WSN101013

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NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 74

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2013

nyunews.com

MTA rolls out Bus Time for Manhattanites By ANN SCHMIDT

The Metropolitan Transit Authority expanded its Bus Time program to Manhattan on Oct. 7, informing commuters about bus schedules depending on their borough and taking the stress and uncertainty of waiting for a bus out of the equation. The program, which is also available in the Bronx and Staten Island, is expected to expand to Brooklyn and Queens by April 2014, according to the MTA. Bus Time is available through three mediums — users can request information through text messages to the Bus Time number, check the Bus Time website or scan quick response codes posted at each bus stop with a smartphone. The variety of options opens the door for anyone to receive information, regardless of whether they have a

smartphone or not. “The goal is to make [Bus Time] useable for all customers,” MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said. “It makes waiting for the bus easier and helps reduce or eliminate the need to spend a lot of time waiting for the bus.” Sarah Kaufman, a research assistant at the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation and a previous employee of the MTA, said the trouble with Bus Time is the “digital divide,” or the split between those who have cell phones and those who have smartphones. “While it’s fair to say that most bus riders have cell phones and can use this system, some people may not wish to incur the data costs of the text messages or the web lookup from their cell phone carriers,” Kaufman said.

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HANNAH LUU FOR WSN

Washington Square Park plays host to breast cancer awareness events NYU’s Colleges Against Cancer club used chalk to write facts and sentiments about breast cancer. Club representatives stood in the park and handed out fliers with more information about the disease in an effort to inform the public.

STORY ON PAGE 3

Golf captain aims high, scores low By MICHELLE TRAN

On the golf course, captain Kyle Demshki has shown he is a true force to be reckoned with. Demshki, a Stern senior, has earned two first-place tournament wins and a pair of UAA Player of the Week honors. Demshki’s knowledge of the game influenced Todd Kolean, the head coach of the NYU men’s and women’s golf teams, in his decision to make Demshki a team captain. “[Demshki] is an intelligent player who just knows how to consistently play the game with steadiness,” Kolean said. After growing up in Calabasas, Calif., Demshki’s family immersed him in a sports-

oriented atmosphere. With a mother who played tennis, a father who played water polo and a sister who played softball, Demshki claimed golf as his own. “I think I was 2 or 3 [years old] when my dad put a club in my hand, and I guess that’s when my golfing career really started,” Demshki said. For Demshki, golfing gradually evolved from a childhood hobby into a mature, challenging commitment. “Golf is such a challenging sport because it is not as physically draining as it is mentally,” Demshki said. “You are playing against yourself the entire time.”

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Tom Hanks, Paul Greengrass astound with masterful ‘Captain Phillips’ By SHAWN FLANAGAN

If you are only going to see one movie this weekend, or this year for that matter, “Captain Phillips” should be that movie. Based on the harrowing true story, the film recounts the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia. Despite expertly and courageously dealing with the hijacking and protecting his crew, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is taken hostage in a lifeboat by the pirates and left floating at sea with them for days. Few movies have achieved the sense of immediacy and realism present in this film and even fewer have been able to seam-

lessly blend drama and fact so well. “Captain Phillips” is masterfully crafted by director Paul Greengrass. Utilizing his signature semi-documentary style, Greengrass builds tension to nearly unbearable levels. Audiences follow Hanks for the whole ride, and he who delivers a career-best performance. He brings an unparalleled tenderness to the role. Few moviegoers will ever be tested to the extremes of the film, but Hanks’s undying will to survive shines through in a way rarely captured so well on film. An Oscar nomination, and quite possibly a win, is in the bag for Hanks. Newcomer Barkhad Abdi, who plays the leading Somali pirate

Muse, also delivers an engrossing performance. Amplified not only by his total lack of previous acting experience but also by how obviously personal this story seems to be for him, Abdi’s performance evokes a heartbreaking piece of humanity. He plays Muse as a man who does not want to do bad things but does not know how to do anything else. One of the most brilliant aspects of “Phillips” is the balance between how much we root for Phillips’ safety and how much we sympathize with Muse’s situation. This quality is due in large part to screenwriter Billy Ray’s excellent writing.

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