that they changed their mind at the last minute and would actually be willing to go far enough to ruin someone’s future, because of this last minute decision,” Wu said. “I do personally believe they did this to take repercussions against Nia.” Mirza and SLAM consider the university’s recent decision a win in the fight against increasing tuition, saying that NYU showed a willingness to work with struggling students in order to find a compromise beneficial to both parties.

NYU spokesman Matt Nagel said NYU was not allowed to comment directly on Mirza’s case, but the school would do its best to help a student in need.

“Federal law prohibits us from talking about any individual’s situation,” Nagel said. “However, whenever a student with financial challenges reaches out to the university, we do our best to work with him or her.”

Email Lexi Faunce at lfaunce@nyunews.com.

In March 2015, NYU professor Andrew Ross was barred from boarding a flight to Abu Dhabi based on undisclosed “security reasons.” Now, Ross is calling for greater transparency from the university in what it is doing to get this ban lifted.

Ross teaches at NYU’s Manhattan campus, specializing in labor issues in the department of social and cultural analysis, and was conducting research on human rights violations in Abu Dhabi at the time of his travel bar.

The American Association of University Professors has expressed concerns over the denial of entry to Ross, saying it is a potential violation of the academic freedom they strive to achieve.

NYU is being urged by Ross and the AAUP to not only put in greater effort to lift the ban, but to make NYU’s agreement with the emirati authorities publicly available.

“The AAUP stands for transparency in universities’ affairs, especially when it comes to issues regarding academic freedom, yet we are repeatedly told that ‘transparency’ is not part of Abu Dhabi ‘culture,’” Ross said.

“NYU students and faculty have a right to know what agreements the administration enters into in our name, especially ones that have the potential to tarnish the university’s name.”

The AAUP’s original statement on academic freedom, published in 1940, addresses a desire for a free search for truth.

“Institutions of higher edu-

cation are conducted for the common good and not to further the interest of either the individual teacher or the institution as a whole,” the AAUP statement reads. “The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition.”

But NYU spokesman John Beckman explained the technical restrictions of releasing this document for public viewing.

“The agreement between NYU and the government of Abu Dhabi, forming NYU Abu Dhabi, contains confidential operating details and is therefore not a public document,” Beckman said. “In that way it’s similar to any standard business contract.

But key elements of it are public, including the commitment to the 1940 AAUP definition of academic freedom.”

Since the incident occurred, NYU has provided little information about how to remedy the delicate situation abroad. In the past, NYU has made clear that the Emirate government works with visa and immigration policy and that it is not the responsibility of the university to get the ban lifted.

In a letter to the AAUP on Sept. 1, NYU Provost David McLaughlin reiterates that NYU is in touch with the appropriate authorities and is doing the best that it can to get Ross’ ban revoked.

“NYU believes strongly in the principle of mobility for scholars in pursuing their research, participating in academic events and educating students,” the letter reads. “In the aftermath of Professor Ross being denied en-

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VIA NYU.EDU

Andrew Ross, professor at NYU calls for more transparency from the university after attempts to revoke his travel ban have been unsuccessful. try to the United Arab Emirates, the University expressed this sentiment publicly.”

Tisch junior Joanie Educate questioned how much authority NYU has over academic freedom in the UAE. “The Emirati authorities had every right to deny people entrance to the county,” Educate said. “But the question I have is at what point does an American university on foreign soil have their own rights to academic freedom and what rights fall in the hands of the nation’s government?”

Steinhardt sophomore Emma Murray said she felt uneasy about NYU’s handling of the situation.

“You would like to see the school taking more action against problems like this so that students won’t be worried about these issues when they study abroad,” Murray said.

Email Kati Garrity at news@nyunews.com.

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REVIEW

Politics, space sex at improv recital

By ERICA SABEL Contributing Writer

In continuation of NYU’s fall comedy show season, Hammerkatz presented their Fall Recital this past Saturday at Kimmel in two evening shows.

Online, they promised “an homage to the symphony, commemorating aspects of sound, rhythm and melody.” While the show did not necessarily involve actual symphonies, it did bring uproarious laughter.

The show opened with a sketch parodying the 2016 Republican debates. A well-played Megyn Kelly interviewed fictional nominees who all spoke on their willingness to speak their minds. After each politician made their identical vows, the redundancy became comically hyperbolic — by having each nominee reiterate each other’s political stance, this sketch satirized the lack of original thought in political debate.

The second political sketch from the night was a take on the famous Brown vs. Board of Education case. During a Parent-Teacher Association meeting taking place after the case’s verdict, frantic white parents are not concerned about black children allowed into school. Instead, they focus on how these children are going to get transported because the parents do not understand the concept of buses.

This sketch was a bit of a miss

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

Intern, released Sept. 25, stars Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway.

STAFF PHOTO BY HARK KANWAL

Hammerkatz performed a show in Kimmel on Saturday, Sept. 26. for Hammerkatz.

One of the night’s stand out sketches featured a declaration of love gone wrong. An astronaut (Russell Katz, tambourine) proclaims his love to another astronaut (Rachel Horwitz) as they make their way to Mars on a mission for NASA. When his love is not reciprocated, the space shuttle very quickly becomes awkward, as the astronaut had already declared to the galaxy that he would have space sex. The simplicity of the sketch had the audience chortling, and was definitely one of the best of the night.

Another of the night’s prominent sketches was a hilarious sketch in which two hosts of a ghost-hunter television program (John Higgins and Anna Lockwood) survey a house to speak with the paranormal.

The duo quickly discovers that the home did not house the historical values they were led

to believe — the house actually served as a gathering spot for orgies.

Hammerkatz’s video sketch remained one of the strongest parts of the show. Their parody of a Nike commercial was filmed so professionally that it is worthy of being on S.N.L..

Previous Hammerkatz commercial parodies like “Tampon Commercial - Presented by Men!” have a similar approach in adopting an extremist’s perspective to get a point across.

All of the sketches featured in the performance were humorous and professional, and the audience loved every minute. All NYU students should do themselves a favor and see a Hammerkatz show during their time here.

Hammerkatz’s next show at Kimmel is on Oct. 31.

Email Erica Sabel at entertainment@nyunews.com.

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DeNiro, Hathaway take on workplace comedy

By ANUBHUTI KUMAR Staff Writer

Modern workplace films like “The Internship” and “The Devil Wears Prada” star frazzled 20-somethings breaking into the job market hoping to rise to the top ranks. In “The Intern,” Robert DeNiro is a 70-year-old intern who comes out of retirement and must complete duties meant for people half his age. Nancy Meyers, director of heartwarming comedies like “The Parent Trap,” “Something’s Gotta Give” and “What Women Want” explores friendship in the workplace between boss Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) and Ben Whittaker (Robert DeNiro). “The Intern” uses their friendship to create a message that is deeply empowering to feminists.

This brilliantly touching and optimistic comedy explores the budding friendship between Ben, a retired businessman, and Jules, a successful entrepreneur of a start-up fashion retail website.

Ben, tired of retirement, applies to Jules’ company as a senior intern.

DeNiro’s portrayal of loyal company man Ben is a refreshingly earnest and optimistic perspective of the job market as well as a call against ageism. At the company, About the Fit, he acts as a grandfather figure with his helpful advice and caring gestures. While his colleagues dress in stained T-shirts and informal wear, Ben, who is dedicated to formality and professionalism, always insists on arriving to work in full suits. His attention to formalities is persistent — Ben never leaves the office before his boss. However, Ben’s kindness is parallel to Jules’ confidence. He respects and admires Jules as much as she respects him. This equality of respect across age, gender and job position makes “The Intern” a deeply feminist film.

The boss, Jules Ostin, started About a Fit a year ago before the movie begins and, judging from

her intensity and tendency to micro-manage, seems to have not slept since. Jules is a perfectionist — guarded of her personal life and wary of others, she sometimes alienates her staff with her reserved demeanor. Because of Jules’ hard work, her company has grown five years’ worth in a mere nine months, but now investors are pushing to have a more seasoned CEO to handle the expansion with finesse. Not one to give up easily, Jules oversees all aspects of this search. Jules’ refusal to completely give up her hardearned success is inspirational to females in the workplace.

Some of the stunts Ben must undertake are deliberately hilarious. For example, they break into a house to delete a mistakenly sent email. In another scene, Ben confronts a substanceabusing driver, leading to the latter’s unemployment. This entire scene of “The Intern” produces hysterical laughter.

The heart of this movie lies in Hathaway’s and DeNiro’s honest portrayals of their characters.

Hathaway is not only a successful businesswoman, but also a mother, wife and daughter. She may seem cold at times, but she always has everyone’s best interests at heart. Ben is a hard worker, emotional softy and feminist. Jules and Ben’s friendship grows as he wins her trust with his loyalty, experience and capability. He may be of a generation that is known for its criticism of today’s youth, but his optimism and willingness to learn and teach is thoroughly uplifting. Ben uses his years of experience to teach millennials how to be responsible and professional. “The Intern” leaves audiences with a new definition of what it means to be intern: a person who works to learn and grow individually as much as they help others to do the same.

Email Anubhuti Kumar at film@nyunews.com.

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MoMA’s ‘Picasso’ shows artist’s other side

By E.R. PULGAR Highlighter Editor

For the first time in nearly half a century, Pablo Picasso’s sculptures are on display in the United States at the Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition serves as a refreshingly different take on the iconic artist’s body of work, since Picasso is known for his paintings than his sculptures. This exhibition is the latest in a long line of Picasso galleries that have put MoMA on the art lover’s map.

Ann Temkin and Anne Umland of the MoMA’s painting and sculpture department are curating the exhibit in conjunction with Virginie Perdrisot, the sculpture curator at the Musée Picasso in Paris.

Picasso’s work is usually categorized by artistic period, but for this exhibition, the works are separated by material, each taking

up its own room and space within the museum. From the sheet metal sculptures to the clay works from his cubist period, it feels like walking into several different galleries, but the work is unmistakably Picasso. Notable among the cubist sculptures is “Head of a Woman,” one of several cubist studies of Picasso’s girlfriend at the time that deconstructs her form into fragments and brings forth a bust of compelling artistic merit.

Several others like it, particularly the sheet metal pieces, resemble the near-surrealist, broken bodies of Picasso’s “Guernica,” his famous painting created as a reaction to the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. The true stars of the exhibit are the six reproductions of sculptures “Glass of Absinthe,” which looked malleable as liquid.

Walking around the sculptures,

STAFF PHOTO BY HARK KANWAL

Picasso’s sheet metal sculptures bring in crowds of viewers to look at his use of negative space to create surreal pieces. which were spread evenly and given generous space to shine individually, comparisons with now-closed exhibit “Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs” come to mind. Both exhibits showcased a more experimental side of an iconic artist, and

Jeffery talks touring, new album

WSN: A majority of your first album was recorded in your selfbuilt studio. Did recording in a professional studio feel different?

KJ: We actually started to do the second one in the same studio but I felt like I needed to get out of that environment to finish the album, so we moved to the valley, in Los Angeles. We kept doing it by ourselves for a while, in a house we were living in, but I wanted to get someone to co-produce the album with us. I wanted to have a sounding board, you know? Someone who you trusted, that you could invite

MoMA at 3:47 a.m. with fellow nightcrawlers, surrounded by masterpieces.

“Picasso Sculpture” will run through Feb. 7, 2016.

Email E.R. Pulgar at epulgar@nyunews.com.

REVIEW

‘Heads’ portrays hostage experience

By KAT FADRILAN Contributing Writer

By ZANE WARMAN Staff Writer

Keith Jeffery is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Atlas Genius from Australia. Since the band’s conception, half its original members left — only two from the original group remain. The musicians in Atlas Genius are self-made men who went from indie to Warner Brothers signees and released their most recent album, “Inanimate Objects” in August. Calling in from a tour stop in Toronto, Jeffery spoke to WSN about the myth of the rushed sophomore release, working with a pop producer to construct a rawer record and having your primary fan base thousands of miles away.

boasted gallery space that encompassed several rooms. If the MoMA staff is wise, they will do another 24 hour showing the last week of the exhibit, as they did for the Matisse exhibit — there is truly nothing like walking the halls of

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

Keith Jeffery (left), lead vocalist of Atlas Genius talks to NYU. onto the team. And that’s not an easy task for us — we’re very particular — and I didn’t want someone just for the sake of it. It had to be the right person.

WSN: With your long touring schedules, the timetable for writing and recording “Inanimate Objects” must have been much more condensed. Was that a hard adjustment to make?

KJ: People often talk about the first album being the easiest because you have a lot of time to write it, but I actually felt like we had more time to get it right. It was such a mad rush to put an album together after “Trojans” started to blow up. We had an EP that we wrote shortly after that, put that out, then we started touring. That was a crazy, super rushed process. Initially, we thought we’d take three or four months off to do the album, but it took well over a year to do this album.

WSN: What was one of the lessons you learned while working on this record?

KJ: I had a really interesting moment about four or five months ago: I was in the complex in Los Angeles where we did the album, and there was a guy in the studio downstairs. We got chatty, we were talking about music and he wasn’t familiar with the band. He said, “what do you guys sound like?” The best thing to do is play a track — I can’t explain how it sounds, it’s more effective if you listen to the song. So I played “Trojans,” and I remember listening back and thinking, “man, I would change so many things about this song now.” The interesting lesson in that for me was at that point in time, it felt perfect. Yet four years later, we’re human beings that now aren’t satisfied with what I thought was perfection. The lesson is that there is no such thing as perfection; it’s really just your tastes. The thing is to get it as good as you possibly can without driving yourself insane, because sometimes the roughness or the imperfections are what make something beautiful.

Email Zane Warman at music@nyunews.com.

“Heads” provides a harrowing and rich storyline of four hostages imprisoned by terrorists in Iraq. Written by E.M. Lewis and directed by Laura Savia, “Heads” exhibits powerful writing and direction that makes the audience feel the characters’ confinement. Savia succeeds in conveying the intimacy between not only the actors, but also the audience.

Both actors and audience members are bound within gray, shabby walls of the theater — the audience endures the relentless monotony and the impending unease and anticipation of what the plot holds.

The strength in “Heads” is Lewis’s remarkable writing. Lewis’s ability to capture the characters’ essential nature in a short hour and a half allows the audience to understand and even care for each of them.

She unravels the severities and raw truths of wartime, in spite of never showing violence or the enemies.

The actors succeed in bringing to life the depth and authenticity of Lewis’s characters. José Leon plays Jack Velazquez, a freelance photojournalist, trapped in a cell with network journalist, Michael Aprés (Michael Turner). Though their characters contrast in personality, their chemistry presents a fraternal bond and provides an amicable harmony in the grim quarters. Turner flawlessly illustrates the timorous quality and relentless morality of his character, Michael, who is newly exposed to warfare. Leon plays the tough-skinned, experienced Jack, who has been held hostage before.

The dynamic between between a

new hostage and a returning one is well executed — this is a relationship that is rarely explored in art.

In the adjacent cell are Caroline Conway, a British embassy official (Kim Martin-Cotton) and Harold Wolfe (David Dotterer), an American engineer who has been held hostage the longest. Harold possesses a taciturn, noble quality that remains constant despite his seventh months of solitary imprisonment. He establishes this stoic voice by adopting a non-pessimistic outlook of the situation. However, Dotterer, though dedicated, steady and likable, has a shyness that cannot fulfill the gravitas and subtle strength that his character exemplifies.

Although the show exhibited engaging performances, Martin-Cotten proved to be the standout actor, gliding through each altering emotion of her character with candor and passion. She provided both comedic relief and heartbreaking moments with her witty jokes and stirring soliloquies. Performing some of the show’s most somber scenes, Martin-Cotton stole the show. She solidified her capability of presenting the greatest evolution amongst all characters.

With a magnetic cast, excellent writing and equally terrific direction, “Heads” establishes itself as a hidden, off-Broadway gem. It reveals a perspective of wartime that is alien and unfathomable to us, yet captivates the audience in understanding what hostages in wartime endure.

“Heads” closed on Sept. 20 for the 2015 season.

Email Kat Fadrilan at theater@nyunews.com.

6 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

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Top four Oktoberfest spots in NYC

By NIKKI LINK Contributing Writer

Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival, officially began on Sept. 19 in Munich, Germany. Inspired by the festivities that followed a royal wedding in 1810, Germans and tourists from all over the world spend two weeks carousing and eating to their hearts’ content. For those in New York City who cannot make it to the festival’s birthplace, smaller Oktoberfest celebrations are being held all across the city at various venues through Oct. 4.

Watermark Bar 78 South St. For the past two weekends, the Watermark Bar has offered a selection of German beer, brats and pretzels to enjoy on their terrace, which has spectacular views of Brooklyn. The events are free and familyfriendly, so while the adults en-

joy a cold brew, children can be kept occupied with face painting, ping pong or cornhole. At night, live music and light-up tables replace the picnic-style seating. There is even a heavy stein holding competition for the athletically-confident.

General manager Illinca Munteanu talked about the venue’s popularity suggesting that over 5,000 people attended just last weekend, going through 55 kegs of beer.

Munteanu predicts that the turnout for next weekend will be even bigger. Tickets are available online and cost $50 for a two hour unlimited drinking package.

Zum Schneider 107 Ave. C For those who prefer to attend a more traditional Oktoberfest celebration, head over to Zum Schneider. The Bavarian bierhaus offers several varieties of German beer served

in liter steins, as well as traditional accompaniments such as roasted almonds and pretzels.

If the food and drinks don’t convince guests that they’ve been transported to Munich, the restaurant’s lederhosenwearing staff and extensively decorated tent certainly surely will. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday and noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday the weekends of Oct. 2 and 9. General admission tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or at the door.

Aviator Sports 3159 Flatbush Ave. Oktoberfest has also found its way into Brooklyn. On Oct. 3, Aviator Sports will be hosting an outdoor cornhole tournament as part of their Oktoberfest festivities. While traditionally known as a backyard party game, cornhole actually has its roots in 14th-century Germany.

The tournament will be accom-

Alum Feature: Dot da Genius

By AICHA FALL Contributing Writer

While the hip-hop world may know him as Kid Cudi’s producer and right hand man, Oladipo Omishore, aka Dot da Genius, was an NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering student only a few years ago.

Since graduating in 2009, Dot da Genius has received a Grammy nomination for the smash hit “Day ‘N’ Nite,” worked with Kanye West and created his own record label, HeadBanga Muzik.

DDG, who once lived in Othmer Residence Hall, said his time at NYU was tough but exciting and mentioned that his degree is his greatest accomplishment, even above his music. His future plans include production for Jhene Aiko’s next album, his own debut album and an invention that may require the minds of other Poly alumni.

WSN: In this business, college degrees are few and far between. Why did you decide to get a degree?

DDG: My parents supported the music, very much so. They thought it was productive, and built my studio in the house, but my degree was the catch. They wouldn’t support it if I wasn’t in school.

WSN: How did you and Kid Cudi meet and wind up living together?

DDG: Ril, my manager, was working at Abercrombie and Fitch at the time, and Cudi just moved from Cleveland to New York and started working there, and they built a friendship. He played some of the music he was doing, and Ril referred him to me like ‘Yo, you

should mess with my boy Dot, like he just started making music.’ I literally had just started making beats so I still wasn’t good or great, but he came to my house and we just clicked immediately, so it turned from that to us making music every week. But Cudi has been to Poly numerous times, he would come to the dorms and to basketball games, because he was living at my parent’s home, and I was living in Othmer during the week, but I would just come back and on the weekend we would create.

a lot of unique music being made right now.

WSN: What would you say is your biggest accomplishment to date?

WSN: Are you still in touch with any professors or students from your time at NYU?

DDG: My degree and my daughter. I am not the type of person who likes to shoot off their accolades, and in this field I don’t have to mention that I went to school. But when the conversation comes around and I tell people I graduated from Poly, I studied electrical engineering, they are shocked. I don’t want to say it’s insulting, but it kind of is. It’s because I’m African-American, but I like that. Whatever views and preconceived notions they might have had are gone. They’re just like ‘Really? Wow,’ and I’m just like ‘yeah take that!’

WSN: Among all of your work, which tracks have been your favorite to create?

DDG: I really appreciate WZRD looking back at it. Like there’s a lot of things that me and Cudi talk about, like what we would’ve done differently, but some of those tracks just came together so well. It was work, but it was very fluid. WZRD, The Dream Time Machine and the stuff I’ve done with Jhene. We have

WSN: Which artists and/or producers inspired you while you were in school?

DDG: Hans Zimmer, Timbaland, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz, Kanye, The College Dropout came out my freshman year. So that was like ‘man, I want to be this guy at first. All of those people inspire me to keep pushing and trying to find myself through the music.

DDG: I’ve been recently reaching out to a couple of my classmates who used to help tutor me, just reaching out to them. Like let’s put our minds together and see if we can come up with something and maybe invent something.

WSN: Like an app?

DDG: Not necessarily an app, it could be like a piece of hardware or some type of technology.

WSN: Any advice for current students who want to go into the music industry?

DDG: No matter how hard it gets, stick it out. It’s worth it in the sense of what it does for you in the world.

But doing internships and building relationships in companies that can hire you after you graduate is probably the most important thing.

Email Aicha Fall at features@nyunews.com.

PHOTO BY POLINA BUCHAK

Watermark bar set up at Pier 15 Octoberfest festival panied by live music courtesy of Oompah band, DIE SPITZBAUM, games and beer. The event runs from noon to 4 p.m.

Tickets, which cost $40, can be purchased online.

Sunnyside Garden Park 48-21 39th Ave., Sunnyside, Queens

Oktoberfest celebrations, look no further than Sunnyside Garden Park. On Oct. 3 from 12 to 5 p.m., the members-only park will open its doors to the public.

Activities include a food festival featuring wine, beer and bratwurst, an arts and crafts fair, and a pumpkin patch. Admission is free.

Finally, for those who want to include the little ones in their

Email Nikki Link at features@nyunews.com.

Interested in working for us?

Drop by any time or come to our Sunday pitch meetings.

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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

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FEATURES

EDITED BY NINA JANG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

Four fall spots to go apple-picking

By TAYLOR NICOLE ROGERS Contributing Writer Whether you have lived in New York your entire life or if this fall will be the first time you see the trees of Washington Square change colors, here is your list of the best places to go apple picking this season.

Masker’s Orchard If you are looking to make a day out of your apple picking adventure, Masker’s Orchards in Warwick, New York is the place to be. In addition to apple picking, the orchard also offers a corn maze, a haunted house, live music and a country store. You can pick a bag of apples — half a bushel or about 22 pounds — for $26.95. The orchard is popular not only for its array of activities, but also because it is one of the easiest orchards to access without a car. Just take the New Jersey Transit bus from Port Authority in Midtown to Warwick Park & Ride.

Wilken’s Fruit & Fir Farm Those in search of a more tra-

ditional apple picking experience will love Wilken’s Fruit & Fir Farm in Yorktown Heights, New York. What Wilken’s lacks in bells and whistles it makes up for in country charm. Visitors can pick half a bushel of apples for about $30, depending on the weather and availability. If you’re looking for some Halloween decorations, pumpkin picking season will begin on Oct. 1..

Metro-North Railroad’s 869 from Grand Central Station and a short cab ride will get you there in under two hours.

Demarest Farms Orchard If you’re on a budget, head to Demarest Farms Orchard in Hillsdale, New Jersey. The $5 admissions fee includes a hayride and a visit with farm animals. For $9 more, you get a bag to fill with all the apples you can pick. To get Demarest, take New Jersey Transit Rail’s North Coast Line towards Long Branch, transfer to the Pascack Valley Line at Frank R Lautenberg Secaucus, and from the Hillsdale Station, take a taxi two miles down the road to the farm.

Fishkill Farms Environmentally conscious students should visit Fishkill Farms in Hopewell Junction, New York.

For $1.89 a pound, visitors can pick from nine varieties of sustainably grown apples in addition to corn, pumpkins and sunflowers. You will also be treated to hayrides and live music on weekends.

Even though it’s an hour and a half drive down Taconic State Parkway to get to the farm, it is worth the trip.

Your apple picking adventure will leave you with more apples than you can eat at once. Consider getting creative with them rather than just eating them with peanut butter. If you have access to a kitchen, try wrapping cubed apples tossed in melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in crescent roll dough (the kind that comes in refrigerated tubes).

Place them on a pan and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

You’ll be left with portable and delicious apple pies and a perfect reason to go apple picking again next year.

Email Taylor Nicole Rogers at dining@nyunews.com.

Fashion Week moves on to London

By NATALIA BARR Staff Writer

Once fashion fans took the departure from New York to London for the second location of Spring/ Summer 2016 Fashion Week, conventional styling took a departure as well. “Get the London look” may have just been the motto of this London Fashion Week, as designers sought individuality and advancements for their collections by appealing to new audiences and finding new inspirations.

While most designers seek to create sophisticated collections for mature audiences, Topshop Unique was all about appealing to the trendy, rebellious, partygoing youth, starting with seating British it-girls like Alexa Chung, Suki Waterhouse and Jourdan Dunn in their front row.

Menswear made an appearance in the collection, but a pinstripe blazer worn as a mini dress and sweater vests cinched at the waist with skinny leather belts gave each look a flirty vibe.

Feminine looks ruled over these menswear ensembles, however, including a strawberry patterned chiffon dress, silk blouses and even a pajama-inspired look complete with a robe reminiscent of New York Fashion Week.

Models came out with undone hair and bright red lips, making each look like the model had just reapplied her lipstick before entering the party.

Christopher Kane’s bright, bold and electric collection was unfettered and unexpected. Audiences were unsure what the designer would bring this season, considering he suffered the losses of both his mother and mentor in the past few weeks. A car-crash, disaster themed collection was the result, complete with sharp cutouts, angular shapes and spray-paint illusions. Neon was extremely prevalent in the collection, but through unexpected mediums, like a see-through lace top in neon green, yellow, orange and pink, or long multicolored fringe lining the hem of a skirt.

Perhaps what stood out most was Kane’s choice in accessories: zip-ties typically seen on garbage bags were worn as chokers and hair ties on the models. Hair and makeup stood out as well, sending models out with super-short, choppy bangs and little to no makeup with bushy brows.

Fashion-week-goers and the tech-savvy fashion-obsessed at home would agree that the Burberry Prorsum show was a true highlight of the week. Christopher Bailey and friends made history with a Snapchat sneak peak of the collection 24 hours before designs hit the runway. In a new partnership with Apple Music, the show featured live tunes by Alison Moyet and a 32-piece orchestra during the show.

Before anyone could ponder

how a centuries-old brand could hold the most progressive show of Fashion Week thus far, models walked down the runway with contemporary pieces and seemingly effortless styling.

Though the looks were more casual than Burberry’s past collections, the slip dresses, light summer trench coats and rubber-soled flat sandals were still chic and modern. Models also sported monogrammed nylon backpacks: a school-appropriate accessory that students could get behind. Oxblood lips added the perfect amount of sophistication to even the more casual looks.

Email Natalia Barr at bstyle@nyunews.com.

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

London Fashion Week ran from Sept 18 to Sept 22.

STAFF PHOTO BY CALVIN FALK

Chicken Chow Mein is an easy dish to cook in the dorms.

In the Kitchen: Chicken Chow Mein

By KYLE SALMON DROPPA Contributing Writer

NYU is home to several dining halls with a variety of options. Those living on campus often have kitchens as well, but many students feel hesitant to try cooking on campus and are not sure if it is even realistic. However, CAS sophomore Rachel Stratton studies psychology and finds the time to cook. This year Stratton still lives on campus, but has no meal plan and cooks a wide variety meals on a budget.

“I’ve cooked all my life because my mom can’t cook,” Stratton said. “Last year I had a meal plan, but I wanted to cook since I was used to it so much, so I had almost 50 meal swipes left at the end of the year.”

Stratton disagrees with the idea that cooking is more expensive or time consuming than eating out.

“When you consider the time it takes to go to a dining hall, order and wait for food, you could cook a quick meal in the same time,” Stratton said. “I spend around $60 a week and that gets me breakfast, lunch and dinner. And dessert — because I love dessert.”

Stratton usually gets her groceries from Food Emporium.

“I’m used to big grocery stores where you can find all the stuff that’s good for you and all the stuff that isn’t,” she said.

“Trader Joe’s is nice, but the lines are crazy.”

For those who want to quit dining halls altogether, Stratton recommends you start slowly.

“If you have some experience cooking I would try it out while you keep your meal plan,” Stratton said. “Then, if you want, you can reduce your meal plan.” Stratton ended up going from 300 swipes to 115.

When looking for easy recipes, Stratton turns to the Internet. “Definitely check out Pinterest,” Stratton said.

Stratton also gets inspiration from food blogs, like Cooking

Classy. Check out one of Stratton’s favorite recipes from the blog, chicken chow mein, below and see her prepare it in a video online.

Chicken Chow Mein Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 pound chow mein noodles or 8 ounce dry thin spaghetti 1 pound chicken, sliced into 1/2-inch thin strips 1 cup thinly sliced celery (2 stalks) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage 1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks (2 carrots) 4 green onions, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or more to taste) 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil Directions: Prepare noodles according to directions on package.

In a bowl whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil, and set aside. Heat oil in a wok or large and deep skillet over medium-high heat.

Add chicken and celery and cook until chicken is halfway cooked through, about 4 minutes (the edges of each piece should be white).

Add cabbage, carrots, green onions, and ginger and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until vegetables are tender and chicken fully is cooked.

Stir in pasta, then pour soy sauce mixture over top and toss to coat. Serve warm.

Note: Chow mein noodles, oyster sauce and sesame oil can be found at an Asian grocery like M2M. Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy.

Email Kyle Salmon Droppa at dining@nyunews.com.

8 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

THE HUMANS RIGHTS SYMPOSIUM

A group of 11 undergraduate and graduate students from various NYU schools spent the last summer interning across the globe to address human rights issues. These Gallatin Global Human Rights fellows were each given a grant to collaborate with organizations focused on matters such as LGBTQ rights and fair water access.

The Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights gives students the opportunity to extensively research current global human rights climate and actively apply them at internships across the globe. The program is comprised of a summer internship and two semesters of planning and analyzing that culminate in a presentation where the fellows share their findings with the NYU Community.

This year’s fellows presented at a symposium Thursday, speaking for ten minutes each in two panels. One panel moderator was Patrick McCreery, Gallatin’s Assistant Dean for Global Programs, who has seen increased growth in the program.

“In the first year, 2011, it was only open to Gallatin students, then we gradually opened it to all parts of NYU,” McCreery said. “We’ve had more and more applications — we’re seeing this really blossoming response.”

Vasuki Nesiah, Gallatin professor and Academic Director of the program, moderated the second panel. She was responsible for directing and guiding the fellows’ projects to completion.

“These students combine academic excellence with deep political commitments and brought a critically reflective sensibility to their work,” Nesiah said. “This year, I thought we had a particularly exciting range of civil and political rights and economic and social rights projects.”

Though the topics were as diverse as transient workers rights and digital privacy rights, the fellows all emphasized that connecting with and understanding each other is at the

BY GRACE HALIO AND DIAMOND NAGA SIU

core of human rights advancements.

One panelist, Steinhardt junior Shaquille Romblay, worked with Jamaican organization known as the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays. Their objective is to promote tolerance and acceptance of all, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Once you can find a way to connect with people, they kind of begin to understand,” said Romblay said. “They think, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be the person who will be made fun of,’ so we found ways to connect with the people who didn’t like the idea of J-FLAG.” An important facet of the fellowship is developing an understanding of human rights on a global scale. Fellow and Gallatin junior Robert Ascherman, who interned in South Africa with the Abahlali baseMjondolo (Shack Dwellers) Movement, explained how language use differs across the globe.

“They [shack dwellers] might not use the language ‘human rights’ — they laugh at me for using it — but they’ll say ‘I have a housing right,’” Ascherman said.

Regardless, the fact that populations everywhere are willing to speak out against injustice is what he found to be a major part of the movement.

“When I talk to a shack dweller in South Africa, they say ‘I’m born and I’m alive and I’m a human, so that means that I have a right to a home and I’m going to fight for it,’” Ascherman said. “That is human rights at its finest.”

Gallatin senior Jacqueline Hsia attended Gallatin’s Human Rights Week for the first time. She said the presentations helped contextualize some ofher studies as well as piqued her interest.

PHOTOS BY HON-LUM CHEUNG-CHENG

“I realized that human rights is more about governmental, top-down things,” Hsia said.

“It’s also so much about what we can do on a daily basis — being aware and kind of talking about it.”

Applications for the 2016 Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights, which are due on Oct. 30, can be found online at: http://gallatin.nyu.edu/ studentlife/scholarly/globalfellowship.html.

Email Grace Halio and Diamond Naga Siu at features@nyunews.com.

BY AUDREY DENG

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I realized that human rights is more about governmental, top-down things [...]

It’s also so much about what we can do on a daily basis — being aware and kind of talking about it

LOST TO HISTORY:

COVERING CONFLICT IN THE AGE OF ETERNAL PROTEST Photojournalism provides a visual history that both enriches and complicates our understanding of the world. In its wall-towall display of photos, the Gallatin School of Individualized Study launched Human Rights Week with “Lost to History: Covering Conflict in the Age of the Eternal Present” and aimed to illuminate stories that would otherwise go unseen or unheard.

Paired with the gallery opening was a panel discussion with photojournalists Andrea Bruce and Ron Haviv, along with Communications Director of Human Rights Watch Emma Daly.

The gallery comprises works by Bruce and Haviv, as well as NYU undergrads Emily Pederson and Karanjit Singh. All of the works in “Lost to History” are photographs — we see gold miners toil in Lamal (“Amazon Gold” by Haviv), families grieving after a brutal massacre in Chiapas (“Bitter Fruit: The Legacy of Impunity in Chiapas”

by Pederson) and Mariko, a Tibetan transgender woman who is preparing for the Miss Tibet Beauty Pageant.

PHOTOS BY HON-LUM CHEUNG-CHENG

Mariko’s story was captured by Singh, who was awarded the Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights for this Tibet-based photo series, “Dreaming Rangzen,” on display as part of “Lost to History.” There, he created photo narratives of the growing political and social unrest in Tibet’s youth.

With his depiction of a shifting Tibet, Singh’s photo collection reflects this persistency to use photography as a driving force, not a processing system.

“Something we are trying to do, something photojournalists are trying to do, is get other aspiring photographers to become more curious and start asking more questions rather than have simple answers,” Singh said.

Bruce uses a similarly inquisitive nature towards her photography. She is best known for her photographic work in Iraq and Afghanistan, where she captured the conflict between U.S. military and civilians.

Bruce’s contribution to “Lost in History” is a collection of photos titled “Living Under the Regime,” which focuses on the havoc civilians must endure in the aftermath of war.

In one particularly harrowing image, a man leans over his brother’s casket, shouting in rage—the deceased had died in battle while fighting in the Syrian Army.

Raising a camera at a funeral is highly intrusive, but for photojournalists like Bruce and Haviv, these tragic moments are critical to creating global impact.

“I went to one of my first funerals, and the family was inside with the person being prepared to be buried, and it was very emo-

tional, people were crying, and I thought it would be respectful if I waited outside,” Haviv said. “After standing there for about ten minutes, a family member came out of the house, physically grabbed me, dragged me into the house, and said, ‘Photograph my child and tell the world what happened.”

Bruce elaborated on the intimate relationship between the photographer and the photographed. “We are allowed and we are accepted by the people who we take photos of,” Bruce said. “I think people understand. I think they want to tell their story. This world is full of so many people that it’s nice to not be invisible, especially when you’re going through so much. I think people understand what we’re there for.”

“Lost to History” makes no excuse for the utter disregard Westerners have for people they cannot see. The gallery presents photojournalism as the crossroads of reporting and human interest. The strong ties between photojournalism and human rights make “Lost to History” a successful addition to Gallatin’s Human Right Week and to human rights in general.

“Lost to History” will remain at the Gallatin Galleries until Oct. 14th.

Email Audrey Deng at adeng@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

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Working to translate the right and wrong he’d been taught in school to the real world, BENJAMIN TALARICO turned his attention to human rights while traveling abroad before starting college. Talarico explored how political-economic changes in Burma affected the sense of humanity among its citizens while working with LGBTQ advocacy group Colours Rainbow. He is considering pursuing legal theory to look at human rights from a more critical perspective.

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Growing up in a conservative Sikh family in India, KARANJIT SINGH never really considered fighting for the rights of others due to his family’s own safety and security. After attending a protest in New Delhi that quickly became violent, Singh became interested in learning more about the plight of Tibetan exiles and the human rights violations they face. Working with Gu Chu Sum, he set out to photograph the problem in Tibet after realizing there was very little documentation of the problem there. Singh hopes to continue telling the stories of those who often get swept under the rug.

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MIN-WEI LEE found inspiration for her project about as close to home as it gets. Her documentary is about a Filipina domestic worker who has lived and worked in her home for over 15 years. Working with Transient Workers Count Too, Lee’s goal was to show how important and worthy of respect foreign domestic migrant workers are, despite the constant discrimination they face. Lee can see herself becoming involved in more documentary work or nongovernmental organization work in the future.

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PHOTOS VIA CALVIN FALK (1, 11), SAM BEARZI (2), HANNAH SHULMAN (3, 6), CARLY KRAKOW (4), HARK KANWAL (5), NYU.EDU (7), NADEEN SHAKER (8), JAKE QUAN (9), MATHILDE VAN TULDER (10)

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ROBERT ASCHERMAN first got involved in human rights by joining Students for Economic Justice and advocating for NYU to cut its support of banks who led New York’s foreclosure crisis. From this, Ascherman found an interest in housing as a human right and is continuing to work towards a society that is no longer wagebased. Ascherman worked with Abahlali base Mjondolo (Shack Dwellers) Movement South Africa to help impoverished people living in post-Apartheid South Africa.

CARLY KRAKOW was moved and shocked by the Palestinian water crisis that stems from denying resources to Palestinian refugees, so she used her project to look at the intersection of environmental concerns and human rights violations, with a particular focus on the Middle East and Northern Africa. She worked with NGO Mada al-Carmel to examine water quality and access in Palestine. She plans on pursuing a career in international law.

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A long-time lover of Arab prison literature, NADEEN SHAKER set out to gather prison narratives from Egypt, especially given the timing of Egypt’s turmoil. She worked with the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights on her thesis reporting project and hopes to become a human rights reporter.

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SHAQUILLE ROMBLAY applied for the Gallatin Global Fellowship to learn how to start fighting for equal human rights, with a particular focus on the LGBTQ community. Hoping to shine a light on the problems that members of the LGBTQ community face worldwide, Romblay interned in Kingston, Jamaica at Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays to investigate what has been called “the most homophobic place on Earth.” Romblay hopes to be a talk show host and to use her platform to be an advocate for others.

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TAMMY KREMER has always felt a responsibility to get involved in human rights, inspired by her family’s persecution as Jews. Taking to heart the words, “think globally, act locally,” Kremer worked with Zochrot in Tel Aviv to educate Israeli Jews on the plight of the Palestinian people. Kremer continues to work with the organization and helps organize short film screenings at NYU.

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After getting involved in journalism in high school, OLIVIA MARTIN discovered an interest in learning to question everything around her. For over a year, she has promoted human rights in the digital world through her work with human rights organization Access, and after working with them in Brussels, Belgium over the summer, she hopes to translate her work with them to a more global level.

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For AYANNA LEGROS, human rights have always been a topic of conversation in her home. Having two parents who immigrated to the United States after the Duvalier dictatorship in Haiti, it was important that Legros understood Latin American and Caribbean history. Now a student of Africana Studies in the Graduate School of Arts and Science, Legros has always been surrounded by issues of race and police brutality as a result of growing up in New York City. She interned with Foundation for the Development and Ethno-cultural Vindication of Afro-Descended Communities to inform young adults about racial discrimination.

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ED SHEVLIN has always been interested in his ancestral homeland of Ireland and remembers watching his people struggle under the atrocities the British government committed against them. After working with the Pat Finucane Centre in Belfast, Ireland, Shevlin is continuing his work in New York City to look at the judicial transgressions committed by the British government in Ireland.

10 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

OPINION

EDITED BY TOMMY COLLISON OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

CITIZENSHIP

Birthright citzenship should not be dismissed

By ANAND BALAJI Contributing Writer Birthright citizenship, the doctrine guaranteeing that all people born on U.S. soil are granted U.S. citizenship, has been guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution since 1868. However, during the recent scramble for the Republican presidential nomination, the topic of birthright citizenship has become one of the major talking points among party frontrunners.

Donald Trump and Sen. Rand Paul have both called for an outright rejection of the law, while former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio have acknowledged the problems the law presents while deferring to the authority of the Constitution.

While the thought of voiding the 14th Amendment may seem enticing in the face of the current immigration rhetoric, ignoring birthright citizenship would have drastic consequences for equality and fairness in the United States.

The 14th Amendment was passed after the Civil War to ensure freed slaves were integrated into U.S. society as equal citizens.

While the law seems straightforward in its directive, the Amendment states that the person has to be “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. to gain citizenship.

Modern opponents of birthright citizenship have pounced upon that phrase, claiming that it indicates children born to parents with allegiances to other countries

should be denied citizenship. The Supreme Court had dismissed that interpretation in 1898 when it granted citizenship to a man born in San Francisco even though his parents were Chinese citizens.

Despite this, Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump insist upon misinterpreting the 14th amendment to play to their party base.

One of the more troubling implications of this misinterpretation

has to do with the equality of all American citizens regardless of what family they were born into. A nation without birthright citizenship creates a hierarchy differentiating Americans based on what citizenship their parents hold — something that seems contradictory to the values of our country.

If being born on a nation’s soil isn’t one of the most important factors in determining citizenship, it’s hard to say what citizenship really means.

Though the media has been intensely covering the campaign against birthright citizenship, the debate is based on widespread misinformation. Amending the Constitution is immensely difficult — the last amendment

was ratified 23 years ago — and the nation’s time and resources could be put to better use. Republican candidates have also been warning of the dangers of “anchor babies.” This claim overestimates the power that the child has in securing the citizenship of his or her parents — a child in the United States rarely reduces the parents’ chances for deportation. While terminating birthright citizenship might seem like a quick fix to Republican’s immigration problems, ignoring the 14th Amendment would likely do little to solve the problem, compromising equality in the process.

Email Anand Balaji at opinion@nyunews.com.

DISCRIMINATION

United States can and must do better on international stage

By PRAGYA GIANANI Contributing Writer The United States is still considered by many to be the most advanced country in the world, especially to those in developing countries. It is hard for some to imagine a world that doesn’t revolve around the United States, but it would be wise to try. As a third-culture kid — someone who has spent most of their childhood outside of their parents’ culture — who hails from a developing secular democratic country and having been raised in a developed Islamic federation, I believe this country still has a long way to go to achieve the paradisiacal status it claims to have internationally.

That said, New York City always puts me in a state of amazement. And while others share that wonder, I notice that the people who live in this city treat me differently than they do others. They express surprise at my impeccable English, and I have to wonder what my skin-tone or background has to do with my ability to speak a language that is spoken by around 1.5 billion people worldwide. Perhaps it’s the fact that I speak “American,” as Sarah Palin puts it, even though I’m not from this country. Furthermore, for an agnostic who is used to hearing the Mullah’s call to prayer, not eating around friends who are fasting during

Ramadan and the glory that are Eid feasts, it is undoubtedly jarring to be faced with news of the arrest of 14-yearold Ahmed Mohamed.

But even before Ahmed’s arrest, I knew about the faults of the United States. I could point to the fact that non-white Americans are disproportionately the victims of police violence, and that Planned Parenthood, an organization that

spends 97 percent of its revenue on health-care services besides abortion, is constantly vilified by Fox News, a channel that boasts the slogan “Fair and Balanced.” I could also point to a statistic from the year 2013, when toddlers accidentally discharging guns killed more Americans than the terrorists behind the Boston Marathon Bombing. The most damning evidence, I would say, would be my knowledge of these facts despite being an international student, and the general ignorance that prevails around anyone not from the immediate West.

I wouldn’t be here paying the exorbitant tuition if the United States was horrific.

There is beauty, liberty and opportunity here that we would be hard pressed to achieve anywhere else. In comparison to several developing countries, all the aforementioned issues would be irrelevant and unworthy of comment due to their insignificance. This is a nation that has already begun to challenge preconceived notions I held and introduced me to the freedom of being myself.

I do, however, refuse to buy into the idea that this is the best this country can do. The condition that this country is in is not the peak of its ability.

We can do better.

Email Pragya Gianani at opinion@nyunews.com.

MILENNIALS

Today’s students losing the art of listening

By SUNNY HONG Contributing Writer A study by Microsoft released in the spring underscored a worrying consequence to the ubiquity of cellphones. It found that the human attention span has dwindled down from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013, a second less than a goldfish’s purported attention span. The research proves that our ability to focus is not only getting worse, but our social interactions are also taking a hit too. We are all familiar with the experience of being in a circle of friends, having a good time and enjoying each other’s company. As the

conversation flows and the night goes on, it is likely that at least one person is on their phone. At one point of the night, they look up and say, “What? I didn’t hear that.” This is concerning, given that a study from 2012 found that people who had conversations in the absence of mobile devices showed higher levels of empathetic concern compared to conversations in presence of of mobile devices. While this shift should worry everyone, it is particularly concerning to college students. These years are a formative period for students, and it is imperative we not let these years pass distracted by technology.

The rise of laptops in the classroom has catalyzed a new debate on how students should take notes, but this doesn’t take into account how technology changes how students interact with one another before they leave their dorm in the morning. According to another recent study, 62 percent of students either text, talk on the phone or use a computer

or tablet while they are with other students. In a world driven by digital distractions, we are losing the art of listening, our ability to empathize and to interact with the people around us. While there are benefits to technological advances that can increase capability for socialization, the virtual world leads us — quite ironically — to social isolation.

Technology affects how we interact with each other on an interpersonal level, especially when it comes to the listening portion of communication.

The art of listening can take many forms — from walking in New York City to interacting with students and professors in

the classroom. By centering our attention to the small screen in our palms, we shut out the world beyond our device. Listening also helps us react to our environment quicker than any other senses — NYU Public Safety emails stress not using headphones while walking around the city precisely because it reduces this ability to stay safe. We need to evaluate how they use technology and ask ourselves whether it truly connects us or isolates us from one another. It is time that we put our phones down and listen to the world around us.

Email Sunny Hong at opinion@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY TOMMY COLLISON OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

STAFF EDITORIAL

#ShoutYourAbortion’s bravery born of necessity

By ELIZABETH MOORE Contributing Writer In reaction to the House of Representatives vote on Sept. 19 to defund Planned Parenthood, the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion has erupted on Twitter with women unapologetically sharing their abortion experiences. The hashtag originated with a post by Seattle-based activist Amelia Bonow who decided to end the silence surrounding her own abortion and share on social media her “inexpressible level of gratitude” for Planned Parenthood and how having an abortion made her “happy in a totally unqualified way.” Bonow and those who have followed her in breaking the silence should be commended for taking a necessary step toward changing the conversation that has shrouded women’s reproductive healthcare in shame for so long.

Despite the Supreme Court’s legalization of abortion in 1973 with Roe v. Wade, social acceptance of the practice has moved forward at a glacial pace. Nearly one in three women exercise this legal right before the age of 45, and yet a culture of fear and silence has been allowed to per-

sist, giving anti-abortion proponents free reign to label these women and affect legislation that effectively denies women access to reproductive healthcare. The resulting rhetoric depicts abortion as a mistake that women will regret being conned into by greedy doctors, when in fact over 95 percent of those who choose to end their pregnancies feel no such remorse.

In openly sharing their multitude of positive experiences, the women behind the #SYA movement are playing a major role in destigmatizing abortion practices, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy. It is often tempting to defend abortion by citing extreme cases; rape, incest, and life-threatening pregnancies are frequently used examples. However, this only serves to imply that women who engaged

in consensual sex and simply weren’t ready to become mothers are somehow less deserving of their legal right to choose. The path to acceptance of abortion is one that must encompass the full range of factors women consider in their decisions to end their pregnancies. The movement suffers when silence forces those who are vocally pro-choice to adhere to pro-life rhetoric. In order to achieve progress, supporters must be able to defend all abortions instead of defending some by rejecting others.

Given the current political climate, a woman publicly announcing her abortion is taking a big risk, being forced to fend off the attacks and labels that society places upon her.

However, it is a risk she must take if this political climate is ever going to change. And recognizing this risk makes the bravery of the women openly sharing their abortion stories that much more laudable. It is time for women to shed their shame and publicly lay claim to their legal reproductive rights. Abortion is a word to be shouted, not whispered.

Email Elizabeth Moore at opinion@nyunews.com.

UNITED NATIONS

Revised UN goals show promise

By TEGAN JOSEPH MOSUGU Contributing Writer

Following the conclusion of the the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on Sunday, concerns have emerged as to whether global leaders are moving in a wrong direction now that the Millennium Development Goals set out in 2000 have expired. The new 17 Sustainable Development Goals look to achieve three things in the next 15 years: ending poverty, fighting inequality and fixing climate change. However, the consensus among world leaders —193 of whom have signed onto these goals — ignores the fact that they fail to see the greater picture. We consistently fail to translate great theories on paper into practices that can produce real-world solutions. The cycle is perpetuated over and over again; the national agenda shifts only for a few countries. Instead of focusing solely on customized or even regional goals, we must establish a practical iron-clad standard and develop the resources necessary to to meet that standard.

Financing the Sustainable Develop-

SUBMITTING TO

11

ment Goals will be an arduous task.

Humanitarian assistance and international development happens only when there are enough resources.

Without them, state and non-state actors are unable to undertake such grandiose goals, and countries in the global south already struggle with their debt burden. These countries scramble around for money and borrow from richer, more developed nations, perpetuating this debt problem.

Countries should be given flexibility when it comes to prioritizing which of the goals they want to achieve. It would be impractical for any country to expect to achieve all of their targets by 2030, especially since the language of the SDGs is loose and ambiguous.

In order for these goals to be effective, the language not only needs to

be honed, but some goals must be more country-specific.

I still believe that there could have been revisions to the MDGs, which did see some success. Before we forget the MDGs, the UN must identify these key areas of success, and decide how best to replicate that success under the new framework. Several countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have achieved some form of universal primary education or are working towards it. Others have seen a dramatic reduction in the prevalence rate of communicable diseases such as malaria HIV/AIDS, an increase in women participation in government and an overall decline in maternal mortality rates. This is because the older framework put more pressure on national agents to focus on key primary issues in areas affecting the masses. That said, the new ideals offer and encourage cross-sectoral collaboration among stakeholders and practitioners, something which has been a serious challenge in modern international development.

Email Tegan Joseph Mosugu at opinion@nyunews.com.

US drone program morally indefensible

Sept. 30 marks four years since the Obama administration assassinated the first American citizen with a drone. Anwar alAwlaki, a New Mexico-born Muslim cleric, became known in the aftermath of 9/11 as a spokesperson for the Muslim community, but over the years began spreading radical Islamic ideology in magazines and YouTube videos. He was deemed an “imminent threat” by the U.S. military and killed in Yemen in 2010.

The current Islamic terrorism threat, which continues despite al-Awlaki’s death, underscores the misguidedness of American drone strikes. These strikes serve only to undermine stability in the regions they target and incite hatred of the West, all while ignoring its targets’ rights.

The appeal of using drone strikes to target national threats is understandable, as they shield pilots from danger. However, the ineffectiveness of these attacks outweighs the appeal significantly. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of Al Qaeda, was targeted for drone strikes twice in ten months. 76 children and 29 adults were killed in these two strikes, but eight years later, Zawahiri continues to lead the terrorist group.

As the target of a government execution without trial, Al-Awlaki was denied his constitutional right to due process. Despite senior White House officials referring to al-Awlaki as a “senior operative in Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen,” the Obama administration never provided evidence of his ties with the organization. Additionally, Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old son, was killed by mistake two weeks later, a move excused by the former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs as being caused by a lack of good parenting. This blase attitude and shroud of secrecy undermines the country’s democratic foundation and is morally indefensible. The U.S. cannot act outside the bounds of the Constitution with vague, unsubstantiated justifications of “imminent threats.”

The drone program’s track record has been abysmal. According to a Massey University report, only 17 percent of drone strikes even hit their intended area of attack. Moreover, the University of Massachusetts reports that for every al-Qaeda member killed by a drone strike, 50 civilians are inadvertently killed, while the University of Nebraska found that for every strike, there is an increase of more than five terrorist attacks the following week. These indiscriminate killings only give terrorists justification, making martyrs of the dead.

The U.S. must revisit its drone policy in light of the anniversary of al-Awlaki’s death. The Obama administration needs to be more transparent when justifying its targets, and the ease of drone strikes must not supercede the rights of U.S. citizens to a trial. The only way the U.S. can claim to be using its drones responsibly is when civilian casualties are reduced to zero.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD: Tommy Collison (Chair), Richard Shu (Co-chair)

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, N.Y. 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and

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

12 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

SPORTS

EDITED BY BOBBY WAGNER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Cross country on track to triumph

By RACHEL RUECKER Contributing Writer VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

NYU Hockey talks about their goals for the upcoming season.

Hockey plans to ‘fail their way to success’

By BOBBY WAGNER Sports Editor Defending a national championship is one of the tallest orders in sports. But when you lose 12 players, that challenge becomes entirely different. That’s why NYU men’s hockey coach Chris Cosentino is making sure that with the team’s home opener slated for Oct. 2 against the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, his team understands this season is completely independent from last season.

“On day one we sent the message that this year’s team is not last year’s team, and it wouldn’t be fair to compare the two,” Cosentino said. “We have a 50/50 split of returning players and new players, so there is a strong core group returning whose experience will be incredibly valuable, but it will be a process to put it all together.”

It’s that process that will determine this team’s character.

Last year’s team faced a difficult schedule on and off the ice as starting goaltender Sam Daley was sidelined. To overcome these obstacles, the team had to grow into form over the course of an entire season and, in many ways, an entire career for the seniors.

They hit their peak at the end of the season, qualifying for nationals and never looking back. But they were only able to peak at the right time because of what they’d learned over the course of a few seasons together.

“In a lot of ways, last year’s team really failed their way to success, and it took time for us to learn how to be champions,” Cosentino said. “Obviously they were good athletes and hockey players, but becoming a champion came from their ability to overcome adversity.”

A team that averaged just under 4.5 goals per game will get back two forwards, sophomores Michael Conslato and Steven Esposito, who were both in the top five in points for the Violets last

season. As just freshmen, both players had a +/- of 16 and saw considerable time on the ice in their run to being crowned national champions. Esposito, only a year away from knowing how it feels to be the new kid on the team, has been named an assistant captain and plans to impart the same wisdom and leadership that his captains from last season gave to him.

“It means there are a lot of guys on our team who look at me as a leader,” Esposito said.

“As a leader I have to set a good example both on and off the ice.”

On the defensive side of the puck, the Violets are anchored by senior captain Gabe Gollette, who played in all but one of the team’s games last season.

Between the posts, they have a three-way battle for the starting spot — Daley, a senior, and sophomores Jack Nebe and Alec Hardman, will all compete for ice time. Nebe led the three in GAA last season at just under two, but the competition has remained intense. Cosentin firmly believes their competition will be healthy for the team.

“They have a great bond and they really push each other to become better every day,” Cosentino said. “Coach Dan Fortunato Sr. has done a great job with them and it is going to be fun to see how this thing plays out.”

If freshmen can step in and assume the roles that players like Esposito, Conslato and Nebe served last year, this team has as good a shot as any to repeat as national champions.

“The incoming group is skilled, big and have strong playing experience at the junior and/or prep school level,” Cosentino said. “There will certainly be an adjustment for them as studentathletes at NYU, but I really like the way they are fitting into our culture. There is still a lot to learn about this team.”

Email Bobby Wagner at bwagner@nyunews.com.

NYU’s cross-country teams were back in action this weekend in their second contest of the year at the Dickinson Long-Short Invitational in Newville, Pennsylvania.

Another strong showing from the men’s team saw them come in third place with only Carnegie Mellon and host Dickinson besting them. On the 8k course, NYU had seven finishers among the Top 25 — of nearly 200 runners — including exciting displays from junior Jorge Maldonado (25:58) who finished third, Karn Setya (26:01) who was not far behind in fourth, though a wrong turn cost Setya what could’ve been a victory. Competitive performances were also delivered by 11th place finisher, sophomore Neil Saddler (26:26); 14th place finisher, sophomore Max Mudd (26:39); 17th place finisher, senior Daniel Rieger (26:42); 22nd place finisher, senior Tanner McMahon (26:59); and 25th place finisher, sophomore Jordan Reyes (27:18). The 4k had successes of its own with junior Nick Karam (12:24) coming in seventh and freshman Matt Osubor ten spots behind.

Osubor said he will use this ex-

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Saddler (left) and Corsaro (right) compete at the Dickinson LongShort Invitational. perience to vault himself into better contention for the rest of the season.

“It was a great learning experience for us younger guys and hopefully we can put what we learned into practice in two weeks,” Osubor said. “The older guys were fantastic — solid and consistent — and that’s what we’ll need moving forward.”

For a sport that is a general crescendo towards the end of the season, Maldonado believes their success will carry over to other competitions later on.

“The whole team gave a solid performance that should be a good indicator of what’s to come,” Maldonado said. “The season is long so we look forward to giving our best when it matters most.”

The Violet women also ran well, with the seniors showing dominance in their last year on the team. The 4k saw seniors Lily Corsaro and Becky Turlip come in ninth and fourteenth with times of 15:23 and

15:42, respectively. A scoring issue — in which runners finished in the wrong chutes and scorer’s combined 4k and 6k times — prevented senior Sarah Sisk, who also serves as the team’s captain, from showing up on the results page. Freshman Stephanie Brooks also competed in the 4k, completing the course with a time of 18:14.

In the women’s 6k, junior Erica Bohdan was the highest finisher for the Violets, with a placement of 18th and a time of 23:52. Other finishers in the 6k included sophomores Hannah Haley, Emily Dethlefs, Maggie Lalowski and Lara Dorsky, who came in 25th, 26th, 27th and 44th, respectively.

The Violets will continue working hard to maintain this positive trend in preparation for the NYC Metropolitan Championship on Oct. 9th at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

Email Rachel Ruecker at sports@nyunews.com.

Violet volleyball kills it at Baruch

By BRANDON HERRERA Contributing Writer

Looking to break a run of inconsistent play, the NYU women’s volleyball team came out on top in both of their matches during a double-header hosted by Baruch College. Their second win was arguably their best of the season as they fought to get a grind-it-out win, which they hope will garner some momentum for their upcoming slate of league games.

The Violets (9-7), behind sophomore Rayne Ellis’ dominant performance, had no problem in taking down Baruch, the hosts, in their first game. Ellis hit for .615 and posted match bests in kills (10), total blocks (4) and points (12.0). After cruising through the opening set, NYU never looked back and quickly won the next two capping off 3-0 victory.

The team’s second match was against Haverford College (9-5).

It was a game that really put the team’s mental strength to the test. NYU found themselves in an

0-2 hole after a tough go in the second set of the match, giving up a 24-21 lead due to a late run by the Fords. Haverford College took the set’s final five points and were in perfect position to sweep NYU. Although the task seemed daunting, the Violets left those last two sets in the past and came storming back, winning the last three sets.

“Sometimes we play teams that just overpower us, and we don’t adjust,” Ellis said. “But today we showed what we we are made of. Everyone individually had their own great game, and that’s why we won. The win that we achieved today was rare; we actually earned it.”

Senior outside hitter Nicole Frias, the team’s captain, finished with a team-high 14.5 points as well as 12 kills and three total blocks in the team’s comeback win over Haverford. Fellow sophomore outside hitter Alexis Jackson also put on a good performance after she notched 13 kills, three digs, and a block (13.5 points).

After pitching in 9 kills, freshman outside hitter Annie Singh touched on how this game could build momentum for the Violets, who are about to go into their first stretch of conference play.

“Our team played really well and we pulled out a tough victory,” Singh said. “It was a really close game against Haverford and we showed a lot of improvement.

I think it was a good game to go into conference play strongly.”

NYU will play again next weekend when they host 2015’s first University Athletic Association Round Robin. The Violets will start things off on Saturday, Oct. 3, when they face off against American Volleyball Coaches’ Association’s third-ranked Washington University-St. Louis at 2 p.m., followed by No. University of Chicago at 4 p.m. They close the weekend off at 10 a.m. on Sunday against the University of Rochester.

Email Brandon Herrera at sports@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

13

SPORTS

EDITED BY BOBBY WAGNER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Golf teams stay course for season

By MICHAEL THOMPSON Deputy Sports Editor

The NYU men’s and women’s golf teams were in action this weekend, capping off what was a strong September and beginning to their season. The men competed in Potsdam, New York, finishing sixth after the first two legs of the Liberty League Championship.

The seven-team, 42 player competition is played over the course of four days: two at the end of September and two in April.

The Violets, led by freshman Qizhi Wong, finished with an overall team score of 317. Wong played consistently in his first competition of the season, posting scores of 74 and 77 to tie for ninth on the individual leaderboard.

This was Wong’s first competitive golf event in two years — he graduated from high school in 2012 and enlisted in the Singapore Army. Given his gap in competitive play, Wong

said his performance this weekend was a pleasant surprise.

“As this was my first tournament representing NYU, I was really just looking to post decent scores,” Wong said. “I am grateful to Coach Todd for believing in me and picking me from a talented team to play as an individual.”

The Violets were hampered by the Potsdam Town & Country Club, a particularly difficult course. Senior Julius Oppenheimer spoke to the difficulty the team had in playing the round they wanted to.

“The golf course was short yardage wise but difficult to attack because so many of the tee shots were tight,” Oppenheimer said. “Just a lot of hazards and out of bounds that you had to be wary of.”

Still, a number of Violets were able to post solid scores. Freshman Lucas Olberholtzer placed 21st, while Oppenheimer and sophomore Bryce Holmes also cracked the top 25.

With plenty of time in between rounds, the Violets look to progress in the coming months.

“Because every shot counts, making sure that everyone is on the right page is vital if we want to produce a low team score,” Wong said.

In South Hadley, Massachusetts, the Violets kept alive their streak of consistent top finishes, placing second in the Mount Holyoke Invitational.

After a slow start on Saturday, the Lady Violets rebounded on Sunday, shaving 11 strokes off of the previous day’s score to finish with an overall tally of 635. Sophomore Kristin Lee was the team’s top performer, tying for third with a 154. Freshman Jennifer Bluetling and sophomore Angela Yang both tied for tenth (160), and freshman Catherina Li finished in 16th.

Playing on a much more difficult course this week, they were forced to quickly acclimate to the new challenge.

“The course is much more

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Christopher Nolte (left) and Hartej Gill (right). difficult than the courses that we’ve played in the past and that definitely showed in our Saturday scores. We figured it out for Sunday and played much better today,” Lee said The ladies will get a break this weekend, while the men are back in action next Sunday and Monday at the ECAC Championship in Victor, New York. The Lady Violets return to the course on Oct. 10, at the Williams Col-

lege Invitational in South Carolina. Both teams have just two tournaments left in the fall half of their season before their five month layoff.

“Having a break will be nice and I think it’s exactly what we’ll need to come back and kick some serious butt at Williams in two weeks,” Li said.

Email Michael Thompson at mthompson@nyunews.com.

Junior goalie trades San Diego for soccer

By ASHLEY ARNOLD Contributing Writer

lnitially, Lucas Doucette wasn’t willing to attend NYU because of his love for the West Coast. But, the junior goalkeeper finally came around on the Violets.

“I didn’t actually really think about going to anywhere not on the West Coast,” Doucette said.

“I was pretty set on staying in California just because California is amazing.”

However, former Head Coach Joe Behan saw him play at a game and immediately emailed him saying he was interested in seeing him play for the team.

Doucette ended up looking into it and visited NYU despite his initial aversion to the East Coast. On his official visit he fell in love with the city — New York would be his opportunity to experience something different. Even though he’ll always be a Californian, New York would be a good place to spend a chapter of his life.

So far, Doucette’s move seems to have been the right choice. He said the team clicks, bonding with each other even off the field.

“Team chemistry is pretty

good,” Doucette said. “I love hanging out with them on Saturday nights after a game. Probably one of the best non-soccer related parts of being on the team.”

Doucette said one of the greatest adjustments in coming to NYU was having a different community and team than back home. He also cited his former goalie coach as having great influence on his determination to keep playing, even facing the adversity of being homesick.

“I had this amazing goalie coach who basically taught me everything I know about playing goalie and he made me love soccer a lot more,” Doucette said. “His name is Joe Panian and I think he’s one of the main reasons I stuck with it.”

Soccer will always be a hobby of Doucette’s. He’s thinking of possibly going abroad to play soccer in Germany, not at top levels, but for a lower tier team.

Doucette never had the opportunity to study abroad here at NYU due to his program.

Outside of soccer, Doucette is double majoring at CAS for mathematics and at Poly for mechanical engineering. He was going to do art history, but he felt it was too impractical.

PHOTO BY POLINA BUCHAK

Lucas Doucette is a goalkeeper for the NYU men’s soccer team.

“I like working with my hands and I like being active,” Doucette said. “I think mechanical engineering is the best thing for me to do. Math-wise I just did it to do it I guess because I could, and I want to be a math teacher at the end of my life so I can screw with high school students for the rest of my life.”

Apart from his passion for soccer, Doucette is also a musician and theater junkie at heart. He’s a drummer and currently learning the guitar. He said he would

UNDER THE ARCH | 5:30 P.M. NEWS | 5 P.M. FEATURES | 5:30 P.M. ARTS | 6 P.M. PHOTO/MULTIMEDIA | 6:30 P.M. SPORTS | 5:30 P.M. OPINION | 5 P.M.

love to do theater in the spring of his senior year, but that’ll depend on his schedule when that time arrives. He’s also part of the Christian fellowship InterVarsity on campus. Though he did not grow up attending church, in high school he became close with a Christian group and found that it helped him work through adversity he was facing off the field.

“Christian people are more humble and real, which is not the reputation Christians

tend to have, but at least in my experience that’s how it is,” Doucette said.

Even though Doucette enjoys going to school in New York, this is definitely not home for him.

“100 percent zero chance of living in New York unless I find a job there’s no getting out of.

I’m pretty much going to go back to San Diego just because I’m a San Diego kid.”

Email Ashley Arnold at sports@nyunews.com.

SUnday pitch Meetings 838 BROADWAY, fifth floor

14 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM

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On Saturday, onlookers in Washington Square Park were treated to a father-son dance routine. The dancers incorporated the child into the dance using lifts and choreography and ended the routine by flipping over a group of five men and three kids. While the performers did ask for donations to continue doing performances, they highlighted the power of children as movements of social change and our future.

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