NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
washington square news Vol. 39, No. 45
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2011
nyunews.com
NYU prof. to lead London School of Economics
NYU details Blackboard phase out at town hall
By Julie DeVito
By Julie DeVito
After 16 years at NYU, longtime professor Craig Calhoun will be taking his expertise across the Atlantic as the newest director of the prestigious London School of Economics. Calhoun replaces Howard Davies, who resigned in March after taking responsibility for the school accepting £1.5 million from a charitable foundation run by Saif Gaddafi, the son of Muammar Gaddafi. “I felt happy and surprised, honored and humbled at the same time,” he said. “My goal is to combine the highest intellectual quality with doing social science that matters for the public good.” At LSE, Calhoun will be responsible for more than 12,000 faculty and staff, in addition to managing research, teaching, finances, staffing and the estate itself. His term will begin in
From Blackboard to a new university smartphone application, NYU faculty and administrators discussed a number of new and ongoing projects at Tuesday’s Inter-Residence Hall Council Town Hall.
R CALHOUN continued on PG. 3
Oxfam at NYU hosted their annual Hunger Banquet to raise awareness of global hunger. Attendees were assigned income brackets, which determined what they would eat that evening.
Blackboard Representatives from NYU Information Technology Services elaborated on plans to phase out Blackboard. Earlier this month, NYU announced in an email that it would replace Blackboard with Sakai, a similar course management system that, unlike Blackboard, would be controlled by the university. “[Sakai is] what we call community source, which means we are co-owners of the software, and we can develop new things,” said Kitty Bridges, associate vice president for strategic communication and partnerships at ITS. “It’s very different [from] a corporation controlling the system.”
STORY ON PAGE 3
R IRHC continued on PG. 3
ERIC HSIEH/WSN
Fighting Hunger
Women’s basketball doomed by Super sales expected turnovers at Mount St. Mary with closing of Filene’s By Laura Buccieri
A defensive slugfest humbled the previously unbeaten NYU women’s basketball Tuesday night as the Violets fell to Mount St. Mary, 49-37. Now 4-1, NYU trailed Mount St. Mary (4-1) the entire game. While the Violets remained on the Knights’ heels in both halves, they were plagued by 26 turnovers and failed to convert big shots and execute vital defensive stops. “It was a tough loss,” said senior captain and guard Cara Bonito, who had four points and one steal on the night. “We had too many turnovers, and we did not execute on the offensive side of the ball.” In the first half, NYU shot 21.7 percent (5-23) from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. Senior captain and guard Tana Bertino made the only two three-pointers of NYU’s five attempts.
By Michelle Lim
FILE PHOTO BY DAVID LIN
Senior guard Tana Bertino led the Violets with 11 points. The first half was also marked by the disciplined play of the Knights, who allowed NYU to attempt only four free throws. However, NYU would get
ample chances from the line in the second half. The Violets shot 13 of 16 (81.6 percent)
R WBBALL continued on PG. 5
Say goodbye to $30 Calvin Klein jeans and $25 Michael Kors coats. After being in business for over 100 years, Filene’s Basement is closing all 26 of its stores across the nation. The news comes after Syms Corporation, Filene’s parent company, declared bankruptcy earlier this month. “In the face of very challenging economic conditions, we have for some time been exploring every strategic option available and, finally, came to the conclusion that a liquidation was in the best interests of all our stakeholders,” said Marcy Syms, CEO of the Syms Corporation. With the closest Filene’s Basement to campus on Union Square, NYU students and other smart New York shoppers constantly visit the three-story store. As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, Filene’s will be having
a going away sale of up to 40 percent through January 2012, when all of the stores are expected to close. With the Union Square location already hiring more staff for the season, Filene’s Basement is expecting a large, if not overwhelming, turnout for this holiday season. Syms assured that the sales “will offer the same type of great merchandise you’ve been accustomed to finding in these stores.” Steinhardt freshman Diana Pawell shared how she feels as an NYU student about the end of Filene’s Basement. “I think it’s a tragedy, considering I just discovered this chain and its great deals, which are perfect for a college student like me,” she said, adding that she will be hitting up the holiday sales at the Union Square location. Michelle Lim is a contributing writer. Email her at fashion@nyunews.com.