WSN100812

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 40, No. 20

New exhibit brings back grittier Bowery

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

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Redesigned Central Park lane plans revealed

By ALEXANDRA CONNOLLY

Upon entering one of the New Museum’s latest exhibits “Come Closer: Art Around the Bowery, 1969-1989,” the first piece visitors see is a door. Standing freely in the center of the exhibit, artist Keith Haring’s old studio door is covered in drawings from the artists who spent time in the Bowery during the 1970s and ’80s.

Economic conditions, lowered rents and large spaces transformed the area into a breeding ground for artists, musicians and immigrants who created a cultural haven for iconic street art, studios and the punk-rock music during that era.

“It is virtually impossible to encompass all of the art in even a small area like the Bowery in a 20-year period,” said artist Coleen Fitzgibbon, whose work is featured in “Come Closer.”

CLOSER continued on PG. 4

FILE PHOTO BY REBECCA CLIMENTI

Proposed designs will revamp the bike, jogging and cyclist lanes to reduce congestion in Central Park.

By NICOLE BROWN New York City’s Department of Transportation announced its plans to redesign the traffic lanes in Central Park last month, in hopes of improving safety for pedestrians, bicyclist and drivers alike. The project will create one full lane each for jogging, biking and driving.

The proposed design will

widen the biking and jogging lanes. In the upper loop and part of the lower loop of the park, the pedestrian lane will double in width, increasing from seven to 14 feet. One of the current 11-foot driving lanes will become a bike lane, which will also be divided into a slow and a fast lane. In the other parts of the lower loop, the lanes will be slightly

smaller, but throughout the whole park a new barrier will divide the pedestrian and cyclist lanes. All of this will make each lane more even.

Additionally, cyclists will no longer be permitted to change lanes during car-free hours due to the confusion in lane shifts.

There are currently three lanes that run through the park, each of which are dif-

ferent widths. The amount of different vehicles can cause a considerable amount of congestion, and collisions have become increasingly common.

CAS sophomore John Valiplackal, a frequent runner in the park, supports the separation of the biking and running lanes.

REDESIGN continued on PG. 3

NYU men’s cross country clinches first at Metro Championship

By MARY JANE DUMANKAYA

For the first time since 2007, NYU men’s cross country finished first at the Metro Championship on Friday, Oct. 5, in Riverdale, N.Y. The Violets finished second in the last two years.

The Violets were ranked 19th by the most recent United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III Top 35 Poll.

NYU was the only Division III school competing at Metro, and the team won with a total of 50 points. The reigning Metro champions, Columbia University, raced alongside NYU on the 8K course. Columbia is currently ranked 17th by the USTFCCCA Division I Poll.

Three Violets finished in the top five out of the 111 runners in the race. Sophomore Sebastian Oja finished second overall with a time of 26:05.61. Following closely behind Oja was senior captain Kevin Bonilla, who finished in third place with a time of 26:22.49.

“I think it really shows the hard work our team has been putting in this season thus far,” Oja said. “I think this is a great benchmark and confidence booster for our team moving forward as we haven’t won Mets since ’07.”

COURTESY OF NYU ATHLETICS

The men’s team ran to victory in Riverdale, N.Y. Senior captain Dylan Karten finished fifth in the race with a time of 26:30.85. Oja, Bonilla and Karten have finished at least in the top 11 of all 11 races this season.

“Everyone gave a great effort out there today, ran smart and moved up through the field,” Karten said. “I have a few things to work on in my race strategy to improve the last two miles of my race, but otherwise I am pretty satisfied with what I ran today.”

The last two scorers for NYU were senior captain Dave Knowles who had a time of 26:53.84 for a 14th place

finish and sophomore Dharen Kadiyala who came in 26th with a time of 27:28.85.

Sophomore Ethan Heywood of Iona College came in first at the Metro Championships with a finishing time of 25:53.71.

“I think this race sets us up for a strong and impressive performance at Oberlin next Saturday,” Oja said. “We just need to keep rolling through and continue to race smart and race strong, and hopefully we’ll continue to finish amongst the top.”

In the team scoring, the Fordham University Rams finished 18 points behind NYU’s 50 for second place, and the Columbia Lions rounded out the top three with 78 points.

“While we did outrun some [Division I] schools this weekend, this coming race will be a great indicator of our level on the [Division III] stage,” Karten said. “I really think that, if we keep our pack tight and run smart, we will be competing for a podium at nationals.”

The Violets will run next Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Oberlin Invitational in Oberlin, Ohio.

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

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In response to “Right-wing easy targets for late-night TV” (Article posted Oct. 1, 2012) Conservatives who are insane have always numbered more than in any other category or group of people. They are always on the “wrong side of history” and they are obviously the closet thing to spoiled selfish children that people cant but look at them in awe and wonderment. So laughing at them helps us understand their insanity.

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Vanderbilt Hall, Tishman Auditorium | 40 Washington Square South

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CONFRONTING JUSTICE

Bryan Stevenson, clinical professor and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, will present this installment in the “Leaders in the Public Interest” lecture series.

TRANSLATORS TRANSLATING: A CONVERSATION

NYU PHILHARMONIA

Translators Alyson Waters and Emmanuelle Ertel and novelist Rick Moody will discuss translation and present readings in English and French.

The NYU Philharmonia will present a classical concert featuring music by composers Henryk Górecki and Felix Mendelssohn.

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Hello? Yes, this is Dog.

On Oct. 3, in Orem, Utah, a man received a phone call from his home phone, but later discovered it was from his dog. He reported that he heard banging and scratching sounds on the line and assumed it was a burglar. The man contacted the police, who visited the man’s home but found nothing suspicious. He later informed police that his dog had taken the home phone’s receiver and pressed the redial button while burying it in the backyard.

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Rocket constructed in Homewood campus basement will be blasted into space this fall — GAZETTE

Visitors stroll along the Interim Walkway at the High Line during Open House weekend.

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Penn tops gay-friendly ranking — THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

Former Stern dean passes away due to illness

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Beloved writing professor Steve Cohen passes at 48

By HANQING CHEN

By NEELA QADIR Frederick Choi, former dean and professor emeritus at the Stern School of Business, passed away on Oct. 2 due to illness. Choi was in his late 60s, according to a colleague.

Early Thursday afternoon, Stern dean Peter Henry sent a detailed letter notifying Stern faculty and staff of Choi’s passing. The email was then forwarded to Stern students by Stern dean Geeta Menon.

“This is a tremendous loss for the NYU Stern community, and Dean Choi will be sorely missed,” Menon wrote in her message to the business school students.

Choi served as interim dean of Stern during the 2010-2011 academic year, and many Stern students were moved by his friendliness and passion for education.

Evan Rochman, a junior in Stern, remembered being surprised by Choi’s greeting him in the hallway when he was a freshman.

“I looked up and saw it was dean Choi and was so flustered,” he said. “I barely managed to say ‘good.’”

However, Rochman remembered being moved by the unexpected gesture.

“I was moved by that moment when he tried to reach out to a student,” he said.

In fact, in his term as dean, Choi made a big impression on the then-freshman class of 2014. Stan Rosenberg, a current junior, recalled feeling inspired by the former dean’s address to his class two years ago.

“Dean Choi shared an infectious passion for the school, reminding us that success isn’t simply judged by what jobs we get after college,” Rosenberg said.

Choi also showed dedication to students in his initiatives throughout his career at NYU. Choi joined the NYU faculty in 1981 and served as dean of Stern’s undergraduate college from 1995-2004, before his second interim term.

Many faculty members recalled his energy and dedication to NYU. “Fred was a key builder at the school for 30

COURTESY OF NYU STERN

years,” said Stern professor Tim Baldenius.

“He has contributed enormously to the intellectual environment.”

During his first nine-year term, Choi established many programs for undergraduate students including the Barr Family International Studies Program for Stern juniors, which allows students to travel abroad to learn different business cultures. He also formed a senior honors program that links exceptionally talented students with the research faculty and the Cohen Arts and Culture Experience, which exposes all students to the arts and culture of New York City.

According to Baldenius, even during his final year at NYU, Choi was busy developing ideas to prevent accounting fraud, a common malpractice in the business world.

Professor Edward Altman also remembered Choi as a well-loved colleague and a professor who was full of school spirit. “[He was] always courteous and interested in you,” Altman said. “And fiercely loyal to our students.”

Choi is survived by his wife Lois, two sons, two granddaughters and a daughter-in-law.

Memorial services have yet to be announced at time of press.

Hanqing Chen is an assistant managing editor.

Email her at hchen@nyunews.com.

REDESIGN continued from PG. 1

City announces lane redesigns in Central Park “I feel that the conflict between runners and bikers is the biggest safety concern for both parties,” Valiplackal said. “[P]utting in this separation between the bikers and runners will make Central Park way safer for all those who come out to the park to stay active.”

The DOT affirms that this plan will lessen the congestion between the three lanes. According to a press release by the DOT, these enhancements are based on similar lane configurations installed earlier this year in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park that have successfully reduced conflict among park users.

“Central Park is New York City’s recreational oasis, and this redesign will provide park visitors with safer and wider paths to walk, jog or bike,” said Parks and Recreation commis-

sioner Veronica White in a press release.

Richard Bernstein, a blind man, was hit in the back by a cyclist while crossing a crosswalk in Central Park almost two months ago. He said even though the plan is a good start to improve safety, there is still a problem with the safety and accessibility of the park, especially for those who are blind.

Bernstein added that he still has a problem with the plan. He posited that the biggest issue in the park is the cyclists who do not stop at the stoplights.

“It’s impossible to cross [the street] because the cyclists aren’t required to stop at the stoplights,” Bernstein said.

Nicole Brown is a contributing writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

Steve Cohen, NYU’s talented dramatic writing professor, passed away suddenly on Sept.

29. Students taking Cohen’s writing class were informed about his passing on Sept. 30 through an email from Mary Schmidt Campbell, dean of Tisch School of the Arts. He was 48 and had a sudden cardiac arrest.

Most well known for writing the movie “The Bachelor,” Cohen was an adjunct faculty member in the Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing.

Before becoming an adjunct faculty member, Cohen earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in film from Columbia University and worked as a studio executive at Savoy Pictures. After producing writing credits for an episode of “Numb3rs,” Cohen served as an executive producer for an HBO movie titled “Lonehero.”

According to Tisch senior Monica Skoko, Cohen’s passing was a sudden shock to many in the NYU community.

“Steve never seemed unhealthy and was relatively young with a beautiful young son [whom] he always talked about, and a wife who also taught in the department and is just as loved,” said Skoko.

Skoko added that Cohen was proud of projects he worked on, writers he encouraged and the students he taught.

Students who took Cohen’s dramatic writing class echoed the sentiment and described him as an encouraging and genuine professor.

“Steve Cohen was an absolutely wonderful professor,” Tisch junior Anna Mehle said.

“You could tell that he really cared about each and every one of his students and their work. I continually left class feeling inspired by the feedback that he would give me.”

Cohen’s colleague and chair of Dramatic Writing, Richard Wesley, agreed, and described Cohen’s greatest attribute: the

COURTESY OF THE COHEN FAMILY

deep affection he felt for each and every one of his students.

“He brought a strong professional background into the department,” Wesley said.

“But what made him a truly valuable member of our faculty was his caring manner and willingness to reach out to our students [and] to be there for them.”

According to students, Cohen spent hours of his free time working with his undergraduates to enhance their projects. “[Cohen] opted to workshop my screenplay with me on his own time and just not get paid for it. No other professor would ever offer that,” said Tisch senior Nathanie Yaskey. “Reading a full 120-pages per week and providing written feedback is a lot of work. But he was willing to do it for me because he believed in me as a writer and he was that passionate about his students.”

Cohen indubitably left an impact on the NYU community and will be always remembered by his students and colleagues.

“His legacy in our department is everlasting,” Yaskey said. “He was a one of a kind professor and an even more unique human being.”

The service was held Sunday at the Rosenthal Pavilion of Kimmel Center for University Life.

Neela Qadir is a contributing writer.

Email her at university@nyunews.com.

NYU helps train Ghanaian nurses

By TANAY HUDSON

NYU is collaborating with the Fundación Mujeres Por África, Banco Santander and the University of Ghana to design a program that promotes and develops leadership skills for Ghanaian women.

NYU’s College of Nursing, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development have joined forces for the Ghana Wins! Project, which offers training and assistance to Ghanaian women on how to address the nation’s health care and education issues. Banco Santander, which is sponsoring this project, will award $500,000 to each school to develop its program.

The College of Nursing will implement the Ghanaian Nurse Leaders Program that will address a fundamental need of the Ghanaian nursing profession. The program will consist of three cohorts of 10 Ghanaian nurses partaking in activities that advance their access to evidencebased science and training in health systems, management and leadership. Each cohort will be assigned a mentor from the College of Nursing

and take seminars at NYU Langone Medical Center.

Yvonne Wesley is the co-director for Ghana Wins! and creator of the Leadership Institute for Black Nurses, an annual fellowship that strives to enhance the careers of African -American nurses and to address the disparities in care between African Americans and other groups. Wesley said she plans to use her experience with LIBN to model the new program.

“The philosophy of this program is that leadership can be learned,” Wesley said. “What we have learned from our Leadership Institute for Black Nurses is that, if we can help nurses to think about health care from a leadership position, they’re more likely to initiate projects in their own communities and really go out and make positive changes.”

The Research Center for Leadership in Action at Wagner will conduct a one-year leadership development program. Two cohorts of 15 to 20 female leaders from government and civil service organizations throughout Ghana will identify an organization or community need and design a public service action-learning project to address it. They will spend the fol-

lowing year working to implement their projects, aided by ongoing expert coaching through regular video conferences.

Steinhardt will launch the Ghanaian Institute for the Future of Teaching and Education Women’s Fellowship Program. This program will offer professional development and leadership training to teachers through the Ghanian Ministry of Education, University of Ghana and the University of Education at Winneba. Participating educators from Ghana will identify, develop and implement a project that will enhance Ghana’s quality of education.

“These projects will provide an opportunity for additional Steinhardt faculty and students to engage in distance mentoring as well as on-site support we will be offering in association with out local partners, faculty from the University of Winneba in Ghana,” said Kristie Koenig, the project director of GIFTED. Ghana Wins! is slated to begin recruitment in 2013.

Tanay Hudson is a contributing writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012 | NYUNEWS.COM

FEATURES CLOSER continued from PG. 1

New Museum’s exhibit explores art of Bowery

Tisch Professor Danny Strong takes home two Emmy awards

By CRISTINA CORVINO

REBECCA CLIMENTI FOR WSN

Visitors can enjoy paintings of artists from the Bowery at the exhibit.

The exhibit features a variety of mediums, from posters and doodles to powerful videos and pictures of the social scene at the time.

“Artists such as Keith Haring and Christy Rupp made public installations, which convey the exuberance and freedom of the moment as well as social problems connected with the poverty around them,” said Nancy Barton, clinical associate professor of Art and Art Education at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. “The Ramones’ music was emblematic of the high energy and rebellion against authority which was a hallmark of the era.”

But the Bowery has since changed undeniably, falling victim to many of the same influences that have commercialized neighborhoods like Chelsea and SoHo. Rising rents have driven artists into the boroughs, and many iconic spots have become stores and restaurants.

“We have to think of the bad ’70s, the bad ’80s, the crime, the drugs, the dissipation, bankruptcy of the city in the ’70s, but in fact it was also a time of great artistic and creative flourishing,” said Jon Ritter, clinical assistant professor of Art History at NYU. Barton said the exhibit is an educational trip worth taking.

“Seeing artists who chose to live in a rough and sometimes dangerous neighborhood in exchange for the freedom of expression and community they found on the Bowery is an invaluable experience for young people who have grown up in more sheltered environments,” Barton said.

“Come Closer: Art Around the Bowery, 1969-1989” will be on display through Jan. 6, 2013 at the New Museum, 235 Bowery.

Alexandra Connolly is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

You may recognize Danny Strong as Paris’ boyfriend, Doyle, on “Gilmore Girls,” or as Jonathan Levinson on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” but it was for his off-screen work as writer and coexecutive producer of HBO’s “Game Change” that Strong took the stage twice at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Strong, an adjunct faculty member of NYU’s Undergraduate Division of the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at the Tisch School of the Arts, took home two golden statuettes for “Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie” and “Outstanding Miniseries or Movie.” He currently teaches Adaptation: A Screenwriting Workshop to undergraduate film and television students at Tisch.

In an interview, Strong described his excitement after learning of his award. His happiness was augmented by many of his colleagues who went home with their own Emmys as well.

But while his behind-thescenes work was rewarded at the Emmys, it was acting that first interested Strong when he was six years old. He landed a contract with an agent and his first acting job in a Doritos commercial when he was 15 years old. By 26, after working regularly on television projects like “Clueless” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for three years, Strong was ready to try

his hand at writing.

And while he does not completely rule out acting again in the future, it his not his priority at the moment.

“The majority of my energy is focused on writing,” he said.

It was his work on the 2008 television film “Recount” that first caught the attention of Joe Pichirallo, chair of the Undergraduate Film and Television Department at Tisch.

“I felt students would benefit from Danny’s skill in turning true stories into compel-

ling and entertaining movies,” Pichirallo said.

Strong considered applying to NYU himself, but he finds teaching at the university exciting and rewarding.

His advice to students hoping for a career in the film and television industry: “Whatever you do, try and make it great,” he said. “And love it.”

Cristina Corvino is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF KRISTIN DOS SANTOS VIA FLICKR.COM

Danny Strong’s first success,‘Recount,’ jump-started his writing career.

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Fun activities to spice up fall break NYU’s fall break next week offers a rare respite from the onslaught of essays, research papers and all-night studying for midterms. The break is the perfect opportunity to explore the city, or even to escape for a few days. Here are the top five things to do to make the most of this short vacation.

By BRYNA SHUMAN

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1. – COURTESY OF GUNNAR HILDONEN VIA FLICKR.COM 2. COURTESY OF ERIC FROMMER VIA FLICKR.COM 3. VIA FLICKR 4. COURTESY OF ED YOURDON VIA FLICKR.COM 5. COURTESY OF MIE MARTOCCIA VIA FLICKR.COM

HIKING With the leaves changing, it is a great time of year to be outdoors.

This fall break, load a backpack with trail mix and granola bars and get some friends together to venture outside of the city. For a nice day trip, travel 40 miles north of New York City to Harriman State Park, which boasts over 30 lakes and 200 miles of hiking trails. For a weekend getaway, head to the Adirondack Mountain region of upstate New York.

KAYAKING Take in the fall foliage from a different location — the river. Many companies along the Hudson River offer kayak tours and rentals. Manhattan Kayak Company provides extensive citybased tours for beginning and advanced levels. If you prefer a break from the city, head to Beacon, N.Y. and rent a kayak from Mountain

Top Outdoors. If you purchase your ticket from any Metro-North train ticket office and take the Hudson Line to Beacon Station, you can get a four-hour kayak rental for the price of the twohour option.

team, or organize a pickup game with friends in Central Park. If you prefer to watch from home, tune in to the New York Giants vs. the San Francisco 49ers game Sunday, Oct. 14 at 4:30 p.m.

VOLUNTEER Do some good this fall break and volunteer. Spend an hour or two at one of the many soup kitchens in the city, help clean up a park with friends or tutor a high school student for the SATs. If you are looking for a long-term commitment, visit New York City Service’s website to find a community service project that matches your interests.

CORN MAZE Nothing says fall better than spending a day getting lost in a corn maze. Travel to Queens County Farm, about half an hour outside of Manhattan, where navigating the corn maze takes about three hours. For an extra challenge, visit the farm on Saturday, Oct. 13, for the Maze by Moonlight event when the maze is open until 9 p.m. Queens County Farm also has other fun fall activities including hayrides, walking through pumpkin patches, feeding animals and drinking apple cider.

FOOTBALL Football is a great activity to play or watch this season.

Spend a chilly, fall night supporting a local high school

Bryna Shuman is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

Panel celebrates influential French absurdist playwright

By MICHELLE LIM

French literature and theater lovers of New York City were treated to an intellectual discussion about one of the most influential playwrights of the 1950s, Eugène Ionesco. As the forerunner of the Theater of the Absurd, Ionesco was also the esteemed writer of plays including “The Bald Soprano” and “Rhinoceros.”

On Friday, Oct. 5, NYU’s La Maison Française hosted a roundtable discussion, “Ionesco’s Theater of the Absurdist Sensibility,” at the Rosenthal Pavilion at the Kimmel Center for University Life.

With an overwhelmingly successful turnout, the talk featured some of the most revered playwrights of today: Edward Albee, writer of “Me, Myself & I” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?” and Israel Horovitz, who wrote “The Indian Wants the Bronx.”

The prolific writers were joined by director Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota and Eugène Ionesco’s daughter, author Marie-France Ionesco, who wrote “Portrait de L’écrivain Dans le Siècle: Eugène Ionesco.”

Tom Bishop, director of the Center for French Civilization and Culture at NYU, moderated the discussion.

He introduced the acclaimed participants and Ionesco’s work. The room was set up like a press conference, as each speaker was able to share his or her experience working closely with Ionesco, either as a student or friend.

One of the topics that truly grabbed the attention of the audience was the term absurd, which is typically known as a theatrical genre that highlights the meaninglessness and purposelessness of life. The two playwrights struggled to define the term, inducing laughter among the listeners.

“It is still one of the most annoying words out there,” Albee said. “It is so preposterous that I find it has no meaning. It can mean whatever one wants it to mean.

It could even be Republican or Democrat.”

Albee added that although he does not pay much attention to the Theater of the Absurd, he loves talking about the Ionesco’s work.

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

La Maison Française hosted a rountable discussion of experiences and influence of Eugène Ionesco.

“They are related, of course, depending on which of the nine definitions of Theater of the Absurd,” he said.

“When I started going into theater seriously, in Paris, seeing theater, being exposed to Ionesco, with all the other giants, I think back to how exciting it was to be a young, beginning playwright ... It was an amazing period of creativity in the arts.”

There was a wide range of spectators, elders, professionals and budding theater students at the discussion, as it was free and open to the public. Naomi Matlow, a second-year graduate student at the Tisch School of the Arts for musical theater writing, attended the event.

Edward Albee came to speak at one of Matlow’s classes last semester.

“His insights into the importance of theater and what creates good drama was incredibly inspirational and thought-provoking,” Matlow said. “[He] mentioned tonight how wonderful and exciting it was for him as a young playwright to be in the same room as such influential writers as Eugene Ionesco and being in the same room as all the members of this panel was an equally incredible experience for us.”

La Maison Française holds many events throughout the semester, including 10 more this month. Visit nyu.edu/maisonfrancaise for more information.

Michelle Lim is a staff writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012 | NYUNEWS.COM

POLITICAL CARTOON CONTEST CARTOONS CAN BE ABOUT THE GENERAL STATE OF THE 2012 ELECTION OR FOCUS ON ONE OF THESE SEVEN ISSUES FEATURED:

1) FINANCIAL AID/ STUDENT LOANS 2) GAY RIGHTS 3) WOMEN’S RIGHTS

4) ENVIRONMENT 5) IMMIGRATION 6) ECONOMY 7) HEALTHCARE

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Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Bundle of cotton 5 Sums 9 Salon jobs, for short 14 Jewish month after Av 15 “___ the time” 16 Be of use 17 Printed results of baseball games 19 Sharpshooter’s weapon 20 “Caught you redhanded!”

21 Iranian money 22 Like many potato chips and peanuts 23 Tailgate party places 26 Suffix with final 27 Sticky stuff 28 ___ kwon do 31 Camera setting

34 Sets of tasks, as at an office 37 Beehive State tribe 38 Shelter for 37-Across 39 Stumble over the corner of a rug, say 40 Old jalopies 42 One full of baloney 43 ___ and outs 44 Itemized bill: Abbr.

45 Regret 46 Big containers in a tavern 52 Loss 56 Table scraps 57 Filmmaker Spike 58 Sci-fi’s Asimov 59 Many … or a hint to the ends of 17-, 23-, 34-, 40- and 46-Across

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE S H I V E R

M E N U D O

O R T E G A

A P O S T A T E

L E N A O L I N

L A T E R M A N

O T H J E S T O R A M U R L S E S T D O S K A N O V E R C E O U H E N N O T P O R A A C S N E A G E

A Z Z Y O U R A L U E S S L O E U P C R E T P E T S D O W E C E S A R A T S U

G R A R B A S P H O A T D A T N O E S C T H S E

M A T A H A R I

A B I N I T I O

C E T A C E A N

A B R O A D

N E E D N T

A L B E D O

61 Cookie trayful 62 And others, briefly 63 Dog pests 64 Japanese restaurant staple 65 Reject, as an accusation 66 How many TV programs are aired nowadays

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Down 1 Jazz genre 2 Hawaiian hello 3 Pyramid-shaped hotel in Vegas 4 Chicago trains 5 Bless, in a way 6 Hip-hopper’s headgear 7 Reside 8 Snake sound 9 Light umbrella 10 Satanic 11 Castaway’s makeshift vessel 12 1/500 of the Indianapolis 500 13 Iditarod transport 18 Burned to a ___ 22 Stir up the fire 24 Newsstand 25 Fairy tale monsters 28 Poi source 29 Situation after deuce 30 Catch sight of 31 Japan’s tallest peak 32 Use a Taser on

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No. 0903

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56 59

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Puzzle by C. W. Stewart

33 Exchange for a twenty, maybe 34 Snake (through) 35 Like an antonym: Abbr.

36 None of the above 38 Basic belief 41 Japanese grill 42 Prize money

45 Sounding like a jalopy 47 Way to go 48 Newscaster Williams 49 Pixielike 50 Bloodsucker 51 Used needle and thread 52 “That’s mine!”

53 “___ Wood would saw wood” (part of an old tongue twister) 54 Suet and blubber 55 “To ___ his own” 59 Proof-ending letters 60 Boxer called “The Greatest”

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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY CHRIS DINARDO OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

POLITICS

GOP should not renew support for Sen. Akin

By JESSICA LITTMAN This August, it seemed that Rep. Todd Akin’s candidacy for a Senate seat in Missouri was doomed. After commenting that victims of “legitimate rape” biologically cannot conceive, many expected Akin to drop out of the race. He lost the support of many within the Republican Party with this demonstration of his ignorance and lack of respect for victims of sexual violence.

But Akin refused to back down from the race against current Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill. After his initial announcement that he would stay in the race, fellow Republicans — most notably the National Republican Senatorial Committee — said they would not support him. Since then, Akin has had several opportunities to withdraw, but has not done so. His last opportunity passed last week, and Akin remains in the race.

And now, he has recovered the backing he lost after his absurd and offensive comments.

The NRSC and other important GOP donors have reversed their posi-

tion on Akin, and now, with less than a month to go before the election, they are once again supporting him.

Several Republican senators who had urged Akin to drop out are now providing him with endorsements, donations and fundraisers.

It seems these Republican leaders do not care as much about the issues as they do about gaining a majority in the Senate. The Missouri race is one of a handful this November that could tip the Senate into the hands of the GOP, and its leaders are not willing to give up that opportunity, even if this particular candidate does not match their values.

After the scandal initially broke, I was impressed that so many in the Republican Party came forward to denounce Akin and ask him to bow out of the race. It is rare for either of our major parties to censure one of their own, especially one in electoral trouble, but I thought the Republicans were doing this for all the right reasons.

I see now that I had reason to be surprised. It is entirely out of character for the GOP to do the right thing

when it could cost them an election.

The party leadership is now saying what I would have expected to hear from them in August — that Akin made a mistake, he misspoke, but he is still the man to represent Missourians as part of a Republican Senate majority.

Akin should not become a senator for many reasons. He lacks respect for women and for victims of rape.

He lacks basic knowledge of how the reproductive system works; something that is important to understand in this age of endless healthcare and women’s health debates.

He lacks the ability to admit he was wrong and the ability to back down from a battle he cannot win.

For all these reasons, Republican leaders should have stuck with their initial withdrawal of support. Winning a Senate majority for their party is not worth giving the power of a Senate seat to a man like Todd Akin.

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

ELECTION

Despite strong debate, Romney still vague

By RAQUEL WOODRUFF

Following Wednesday’s debate, President Barack Obama seemed to have lost some steam in the race for re-election, with daily tracking polls from Reuters and Gallup showing former Gov. Mitt Romney gaining ground after his strong performance. The president was immediately criticized for weak rebuttals and a soft demeanor.

No doubt, the GOP candidate’s performance was better, but, more importantly, his policies and vision for the direction of the country were not. He talked the talk, but common sense and math are telling us his plan for economic recovery cannot walk the walk. He claims that his tax policy proposal does not call for a $5 trillion dollar tax cut, that it lowers taxes for middle class families and that it does not reduce taxes of high-income Americans are simply false. Romney’s plan demands a 20 percent tax cut in all federal income tax rates, shrinking federal revenue to $480 billion in 2015. If you total the loss of revenue for the decade it brings us to $5 trillion. To patch up the

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gaping hole that would be left in our annual deficit, Romney has devised a secret plan to eliminate loopholes and tax deductions on the wealthy, explaining during the debate he could just “make up a number” where “anybody can have deductions up to that amount” and poof, “the number disappears for high-income people.”

That’s specific.

As a presidential candidate, Romney has behaved like a stubborn child. He just crosses his arms and closes his eyes while shaking his head staunchly repeating, “Nuh-uh, not my plan,” and when questioned, sticks his nose in the air and says, “I’m not gonna tell you what it is.” The fact is we do not come close to knowing how Romney will make up the extensive revenue loss he wants to impose because he has not come close to telling us. He also seems to think this information does not matter.

His policy has become a vague plan rather than an actual course of action. In his recent interview on “60 Minutes,” Romney responded to Scott Pelley’s request for specif-

ics by saying, “The devil’s in the details, but the angel’s in the policy,” claiming that to be a leader in government you just have to lay out your principles.

Obama failed on Wednesday night by letting Romney get away with these claims. Instead of passionately persuading Americans that progressive economic policies are the right steps toward economic growth, affordable healthcare and sustainable social programs, the president just hung his head while Romney spewed facts and arguments that are dead wrong.

However, with Obama’s recent battle victories — unemployment dropping to its lowest rate since he took office and his campaign’s record-breaking $181 million in fundraising for the election cycle — the president may not need to worry. I suppose Obama’s performance, just like the specifics in Romney’s economic policy, should be deemed irrelevant to this election.

Raquel Woodruff is a staff columnist.

Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

High school surveillance raises privacy concerns

A middle school in Texas is the first to adopt a pilot program that allows school administrators to track students’ whereabouts by using their student IDs through radio frequency technology. The program, which relies on radio frequency technology, is intended to ensure attendance, particularly in homerooms, which is an important measure attendance when allocating funding for Texas schools.

Regardless of the more stringent policy ensuring student attendance, this particular technology opens up a Pandora’s box of invasion of privacy. Each student will be assigned an identification number, which, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, could be tracked by someone outside of the school system. In the age of social media, privacy concerns are more relevant than ever for our nation’s children. This new policy could be a violation of the basic civil rights upon which our nation was founded.

While many Americans do not mind the excesses of additional surveillance imposed throughout the last decade, namely the USA Patriot Act, the rationale for accepting these policies is based on the prospects of thwarting alleged terrorism. In Texas middle schools, that is hardly the case. Tracking the student’s barcode numbers to guarantee homeroom attendance is not a protection against terror.

At the root of the problem is using government subsidies as a monetary incentive to implement such a program. The Northside Independent School District in San Antonio has dropped $261,000 on the program and expects to eventually receive about $2 million in additional funding as a result. The concern is not students missing class; it is securing necessary funding to continue to operate the schools. The fact that school funding is based on a distorted view of classroom attendance is very troubling and needs to be rectified before any form of domestic surveillance is implemented.

Texas high school faculty member Madelene Garra praised the program for providing students with “a little bit more responsibility.” However, can this policy be called responsibility when it is simply a response to administrative overreach? Until we find a suitable remedy for securing educational funds, Texas school systems will continue to sacrifice their students’ human rights and privacy in exchange for money.

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

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

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, NY 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 150 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title.

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

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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

SPORTS

EDITED BY THE WSN STAFF SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Women’s soccer triumphs with double overtime victory

By CHRIS MARCOTRIGIANO

NYU women’s soccer won 3-2 in double overtime against the University of Rochester on Saturday, Oct. 6. The Violets improved to an 8-3 record overall and a 1-1 conference record after the hardfought victory at home.

The Violets took the lead in the 15th minute with a goal from freshman forward Melissa Menta off a free kick by senior captain Serra Tumay. The Rochester Yellowjackets tied the game 1:21 before halftime when sophomore Hayley Engel buried a shot inside the left post. The Violets responded quickly with a goal by sophomore forward Claire Shanahan and went into halftime with a 2-1 lead.

Rochester tied the score once again in the 60th minute, which was the only goal of the second half.

The match entered overtime, with the score tied at 2-2. After the first overtime of 10 minutes, the teams were still knotted at two. But in the second overtime, Menta scored a game-winning

goal with just 1:38 left to play.

“It is tough to go into double overtime, especially since we had done so in the previous game,” said sophomore forward Cami Crawford. “We worked as hard as we could for the win because that was all we could do, and it ended up in our favor.”

The Violets have seven games left in the season, and five are against University Athletic Association opponents.

“It was very exciting to win our first home conference game in front of lots of friends and family,” sophomore goalkeeper Meg Patten said. “We played with a lot of heart, which is what it comes down to when you go into double overtime. We played beautiful, quick soccer and were composed, which propelled us to the win.”

The team will return to Gaelic Park on Monday, Oct. 8, at 4 p.m. to face St. Joseph’s College.

Chris Marcotrigiano is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF NYU ATHLETICS

NYU soccer improved to an 8-3 record on Saturday with their win over the University of Rochester.

Women’s cross country finishes fourth at Metro race

By MARY JANE DUMANKAYA NYU women’s cross country competed at the Metro Championship on Friday, Oct. 5. The Violets came in fourth out of 12 teams after completing a 5K race at Van Cortlandt Park.

Senior Kirsten Keller had the best finish for the Violets, coming in sixth of 123 runners with a time of 18:58.88.

Senior captain Georgina Norton recorded a personal best, finishing with a time of 19:17.42 for 13th place. Right behind Norton in 14th place was junior Emily Cousens with a time of 19:19.78.

Freshmen Lily Corsaro and Louisa Warwick had a good showing for NYU, as they were the last two point scorers. Corsaro placed 31st, finishing in 20:01.10, and Warwick placed 35th with a time of 20:05.55.

“I think we ran pretty well considering how hot and humid it was for the first week in October,” Norton said. “The team finished higher than last year, but we were close to third and would have liked to have been up there.”

The Violets, currently ranked 29th in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III Top 35 Poll, was the only DIII team competing at Metro.

The top three teams were Columbia University with 18 points, Rutgers University with 66 points and Fordham University with 79 points. NYU scored 84 points, finishing well ahead of fifth place Wagner College with 192 points.

The Columbia Lions captured all three medal positions at the Metro

COURTESY OF NYU ATHLETICS

Violets competed against 12 teams at Van Cortlandt Park on Friday.

Championship, with senior Mallory Anderson finishing first with a time of 18:14.99. All together, six Lions finished in the top 10 of the race.

“Oberlin next weekend will be a good matchup against some of the strongest teams in the country and will really show us what we need to fine tune in the final weeks of the season,” Norton said.

Women’s cross country will compete at the Oberlin Invitational next weekend in Oberlin, Ohio.

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

Men’s soccer ties with University of Rochester

By FRANCISCO NAVAS

NYU men’s soccer tied the University of Rochester on Saturday at Gaelic Park, after a back-and-forth match that left both teams scoreless. This was the second University Athletic Association conference match for both sides.

“We’ll grow from this shutout,” head coach Joe Behan said. “It was a great shutout against a UAA powerhouse.”

This outcome leaves the Violets ranked sixth followed by Carnegie Mellon.

“We came out hungrier after the last game,” said senior forward Kyle Green.

Green clarified that the team’s loss to New Jersey City University last Wednesday had no negative effects on their confidence. The 2-1 loss had broken the Violets’ undefeated streak of nine games.

The University of Rochester Yellowjackets’ match against the Brandeis University Judges last week also ended in a draw. The Judges had previously held a perfect record.

The usually impenetrable back line of junior defenders Tino Kardassis, Danny Weisbaum and Juan Velez remained strong, as the only close chances for

Rochester came from set pieces.

Senior goalie Jonas Poster’s saves were pivotal in keeping a clean sheet. In the 70th minute, Rochester was awarded a free kick.

Poster dove to his right and made the save.

“We practice that a lot,” Poster said. “The whole week of practice shows in this game.

We knew they were going to try set pieces.”

Green, who leads the team with nine goals this season, said Rochester’s stingent defense attributed to the offense’s inability to score. NYU was missing offensive pressure and key connections in the midfield.

“We missed Nimo today,” Green said, referring to sophomore midfielder Nimo Bergstroem, who usually provides through balls and offensive chemistry. Bergstroem was unable to play due to an injury.

“In terms of the shutout, it was a win for the defense,” Poster said.

Men’s soccer returns to the pitch for another UAA match against Washington University in St. Louis at 8 p.m. CST on Oct. 12 in St. Louis, Mo. Francisco Navas is a contributing writer.

Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF NYU ATHLETICS

Senior goalkeeper Jonas Poster’s two saves helped complete the shutout on Saturday.