WSN102014

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

washington square news Vol. 42, No. 78

MONday, OCTOBER 20, 2014

nyunews.com tech

NYU hosts 24-hour hacking marathon

By Valentina Duque Bojanini News Editor

staff photo by shawn paik

Temple junior Dan Cadden (right) presents his hack, CalClash, to hackNY. Participants had two minutes to show off the hacks they made in the previous 24 hours.

staff photo by daniel cole

via instagram.com

inside this issue NYU, Columbia hold Fast-A-Thon Muslim Student Associations raise funds for people who were affected by the Gaza conflict. story on PG. 3

Students topic of Dwyer’s book New York Times’ Jim Dwyer writes on the story of four NYU students and their startup venture. story on PG. 4

Weekend Wrap Up A recap of how the Violets fared this past weekend in cross country, volleyball and soccer. story on PG. 8

The winners of the 10th biannual hackNY student hackathon were announced on Oct. 19 in NYU’s Warren Weaver Hall.

The event concluded with participants sharing their hack in a two-minute presentation before a panel of judges.

The winning hack was CalClash, a math-based game created by Temple University junior Dan Cadden. Cadden, who was participating in his first hackathon, received $999, a Keurig and a Dell tablet. He said he looks forward to participating in more hackathons in the future.

“Even if I hadn’t won, it was so much fun,” Cadden said. “I learned so much more than I ever thought in these past 24 hours. I really do feel like I am a part of a community especially with my own team and with everyone else here.”

Rutgers senior Russ Frank

hackathon continued on PG. 3

Features

Student to make directorial debut

By Tejas Sawant Contributing Writer

“Muse of Fire,” a play written and directed by Tisch freshman Jake Rosenberg, is set to have its opening night on Oct. 29 at the Manhattan Repertory Theater.

The dark comedy takes place in the concentration camp at Auschwitz, where some of the prisoners would perform comedy for their companions despite the conditions. The idea struck Rosenberg while he was reading an article about theater in Germany during Nazi rule.

The title of the play comes from the opening monologue of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” and indicates that the play itself is a muse born from the fires of the concentration

photo by amina sayeed

Jake Rosenberg (right) wrote a play about theater in concentration camps. camps. Rosenberg wished to portray a different aspect of the Holocaust.

“I wanted to tell a story that

had never been told before,” Rosenberg said.

fire continued on PG. 4

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Washington Square news | MONDAy, OCTOBER 20, 2014 | nyunews.com

on the side

Compiled by the

WSN staff

Washington Square News Editor-in-Chief

nicole brown Managing Editors

emily bell dana reszutek Assistant Managing Editors

casey dalrymple bryna shuman Web Managing Editors

cicek erel kavish harjai Creative Director, Special Editions

lyanne natividad Creative Directors

Julie ciccone olivia martin Copy Chief

Thomas Devlin deputy Madeline Pazzani Multimedia

Shawn Paik deputy hannah luu video Daniel cole

senior staff

Exposure

news JOHN AMBROSIO, VALENTINA

DUQUE BOJANINI

The idea of being able to take a moment out of time, invisible to the human eye, is intriguing and seems to open a window into another world that can only be explored through a camera. Experiencing the beauty of what can take place in just a fraction of a second can cause one to better appreciate the smaller moments in life.

Staff Photos by Christian Forte

features HANNAH TREASURE arts ALEX GREENBERGER sports CHRIS MARCOTRIGIANO global Joey bui social media ARIANA DIVALENTINO senior editors kevin burns, SCOTT

MULLEN, VALERIE NELSON, MARINA ZHENG

deputy staff

news LARSON BINZER, RAHUL

KRISHNAMOORTHY, MARITA VLACHOU features BAILEY EVANS beauty & style DAVID BOLOGNA dining REBECCA RIDDLE film ISABEL JONES entertainment IFE OLUJOBI music ALEXA SPIELER theater/books NIKOLAS REDA-CASTELAO sports TONY CHAU

opinion page opinion editor

CHRISTINA COLEBURN deputy opinion editors

OMAR ETMAN, ADAM FAZLIBEGU, TESS WOOSLEY

Blogs

under the arch JONATHAN KESHISHOGLOU violet vision GIANNA COLLIER-PITTS the highlighter MARISSA ELLIOT LITTLE

advertising business manager

ALISON LIZZIO University and alumni coordinator

claire mahany sales manager

SNAPSHOT

today on campus Alumni Film Series: A Picture of You NYU Wagner alumnus J.P. Chan, who wrote and directed “A Picture of You,” will come to the Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts for a screening of his film and a Q&A. The screening will start at 6:30 p.m.

“Migrantes” and “Aftermath”: Collaborative Exhibition Two exhibits, “Migrantes” and “Aftermath,” showcase the displaced and marginalized people in America. The collaboration opened last week and is on display on the eighth floor of 721 Broadway until Nov. 22. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Staging the World: Examples from Egypt A woman serves homemade biscuits at Rachel Maes Farmstand at this year’s Lower East Side pickle day.

PHOTO BY hannah luu

A series of plays and performance texts from Egypt will be presented at 19 Washington Square North from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today’s events are free for NYU students.

GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE? EMAIL US AT TIPS@NYUNEWS.COM OR TWEET US @NYUNEWS.

ARIANA DIVALENTINO sales representative

amy lu, jillian branchaud Sales associate

luxi peng, mike grott Graphic DesignerS

KALEEL MUNROE circulation manager

JESSICA TIEN

advising DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

NANCI HEALY EDITORIAL ADVISER

JIM LUTTRELL EDITORs-AT-LARGE

KRISTINA BOGOS, rachel kaplan, CLIO MCCONNELL, jordan melendrez, jonathan tan About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods.

Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible.

If you believe we have erred, contact the managing editors at managing@nyunews. com or at 212.998.4302.

nyunews.com | MONDAy, OCTOBER 20, 2014 | Washington Square news

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Fast-A-Thon 2014 raises $33,500

By Christine Park Staff Writer The NYU Department of Public Safety has received four incidents of larceny in the past week.

Larceny All four incidents of larceny took place between Oct. 15 and Oct. 16. No new incidents have been reported to the Department of Public Safety since Oct. 16.

A student reported that his bicycle had been stolen from a bicycle rack where the bike was not properly secured in front of 18 Washington Place on Oct. 15 at 10:15 a.m.

A staff member of the Argo Tea at the NYU Academic Resource Center reported a short cash in-

cident from Oct. 9 through Oct. 10.

This incident occurred at 18 Washington Place. The incident was reported to the Department of Public Safety at 11:55 a.m. on Oct. 15.

A staff member reported that his laptop had been stolen from a drawer in his Furman Hall office on Oct. 15 at 3:50 p.m. The staff member said the drawer was not properly secured.

At Third North residence hall there was a report of two unidentified males who stole a hand sanitizer dispenser off the wall on Oct. 16 at 1:57 a.m.

The NYU Department of Public Safety has reported that all the incidents above are still under investigation.

Email Christine Park at news@nyunews.com.

Hackathon continued from PG. 1

staff photo by shawn paik

Winner Dan Cadden, a junior at Temple, created CalClash.

Temple University student wins hackNY

participated in hackNY as a technical mentor, helping participants write programs. Frank said he hoped the hackathon would make computer science education more enjoyable.

“You need to be able to approach this with enthusiasm, and the way you get people to do that is by showing them that they can make awesome stuff, and that’s what this event is about,” Frank said.

CAS freshman Derek Qu participated in the event with several friends and said it helped him learn about programing and computer science.

“This is our first hackathon — it was a great experience,” Qu said.

“I came in not knowing much, but I guess the environment really forces you to get into something that you’re maybe scared of learning by yourself.”

Poly freshman Jayson Isaac said he enjoyed the challenges the competition provided and hoped it would bring attention to the need for more engineers.

“It’s pretty cool that I can work on a platform like Bloomberg that has been hacked on for many years,” Isaac said. “There’s a huge

lack of engineers in New York City, and I hope that this will create more engineers.”

Frank echoed Isaac and said he hoped students involved in hackNY would become enthusiastic about engineering.

“For computer science students, I hope that they get excited about making things,” Frank said. “If we accomplish that, we end up with people who are excited to build and that’s exactly the kind of engineer that companies want to hire.”

Alex Berke, a graduate from Brown University and former 2013 hackNY fellow, said the competition helped her make important connections with other engineers.

“Every opportunity that has come my way careerwise is somehow connected to hackNY,” Berke said. “It’s also really great to have this community of friends in New York. I don’t think a lot of people could say that their professional network is also their group of friends, and that is very powerful.”

Email Valentina Duque Bojanini at vbojanini@nyunews.com.

By Alanna Bayarin Staff Writer

The Muslim Student Associations of NYU and Columbia University co-sponsored Fast-A-Thon 2014: #Fast4Gaza in the Eisner & Lubin Auditorium on Oct. 17.

Organizers of the 12th annual event chose to focus on the people affected by the situation in Gaza and raised a total of $33,500 by the end of the night.

Hediya Sizar, Steinhardt sophomore and co-chair of the FastA-Thon team, said this year’s Fast-A-Thon was more than a fundraising event.

“The goal of this event is not just to raise money, but to actually bring together a diverse group of individuals to do something impactful,” Sizar said. “[This event] was the first time we wanted to try to make this interfaith and bring people together. So money aside, I really think about this as people spreading love and doing good.”

The ceremony began with an evening prayer known as Maghrib. After the prayer, volunteers served Columbia and NYU students dinner to break their day-long fast.

Following dinner, Lila Suboh, a GSAS student in international relations, gave a personal narrative about the experience of her friend’s family in Gaza this summer.

“On July 19, 2014, Hannah’s family got a phonecall from the U.S. Embassy,” Suboh said. “The embassy had one message for her family: leave Gaza in the morning or die in what could be the worst attack Gaza has ever seen.”

via instagram.com

Students at NYU and Columbia raised money for people in Gaza.

Anem Shariff, a graduate student at the Silver School of Social Work and the Global Institute of Public Health, said she supported the cause, even though she was not directly affected by the crisis in Gaza.

“I grew up with a lot of Palestinians, and I have seen how the bombings over the summer have really impacted and almost destroyed families,” Shariff said. “Although I am not Palestinian, I am here to show solidarity and support.”

There were also spoken word and dance performances, followed by a speech by Khalid Latif, the imam of NYU, who spoke about the past summer in Gaza and how his students at NYU could do a lot to help the people of Gaza.

“We had to digest the reality that more than 500 children’s lives were taken, 2,000 [in total] lost their lives, an entire city decimated,” Latif said.

“When you try to think about the important role that you play, don’t undermine your own ability to cast

deep impact on the world that’s around you.”

The Muslim Students Associations of NYU and Columbia had already raised a collective $15,000 before the event. When a representative from Islamic Relief USA asked the audience if they could make donations, this number doubled in only 20 minutes.

CAS sophomore Meyhad Mozffar said it did not matter how much money was raised it mattered that people were willing to help raise awareness.

“In the end, no matter what happens, no matter how much money we raise, everything we did was to help Gaza,” Mozaffar said.

Silver junior Asad Dandia said she was very pleased with the outcome of the Fast-A-Thon.

“I really enjoyed it because there were a lot of different performances going on,” Dandia said. “I think it was very diverse and vibrant.”

Email Alanna Bayarin at news@nyunews.com.

The Gazelle: women’s network kicks off mentorship program Published on TheGazelle.org on Oct. 19, 2014

By Merima Sabanovic Contributing Writer at The Gazelle On Oct. 18, Women’s Leadership Network, a Student Interest Group, hosted its launch event for the Women’s Mentorship Program, organized for the second consecutive year.

The aim of the program is to connect women from NYU Abu Dhabi with women that excel in their fields who can provide educational and personal guidance to their mentees and share lessons they have learned. Another objective of the mentorship program is to create a platform for women working on female empowerment through education and mutual support.

The Women’s Mentorship Program was founded last year by Nicole Lopez Del Carril and was organised this year by sophomore Nicoleta Nichifor and senior Mandy Tan. The event started with SIG leaders senior Olivia Bergen and Nichifor welcoming mentors and mentees followed by mentor and guest

Maysa Jalbout speaking about her own experiences and her visions for the program. Over 70 people attended the event, out of a total of 90 who signed up for the program.

The new mentors, who number 46, in total, come from diverse backgrounds and professions, ranging from medicine and engineering to marketing and the military.

The newly inducted mentors are looking forward to explore the idea of mentorship with NYUAD students.

“I’ve always been on the other side, being mentored, and I haven’t mentored anyone, so I’ve decided to give back to somebody else,” said Gemma Leaming, one of the new mentors this year.

The mentors see this event as an opportunity, not only to teach, but also to learn.

“I think one of the great things about this opportunity is that we come from such diverse backgrounds and experiences, so even though I am mentoring I truly expect that I will learn something from my mentee as well,” said mentor Tangela Johnson.

“I didn’t have a mentor and I still don’t have a mentor. I don’t have a go-to person,” mentor Nuru Y. F. Bwanga said. “I feel like I could do something, help people out and help them adjust to living in Abu Dhabi.”

“I had a really relaxing talk and learned a lot from my assigned mentor as well as other amazing women there. Now I am really looking forward to the mentoring process and what it will bring me both personally and professionally,” sophomore Fisher Wu said.

They stress the importance of having someone to guide and help young women, who strive for success.

“It was fantastic because I was amazed that they matched me with a mentor who has so many of my own interests that I didn’t even put down on the application,” said freshman Louise Claire. “I felt such positivity and such unexpected encounters that make me really excited for what the year will bring.”

Email Merima Sabanovic at thegazelle.org@gmail.com.

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Washington Square news | MONDAy, OCTOBER 20, 2014 | nyunews.com

FEATURES

edited by Hannah treasure FEATURES@nyunews.com

Journalist chronicles student startup

By Dhriti Tandon Contributing Writer

“More Awesome than Money,” a book written by New York Times journalist Jim Dwyer, tells the story of Daniel Grippi, Maxwell Salzberg, Raphael Sofaer and Ilya Zhitomirskiy, four NYU alumni who attempted to create a new social network tool during their undergraduate career.

The students’ social network tool, called Diaspora, would allow users to have more control over their personal data and what is released on the Internet.

Dwyer was impressed with the undergraduates’ efforts, which would revolutionize privacy on social networks. He said he was initially inspired after writing about them for The New York Times.

“In 2010, right after Facebook announced new ways to track users on other websites, I heard about four NYU guys who were trying to build an alternative,” Dwyer said. “They wanted to construct tools that would decentralize the network, meaning that data would not be stored on central servers owned by big companies like Facebook, but in smaller nodes or pods that would give the users more control.”

Dwyer’s account of their work in the New York Times article attracted international attention to the undergraduates.

This led to $200,000 in fundrasing and a base of 500,000 people waiting for invitations to try the website.

Staff photo by daniel cole

Columnist Jim Dwyer stands with his new book, “More Awesome than Money,” about four NYU student entrepreneurs.

The book was released on Oct. 16. The title, “More Awesome than Money,” is based on the fact that the group’s initiative was not inspired by the vision of making money, but rather something that a technology-driven society could benefit from.

“The four guys wanted to create something useful for the world and give it away,” Dwyer said. “The idea of Diaspora was more awesome than money.”

Collecting sources for his book and learning about the ex-

tensive work that went into creating the software was not an easy task for Dwyer — the mechanics of websites and startup culture were completely new areas for him.

Dwyer almost stopped writing the book after a number of disputes among the creators of Diaspora and the tragic death of one, Zhitomirskiy, 18 months into the project.

“I essentially abandoned the book, but, in time, the others returned to working on Diaspora,” Dwyer said. “They eventu-

ally turned the project over to a free software foundation, and a community of hackers continues to work on it.”

But Dwyer completed the book, and now the story of Diaspora and its creators is available to the public.

CAS freshman Rishabh Ranawat said the book deos a good job tackling privacy issues on social media.

“The book sums up the gripping quest to personalize user data really well and makes me even more appreciative of their work,” Ranawat said.

Despite the complex dynamics of the group and writing setbacks, Dwyer was still able to convey his message about the uniqueness of the group’s site and its importance to the future of internet privacy.

“The greatest things about the World Wide Web, like the ability to connect and share, have become bound up in an economy of surveillance,” Dwyer said. “Diaspora was utterly improbable.”

Email Dhriti Tandon at features@nyunews.com.

fire continued from PG. 1

Tisch freshman to debut Holocaust play, ‘Muse of Fire’

photo by amina sayeed

Jake Rosenberg is directing his original play, which opens Oct. 29.

Rosenberg received the news that his play had been selected to be staged on the day he moved into NYU. “I felt reassured of my choice of applying Early Decision to Tisch,” Rosenberg said.

“Muse of Fire” will be performed by professional actors under Rosenberg’s direction, as well as several other NYU students who are helping to produce the play.

Gallatin sophomore Sophia Cannata-Bowman, who is a producer and assistant director of the play, has known Rosenberg for about four years.

“Jake once jokingly told me that he runs on a 48-hour day that runs on double speed, and

that’s why he can get so much done,” Cannata-Bowman said.

“Though physiologically impossible, not entirely without truth.”

Rosenberg and Cannata-Bowman also work with Gallatin sophomore Daniel McElroy to produce the show.

“Each of us performs our specific responsibilities very well, and the amount of creative and personal trust that [ Jake, Sophia and I have] built between us will last far beyond this project,” McElroy said.

The play’s Manhattan staging follows its successful reading in San Francisco on May 20. The play, which was Rosenberg’s high school senior project, was also

recently included in the National Holocaust Theater Catalog.

The team even had to add a few dates after the first few shows quickly sold out. There will be five performances between Oct. 29 and Nov. 8.

In his future projects, Rosenberg hopes to one day showcase a play at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts. Meanwhile, he is continuously working to make a name for himself in the world of theater.

“My aim is to win the Pulitzer Prize for Dramatic Writing by 25,” Rosenberg said.

Email Tejas Sawant at features@nyunews.com.

nyunews.com | MONDAy, OCTOBER 20, 2014 | Washington Square news

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FEATURES

edited by hannah treasure features@nyunews.com

Exhibition explores different side of Vogue Italia

By Kari Sonde Staff Writer

Stunning videos of rare, behind-the-scenes footage projected onto brick walls and exhibition floors as the Italian beer company Peroni Nastro Azzurro and magazine Vogue Italia celebrated their new global partnership at Industria Superstudios on Oct. 14.

The exhibition, titled “Peroni Nastro Azzurro Celebrates The Visionary World of Vogue Italia,” brings together two brands that are dedicated to Italian style. The exhibition marks the first part of the collaboration, in which the companies pay homage to the style and creativity of the magazine.

Inspired by Vogue Italia’s 50th anniversary, editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani carefully curated vaulted footage of style icons, performers, designers and directors. The videos and their accompanying audio present a view of the talent that Vogue Italia has been able to celebrate.

Celebrities such as Duran Duran, Quentin Tarantino and Dita Von Teese are displayed in the videos of interviews and backstage footage.

The videos depict footage from

Photo by Christopher Minafo

Industria Superstudios held the event and houses the exhibit.

Vogue Italia photo shoots. One such video features Jessica Chastain and casts her in an ethereal light. Chastain, clad in a ’40sinspired off-the-shoulder dress, is swept away by assistants, photographers and editors to pose for a series of breathtaking shots.

In another video, A$AP Rocky is featured with dynamic style. Kaleidoscopic shots and stop motion technology depict Rocky in his natural state of ultimate cool and chic.

He even makes a comment on his own attitude as a creative force in the video.

“I’m what you see, absolutely

genuine, and I believe in my value,” Rocky said in the video.

While the current exhibition closes this week, there will be a second part to the collaboration extending into 2015. The two brands aim to locate new talent from around the world as a way to promote and guide the future of style. More details on this process will be released in April 2015.

The exhibit is open until Oct. 22, with an online exhibition at visionaryworld.vogue.it.

Email Kari Sonde at bstyle@nyunews.com.

Photo by Christopher Minafo

Constance Jablonski attends the launch of the exhibit.

Debate over trigger warnings in classrooms hits campus

By Monica Millay Contributing Writer

Trigger warnings alert trauma survivors of potentially disturbing content that could induce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. It has recently come under serious debate in the realm of academia as to whether or not professors should include trigger warnings in their syllabi.

Survivors of traumatic events often find that certain content, seen in television shows and movies or read in books and online, can trigger symptoms of PTSD, such as flashbacks, anxiety and panic attacks. Trigger warnings originally emerged within the feminist blog sphere and served to alert survivors of sexual violence to potentially upsetting material.

LS sophomore Maggie Neal said trigger warnings do not censor content, but instead allow readers to brace themselves for pieces of writing that may be upsetting or induce flashbacks.

“You’re pummeled with so much different content, it’s hard to know what you’re getting into sometimes,” Neal said. “So for people who have had really traumatic experiences like a rape or an eating disorder, there can be images that really invoke a sense of panic in some people.”

CAS sophomore Alexa Greene

Illustration by Sonja Haroldson

Trigger warnings are references to trauma such as rape and can lead to episodes of PTSD for the reader or viewer. equated trigger warnings to film ratings, such as PG-13 or R for movies with explicit content.

“If we can have movie rat-

ings, we can have trigger warnings,” Greene said.

Proponents of including trigger warnings on syllabi believe

the warnings would lead students and professors to think more critically about any unsettling content in course material that could be personally distressing to some students.

The push for trigger warnings is significant in light of the high rates of sexual assault on college campuses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in five female students experienced attempted or completed sexual assault during their undergraduate years. NYU has not made any official statements regarding trigger warnings.

Ann Pellegrini, NYU professor and director of the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, opposes trigger warnings and spoke at a panel specifically on the subject on Oct. 14. “[Trigger warnings] too easily morph into yet another disciplinary mechanism that the corporate university can use to promote consumer and donor satisfaction as the highest good,” Pellegrini said in an email.

Another popular critique of using trigger warnings is that they are band-aid solutions, or symbolic gestures, enacted by colleges in place of tackling the larger systemic issues of racism and sexual misconduct on campus.

Some even argue that warnings would merely coddle students. NYU professor Jonathan Zimmerman wrote a satirical

version of his syllabus on The Chronical of Higher Education. The version including trigger warnings, with section labels like “The 1970s: Remember the disco hit ‘Stayin’ Alive’? If you’re not into that, you should think about stayin’ home. Talk about trauma.”

Pellegrini said college is meant to put students in uncomfortable and challenging situations, and adding trigger warnings could endanger that environment.

“In calling for the classroom to be a ‘safe space,’ the movement for trigger warnings ends up closing down one of the crucial places where students and teachers, too, can experiment having and surviving the hurt feelings that may result from differences in viewpoints and differences in moral values,” Pellegrini said. “Learning that disagreement does not kill you — and that you need not kill someone who disagrees with you — could even be considered a kind of laboratory in democratic social relations.”

The trigger warning debate highlights the growing tension between student safety and student learning.

“How do we make the classroom a place simultaneously of safety and risk?” Pellegrini said. “In my view, pedagogy and learning require being open to the questions and the discomforts of not knowing.”

Email Monica Millay at features@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square News

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The new york times crossword & daily sudoku Crossword ACROSS 1 ___ and Clark expedition 6 “Romeo and Juliet” has five of them 10 Stomach muscles, for short 13 Juneau’s home 15 Season to be jolly 16 Singer Reed or Rawls 17 Performer who may have a navel decoration 19 Color, as Easter eggs 20 Eye amorously 21 Souped-up engine sound 22 Bebop, e.g.

23 Bread for a ham sandwich 24 Drunk’s interjection 25 Wine: Prefix 27 Some British pub food 32 Diana Rigg’s role on “The Avengers”

ANSWER A T T A C K E D I N C I T E

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35 With precise timing 36 ___ Cong 37 Junk, from Yiddish 40 Precursor to a game of chicken 41 Hall-of-Fame QB John 43 Jailbird 45 Risk, figuratively 48 Doozy 49 TV show created

by Lorne Michaels, for short 50 Car item that speaks, in brief 53 Jetty 56 “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” musical 58 Eins, zwei, ___ 59 Web address 60 Common stir-fry ingredients 62 Suffix with expert 63 Bruins of the N.C.A.A. 64 Command used when creating a new file name

65 April payment 66 ___ ex machina 67 What quivering legs feel like … or a word that can precede the starts of 17-, 27-, 45- and 60-Across

DOWN 1 Childbirth 2 Funeral song 3 Hit 2008 Pixar film with a robot 4 Getaway spot in the sea 5 Clouds’ locale 6 The “A” of A.D. 7 What a butterfly emerges from 8 Overflowed (with) 9 Camera type, in brief 10 Alan of “M*A*S*H” 11 ___ II Men (R&B group) 12 Canal to the Red Sea 14 Counseled 18 Zodiac symbol for Sagittarius TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 22 Mr. X T C O L U M N I S T 24 Au courant A P R O N O U N C E 26 Cpl. or sgt.

M L E T T E R B O X 27 How Hamlet stabs Polonius E M I N S E R T S E B A L L I T E M 28 Hebrew “A” S I N E S N A R E 29 “Not if ___ help it!”

C O A T I N G B A D G I R L C A T 30 100% O L O R T V C H I A 31 Crystal ball gazer P M A G I B E R G 32 “Be it ___ so humble …”

L E M O N G R A S S 33 Venus de ___ L Y G R A P P A O R A T A I D E A L 34 Whimper parts of C I O U S M I N C E 38 Colorful many birds O C K E T M O S E S 39 Takes for ransom

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PUZZLE BY ANDREA CARLA MICHAELS

42 Word that completes the song titles “___ Baby” and “Baby It’s ___” 44 The “S” in R.S.V.P. 46 Lamb’s coat 47 Polynesian land whose Internet suffix is .tv

50 Dish that Oliver Twist asked for more of

55 “Jeopardy!” host Trebek

51 “He loves me, he loves me not” flower part

57 Bring ___ a third party

52 Spacek of “Carrie”

58 Peace symbol

53 Leave work for good 54 ___ Major

60 Blossom-to-be 61 Old British rule in India

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opinion

edited by CHRISTINA COLEBURN opinion@nyunews.com

sports

Bill Simmons deserves better than ESPN

By Omar Etman Deputy Opinion Editor

ESPN no longer deserves Bill Simmons. The sports conglomerate, itself a subsidiary of the enormous Walt Disney Company, suspended Simmons last month for a comment he made during “The B.S. Report,” his popular weekly podcast. On Sept.

22, in the midst of the Ray Rice domestic abuse scandal that continues to hurt public perception of the NFL, Simmons called league commissioner Roger Goodell a liar for claiming to have not seen the now-infamous elevator footage of Ray Rice. Though it is unlikely that Goodell had not seen the footage, ESPN swiftly suspended Simmons for three weeks.

The suspension ended Oct. 15.

Simmons started with ESPN as a columnist in 2002. In the time since, his presence has expanded to include “The B.S. Report,” the “30 for 30” documentary series and, more recently, the Grantland website, an ESPN vertical that publishes truly excellent commentary on sports and culture.

For regular subscribers of the network’s many communicative channels, Simmons is inescapable.

Though I should admit that I love Simmons, I cannot claim to be his biggest fan — that title belongs to my friends. They read everything he writes and listen to each podcast he posts. His “Book of Basketball” in particular is essential reading for hoops fans, and for a good reason — it is at once entertaining and informative.

The book’s best elements exemplify the reasons Simmons has amassed such a following. His conversational commentary, which is fast-paced and historically informed, feels wonderfully personal. More fundamentally, it is always clear that Simmons cares about sports and the people involved. Even in the case for which he was suspended, his comments were made to protect football against negligent leadership.

It is unlikely Simmons will leave ESPN soon. He is believed to earn

more than $5 million each year, and “The Grantland Basketball Show” is set to debut on the network later this month. Then again, his contract ends next year, and there are rumblings that this suspension is the final straw. If the Grantland show is not a roaring success, and I selfishly hope that it will not be, the choice to leave should be an easier one. ESPN has a journalistic responsibility to its readers and viewers to deliver honest news, but ESPN’s treatment of one of its most respected voices proves that the company values Simmons’ profitability more than Simmons himself. His departure, however unlikely, is understandably overdue — for most sports writers, ESPN is the pinnacle of the industry. But Simmons is not most sports writers. He is the best modern sports commentator, truly The Sports Guy. He should create an independent platform to house his existing media empire, one that emphasizes good reporting over revenue. I know my friends and I will follow him there.

Email Omar Etman at oetman@nyunews.com.

midterm Elections

Rep. Paul Davis loses ground in Kansas

By Johnpaul Baratta Contributing Columnist

Political experts around the nation unexpectedly declared Gov. Sam Brownback, a long-time Kansas Republican, doomed for reelection just a few weeks ago. With only two weeks until election day, the race between Brownback and his Democratic opponent, State Rep. Paul Davis, has now dramatically tightened to a pure toss-up.

Although essentially tied, momentum appears to be with Brownback, demonstrated by recent polling.

Skeptical Republicans are beginning to come back home to Brownback. Once-confident Democrats are now forced to face a glaring reality — the opportunity for a victory in Kansas appears to be fading.

After 14 years as a senator and a single term as governor, Brownback has demonstrated exactly why he has survived for this long: he is an incredibly savvy politician. Trouble began brewing for Brownback when over 100 Republican elected officials endorsed Davis. This cataclysmic split in the state GOP can be attributed largely to Brownback

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alienating the moderate wing of his party by championing a variety of controversial policies, including decreasing the education budget.

Capitalizing on this opportunity in a deep-red state, Davis’ centrist campaign quickly captured the support of moderate Republicans, giving the Democrat a consistent string of big leads in the polls.

Although Brownback was down, he was certainly not out. When reports surfaced that Davis was caught receiving a lap dance during a drug raid on a strip club in the 1990s, the dynamic of the race changed completely. While Davis might have survived the blowback of this scandal elsewhere, the social conservative tilt of the heartland of America is sinking his campaign.

Bolstered by a new onslaught of GOP-aligned ads in the similarly

competitive Senate race, Republicans appear to be regaining their footing in both statewide races.

Rebounding from massive poll deficits, Brownback had the lead or tied in four consecutive public surveys, which is a dramatic shift in an incredibly short period of time.

While the sudden competitiveness in Kansas may be shocking to some due the Republican lean of the state, Democrats have controlled the Governor’s Mansion in Kansas more often than the GOP in recent history. Former Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who is a Democrat, was elected to two terms as Governor about a decade ago, having taken advantage of a comparable split between Republican moderates and conservatives. While Davis could certainly still emerge victorious in a similar manner come Nov. 4, Brownback has proven his durability as a skilled politician, and the once-troubled incumbent now appears a modest favorite headed into the final campaign stretch.

Email Johnpaul Baratta at opinion@nyunews.com

staff editorial

Term limits valuable for NY ethics reform

At an NYU College Republicans event on Oct. 16, New York gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino advocated for term limits as a means of ethics reform. Astorino, who is running against incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Nov. 4 election, said he and his opponent should debate this notion publicly. Astorino promised that if he wins the election, he would limit several positions within the state legislature to a maximum of two four-year terms, including the offices of governor, attorney general and state comptroller. He also stated he would call for a constitutional convention to secure long-term reform. In a rare consensus on policy, both College Republicans and Democrats applauded the notion of term limits, citing a need to bring change to the New York State legislature. Albany has been plagued with political misconduct in past years, and corruption remains a top issue on the campaign trail. Term limits could be a valuable part of the ethics reform that the state desperately needs.

The call for term limits for public officials is not exclusive to New York. This debate has taken place nationwide as part of a greater conversation about the effectiveness of government. Regardless of Congress’ dismal 14 percent approval rating and historic lack of productivity, most incumbents are re-elected. Despite two- and six-year election cycles in the House and Senate respectively, voters can indefinitely elect the same representative. In part, this cycle stems from voters’ approval of their own representative, but disapproval of Congress as a whole. It is a painful formula that continually yields disappointing results.

Just as Congress cannot save itself from its lack of productivity, Albany suffers from a similar inability to fight corruption of its own volition. A Cuomo-appointed panel recommended comprehensive changes to New York’s ethics and campaign finance laws last December. The report included the damning line: “New York needs comprehensive reform to restore the public trust.” Albany’s critics should consider reining in corruption through term limits, which can prevent the same unethical, unproductive players from spoiling the democratic process.

The increasing presence of a wealthy elite in politics has turned America into an oligarchy rather than a democracy.

An April 2014 study conducted by professors from Princeton and Northwestern Universities found that policies the economically elite disfavor are adopted only 18 percent of the time. In order to halt this trend of re-electing representatives who exploit public faith through corruption and inefficiency, voters — both inside and outside of New York — should consider Astorino’s idea. It could be crucial in restoring ethics to Albany, as well as the nation.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD: Christina Coleburn (Chair), Omar Etman (Co-chair), Adam Fazlibegu (Co-chair), Tess Woosley (Co-chair) illustration by jourdan enriquez

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, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

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nyunews.com | MONDAy, OCTOBER 20, 2014 | Washington Square news

sports

edited by CHRIS MARCOTRIGIANO SPORTS@nyunews.com

Weekend Wrap Up: Oct. 17-19

By Mike Thompson Contributing Writer

Cross Country

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The NYU men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Connecticut Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 18. The men’s team finished first out of 18 teams, beating a field of teams including United States Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut College and Brandeis University. One standout was reigning Eastern College Athletic Conference Metro Runner of the Week Sebastian Oja, who finished first with a time of 25:42. Freshman Max Mudd finished in 13th with a time of 26:21, while seniors Dharan Kadiyala and Johnny Lake finished 14th and 16th with times of 26:23 and 26:26, respectively.

The women’s team finished fourth in their 19-team field, ahead of rival Brandeis University in the 6K race and just two points behind third place Stevens Institute of Technology. Senior Sarah Czuprynski led the way for the Violets, finishing 11th with a time of 22:52. Junior Lily Corsaro and freshman Maggie Lalowski finished in the top 25, with respective times of 23:05 and 23:21.

Both teams will return to action when they compete in the UAA Championship at Washington University in St. Louis on Nov. 1.

Women’s Volleyball After getting off to a good start, the women’s volleyball team finished a disappointing 1-3 at the UAA Round Robin #2, which was hosted by the University of Chicago this weekend. The Violets

easily defeated the University of Rochester in a straight set victory.

Senior Katie Robinson led the way with a match-high 13 kills, while sophomore MaTia Hughes led the team in digs with 17. Juniors Ashley Toth and Emily Moore contributed to the team effort with 14 and 12 assists, respectively. However, the ladies were defeated in their second match in straight sets by Emory University. Even in defeat, sophomore Josie Luck played well with five kills and nine digs. In all, six different Violets had at least three kills against Emory. The next day did not turn out any better. The Lady Violets dropped both matches of the day, losing to Carnegie Mellon University in straight sets before dropping their final match against Case Western Reserve University 1-3. The team is now 17-11 on the season.

Men’s Soccer The men’s soccer team suffered a tough 2-1 defeat against Carnegie Mellon University on Sunday, dropping to 11-3 on the eason. After Carnegie Mellon’s Connor Webb scored in the seventh minute to put the Tartans up 1-0, the Violets’ sophomore Reece Barton tied the game in the 55th minute with his third goal this season. However, the Violets were struck with a bit of bad luck in the 62nd minute. After keeper Lucas Doucette blocked Webb’s penalty kick, it ricocheted right back to Webb, who scored on the second chance and gave Carnegie Mellon the lead for good. NYU will look the regroup against the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.

staff graphic by kavish harjai

Women’s Soccer Carnegie Mellon University also proved to be kryptonite for the women’s soccer team on Sunday.

The fifth-ranked Tartans beat the 23rd-ranked Violets 1-0. Although the Violets were outshot 15-4 in the match, the score remained 0-0 until the 68th minute. A header off

of a corner kick proved to be the difference, and Carnegie Mellon improved its record to 11-1, while the Lady Violets’ record fell to 9-4-1. The team will play at St Joseph’s College Long Island on Oct. 21.

Email Mike Thompson at sports@nyunews.com.

Column

NCAA should focus on larger infractions in athletic policy

By Bobby Wagner Staff Columnist

If it is starting to feel like it has been a long time without an NCAA scandal, don’t worry. On Oct. 9, the NCAA suspended University of Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who was the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman trophy, for getting paid to sign autographs.

It was recently revealed that he had sold his signature to a Georgia memorabilia store for $400.

According to Forbes, UGA made $52.3 million in excess revenue from the football program in 2013.

According to ESPN, Gurley’s jersey was selling for $134.95 before his suspension. That is $134.95 more than Gurley will see for that jersey.

While Gurley serves his suspension, Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston has given the country his best Houdini, escaping NCAA suspension twice — once for a sexual assault allegation and once for theft. He is playing again after being suspended only a single

via facebook.com

Running back Todd Gurley is the latest to have an NCAA scandal. game for yelling an obscene phrase in the campus cafeteria. Yet it is only now, after he has become linked to the current Gurley scandal, that people are starting to fear for his eligibility. Additionally, FSU quarterback Treon Harris was just reinstated after having a sexual battery case against

him dropped.

While the aforementioned scandals involving sexual assault, theft and misogynistic obscenities resulted in a total of two missed games, Gurley will likely miss the remainder of the season, and possibly have the rest of his career tarnished if

NFL teams do not want to deal with his off-the-field issues.

Sophomore goalkeeper of the NYU men’s soccer team Lucas Doucette criticized the NCAA’s policies for being unjust.

“According to NCAA rules, he was rightfully suspended,” Doucette said. “Obviously that’s not the main issue. The main issue is that the NCAA is a multi-million dollar business that is making money off of college athletes who are not getting paid … It is hypocritical and corrupt.”

Yet Doucette made it clear that he did not feel giving athletes like himself a salary would fix the issue.

“They are student athletes who are supposed to be getting a good education,” Doucette said. “But it’s wrong that their coaches are making ridiculous amounts of money off their players. The system needs to be changed.”

Why is the NCAA in a position to say that making some money off of personal stardom is worse than crimes that could warrant jail

time? If the NCAA is really trying to protect its image, it needs to stop worrying about the harmless money that superstar players are making on their jerseys or the subtle violations of recruiting that certain coaches have made. The NCAA has become too strict in all the wrong places. It needs to start worrying more about the education of its players against sexual, physical and mental abuse. It needs to promote a culture that is less violent, material and misogynistic, and rid itself of the current culture that undermines the gravity of committing serious crimes. If not, it will not be long before we see football fade in the United States.

No one feels better about the direction football culture is going just because Gurley got suspended. No sport, no university and no entity is too big for greater social change, no matter how big or expensive the stadium it tries to hide behind.

Email Bobby Wagner at sports@nyunews.com.