NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
washington square news FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2011
nyunews.com
Students fight for their rights in OWS By Jessie Schultz and Rita Solomon
GLORIA LEE/WSN
NYU students gathered in Gould Plaza yesterday afternoon before joining other OWS demonstrations in Union Square.
French inspiration hits SoHo bakery By Hannah Orenstein A bit of French flare has recently entered SoHo. French bakery Dominique Ansel opened at 189 Spring St. earlier this month and is quickly becoming a neighborhood fixture for those looking for impeccably baked, creative French fare. Pastry chef Dominique Ansel, who previously worked at the upscale restaurant Daniel for six years, created a well-rounded menu of coffees, teas and standard French desserts, like croissants, macarons and éclairs. He even added a few signature specialties to the menu. One of the bakery’s most popular menu items is a marriage between the bakery’s current location and its French roots — the Paris New York. A chocolate and peanut butter ganache is spread on a light, fluffy pastry with a salted caramel topping. Though the treat is $5.50, it is the perfect fix for a mid-afternoon sugar craving. The bakery also offers stand-out desserts like a decadent chocolate cake and raspberry-pistachio tarte. On the savory side, Dominique Ansel sells a range of sandwiches, salads, quiches and soups. Particularly tempting are the carmelized pear and ricotta open-faced
tartine and classic croque monsieur (grilled cheese with ham). Julia Malacoff, a SoHo resident, ordered the egg sandwich and croissant at the bakery and was pleased with her experience. “It’s hard to find authentic French baked goods in New York, so I think this place is great,” she said. The bakery’s ambience is clean and crisp, with chic pops of lemon yellow throughout the space. In addition to the inside seating at
the tables and the bar, there are two outdoor seating areas, each with several more tables. One is a glass-enclosed, greenhouse-style space, while the other is open-air. This SoHo hot spot has been bustling with eager customers since it opened. Just ten minutes from campus, this spot is a mustvisit for NYU students. Hannah Orenstein is a staff writer. Email her at dining@nyunews.com.
GLORIA LEE/WSN
The signature pastry combines chocolate and peanut butter.
As part of a Student Day of Action Thursday, students from NYU and around the city spent the afternoon and evening protesting tuition hikes and student debt. For NYU students, the day began with a Labor and Student Speak Out in Gould Plaza in front of the Stern School of Business. “We think education should be cheaper and higher education should be free,” NYU4OWS organizer and third year Ph.D. student Christy Thornton said. “NYU’s tuition should not go up every single year when the university is building campuses all around the world.” Protesters came together to
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NYU sorority to hold male pageant for charity By Claire Zajdel Those who have always wanted to see male NYU students dress as unicorns to benefit charity finally have their chance tonight. Tonight marks the sorority Delta Phi Epsilon’s third annual Deepher Dudes competition, a male pageant that brings contestants from NYU’s fraternities and sports teams to fundraise for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The contestants will compete in different categories, including a swimsuit competition, fan favorite, philanthropy, talent and spirit. The last category will entail dressing up as the Delta Phi Epsilon mascot: a unicorn. According to Natalie Bader, the event planner and a CAS senior, the sorority has been working to make the competition bigger than ever this year. For instance, the group added new categories to attract more audience members and raise more money. The fan favorite competition is among the new events added
this year. The winner will be decided by the number of audience members who come to support each contestant. The other new category is philanthropy, which is based on money raised by the contestants prior to the event. Prizes include gift cards to retailers like Best Buy and Chipotle, as well as a year-long gym membership. Bader said the sorority hopes to raise between $800 and $900 from the pageant. Lauren Geisler, an LSP freshman and a recently inducted Deepher member, is looking forward to the event. “This is something that we do every year for CFF,” Geisler said. “It should be really great. It’s a lot of fun, or so I’ve heard.” This year’s contestants include lacrosse team captain and Steinhardt sophomore A.J. Smith, junior Neal Levi of Alpha Epsilon Pi, CAS sophomore Eric Jones of Sigma Phi Epsilon and Stern sophomore Kevin Estok of Zeta Beta Tau. Smith plans to perform a
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Washington Square news | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2011 | nyunews.com
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Students fight for their rights in OWS destroy a purple and yellow piñata bull meant to symbolize Wall Street. They later set out on a march down University Place to join thousands of other students from Columbia, Fordham, Julliard, Cooper Union, Pratt, CUNY and The New School in a general assembly in the middle of Union Square where the student strike formally began. Student representatives from each school then spoke out to the crowds and voiced their stories and concerns, amplified by the “people’s microphone.” “We’re the future academics, artists, scientists,” New School freshman Bobby Williams said, drawing cheers from the crowd. “We’ve got the momentum. The world is watching. It’s time we seized what we want. If we want something, we have to get it ourselves.” “NYU is union busting,” said Dacia Mitchell, a doctorate student in American Studies and student representative from NYU. “I stand here today to speak out as one of the 99 percent, to use my voice and claim this university, to claim these streets, to claim this city as ours.” The student protesters then marched
down Fifth Avenue to meet up with the larger occupy wall street movement mobilized by the two-month anniversary of the movement that began in early September. However, minutes after leaving, the crowd was blockaded between 14th and 15th Streets on Fifth Avenue by police officers. Unable to escape the blockade, many students stormed the New School University Center and occupied the second floor of the building. A crowd of 20 police officers soon converged on the doors of the center, preventing more protesters from entering the building. The group then marched peacefully down Broadway to Foley Square to join the rest of OWS to make up an estimated total of nearly 30,000 protesters. Around half of the crowd then continued across the Brooklyn Bridge. Thursday’s protests are not the end of student demonstrations. On Nov. 21, the Education and Empowerment working group of OWS will officially launch the Student Debt Refusal Campaign in Zuccotti Park. “I think people should see that the growing student loan refusal movement is becoming a key part of the oc-
KRISTINA BOGOS/WSN
ALEXANDER JAGENDORF FOR WSN
cupy movement and will continue to grow,” said Nicholas Mirzeoff, professor of media, culture and communication at NYU. Jessie Schultz and Rita Solomon are staff writers. Email them at cstate@nyunews.com.
EMMA PLISKIN/WSN
Students from around the city joined OWS.
NYU’s newest clubs on the Square
By Tony Chau
NYU has a robust offering of student clubs, and some new groups have hit the square this semester. Some of the New Club Development Program’s more recent initiatives certainly deserve consideration from those with some extra time on their hands.
Gluten Free in NYC Designed for students who have an allergy or intolerance to gluten, the idea of the club was born when CAS senior Jamie Friedlander, copresident of the club, became frustrated with his allergy last spring. “I was feeling particularly frustrated one night when ... my co-president suggested that we create the club so we had the opportunity to talk with other people about the allergy and provide a support system,” Friedlander said.
Though still in its infancy, Gluten Free in NYC has planned a number of activities like creating gluten-free recipes, trips to gluten-free restaurants in the Village and a gluten-or-not taste contest.
national political issues,” he said. “Knowledge of these issues is critical, given the rising importance of Asia in the realm of politics and economics.”
Asian Politics Society
To raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, Gallatin sophomore Dipka Gauer has led the campus effort to open at chapter of FACE AIDS at NYU. FACE AIDS has over 210 chapters nationwide and has built a global youth movement dedicated to health equity and social justice. Gauer hopes to educate the NYU community about HIV and AIDS and to fundraise for better health care in Rwanda. “I personally am really interested in this stigma of HIV and AIDS,” Gauer said. “We have some group members in our club who are interested in social movements and things like that, so the awareness part is really dynamic.”
As Asia continues to rapidly develop, a group of NYU students have formed a club dedicated to discussing the changes. “We intend to organize presentations on political issues, have an online journal where members write [about] issues and, if possible, organize an annual forum wherein we invite renowned speakers,” said club founder and Stern junior Sachin Bagri. In the future, the club plans to collaborate with other Asian cultural organizations on campus. “Before the club was started, there was no club in NYU where students could come and learn about the most important inter-
FACE AIDS
The club plans to kick off its fundraiser with a documentary screening on this year’s World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.
Joss Whedon Appreciation Club After club founder and Tisch freshman Melissa Feuchtinger went to a screening of director, screenwriter and producer Joss Whedon’s film “Serenity,” where all proceeds were donated to charity, an idea for a new club was born. Her passion isn’t just for Whedon’s work — she wanted to combine her admiration for Whedon with her philanthropic goals. “It was my desire to contribute to such charities, hold screenings, and have the opportunity to discuss Whedon’s works with intellectuals,” Feuchtinger said. Tony Chau is a staff writer. Email him at university@nyunews.com.
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NYU sorority to host male pageant for charity song he recently composed called “Fix Me” for the talent category. “I’m setting the bar pretty low for myself as far as expectations go,” Smith said. “Really, I just want to go out there, have a good time and raise some money for CFF.” The event, which starts at 8:30 p.m. in Kimmel’s Eisner and Lubin Auditorium, is $7 for NYU students. All proceeds will go to CFF. Claire Zajdel is a staff writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.
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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.
NYU partnership to help underprivileged students By Eric Benson NYU has partnered with the National College Advising Corps, a program designed to increase the number of first-generation college students that come from underprivileged families. Based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NCAC works closely with universities nationwide to coordinate college advisers who serve high schools in the surrounding area. Twelve NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development graduates will act as college advisers for the 2011-2012 academic year. Aileen Moner, program director for the New York NCAC at Steinhardt, said NCAC has been hoping to expand to New York for “quite some time.” “Both NCAC and NYU are very excited to have formed this partnership,” she said. Moner said NYU advisers underwent an intensive six-week training session during the summer to learn specific college application processes for students in New York City. Briana Avery, an NYU alumna and NCAC college adviser at the Wings Academy in New York City, plays a unique role in her work. “As of now, I am working closely with
seniors on their college applications,” Avery said. “As the year progresses, I will work with younger students, particularly juniors, to teach them about the importance and methods of pursing a college education.” Donté McGuire, assistant coordinator of the Carolina College Advising Corps at UNC, said her division has beena success. This academic year, 29 advisers are serving 57 high schools in 22 counties across North Carolina, advising more than 10,000 graduating seniors. “Now entering in our fourth year, our experience thus far has been nothing short of amazing,” McGuire said. “Whether it is the continued support from Chancellor Thorp, or the high praise from staff at partner high schools, or the wonderful stories we hear from students and their families, the impact of the advisers cannot be overstated.” Alisha Ali, associate professor of applied psychology at NYU, thinks the NCAC program effectively caters to the needs of each student. “The advisers themselves are young recent graduates and can speak firsthand about the many benefits of furthering one’s education,” she said. Eric Benson is a staff writer. Email him at university@nyunews.com.
nyunews.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2011 | Washington Square news
DINING
edited by SARAH KAMENETZ DINING@nyunews.com
Village co-op works with sustainability and ethics in mind
By Cody Delistraty
With just a quick glance into the 4th Street Food Coop, evidence of the employees’ social activism is clear. A list of organic businesses that are owned by multinational corporations is posted on the wall, and a volunteer wears a badge that says, “99%.” There is also a poster in the window in support of Occupy Wall Street. The 4th Street Food Co-op is a grassroots vegetarian grocery store, entirely autonomous and volunteer-supported. The volunteers and members pride themselves on the co-op’s ethical and sustainable standards for growing, transporting and purchasing food. For many, the store exemplifies issues like fair trade and environmental sustainability. “I wouldn’t necessarily say I value the organic or local or natural,” said Robert Raymond,
a Gallatin junior who volunteers weekly at the co-op. “All of these words have either little weight or they are twisted.” While these volunteers receive a small discount toward store purchases, their main goal is to help maintain fairness in agriculture. “When you go to a place like Whole Foods, it’s hard to see what they’re doing with their money,” co-op volunteer Cal Truman said. “Here, you know what you’re supporting.” The co-op is democratically controlled and allows anyone to become a member for free. Recently, the store decided to cook up an organic, vegetarian meal for about 200 people in Zuccotti Park to show its solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. Recently, the co-op has begun offering all of its discounted produce to the protesters free of charge. “We need to figure out ways
All eyes on Heisman frontrunners Saturday on the gridiron
Even with a disappointing home loss to Texas Tech on Oct. 22, Oklahoma is still in prime position to contend for the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma has been stellar all season long, thanks mainly to the senior quarterback Jones, who has passed for 3,349 yards and 28 touchdowns. The Sooners’ sixth-ranked offense (45.4 ppg) has been unstoppable, even with the absence of junior running back Dominique Whaley (627 yards, nine TDs in six games). The Bears are winless in 20 meetings with Oklahoma, Last year’s performance against the Sooners didn’t give Baylor fans any hope either — a 53-24 blowout in Waco. This time around, though, Baylor’s junior quarterback Robert Griffin III is a bona fide superstar. He’s eclipsed the 3,000 yard mark in passing and has 29 touchdowns while throwing only five interceptions, all on 74.2 percent passing. Senior wide receiver Kendall Wright has been a go-to option for Griffin, with 81 snags for 1,073 yards and nine touchdowns. This magical run in Waco has seen its speed bumps, but if the Bears can pull off an upset, Griffin and co. will skyrocket up the rankings. Nevertheless, history, talent and momentum are on Oklahoma’s side.
Prediction: Oklahoma over Baylor
to keep helping,” said Jill Woodward, the co-op’s public relations and communications volunteer. “Every time we can make a choice that’s in favor of ethics, we make that choice.” Whether it’s using wind energy to meet all of the store’s energy needs or paying a fair price to farmers for their produce, the co-op is looking to build itself up as an entirely ethical and sustainable business model. Perhaps the most shocking aspect is that the co-op relies entirely on the goodwill and time commitment of volunteers. “It’s awesome that people care that much about their grocery store,” Raymond said. “It’s really inspiring to see people work this hard for something that isn’t going to make them money.” Cody Delistraty is a staff writer. Email him at dining@nyunews.com.
SPORTS
edited by JAMES LANNING SPORTS@nyunews.com
No. 5 Oklahoma at No. 22 Baylor
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By Cole Riley Three Heisman contenders — Oregon’s LaMichael James, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III and Oklahoma’s Landry Jones — are in the spotlight this week as the BCS race heats up.
USC at No. 4 Oregon Three weeks ago, USC pushed No. 6 Stanford to the brink in Los Angeles, but the Cardinal squeezed out a 56-48, triple-overtime victory. USC has since regained its momentum, crushing Colorado and Washington. Junior gun-slinger Matt Barkley has been superb this year, throwing for an efficient 2,782 yards and 29 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. But this game will come down to one main matchup: USC’s front seven versus Oregon’s Heisman contender James. With 146 yards and three touchdowns on the ground last week, James carried Oregon on his back to a convincing 53-30 upset victory over No. 4 Stanford. USC ranks eighth in the nation in rush defense (100.8 ypg). But the Ducks offense does not solely go as James goes — they have dual-threat junior quarterback Darron Thomas (1,704 yards, 22 touchdowns). And the Ducks haven’t lost in Eugene since Sept. 29, 2007. Needless to say, the Ducks have advantages across the board. Don’t forget that USC is exempt from bowl competition thanks to Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll. So where’s the motivation?
Prediction: Oregon over USC
No. 13 Kansas State at No. 23 Texas Two weeks ago, Kansas State was one of the sleeper teams in the Big 12. After back-to-back conference losses to thenNo. 9 Oklahoma at home and then-No. 3 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, the dream is over. They barely even squeaked out a win versus Texas A&M last week, 53-50 in four overtimes. In essence, the Wildcats are too dependent on one player: junior quarterback Collin Klein. The Colorado native has over 1,500 yards in the air and 1,000 on the ground, with 34 touchdowns (24 of them on the ground). The Longhorns, even at the bottom of the BCS Top 25, still have something to play for: momentum for 2012. Texas dropped a winnable game at Missouri last week but have still improved on last year’s debacle of a season. Head coach Mack Brown had a lingering question mark at quarterback all season, flip-flopping between three below-average starters. Nevertheless, the Longhorns are in a position to pull off a nice conference upset. The good news has been Texas’ recent defensive effort. The Longhorns have given up just 25 points over the past three games. And for Saturday, there’s only one primary focus: to stop QB Collin Klein from going legend in Austin. Maybe Texas has something more to play for than just momentum for 2012. There are still some nice bowl games out there.
Prediction: Texas over Kansas State. Cole Riley is a staff writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.