WSN120414

NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 42, No. 104

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

nyunews.com

RAPE THROUGH THE LENS OF A SURVIVOR University suspends student guilty of rape

By FELIPE DE LA HOZ Staff Writer Trigger warning: rape, sexual assault, PTSD Ashley Sweeney looked down at her hands for a couple of seconds before looking back up.

“You know, everyone is a completely new person every few years.

All the cells in your body are different,” she said. “I feel like it happened so much faster for me. I am completely unrecognizable from the person I was on Sept. 12 of last year.”

Sept. 12, 2013, was shortly after Sweeney arrived at the then-Polytechnic Institute of NYU, now-NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering, from Missouri. She quickly made friends with fellow freshmen during the university’s Welcome Week, including then-freshman Brandon Olsen. Sweeney said Olsen was funny and likeable, and it did not take long for them to get close.

Within a week, they had kissed.

“A day later, he asked me out,” Sweeney said.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN LANIER

FEATURES

Student group aims for cultural understanding

By NINA JANG Staff Writer

Driven by a passion to increase study-away initiatives in Shanghai and Beijing, CAS junior Nicole Burke, CAS sophomore Katie Maleski and CAS senior Alessandro Potsios established the NYU chapter of the national organization Project Pengyou during the fall 2014 semester. The club seeks to encourage students to explore the rich culture of China and take advantage of experiences awaiting halfway across the world.

“I think many people have miscon-

ceptions about China,” Burke said.

“It isn’t just the traditional culture people assume it to be. Especially when you go to Shanghai, I think the city is really pushing the limits.”

To draw students to the history and traditions of an ancient nation, Project Pengyou — “pengyou” meaning “friend” in Chinese — has begun hosting events this month to encourage dialogue. Events have included a tour of Chinatown, a visit to the Museum of Chinese in America and a karaoke outing.

PENGYOU continued on PG. 2

POLICY continued on PG. 4

CITY POLITICS

Protests follow Garner decision

By ALEX BAZELEY Deputy News Editor

Protesters took to the streets on Dec. 3 following the Richmond County grand jury’s decision to not indict New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner.

Protests were staged in several cities across the country, including New York City, Los Angeles and Ferguson, Missouri.

Pantaleo choked and killed the African-American man in July for allegedly illegally selling cigarettes on a Staten Island street corner. The decision comes on the heels of a Missouri

grand jury’s lack of indictment for the police officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson.

The grand jury began hearing evidence for the case on Sept. 29, with deliberations beginning this week. The incident was documented on a widely viewed video, which shows Garner being taken down and put into a chokehold by Pantaleo. In the video, Garner’s final words can be heard: “I can’t breathe.”

Hours after the announcement was made, Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed his support of the protests, providing they remained peaceful.

“Today’s outcome is one that many in our city did not want,” de Blasio said in a statement on Dec. 3. “All of us must work together to make this right — to work for justice — and to build the kind of city — and nation — we need to be.”

Despite this, de Blasio cancelled his appearance at the annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, which protesters attempted to disrupt.

Following the grand jury’s decision, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Justice

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM

FEATURES

EDITED BY HANNAH TREASURE FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

Best ways to beat tough exams, papers this finals season

By DHRITI TANDON Staff Writer

Preparing for exams can be tough.

Here are some tips from students to make studying for finals easier.

Choose study habits that work best for you Not all tactics work well for everyone. Be sure to choose a method that maximizes your retention and concentration.

For Stern senior Wesley Jia, studying alone is the best way to review for exams.

“Figure out if you study better in a group or alone,” Jia said. “I’ve found myself in study groups in which I just goofed off and got little done.”

LS sophomore James Krywin said he believes writing down information helps him retain the content better.

“When it comes for topics that require memorization such as biology or psychology, my preferred method of studying is writing the information out as I verbalize the words,” Krywin said. “Although this method might be tedious, it enables you to remember and recall information a lot more efficiently.”

Make sure to manage your time

It is important to use your limited time efficiently to best manage the large amount of content that can show up on a final exam.

CAS junior Allison Cai recommended creating a study schedule to focus on the most important information and stay on track. She also suggested scoping out a place in Bobst Library early.

“Plan, organize and make sure to prioritize classes that are weighted more,” Cai said. “Also, wake up early and get to Bobst or else you’ll find yourself wasting an hour of precious study time finding a spot.”

Jia suggested studying regularly every day instead of cramming near the examination days.

“Budget your time well and don’t procrastinate,” Jia said. “I find it more efficient to study two hours every day instead of six hours near the night before.”

Sleep well and avoid all-nighters CAS junior Tiffany Martin, who works at the University Learning Center, advised students to avoid all-nighters in favor of a good night’s rest.

“To many students, skipping sleep to study seems to be an answer to fit-

STAFF PHOTO BY SANG BAE

Getting to Bobst early during the next few weeks will ensure a comfy seat and an outlet. ting in all the necessary information for finals, but a lack of sleep doesn’t allow your brain to properly function,” Martin said. “It’s better to get a full night’s sleep so that you can properly focus and really absorb all the information to be reviewed.”

Get help if you need it If struggling with content, ask someone experienced with the

subject for help prior to the exam.

Krywin encouraged fellow students to be direct with their professors if they do not understand any of a course’s content.

“Nothing better than hitting up your professor and letting him know your struggles and worries,” Krywin said. “It will not only foster your relationship with him but will also give him an idea of how the class

might be faring.”

Martin also said ULC Peer Tutoring can be a good way to clear doubts and review the content for the exam.

“Sometimes having a peer explain something in more regular terms can solidify a thought that wasn’t as clear in class,” Martin said.

Email Dhriti Tandon at features@nyunews.com.

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Club seeks to expand knowledge of China

Project Pengyou’s goals reach beyond just fun events for the group of about 15 members, however.

Burke and Maleski hope to end stereotypes and phobias while increasing study abroad statistics in Shanghai and China.

“Our goal is real change,” Burke said. “Through our club, we’re moderating the progress as we continue to host events with palpable goals.”

Burke and Maleski wish to share their experiences studying abroad while in China to alter attitudes shared by many who may not be aware of Shanghai’s culture. Unknown to even some native Shanghai citizens, Burke spoke of some adaptations to the constantly changing city, including an underground hip-hop scene and a grassroots LGBTQ group in Shanghai.

Both Burke and Maleski agree that the youthful, lively scene in Shanghai is especially attractive to college students.

“People call Shanghai the Paris of the East, and I completely agree with that,” Burke said. “I always think about the expats like Hemingway and others in Paris and I think that the next generation of artists and poets and writers are going to come from Shanghai.”

Maleski said that the club aims to involve not only students who are interested in studying abroad in

Shanghai, but also those students who already have.

“We want to reach out to Shanghai study-abroad alumni, anyone who has studied abroad, but really anyone is welcome because in the end we want to create a community at NYU,” Maleski said. “A community that is united with a passion and interest in Chinese culture.”

Ultimately, both Maleski and Burke acknowledge that even after an increase in students studying abroad in China, their most important goal is for students to use their study-away experiences to continue bridging the gap of understanding between cultures.

“Really, the issue isn’t just studying abroad,” Maleski said. “It’s about making use of the experiences and knowledge. We want people to remain engaged and feel the desire to keep learning.”

As a homage to its name, Project Pengyou will be hosting a fortune cookie drop during finals week with words of encouragement for students to pass to their friends before the end of the semester.

“The fortune cookie is representative of Project Pengyou because it’s an American concept with a tie to Chinese culture, just like our club,” Maleski said.

Email Nina Jang at features@nyunews.com.

By SAM DEL ROWE Staff Writer Thanksgiving and Black Friday might be over, but the holiday season has only just begun. The plethora of holiday-related activities in the city this weekend ensures that you will find something festive and inexpensive to do.

High Line Holiday Concert If you are not already tired of hearing holiday music, check out the free concert at the High Line on Dec. 6 from noon until 2 p.m. The concert will feature performances from the New York City Community Choir, jazz musician Eve Zanni, the Gay and Lesbian Big Apple Corps and Puerto Rican band Los Pleneros de la 21.

Columbus Circle Holiday Market While there is certainly no shortage of holiday markets in New York City, the Columbus Circle Holiday Market

opened at 59th Street and Central Park West on Dec. 2.

Specialties include handmade puzzles, artisan chocolates, locally crafted home decorations, jewelry and clothing, as well as an array of cuisines and holiday favorites like apple cider and hot chocolate.

Take a stroll in the park afterward to complete the New York City winter experience.

longest-running indie craft fair will be located in the new Brooklyn Expo Center for the first time on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7. Situated in Greenpoint, the fair will feature over 200 craft, vintage and food vendors. If you are seeking a unique shopping experience and want to get out of Manhattan, the BUST Holiday Craftacular is a great option.

Pulse Winter Showcase

The Hip Hop Nutcracker

NYU student dance group, Pulse Dance Project, will perform on Dec. 6 at the Eisner & Lubin Auditorium for its Winter Showcase. Comprised of student choreographers and a wide array of dance genres, Pulse Dance Project will perform works it has practiced all of the fall semester. The performance is $5 with an NYU student ID and begins at 6:30 p.m.

For a new twist on an old classic, head to “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” on Dec. 7 to see Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s ballet with hip-hop choreography.

The event will be guest emceed by Kurtis Blow and will feature dancers, MCs and DJs as well as the SONOS Chamber Orchestra and Filip Pogády on the electric violin. Tickets start at $10 and the show starts at 6 p.m. in the United Palace, 4140 Broadway, in Washington Heights.

BUST Holiday Craftacular Presented by women’s pop culture publication BUST Magazine, New York City’s

Email Sam Del Rowe at features@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

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PROTEST continued from PG. 1

Protests shut down New York streets

Department would launch a federal civil rights investigation into the death of Garner. President Barack Obama also addressed the nation, saying there needs to be a rebuilding of trust after so much recent friction.

“We are not going to let up until we see a strengthening of the trust and a strengthening of accountability that exists between our communities and law enforcement,” Obama said.

Hakeem Sackes-Bramble, a 21-year-old demonstrator in New York and former NYU student, said the decision felt close to home because it could have been him in Garner’s place.

“If someone was choking you, would you not resist?” SackesBramble asked. “How are they going to try to tell somebody not to resist and choke them at the same time?”

Many expected charges for Pantaleo, as the video showed Garner resisting arrest but being nonviolent. New York City protesters staged movements in Grand Central Station and Times

Square, as well as movements that shut down West Side Highway and streets by Central Park.

Multiple demonstrators were arrested at Times Square.

Pace University freshman Britt Baker said she was tired of her fellow citizens being killed for her privilege. She continued to say there are internal problems with the system that needed to be fixed.

“The system won’t change unless we do something,” Baker said. “We need to take our government back.”

Patrick Waldo, a 27-year-old at the protests, said he was glad to see people protesting the decision, and is confident the outrage would not be swept under the rug.

“I do think there will be change and people are so fed up that the federal government will come in and indict him on civil charges, and I hope that happens,” Waldo said. “But if they don’t, the very least we can do is let our opposition be heard.”

Email Alex Bazeley at news@nyunews.com.

STAFF PHOTO BY DANIEL COLE

STAFF PHOTO BY HANNAH LUU

STAFF PHOTO BY DANIEL COLE

Protesters filled New York streets chanting “I can’t breathe” and “How do you spell racism? N-Y-P-D.”

Future of transportation discussed

By CHRISTINE WANG Contributing Writer

During an event at NYU’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management on Dec. 3, transportation experts and entrepreneurs discussed the future of urban transportation and the shift toward rideshares and new technologies.

The event, “Re-Programming Mobility: What Do Smart Phones and Self-Driving Cars Mean for Future Cities,” began with a lecture from Anthony Townsend, senior research scientist of the Rudin Center, regarding new technologies and services and their impact on mobility. Townsend said the public needs to re-evaluate the way they approach cities and transportation.

“There is an institutional crisis in terms of dealing with change,” Townsend said. “We need to rethink mobility.”

The next speaker, Greg Lindsay, a visiting scholar at the Rudin Center, discussed future scenarios for mobility. In his research, he has discovered that many cities were already innovating their transportation infrastructures, through the use of new technology including autonomous pods.

Lindsay also discussed SHIFT, a startup out of Las Vegas founded by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, as a part of the Downtown Project in which Zappos offered its own mobility service to people commuting into the city for work.

“They mixed ride-sharing with

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE WANG

Benjamin de la Peña talks about future urban transport. bike-sharing and others to create a seamless mesh,” Lindsay said. “It was a membership system for a self-selecting group.

Like how you would choose a data plan and a cellphone plan, you could choose a mobility plan. One of the trends we’re going to see is popups of mobile services — private supplements of public service.”

Robin Chase, founder and CEO of Buzzcar, said modes of transportation such as private cars are becoming outdated.

“A lot of people are living in an old-fashioned present,” Chase said. “The future of mobility is going to be urban and multimodal. Any vehicles can get a better return on investment by being shared. When we introduce autonomous cars it’s going to be game changing.”

Stacey Hodge, director of the Office of Freight Mobility for the New York City Department of Transportation, addressed the problems with daytime delivery of goods,

STAFF PHOTO BY HANNAH LUU

explaining how off-hour shipping could save money, time and resources.

“As we start envisioning how we’re going to be making our city more mobile, we need to start talking about how we want receivers to manage their deliveries,” Hodge said. “We’re going to have to change the status quo on how deliveries are done in our city.”

The last speaker, Benjamin de la Peña, director of community and national strategy of the Knight Foundation, argued that phasing out older modes of transportation such as pedicabs and auto rickshaws, must be done carefully, especially in dense Asian cities where 80 percent of the population may rely on these methods.

“Why abolish them?” de la Peña asked. “I see these as the original vehicle sharing.”

Wagner junior Jorge Hernandez said he appreciated that the panel brought together people from different backgrounds, who each had a different approach to the future of transportation.

“I think it was really important to have multiple stakeholders here, especially people that are working with open-data and within the DOT,” Hernandez said.

“It struck me how they acknowledged how it was important to merge the fields, not just to think of it as a transportation problem, or a taxi problem, but to think of it as a holistic problem.”

Email Christine Wang at news@nyunews.com.

FDA calorie rules to go into effect

By CHRISTINE PARK Staff Writer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued two new rules, one requiring certain chain restaurants to post calories counts on menus and the other requiring vending machines to have the same information, on Nov. 25.

The rules apply to chain restaurants and vending machines with 20 or more locations, FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said in a press release.

“Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home and people today expect clear information about the products they consume,” Hamburg said. “Making calorie information available on chain restaurant menus and vending machines is an important step for public health that will help consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families.”

Registered dietician and Steinhardt graduate student Samantha Haber said she believes the policy will be beneficial.

“I do think it will help Americans consume fewer calories,” Haber said. “I think a lot of research is showing that when people see the nutrition information on the foods they’re eating, it helps them make better choices.”

Brian Elbel, an associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine who studies the effect of public policies on individual decision-making, said the correlation between the establishment of the FDA rules and the impact on consumer behavior is

hard to measure.

“In general, what we know about the effects in this labeling comes from studies mostly of fast-food restaurants and mostly over the short-term, and what we know from those studies is that there is a subset of consumers who definitely report seeing the information and that it influences their choices,” Elbel said. “But what we don’t necessarily see is that that translates into any overall population level decrease in the number of calories that people are purchasing.”

Steinhardt sophomore McKenzie O’McFee said displaying calorie counts would help her lead a healthier lifestyle.

“I think it’s a good idea because it forces you to like know what you are putting into your body and forces you to eat healthy,” O’McFee said.

Steinhardt sophomore Kevin Hyde also expressed his support for caloric information on the menus.

“I think it’s a good idea because it provides a greater sense of transparency between a consumer and the retailer,” Hyde said.

Steinhardt junior Pooja Dhar, however, said there are many other factors involved in determining what makes a healthy decision.

“I don’t think that it’s going to be helpful because I think people need to look at the other nutritional content in the food rather than just the calories,” Dhar said. “While you fixate on the calories, you might not necessarily make healthy decisions.”

Email Christine Park at news@nyunews.com.

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POLICY continued from PG. 1

No standard punishment for assault She turned him down. Though she liked him, having just moved away and started college she did not feel ready for a relationship.

On Sept. 13, the two, along with other friends, traveled to a mutual friend’s house in Neptune City, New Jersey. After having a few drinks, they chatted outside the house. Olsen again brought up his desire for a relationship. Sweeney said she felt uncomfortable with his persistence. Rebuffing his advances, she wandered through the house, eventually ending up in the basement. Olsen followed her there.

They kissed, and Olsen started taking off her clothes.

Initially, she was passive. But as his intentions became clear, she resisted.

As he pulled her on top of him, she told him to stop and tried to pull away.

He did not budge, deaf to her pleas.

“His eyes had glazed over,” she remembered.

As Sweeney struggled to free herself, a friend came downstairs and witnessed the assault in progress. Sweeney called out to him, asking him to intervene, but he turned around and headed back up the stairs.

After it was over, Sweeney got dressed and made her way upstairs to the others. She broke down, sobbing.

For the rest of the night, her friends kept Olsen away from her as she tried to sleep.

Five months later, Sweeney found herself reliving this night. With the help of a friend, she had filed an incident report with NYU. An investigation ensued into the allegations, which culminated in a University Judicial Panel hearing held on March 25, 2014.

The four-member judiciary panel weighed the evidence, which included Facebook messages between Olsen and Sweeney in which Olsen admitted to raping her.

“I have no idea what possibly possessed me to rape you. Whether I meant/wanted to or not, I did,” his Facebook message read.

For the allegation that Olsen had “engaged in non-consensual sexual intercourse with her in an off-campus location by ignoring her requests and efforts to get him to stop,” the panel found him responsible.

Olsen was suspended for the remainder of the spring semester, effective April 6, 2014, and the entirety of the fall 2014 semester, and was banned from housing.

According to the hearing’s decision, Olsen is eligible to return to NYU as a student in the spring 2015 semester, provided he undergoes counseling to “address whatever issues may have contributed to, or precipitated, his behavioral choices,” performs com-

munity service and does not communicate with Sweeney.

No notation of the disciplinary action was placed on his university transcript. He lost all credits for which he was eligible in the spring 2014 semester.

Olsen declined to comment through his lawyer and did not confirm whether or not he is returning.

Staying Afloat For two months after the rape, Sweeney tried to carry on normally, focusing on her classes and starting therapy sessions at the NYU Wellness Center. She still saw Olsen on campus. Before his admission of guilt over Facebook, Olsen maintained that it had not been rape and that they should date. One day, feeling defeated, she agreed to date him.

“I thought about just trying to kill myself that night. Living to the next day, I eventually told Brandon that the only reason I agreed to dating was because I didn’t really care to live any longer, the idea that I had invented the thing that had been tormenting me for a month being too much to bear,” she wrote in the report.

Apart from the friends that were present at the house in New Jersey, she confided only in her family and her therapist about what had happened to her.

As the semester was drawing to a

“I slit my throat because I didn’t think I could get away from him and be alive.”

— Ashley Sweeney close in late November 2013, Sweeney reached a breaking point. She was in her room at Othmer residence hall. She had fought with Olsen, who had told her to stop bringing up the assault and telling others about it. He stormed off, only to return and insist that she sleep at his dorm. Feeling trapped, she agreed. She told him to go ahead to bed, that she would be right there. Then, she went into the bathroom and sliced her neck open.

“I slit my throat because I didn’t think I could get away from him and be alive,” she said.

Sweeney was hospitalized twice following the incident — once to stitch up her neck, and then again for university-mandated psychiatric evaluation.

After being released from the hospital, Sweeney attempted again to

carry on normally.

Two months later, on Feb. 1, 2014, another encounter with Olsen led to her filing the report. She had allowed him to sleep on the couch in her dorm room after he was locked out of his own room, but awoke to find him in bed with her.

After filing the report, per protocol, university officials informed her she could file police charges with university help.

Though she initially declined, a few days later she told her friends that she planned to go to the police. They discouraged her, especially the friend at whose house the assault took place.

Sweeney said she was appalled — her friends had turned on her. After that, she drank alcohol and swallowed pills. Olsen’s suitemate found her and forced her to throw up the pills.

“Afterward, I never heard from any of them again,” she said, referring to her friends.

The next morning, Sweeney visited the hospital. When she returned to her dorm, she was informed that she would not be allowed back in. She said she had been called a hazard to fellow students and was told to return to the hospital for an evaluation. She was then placed on medical leave for the remainder of the semester.

She independently filed charges with New York and New Jersey police in mid-February.

Neither of the police reports filed have resulted in a trial as of press time.

The Hearing By the time a case reaches the University Judicial Panel, it has already gone through two NYU offices. The first step in the process is when a survivor, or “complainant,” registers a complaint with the university. This can be done in multiple ways, such as walking into the office of Mary Signor, executive director of NYU’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX representative, or filling out an online form requesting a callback.

“That student will be contacted within 48 hours by our office,” Signor said. “It’s usually a lot sooner, I’d like to say probably within three hours, when I receive it.”

If the complainant names a perpetrator, or “respondent,” and decides to proceed with the investigation, the OEO will contact the respondent.

After the outreach, the OEO conducts an investigation. The investigators collect evidence and, at their discretion, reach out to the people that the complainant and respondent have named as potential witnesses.

Sweeney named five witnesses, all

Shedding the shame of whom were present at the time of either the initial assault or subsequent harassment. She does not know how many of these were contacted by university investigators.

Four refused to comment and one did not respond to WSN requests.

After the investigation is completed, the investigators relay their preliminary conclusions and recommendations to the Office of Community Standards, which takes over as the office in charge of the judicial portion of the process.

NYU director of Community Standards and Compliance Thomas Grace said after the investigation, the office meets with the accused student.

“We sit with that person, and based on past practices in the university, based on what we believe we’ve learned happened, that person is offered a set of terms, by which the university proposes to resolve it,” Grace said.

If the accused does not accept any of these terms, the matter goes to a University Judiciary Hearing. Olsen rejected the terms Grace offered him and the matter went to the hearing.

Sweeney was not physically present at the University Judicial Panel hearing on March 25 due to her medical leave, but was present over the phone. Sweeney did not have a lawyer.

“I just had myself, and that was probably something that maybe was part of why it was so unpleasant,” she said. “They told me that I could have a lawyer present, but we couldn’t really afford to be paying a lawyer for that whole business.”

Olsen was present, and had hired a

criminal defense lawyer.

The panel that heard the case comprised the dean’s representative Sherry Glied, Faculty Senate representative Achiau Ludomirsky, Student Senate representative Kevin Jones and Administrative Management Council representative Levon West. Citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Glied, Jones and West declined to comment. Ludomirsky did not respond to requests for comment.

WSN also did not have access to all the details of the hearing because of Olsen’s FERPA rights.

Grace said a member selected by each of these four groups was the standard structure for a university judicial panel up until the restructuring specified in the university’s newest sexual assault policy, which went into effect on Oct. 1, 2014.

Now, a panel is made up of three members, taken from a pool of administrators and faculty members that have been vetted by the university. If the OCS decides that there is a specific conflict of interest that would not allow for a panel to make a fair decision, an external adjudicator, who is not affiliated with the university, hears the case.

William Miller, a member of the NYU General Counsel’s office who participated in the drafting of the new policy, explained the decision to exclude students from serving in judiciary panels.

“There are various guidelines from the federal government that are issued by the Department of Education, and within that, recently, in April of this year, they issued guidelines

PROCEDURE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT COMPLAINTS AT NYU HEARING: The matter goes to a University Judiciary Hearing, made up of either a panel of three administrators or an external adjudicator unaffiliated with NYU.

COMPLAINT: The student files a report with the Office of Equal Opportunity or fills out an online form.

DECISION: Totality of evidence is tried and a judgment is made.

RIGHTS: The school is required to inform complainant of his or her right to press criminal charges.

INVESTIGATION: The OEO office, the university’s Title IX representative, conducts an investigation into the matter, which involves the collection of evidence, reaching out to people the complainant and respondent have named as potential witnesses.

OFFER: The respondent is offered a set of terms, by which the OCS proposes to resolve the matter.

TURNOVER: Investigators relay their preliminary conclusions and recommendations to the Office of Community Standards, which takes over as the office in charge of the judicial portion of the process.

STAFF GRAPHIC BY KAVISH HARJAI AND LYANNE NATIVIDAD

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

of harassment and intrusion into Sweeney’s bed.

Case by case

ILLUSTRATION BY SONJA HAROLDSON

which specifically said they strongly discourage schools from having students on the panels,” Miller said.

Meghan Racklin, a junior and the president of the NYU Feminist Society and treasurer of Students for Sexual Respect, was in disbelief when she was informed of the onesemester suspension.

“In light of the fact that research says that the overwhelming majority of campus rapes are perpetrated by repeat offenders, that verdict is not only unfair to the survivor, but irresponsible and dangerous for the community at large,” Racklin said. “The notion that a panel of people who are responsible for the well-being of the campus community would let this person back on campus is ridiculous.”

Under school policy, Olsen was found guilty of non-consensual sexual intercourse, but he was found not responsible for the allegations

The University Judicial Panel has total discretion in deciding on a sanction in the event that a respondent is found responsible for violating university policy. In the case of Olsen, the panel suspended him — in other cases, respondents could be expelled for the same violation.

“We did look back at the last three years’ worth of disciplinary outcomes involving violations of our sexual misconduct policy that seem roughly akin to this case,” Beckman said in an email. “We found that suspension and expulsion were equally common outcomes when sexual misconduct was found to have occurred, applied in accordance with the unique circumstances of each incident as supported by the evidence.”

Beckman said the panel did not have any guidelines in determining sanctions.

“In the end, the panelists look at the totality of the evidence and try and make a judgement based on that,” he said.

“The university does not have a specific, like, ‘If you’re found responsible for this, this is the sanction,’” Grace added.

Miller said the guidance that a panel has in selecting a suitable punishment are a set of factors outlined in the policy, which include “whether [the conduct] involved violence” and “whether the respondent has accepted responsibility for the conduct.”

The university did not provide statistics on the number of sexual misconduct reports leading to hearings in any year, or how many students have been found responsible for policy violations of a sexual nature, citing FERPA. “The criminal justice system is a far more transparent system than the disciplinary system in colleges and universities,” Beckman said.

“That’s not particularly because the colleges or universities have asked

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that it be closed, but because of these privacy laws.”

Racklin said the lack of transparency is worrisome.

“The university does not have a specific, like, ‘If you’re found responsible for this, this is the sanction.’”

— Thomas Grace “We find it problematic that the panel is made up of administrators and deans. There’s a huge conflict of interest there,” she said. “They have far too much incentive to not make this a transparent process.”

Looking Forward Despite all circumstances, Sweeney remains determined to be part of the national movement toward a fairer handling of sexual assault.

“There’s a list of universities that are under investigation for their handling of sexual assault,” she said. “The list does not cover anywhere near the schools that handle it poorly, because nobody wants a scandal. This is an issue that everyone should be talking about.”

If given the option to reopen the case — though under current NYU policy, cases cannot be reopened — Sweeney said she would not.

“I wouldn’t reopen the case, probably specifically because NYU didn’t kick him out,” she said. “I think that it should be known that NYU found him guilty of rape and only kicked him out for a semester, because I don’t want to offer them the chance to fix the mistake that they made.”

Additional reporting by Emily Bell, Nicole Brown and Dana Reszutek.

Email Felipe De La Hoz at fdelahoz@nyunews.com.

Sexual assault in the national context

By JOHN AMBROSIO, VALENTINA DUQUE BOJANINI and MARITA VLACHOU News Editors

SUNY Announces New Sexual Assault Policy SUNY unveiled a new system-wide sexual assault policy on Dec. 2, following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call for a comprehensive and uniform policy on all campuses.

Universities within the SUNY system will have until March 31 to present a plan explaining how they will ensure compliance with the new policy. SUNY school Hunter College is currently under a federal Title IX compliance review.

The policy will include a Sexual Violence Survivor Bill of Rights, which clearly outlines the rights survivors are entitled to when reporting a sexual assault, as well as the options and support the university provides. Schools including NYU, The New School and Columbia University do not present the rights of survivors in this manner. The policy also includes an 11-line affirmative consent definition, and provides amnesty for survivors who used drugs or had been drinking at the time of the assault.

What is the Federal Sexual Assault Policy Mandate?

President Barack Obama signed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act in March, which requires colleges to update their sexual assault policies by clarifying their reporting policies, and providing educational programs to students and personnel. The new requirements are outlined under Section 304 of the Campus Sexual Violence Act provision. Under the act, colleges have to provide annual statistics of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Schools are required to inform students about where they can receive help and report abusive behavior. School policy must also protect the confidentiality of the victim’s identity. Colleges are required to educate students and personnel on the definition of abusive behavior and consent, and provide a statement explaining that abusive behavior is not allowed. The mandate required that these changes be made by Oct. 1.

What Does Title IX Mean?

Title IX is a section of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prevents discrimination based on gender in educational institutions.

The law also allows the Department of Education to investigate schools for including sexual assault, harassment and violence, which are considered a violation of a student’s civil right to education as they create “a sexually hostile environment.” There are currently 86 schools in the United States under Title IX investigation. While the majority of those schools are being investigated for specific complaints of sexual discrimination, 13 of them are under “compliance review,” which allows the DOE’s Office of Civil Rights to identify and remedy cases of sex discrimination, which may not be addressed through complaint investigation.

Email the news team at news@nyunews.com.

INFORMATION VIA NYU CRIME REPORTS AND STATISTICS

STAFF GRAPHIC BY CICEK EREL

Resources for Sexual Assault Survivors Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE rainn.org NYU Langone Medical Center Institute for Trauma & Stress 215 Lexington Ave., 16th Floor (212) 263-2481

Beth Israel Center Rape Crisis & Domestic Violence Intervention 317 E. 17th St., Fourth Floor (212) 420-4516

Bellevue Hospital Center Rape Crisis & Advocacy Program 462 First Ave. (212) 562-3435

Mount Sinai Medical Center Adolescent Victims Program 312 E. 94th St., First and Second Floors (212) 423-2900

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM

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620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, December 4, 2014

Crossword ACROSS 1 Moving 6 Wizard’s wear 10 Actor Guy of “Memento” 11 Indivisibly 13 They may be blocked in the winter 14 Last line of many a riddle 16 Entertainers with something to get off their chests?

19 Funeral masses 20 ___ Dome (old Colts home) 21 Milk source 22 Green sci.

23 Wise one?

27 Transfer ___ 28 Jokester 29 Contribute 30 Focus of The Source magazine 32 John McCain, for one 35 Baby seal 36 Summer abroad

37 French woman’s name meaning “bringer of victory” 42 The Bahamas, e.g.

46 Word before an advice columnist’s name 47 Tar Heels’ sch.

48 A tot may have a big one 49 Engage in oratory 51 Slimming technique, briefly 52 What a well may produce 54 Burns with a camera 55 O.C.’s home 56 Treat represented visually by this puzzle’s answer 61 One using acid, say 62 Wore 63 Good Samaritan, e.g.

64 Arena, maybe 65 Development on the north side?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE S E L A P A I R F R U I O A S S A L P O G I L O B I R I T U A S S N C H P A R A O P E N D E E D S S N S

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Edited by Will Shortz

66 Mountain nymph DOWN 1 Anise relative 2 Hails 3 Major figure in space?

4 NATO member with the smallest population: Abbr.

5 Hot spot 6 Spreadsheet input 7 Lab safety org.

8 Benefit 9 Pass 10 Popular Polish dish 12 Mideast chieftains: Var. 13 Aston Martin DB5, for 007 15 Qom resident, e.g.

16 Tribe of the Upper Midwest 17 Writer John who was an authority on cards 18 Abbr. on a music score 23 Kind of gland 24 Covert maritime org.

25 Fight against 26 Nonhuman singer of a 1958 #1 song 29 Fast-food chain named after a spice 31 News inits.

33 Last thing learned in kindergarten?

34 Long-billed wader 38 Teller?

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PUZZLE BY DAVID WOOLF

39 Like liquor, in an Ogden Nash verse

44 They may be made with pitching wedges

40 Like volunteer work

45 Vehicles that often have unlicensed drivers

41 Place for un instituteur

53 Philosopher William of ___ 55 “… ish” 57 Lima’s place

42 “Wait ___!”

58 Eye part 50 Group associated with many tourist 59 Upbeat destinations

43 Nouveau ___

51 Took stock?

60 Eye part

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NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY CHRISTINA COLEBURN OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

GREEK LIFE STAFF EDITORIAL

Fraternity culture must improve

By ANNIE COHEN Staff Columnist

Following a Nov. 19 article in Rolling Stone magazine that exposed the gross mishandling of a gang rape that took place at a 2012 frat party, the University of Virginia has banned all fraternities and fraternity-related activities until Jan. 9.

The tradition of Greek-letter fraternities in the United States dates back to 1825, when the Kappa Alpha Society was established at Union College.

Since then, fraternities have become an enormous part of the social landscape at most American universities, but many seemed to have strayed from their original tenets of fellowship and scholarship. Various scandals over the past few years prove that the fraternity system needs to be seriously overhauled and amended, or perhaps be abolished entirely.

Some of the biggest problems on college campuses — rape, sexual abuse, substance abuse and dangerous hazing rituals — have become nearly synonymous with the culture of fraternities.

The behavior is prevalent all across the country, even at some of the most prestigious American universities. In

2012, a Dartmouth undergraduate student published an op-ed in the school newspaper asserting, “Fraternity life is at the core of the college’s human and cultural dysfunctions.” Yale fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon, which counts both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush as alumni, was suspended in 2011 due to their sexist hazing rituals. In November of this year, Johns Hopkins University placed a fraternity on interim suspension for underage drinking after an investigation into a rape that occurred at the fraternity house. The list goes on and on.

This is one of many reasons that President Barack Obama assembled a task force in January to raise awareness and propose solutions for eliminating rape on college campuses.

Eighty-six colleges are under federal investigation for violations of the sexual conduct policy Title IX as of November — NYU is not among them.

While not all sexual violence on campus is a result of fraternity culture, there is an evident correlation.

Despite all of the recent negative press, fraternities do have redeeming factors. They support charitable causes, boost school spirit and can provide a sense of community and belonging for members within a large university. It is unfortunate that whatever good fraternities do is dwarfed by some groups’ undeniable darker qualities. There are simply too many examples of drug- and alcohol-fueled fraternity culture resulting in sexual violence and other dangerous, illegal behavior. While NYU’s Greek life has a good reputation, it also forms a significantly smaller portion of campus life than fraternities at other universities that have had issues.

I am uncertain as to what the correct approach is to reforming fraternity culture, or if that is even possible short of eliminating all Greek life. However harsh that seems, it might be what is necessary in order to ensure the wellbeing and safety of college students across the country.

Email Annie Cohen at opinion@nyunews.com.

CITY POLITICS

Body cameras cannot fix racism

By OMAR ETMAN and TOMMY COLLISON Deputy Opinion Editor and Staff Columnist

A Staten Island grand jury on Wednesday, Dec. 3 failed to charge Daniel Pantaleo, a white police officer, in the July 2014 death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man. A cellphone video captured by Ramsey Orta, a bystander, showed Pantaleo choking Garner, ignoring his cries of “I can’t breathe.” Pantaleo is currently suspended, and his return to the force is pending an internal investigation as chokeholds are not permitted by NYPD policy. Garner’s encounter with the plain-clothes police force began when they suspected he was illegally selling cigarettes on the street. A medical examiner has ruled Garner’s death a homicide caused by both the chokehold and compression of the chest.

Protests began on Wednesday evening in New York City after the verdict’s announcement, and occurred throughout the city, including near the Rockefeller tree lighting. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he would not attend the ceremony af-

SUBMITTING TO

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ter the decision was announced. The unrest marks a second wave of protests in the city, following those in response to the failed indictment of officer Darren Wilson. In both situations, the grand jury — in charge of determining whether enough evidence exists for the case to proceed to trial — acted in the role of a jury.

Rather than allowing due process to move forward as intended by the judicial system, the grand jury overstepped its bounds with extensive deliberations that weighed condemning and exonerating evidence to reach an ultimate decision. Although adopted by the grand jury in these cases, such duties are intended to occur in trial.

On Monday, President Barack Obama requested $75 million in funding for the purchase of body cameras. The move shows that the White House is attuned to minority distrust of local police forces, at least on the

surface. But the proposed technological solution is not a cure-all. Garner’s murder was filmed and Brown’s was not, yet each grand jury ended the same way — without an indictment.

Grand juries do not always fail to indict. In fact, one did move to indict Orta two weeks after Garner’s death.

Orta was charged for possession of weapons, which his wife believes came about as a direct response to Garner’s death. Patrick Lynch, president of the police labor union Patrolman’s Benevolent Association, criticized Orta for “demonizing the good work of police officers.”

Surveillance does not guarantee justice. It remains to be seen if body cameras will reduce the institutional and brutal racial inequality currently evident in policing. Garner’s case proves that video evidence is not enough. Our legal system was created to serve white men — cops especially, it seems. The widespread adoption of body-camera technology will change the type of evidence that is collected, not the minds of those responsible for interpreting it.

Email Omar Etman and Tommy Collison at opinion@nyunews.com.

NYU’s shameful rape policy fails survivors Trigger warning: rape, sexual assault, PTSD WSN reported today that Brandon Olsen, then a freshman at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, raped fellow freshman Ashley Sweeney off-campus in September 2013. Sweeney attempted suicide twice in the aftermath of the assault before filing charges with local police in February 2014. NYU found Olsen guilty of non-consensual sexual intercourse, in violation of NYU’s Sexual Misconduct Policy in March 2014. In spite of the severity of Olsen’s crime, NYU is permitting him to return to campus for the Spring 2015 semester, provided he receives counseling to “address whatever issues may have contributed to, or precipitated, his behavioral choices,” complete community service and not communicate with Sweeney. His punishments were a mere suspension for the remainder of the Spring and Fall 2014 semesters and an idle ban from university housing.

By trivially penalizing Olsen for a crime of this magnitude, NYU demonstrates its inability to seriously address sexual assault. The university’s shameful adjudication is an insult to Sweeney and the trauma she and other survivors of rape have endured. This case demonstrates that NYU is complicit in the disturbing nationwide trend of treating rape as a minor offense rather than a full-fledged felony. If NYU intends to address rape with the severity it deserves, the university must adopt a zerotolerance policy for future cases.

The current attitude is discouragingly pervasive and undeniably toxic. Rapists should receive the harshest university response possible and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Thomas Grace, NYU director of the Office of Community Standards, said the process for determining how to punish perpetrators depends on the exact circumstances of the incident.

There is no set policy for how the university should deal with rape cases going forward.

The university examined cases “roughly akin” to Sweeney’s within the past three years, and “found that suspension and expulsion were equally common outcomes.” The difference between the outcomes was attributed to the “unique circumstances of each incident.” This case-by-case method is an excellent standard when considering evidence in disciplinary hearings, but it has no place in determining punishment once guilt has been found. Rape is rape. The recent changes to NYU’s sexual assault policy required by Title IX has positively redefined consent, yet they have not significantly altered punishments, which is needed for heinous crimes such as rape.

The lack of transparency in the university’s handling of sexual misconduct cases is extremely troubling. NYU’s failure to provide statistics on hearings regarding sexual misconduct is inexcusable and indicates its refusal to take full accountability for its response to such cases.

NYU should not have given Olsen a petty suspension and housing banishment — he should have been expelled. If NYU is unable or unwilling to sufficiently determine an appropriate punishment, this type of case should be ceded to the police. This punishment should not apply solely to Olsen, but to all rapists enrolled in college. Approaching rape with a dismissive and forgiving attitude indicates a tolerance for a crime that threatens campus health and public safety. Acceptance of sexual assault to any degree is an affront to decency and justice.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD: Christina Coleburn (Chair), Omar Etman (Co-chair), Adam Fazlibegu (Co-chair), Tess Woosley (Co-chair) ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDAN ENRIQUEZ

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 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

ARTS

EDITED BY ALEX GREENBERGER ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Exhibitions to explore Walk the Moon album over winter break sounds too familiar REVIEW

By ALEX GREENBERGER Arts Editor

Between readings and essays, there is often not enough time for students to see art during the semester. But for those who come back to New York City early, winter break is a perfect opportunity to check out museums and galleries.

Though the Museum of Modern Art’s “Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs” has generated a lot of buzz, the timed-ticketed exhibition often sells out early in the afternoon, well before many visitors get to the museum.

“The Heart is Not a Metaphor,” the museum’s Robert Gober retrospective, is a great, lesscrowded alternative. Featuring large installations and surreal sculptures, the exhibition offers a heavy dose of body horror, an emotional memorial for 9/11 victims and minimalist prayers for the AIDS era. Sure to affect even the most averse to contemporary art, the Gober show is truly moving.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Cubism: The Leonard A. Lauder Collection,” one of the season’s other blockbuster exhibitions, is also a must-see.

The show is the result of a donation to the museum by Leonard A. Lauder, a collector who took out $20 million in loans to buy work by the Cubists. The 81 works on view by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris and Fernand Léger are already causing critics to rewrite the history of Cubism, the 20th-century movement that broke pictures into shapes and brought everyday life into paintings. The uninitiated and the well-informed alike will have a good time at-

tempting to make heads or tails of these challenging, beautifully crafted abstractions.

Those in search of a smallerscale show should look no further than Kara Walker’s “Afterword,” currently on view at Sikkema Jenkins Co. in Chelsea.

This gallery exhibition is Walker’s follow-up to “A Subtlety,” her mammoth sugar mammy-sphinx sculpture, which drew large crowds to the Domino Sugar Factory this summer. “Afterword” not only documents Walker’s process as she designed “A Subtlety,” but also features “An Audience,” a video that captures what people did when they saw her sugar sculpture, including some of the lewd selfies taken with the work’s large vagina.

Also in Chelsea is Takashi Murakami’s show at Gagosian Gallery, “In the Land of Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow.”

For this exhibition, Murakami has made more of his trademark paintings and sculptures that mix Japanese and Western styles.

As strange combinations of Abstract Expressionist and Pop tendencies, these works seem at first to be light, colorful images, but quickly reveal themselves to be complex meditations on what happens when East meets West after natural disasters.

These four exhibitions are the perfect way to spend your time on a cold winter day, and they might even make for a good Instagram or two in the process.

Whether you want to expand your horizons about contemporary art or are a well-read art historian, these shows will offer a strange and new experience.

Email Alex Greenberger at agreenberger@nyunews.com

By ZANE WARMAN Staff Writer

Depending on the listener, Walk the Moon’s freewheeling tunes about lust, cars and self-reproach could be achingly relatable or irritatingly melodramatic. In its self-titled debut in 2012, the poppy quartet situated itself at the crossroads between New Wave icons and contemporary young-adult rock stars. The goofy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics illustrated a confidence that was juvenile and twee to a fault, but they are forgiven by irresistible melodies that framed them as hopelessly romantic.

Sadly and unsurprisingly, the band’s newest album, “Talking is Hard,” seems trapped by the immaturity of its younger audience that propelled it into the spotlight. The songs are shorter than those on its first album, and more anchored in basic four-chord song formats. The cleaner, more pop-focused production acts like a whip for every other aspect of the album. With a larger audience to appease, the song structures become more simplistic and the lyrics less mature.

The attempt at widespread appeal is no clearer than in “Different Colors,” the band’s turn at an LGBTQ anthem, in which they declare “We’ll be rude, we’ll be loud/ As long as it takes.” When not directly addressing listeners with superficial “victory marches,” as the band calls them, Walk the Moon returns to its bread-and-butter.

The band continues to place its romances on a pedestal, but crosses over into clichés of dancing and destined love much more often.

The biggest trouble the record faces is lifting from its idols while still sounding authentic. The stuttered vocals on “Sidekick,” the thorny

synthesizer that holds together “Portugal” and vocoder harmonies and drum-machine patterns do little to reimagine the colors in which the album paints. “Work This Body’s” pounded electric piano, choir-like background and precise guitar solo means to be a Queen-sized epic but comes off as silly, complete with a nonsensical lyric about burning a flame in the pouring rain. On “Up 2 U,” singer Nicholas Petricca’s out-oftune glissando morphs into an outof-place punky wail.

Many elements are in the name of experimentation, but most are half-baked ideas.

There are moments where retro worship and modern execution come together in perfect balance, finding the group in its most original form. “Avalanche” is the closest the band gets to harkening back to its debut sound while having the nuanced production work in the song’s favor. Incidents in the instrumentation playfully complement the lyrics, which is an example of Walk the Moon’s penchant for capturing the feeling of childlike infatuation as a world-shaking disruption. Another exception to the rule is “Come Under the Covers,” a soaring moment with panoramic synths.

Walk the Moon’s second record shows development stylistically, but its presentation is largely a shallow imitation of the trendiest music of today and of the ’80s. “Talking is Hard” is the sound of a band that is, like the youth of its demographic, torn between being popular and fleshing out a unique voice, with no idea how to reconcile the two. For Walk the Moon’s new album, talking does not seem to be as hard as making an enduring statement.

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Email Zane Warman at music@nyunews.com.

EDITED BY CHRIS MARCOTRIGIANO SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Undefeated co-captain recounts season thus far The NYU women’s swimming and diving team has started the season with an impressive 6-0 record. It also finished first out of four teams at the NYU Fall Invitational. The Violets are led by senior and co-captain Emily Doerner.

Doerner was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and is a photography major in the Tisch School of the Arts.

She was a member of the swim team throughout all four years of high school and set the record in the 100-meter fly and was a recipient of the Parkway Swim Club Senior Recognition Award, Parkway Swim Club Star Award and Parkway Central High Girl’s Team Most

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

Valuable Swimmer Award.

Doerner competes in both butterfly and backstroke events. During her time at NYU, Doerner has set several school records. In her sophomore year, she had 12 first-place finishes and set school records at the time in the 200-meter medley relay and the 200-meter free relay.

In her junior year, Doerner earned the All-America honors for her eighth-place finish in the DIII NCAA Championship. She was named NYU Female Junior Scholar Athlete of the Year last season.

But Doerner’s accomplishments do not end in the pool. She is heavily involved with New York Cares, a nonprofit charity organization, and she plans to attend graduate school. She said she will not con-

tinue to swim competitively after graduation, however.

For the 2014-15 season, Doerner was named a co-captain for the second year in a row along with sophomore Michelle Kierencew and junior Krista Traub. The Violets have started the season with victories of which none were close, with decisive victories of 100 or more points. They are now ranked number six by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.

“We should continue swimming well, and hopefully we will make a strong appearance at the NCAAs,” Doerner said.

Doerner noted the presence of the strong freshman class that has given the team a boost.

“Every year is slightly different

because we bring in a new freshman class and this year’s freshmen are some very talented swimmers,” she said.

The Violets are off to their best start since the 2009-10 season. They will be competing in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship this weekend, and Doerner said she is confident the team will have postseason success due to its hard work and preparation.

Doerner will be back in action with the rest of her team from Dec. 5 to 7 to compete in the ECAC Championship at the Nassau County Aquatics Center in East Meadow, New York.

Email Kyle Luther at sports@nyunews.com.

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KRISTINA BOGOS, RACHEL KAPLAN, CLIO MCCONNELL, JORDAN MELENDREZ, KALEEL MUNROE, JONATHAN TAN 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.

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If you believe we have erred, contact the managing editors at managing@nyunews. com or at 212.998.4302.