NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 41, No. 96
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013
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NYU Law alumnus petitions against Russia Day at New York Stock Exchange Protesters gather with flags and signs to protest Russia Day at the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. The protest began after Bert Leatherman, a graduate of the NYU School of Law, started a petition to rally against the decision.
STORY ON PAGE 3
LGBTQ center begins week of Trans* events By KAIDIA PICKELS
NYU’s LGBTQ Student Center joined the global transgender and gender non-conforming community in celebrating Trans* Awareness Week from Nov. 18 through Nov. 21. Led by the LGBTQ Student Center and the T-Party, NYU’s club for transgender, gender nonconforming students and their allies, several events and performances featuring members of the transgender community are scheduled for the week. For the kickoff event on Nov. 18, comedian Red Durkin performed a stand-up set in the Kimmel Center for University Life. Durkin spoke about issues she faces as a transgender woman within different communities. “I really don’t like the term ‘woman trapped in a man’s body,’” Durkin said. “I prefer ‘woman trapped in a gorilla suit.’” LS freshman Ishani Dugar said she appreciated Durkin’s humor because it was not demeaning. “She wasn’t making fun of anything,” Dugar said. “But she could still make us laugh about some of the issues that the queer and trans communities face.” Leading up to Trans* Awareness Week, the LGBTQ Student Center’s Facebook and Twitter pages shared posters created by the University of California, Riverside as part of its TransFigures Poster Project. This initiative, led by UC Riverside’s LGBT Resource Center, features notable transgender individuals who are active in their communities. FELIPE DE LA HOZ/WSN
Broadway Shakespeare shows use traditional casting tactics By DYLAN JARRETT
Times have changed since Shakespeare’s day when only men performed in theater — women became a regular presence on the London stage in the late 1600s, eliminating the necessity for boys and men to play female parts. But in the Broadway production of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” and “Twelfth Night” currently running in repertory at the Belasco Theatre, audiences can return to the traditional all-male cast — with unbelievable results. The cast, transferred straight from London, is headed by Mark Rylance, who theatergoers might know from his Tony-winning outings in “Jerusalem” and “Boeing-Boeing.” He plays Richard in “Richard III” and Olivia in “Twelfth Night,” two roles that could not be more differently written. One is a despicable hunchbacked aspirant to the British throne while the other is a beautiful, grieving young noblewoman. But Rylance embodies both roles wholly, creating two distinct physicalities — each so precise that they are evoked in every step, every turn of the head and even in the way he holds his hands.
The rest of the cast equally impresses. Samuel Barnett as Queen Elizabeth in “Richard III” matches Rylance blow for blow. He is simply captivating, every inch the mother and wife in mourning he needs to portray. His Viola is only a young woman disguised as a man, as the script dictates. This all happens despite cast costume changes
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“Twelfth Night” features an all-male cast.
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Tisch alum serves cheap, authentic Mexican tacos By CHANDLER WEST
Otto Cedeno, who graduated with a film degree from the Tisch School of the Arts in 2007, recently left his job as director of productions and operations at Livestream to open a taco joint. That decision led to Otto’s Tacos, part of a movement to bring quality, authentic Mexican food to New York City. “When I was 18, it was a fair statement to say New York City lacked good Mexican food,” Cedeno said. “I don’t remember when it happened, but it happened. There are a lot of other business owners now with great Mexican restaurants in New York City.” Otto’s offers affordable options for college students. The menu includes five different types of tacos — carne asada, carnitas, chicken or mushroom tacos for $3.00 and shrimp tacos for $3.50.
“I think there are a lot of new brands coming out that are trying to cater to the clientele that wants the affordable yet delicious,” Cedeno said. “We’re honored to be a part of that movement.” Side options, like chips with salsa ($2.00) and rice with beans ($2.75), are also available. But the star of the menu might be the masa fries ($3.00). “Our masa fries are a happy accident that we fell in love with,” Cedeno said. “We just use the same dough we make our tortilla with, and we basically press them thicker like pancakes, cut them into strips and fry them. We pair it with a chipotle mayo that the chef makes from scratch every day.” Otto’s differentiates itself from similar establishments thanks to the fullness of the food’s flavors.
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Prague site holds NYU alum ignites Russia Day protests memorial service for student By CASSANDRA CASSILLAS
By HANQING CHEN
The NYU Prague community gathered last Thursday, Nov. 14 for a memorial service in remembrance of Tisch junior Sophia Glaser, who passed away earlier this month. Glaser’s family members were also in attendance. On Nov. 8, Glaser died of natural causes at the NYU Prague campus in the Czech Republic. Friends who had been staying with her found her unresponsive in her dorm room after she had complained about feeling uncomfortable, NYU spokesperson John Beckman said. Glaser was 22 years old. Jirí Pehe, the director of the NYU Prague program, said Glaser was deeply appreciated and loved by faculty and students alike. “Sophia was a wonderful young woman, filled with promise, adventurousness, intelligence and energy,” Pehe said at the memorial service. “I have listened carefully to Sophia’s friends and professors,” he said. “Time and again, they say how inspired they were by her creativity, her artistic vibrancy, her sense of humor and her enormous personal warmth.” Glaser was majoring in Film and Television at the Tisch School of the Arts, and her friends recalled her passion for the art. Dylan Nowik, a senior in the Clive Davis School of Recorded Music, met Glaser during freshman year when she volunteered to film some of his band’s music video. “She was a seriously talented filmmaker, had an excellent taste in film, music and the arts,” he said. Fellow Tisch senior Emily Zoscak said Glaser wanted to start her own production company. “We often used to joke about how we’d start one,” Zoscak said. Her friends and colleagues also emphasized her sunny personality. “She was such a great person to be around,” Nowik said. “Always incredibly positive, fun, smart.” Zoscak recalled Glaser’s natural helpfulness. “She had such a kind heart and was always there if anyone needed a helping hand, or even just someone to sit and listen,” Zoscak said. “Even though we didn’t know each other for years and years it felt like we did,” she said. “I’m really sad and broken she’s no longer here. It truly feels like I’ve lost a little part of me, even though she’ll always be in my heart.” Nowik reminisced about summertime conversations with Glaser. “This past summer, I remember mornings just sitting in my backyard with her, talking for hours,” he said. “I’ll always hang onto those memories of Sophie, and how thankful I am to have known her.” Beckman said a memorial service will take place at the Washington Square campus in December. Hanqing Chen is web managing editor. Email her at hchen@nyunews.com.
A large group of protesters gathered outside Federal Hall on Wall Street yesterday to protest the New York Stock Exchange’s celebration of “Russia Day,” in light of recent criticism of Russia’s LGBTQ rights. The protest on Nov. 18 was inspired by 2006 NYU Law alumnus Bert Leatherman’s petition on change.org calling for the cancellation of the NYSE’s third annual Russia Day celebration, a day dedicated to discussing business and investment opportunities in Russia. “For the NYSE to commemorate Russia Day and allow Russian officials to ring the closing bell sends a terrible message that it’s okay to invest in countries that brutalize LGBT citizens,” Leatherman said in a press release. This year, Russia Day was sponsored by NYSE Euronext, an electronic stock exchange based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Director of communications at NYSE Euronext Sara Rich said Russia Day is not unusual because the Stock Exchange in New York City sponsors days for other countries and regions. “NYSE Euronext strongly supports the equal rights of all individuals and abhors discrimination of any kind,” Rich said. “Russia Day is focused on investment opportunities in Russia. It is a conference about capital
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Protesters hold signs and banners on Wall Street during Russia Day. markets and investments.” Many protesters lined the sidewalk with a large rainbow banner reading “Boycott Homophobia” while others were scattered along Wall Street for the ringing of the closing bell by a Russian minister. Eva Deverette, 38, came to support her cousin, who she said was allegedly denied a research opportunity in Moscow, Russia a few years ago because she was gay. “She was in the finals for this grant to study abroad in Moscow, and then she filled out her wife’s name and suddenly wasn’t qualified to be in the final three,” Deverette said. “Endorsing Russia is rewarding bad behavior and putting money before citizens. And it shouldn’t be stood for.” Leatherman sent a personal email to Duncan Niederauer, CEO of the NYSE, demanding
him to follow other major New York City men, such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and denounce association with Russia. Niederauer stated that the NYSE has advocated for LGBTQ people. She also said Russia Day could be used to foster a larger discussion. Bridgette Lewis, 26, read the letter exchange and was not convinced that NYSE supports LGBTQ rights. “Men in power are trained to find the loophole,” Lewis said. “[Niederauer]’s response was nothing but political code for ‘we’re going to make too much money off of this to stop, so you’re wasting your time.” Julie Krumwiede, a student at the NYU School of law and member of NYU OUTLaw, the LGBTQ student group of the law school, was pleased with the movement.
“Given NYU Law’s commitment to the practice of law in service of the public interest, NYU OUTLaw is thrilled to see alumni active in social justice initiatives and organizing direct actions on behalf of the LGBTQI community,” she said. Cassandra Cassillas is a contributing writer. Email her at news@nyunews.com.
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SCPS hosts inaugural panel for sports By SEAN BILLINGS
The NYU Sports and Society Program, part of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, hosted its inaugural event yesterday evening Nov. 18 at Rosenthal Pavilion in the Kimmel Center for University Life. The event, titled Integrity of the Game: Ethics and Today’s Athlete, featured panelists who hailed from a variety of fields — sports management to journalism and professional sports. Among the 13 panelists were former New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson, radio talk show host Mike Francesa, executive vice president of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. and U.S.
Appellate Court Justice Robert David Sack. The discussion was free-wheeling, with moderator Arthur R. Miller selecting situational vignettes out of a bowl to spark the conversation. In the first vignette, panelists put themselves in the shoes of a father whose son is undersized. The hypothetical son wanted to play baseball, but would not likely be able to compete with boys who were the same age, and the panelists were faced with the question of whether the boy should sign up for his age group or a younger division. Steve Greenberg, managing director of Allen & Company, said he would not put his son in
the lower division. “Rules matter,” Greenberg said. Panelists went on to discuss questions facing the sports world — the role of parents in youth sports. Francesa disapproved of youth sports culture. “Parents are the problem,” Francesa said. He said parents are observing and supporting less and are “becoming agents” to their children, constantly trying to push them to the next level. “Kids can’t be kids anymore,” Francesa said. The panelists also discussed ethics of athletic eligibility, paying college players, allowing athletes to forego a college education to seek financial gain.
Fred Wilpon, former chairman of the board of the New York Mets stated that the biggest failure is how universities treat their athletes. “My problem is we’re not educating many of these people to go on with their lives,” Wilpon said. SCPS dean Dennis Di Lorenzo was pleased with the event, particularly the intelligent conversation the panelists presented. “This is just the beginning,” Di Lorenzo said. “This kind of deep discussion is great. It goes in depth into the issues that this program is all about.” Sean Billings is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.
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Trans* Awareness Week events seek to inform transgender community, outsiders
“We’ve been sharing these posters to raise awareness about transgender folks who do all sorts of things within the community,” said Chris Woods, the program administrator for the LGBTQ Student Center. “These are individuals who are teachers, lawyers, doctors, activists, and most importantly, role models for trans youth.”
This campaign features individuals such as Mia Yamamoto, an AsianAmerican transgender woman and public defender, and Van Bailey, the founding director of BLGTQ Student Life at Harvard University. Events are planned to take place throughout the week. On Nov. 19, Kye Allums, the first openly
transgender NCAA Division 1 athlete, plans to speak at Kimmel. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, attendees can attend a workshop on combating transphobic violence and visit the Audre Lorde Project’s Manhattan headquarters for its Trans* Day of Remembrance ceremony. A screening of the award-winning docu-
mentary “Mohammed to Maya,” along with a panel discussion with crew members will take place on Thursday, Nov. 21. Gallatin sophomore and co-facilitator of the T-Party Holden Compton-lujin said he hopes people outside the transgender community attend the events this week.
“I think that trans issues on campus are often forgotten or underrepresented, especially outside of the LGBTQ Student Center,” Compton-lujin said. Kaidia Pickels is a contributing writer. Email her at news@nyunews.com.
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DINING
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Le Midi brings French cuisine to Union Square By CHRISTINA CHUNG
Le Midi Bar & Restaurant, a French bistro located only a block away from Union Square, officially opened its doors on Nov. 13, offering customers an assortment of French dishes. Owner Andrew Song said inspiration for the restaurant came to him while traveling through the countryside of France. Likewise, the bistro prides itself on providing the hearty, simplistic, homey dishes that draw diners to the cozy French countryside at an affordable price. “Dining at Le Midi is better than grandma’s home cooking,” said Debbie Dickinson, the spokeswoman of Le Midi. “You will not find a restaurant like this in New York, [one] that truly resembles authentic French cuisine.” The atmosphere reflects the simple and elegant food. The gold-embellished picture frames on the wall evoke a tenderness that is synonymous with the vintage
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Le Midi’s wall is adorned with portraits of celebrities like Babe Ruth.
films that play above the bar. The restaurant offers a fixed-price lunch and dinner in addition to various traditional French dishes a la carte, like coq au vin and escargot, making the dining experience inexpensive and appealing. The tapenade ($12.00), one of the many vegan dishes the restaurant offers, comes with a delicious roast pepper paste and eggplant-olive caviar spread alongside slices of bread. “This restaurant is supreme French cuisine, and I heard the French onion soup is to die for,” said diner Cognac Wellerlane, TV host and fashion editor of Cognac’s Corner Magazine. The French onion soup ($9.00) is one of Le Midi’s best dishes. Each serving consists of a slow-cooked veal broth covered in a delectable layer of cheese waiting to be broken, only to reveal caramelized onions at the bottom. Coq au vin ($21.00), a staple of rustic French countryside cuisine, is made with only dark meat in Le Midi’s version. It is served with a simple yet elegant side of Yukon Gold potatoes and bacon. “I like the goat cheese tart, and I like the desserts,” said Lauren Kirk, CAS freshman and hostess at Le Midi. “The sorbet and ice cream are all housemade.” Her personal favorite is the mango sorbet. “I love France, and the countryside,” Song said, “especially that rustic, authentic food you get.” The addition of Le Midi to the Union Square restaurant scene is a welcome one. It will surely grow to be a favorite among NYU students in the future.
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Otto’s Tacos offers layered flavors, authentic Mexican cuisine
“Through culinary school and all these different things, you’re taught to layer flavors, to season at every level,” Chef Joseph Lonigro said. “We do that here with
something as simple as the taco. It gets forgotten about on the taco a lot.” “If you deconstructed it, it would be delicious at every step,” Lonigro said. “Joe is not afraid of marinades, seasonings and spices,” Cedeno said. “He’s really into it. He does not like bland food and neither do I.” The flavors seem to have customers eager to return for more. “I think the vision [of the restaurant] is remarkable and admirable,” LS sophomore Adriel Chang said. “We built this for the community, and we’re very happy that it has been received so warmly,” Cedeno said. “We just hope to get to know everyone else around here and serve really good, fresh tacos. That’s what we’re all about.” Otto’s Tacos is located on 141 Second Ave. Chandler West is a staff writer. Email her at dining@nyunews.com.
Le Midi is located at 11 E. 13th St. Christina Chung is a contributing writer. Email her at dining@nyunews.com.
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Otto’s Tacos offer plenty of meat and topping options for its signature dish.
Zulu’s coffee shop evokes earlier era with design, speakeasy By CHRISTINA CHUNG
Zulu’s, a coffee shop modeled after a 1920s confectionary, opened on the corner of Allen and Delancey streets on Oct. 23. The cafe is calm, relaxing and reflective of the early 20th century. The interior decoration includes a wall of portraits of notable celebrities, from F. Scott Fitzgerald to
Babe Ruth. It is co-owned by three friends — Michael Dee, Nick Devane and Tyler Chaney. Chaney is the coffee expert among the three. “He really brought in the element of the cold brew,” Devane said. “He’s passionate about it. That’s his craft.” Devane said coffee offered by Zulu’s contains 60 percent less acid and 10 to 15 percent more caffeine
that of other coffee shops. Customers might be surprised by the coffee shop’s lack of an espresso machine. Instead of the traditional technique, the store relies on cold-brewing. The coldbrew espresso from Zulu’s is bold and deep, drawing out a chocolate-like flavor. The three co-owners have put in many working hours to perfect the technique.
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Zulu’s lattes are named after the three owners’ dogs.
“That was one of the biggest things we were trying to figure out,” Devane said. Tyler had to tinker with the recipe [of the espresso].” Zulu’s also prides itself on being cheaper than its competitors. The drip coffee, which is only $2, is both robust and delicate. It pairs well with any of the croissants they offer, which are priced around $3. The lattes, sentimentally named after the dogs the coowners have had, are $3.75. “It [is] a modern, cool shop that also had room for history and appreciation of the past,” CAS senior Eda Haksa said. The greatest twist in the tiny store hides behind a door near the rear of the shop — a speakeasy bar that has yet to be named and is only open on certain days. The owners plan on placing a steel refrigerator at the entrance of the bar, which will force customers to walk through the freezer to access the bar. In the near future, the owners will release an app to notify customers when the bar is open,
which will not be often. “A problem is, is that [modern speakeasies] are open all the time. You lose that appeal, the exclusive factor,” Devane said. Zulu’s is located at 77 Delancey St. Christina Chung is a contributing writer. Email her at dining@nyunews.com.
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Performances prevent adaptation from falling short of script By BLAIR SIMMONS
The sound of drawn-out steps on gravel are heard over the speaker while Eileen Atkins takes center stage at an indulgently slow pace to tell the tale of Samuel Beckett’s one-act radio play “All That Fall,” running through Dec. 8 at the 59E59 Theater. Michael Gambon, best known as the second Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, and Eileen Atkins portray the oldest and most decrepit couple imaginable as they travel home from the train station. The characters are so richly brought to life by the cast that the betrayal of Beckett’s original intentions is forgivable. Gambon and Atkins play a couple on the verge of death who seem to be enjoying it. Mrs. Rooney (Atkins) finds joy in excessively lamenting about her mundane problems, which include climbing a set of stairs and entering a car, to anyone with ears. That Atkins makes the audience care is the true
genius of her performance. Mr. Rooney (Gambon) is just as brilliant a character. His dialogue is peppered with gems such as, “Don’t ask me to speak and move at the same time.” Together, the two grumpy characters leave the audience giggling even in the face of death. Regardless of the stellar performances, watching a radio play on stage is still a strange experience, for the substance of the work resides in the words and the noises. With every actor onstage at all times with scripts in hand, sometimes it feels as though the audience is watching the cast watch the play. There are moments when the audience will want to feel like closing their eyes to simply listen — understandable because Beckett only intended for the piece to be heard. Regardless of Beckett’s wishes, Trevor Nunn’s production puts “Fall” on its feet, in full costume and with block-
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Michael Gambon and Eileen Atkins star as the lead couple in “All That Fall.” ing. Sounds of cars rolling away and a few children’s voices are heard over the loudspeaker in recorded form. However, a lack of consistency in prop use lessens the impact. Instead
SHAKESPEARE continued from PG. 1
All-male cast delivers impressive performances in ‘Richard III,’ ‘Twelfth Night’
with the audience watching. The actors spend a good portion of time having their faces powdered and slipping into bustles, skirts and breeches, transforming under the same spotlight. When Barnett strides to the front of the stage and daintily turns, testing the flow of his voluminous skirts and gliding into character, every trace of the handsome young man disappears.
Candle-filled chandeliers provide light and the costumes are nearly as impressive as the performances. Director Tim Carroll has worked often with Shakespeare’s texts in the past, and that shines through in this production. He, and everyone else involved, knows the ins and outs of each spoken word. Like every aspect of the production, though, his direction
never shows. It feels completely natural, allowing the audience to appreciate Shakespearean theater for precisely what it is — actors on a stage becoming wonderful characters, reciting beautiful words and telling a story. Dylan Jarrett is books/theater editor. Email her at djarrett@nyunews.com.
‘Patron Saint of Sea Monsters’ blesses audiences with laughter By CLARISSA LEHNE
“The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters,” running through Dec. 1 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater, is a divisive play. While some audience members may be convinced to leave during intermission, those who stay until the end will be treated to an outrageous show. “Monsters” follows the baffling, backwater romance between Aubrey Lincoln (Laura Heisler), a sometimes charming, always quirky gynecologist, and Calvin Little (Rob Campbell), an oddball bad boy who appears to always be tipsy. Aubrey is fervently religious and frequently prays to St. Martyrbride, the patron saint of the spinster, sea monsters and those who suffer childhood infirmity. Aubrey is unmarried, has a nighttime back brace and has unequal leg lengths, which requires her to wear an orthopedic shoe. Needless to say, Calvin and Aubrey’s love does not run a smooth course. Playwright Marlane Meyer casually throws the audience into the first scene with a casual opening scene in which Calvin weeps over the lifeless body of his first wife, Marie. Meanwhile, his howl-
ing, rowdy mother Helen orders his half-brother Jack to bury the corpse. The scene then cuts to an 18-year-old Aubrey fawning over a life-sized statue of Jesus Christ while her pill-popping socialite mother mocks her for wanting to marry the gaudy Messiah. The forceful Candy Buckley plays both mothers — she uses every part of her body and every tooth in her leer to create funny caricatures of these women. While no one would call the performances of “Monsters” nuanced, the actors throw themselves into
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Aubrey converses with a life-sized statue of Jesus Christ.
their roles. The two leads both make an admirable effort to bring credibility to their respective characters. Haynes Thigpen, Danny Wolohan and Jacqueline Wright all juggle multiple parts with remarkable versatility. Wolohan in particular is enviably at home on the stage. Ultimately, the play, under its current direction by Lisa Peterson, is more about timing than sincerity. Everything from the all-or-nothing lighting to the loud costumes to the predictable set design strains for an immediate, superficial reaction from audience members rather than profound engagement. This partially results from the material itself. The play lacks one sane character or moment of simplicity to provide a much-needed mooring point — and sense of relatability — for the rest of the unhinged action. As a result, Calvin’s ultimate reform at the hands of a good woman falls flat, culminating in an unsatisfying finale. It is, after all, difficult to reconcile complex character development with stagehands in animal masks, stuffed raccoons and a painted trailer for a backdrop. Clarissa Lehne is a contributing writer. Email her at theater@nyunews.com.
of focusing on the wonderfully written words and prevalent subject matter, it is too easy to notice Atkins has a handkerchief while another actor has to mime a prop. The onstage world should be one where everything is mimed or everything is made physical — the incorporation of the two does not mix well. At one point, Atkins sits on a seat located center stage and proceeds to drive away. The added visuals contribute little to the production. While a simpler interpretation of the text — one that would’ve placed attention on the words and the play itself — may have suited this production better, the wonderful performances given by Gambon and Atkins are enough to propel “All That Fall” beyond the inherent awkwardness of performing a radio play on stage. Blair Simmons is a staff writer. Email her at theater@nyunews.com.
‘Shangri La’ shows no sophomore slump By MACKENZIE BRADY
Removed from the English Midlands and now stationed in glamorous Malibu, Calif., Jake Bugg has cleaned up his sound while still maintaining his street cred. With Rick Rubin as his producer and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith as his drummer, Bugg’s sophomore album “Shangri La” is an impressive step up from his self-titled debut, which released just over a year ago. With what has often been called an “authentic” sound by critics, Bugg continues to draw inspiration from the 1960s, mixing the work of Johnny Cash, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. On “La,” Bugg pushes himself to ensure a lasting career. Deemed one of the great songwriters of his time at a mere 19 years of age, Bugg’s raspy Dylan-esque voice elevates him above the generic coffee shop singer-songwriter stereotype. Unwilling to confine himself to one style, Bugg steps up his electric guitar game with the gritty songs “What Doesn’t Kill You” and “Slumville Sunrise,” which sound like early Arctic Monkeys B-sides. He follows those tunes with the folksy love song “Me and You” which sounds like it could be an Avett Brothers single. The song “Messed Up Kids” begs for stadium play, yet “Pine Trees” sounds suited more to a 100-person venue. Bugg’s
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only misstep is “Kitchen Table” — with a Latin beat, it feels entirely out of place and is nowhere near the same standard set by the rest of the album. “La” closes with “Storm Passes Away,” a 1950s country western-style song reminiscent of Cash. It would be easy for Bugg to slip into 1960s tribute artist status, refusing to give up on peace and love. But instead of coming across as a cheap contemporary knockoff, Bugg emerges as a disciple — someone who has studied these artists, knows what made them great and recreates their iconic sounds for a generation obsessed with synths and autotune. Bugg has created an album that can resonate across generations — suited for baby boomer throwbacks as well as millennial shoutouts. With “Shangri La,” Bugg proves he may be able to make a name for himself among the legends he admires. Rest assured, this is only the beginning. Mackenzie Brady is a contributing writer. Email her at music@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM
The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Tuesday, November 19, 2013
THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU Crossword ACROSS 1 Cowboy chow 5 Distresses 9 Word from the Arabic for “struggle” 14 Simpson who said “Beneath my goody two shoes lie some very dark socks” 15 See 16-Across 16 With 15-Across, preparing to pop the question, say 17 Cash dispensers, for short 18 “___ first you don’t succeed …” 19 What a star on a U.S. flag represents 20 Subject of the book “Revolution in the Valley” 22 Beset by a curse
23 Pinocchio, periodically 24 Snarling dog 25 Poisonous 28 Person who works with dipsticks 33 Not much, in cookery 34 Powerful org. with HQ in Fairfax, Va. 35 Shine, commercially 37 People in this may have big ears 42 Shot ___ 43 “Criminy!” 44 Actress Watts 45 Sioux shoe 49 Metaphor, e.g. 50 “Whazzat?” 51 Employs 53 Meal with Elijah’s cup 56 Journalist of the Progressive Era 61 Kick out
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62 Vogue alternative 63 Starting score in tennis 64 Techie sorts 65 From the top 66 Managed, with “out” 67 Unable to hold still 68 Speaker’s place 69 Like Lindbergh’s historic transAtlantic flight DOWN 1 Glitz 2 Meter maid of song 3 Gomer Pyle’s org. 4 Legendary lizard with a fatal gaze 5 Japanese dog breed 6 Notify 7 Pastures 8 Brother of Cain and Abel 9 Book after Deuteronomy 10 Person getting on-the-job training 11 Snopes.com subject 12 Upfront stake 13 Monopoly card 21 Specialty 24 Cartoonist Addams 25 Pack down 26 Detestation 27 ___ knife 29 Japanese mushroom 30 Grand ___ (wine of the highest rank)
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31 Eskimo home 32 Stick together 36 Theater award since 1956 38 Word repeatedly sung after “She loves you …” 39 “___ amis” 40 Opposite of exit 41 Deals at a dealership
46 Partner of balances 47 Girl’s show of respect 48 Cell centers 52 Twists, as facts 53 Gaming giant 54 Smooth 55 Lighten up? 56 Quaff for Beowulf
57 Bone next to the radius 58 Gorilla pioneering in sign language 59 Knievel of motorcycle stunts 60 Make over
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: Today’s 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.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY RAQUEL WOODRUFF OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
HUMAN RIGHTS
Human Rights Council does not serve purpose By PETER KEFFER
Last week, the United Nations General Assembly elected 14 new countries to the Human Rights Council. The council is responsible “for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights.” Given this responsibility, the election of Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba and Russia is paradoxical. These countries are consistently in violation of international human rights standards, and their election is evidence of a broken system. Upon electing members to the council, the General Assembly is instructed by its own resolution to consider “the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights.” These words have not been put into practice. China has imprisoned the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo for five years and is the world leader in executions. Saudi Arabia forbids female citizens from leaving their home without a man’s permission and refuses to convict rapists without four eyewitnesses. Cuba has the most intensive censorship in the western hemisphere. Russia practices severe discrimination against
its LGBTQ community. Rather than protecting — let alone promoting — your human rights, these countries are actively dismantling them. The election of candidates is organized in regional blocs that represent the global distribution of countries. Most of the seats are allocated to African and Asian states — countries with records of the most severe human rights violations. Moreover, those individuals elected to the council to represent these countries are political diplomats with a vested interest in concealing such violations — not independent experts. These factors explain why the vast majority of council members appear to be unwilling in the promotion of human rights in any meaningful way. The composition of the council has actually created a bargaining culture in which oppressive regimes defend and praise their op-
pressive allies. Almost no members considered it necessary to raise concern over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record during its annual review in October. UN Watch reported that China actually praised Saudi Arabia during its review, knowing that the Saudis would return the favor the following day — evidence of an ineffective “mutual praise society.” This behavior is not uncommon, and it shows an intent to sustain the impunity the council is supposed to expose and end. Evidently, the function of the council is not a humanitarian one. Its very constitution is what causes its political nature. Those who share the conviction that human rights law should be respected and enforced cannot look toward the council as a facilitator. Rather, look to the oppressed. Those who mobilize against state-sponsored tyranny are beginning to assert an entitlement to the human rights, which they are being deprived. Only when their claims reach fever pitch will nations genuinely recognize the existence of such rights. Peter Keffer is a deputy opinion editor. Email him at pkeffer@nyunews.com.
SATIRE
Scientists to suffer from psychological trauma By MARCELO CICCONET
In 1897, Spanish scientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal published an essay titled “Diseases of the Will,” in which he described a set of virtual illnesses that hit 19th century scientists, turning them into contemplators, bibliophiles, theorists and other caricatures. A little over a decade into the 21st century, a new group of diseases has emerged as threats to the progress of science. Three stand out — productivity addiction, tenure leisure and financial anxiety. Productivity addiction affects early career scientists. Its main cause is the wide gap between the number of job offers in academia and the number of doctoral students thrown into the market every year. Because of competition, young researchers are finding themselves hostages to academic publications. Research interests are determined less by the appeal of a topic and more by what a popular journal wants. The main symptom of this disease is a curriculum vitae with five or more publications per year, either on a similar topic with largely overlapping content, or in widely different topics but
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solving a range of disparate problems without any clear line of research. While productivity addiction can be chronic, some individuals are successfully treated by a procedure called tenure. Tenure provides a researcher with job stability, so he or she can be free to work on inherently interesting problems — regardless of funding or other factors. Unfortunately, the procedure can cause a severe side effect, known as tenure leisure. This disease manifests itself as a profound lack of interest for research. After years of too much hard work, the patient loses the drive required to pursue science. Similar to the previous disease, tenure leisure can also be diagnosed by close examination of the individual’s CV. One or less yearly publications after a decade of high productivity is
a strong indicator of tenure leisure. Sadly, there is no cure. The last important disease is more unpredictable in terms of onset. It can hit scientists both in their early years as doctoral students and later in their careers — in some cases even past retirement. It is manifested by the realization that life is too short, and that the universe’s puzzles are impossibly endless. The so-called financial anxiety is triggered by the observation that there are other jobs which, intriguingly, do not require as much mental effort, but pay much better. Upon infection, the illness is fatal to one’s contribution to science. Unfortunately, like productivity addiction, financial anxiety is very contagious. Such diseases are not necessarily the scientists fault. Rather, they are a consequence of the time in which we live. Young researchers who want to pursue a career in science should be warned that there’s little chance of escaping at least one of these diseases. Marcelo Cicconet is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Online monitoring calls for international law
Yesterday in an op-ed for the Daily Mail, Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt announced the specific actions the company will take to tackle child pornography. The cooperation of technology companies with international law agencies has become a necessary step in the enforcement of civil and criminal law. But their cooperation is not legally mandated. The question as to which court has jurisdiction over information that is internationally accessible from numerous international servers is ambiguous. As the principles of cyberlaw become defined, there is an emerging need for a supranational court to enforce regulations and hold accountable those technology companies that do not comply. A supranational court is required to govern the battlefield of cyberspace. In 2010, the National Security Strategy review released by the White House cited cybersecurity as “one of the most serious national security, public safety and economic challenges we face as a nation.” Cyberattacks have become more common in the last decade with rogue states, including North Korea and Iran, surreptitiously attacking vital U.S. online infrastructure on a daily basis. But when does an attack become a declaration of war? An international treaty, and an international criminal court, must determine when a cybercrime descends into cyberwar. Many common areas of law cannot simply be applied to the Internet. The everchanging landscape of the Internet led to five focus areas of cyberlaw as outlined by the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School — architecture and public policy, copyright and fair use, intermediary liability, privacy and robotics. Intermediary liability, pertaining to whether online platforms are liable for its user’s content, has been a contentious issue in light of David Cameron’s battle for online child pornogrpahy policy. Whether an online platform based in one country can be held for data posted by users in countries around the world is still unclear and continues to complicate Internet regulations. The beneficial aspects of the Internet are found in its freedom. The production and access of information has become a process that transcends spatial distances and — until recently — national borders. However, it is this very freedom that complicates the legal questions that have emerged. While big tech companies like Google and Microsoft have teamed up with law enforcement to eliminate exploitative images of children from the Internet, an international law must be established to ensure that all web corporations are held accountable for removing all cybercrime activity. International legal regulations would serve as a deterrent to both states, individuals and tech companies. In all of its forms, cybercrime can no longer be outside the sphere of law.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Raquel Woodruff (Chair), Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co-chair), Peter Keffer (Co-chair), Harry Brown, Marcelo Cicconet, Christina Coleburn, Omar Etman, Nina Golshan, Nickhil Sethi
Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor New York, N.Y. 10003 or email: opinion@nyunews.com WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title.
WSN does not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.
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NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
SPORTS
EDITED BY FRANCISCO NAVAS SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Hockey team, coach reflect on season, discuss hopes for future By KEVIN BURNS
After a 1-1 tie on Sunday against Central Connecticut State University, the NYU men’s hockey team is hoping to maintain a stellar record and propel itself into the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The team, currently 11-1-2, competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, but coach Chris Cosentino said he believes NYU has an NCAAready program. His goal is to bring NCAA hockey to New York City and NYU. “I think that it’s only a matter of time before New York City will get to see an NCAA hockey team at NYU,” CAS junior Arthur Griem said. “And I think the fans, students, coaches and players deserve it.” A star player, Griem is among
NYU’s top recruits. He transferred to NYU this year after playing two years of NCAA Division I hockey at the University of Vermont. Griem separated his shoulder in the second game of the season and sat out since his injury. Griem said recovering has been tough, and he also said he believes his team is the best in the league. “I speak for my teammates when I say that we won’t be satisfied without winning a national championship this year,” Griem said. The experienced athletes’ leadership has been integral to the team’s current success, Griem said. The team’s recruitment is a sign of an NCAA-ready program and a huge contributor to the team’s outstanding record. Coach Consentino has a similar outlook. “We have proven that we can
recruit elite student-athletes and build a winning program,” he said. Among these recruits is SCPS freshman defenseman Evan Ripley. Ripley is +8 goal differential and tied for the third-highest goalscorer on the team with seven goals. SCPS junior defenseman Spencer Varney said the team is taking the season one game at a time. “We’ve got to get through some very good teams,” Varney said, referencing the team’s nearqualification for nationals two seasons in a row. “Until then, the team is hungry.” The men return to the ice on Friday, Nov. 22 in Amherst, Mass. to take on the University of Massachusetts. Kevin Burns is a deputy news editor. Email him at kburns@nyunews.com.
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SCPS freshman Peter Jorgensen skates toward the puck.