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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
ILLUSTRATION BY GRACE HALIO
The Incarceration to Education Coalition held a protest on Friday in a part of their movement to abolish the box on college applications that ask applicants to disclose any prior or current criminal standing.
Students continue campaign to ban the box By YEHO HWANG Contributing Writer
NYU students protested outside the Jeffrey S. Gould Welcome Center on Friday to abolish the box on college applications that ask applicants to disclose any prior or current criminal standing as part of a movement led by the student-run Incarceration to Education Coalition. Steinhardt alum Cory Greene stated that there is no statistical proof as to how the box guarantees better safety for the school. Greene said he was formerly involved in a homicide, but was able to attend NYU and is using his experience to advocate humanizing formerly and currently incarcerated individuals. He is pushing for higher education to be available for all people. “Over the last thirty years when you look at all of this evidence, the box doesn’t indicate anything towards campus safety or public safety,” Greene said. “It doesn’t indicate anything about who’s going to graduate and at which rate people are going to graduate.” At the end of October, the Fair Chance Act went into effect in New York City, meaning that job applicants would no longer have to disclose criminal history until the final stages of the hiring process. Then, on Nov. 3, President Obama enacted an order banning the box on all federal job applications. “We’ve got to make sure Americans who have paid their debt to society can earn their second chance,” Obama said at the time. Gallatin sophomore Aaliyah Jihad, the operation chair for Black Student Union, said the box translates into systemic racism. “It unjustly, or disproportionately, punishes people of color, so it perpetuates the racism that mass incarceration is producing,” Jihad said. “It’s unfair to punish people who have already been punished.” After about an hour and a half
of demonstrating a sit-in at the Welcome Center on Friday, IEC members were able to meet with university administrators, although members of the coalition claimed that talks until this point have not been substantial. According to Gallatin senior Shirley LaVarco who attended the protest, several other administrators came to observe the scene. “There was this procession of administrators, which included Marc Wais, the head of student affairs,” LaVarco said. “They waited outside while [Senior Vice President for Public Affairs] Lynne Brown came to talk to us.” From then on, it was a waiting game. The IEC members stated that they were told there would be no re-entry into the Welcome Center upon leaving the building. Near the end of the evening, the IEC was told that leaving the center before 5 p.m. would guarantee them a meeting with administrators on Friday, Dec. 11. The group is now expecting a meeting at 2 p.m. on Friday with school administrators to discuss the issue more. A statement from university spokesperson Matt Nagel said NYU’s initial admission decisions are made without looking at whether or not a student has checked the box, and that checking the box has never been an automatic bar to admissions at NYU. “NYU believes in second chances, and that those who have been caught in our criminal justice system shouldn’t be prevented from getting a college education,” the statement reads. “Still, we think it’s important to take account of all aspects of an applicant’s background, including those that may have an impact on the safety of our community, as part of thoughtful, holistic admissions decision-making process.” Email Yeho Hwang at news@nyunews.com.
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WSN sits down with the chair of the Black and Brown Coalition, Juan Manuel Calera to discuss the diversity challenges at NYU.
Q&A: Black and Brown Coalition By ALEX BAZELEY News Editor As discussions about diversity have exploded on campuses across the country, NYU has added to the conversation, rolling out initiatives like increasing funding for the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs to create a more inclusive community for students of color and opening up dialogues for students to discuss the injustices they’re seeing. The Black and Brown Coalition has largely led this discourse over the last few weeks, starting with a list of demands for the university handed out at a school-wide diversity forum — a list which has since grown immensely. Since the diversity forum, the coalition — a group with representatives from more than 30 student groups on campus — has remained a leader in the movement, working with the administration to figure out how make the university a safe space for students of color. WSN sat down with Juan Manuel Calero Canaval, the demands chair of the Black and Brown Coalition, to talk about the problems facing NYU and his thoughts on what the university has to do to change.
WSN: Obviously the university has been rolling out these new initiatives, some of which do correlate with the demands. How much of that is a result of your working with them, and has the BBC been satisfied with a lot of the initiatives? Juan Manuel Calero Canaval: All the initiatives that have been rolled out have been reactionary. In terms of measuring whether or not we’re happy with the reactionary stuff, honestly I am satisfied with it, only because I didn’t expect them to do anything this quickly. This is the first time that NYU has taken this seriously in my opinion in terms of the totality of NYU’s his-
tory. So it’s interesting that what was thought to be impossible and unreasonable, such as creating a particular administrative group to address racism on campus and sexism on campus and homophobia on campus, is now obvious and a to-do thing.
WSN: Do you have a sense of how many resources the university is willing to divert to this? Does it seem like it’s going to be a central focus, or does it seems like they feel like they’ve done what they need to do? JMCC: For some things, I do fear they’ll choose to do like a Band-Aid and pretend that everything’s fine. For example, in terms of CMEP funding, CMEP’s and the Center for Student Activities, Leadership and Service’s problems aren’t exclusively funding and staffing. I’m also concerned about the mental health demands, that they’ll mishandle that. Because there’s a difference between having a physical body representing a number — having a black mental health professional within the wellness center — versus having a mental health professional who is black, who is also aware and has worked with black communities on campus or at universities or in general.
WSN: Would you say that a focus on mental health is at the top of your list of things that need to come about from this? JMCC: Mental health things are of particular importance to me because my freshman year, four of my friends at NYU committed suicide — all of whom were students of color. And it’s hard for students of color to get the mental health stuff we need. There’s a general mental health problem at NYU, starting with ideally having mental health professionals hired who are people or color and do understand the trauma and
struggles that come with racism or coming from a background with racism.
WSN: What have you seen with the diversity training that NYU has had so far, and as they talk about essentially rebuilding it, are you confident that it may improve? JMCC: I feel like to an extent it will, at least for the faculty, if we revamp it and have it be more accurate and be more direct and brutal, that it’ll help a lot of people realize how they’re fucking up. In terms of the general student body, I really don’t expect much to change, except maybe a bit more prudence, perhaps. Because people are going to be racist. There’s two bars for me: there’s an incredibly low bar of simply teaching students how not to perform racism and teaching them that it’s bad to perform racism. Then there’s the other bar that’s much much higher of teaching students not to be racist and to be selfaware of the historical dynamics of race in this country. And I hope heavily that we’ll pass the low bar and try to reach for the high bar, but we’ll see.
WSN: Do you think it’s realistic, that this is something that NYU can overcome? JMCC: The low bar? If we do it right we can do that because it’s really just basic. It’s literally a not to do list. And then the other bar is probably not realistic, but it’s still something we need to strive for because that’s the point of all social movements. It’s this idea of an ultimately unattainable dynamic of justice, and that’s what you need to always hope for and strive for and have faith that we are capable of, even if it never gets realized. Email Alex Bazeley at abazeley@nyunews.com.
Sustainability efforts improving By LUDOVICA GRIECO Staff Writer
As the world has turned more attention to the efforts against climate change, the Office of Sustainability at NYU has led a variety of initiatives to help improve the university’s environmental performance and introduce more sustainable practices on campus. NYU has initiated a number of programs across campus to educate members of the community on eco-friendly practices and take proactive measures to reduce environmental mismanagement. Various residence halls have launched the Sustainability Advocates Program along with the ECOrep program to encourage members of the NYU community to green their own departments by educating peers on sustainability practices. Meanwhile, the ECOrep program engages students in residence halls through peerto-peer education on sustainability topics. This academic year, 25 ECOreps have been elected to advocate for sus-
tainable practices through activities within their residence halls including discussion on appropriate energy usage as well as waste and water management. Facilitator of the ECOrep program Cate Wright said many of the students who joined ECOreps did so in response to the perception that the school itself was being inactive about sustainable practices. “I wish more of an emphasis for renewables, better waste options, and top of the line technology was being pursued by the heads of the school,” Wright said. Although administrators claim NYU is committed to becoming a leading institution for urban sustainability practices, some members of its community feel that it is rather inactive. Growing tensions between the university and the NYU Divest student group regarding the university’s investment in the fossil fuel industry are proof that the school has a lot of improvements to make. NYU Divest member and CAS junior Olivia Rich said NYU
needs policy changes to adequately address crises like climate change and the destruction of ecosystems. “An institution committed to facts and learning, cannot call itself sustainable while continuing to invest in fossil fuel companies that use money to fund further extraction,” Rich said. Another significant program started by the office is the Green Grant Program, designed to improve the university’s operational environmental performance, by providing funding up to $20,000 to projects coming out of the NYU community proposed by students, faculty or staff. NYU Office of Sustainability Manager Nicolas Gordon said the office serves as a bridge between students and faculty who are coming up with initiatives for sustainability programs and need either funding or guidelines. Gordon added that the Office of Sustainability administers sustainability programs, but any member of the NYU community can make efforts toward making the uni-
Top 8 stories from fall semester By THE NEWS TEAM
NYU School of Engineering Changes Its Name To NYU Tandon In October, the school briefly known as the Polytechnic School of Engineering received a $100 million donation and changed its name to NYU Tandon in honor of its new benefactors, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon. The name change was met with mixed reactions, particularly from upperclassmen who worry that the new name will not carry the same weight as the old one on job applications.
Pharrell To Spend Year As An Artist-In-Residence At Tisch Coinciding with the Tisch School of the Arts’ 50th anniversary, producer and R&B artist Pharrell Williams announced that he would spend the next year as an artist-in-residence at Tisch. Williams will also be teaching a class as part of his residency.
Images Of Suicide Prompted Outrage From Law School Students The NYU School of Law was criticized harshly after decorating its Halloween party with offensive images of a man committing suicide. The reactions to the controversy were mixed, with some students feeling that the images were disrespectful and triggering, while others felt that, in the context of Halloween, the decorations were not
particularly problematic.
Burial Vaults Unearthed On Campus Less than a month into the semester, construction began on Washington Park East to replace a water main. Shortly after Halloween, the construction crew hit a snag when they discovered a vault filled with human remains, only to find a second vault a few days later. The plot thickened further when a week later, an NYU professor and their class discovered that the city should have known the vaults were there.
The NYU Community Came Together Following International Terrorist Attacks Terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 which saw 130 lose their lives resulted in New Yorkers gathering in Union Square for a vigil commemorating those who died. Supporters also gathered the next day during a rally in Washington Square Park. Hundreds of people from all over the city congregated, framed by the Arch and the Freedom Tower, while Parisians sang the national anthem.
Official Coles Closing Date Was Announced The university released a closure date of Jan. 22 for the Coles Sports Center in an email to alumni members of the gym, but did not make a formal announcement to the larger NYU community. NYU 2031 called for
the destruction of the gym to make way for a new facility that will include an updated gym, academic space and student and faculty housing.
Widespread Conversation Surrounding Race and Diversity Sparks On Campus Following incidents at campuses around the country, NYU administrators organized a forum in which NYU students aired their grievances on how they thought NYU treated its students of color. In response, the university unveiled a series of initiatives designed to increase inclusion of students of color on campus. In the wake of the talks, an NYU White Students Union Page appeared on Facebook to mass outrage, which was later denounced by many as a hoax, although the page still remains active.
Masked Assailant Threatens Professor With A Knife In Tandon Classroom An unidentified assailant threatened an NYU professor with a seven inch knife at Tandon Rogers Hall on Dec. 2. The attacker fled from the building after the professor screamed and has yet to be identified. NYU Public Safety and the NYPD are still investigating the incident while university administrators are working the keep the student body and faculty members safe. Email the news team at news@nyunews.com.
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STAFF PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN FORTE
The Office of Sustainability has incorporated initiatives such as various recycling bins around campus in order to maintain sustainability on campus. versity more eco-friendly. “Green grants have funded a wide range of activities, such as an environmental journal coming soon out of Gallatin, an energy challenge competition that will take place at the School of Engineering, and many more,” Gordon said. Green Grant has institutionalized a number of successful programs, one of which is BikeShare, a free bike share program that has been running since 2011. With more than 4,700 members registered, BikeShare operates with the
goal of reducing pollution by providing free bikes to use for an entire day from 14 locations across campus, including one in Brooklyn. Last month, NYU was one of more than 200 universities across the country to sign a pledge showing their commitment to action against climate change. The pledge is directed towards world leaders who are currently in Paris for the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. Email Ludovica Grieco at news@nyunews.com.
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‘Nutcracker Rouge’ not for kids
By ANNALUZ CABRERA Contributing Writer
Company XIV’s revival of the production “Nutcracker Rouge” brings fiery passion to a ballet usually for younger audiences. In the sensuous reimagining of the show, director Austin McCormick gives new purpose to the various lingerie-clad dolls that engage the protagonist, Marie-Claire, played by Laura Careless, in several fantastical dances and dreams. Following in the footsteps of its previous production of Cinderella, Nutcracker Rouge is a glitzy baroque-burlesque, opera, circus and theater all tied into one glamorous show. Shelly Watson drives the show as Madame Drosselmeyer, acting as an emcee and amping up the crowd. Her insanely impressive singing skills and the energy she brings to the stage makes the audience shout and cheer her on like no other character.
Brett Umlauf, Marcy Richardson and Jacob Karr are other performers that really shine in this production. Umlauf, who personifies candy such as turkish delight and licorice is an incredibly talented singer, dancing while belting songs like Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle” in Persian. Richardson, the pole doll and champagne, combines current pop hits such as “Chandelier” by Sia in French and “Alejandro” by Lady Gaga in Spanish with incredible aerial work while playing the lyra. The glitter storm that hits as Umlauf twirls in the air makes the moment ever so magical. Karr drops jaws in his performance as the marionette doll, cake and in the corps de ballet, flexing, bending and kicking in an upbeat dance as if his bones are nonexistent. The audience laughs and whoops when he emerge as a cake, shimmying and strutting in a comical dance. The incredible pointe dancer
who opens the performance, Hilly Bodin, portrays a ballerina doll and a cherry and is in the corps de ballet. Bodin explained why she loves this particular style of theater. “There is a sense of confidence and sensuality combined with theatrical elements that makes everyone so open with their bodies,” Bodin said. “Burlesque is a lot of external work but internally there is a lot of confidence and power. It’s an artistic explosion.” Bodin also added that the choreographer and director McCormick gives the performance certain artistic freedom. “He gives us the canvas and color palette, and then we can play with the choreography while he oversees it,” Bodin said. “It’s challenging, especially with the costumes because sometimes they are so heavy, up to 20 pounds, and we have to make it seem real, like the costume isn’t there but also be
Museum of Feelings makes you feel things
Steven Trumon Gray and Laura Careless (pictured) perform in Company XIV’s revival of “The Nutcracker Rouge” from Nov. 25 to Jan. 17. mindful so it doesn’t get damaged.” Nonetheless, the performers certainly create a wonderful dreamlike atmosphere with singing and dancing that is unbelievably intricate but appears effortless. A must-
watch performance, Nutcracker Rouge runs until Jan. 17, 2016 at the Minetta Lane Theater. Email Annaluz Cabrera at theater@nyunews.com.
Doc makes cartoons ‘Very Semi-Serious’ By TONY SCHWAB Staff Writer
By AMANDA CHOY Contributing Writer
At Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City, a pulsing, colorful pop-up museum has been mesmerizing New Yorkers since Nov. 24. The Museum of Feelings, a temporary art exhibit that is in partnership with Glade, connects sensory elements and colors to different emotions. While the installment explores the link between scent and emotion, the pop-up also boasts incredible visual displays and auditory experiences within. With the hashtag #museumoffeelings, social media users have been posting surreal photographs of the chameleonic exhibit on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Now with over 67,000 Facebook RSVPs on their official event page, the installation has garnered enough attention from social media and by word-ofmouth to have a several-hourslong wait time to get into the rectangular prism-shaped, minimalist museum. However, the wait must be well worth it as attendees don’t seem to regret their decision. Before entering the museum, visitors can watch the exterior of the museum change in color. The long tubes of light framing the contours of the museum structure are linked to a real-time analysis of New Yorkers’ moods,
COURTESY OF MARK SHELBY PERRY
CHRISTINE WANG FOR WSN
The Museum of Feelings, an exhibit which utilises scent and emotion, is on display from Nov. 14 to Dec. 15. which are determined from data culled from social media. The data is then translated into emotion-color pairs like joyful green, invigorated blue or calm purple. Once visitors make it through the front doors, they’re guided through multiple rooms that are themed after emotions like optimistic, exhilarated and worried. 3D glasses and holographic sheets are handed out for a more interactive experience, as patrons are encouraged to play with the hypnotizing light displays and touch-screen control panels. Every room has a guided experience, as staff members take the time to prep visitors by explaining the specifics behind the emotion, smell, touch, sights and sounds of a room before allowing them to enter. After making their way through the labyrinth of rooms, guests leave with their own moodlens, which is a photo taken at the end of the installation and is
linked to an emotion analyzed by a hand scanner. The prints are produced on the spot and boast a fun scratch-and-sniff backing that corresponds to the individual’s detected emotion. The museum has even compiled a real-time moodlens gallery that is accessible on their website. Every visitor’s moodlens is organized by emotion and website visitors can toggle between the different ones. New Yorkers left feeling dizzy with excitement and all kinds of unique scents, some of them even taking home emotioninspired scented candles with them. This immersive and invigorating exhibit is definitely not one to miss, as it pulls human emotions and senses into a truly unique artistic dimension. The Museum of Feelings is open till Dec. 15 and is free and open to the public. Email Amanda Choy at entertainment@nyunews.com.
The documentary “Very SemiSerious, directed by Leah Wolchok, opens with a clever montage in which cartoons making fun of the city are interspersed with shots of the places they’re mocking. This sets the stage for a film all about the beauty and the absurdity of New York culture. The documentary focuses on cartoonists at “The New Yorker,” using narration by current cartoon editor Bob Mankoff. We see his day-to-day routine as he goes through hundreds of submissions to choose the handful that will be published. He mentors cartoonists who he feels have real potential. He meets with superiors at the magazine and with editors of a memoir he is publishing. In all of this, Mankoff seems to love his job and those around him, even as he communicates almost exclusively in very dry jokes. Using this solidly jokey narrative, Mankoff and others talk about the history of the magazine. A montage summarizes the founding of the magazine and the introduction of cartoons and famous artists, including Charles Addams and Saul Steinberg. This scene, like much of the movie, is an indulgent and nostalgic celebration of “The New Yorker,” but readers of the magazine will love it nonetheless. The movie is reverential of the past, but it is still very much concerned with how Mankoff has pushed the cartoon section forward. As the Internet began to offer a new venue for aspiring artists and many print magazines went under, “The New Yorker” modernized. Mankoff agreed to accept submissions from
anyone and started mentoring. He also made a point of bringing in voices that were different from the typical New Yorker upper-middle class style. Many of these newer cartoonists are covered in the movie, and all of them present work that deserves attention. Newcomers Liana Finck and Ed Steed stand out as especially interesting for their new but immediately memorable cartoon styles. There are times in which the movie gets more than semi-serious, to its detriment. One section deals with Mankoff’s grief over the death of his son. Another deals with the magazine’s response to 9/11. Both of these intrude on a generally very light tone. When dealing with such grand tragedies, the film punches above its weight. The strength of the movie is in its interviews. Everyone involved seems legitimately engaged in a way that is rare for a documentary that relies heavily on talking heads. The artists get very personal in their discussions of their art. At times the movie is reminiscent of “Crumb,” the classic portrait of the cartoonist Robert Crumb, in its treatment of neurosis as a source of inspiration. Wolchok’s direction is skillful without overwhelming the material. Many cartoons are shown, with enough time given to each for them to be understood. “Very Semi-Serious” is breezy, entertaining and informative much like its subject magazine. “Very Semi-Serious” premieres on HBO on Dec. 7. For NYU students living on campus, the documentary can be accessed via HBO Go. Email Tony Schwab at film@nyunews.com.
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‘Superstore’ is NBC’s return to comedy VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG
In theaters on Dec. 18, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is easily the most anticipated film of 2015.
Five films to catch over winter break By WSN FILM STAFF
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” By ANUBHUTI KUMAR Staff Writer “Star Wars” fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the franchise’s seventh installment, which is sure to be one of the biggest films of the year. Directed by J.J. Abrams, the film features the return of the original cast and introduces the leads of this new trilogy: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac. It is set 30 years after “The Return of the Jedi” and will follow their fight for the Resistance. Few other details are known about the plot. End the year right and catch it in theaters on Dec. 18.
“The Revenant” By DARIA BUTLER Staff Writer In the event that you have nothing planned for Christmas Day, be among the first to see “The Revenant” when it hits theaters on the Dec. 25. This intense thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio tells the story of Hugh Glass, an explorer who survives a bear attack in the uncharted wilderness but is left for dead by his hunting team. He then embarks on a quest for vengeance. Directed by Academy Award winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu, “The Revenant” is based on Michael Punke’s 2002 novel of the same name. Perhaps this will be the film that nets Leo his longawaited Oscar.
“The Hateful Eight” By TONY SCHWAB Staff Writer Dec. 25 also promises the culmination of Quentin Tarantino’s obsession with spaghetti westerns. In “The Hateful Eight,” bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth (Kurt Russell) attempts to turn in Daisy “The Prisoner” Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) on a murder charge. Confined to a cabin due to a blizzard, they run into a sheriff, an ex-confederate soldier and other
Tarantino types. Over three hours long and presented in 70 mm format in certain theaters, ideally the film will be a twist on the formula he has stuck to postJackie-Brown.
“Concussion” By ETHAN SAPIENZA Staff Writer Nothing warms the heart more on a cold day quite like Will Smith telling you how terrible football is, right? “Concussion” may not be a crowd pleaser, but it certainly is a muckraker. The film follows Dr. Bennet Omalu (Smith), the Nigerian forensic pathologist who showed how football players suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, an awful life-ruining disease that is progressively degenerative and can originate in such a violent sport. The NFL has been trying to bury Omalu’s discovery since it challenged them, which the movie makes out to be thrilling. Reviews ahead of its Christmas release have been mixed, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be informative and important. “Concussion” comes out on Dec. 25.
“Anomalisa” By ZACH MARTIN Film Editor Director Charlie Kaufman, known for his surrealist, mindbending screenplays such as “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Being John Malkovich,” turned to Kickstarter to finance his new stop-motion animated drama “Anomalisa.” All of the puppets were made using 3D printers and none of them look creepy, so that’s a plus. Centered on an antisocial author who has a life-changing encounter with a stranger at a hotel, this film will be perfect for those who enjoy poignant introspection, commentary on the human condition and mixing holiday merriment with uncontrollable weeping. “Anomalisa” comes out on Dec. 30. Email the Film Desk at film@nyunews.com.
By ANUBHUTI KUMAR Staff Writer
From Justin Spitzer, a former writer on the NBC hit “The Office,” comes the hilarious new comedy “Superstore.” A funny and highly entertaining new show starring America Ferrera and Ben Feldman, “Superstore” is a must-see for NBC’s upcoming spring lineup. Two episodes premiered on Nov. 30 as a preview before the show launches in its regular spot on Mondays at 8 p.m. starting Jan. 4. The third episode is also available online at NBC.com. The show is very reminiscent of the creator’s “Office” roots. It follows a band of characters who come together at their seemingly drab jobs in a superstore called Cloud 9. Amy, played by Ferrara, has made a career out of this job, having been there for the past 10 years. Jonah, played by Ben Feldman, is new to the community and has not gotten off on the best foot. He faces many mishaps on his first day, from knocking over stacks of groceries to misplacing expensive electronics. This quickly sets off Amy’s short temper, leaving Jonah racing to make amends.
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The producer of “The Office” just debuted a new workplace comedy on NBC called “Superstore.” The highlight of “Superstore” is the various wonderfully strange minor characters. The show features a delusional assistant store manager, a blissfully naive manager, an overzealous new associate and a pregnant teenager along with her aspiring rapper boyfriend. The multitude of personalities make “Superstore” engaging and exciting, as the audience finds out more about them and each of their personal lives. This new sitcom appears to mark NBC’s successful return to the comedy genre after a recent run of short-lived series in the last few seasons. Feldman, the male lead in “Superstore,” also starred in last season’s “A to Z,” a romantic comedy opposite Cristin Milioti, which only lasted half a season. The show teases a romance between Amy and Jonah, though complications seem imminent as Amy is seen walk-
ing towards her car while sliding on a ring, since jewelry is against the employee dress code. An insightful look into the many facets of American society, it features issues such as elitism, racism and especially materialism, considering the setting. Yet the heart of this show lies in the fact that it manages to tackle these issues in a fun, lighthearted and therefore more universal way. “Superstore” promises to make Mondays more bearable when January arrives. Audiences get a glimpse of diverse coworkers finding a way to work together, while also trying to find moments of beauty in their potentially droll jobs and conflicting personalities. “Superstore” airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. starting Jan. 4, 2016. Email Anubhuti Kumar at entertainment@nyunews.com.
Surprise albums win 2015
By KIERAN GRAULICH Music Editor
Around March of 2015, music critics and fans alike found themselves barraged on a weekly basis by what seemed like a constant flow of buzzworthy albums. Death Grips’ “Jenny Death,” Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Tyler, the Creator’s “Cherry Bomb” and Sufjan Steven’s “Carrie and Lowell” all came out within two weeks of each other. The stream of seemingly groundbreaking albums was mind blowing, the previous year having been a dry spell for popular and independent music. However, the new tactic the music industry seemed to take on this year that seemed to catch on very quickly, and fade away just as instantaneously, was the surprise. An artist would remain relatively silent about their work, and then out of nowhere emerge from the shadows and drop an album with little, if any, prior warning. The technique seemed to work wonders for most artists,
particularly Lamar. He surprised fans by planning to drop his album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” only three weeks after its announcement date, but then surprised fans again by releasing it even earlier than that. Though Lamar himself wasn’t planning on dropping the album as early as he did, the buzz around him and his album instantly reached sonic boom, and the music world is still feeling its vibrations. Other artists who implemented the guerilla-attack release technique include Tyler, the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt and Death Grips — all of whom found themselves at the center of the musical conversation in the first half of the year. To many music fans, there was an obvious discrepancy between the quality of music of 2014 and the music released in 2015. This year blessed music fans with several albums that have received enough praise to preemptively include themselves in the lineage of the greatest albums of the 21st century. “To Pimp a Butterfly” in particular, which most music
publications have almost unanimously called the best album of the year, has been hailed as one of the best albums of the past 15 years. The album has garnered almost as much, if not more, praise than Kanye West’s 2010 “My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy.” Additional gems of of this year include Sufjan Steven’s “Carrie and Lowell,” Father John Misty’s “I Love You, Honeybear” and Adele’s “25” most recently gaining buzz both in the mainstream and independent conversation. The stream of noteworthy music slowed noticeably as the year progressed, however, and much of the buzz of Lamar and Father John Misty gave way to mainstream acts such as Taylor Swift and Adele. However, even these mainstream acts were warmly received by fans and critics, leaving very few sour tastes on 2015’s palate. Whether a fluke or a sign of progress, the musical world of this year was one of turbulence, spontaneity and success. Email Kieran Graulich at kgraulich@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
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On the Job: Miranda Zhou
App uses extra meal swipes for good cause
By YEHO HWANG Staff Writer
Every week, WSN profiles a student who balances school and work.
By TIFFANIE HWANG Staff Writer
STAFF PHOTO BY LILY XING
It all started two years ago as a response to an NYU student who anonymously posted on NYU Secrets that he or she only had a few dollars for food to get through the next two weeks. Many comments from other NYU students flooded in, offering to buy or provide a meal swipe to the anonymous student. Those posts were the inspiration behind the new club Share Meals. Almost all NYU students can recall, especially from their freshman year, having an excess of unused meal swipes left at the end of the semester. These meal swipes do not roll over to the next semester and hence, most often go to waste. Share Meals allows students to sign up to either offer any number of their extra meal swipes onto the website, or to receive and use any of these swipes. The site then matches students based on their availability in their schedules, and then the students can meet up, dine together and meet a new peer. It aims to not only utilize the meal swipe excess, but to also fight against hunger and loneliness, especially within the
Created to connect people who have extra meal swipes with those who do not, Share Meals has become an official NYU club dedicated to ending hunger and loneliness in the community. college setting. Recently, Share Meals officially became an NYU All-Square Club. According to Stern sophomore Darien Cheng, treasurer of Share Meals, many food events are already being planned for the upcoming months to come. “The club will also start hosting not just food events, but also community service opportunities and weekly meetings,” Cheng said. “We also wanted to partner up with other organizations at these meetings too, and talk about topics like food insecurity that is prevalent in college campuses like NYU.” One issue the club’s members have found is that currently, all the meal swipe exchanging is done on Share Meals’ website. This means students have to wait a day for the website to pair them up with another student at a future time instead of being able to utilize another student’s meal swipe at
their own convenience or at that moment. However, Share Meals is planning to release an app that will be available to all NYU students to download and use their NYU email to create an account. “The app will be in real time so it will show if anyone is currently offering a meal swipe and if anyone needs one,” Cheng said. “Then the student will be able to chat with them, like ‘Hey, want to meet at this dining hall?’ and so then students are able to offer and use meal swipes at a faster and more convenient way.” Share Meals currently has over 100 meal swipes waiting to be used by students who need them. It’s a great way to not let those extra swipes go to waste as the semester reaches it last few weeks. Email Tiffanie Hwang at dining@nyunews.com.
As a Stern sophomore studying finance, Miranda Zhou often can be found with her eyes fixed to her laptop screen. An excel spreadsheet is open on her desktop most of the time, but when she has time to relax, her browser is open for browsing through Imgur. Currently, Zhou works for State Street Corporations, a financial services provider affiliated with State Street Bank. She had been part of State Street’s marketing department in 2013. Now, Zhou is part of the anti-money laundering group. Her tasks include frequent data processing and doing financial projects that process the collected data. Although it is a paid internship, Zhou also keeps a second job here at NYU. She works at the computer labs, which fall under the IT Department. Her main job is to manage student entrances and to check up on hardware. Due to her morning shifts, Zhou said she usually does not get enough sleep.
Additionally, Zhou is involved with multiple student clubs, being on the executive board for the Finance Society, a club that teaches members finance skills though guest lectures. Out of all her tasks, having a job is the most reassuring factor for Zhou. “I’m not putting too much financial burden on my parents,” Zhou said. “I think having a job de-stresses me more than anything else.” Zhou adds that having both an internship and an on-campus job has helped her earn money and gain vital social and management skills. She hopes that these experiences help her find a career. “I think a lot of things I do at State Street will help,” Zhou said. “It only helps more if the employers think that the skills I learn are relevant.” As for future career plans, Zhou hopes to one day open a cafe. Unitl then, Zhou has plans to take up a computer science major in addition to her finance track. Zhou will face a new environment and hopefully apply her newly gained skills when studying in Shanghai next spring. Email Yeho Hwang at features@nyunews.com.
Model brings natural hair to runway By LAUREN CRADDOCK Contributing Writer
As millions tune in to watch some of the hottest supermodels walk across the runway in Victoria’s Secret’s Fashion Show on Dec. 8, Angolan supermodel Maria Borges will be setting an example as an advocate for natural beauty and confidence. Contrary to the big, bouncy blowouts that usually grace the highly anticipated lingerie show, Borges redefines what it means to be sexy, sporting her short, natural, curly hair. This was Borges’ third time walking in the show. This year, the 23-year-old model decided to take a leap of confidence requesting to grace the runway baring her afro and was elated to find that the idea was taken so positively. Borges tweeted, “Are you ready for the 2015 @VictoriasSecret fashion show?! I’ll be rocking my Afro hair this year for THE show!” Thousands commented on social media about the embracing of natural hair that Borges is bringing to light. “I just saw this picture to-
day and it brought tears to my eyes,” @lifebeautyelle wrote to Borges on Instagram, “Thank you so much for showing young girls that we can be anything we want, but most importantly be ourselves.” As the first Victoria’s Secret Angel to go au natural with her hair, Borges has freed millions of girls, particularly of color, that often hide their natural curls. Black hair has been a topic of conversation for years because of the media’s standard look of straight, European-textured hair on runways and in magazines. With the absence of examples of naturally curly haired girls in modern media, many young girls lack confidence in their naturally curly hair. Borges being the first Angel to walk for the lingerie company with natural hair is proof in itself of the lack of diversity on the runway and in the media. Reasons as to why it took until 2015 for this moment of fashion history to take place tend to stem from the media commonly ignoring natural hair in their definition of beauty. In 2009, Chris Rock released a documentary titled “Good
Hair” that looked into the black hair industry and why black culture has put such an emphasis altering natural curls, afros and waves. The film revealed the desire to have European straight hair as a means of fitting in with privileged white culture. Just earlier this year, Dove released a video campaign encouraging others to show love for their curls in order to set an example for young girls to learn to find beauty in their natural dos. It is only in recent years that more of the media is preaching to wholeheartedly be oneself from head to toe. This significant moment in fashion is one of multiple in which public figures of color are embracing their natural beauty. Earlier this year, actress and singer Zendaya Coleman released her own Barbie doll sporting dreadlocks — an act of standing up for herself and for a culture of black hair. Sesame Street also promoted loving natural hair by releasing a video of a curly haired muppet singing “I Love My Hair” in 2010. Maria Borges’ embracing of her naturally short, curly hair is just one step in allowing for
VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG
Maria Borges walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (2015) with her natural hair. natural curly and wavy hair to be considered just as beautiful.
Email Lauren Craddock at bstyle@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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FEATURES
EDITED BY NINA JANG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
Get in the holiday spirit with windows By ABIGAIL WEINBERG Contributing Writer
For clothing retailers across the city, the holidays are a time to deck store windows with elaborate displays, each trying to outdo the rest. If you’re looking for a sight to see without stepping foot in a museum, these are the best decorated store windows to check out.
Burberry 9 E. 57th St. The British fashion retailer’s adorable Christmas windows feature a circular conveyer belt of red, wooden nutcrackers bearing gifts. Another window shows mechanical, spinning nutcrackers alongside a plump, wooden Santa Claus. While the display’s visual decorations border on hectic, the simple and relatable theme will bring back memories of opening presents on Christmas morning.
Bloomingdale’s 1000 Third Ave. A huge, geometric reindeer in gold sways mechanically amid a pile of roses, while a similarly constructed polar bear sits
among peppermints. Other windows show curious woodland scenes, and one even offers an interactive photo booth. Inside, more giant reindeer stand beneath massive Christmas ornaments that hang from the ceiling, leaving shoppers feeling as if they’ve stumbled upon a winter wonderland right in the middle of the city.
Macy’s Herald Square 151 W. 34th St. The world’s second largest store takes up an entire city block, and its larger-than-life displays are centered around Virginia O’Hanlon of “Yes, Virginia: There Is a Santa Claus” and the comic strip “Peanuts.” Apart from an interactive version of Schroeder’s piano and a mechanical wilting Christmas tree, the windows ironically feature quotes from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” about the over-commercialization of the holiday season. The massive moving displays and over-the-top images of Peanuts characters’ faces are nevertheless appealing and may leave the viewer pondering the meaning of Christmas in a swarm of presents and materialism.
VIA FACEBOOK.COM
Swarovski crystals and silver tinsel sparkle at Bergdorf Goodman’s holiday windows on Fifth Ave. Tiffany & Co. 727 Fifth Ave. These windows are small yet ornate. Each miniature, blue-and-white doorway display reveals a different tiny scene — one window contains little chandeliers while another houses reindeer and wolf figurines. The intricacy of the displays does not detract from the dazzling beauty of the few items of jewelry they contain.
Take a stroll past Tiffany’s and you’ll be left gazing at sparkling rings and necklaces just like Holly Golightly.
Bergdorf Goodman 754 Fifth Ave. Bergdorf ’s famous windows always garner a crowd. This year, the theme is Swarovski crystals with each display featuring a highly ornate scene. “The Crown Jewels” shows a
woman reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth I seated upon a crystal throne. “Treasured” depicts a King Neptune made of pearls and “Hidden Gem” contains a purple-clad miner amid massive hunks of amethyst. Don’t walk by these windows in a rush; each display is a work of art, all the more impressive because they’re temporary. Email Abigail Weinberg at bstyle@nyunews.com.
Changing majors: Violet Zhu By LINGYI HOU Staff Writer
Changing majors is a series in which people discuss the conflicts they faced when switching majors. Violet Zhu Conflict: Nutrition in Steinhardt to Psychology in CAS; Talent Senior Violet Zhu decided to change her major from nutrition in Steinhardt to Psychology in the College of Arts and Science at the end of her sophomore year, because even though nutrition was an interest of hers, she had a hard time grasping some of the concepts in her courses. “At first, I thought I couldn’t give up because I was not doing well in one class,” Zhu
said. “But then in sophomore year, I realized that the classes were only going to get harder and harder, and it was really a field that I was just not good at. And I also became less and less interested because I wasn’t doing as well as my other courses.” At the same time, Zhu found herself more interested in psychology classes, after first taking it as one of the requirements for the nutrition major. Unlike nutrition, which required a lot of memorization, psychology was more about logical reasoning, which fell into Zhu’s strengths. “Nutrition is something very specific and technical, not like math or statistics that I can relate to what I want to do in the future,” Zhu said. “For example, if I want to be in a corpo-
rate setting, my knowledge in nutrition field won’t make me more competitive at all.” Despite her desire to transfer, Zhu was concerned her application to do so would be rejected, resulting in her missing out on another semester of psychology and potentially fall behind. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. As for the future, instead of being a dietician as she originally imagined, Zhu plans to work in human resources after graduation in the spring. Looking back on her decision, Zhu wished she would have made the change earlier. “I wish I made that decision sooner,” Zhu said. “So I didn’t have to waste time doing nutrition-related internships or research, and instead, I could have done more human re-
UNDER THE ARCH | 4:30 P.M. NEWS | 5 P.M. OPINION | 5 P.M. FEATURES | 5:30 P.M. SPORTS | 5:30 P.M. ARTS | 6 P.M. PHOTO/MULTIMEDIA | 6:30 P.M.
ANNIE CHEN FOR WSN
Violet Zhu changed her major from Nutrition in Steinhardt to Psychology in CAS. sources related or psychology related research.”
Email Lingyi Hou at features@nyunews.com.
SUnday pitch Meetings
838 BROADWAY, fifth floor
TIMELINE WITH SEXTON’S PRESIDENCY SPRING 2001 Designated president
FALL 2002 Oct. 7: Sexton endorses proposal for student and faculty oversight on major construction projects Oct. 14: Sexton holds first Town Hall
FALL 2003 TUITION = $28,496 Sept. 15 : Bobst suicide Oct. 2: Endowment rises 6.2 percent Oct. 13: Second bobst suicide Oct. 13: Sexton announced to be NY Fed chair starting in 2014 Oct. 20: Third student death of the semester Nov. 24: Bobst barriers installed (plexiglass)
SPRING 2002 May 2002: assumed role of President, becomes the 15th president of NYU
FALL 2004 TUITION = $30,094 Sept. 8: 24/7 mental health hotline created Sept. 27: NYU announces plan to raise $2.5 billion by 2008 Oct. 11: NYU allows students to take unlimited classes at Poly, have joint grad degree
SPRING 2004 March 9: Student suicide April 6: SRC opens April 21: No strike: Union, NYU reach tentative agreement at 6:40 a.m. SPRING 2003 Feb. 3: NYU announce preliminary plans for Ghana campus Feb. 24: Adjuncts protest over failed contract talks Feb. 27: Sexton gives up pay increases in tough times April 15: Sexton publishes piece in WSN about keeping finances private
FALL 2005 TUITION = $31,690 Sept. 7: NYU to accept students displaced by Hurricane Katrina Oct. 12: Financial aid drive falls $125 million short Nov. 9: Graduate students begin strike Nov. 29: Graduate assistants who strike past Dec. 5 told they will not receive stipends or teach next semester FALL 2006 TUITION = $33,420 Sept. 6: GSOC ends strike Sept. 14: NYU health center inaugurates changes to provide services to all matriculated students Nov. 7: Villagers protest zoning plans Nov. 9: Student workstudy hours cut Nov. 30: Sexton takes pay cut
SPRING 2006 Feb. 7: NYU endowment increases 6.8% in 2005 Feb. 14: NYU rejects petition from NYU undergraduate tuition reform advocacy group March 22: NYU receives $200 million to build center for ancient studies April 28: 57 arrested at GSOC protest
SPRING 2007 Jan. 23: Sexton’s wife dies from brain aneurysm Jan. 24: NYU doubles initial housing deposit Jan. 25: Tisch to open Singapore campus March 2: Sexton tells university senate NYU is close to finalizing Paris site March 22: NYU asks to keep $200k of fraudulent donation April 24: NYU unveils 25year plan (NYU 2031) June 25: NYU Study Abroad finalizes deals in three countries (Tel Aviv, Paris, Singapore)
SPRING 2005 Feb. 23: Sexton unwilling to commit to renegotiate contract with graduate students Feb. 23: Minority enrollment climbs June 28: NYU says it will nix grad union
GOVERNANCE
Sexton assumed the presidency in May 2002, vowing to have an administration focused on the interests of faculty and students. He almost immediately entered debates with adjunct faculty over their contracts and salaries, coming to a tentative agreement in April 2004. The Sexton administration has also faced contract debates with the graduate students, who went on a six-month strike in 2005. Graduate students reached an agreement with the university in 2013 to unionize. In the spring of 2013, five schools, beginning with the College of Arts and Science, passed no-confidence votes in Sexton. These votes led to debates about representation of faculty and their influence on decision-making. Shortly after, in the fall of 2013, non-tenure or faculty, or contract faculty, fought for representation in the University Senate, which did not have guaranteed representation through the Faculty Senators Council. They now have 27 representatives on the senate.
EXPANSION
NYU now has 11 study away sites and three portal campuses. In the past few years, the most controversy came from the establishment of the two portal sites in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. Both have raised questions of academic freedom, but the labor abuses committed in the construction of NYUAD have occupied the national and international news cycle. In 2008, fair labor conditions were called into question in the construction of the Saadiyat Island campus, which opened in 2014. This led to an investigation by Nardello & Company, which prompted Sexton to send an email to the student body indicating that the workers would be compensated. Sexton has also been a strong proponent of expansion within New York City. The 2031 expansion plan was designed to locate up to six million square feet of land for NYU’s use and has faced pushback from Greenwich Village residents.
FALL 2007 TUITION = $35,290 Oct. 10: Polytech merger passed by NYU trustees Oct. 16: Campus abroad to open in UAE Oct. 23: NYU offers courses for winter vacation Dec. 3: Sexton’s salary increases 6 percent
FINANCES
SPRING 2008 April 2: Admissions rate drops to 24% June 30: State OKs NYU-Polytech merger
Throughout Sexton’s time as president, the cost of tuition excluding room and board has increased 81 percent. In comparison, financial aid has increased 167 percent and the endowment has increased from $1 billion to $3.5 billion. The per-student endowment has remained somewhat low at $77,231 in 2013. NYU has created a number of initiatives, the most famous being one announced in 2004 in which the university aimed to raise $2.5 billion by 2008, a goal which it reached on time. A more recent attempt to raise money — the 1831 Fund — has received criticism recently for reaching out for donations from current students and faculty. The university have also been criticized in regard to the loans NYU gave to faculty to buy vacation homes, including Sexton’s home on Fire Island. Sexton has also been a regular resident of the top-paid university presidents in the United States list.
COMPILED BY EMILY BELL, VALENTINA DUQUE BOJANINI, THOMAS DEVLIN, NICOLE BROWN DESIGN BY ALEXA WONG
FALL 2008 TUITION = $37,372 Sept. 30: Endowment, boosted by donors, hits $2.5 billion Nov. 18: Fair labor issues raised about NYU Abu Dhabi
SPRING 2013 Feb.8: First University Senate meeting of the semester held, discussion of no-confidence vote, Faculty Advisory Committee and expansion plan Feb.20: Information about NYU’s human rights abuses in AD circulate March 7: “Baseball as a Road to God” published March 15: : FAS vote of no confidence passes March 25: Union of Clerical and Technical Staff holds no confidence vote April 3: Law school passes vote of confidence April 10: Students protest 2031 May 3: Gallatin passes vote of no confidence May 10: Vote of no confidence passed by Steinhardt May 21: Tisch passes vote of no confidence May 30: Silver vote of no confidence does not pass, they do pass a different resolution June 17: New York Times publishes piece about Sexton’s Fire Island home
FALL 2009 TUITION = $38,765 Sept. 14: Tel Aviv site opens amid controversy Sept. 15: P.M. Brown appoints Sexton to global education group between U.K., U.S. Oct. 8: Village vexed by new building (Center for Academic and Spiritual Life) — excavation and foundation work have begun Nov. 3: Third Bobst suicide Dec. 8: AD campus opens
FALL 2010 TUITION = $40,082 Dec. 6: NYU extends contracts for adjuncts
SPRING 2009 Feb.18/20: Take Back NYU occupies Kimmel Feb. 24: Kimmel 18 take blame collectively, refuse NYU specifics Feb. 26: Kimmel 18 offered probation, one week suspension March 5: Security added to Bobst and Kimmel (guard on 12th floor of Bobst) April 15: NYU DC announced
SPRING 2010 March 4: Sexton announces NYU DC and other future study abroad sites March 11: Sexton to chair education council April 27: Abu Dhabi admits 188 students to first class
SPRING 2011 Feb. 3: Sexton asks seniors to give to 1831 tuition fund Feb. 16: Faculty signs petition seeking fair labor laws for NYUAD workers March 28: NYU Shanghai campus to open in fall of 2013 April 18: Adjuncts get annual raises in new contracts
STUDENT ACTIVISM + SOCIAL JUSTICE
Student activism on campus during the past 14 years has reached everywhere from divesting from fossil fuels to participating in Occupy Wall Street. Sexton has regularly clashed with a variety of student groups, especially at his Town Halls. In 2009, the coalition group Take Back NYU, which pushed for budget transparency, occupied Kimmel, barricading themselves inside. Some movements, such as those of NYU Divest, have been stalled by the university, while others such as SLAM’s movement around not using certain clothing retailers has been successful. The activism of GSOC contributed to the establishment of a union, but there are still protests on campus about the wages for graduate and student workers. Sexton supported the DREAM Act and addressed race on campus in his Diversity and Inclusion forum in November of this year. Student activists joined Black Lives Matter protestors and staged a die-in in Bobst last December.
FALL 2011 TUITION = $41,606 Sept. 6: Students start year in Affinia hotel Oct. 17: Wall Street protests surge with students Dec. 8: NYU to add sites in India and Brazil (multi-year planning process)
FALL 2012 TUITION = $43,204 July: NYU 2031 passed City Council August: Bobst renovations including metal screens Aug.27: NYU Sydney opens Sept.27: Lawsuit filed over 2031 plan, one of plaintiffs is FASP FALL 2013 TUITION = $44.845 August 14: NYU ends loans for vacation homes August 25: In an email to NYU community, the Special Committee of the NYU Board of Trustees announces that Sexton will stay, but not past 2016, revising the 2009 open-ended statement. August 28: Sexton announces Momentum Campaign Oct. 1: NYU awarded Jed Foundation’s JedCampus seal for mental health programs Oct. 19: SLAM protests during Sexton’s State of the Union speech Nov.26/Dec.3/Dec.11: Graduate students vote to unionize through UAW Dec.5/6: Sexton agrees to apparel recommendations
STUDENT HEALTH
Following the 2003-04 school year when several students committed suicide, NYU was left with a mental health crisis. Over the years, NYU has created different programs to help address student mental health and wellness. With the creation of the Wellness Exchange and Wellness hotline, NYU has tried to create support systems for their students. The university also created the NYU Reality Show, a production designed to help students deal with various issues like alcohol abuse, mental health and sexual health and sexuality. In the past year, NYU created SPACE, a center for students who need support or assistance with everything ranging from sexual misconduct to relationship violence. SPACE also provides crisis counselors for students.
FALL 2015 TUITION = $48,280 Sept.1 : Students protest over 2031 expansion Oct. 5: Poly renamed Oct.14 : Last Sexton town hall Oct. 27: Sexton debates religion Nov.18: NYU hosts Diversity and Inclusion forum
FALL 2014 TUITION = $46,170 August 2014: Abu Dhabi’s Sadiyaat campus opens Aug 7: Ghana site temporarily closed because of the Ebola epidemic September 24: Appeal hearings for 2031 begin Sept. 30 and Oct. 2: Presidential search listening sessions held Oct. 14: Court overturns 2031 ruling Oct. 27: Coles substitute announced
SPRING 2014 Jan.7: More construction blocked in expansion plan Jan.14: Plan to appeal blocked construction Feb.26: Calls for changes in AD labor March 4: Space Priorities Working Group releases final proposal April 17: L. Jay Oliva passes away May 16: Coalition for Fair Labor at NYU circulates Abu Dhabi petition
SPRING 2015 February 10: HRW report on AD released March 3: 2031 goes to state appeals March 17: Andrew Ross barred entry to U.A.E. March 18: Andrew Hamilton announced as next president March 26: University divestment stalls April 16: Private investigation on AD releases report May 20: Sexton leads his last commencement, receives surprise gift from class of 2015
2016 January 2016: Andrew Hamilton will assume role of President and become the 16th president of NYU
ACADEMICS
NYU’s academic community has been far from stagnant, especially with the merger with Polytechnic University which was completed in 2013. The curriculum has been transformed from the Morse Academic Plan to Core Curriculum in an effort to be more inclusive in the texts included for study. Majors and minors have been added, along with a variety of institutes such as the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World and incubator spaces for students to take advantage of. Freshman applications have doubled, however since 2008 the admission rate has gone up by 11 percent. U.S. News and World Report’s 2014 rankings placed NYU at number 34 in their Best Global Universities list. Full-time faculty in New York grew by 31 percent between 2004 and 2013, and the teacher to student ratio dropped from 12:1 to 11:1.
JOHN SEXTON: THE EXIT INTERVIEW BY MARITA VLACHOU
What you think was the most challenging part of your presidency? Can you give some examples of these tough choices? There’s very little doubt that we made tough choices. I’m proud of the choices we’ve made but we didn’t please everybody. The bottom line is that when it came around last year to finding someone to be the next president, the 16th president of NYU, the person who was running Oxford University said “I’d like that job.”
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In 2001 the best they could do was this guy from Brooklyn so that’s one measure of how the challenges were met at the advancement of the university.
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One of the most traumatic times during my time as president was the fall of 2003 when four students committed suicide, and we made a choice at that point that we were going to be leaders in addressing student wellness. In 2003, every single day, 365 days a year, five undergraduates committed suicide [in the United States]and no one was talking about it. It was a tough decision to say, “We’re going to step up and talk about this.” I’m proud to say is that the leading award for student wellness in the country, the one given by the Jed foundation was given to us as setting a platinum standard for wellness and you know on national numbers where we would have seven
suicides every year here at NYU, we haven’t had seven suicides since who knows. Why were Abu Dhabi and Shanghai chosen for our portal campuses given the issues of academic freedom and freedom of expression? The importance of those two places is emblematic of the cultures they represent in the future of the world and if you want to really build academic capacity in our students to connect to people and cultures different from them it would be negligence to leave them out. We had great partners in those two places that enabled us to create the dream of academic excellence. We looked initially at doing a portal campus in Paris and we dismissed the idea because we couldn’t do it at a sufficient level of quality. I’m sure my successors will look in potential portal campuses elsewhere. I want to move to something else now, which is a very hot topic on campus these days, diversity. Do you think we have a racism problem at NYU? America has a racism problem. The great American stain is race and NYU is part of America, it’s part of New York City and we’re not immune from the effects of that. I think that NYU has a record of inclusiveness that goes back to its founding, it’s the reason we were founded.
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I think people who are not in the class that our society has not treated well have a duty at this point to speak less and listen hard and then try to bind our community together.
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Another big issue is 2031. How do you respond to the critics that say that this expansion plan will ruin the community’s character and make it unaffordable? There were people who claimed it was going to drive up tuition, then finally looked at it and said “Gee it’s cheaper to build on land you own than land you don’t own.” Now an eighth grader would know that, but it took a while for people to come to understand it. The fact of the matter is that there’s nothing in the plan that’s increasing the size of the student body. STAFF PHOTO BY JAKE QUAN
People that said that we were going to be overrunning the community by increasing the population either hadn’t read the plan or were just trying to scare people. We need that space. I’m very proud of it. There have been a lot of reports of students doing either illegal things or unconventional things to pay for NYU tuition, what are your thoughts?
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Financial aid is my top priority. I’ve been out there with my tin cup for 15 years, we’ve made a lot of progress, a lot of progress on it.
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What I say to those donors at the lunch is 40 percent of my undergraduates are working two jobs while they’re going to school. It begins to worry me precisely on the dimension of the fact that these kids are doing this and are by doing it depriving themselves of some benefits of being here. The good news is those young people desperately want to be at NYU. They see the value of an NYU education. They could have gotten a merit scholarship to go to a less good school and they chose to be here cause they want to be here. What sort of advice you would give to Hamilton before he begins his term? Just be prepared for this tremendous, wonderful tidal wave that’s going to toss you and turn you and never lose the joy of that exhilaration. Don’t lose your patience with the place and understand that it’s not a place that you can command, no president should command. It’s a place that you can begin after a while, if you pay attention carefully, to describe, and if you can describe it accurately it’s the greatest story in higher education. Can you tell me about your future plans? I will be president emeritus which is meaningful I think here in the following sense that I’m at the service of Andrew Hamilton. I will be an extremely active member of the faculty. I’ve discovered the delight of teaching undergraduates here and teaching undergraduates in New York and Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. I will be integrating for the first time law school courses again. As far as outside activities go, I’m honored that I will be the Kluge professor at the Library of Congress, the Kluge professor of Law and Governance for the spring semester. The interview transcript has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit nyunews.com.
MEET ANDREW HAMILTON, NYU’S NEXT PRESIDENT
BY ALANNA BAYARIN
Andrew Hamilton, the incoming university president, was hand-picked by the Presidential Search Committee, which comprised trustees, faculty, students and administrators. Hamilton, who has worked at prestigious universities such as Yale, Princeton and most recently Oxford, will fill the position at the beginning of the Spring 2016 semester. Before coming to NYU, Hamilton was the vice chancellor of the University of Oxford for five years. Prior to that position, Hamilton held a variety of positions at other universities including provost of Yale University, professor of chemistry and chair of the chemistry department at the University of Pittsburgh and assistant professor of chemistry at Princeton University. After the United Kingdom made major university budget cuts, Hamilton launched a fundraising campaign to make Oxford more affordable. Hamilton designed multiple fundraising techniques and eventually raised billions of pounds. Hamilton declined to speak with WSN at this time, but soon after the announcement of his selection he said he hoped to apply these fundraising skills at NYU, where financial aid is a major concern. “During my time in Oxford, and indeed when I was provost at Yale, I placed the highest priority on affordability of education and most importantly about ensuring that the cost is not an impediment to those particularly from disadvantaged income backgrounds,” Hamilton said. “When I come to NYU I’m going to want
to play a very active role in that fundraising campaign and I hope we will blow through a billion dollars quickly and actually set a higher goal.” In 2013, NYU faculty members passed a vote of no confidence in John Sexton. Associate professor and member of the Presidential Search Committee Ann Morning said she is hopeful that Hamilton will ease any remaining strain between the administration and the faculty.
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I hope that his administration will be able to defuse some of the tensions that have built up in recent years around issues like the 2031 plan or faculty governance,
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“Hamilton is a believer in the art of diplomacy, and I think it’s an important skill to have at a very large university in a very large city,” Morning said. With a long history of teaching, Hamilton has plans to join the College of Arts and Science faculty in the chemistry department. Time after time, faculty members have commended Hamilton for his academic success in hopes that his background in education will translate into a greater emphasis on academia. Member of the Presidential Search Committee Professor Kwame Appiah said Hamilton will be effective in both his administrative
and teaching positions. “One very attractive feature of Andy Hamilton is that he combines a long and successful career as an administrator with real academic distinction,” Appiah said. “He understands the life and the values of an academic, a teacher and a scholar, committed to developing new knowledge both individually and with a community of other scholars.” Another member of the Presidential Search Committee, associate professor Ted Magder, also highlighted Hamilton’s scholarly success. “Andy is a first and foremost a great academic with a distinguished career in the sciences, and he’s managed to maintain an active research agenda as provost at Yale and vice chancellor of Oxford,” Magder said. “I’m confident Andy will COURTESY OF NYU PHOTO BUREAU: ROEMER build on NYU’s remarkable trajectory as leading global university while, at the same time, working to deepen the university’s connection to New York City.”
With the start of Andrew Hamilton’s inauguration around the corner, WSN reached out to faculty members to ask their thoughts on what Hamilton should prioritize as president. “I hope he will be less focused on real estate and ‘growth’ for growth’s sake, and more focused on real diversity, reducing student debt, and fair treatment for both tenure-track and contract faculty. There are other priorities of course, but I suppose those would be among my top three.”
“I think President Hamilton should build on the strengths of John Sexton’s tenure, particularly in continuing to position NYU as a global institution with high academic standards and a diverse global student body. There could be further effort expended in building nurturing the alumni network particularly with respect to helping students transition into the workforce after graduating.”
“The biggest problem is money, and the new president needs to prioritize the following: lower the cost of tuition, increase interest-free financial aid, increase compensation for all non-tenure faculty, and/ or increase the number of tenured faculty, and guarantee socio-economic diversity in the classroom. Where can the funding come from? Start with the wildly inflated salaries at the top.”
“After seeing the University-Wide discussion on Diversity and Inclusion, I hope that President Hamilton will continue recent efforts to address some of the issues brought up by students at the event. I think it is important to provide training workshops and forums for faculty, to ensure that every NYU classroom offers a safe and inclusive environment that better reflects the wonderfully diverse city that it calls home.”
-Elayne Tobin, Liberal Studies
-Peter Rajsingh, Gallatin, Stern and CAS
-Timothy Tomlinson, Liberal Studies
-Melanie Hackney, CAS
Washington Square News reached out to various student clubs on campus to ask what they hope Hamilton will do as president. “Hamilton needs to further the agenda of diversity and inclusion at NYU. Creating a more welcoming space for all students, particularly students with marginalized identities, needs to be a top priority. NYU needs to do more to take care of students from diverse backgrounds once they get here.”
“My hopes would be that the new president will be interested in making NYU a leader in sustainability and willing to make changes in the favor of students. Above all else, I assume most students are seeking the university to change its attitude to one of progressiveness.”
-Arielle Andrews, Black Student Union
-Cate Wright, NYU Sustainability
“I do think that even though NYU claims to be diverse and inclusive in terms of ethnic background, religion, sexuality and sexual identity, it could do a much better job of promoting this diversity. Maybe if the university encouraged more cultural programs within the institution and not just as extracurriculars or promoted more interaction between the different cultural clubs, we could all have a richer experience.” -Shivani Shrestha CAS sophomore, President of Nepali Student Association
“As a member of NYU Divest, I think fossil fuel divestment should of course be a top priority of President Hamilton’s. President Hamilton, by making this a priority, would challenge the notion of “business as usual” that has been so detrimental to our planet and shows the university that student and faculty concerns are taken seriously.”
-Olivia Rich, NYU Divest
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
OPINION
EDITED BY TOMMY COLLISON OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
PORN INDUSTRY
#SolidaritywithStoya, and with other sex workers By MANDY FREEBAIRN Staff Writer Writer and porn actress Stoya took to Twitter last week to accuse fellow porn actor and ex-boyfriend James Deen of raping her. The accusation, which Deen denies, has prompted several other porn actresses to come forward with their own allegations against him. The news has inspired a wave of support on Twitter via the hashtag #SolidarityWithStoya, as well as backlash against Deen. His column in ‘The Frisky’ has been cancelled, and several porn companies have severed ties with him. Despite this, there have still been those quick to critique Stoya’s rape as an inevitable consequence of both the porn
industry and sex work in general. Anti-sex feminists and anti-porn Republicans alike have jumped to frame the story as emblematic of the inherent evil of sex work. To write off Stoya’s claim as just another facet of an insidious business, however, is to invalidate both her career and her alleged rape. When it comes to allegations of sexual assault, the deck is stacked pretty high against sex workers. Their claims are rarely taken seriously, as their careers are used as weapons against their claims. As the argument goes, a career in sex work indicates promiscuity outside the workplace as well. But even if this were true, one’s sexual history still has no bearing on one’s right to consensual sex. When it comes
to sexual violence, career choice should always be irrelevant. Arguments to the contrary are damaging because they presume either that rape is a forgone conclusion in sex work, or that sex workers are by definition unrapeable. Such views not only discredit sex workers, but dehumanize them as well. Stoya was allegedly raped not just by a coworker, but an ex-boyfriend. This was not an instance of a video
scene gone wrong, nor can it be attributed to so-called blurred lines of consent between sex workers. It occurred outside the workplace, between individuals who had once shared an intimate relationship. The exact scenario could have occurred — and it regularly does — if neither Stoya nor Deen had been involved in sex work. By framing the story as a cost of sex work, critics deny Stoya the sympathy typically extended to survivors. The emotional pain sustained from her rape is written off as a product of the industry instead of what it really is: a valid human response to trauma. This is not to say that the porn industry is completely innocent. Rape allegations are not always treated seriously in the industry, and they
can even cost actresses jobs if casting directors perceive them as dramatic. This is a real issue that needs to be dealt with, but it is hardly the only factor that discourages sex workers from coming forward with their stories. Others, like the fear of not being believed by law enforcement, come not from the porn industry itself but from the stigma attached to its workers. To truly be in #SolidarityWithStoya — and other sex workers who have survived sexual assault — we must not take her story as an indictment of the porn industry, but instead as an indictment of a culture that scares sex workers into silence. Email Mandy Freebairn at opinion@nyunews.com.
CLIMATE
Binding agreements on climate change needed from Paris Talks By ANAND BALAJI Staff Writer World leaders from 21 countries that comprise the COP21 are meeting in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in order to make progress in the global fight against climate change. The stakes for these climate talks couldn’t be higher with 2014 having the highest temperatures since recordkeeping began in 1880 and with rapidly rising ocean levels. Despite the almost irrefutable evidence that climate change presents a significant and immediate threat to the wellbeing of the planet, lawmakers in the United States and abroad still seem reluctant to reach a consensus on a uni-
form plan of action. Republican lawmakers are staunchly refusing to approve any sort of binding agreement that comes out of the Paris talks and have recently passed two bills aimed at gutting President Obama’s carbon-emission cutbacks. In order to make a true impact in reducing global temperatures, the participating members in the Paris talks must come to a binding resolution on cutting emissions, financing developing countries and creating long-term climate goals. One of the most heated topics of discussion in Paris involves developed countries financing third-world nations so they can begin to embrace clean energy practices. During the Copenha-
gen climate talks in 2009, richer nations agreed to pitch in $100 billion to developing countries in order for them to lessen their dependence on fossil fuels as their economies grow. Solidifying these commitments and determining how developing nations use these funds must be a centerpiece of the Paris talks if clean energy is to become the standard worldwide. Chi-
nese President Xi Jinping is already calling on rich countries to increase their contributions to developing nations, something his colleagues seem reluctant to pursue due to domestic political fallout. While climate financing for developing nations is an essential step toward stemming the effects of climate change, it is important to remember that the three largest greenhouse gas polluters are all wealthy nations — China, the United States and Russia. In order to keep temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius, all nations must accept and be held accountable for substantially cutting their carbon emissions. It is also the responsibility
of the global superpowers to lead the world in investments in their clean energy industries to help lessen the grip that fossil fuels have on energy consumption. Despite contentious debate on a host of issues, it is heartening to see the Paris talks continuing in a positive direction unlike the 2009 Copenhagen agreement, which deteriorated in 11 days. Faced with such a grave and immediate threat to the wellbeing of our planet, we all expect our world leaders to set aside their differences and political considerations and work towards a solution that we desperately need. Email Anand Balaji at opinion@nyunews.com.
NYU EXPANSION
Sexton expansion came at cost of current students By DANIEL MORITZ-RABSON Staff Writer After taking office as NYU’s 15th president, John Sexton announced his intention to transform NYU into an exemplary institution of higher learning. The cornerstone of his effort centered on the school’s expansion, both in New York City and abroad. As lauded on NYU’s website, Sexton ushered in a period of growth, during which the university expanded its international reach and created new programs, helping to increase the school’s prestige. Statistics support the praise given to Sexton for establishing NYU’s global presence. Between 2011 and 2015 alone, NYU rose in stature from number 60
to number 38 on The Times Higher Education World University Rankings’ list of top global universities based in the United States. Further, NYU received over 60,000 applications for the class of 2019, more than doubling the number received in 2002. But numbers don’t tell the whole story. The same ideology that enabled NYU to develop as a global force has resulted in the inability for the university to adequately provide for its current attendees. After overextending the university’s reach, Sexton appears unwilling to decelerate the rate of expansion, resulting in student debt and increasing tuition prices. According to a 2013 New Yorker article, 54 percent of NYU students
graduate with debt. And, as a study from Propublica found, NYU students receiving Pell grants, whose family income is less than $30,000 annually, graduate with an average of $23,250 debt. In 2013, Sexton received no-confidence votes from faculty of five different schools. With these votes, faculty sought to draw attention to their discontent with Sexton’s governance, compared by
some to that of a corporate president or imperial leader. But he continues to focus on the Global Network University, ignoring pleas to stop unnecessary expenditures and instead provide adequate resources for existing programs and financial support for students already attending. While students protest the price of attending NYU, the administration has done little to ameliorate the costs, instead heedlessly continuing undesired expansion and accordingly raising tuition. The dismissive attitude in response to the no-confidence votes seems to characterize Sexton’s approach to complaints from members of the NYU community. Rather than considering the issues raised by groups or individuals
opposed to the uncompromising quest for expansion, Sexton sends a conciliatory message before continuing with the original plan and disregarding community opinion. Known for his willingness to chat with students or give a hug, Sexton attempts to present an image as a president considerate his students’ needs. But his policies, in addition to his exorbitant $1.5 million salary and excessive retirement package, which offers a $2.5 million bonus and $800,000 each year, reflect Sexton’s disregard for the financial troubles of the student body and his obstinate quest for a global network. Email Daniel Moritz-Rabson at opinion@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
13
OPINION
EDITED BY TOMMY COLLISON OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
ISRAELI-PALESTINE CONFLICT
WSN’s coverage of Palestinian Vigil is misleading By DAVID RAND NYU Law Students for Israel, Communications Committee Thomas Peracchio’s Nov. 9th article, “Vigil held for citizens of Palestine,” mischaracterizes the nature of the discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at NYU Law School. In describing the campus environment, the author exclusively cites the opinions of students with proPalestinian views, without ever seeking alternative perspectives from other students on campus. As a member of the NYU Law Students for Israel, and in the interest of journalistic integrity, it is imperative that I respond to the misleading statements made by
some NYU Law students quoted in Peracchio’s article. In truth, the author’s depiction of the alleged anti-Palestinian culture at NYU Law does not accurately reflect recent events on campus. First, the article quotes Colinford Mattis, asserting that Law Students for Justice in Palestine “tries to open a dialogue about the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.” Peracchio further mentions that another student, Amith Gupta, “also noted proIsraeli sentiment on campus and suggested that it occasionally veered into hostility.” In contrast to these statements, however, LSJP and other pro-Palestinian students have consistently rejected LSFI’s efforts to work to-
gether to open a respectful dialogue on campus. One of the many examples of LSJP’s rejection of LSFI’s efforts to open constructive dialogue on campus occurred at a recent meeting of the NYU Law Student Bar Association, the law school’s student government. The president of LSFI attended a weekly SBA meeting, where a number of law students convened to discuss the issue of free speech and harassment on Coases, the official email listserv for NYU Law students that reaches a large percentage of the student body. At the meeting, he urged LSJP to team up with LSFI to co-host a joint event or vigil that could productively address these is-
sues. That idea, however, was met with resistance from the LSJP Board because their national charter prevents them from co-sponsoring an event with a Zionist student group. Instead, LSJP proceeded to hold its own, private vigil, at which Perrachio gathered information for his article. Furthermore, as part of its support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, LSJP’s website asserts that academic events such as “conferences, symposia, workshops, book and museum exhibits” are in violation of the Palestinian academic boycott. Rather than opening dialogue, LSJP does just the opposite by refusing to join in productive
dialogue with pro-Israel students on campus. Moving forward, as a reputable student newspaper, I hope that WSN considers a diversity of perspectives when writing an article with such politically charged allegations. The mission of the NYU LSIF is to facilitate open and honest discourse and debate centering around legal and humanitarian issues pertaining to Israeli policy. We hope that LSJP will partner with LSFI and others to replace the hostility perceived from both sides with respectful and productive debate on campus. Email David Rand at opinion@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Was it worth it, President Sexton? In examining a presidential legacy, the WSN Editorial Board could lionize John Sexton’s contributions to this university or we could condemn his rampant expansionism. After all, he has done much for the university in his 14 years of service — recruiting world-class faculty, increasing the prestige of the university and attracting more and more students. Under Sexton’s watch, NYU has broken its own record for application numbers for the last eight years. But at the same time, he courted a lot of controversy — the 2013 vote of no confidence from five schools; the Human Rights Watch report of labor abuses at NYU Abu Dhabi; the tete-atetes with Greenwich Village residents over expansion and Sexton’s frequent dismissal of criticism which, in an attempt to be down-to-earth or folksy, often just came off as out of touch. Sexton’s tenure was characterized by a driving philosophy of growth and expanding influence. The creation of NYUAD in 2007 gave Sexton a chance to, in his own words, expand NYU’s “high-quality liberal arts education beyond our historic home.” In 2011, then-Secretary of State Hill-
SUBMITTING TO
ary Clinton praised Sexton for his “vision to expand his university internationally while maintaining its reputation for excellence and academic freedom.” Ultimately, both these improvements and the controversy they generated were two heads of the same beast: the vision that Sexton had for NYU. When Andrew Ross was denied entry into the United Arab Emirates in Spring 2015, theoretical questions about free speech and academic independence at the satellite campus became relevant overnight. In a statement, university spokesperson John Beckman said NYU was in contact with both the U.S. State Department and the UAE government, precisely because that was all they could do. For all their lofty rhetoric and principles, the NYU administration was rendered unable to herald a sea change toward a freer and more open society in the Emirates as they promised. Nor has Sexton been spared from barbs back home. In particular, NYU 2031 expansion, set in motion under his tenure, has been a major source of friction between the university and the larger Greenwich Village community. Faculty
and residents worried that the proposed buildings would impinge on the character of the neighborhood. But in a speech after the unanimous rejection of the 2031 plan by Manhattan Community Board 2, Sexton dismissed the board as “a small minority of people that you can’t reach.” This is the public relations approach that ultimately characterized the Sexton presidency. Many of the changes made during Sexton’s time seem to be more about increasing the dream-school status than it was about what is best for students. And yes, the prestige that NYU has achieved in the world is admirable considering only 30 years ago the school’s biggest attribute was that it was an alternative to Columbia University. It cannot be forgotten, however, that human rights abuses did happen, and a large portion of the faculty voted no-confidence in Sexton just a few years ago. Sexton’s approach to feedback or criticism from students and faculty has had mixed results. “I’m not perfect in my service to NYU. I do the best I can,” he told New York Times reporter Ariel Kaminer. Sexton has attempted to promote an atmosphere
of communication, hosting Town Halls every semester, and most recently holding a forum on Diversity and Inclusion in Coles Sports Center. Too often, however, he has avoided criticism in these forums with anecdotes or directly challenging students rather than addressing their concerns. The policy missteps of the Sexton administration were exacerbated by this communication failure, which has left some students feel disenfranchised. It is easy to criticize Sexton’s naivete, both in the Andrew Ross case and the labor abuse scandal, but to whatever one thinks of our outgoing president, Sexton is not oblivious. WSN reported as early as 2008 on worries of human rights violations at NYUAD, but it was not addressed because there was not substantial evidence. Sexton has admitted to knowing the possibilities in his statements after the New York Times expose in May 2014 and the ensuing report on labor abuses from Nardello & Co. He countered criticism of the administration’s hands-off approach to striking workers by saying that “NYU cannot dictate labor laws.” In pursuit of his larger goals, Sexton let noble principles fall by
the wayside. Never mind human rights, never mind the administration’s duties to its community — in a classic example of the ends justifying the means, Sexton believed the trade-off was worth it. Looking back on his legacy, it can be argued that Sexton has had a largely positive effect on the university, and that he has set NYU on the right path for the future. We believe Sexton was mistaken in his choices, however, and hope that Andrew Hamilton reins in his predecessor’s expansionist tendencies in favor of restoring good relations between the administration and the faculty. Hamilton should refocus the university’s mission on its responsibility to the wider community and to future students, not to shareholders. This involves going to town halls in good faith, including faculty in board meetings and paying attention to the outstanding concerns of the student body.
Email the WSN Editorial Board AAat editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Tommy Collison (Chair), Richard Shu, Elizabeth Moore (Co-chairs)
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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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
SPORTS
EDITED BY BOBBY WAGNER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Another game, another win for b-ball By MICHAEL THOMPSON Deputy Sports Editor
NYU’s women’s basketball team has rarely trailed this season. However, on Saturday the Violets faced their toughest test of the season against Emmanuel College. The undefeated Violets were trailing at the half, and their unblemished record was in serious jeopardy for the first time in 2015. Spurred by an explosive start to the second half, the Violets jumped ahead, surviving a late-game rally by Emmanuel to extend their record to 7-0. Both teams traded blows in the first half, exchanging long runs of scoring in an otherwise even game. After the Violets jumped to a 19-12 lead in the first quarter, Emmanuel stormed back, finishing the quarter with eight consecutive points to regain the lead. Emmanuel opened the second quarter with six more points before it was the Violets’ turn to
answer again with an 8-0 run of their own. Emmanuel the lead again at the end of the quarter, sending the Violets to the locker room with the unusual task of playing catch-up. The Violets returned to the court determined and focused. They stormed out of the gate, jumping ahead after going on a 10-0 run. Ahead 37-30, it was a lead the Violets would not relinquish again. Continuing one of this season’s biggest trends, NYU looked to a balanced scoring attack, facilitated by effective defense. Senior forward Megan Dawe, who has been one of the Violets’ most reliable scoring options in their seven wins, finished with 14 points. She said that the halftime break is what allowed the team to push ahead for the win. “We were able to switch some things up at halftime that gave us more confidence at both ends of the floor,” Dawe said. Holding Emmanuel to just five
points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, the Violets were able to extend their lead, focusing heavily on scoring from the free throw line. They shot 1319 from the line in the second half, compared to Emmanuel’s 3-4. Led by Dawe, three Violets scored in double digits. Dawe and junior guards Kaitlyn Read and Amy Harioka combined for 39 points. Senior forward Maya Wasowicz, sophomore guard Drew Cabral and junior forward Lindsey Oldshue provided the additional scoring, tallying 17. Harioka grabbed a career-high seven rebounds, though Read was the leader with eight. “Team play really comes naturally for everyone on the team,” Read said. “We knew we would have to get it inside, and Megan [Dawe] and Mikaela [Pyatt] are both very good posts who know how to distribute the ball when they realize they’re being doubled.” Emmanuel continued to pes-
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The NYU women’s basketball team defeated Emmanuel College 59-54 on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 5, in Boston, MA.
ter the Violets, keeping the game close and cutting the lead to one possession twice. Even though they led by 10 points with eight minutes remaining, they allowed Emmanuel to close the gap to just two with under a minute to go. However, Wasowicz sank two free throws, preserving the win. “We know that mistakes are going to happen but by playing
good team basketball hopefully we are doing enough positive things to make up for those errors,” Oldshue said. The Violets will look to successfully finish the 2015 half of this perfect season when they play Brooklyn College on Dec. 30. Email Michael Thompson at mthompson@nyunews.com.
Swimming shaves time, breaks records By ASHLEY ARNOLD Staff Writer
The NYU Violets showed they are capable of greatness at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Invitational this weekend. The men’s swimming and diving teams managed to land in second place, just behind MIT, while the women’s teams took first. The men’s swimming team scored 142 points on day one of the competition. Sophomore Austin Palmer broke the record in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:26.26. He also set a new record in the 1,000-yard freestyle by finishing in 9:20.48. His efforts earned him a spot in the NCAA B-cut division. In the 200-yard butterfly junior Phillip Kang managed to break a record in a time trial with a NCAAqualifying time of 1:49.45. Freshman Matt Lyn, along with sophomores Adam Betts and Chad Moody also achieved NCAA cuts. Moody was impressed by the team’s massive improvements that earned them a slew of new team records. “We’ve all been training really hard and it’s definitely showing by all of the team records that have gone down and NCAA cuts that have been made,” Moody said. For the diving team, freshmen Max Falb and Jacobe Swe kept up the stellar standard the swimming team set, finishing seventh and eighth place overall. The women’s swimming and diving team earned 140 points on day one, good enough to place them in second going into the second day. Junior captain Elise Gibbs broke the NYU record in the 50-yard freestyle
with a NCAA-qualifying time of 23:38. This record beat the previous one set by sophomore Isabelle Kitze last year. Freshman Haley Wen achieved a NCAA B-cut when she won the 1,650-yard freestyle. Sophomores Kitze, Hannah Bergh and Serena Yan, along with freshman May Li, took third place in the 800-yard freestyle. Yan said that the team has had difficulty when swimmers have had to compete in more than one session, but nevertheless, she is proud of the way the team has responded to the demanding season. “It’s not an easy meet, some of us are swimming five different sessions,” Yan said. “I’m so proud of our team for pushing through and dropping amazing amounts of time.” Much like the men’s squad, the women’s diving team kept pace with the performance of the swim team. Freshman Kelly Ryser took second in the 11-dive one-meter competition. Sophomore Austin Campitelli, who was a staple of last year’s squad and is looking to get back to Nationals this year, finished just behind her in third. In day two of the competition, the men’s team remained in second place with a total of 706 points, still behind MIT. Kang broke yet another record, this time for the NYU 400-yard individual medley. Sophomores Joe Baron and Chad Moody, alongside senior Win Htet Oo and junior captain Daniel Tay made the NCAA B-cut in the 200yard freestyle. Sophomore Adam Betts took first place in the 100-yard backstroke and said he is excited to
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Junior captain Elise Gibbs broke NYU’s 100-yard breaststroke record at MIT Invitational. see both teams’ hard work pay off. “The team has been working hard for a few months and we’re really seeing the payoff at this meet,” Betts said. “To achieve so many team records and national qualifying cuts at a mid-season meet is very encouraging and I’m looking forward to continue working together as a team towards NCAA championships.” The women’s team performed well enough to vault themselves into first pace on day two of the meet. They finished the day with 727.5 points, three points ahead of Columbia. Li took third place in the 100-yard backstroke. Li and Gibbs also participated in the 400-yard medley relay team with Kitze and freshman Noel Leung. The teams now have a long layoff before their next meet. Winter break will keep them out of the pool until Jan. 16 when they host Springfield College for senior day. Email Ashley Arnold at sports@nyunews.com.
The NYU wrestling team secured a 38-6 victory over Hunter College on Friday, Dec. 4.
Wrestling avenges 2014 Hunter loss By BOBBY WAGNER Sports Editor
The NYU men’s wrestling team was dominant en route to a 38-6 drubbing of Hunter College on Friday. The lopsided win comes just a year after the team came up short against the Hawks, and it is exactly what the Grapplers needed to get back on track after two straight weekends of disappointing performances. They pushed their record to 4-1 in head-to-head matchups in the 2015-2016 season. Junior Nathan Pike, who has led the way for the Grapplers this season, beat out Hunter’s Jayden Rice in a 6-2 decision in the 133-pound division. Both Pike and Rice went into the match knowing the other was an NCAA qualifier. Pike has continued his stellar season. He’s now 11-2 on the season. “Our match against Hunter was particularly important to us because we lost to them last year,” Pike said. “This year we went out and we dominated. A lot of our wrestlers got bonus points and you
could tell that everyone went out there to wrestle.” The Grapplers had solid performances turned in by freshman Ian Burke and sophomore Anthony Calvano. Burke won his decision 17-2, pushing his record just over .500 for the year at 8-6. Calvano, a transfer from George Mason University, picked up a technical fall, scoring 16-0 over his opponent. Sophomore Raymond Jazikoff continued to be a standout for the team in his second season, picking up a 14-4 major decision in the 157-pound weight class. The wrestling team is one of the few teams that will not have their season completely interrupted by winter break. They’ll be back on the mats next weekend, Dec. 12. They’ll get a week off after that and then return again on Dec. 29, looking to improve upon what has been a good head-to-head season but a subpar season at large meets. Email Bobby Wagner at bwagner@nyunews.com.
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