WSN111011

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

washington square news Vol. 39, No. 37

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011

nyunews.com

Venture for America gives startups a chance

Study finds STEM graduates earn more

Students can strive for what they want right after college, rather than waiting for years, according to Venture for America founder and president Andrew Yang.

At a VFA information session at NYU last Tuesday, Yang said that the program, which is modeled after Teach for America, provides students with the skills and training necessary to jump into the start-up world. The two-year fellowship is a post-college program that sends participants to lower-cost cities, such as Detroit, to work for startup companies. After the two years are up, the top fellow will receive $100,000 to start his or her own entrepreneurial ventures.

“The years directly after college are actually a great window of opportunity to take some risks professionally because it only gets more difficult to take chances as you progress,” Yang said.

It may be true that your degree in comparative literature isn’t a top money-maker. Graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics typically earn more than those in other fields, according to a recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Sixty-five percent of Bachelor’s degree-earners in STEM occupations earn more than graduates with Master’s degrees in non-STEM fields, according to the study.

Sixty-three percent of individuals with Associate’s degree in STEM earn more than Bachelor’s degreeholders in non-STEM sectors.

Authored by GU senior economist Nicole Smith, GU research professor and director of CEW Anthony Carnevale and GUCEW research analyst Michelle Melton, the study looked at a comprehensive analysis of data sources from 2005 to 2011.

By Brittany VanBibber

R VENTURE continued on PG. 7

By Jessie Schultz

GRACE WEISS FOR WSN

A Night at the Museum

NYU graduate students took part in a night of poetry at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last week.

STORY ON PAGE 6

R STEM continued on PG. 3

‘Melancholia’ a beautiful story of sadness

By Erin Whitney Faigh

Subtle, yet profound. Terrifying, yet strikingly and strangely beautiful. Who could concoct such an interpretation of the end of mankind? None other than the disturbed Lars von Trier. The Danish writer-director, known for the dark, unsettling content of his work — his last film, “Antichrist,” is an exceptional example — attempts a slightly different approach to desolate storytelling in his new work, ”Melancholia.”

It would be wrong to claim that “Melancholia” is merely a disaster movie; rather, it is a work that articulates the essence of fear, loneliness and depression, stressing the intensity, rather than the cause, of human reactions.

The film, which centers on the strained relationship of two sisters, is set to the impending destruction of all life as a rogue planet threatens to crash into Earth.

Von Trier begins his film with his trademark slow-motion imagery — cosmic, eerie sequences evoking both awe and concern.

The first shot recalls “2001: A Space Odyssey” as a bright blue planet slowly rises from behind

the earth. After this, we are transported to reality to meet a giggly Justine (Kirsten Dunst) on her wedding night. She briefly notices a star in the sky, pausing for a moment as if transfixed, and then dismisses it. The film is constantly dipping into strange sci-fi sequences, coasting along the mundane with subtle hints at an underlying dark presence.

For the first half of the film, we follow Justine throughout the wedding reception as her lively nature diminishes over the long evening.

As her charming smile becomes more forced and she finds excuses to escape the reception — for a bath, a walk — it becomes apparent that there is a deep disturbance

consuming Justine.

After the wedding, Justine’s bizarre behavior brings her into a terrifying depression. Dunst potently conveys Justine’s inner trauma as she becomes engulfed in utter despair, hardly speaking, barely moving, and lying limp like a lifeless child. Her composed sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), comforts Justine and attempts to nurse her back to health.

Genuine human fear and anxiety are profoundly manifested on screen through both Justine’s deep, compelling malaise and Claire’s feverish consternation.

Dunst’s balance of agonizing ter-

R MELANCHOLIA continued on PG. 8

COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN GEISNAES

Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia” captures the essence of fear.

Bogle leads volleyball into ECAC semifinals

By Laura Buccieri After missing out on the NCAA Tournament, the NYU women’s volleyball team dominated Mt. St. Mary College, winning in straight sets (25-14, 25-9, 25-13) in the quarterfinals of the ECAC Metro/Upstate Championship at Coles Sports Center.

“We are looking at it like a brand new season,” head coach Jolie Ward said. “We are 1-0.”

NYU showed why it is ranked as the tournament’s No. 2 seed, defeating the No. 7 Knights in merely 49 minutes. NYU dominated every aspect of the game, hitting .247 while the Knights hit -.095.

Sophomore outside-hitter Alex Mao led the Violets with 12 kills.

Everything she touched, whether it was a tip, roll or full-on swing, turned into a kill.

“We are using the back-row attack more, especially with Mao,” Ward said. “Having the back row as one of our options can turn a bad pass into an attack and serves as another viable option for our setter to look for.”

While it was an all-around good effort by the Violets, who appeared refreshed and rejuvenated despite coming off a devastating loss last weekend in the UAA championships, NYU’s captains stepped up as expected. Sophomore captain and setter Hope Bogle dished out 29 set assists, six service aces and six digs. Senior captain and middle blocker Kolby Warren, playing in the last home game of her career, had eight kills of her own. Freshmen outside hitter Sarah Buckingham also added nine kills, while junior libero/defensive specialist Kaylee Schanda tallied 20 digs.

“This season was a little rough, but we are coming into the postseason with a new and fresh attitude,” Warren said. “We are using this time to work on new things to improve our game.”

Their mentality was clearly visible in this match, as the Knights managed only 14 kills as opposed to NYU’s 36. Junior setter Lauren Halverson (13 assists), senior libero Heather

R VBALL continued on PG. 5

2

Washington Square news | ThurSDAY, November 10, 2011 | nyunews.com

on the side

Compiled by the

WSN staff

WEEKEND AGENDA THURSDAY

1

2

Secrets and Cryptic Tongues

7 p.m. | La Maison Française, 16 Washington Mews Daniel Heller-Roazen, a professor of comparative literature at Princeton, will present material from her new project on the deep secrets of languages. Her work draws on medieval French and classical Arabic texts.

Washington Square News

Nothing Quite Like It: An American Irish Childhood

Editor-in-Chief JAYWON ERIC CHOE

7 p.m. | Glucksman Ireland House, 1 Washington Mews

Managing Editor

KELSEY DESIDERIO Deputy Managing Editor

Nicolas Grene, a professor of English literature at Trinity College, will read from his new book, “Nothing Quite Like It: An American Irish Childhood,” a story about his unusual upbringing.

RUSSELL STEINBERG Assistant Managing Editor

3

Eamonn Gearon

6:30 to 8 p.m. | NYU Bookstore Arabist and author Eamonn Gearon will discuss his new book, “The Sahara: A Cultural History.”

FRIDAY

1

STONE COLD FOX: This Is Not Art

7:30p.m. | Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 307 W. 26th St.

KIRSTEN CHANG Creative Director

TERKA CICELOVA senior staff

university JAEWON KANG city/state AMY ZHANG arts CHARLES MAHONEY features AMANDA RANDONE sports JAMES LANNING multimedia LAUREN STRAUSSER enterprise ARIELLE MILKMAN special issues FRANCIS POON brownstone JAKE FLANAGIN copy jack brooks senior editors elizabeth gyori,

amanda shih

For just $10, have a good laugh at a performance by this hilarious comedy sketch group, which will be previewing its upcoming season.

deputy staff

university gentry brown, julie

devito, susannaH griffee city/state hanqing chen, brian

tam, emily yang

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1

1

NYU Women’s Soccer vs.

New Jersey City University

Celebrating Nancy Swortzell

1p.m. | Gaelic Park in the Bronx

Cheer on our No. 1 seeded women’s soccer team in the semi-finals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Metro Championship.

10 a.m. | Kimmel Center, Rosenthal Pavilion Attend this memorial service to remember and celebrate the extraordinary life of professor Nancy Swortzell, co-founder of Education Theatre at NYU.

music parker bruce film/books stefan Melnyk entertainment jonathon

dornbush theater ERIC SHETHAR features EMILY MCDERMOTT dining SARAH KAMENETZ fashion CARRIE COUROGEN sports SANCHAY JAIN, DANIEL

HINTON production MERYLL PREPOSI multimedia DAVID LIN copy MAXIMILÍANO DURÓN,

JESSICA LITTMAN

opinion page

opinion editor JOHN SURICO deputy opinion editors ATTICUS

BRIGHAM, MARIA MICHALOS

advertising business manager

REBECCA RIBEIRO sales manager

Stefanie Yotka circulation manager

SNAPSHOT

MEagan Driver

CORRECTION In a headline in the Nov. 9 issue, WSN inaccurately stated that the women’s volleyball team would be competing for its second straight ECAC title. In fact, the team’s last ECAC title was in 2008. WSN regrets the error.

university sales coordinator

Emilia Mironovici sales representatives

Kaitlyn O’Brien, MICHAEL RYAN, Melissa Ynegas

advising DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

ON THE WIRE

Great-grandfisher

Succulent grapefruit sit in a basket at Gristedes Market.

PHOTO BY Aarushi Chopra

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

An 85-year-old woman from Australia’s Gold Coast recently reeled in an 850-pound marlin. Connie Laurie had been fishing recreationally for years when she was offered the chance to fish for black marlin on a charter boat off the coast of Cooktown. After hooking the fish, Laurie managed to reel it all the way in to the boat unaided. At one point the marlin jumped out of the water, allowing another angler to snap a picture of the massive fish. The pictures will be Laurie’s only souvenirs from the trip — the marlin was cut loose after she reeled it in, and her only other catch, a 12-pound mackerel, was used as bait for the marlin. — The Huffington Post

MICHAEL SUMMERS editorial adviser

keith leighty EDITOR-AT-LARGE

KATIE THOMPSON About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods.

Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact managing editor Kelsey Desiderio at managing@nyunews. com or at 212.998.4302.

nyunews.com

nyunews.com | ThurSDAY, November 10, 2011 | Washington Square news

Trans-Hudson train tunnel a possibility

By Tony Chau

It turns out the dream that many New Jersey commuters have of a trans-Hudson train tunnel may become a reality after all.

Over a year after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stunned residents by cutting the Access to the Region’s Core — a lucrative commuter rail project to increase passenger service capacity between Manhattan and New Jersey — Mayor Bloomberg recently revived the possibility of a tunnel that would connect New Jersey with the city.

Although a formal proposal has not yet been issued, the preliminary idea is to extend the 7 line of the MTA subway system from the Hudson Yards on the far west side, across the Hudson River and into New Jersey, terminating at Secaucus Junction.

In the NYU community, especially its among commuters, there is general support of the plan.

“If the proposed plan for the No. 7 train to extend into Secaucus goes through, it would save a lot of money for people that commute from my town, which is a significant number, into the city,” said Neha Sundaram, a Stern junior who commutes from Rutherford, N.J. “It would be convenient because right now there are only two ways to get to New Jersey from Manhattan: Port Authority and the train,” said Kyung Jeon, a Stern sophomore who lives in a dorm but regularly returns home to New Jersey.

Bloomberg cautioned that this type of project would take a while before it

comes into existence.

“These things take a long time,” Bloomberg said in a recent press release. “There’s environmental issues; there’s funding issues and that sort of thing.”

Even Christie, who cited the states’ inability to pay for the ARC tunnel, supported this possibility.

“I like this idea a heck of a lot better,” Christie said in a radio chat with WCBS 880 radio. “Here we’re looking at this as a partnership between New Jersey, New York City, New York State and the federal government, and I think all of us will be able to come together and do a project that’s wor-

Tony Chau is a staff writer.

Email him at cstate@nyunews.com.

VIA FLICKR.COM

The 7 train could be extended from Times Square into New Jersey.

STEM continued from PG. 1

Study finds STEM degrees worth more Sources included the Occupational Informative Network, the American Chemistry Society and those from the Georgetown Center on Education and Workforce.

In the annual Wasserman survey “Life Beyond The Square” for the class of 2010, 8.4 percent of the 2,850 respondents from the NYU class of 2010 were in health administration, with a mean salary of $58,570; 3.6 percent of the respondents were in science and research, with a mean salary of $56,900; and 2 percent of the respondents were in technology, with a mean salary of $58,960.

And in the 2011-12 PayScale College Salary Report, the Polytechnic Institute of New York University ranked eighth among four-year colleges for median starting salaries for graduates with Bachelor’s degrees who do not pursue higher academic degrees.

The study also found that, despite high salaries, there is a shortage of STEM workers and that many of those who graduate from college with STEM-related degrees are not entering the fields in which they earned their degree.

Kenneth Perlin, an NYU professor of computer science, thinks the results of the study are logical since careers in STEM fields are highly prized.

thy like this, and New Jersey will certainly pony up its fair share.”

For Sundaram, access to the 7 line would allow her to bypass the New Jersey Transit and PATH trains, which would save her over $160, which she spends on passes to those two trains.

“When I had a house in New Jersey, I came [home] once every two or three weeks,” Jeon said. “It takes a while because I take the bus and it’s $8.50 for a round trip. The subway would cut that by half.”

“They required a lot of education, and it’s not so easy to acquire those skills,” Perlin said. “Fields that require a relatively difficult education path, there will be less people attracted to it, and STEM requires a lot of work that only so many people can do.”

Charles Newman, NYU professor of mathematics, added that the small percentage of people with STEM degrees who continue to work in the field shows a strength, not a weakness.

“I believe the study indicated that a major motivation for such moves was that, even though salaries in STEM fields are fairly high, there are sometimes even better opportunities in other areas for those with STEM backgrounds,” he said.

However, B. Lindsay Lowell, the director of policy studies at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at GU, said the United States is not experiencing a shortage of STEM employees in his 2009 study.

“We believe that it is the characteristics of demand in the STEM world that are important and that educating those people won’t solve those programs,” Lowell said.

Jessie Schultz is a staff writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

3

Veterans honored with star treatment

By Sarah Haueisen

With Veterans’ Day approaching, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources to injured service members, hosted a cocktail party yesterday to raise funds for veterans and their families.

Founded by ABC News broadcaster Bob Woodruff, the foundation has raised over $8.5 million for injured servicemen and women and their families.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, a guest speaker at the party, said he was honored to be around all the men and women who have served in war.

“What I want you to do tonight is feel what it means to be an American through their smiles, through their souls,” Dempsey said, addressing the audience.

Fifty men and women from across the nation who have been injured in war are invited to the event each year. Veterans were given the star treatment, which included personal hairdressers, manicurists, food and time to relax.

Attending service members received money for airfare, lodgings and food as well as a short but recuperative escape from a grueling recovery process.

“They really show wounded servicemen and women ... that they are appreciated and are not alone,” said David Noriega, an NYU graduate and Navy Safe Harbor employee. “It’s really just a joyful time for us.

In the past, the foundation also hosted the American Thunder Music Festival, a benefit concert featuring renowned artists like Stevie Nicks and Jeff Bridges.

After the party, the veterans were invited to the Beacon Theater to watch musicians like Bruce Springsteen and comedians such as Jon Stewart and Conan O’Brien perform.

Sarah Haueisen is a contributing writer.

Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

Zadie Smith shares new book, insight

By Peter Kirby

Award-winning author and NYU creative writing professor Zadie Smith knows how to draw a crowd. As part of NYU’s Speakers on the Square series, more than 1,000 people registered to attend the event held in the Kimmel Center for Student Life, forcing some of the audience to watch Smith’s talk via live-feed nearby.

Those who were lucky enough to get a seat in the Eisner an Lubin auditorium heard Smith read a selection from her newest, still-unpublished novel, which she has worked on for the past eight years.

The passages read last night described two interactions between very different people, both set in London: in one, a woman helps someone she went to school with, and another follows a man’s attempt to break up with his aristocratic girlfriend.

Following the reading, Smith answered questions from the audience about her writing process.

But Smith was careful not to prescribe specific advice about her techniques.

“I was asked to give a list of writing advice once,” Smith said. “It’s been coming back to

bite me ever since.”

She said writing techniques are particular to individual writers — what works for one person might not help another.

In response to a question about writer’s block, Smith said she just tries to “tolerate the sentences.”

“There’s no outline or plan,” Smith said. “The whole problem is to find a way to write that I can live with.”

The technique has worked so

far. Smith has found both critical acclaim and popular success with her first three novels, which have been awarded a long list of literary prizes.

“Her writing is creative but also really funny,” NYU alumna Tania Lopez said. “I read her first book when it came out, and it just stuck with me.”

Peter Kirby is a contributing writer. Email him at university@nyunews.com.

KRISTINA BOGOS/WSN

Smith talked about her new novel and her writing process.

nyunews.com | ThurSDAY, November 10, 2011 | Washington Square news

5

Pair of UVL competitors relish in the unexpected

By Gentry Brown

DAVID LIN/WSN

Sophomores Ian Pritchard (left) and Brian McFarland (right) work best off the cuff.

Steinhardt sophomores Ian Pritchard and Brian McFarland, who make up the band Poison Oak, never thought they’d get past the preliminary round of Ultra Violet Live, NYU’s annual talent competition.

The band had scheduled a practice session during Coral’s UVL preliminaries and, on a whim, decided to try out instead.

“We didn’t expect to win,” McFarland said. “We were literally just doing it to replace our practice time. When we won, I was pretty ecstatic, especially playing completely improv and free. This is kind of an amazing experience to be able to make music that’s satisfying personally and that people connect to.”

In light of their surprise success, McFarland said he and Pritchard have been rewatching a recording of their performance to learn the entirely improvised song. The two will represent Coral Towers in the final UVL competition in February.

The duo first met at their freshman orientation and often ran into each other at concerts. They created the

band just a month ago after Pritchard tweeted that he was looking for a drummer in a post-rock collaboration. “[Pritchard] lived on the floor above me in Brittany, so I could see [his] iTunes,” McFarland said.

“I’d look through [his] library, and we shared the same stuff. Even down to the most obscure.”

The band’s musical influences are vast and include jazz, which inspired the band members to take up their respective instruments: Pritchard, the guitar and McFarland, the drums. Furthermore, the band gets its name from one of their favorite songs, “Poison Oak”

by Bright Eyes.

The band plans to practice for the competition as much as possible and to put out an EP, which they plan to record in the Steinhardt studios.

“If I could do this and afford to keep my guitar pedals, I’d do this as long as I could,” Pritchard said. “As long as I can pay the power bill.”

DAVID LIN/WSN

Gentry Brown is a deputy university editor. Email her at gbrown@nyunews.com.

DAVID LIN/WSN

SPORTS VBALL continued from PG. 1

Bogle leads volleyball into ECAC semifinals

Schaeffer (13 digs) and junior outside hitter Mary Ann Raftery (four kills) were St. Mary College’s biggest contributors.

“We are running a new serve receive and different rotations in the post season,” Ward said.

“We are showing other teams brand new things, which keeps

them attentive.”

NYU hopes this strategy will pay off on Saturday in the semifinals when they play Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham at Elmira College at 11 a.m.

Laura Buccieri is a staff writer.

Email her at sports@nyunews.com.

FILE PHOTO BY DAVID LIN

The Violets are two wins away from winning the ECACs title.

6

Washington Square news | ThurSDAY, November 10, 2011 | nyunews.com

FEATURES

Leibovitz’s newest work diverts from celebrity portraiture

By Aliza Katz

Annie Leibovitz isn’t completely sure of what to make of the photographs in her new book, “Pilgrimage,” but she is happy with the journey it took her on.

“There are no people in ‘Pilgrimage,’” she said. “I went down another road.

I’m not too sure what I found, but I cleared my mind and I filled my head and I filled my soul.”

She presented her audience with an array of photographs from the book last night at the Union Square Barnes & Noble, in hopes that the audience would share her enthusiasm.

Images included artifacts, homes and landscapes. The evocative portraits of prominent figures, similar to those that have filled the covers of Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue that rocketed Leibovitz to fame, were notably absent. The “Pilgrimage” col-

lection was made of images taken with no purpose other than Leibovitz’s own personal interest.

Leibovitz’s project began after she took digital photos at Emily Dickinson’s home in Amherst, Mass. The renowned photographer was enamored by the portrait-filled walls and the personal items that still remained.

This experience became the springboard for a larger project — Leibovitz traveled across America to photograph sites and belongings left behind by her greatest sources of inspiration. The result was a collection of photographed relics, including the wooden plank atop which Virginia Woolf wrote her novels and Georgia O’Keeffe’s collection of animal skeletons in her Santa Fe home, as well as the spot where Henry David Thoreau built his cabin by Walden Pond.

Leibovitz believes anyone in search

of inspiration and introspection can easily find it.

“It’s out there for all of us,” she said. “When you go through these pictures tonight, you might think about where you would like to go.

You don’t have to make an appointment to go to Walden Pond. These places are all out here.”

Angie Oo, an LSP freshman who plans to study photojournalism, found Leibovitz’s message personally relatable.

“The advice she gave about aspiring photographers was really relevant,” she said. “I would love to do the same thing that she did, going to places of people she admired. I think that brings you closer to your artistic self as well because those are people who influenced her.”

Aliza Katz is a contributing writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

JONATHAN TAN/WSN

Leibovitz gave advise to aspiring photographers.

A night of poetry at the museum

By Erin Kim

For one night, the works on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art were simply accompaniments. The star of the night was poetry.

Last Friday, the College Group at the Met hosted a poetry night, merging spoken words with visual art courtesy of eight graduate students. CGM was created by the Met and works in partnership with NYU Graduate Creative Writing Program.

The group looks to create new ways for students of all backgrounds to explore the Met’s collections.

At the event, poets wrote about art that spanned several centuries. The writers related personal stories to the timeless pieces, delivering poems with unique personalities. They used classic artworks to depict universal themes such as love, life and death.

Amy Meng, a second-year creative writing graduate student at NYU, read her poem “Every Room Becomes a Ruin,” which was inspired by the size, darkness and silence of the Art Study Collection’s monumental black-glazed vases. For Meng, poetry and art are an inseparable duo.

“If you have visual and written or audio art, it helps to create a full experience that’s even more definite than either of those two things alone,” she said.

NYU creative writing graduate student Craig Moreau wrote a poem called “Vacuum Cleaner at the Met,” based on Sir James Dyson’s

De Stijl Vacuum Cleaner.

Moreau found the Met a welcome change to the dive bars he typically reads at, where he fights against the sounds of cash registers and sirens. But at the Met, he said he was “competing with huge ceilings, lots of light, attention.”

“We’re reading in front of other artistic masters,” he said.

According to NYU creative writing professor Rachel Zutger, the poems “give

voice to something that does not have a voice [and] lead you to something not seen before.” These collegiate gatherings at the Met create an environment where students who are passionate about art can mingle with one another and express themselves artistically.

“It’s great to be at the museum and to see these people who go to my school that are doing all this amazing poetry in my favorite place,” CAS sopho-

more and CGM member Andie Levinson said of the experience. “And it’s cool because you don’t know who they are going to be in 10 or 15 years.”

The next poetry reading is Friday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to undergraduate and graduate students, and the tour will begin at the Véléz Blanco Patio.

Erin Kim is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

GRACE WEISS FOR WSN

NYU poets delved into issues of love, life and death at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Doonan defines fashion icons at FIT

By Shannon Loughran No celebrity fashionista was spared on Tuesday night at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Fashion Icons and Insiders Symposium led by Simon Doonan, the creative ambassador-at-large for Barneys New York.

Witty and insightful, Doonan discussed his view on what it means to be a fashion icon. He established three categories of icon — a term which he joked, these days, “is tossed around like an old Nine West handbag.”

Doonan believes the public often assigns this term to just about any celebrity that looks good in a dress on the red carpet. But to be an icon, according to Doonan, one must be “odd, peculiar and noteworthy.”

The first category that he spoke of was high-fashion icons, who dress in couture and find pleasure in vanity. Doonan named Daphne Guinness, Bianca Jagger, Tina Chow and Nancy Cunard as notable high-fashion icons. He also discussed the importance of vanity as a creative impulse rather than a negative quality.

Celebrity fashion icons include Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett, according to Doonan. These icons “don’t bring anything to the table style-wise,” Doonan said. “They are not iconic or noteworthy.”

He added Natalie Portman to the list with Swinton and Blanchett as celebrities who have an original style apart from the sea of red carpet celebrities.

For Doonan, Liz Taylor, Twiggy, Joan Crawford and even Paris Hilton fall under the popular style icons category. Doonan said these are the icons that real women want to be like. Women adopted the cat eye from Taylor’s role in “Cleopatra” and imitated the mod style from Twiggy, and there was even a time when Hilton’s blond extensions and spray-tanned skin were the object of many women’s envy.

Doonan also took time to discuss what an icon is not. Calling Kate Middleton and Jackie Kennedy “elegant and unremarkable,” he commented on the fact that public figures need to look relatable and approachable.

“If she looked like Daphne, she would look vain,” Doonan said. “Elegance is not icon-worthy. There is no risk.”

Doonan described icon status as exhausting.

“It’s a life of service,” he said.

Shannon Loughran is a staff writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

nyunews.com | ThurSDAY, November 10, 2011 | Washington Square news

7

edited by AMANDA RANDONE features@nyunews.com

Neon hair trend is here to stay

VENTURE continued from PG. 1

Teaching the business of startups

By Heather Mundinger

comes off as accomplished. He knows what he’s talking about.

He’s had a history of actually doing the things that he’s trying to encourage us to do.”

Daniel Pessar, a graduate student in SCPS, said he heard about the event through the Economics Honors Society and is considering applying to the program.

The application process has three steps. First is a general application, with an essay and letters of recommendation required. The second step focuses on a more personal approach. It includes a phone interview and requires that the applicant send in a video. The final step involves the student meeting someone face-to-face.

Ultimately, VFA is trying to provide an outlet for talented young graduates who have an interest in a field that is good for the economy and is also in high demand.

As executive board member and Stern graduate Matthew Farkash said, “We believe that VFA will bring together a multi-generational community — from college graduates and serial entrepreneurs to community leaders, who will inspire and support each other in an effort to realize the benefits of building sustainable companies.”

Training for the fellowship focuses on project management, sales, social media and other skills needed to be a part of an entrepreneurial venture.

The idea for VFA was inspired

by Yang’s own realization in college that the path he was on was not right for him.

“So many times I’ve encountered young, enterprising people that don’t have a pathway to do what they want to do, so they gravitate towards the pathways that exist,” Yang said. “Those existing pathways aren’t fulfilling for a lot of people.”

At the event, Yang discussed the typical path of college graduates and the demand for welleducated graduates in other industries that are less structured.

Building on this idea, VFA hopes to create 100,000 jobs by 2025.

Yang said he spoke at NYU because he saw at the school the kinds of people the program looks for to launch into the start-up world.

“NYU students are very enterprising, very social, very savvy and ambitious,” Yang said.

Many students who attended the event found Yang informative and the program attractive. “[The event] exceeded my expectations,” Stern sophomore Daniel Huang said. “The speaker

Since spring, a new beauty trend has burst onto the high fashion scene. No longer reserved for the punky mall rats of suburbia, KoolAid colored hair was a hit on the runways and beyond. Everyone from Pixie Geldof to Lauren Conrad has rocked a pastel ’do and, as seen in Thakoon’s show for his 2012 spring collection, it appears that the trend is here to stay.

As members of one of the most fashion-conscious campuses in the country, NYU students always have their fingers on the pulse of what’s to come. With a quick glance around Washington Square Park, you can surely spot a few candy-colored locks.

Tisch freshman Larissa Horn, whose brown hair is accented with hot pink streaks, talked about what inspired her decision to dye.

“I’ve always liked Rachel McAdams, and she put pink highlights in her hair,” Horn said.

“I’m also a big Nicki Minaj fan, and she calls her fans ‘Barbies,’ so it’s kind of an ode to her.”

She also cited personal reasons for adding boldness to her brunette. Growing up in a household where she was forced to keep it safe with hair styling, Horn couldn’t wait to experiment with some color.

Brittany VanBibber is a staff writer.

Email her at features@nyunews.com.

“My mom would never let me dye my hair in high school,” she said.

“So my best friend and I had done it together right before leaving for college.”

But Horn acknowledged that she can’t keep her pink tips forever.

“Personally, I don’t feel that it’s professional,” she said. “Once I’m older and trying to find a job or an internship, I’ll have to dye it back to my natural color. I’m VIA REALBEAUTY.COM doing it now because I can do it.” Dynamic dyes are the newest style on campus.

While fashion and celebrity style for the faint at heart. Still, if dictated Horn’s decision, CAS freshman Neda you’re looking to flirt with some Hazemi said her shocking blue color without making a full-time and green hair was an expression commitment, don’t fret. Take a lesson from Thakoon’s past runof her inner self.

“I was going through a phase way show and buy a temporary of self-discovery, and I felt like I dye or pigmented powder. needed a physical manifestation Heather Mundinger is a of that change,” she said.

Going pastel can be a difficult contributing writer. Email trend to try and is certainly not her at fashion@nyunews.com.

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 500 Seventh Avenue, New York,times N.Y. 10018 The new york crossword & daily sudoku For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, November 10, 2011

Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Go off course 4 Natural 10 Enjoy a pleasant situation 14 Foreman fighter 15 Symbol of Middle America 16 Fighting 17 Start of a silly underwear joke 20 Wine region of Italy 21 Extinct kin of the kiwi 22 “The Scarlet Letter” heroine 23 Joke, part 2 26 PC linkup 27 Leftovers 31 Popular bit of candy 34 Suffix with symptom 36 Final, say

67 Sylvia who played the Queen Mother in “The Queen” 68 Fake 69 Literary inits.

37 Previously

38 Joke, part 3

41 Satisfied

42 Gordon of “Harold and Maude” 44 Small bottle

45 Wear

47 When many alarms go off

49 Good name for an investor?

50 Joke, part 4

55 Five iron

58 Browning who directed “Dracula,” 1931 59 Exposed

61 End of the joke

64 Eastern nanny 65 “No way!”

66 Something not good to have on oneʼs face

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A C C R A O S H A A Q U A

S E AA I R B AA E D F U R L

H V O A N R D D E O U S S E I T B D I D E D E R N E R I K I Z G E A N

I T E R A T I O N M AA L O X

S T A S T I L A P E A L A N AA L I M U P S L A S U B L E L E G H O A R O N E N S G I A N A N L A T G A M E

L E O N A S O U S E S

E N T I T L E

L A R C

A L A I

N A P A

D E S P I E N A N N N I E

I Z AA K

E Y R E

T E AA C T

E R N I E

Down 1 When tripled, et cetera 2 Elite 3 B, C or D, at a shoe store 4 Wall St. debut 5 Mad face?

6 At all 7 Geometric figures 8 Aunt, in Acapulco 9 Standard-issue item for a Secret Service agent 10 What some teens do to earn money 11 Soon 12 Render openmouthed 13 Flier with a ground connection?

18 Farm measure 19 The second “A” of A.M.P.A.S. 24 Symbol of gentleness 25 One of the archangels 28 Sampler 29 Took advantage of 30 Major closing?

31 Maker of 31Across 32 Fit of shaking chills

1

2

3

4

14

5

6

7

10

24

27 34 38

42

43

47

35

29

30

Read us online nyunews.com

36

39

40

44

45

48

41 46

49

50 56

28

25

33

37

13

22

26 32

12

19 21

23

11

16

18

20

55

9

15

17

31

8

No. 1006

51

57

52

53

58

61

62

54

59

60

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

Puzzle by Alan Arbesfeld

33 Childʼs punishment, maybe 34 Grishamʼs “___ to Kill” 35 Pan Am rival 39 Gradually disappear 40 Lover of brain games

43 Sinister laughs 46 Service leader 48 One whoʼs easily duped 49 Behind on payments 51 British guns 52 Major artery 53 Country club employee

54 Leftovers

55 Corp. recruits 56 Host

57 Kingdom in “The King and I” 60 Best, but barely 62 Card game for two 63 Moroccan topper

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554.

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.

Online subscriptions: Todayʼs puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

8

Washington Square news | ThurSDAY, November 10, 2011 | nyunews.com

ARTS

edited by CHARLES MAHONEY ARTS@nyunews.com

New book tells history of the world in just 400 pages

By Mithila D. Saraf

Niall Ferguson’s new book, “Civilization,” covers nothing less than ten centuries, six continents and a capricious world of economics, politics, geographies, religions and cultures. It’s a book that screams of excessive breadth and complexity. And the author does this in only 400 pages. Yes, the author of “The Ascent of Money” does have a penchant for the epic, but he must be lauded for his nerve. In this book, he takes on the daunting task of carefully collecting evidence from multifarious areas of knowledge and presenting an argument with impressive conviction and boldness.

Throughout “Civilization,” the author’s voice is an amalgamation of economist, historian, writer and curious globe-trotter, which makes for an interesting concoction of writing styles. He explains in his introduction that his aim in “Civilization” is to establish why the West dominated the globe for 500 years, despite its clumsy and chaotic beginnings. Continuing under this research paper frame-

work, he divides his book into six “killer applications” necessary for political success as he terms them, and a conclusion. Add scores of examples, comparisons, data and theories to this, and you have a whole dissertation in “Civilization.”

And Ferguson doesn’t resist occasionally injecting emotion and opinion. In reflective observations of past errors, we can sense a wistfulness and deep-seated respect for the nations involved: “The Middle Kingdom, once the mother of inventions, was now the mediocre kingdom, wilfully hostile to other people’s inventions.” These strong attachments betray the author’s own British, right-wing academia sentiments. This is underlined in traditional statements like, “Institutions are often the things that keep a culture honest, determining how far it is conducive to good behavior rather than bad.” Clearly, he believes that there can be good and bad civilizations and that these civilizations need to be managed from the top down. The book could have been completely different if he had instead believed that there is no right or wrong, just

Kanye and Jay-Z reinvent concert experience

By Alaina Berry Kanye West and Jay-Z’s show last week began with the two rappers rising from platforms in the middle of the arena. The dramatic entrance was a fitting for two rappers who are reinventing the concert experience with their new Watch the Throne tour. The duo created an incredible show around their long-awaited and highly rated album, “Watch The Throne,” mixing in the same carnival-like interlude heard throughout their new album and managing to squeeze some classic songs into the set as well.

Though the show started a bit late, the energy and chemistry between the two were unbelievable. Their first song was the first single released from the album “H.A.M.” The two split concert time between playing songs from the album and classics from their own past albums. And though Jay-Z received less stage time than West, the large majority of the crowd was from New York and his fans were lively and well-represented. Jay-Z played hits such as “H to the Izzo,” “On To The Next One,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “Empire State of Mind.”

During West’s solo performances, the rapper took the opportunity to get sen-

timental. On “Runaway,” for example, he slowed the beat down, spoke to all the couples in the crowd, and sang, “If you love somebody tonight, hold them real tight.” He even had his DJ turn the instrumental down so he could truly speak to the crowd. West also played “Touch The Sky,” “Heartless” and “Jesus Walks.” The light show during “All of The Lights” was especially great. West even stopped the song twice to make sure all the spotlights in the arena were beaming down on him.

The almost three-hour show came to a dynamic ending when Jay-Z and West came out and performed everyone’s favorite single from “Watch The Throne,” “N**gas in Paris.” The song was so hyped that they just had to play it again before ending the show. But soon after saying goodnight, they came back for yet another round of ridiculous, Parisian fun, which seemed to be their favorite part of the show. The concert then ended the way it should have, with Jay-Z’s “Encore,” the perfect way to wrap up a sensational show.

Alaina Berry is a contributing writer. Email her at music@nyunews.com.

various kinds of civilizations.

Ferguson’s tendancy to allow his human persona to float freely underneath all the exhaustive historical analysis invites readers to connect with the book, in the same way an intelligent punchline would wake a snoozing history class. Furthermore, Ferguson’s academic jokes also do the job of condensing copious amounts of information and driving the point home. For example, at one point he claims, “The Chinese ended up with the lethargy of the opium den, their pipes filled by none other than the British East India Company,” delineating a generalized relation between trade, cultural habits, efficiency, economic progress and, ultimately, world domination.

However, Ferguson simplifies too much. Having explained the West’s course of ascendance in the past, he arrives in the final pages of his book to the present and asks, “What next?” Here he suggests that now the rest of the world has “downloaded” the six “killer apps” of the “Western package” and is fighting back. Winning this fight,

according to Ferguson, depends on whether “[the West is] still able to recognize the superiority of that package.” He is thus hinting at an identity crisis of sorts, in which Europe and the United States have forgotten the value of the ways of the past that they themselves invented and gave to the world. This conclusion is rooted in a shockingly naive blindness towards the fact that change begets change and old ways can only go so far.

Mithila D. Saraf is a contributing writer. Email her at film@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF ALLEN LANE

MELANCHOLIA continued from PG. 1

Melancholia more than a disaster film ror and calm submission is so cogent and enthralling that her character grips you till the end.

But the performances in “Melancholia” are not the only powerful, poignant facets. As expected, von Trier incorporates his distinctive allegorical imagery throughout the film with gripping images of pure breathtaking beauty. The man indubitably has a way of transforming disturbing bizarre scenes into works of astounding art.

Von Trier creates an emotionally realistic story about depression and hope, acceptance and denial, but abstains from making any solid conclusion, which is the basis of the film’s intrigue. The ending is a stunning moment that leaves you paralyzed with awe.

Through von Trier’s dark, visceral mind, we can pick out the most effective metaphors and come to our own conclusions about “Melancholia’s” meaning.

Erin Whitney Faigh is a staff writer.

Email her at film@nyunews.com.

Herzog’s latest film enters mind of murderer

By Alex Greenberger

“Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life” does not feature a man tugging a boat over a mountain. It does not give us an unprecedented glimpse at the cave paintings at Chauvet. It does not bring us under icy waters of Antarctica. Unlike Werner Herzog’s other works, “Into the Abyss” is about normal people dealing with relatively common issues. And in some bizarre way “Into the Abyss” is so much more meditative, so much more accessible and so much more beautiful than any of Herzog’s other recent works.

While the harsh styles of Herzog’s previous works, notably “Grizzly Man” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” can leave the viewer feeling cold, “Into the Abyss” is somehow inviting.

Maybe it’s because the film’s subject seems familiar. This time, Herzog has chosen to focus on one man: Michael James Perry. Perry was convicted of a triple homicide and faced the death penalty as a result of his crime. The film, shot in 2010, eight days before Perry’s execution, traces Perry’s story through himself, his family and the families of the victims.

The comparisons some have drawn to Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” are, in some ways, rather apt. Herzog divides the film into several acts. In each act, the viewer gets to follow the crime a little further. Understanding how the murders happened is interesting enough, but Herzog goes several layers deeper and decides to explore the human soul.

Herzog’s journey through the psyches of those who loved Perry

and those who Perry hurt is very cinematic. He shoots primarily with a high-definition camera, giving “Into the Abyss” an unflinchingly blunt look. The film feels rough around the edges, but it also feels very personal. In some ways it almost feels like a set of insightful home movies from the attic of a broken family. It’s gorgeously human.

“Into the Abyss” is a little bit weird.

But its oddity is something that makes it feel normal and loveable.

Occasionally, Herzog punctuates a really morbid interview by asking an unrelated question. As one of the murder victim’s brothers is crying over a lost memory, Herzog asks, “What were your brother’s hands like?” Even the interviewee is caught off-guard in this situation. Yet the film feels intensely personal for this weird candor. One feels almost voyeuristic peering into the lives of such frail personalities, but Herzog makes

it feel right with his style.

The title of the film is “Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life,” which feels like a strange inversion. We’re used to seeing titles like this placed chronologically (i.e.

“A Tale of Life, A Tale of Death,”) but Herzog purposefully changes this — out of death comes a rebirth of the self. As Herzog delves “into the abyss” of the mind of each person he interviews, it’s clear that a lot of good can come out of a lot of bad. The morality of the death penalty is not something Herzog explores. Rather, “Into the Abyss” is intended as a sad, psychological study of murder, loss and humanity — all delivered to the viewer by a quirky German man holding on to a handheld HD camera. Strangest of all, that’s all it needs to be.

Alex Greenberger is a staff writer.

Email him at film@nyunews.com

COURTESY OF CDTV

Herzog’s film examines murderer Michael James Perry’s life and family.

nyunews.com | ThurSDAY, November 10, 2011 | Washington Square news

opinion

edited by JOHN SURICO opinion@nyunews.com

on point

Staff editorial

Leaving campaigns up to corporations irresponsible

By Maria Michalos Nearly two years ago, on Jan. 21, 2010, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that would provide corporations with the same rights that are granted to citizens by the United States Constitution. The court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission challenged the fundamental principles that govern a democracy by allowing corporations the same entitlement that we, the people preserve: electing the president of the free world.

While corporations should be granted rights to a degree, granting them the full-fledged ability to influence our electoral process compromises the role of the citizenry. The pillars of our democracy can only be upheld if the voices of the American public reverberate throughout the halls of Congress.

However, the Supreme Court doctrine that establishes corporations as people with constitutional rights — among them the right to contribute infinite sums of money to elect candidates of choice — silences citizen speech and promulgates that of corporate interests.

If unlimited corporate spending in federal elections and granting corporations the same freespeech rights as individuals is not evidence of a steadily deteriorating democracy, it is difficult to conjecture where the state of the union is headed. When potential presidential candidates speak to

the public with a haughty air of condescension, like Mitt Romney did at the Iowa State Fair in August, there is reason to believe that the fate of our nation rests in the hands of politicians who have faith in the legitimacy of a corporate plutocracy.

Romney’s infamous “corporations are people” statement epitomizes the inherent problem that exists when politicians are indebted to corporations for their seats in office. Meanwhile, the nation’s citizens have taken to the streets to protest Congress’s unethical behavior. When the interests of “we, the people” clash with those of the corporations that regulate power in the government, a time will arise when the masses will no longer allow rampant injustice to monopolize their democratic and fundamental rights. According to a Hart Research survey conducted a year after the Supreme Court’s ruling, the public opposed the negligent decision, with 87 percent of Democrats, 82 percent of independents and 68 percent of Republicans desiring to overturn Citizens United.

The billionaire Koch brothers and “super political action committees” have had their influence, inadvertently placing our nation in an abysmal state with the assistance of politicians who would do well to glance at the turmoil they have bestowed upon us: a dire situation that has appeared insurmountable. For this reason,

organizations like Move to Amend have made it their responsibility to initiate change — to speak up when we have virtually been spoken down to. Move to Amend, inspired by the work of the Occupy Wall Street movement and Dr. Cornel West, will occupy the courts in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2012, the second anniversary of the Citizens United v. FEC decision.

At the heart of Citizens United is a paradoxical unification of a few elite who have successfully undermined the human necessity to be cognizant of our fellow man — to recognize that, without a shared interest in our common good, our system of governance will continue to collapse. For a decree of justice to again emerge as the pillar of our democracy, the courts must establish that money is not speech and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights. The votes of multi-billiondollar corporations cannot be measured on the same scale as those of our citizens. Ultimately, our government “of the people, by the people, for the people” has neglected the bastion of our democracy and in doing so, has challenged the vitality of our nation and exploited its people.

Maria Michalos is a deputy opinion editor. Her column, “On Point,” is about social justice and appears every Thursday. Email her at mmichalos@nyunews.com.

Table Talk

Voters can’t ignore Obama’s foreign policy success

By Raquel Woodruff With the 2012 presidential election approaching, many eager voters have questioned President Barack Obama’s accomplishments, citing the economy and high unemployment. However, Obama has had many foreign policy successes that, unfortunately, may be of only minimal value to his bid for re-election.

Earlier in the year, Republicans hoped to achieve a double jab against Obama for a flat economy and flimsiness on national security. But now, foreign policy is a little too far out of their reach, considering that most of the Republican presidential candidates, besides libertarian Ron Paul and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, are in the closed quarters of neoconservatives — the Iraq war archetypes. With Obama’s diplomatic successes in the outside arena and most conservative candidates stuck in an aggressive and exorbitant foreign policy completely out of touch with political

9

and economic realities, the right should only count on going for the gut on the soft economy in 2012.

And yet I can’t help but notice the multiple times that Republicans in the Senate have relied on stalling to kill domestic Democratic bills — and not because these bills wouldn’t be effective in stimulating economic growth.

But while Republicans emphasize a weak economy for the coming election, we should acknowledge our president’s achievements. Obama gave the go-ahead for a bold nighttime raid to kill Public Enemy No. 1, Osama bin Laden, in Pakistan. He took on policies that led to last month’s drone-missile killing of al-Qaeda recruiter and motivator Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen. He supported allied actions that led to the overthrow and death of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi. He has responsibly taken measures to end U.S. military involvement in Iraq by next year.

While Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Herman Cain have criticized

Obama’s decision to withdraw all forces from Iraq by the end of the year, a majority of Americans have long wanted to free themselves from a war that has cost over $700 billion and at least 4,500 American lives over almost a decade — a war that arguably supported the capacity of Iran, now a larger threat to the United States than Iraq ever was.

But with our own economy still shaky, voters most likely won’t be submitting their ballots on the basis of international affairs.

So the 2012 election will have telling implications in regards to a lack of voter interest in foreign policy. Our next president will undoubtedly face tough national security challenges, so the significance of Obama’s foreign policy achievements should not be underestimated.

Raquel Woodruff is a columnist.

Her column, “Table Talk,” is about domestic and international affairs and appears every Thursday. Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.

STEM must be stressed at all education levels

A recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce highlighted what some call a crisis in science, technology, engineering and mathematics workers. While the economic incentive to pursue these careers is well documented — 63 percent of people with STEM Bachelor’s degrees earn more than those with non-STEM Master’s degrees — there is still a troubling shortage of workers in these areas, according to the GU study.

One cause of this shortage is the fact that many students graduating with STEM degrees are not entering into their corresponding fields. As well as these jobs pay, these graduates are often in positions to work in more lucrative industries, such as the financial sector.

Retaining these students, therefore, has become a concern of STEM industries.

Another possible explanation for this shortage is the high dropout rate from these rigorous programs. Particularly in areas such as engineering and technology, which are generally not taught at the high school level.

Students may not fully grasp what it means to major and to work in these industries.

Lack of preparation for STEM subjects at a competitive global level has long been a concern of teachers and now of politicians; even our president has addressed how we lag behind comparable countries in STEM subjects. We cannot adequately address this issue at the college level, however, until we have addressed it at the K-12 level.

Poor preparation in STEM subjects is part of a larger education crisis in this country. We need to re-think how we approach STEM topics to be more effective, but more fundamentally, we must also rethink how we approach public education at large. Education, which starts with teacher training, must be restored to its position as a prestigious and sacred institution in this country. Teachers must be given the training they need and schools the resources they require in order to produce thoughtful, critical and engaged citizens.

It is not enough, however, to simply throw money at this problem. The world is changing, and our education system must change with it. Success is not about what you know but about what you are capable of learning.

If we are not teaching our children how to think critically, if we are not engaging them in the world around them, then we are failing them. Education, for many, has become a cold-blooded strategy focused on how to make the most money; we have lost sight of education as a thing of intrinsic value. As STEM subjects have become the clear path for moneymaking, humanities, education and social justice work have become the path of paupers. Until we recognize that a foundation in both of these areas is crucial to the development of a well-rounded and competent citizen, irrespective of salary, we can never truly succeed in either.

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

Editorial Board: John Surico (Chair), Atticus Brigham (Co-Chair), Maria Michalos (Co-Chair), Emily Franklin, Nicolette Harris, Stephanie Isola, Katie Travers and Lauren Wilfong.

SUBMITTING TO

Send mail to: 838 Broadway, fifth floor, New York, NY 10003, or email: opinion@nyunews.com

WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 150 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title. WSN does not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

nyunews.com | ThurSDAY, November 10, 2011 | Washington Square news

SPORTS

edited by JAMES LANNING SPORTs@nyunews.com

Tough workouts and long days the secret to Dietz’s success

By Briana Hanratty

It would be hard to imagine a more successful collegiate career for diver Kelly Dietz. But with her final season underway, Dietz is still finding ways to add to her lengthy résumé as a Violet. The senior, studying history, in the College of Arts and Science has already earned two consecutive Athlete of the Week awards and is NYU’s record holder in the three- and onemeter six-dives. At the season-opening meet, Dietz also qualified for the NCAAs in both the one- and threemeter dives. A diver since she was 12 years old (entering the competitive scene by age 14), Dietz has also earned the honor of receiving the CSCAA Scholar All-American award.

Such success does not come without dedication.

Dietz takes us through a typical Wednesday, her most training-intensive day of the week: She gets up before 7 a.m. and walks to the Coles Sports Center for her 7:30 weight training session. With the help of assistant swimming and diving coach Todd Kolean, her workout includes bench presses, toe raises and squats. The pair then moves on to what Dietz describes as “Todd’s famous ab workouts,” which begin and end with 75 crunches and include various types of V-ups (or “pike-ups”) and bicycles. Following a 15- to 20-minute cardio workout, Dietz ends her morning practice and gets ready for class.

She picks up a bagel and juice at the NoHo Juice Bar before heading to her 9:30 class, American Dilemmas: Race, Inequality and the Unfulfilled Promise of Public Education.

“This class aligns well with my career goals and interests as I hope to continue to study and work in education, specifically education reform, after I graduate,” she said.

After class, she grabs lunch at Kimmel while catching up on studying in her favorite spot on the ninth floor.

From 1 to 1:30 p.m., Dietz meets up with Kolean again for belts practice.

11

Dynasty days over in New England

By Sanchay Jain

This is a form of dryland training in which Dietz uses support from the belt that hangs over the Coles trampolines to work on her positioning and execution.

“This is useful as I am able to take notes better and make changes without the fear of messing up and hurting myself,” Dietz said. “Last week, I was able to make a big change in my head position right at the start of my dives on front- and inward-spinning dives that [makes] a huge difference when translated to the diving board and, as a result, I was able to get back one of my old dives.”

Dietz then returns to studying. She also completes necessary work for the club Students for Education Reform at NYU, of which she is a chapter leader. Her second Wednesday class, Culture Wars in America: Past, Present and the Future, runs until 5 p.m. When it’s done, she finally gets in the pool.

As the only water practice on Wednesdays, Dietz and assistant swimming and diving coach Scott Donie use both boards to focus on optional dives (those done in dualmeet competitions) and voluntary dives (those performed in championship meets). Rounding off her training for the day is another Kolean-tailored ab workout.

Dietz draws on the positive influence of her coaches and her family to stay motivated.

“I think the most influential person has been my brother, and he probably doesn’t even know it,” Dietz said.

“When I was younger, I wanted to be just like him, and my whole life I have been pushed and challenged by his success.”

At 7:30 p.m., Dietz, who hopes to place within the top eight at her last NCAA meet before graduation, returns to her dorm for dinner, homework and a catch-up session with her favorite shows on Hulu.

Briana Hanratty is staff writer.

Email her at sports@nyunews.com.

The New York Giants’ comeback victory over the New England Patriots last week has been compared to the last match-up between these two teams, in Super Bowl XLII. This comparison gives way too much credit to New York’s performance while ignoring the reality at hand: The Patriots are nowhere close to as good as they were throughout the 2007 season.

While last week certainly featured a great comeback orchestrated by Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, this year’s New England squad is perhaps the weakest team Bill Belichick has led during his 12-year reign as head coach of the team.

New England’s problems start on defense. Considering Belichick’s experience (he served as a defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells), this should not be the case. New England won three championships and established dynasty status primarily because of a vaunted defense that stifled great quarterbacks like Kurt Warner and Steve McNair.

That once-legendary defense is currently in tatters, with more holes than Swiss cheese.

While defensive players in the past weren’t the flashiest or the most talented men on the field, everyone knew their role and executed plays when they mattered most — think of the legendary goal line stand against the Indianapolis Colts in 2003. At the core were the team’s linebackers, most notably Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest and Roosevelt Colvin.

The defensive line was led by two Pro Bowlers in Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork, with serviceable starters in Jarvis Green and Ty Warren. The secondary, while occasionally hav-

ing to play Troy Brown in nickel formations, had Pro Bowlers such as Ty Law, Rodney Harrison and eventually Asante Samuel.

With the exception of Vince Wilfork and the oft-injured Jerod Mayo, there are no play-makers on the 2011 Patriots roster.

Instead, Pats fans are treated to players who are either too old (Shaun Ellis and Gerard Warren) or who simply lack ability (Dane Fletcher, Sergio Brown and James Ihedigbo).

These players are regular fixtures in the defensive rotation.

When you combine incompetence with the absence of a quality coaching staff — the last time the Patriots had a defensive coordinator was back when Eric Mangini was with the team in 2005 — you have a defense that cannot keep up with the other team’s offense.

The numbers speak for themselves.

New England ranks in the bottom half of the league in terms of points per game given up at 23 (only scoring approximately 27 points per game) and is in the bottom ten in the league in sacks (15). The team has yet to register a defensive touchdown and is the only team to give up

over 300 passing yards per game (also last in average total yards given up, at over 416 per game).

Obviously, it will take time for the Pats to retool the roster with legitimate play-makers. In the interim, the key to fixing the defense involves altering the offense, which certainly relies too much on the deep ball and keeps the defense on the field for too long. Quarterback Tom Brady has already thrown ten interceptions, four shy of his career-high for a single season.

The blueprint for success was laid out by the Pats prior to their acquisition of Randy Moss. Back then, the team utilized spread formations that allowed Brady to throw short, precise passes to anonymous receivers such as Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney.

Imagine the damage he could do using that game plan with the receivers he has now, taking full advantage of their speed.

Not only would that be more effective than trying to bomb the ball to Chad Ochocinco and wasting a play, but it would also keep the defense off the field.

Sanchay Jain is a deputy sports editor. Email him at sjain@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF KEITH ALLISON

Bill Belichick is dealing with one of his least talented squads.

Paterno out at Penn State as Weekend Watch looks at Happy Valley

By Daniel Hinton

From the Meadowlands to Las Vegas, the next four days are full of must-watch sports action. WSN lists this weekend’s top four match-ups:

is undefeated within the Big Ten. As for Nebraska, junior running back Rex Burkhead, who has carried the Cornhuskers’ offense, will look to find a few holes in that defense.

1. No. 19 Nebraska vs. No. 12 Penn State (Saturday, 12 p.m., ESPN)

2. Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manual Marquez (Saturday, 9 p.m., HBO PPV)

With the scandal that has unraveled in Happy Valley during the past week, this matchup between two conference rivals will be more significant than usual. Penn State’s disgraced head coach, Joe Paterno, was fired Wednesday night after 62 years on the Penn State staff.

Penn State has one of the nation’s best defenses, allowing the third fewest points per game and

In one of the most thrilling rivalries in boxing history, Pacquiao and Marquez will fight for the third time this weekend. Marquez, who had a draw and a loss in the first two fights, challenges Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight world title.

Pacquiao, the world’s pound-forpound best boxer, has become the biggest international star in boxing in decades.

3. New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 4:15 p.m., FOX)

Surprisingly, the Giants and Niners are both in first place in their respective divisions. With the Packers running away with home-field advantage for the playoffs, this game may decide who will earn the other first-round bye in January.

Last week, Giants quarterback Eli Manning led the offense on a touchdown drive in the last minute to defeat the New England Patriots for the first time since Super XLII. Comfortably in first place by five games in the worst division in the NFL, the Niners have finally become the team Bay Area fans have been waiting for, and quarterback Alex Smith is no longer the worst starter in the league.

Led by running back Frank Gore, the Niners’ running game has also been one of the league’s best, while the Giants’ defense has been average. The Giants have become known for second-half collapses in recent years, and this weekend will be the perfect time to reverse that trend.

4. New England Patriots vs. New York Jets (Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC) Every game between the Pats and the Jets is a big one. This game is amplified by the current three-way tie for first place in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills.

While their Week 5 matchup was not as close as the 30-21 score indicates, it was the final loss of New York’s three-game losing streak.

Patriots running back Benjarvus Green-Ellis, not Tom Brady, was the star of that game.

The Jets’ victory at Buffalo last week proved that they are a contender in the AFC. The Patriots are headed in the opposite direction, having lost two straight — last week to the Giants and in Week 8 to the Steelers. Defense continues to be a festering wound for New England.

The Jets’ rush defense has been average this season, but they did have a strong performance against Buffalo’s seventh-ranked run game.

This game may very well decide the division leader and the AFC’s top playoff seed.

Daniel Hinton is a deputy sports editor. Email him at dhinton@nyunews.com.