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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 | NYUNEWS.COM

NYU Law Advises LAPD Through Policing Project

By HERMAN LEE Staff Writer

NYU is extending its influence to the West Coast with its involvement in the Policing Project, a collection of faculty, students and administrators from NYU Law who help enhance policing policies.

The Los Angeles Police Department will re-evaluate its policy on the release of body camera

footage with the group’s help.

May 7 is the projected date for the Policing Project to submit its report of community input initiatives from Los Angeles residents to the LAPD for review, along with recommendations for the policy itself.

The LAPD currently only releases body camera footage on an ad hoc basis, as the result of a court order or if there is a significant public safety issue.

VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG

NYU Law’s Policing Project serves to strengthen policing policies through democratic governance. Administrators, students and faculty are currently working with the LAPD on re-evaluating body camera footage policies.

The Policing Project’s Deputy Director Maria Ponomarenko said that the issue of policing has gained a lot of attention due to high-profile shootings after which the public has demanded to see video footage of incidents.

Ponomarenko said she believes many police departments face problems when they do not have clear policies on video releases, and when they only release videos in response to post-shooting protests, questions arise as to why they do not always make them available to the public.

“What they need is for a clear policy, whether that policy says the video should be released right away or after six months or wait until there has been a decision of whether anybody is going to be tried criminally,” Ponomarenko said. “That is up to communities to decide, and there are strong arguments in each direction.”

She also said that last summer, similar projects were enacted in Camden, N.J. and New York City and that the Policing Project is currently working with police departments in Tucson, Ariz., Cleveland, and Tampa, Fla. to make policing more public.

NYU Law professor and Policing Project Director Barry Friedman said there are several considerations that must be taken into account regarding the re-

New Scholarship at NYU London

By ARUSHI SAHAY Staff Writer

President Andrew Hamilton announced the creation of a newsscholarship in honor of former NYU Law professor and Director of NYU London Gary Slapper — who died suddenly last December — at his memorial in late March.

Aside from working at NYU, Slapper was a columnist for the Times of London in the United Kingdom.

Slapper also published multiple books on subjects including white collar crime and explorations of the English legal system, and he occasionally worked as a legal consultant on TV dramas.

The scholarship will be awarded biannually, once in the fall and once in the spring. Though Slapper was a law professor, this scholarship will not be available to law students because NYU London does not have a law program.

Undergraduate majors that qualify for the scholarship include Dramatic Literature, Economics and Psychology, among others.

Associate Vice Chancellor of Global Programs Josh Taylor said the scholarship is a way for NYU to recognize Slapper and his beliefs at NYU London.

“We could think of no better way to honor the memory of Gary than to name a scholarship for him that seeks to address one of his core beliefs: that financial constraints

lease of body camera footage.

“On the one hand, there are considerations like transparency and accountability — the public is interested to know what happens [in] the investigation,” Friedman said. “On the other hand there are concerns about privacy and security, so people might be captured in the video who don’t want to be publicly identified.”

Friedman also said that the safety of witnesses in videos is a concern, as sometimes, when videos are released but witnesses do not come forward, the video may over-persuade juries.

“What is important is that we are asking the public, because the public needs to express its views,” Friedman said. “We have produced a video about this issue, and we would love to see this video go viral.”

Jeffrey Rosenthal, a partner at Cleary and Gottlieb — the law firm that offers pro bono counselling for the Policing Project — said that the project approached a wide range of people in Los Angeles for their opinions on body camera footage policy.

“The people we are talking to are members of the community,” Rosenthal said. “We are talking to police officers, we are talking to people in the mayor’s office [and] we were talking to the district attorney’s office, including the district attorney, and we are talking to various ac-

tivist groups and civic organizations like Black Lives Matter and other community organizations like the ACLU.” Rosenthal also said that the LAPD’s policy on body camera footage can be applied to police departments across the country, as it increases public input in policing policies.

“The goal of the Los Angeles police commission is to solicit input, to really consider all sides of the issue when it comes to their policy,” Rosenthal said. “I think that is extremely admirable, and I think that other police departments around the country can work to embark on similar projects to try to build a consensus around policy, because I think that really helps promote transparency in policing.”

Friedman believes NYU students would be doing the nation a service by helping raise awareness about the community input initiative.

“Everybody has friends in Los Angeles, and everybody knows people in Los Angeles,” Friedman said. “I really urge everybody from the NYU Community to do us and Los Angeles and the country a big favor by letting everyone in Los Angeles know about the community input initiative.”

Email Herman Lee at news@nyunews.com.

CRIME LOG

March 27 to April 2

By COCO WANG Deputy News Editor

PHOTO BY ALEX MUHAWI-HO

A new scholarship was created to lessen financial strain would not be a burden for those who want to study away at NYU London. It is named after NYU Law professor and Director of NYU London Gary Slapper, who passed away suddenly last December. [should] not limit the ability of students to pursue their studies at NYU London,” Taylor said.

SPS junior Darren He said the new scholarship could help students with the financial difficulties of studying at NYU London.

He said that for him, living in London has been more expensive than living in New York City, and he believes that other students suffering under the financial burden of studying abroad would benefit from Slapper’s scholarship.

“It would be great if the scholarship could be distributed to a number of students instead of a single student or however it’s structured,” He said. “Otherwise I don’t see how else it could benefit the students, aside from helping [them] out financially.”

Other students, such as LS sophomore April Kim, feel positively about the scholarship because it is unique to the NYU London site.

She thinks the introduction of this scholarship will benefit students and honor the London campus, which offers a lot to students.

“I think there are certain qualities and benefits [NYU London] provides that I think [are] worthwhile having a scholarship dedicated to,” Kim said. “London in itself is such a great place to spend time, and Gary Slapper was so integral to the community there. So I think it’s understandable they want to dedicate it to NYU London kids.”

Email Arushi Sahay at news@nyunews.com.

The NYU Department of Public Safety received one report of larceny and two reports of harassment between March 27 and April 2.

Larceny

On March 29 at 7:50 p.m., a student reported that their backpack and its contents were missing from a locker in the Palladium Athletic Facility. A police report was filed.

Harassment On March 29 at 12:25 a.m., a student reported being harassed by a non-NYU male via electronic messages. A police report was filed.

On March 29 at 2:15 p.m., a student reported being harassed in the Kimmel Center for University Life and later via phone calls by an unknown male. A police report was filed.

Email Coco Wang at cwang@nyunews.com

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One Dietician for 50,000 Students

By CAROLINE HASKINS Staff Writer

PHOTO BY ALEX MUHAWI-HO

NYU President Andrew Hamilton, along with other NYU students and faculty, spoke against President Trump’s budget proposal.

Trump’s Proposal Concerns NYU

By MACK DEGEURIN Staff Writer

President Andrew Hamilton was featured in The Washington Post‘s March 25 issue, voicing his criticism of the budget proposal from President Donald Trump’s administration to cut funding to the National Institute of Health by $5.8 billion.

The 2017 budget proposal aims to radically restructure government spending by emphasizing national security and defense spending. To accomplish this goal, the president’s blueprint would significantly cut funding to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, among other departments.

Faculty and students at NYU have spoken against these potential changes, citing concerns for the university and the advancement of science and learning as a whole. Biology Department Chair and Biology Professor Justin Blau said research grants from the National Institute of Health currently fund many NYU science labs. Blau said that these grants support research, pay postdoctoral fellows and technicians and are crucial in supporting Ph.D. students.

“All of the supplies and even some of the equipment in our labs come from these grants,” Blau said.

“Smaller grants or less grants would slow progress, since we [would] not be able to hire as many researchers and do as many experiments.”

Blau believes that a reduction in grants as a result of the new budget would limit NYU’s ability to hire researchers, therefore stymieing innovation. If approved, the proposed budget cuts would reduce NIH funding by 20 percent next year.

While cuts to the NIH might slow the advancement of quality research at NYU, Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs Steven Heuer said that the budget’s targeting of the Department of Education is more worrying and could adversely affect the university’s most economically vulnerable students.

“Of particular concern to NYU are the cuts, were they [to be] implemented, on programs like Pell Grants and Federal Work-Study, which are heavily relied on by low-income students,” Heuer said.

“And also those on health and science research, which provide crucial funding for faculty to conduct their research.”

Heuer said these cuts would make it harder for students from

poor families to get a college degree and for American researchers to maintain their international lead in the sciences. He said the long-term outcome would be a less educated work force and an innovation deficit.

Members of the NYU faculty and administration are already preparing to take some steps toward counter ingwhat they see as a constant attack on the maths and sciences. According to Heuer, this week NYU became the first university to partner with the March for Science, an activist march on Washington, D.C. that seeks to strengthen protections for the scientific community.

NYU students are also voicing their opposition to the proposed cuts to the Department of Education. Heuer said that a group of 36 NYU students will meet with members of Congress on April 6 to pledge their support to Pell Grants and Federal Work-Study programs.

CAS sophomore Audrey Montague, who said that she relies on work-study to help pay her bills, voiced her concern over this initiative.

“Trump’s plan will take vital resources, such as money for food and school supplies, from the students who need it most,” Montague said. “Programs like work-study are extremely important for low-income college students.”

Along with budgetary cuts to the Department of Education, the new administration aims to transform the way families select their elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, with a renewed emphasis on School Choice through federal vouchers.

If passed, the cuts would reduce funding for afterschool and summer enrichment programs by $1.2 billion, and would also eliminate $2.4 billion in grants used to train teachers and school leaders. As a student pursuing a career in education, Gallatin junior Madeline Perlmutter thinks these decisions have long-term consequences.

“By reducing the growth and professional developments of teachers, and by eliminating out-of-school time, the youth of the United States are being deprived of basic educational opportunities that would be a benefit to society as a whole,” Perlmutter said. “The future of our country is at risk if we do not load our schools with resources that promote student success.”

Email Mack DeGeurin at news@nyunews.com.

If one of the 50,000 students at NYU seeks the attention of a dietician at the Student Health Center, they mustwait between two weeks and one month for nutritional services due to limited staff — there is only one registered dietician available.

Student Health Center dietician Laura Bennett is responsible for treating students with eating disorders, medical conditions, weight control problems and those adapting to vegetarian or vegan lifestyles. Ryan Turner is available as a part-time nutritionist only for varsity athletes at NYU, and his main focus is to use nutrition to optimize performance and prevent injury. Psychotherapists are available for additional eating disorder treatment and provide services through NYU Langone Hospital in severe cases — typically characterized by a dangerously low weight.

Despite the availability of only one dietician, a Tandon freshman who spoke with WSN on the condition of anonymity to protect her identiy said that the SHC’s dietician services have

WSN FILE PHOTO

There is only one dietician for the 50,000 students at NYU. Students voiced concerns with this ratio, especially regarding treatment for disordered eating habits.

been extremely constructive for treating her eating disorder. However, she said that the slow turnover for booking appointments is concerning.

“At any given time, she is booked for a month out,” the student said. “We have over 50,000 people attending NYU, many of whom likely have disordered eating habits. It’s irresponsible for NYU to be ill-prepared to address an epidemic that primarily affects their students.”

She said that when her counselor initially mentioned seeing a nutritionist as an option for coping with her disordered eating habits, she jumped at the opportunity to make a positive change in a behavior that she felt had persisted too long.

“I hoped to see the nutritionist promptly, but when I tried to schedule an appointment, she was booked for weeks solid — I had to wait about a month for an appointment,” the student said. “I understand she’s in high demand, because, first, nutrition issues are heavily prevalent, and second, because she offers wonderful treatment options. But I just feel like the Student Health Center could do more for its patrons if they expanded their nutrition services.”

Langone doctor and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry professor Kathryn Cheney said that eating disorders are caused by an imbalance of hormones and neurotransmitters.

This imbalance can be induced by a period of emotional stress that is common among college students.

“I think the really important thing that comes along with eating disorders is the amount of shame and guilt associated with it,” Cheney said. “And so it’s really important to be supportive. It’s hard. It’s very hard.”

Women between the ages of 18 and 24 are most vulnerable for the onset of an eating disorder, and Bennett said that 25 to 40 percent of college women have a diagnosable eating disorder at some point in their college career. She said the demand for services is high, but the Student Health Center supports her efforts successfully.

“Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, and when very strong and severe, I may refer students for high levels of care,” Bennett said. “This is a joint decision, however, and I help them find the best option to meet their treatment needs. Nutrition therapy can be challenging but also helpful in an effort to team with the person struggling and overcome their eating disorder. I work with students toward eating mindfully and eventually intuitively.”

Bennett said that although a number of universities employ multiple registered dietitians, others don’t employ any. Therefore, she is grateful that NYU respects the need for a dietician and allows her to continue her services.

Steinhardt senior Priya Solanki, who was involved in planning National Eating Disorder Awareness Week events at NYU from 2014 to 2016, believes that eating disorders are not given enough attention at the Student Health Center.

“I think that especially with eating disorders, they haven’t placed any specific attention to [them],” Solanki said. “I feel like a lot of people who have an eating disorder feel left out of the facilities and resources that we do have available.”

Email Caroline Haskins at news@nyunews.com.

Professor Becomes GSAS Dean

By COCO WANG Deputy News Editor

NYU President Andrew Hamilton and Provost Katherine E. Fleming announced March 27 in an open letter to the Graduate School of Arts and Science that professor Phillip Harper has been appointed the new Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science in an open letter.

Harper, who has been on the faculty since 1995, is a humanities scholar with a specialty in American Literature, Gender Studies and other fields. He is the founding chair of the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis and the former Department of English chair.

NYU pokesperson Matt Nagel said that the university thinks Harper is the right person for this position, because his qualifications will lend to his ability to carry out the role.

“We are thrilled Professor Phillip Brian Harper has accepted the position,” Nagel said. “He is a well-respected scholar, a proven leader within GSAS, someone who has demonstrated great care for graduate students and a powerful advocate for graduate education.”

English Professor Christopher Cannon said that nobody in the department has Harper’s level of administrative experience.

“Phil [Harper] has an encyclopedic

understanding of NYU, partly from having held so many administrative positions, but also because he has an extraordinarily fine mind for detail,” Cannon said. “I sometimes think no chair in English or the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis really should dare to make an important decision without consulting him first.”

Harper attributed his desire to apply to his experience as a joint-appointed administrator in both the the SCA and English departments.

“Once you take on administrative roles within your academic department, you become interested and participate in the overall scene of the whole education enterprise at a higher level than just within the department,” Harper said. “I’m interested in forwarding the activities of the larger Arts and Science unit, which I can do from a dean position but can not within [my] department.”

Harper said that his top priority will be to get familiar with all the activities across GSAS to understand what he needs to work on as a dean.

“Since my primary responsibility is to ensure a good experience for all graduate students and to support our faculty and departments in their educational and research mission, the best way to achieve that is first to meet everyone in all of those units, and to listen, listen, listen as much as I can about what the objec-

tives are to all of them,” Harper said.

Like many faculty members in the Departments of SCA and English, Associate English Professor Elizabeth McHenry, who has worked with Harper for over 15 years, expressed her sadness at his departure.

“I will miss having daily contact with him in the English Department, where his leadership can be felt and seen in all of our practices,” McHenry said. “He has been an invaluable mentor in whom I’ve had a model for what it means to teach and conduct scholarship in the humanities at the highest level.”

Email Coco Wang at cwang@nyunews.com.

VIA ENGLISH.FAS.NYU.EDU

Phillip Brian Harper of NYU English will become the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

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‘Spring Awakening’ Reveals Harmonies

By ALEXANDRA PIERSON Theater and Books Editor

This past weekend, Duncan Sheik’s beautiful and challenging modern score of tightly clustered harmonies and Steven Sater’s script for “Spring Awakening” read like breathless poetry. Audience members were in for an emotional rollercoaster reminiscent of those angsty adolescent years during Steinhardt’s sold-out production this past weekend.

The musical refuses to apologize for the socially taboo, triumphantly raising serious questions about education, sexuality, morals and authority.

The musical is adapted from Frank Wedekind’s controversial classic drama about the dangers of sexual oppression in the 19th century. Still set in 1800s Germany, the musical follows a group of tormented young adults as they struggle to find meaning in a corrupt world. Much of the story revolves around a chilling question posed by one adolescent, Thea (senior Naree Ketudat), in act one — how they would know what to do if their parents didn’t tell them?”

Senior Cathy Ang brilliantly captured Wendla Bergman’s overwhelming innocence and curiosity, contrasted by the brooding cynicism and rebellious intellect of junior Daniel Youngelman’s Melchior Gabor. The tension between the two was conscientiously crafted, creating an unrest only remedied when their voices seamlessly complemented one another in song. Wendla’s eventual rape was poignant and symbolic, taking place atop a makeshift hayloft formed by four stools and a chalkboard onto which the word “shame” has been written. Traces of chalk lingered on Melchior and Wendla’s clothes as a reminder of their

OSHUN’s ‘Sango’ Challenges Reality

By SABEENA SINGHANI Contributing Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA GUHDE

Steinhardt’s “Spring Awakening” captures the issues that come with sexual oppression in the 1800s. The musical ran from March 30 to April 2. lost innocence.

Meanwhile, hapless Moritz Stiefel (sophomore Dillon Knight Drozdz) is plagued by his sexual naivete, persecuted by his teachers and overwhelmed by his school’s impossible expectations. Drozdz took a different approach to the role, straying from the frustrated resentment of John Gallagher Jr.’s original, in favor of more subdued desperation. His portrayal provided an extremely effective and relatable look into the stigmas surrounding mental illness.

Senior Alex Guhde’s Ilse was ethereal. Throughout the play her character became a bright spot on a dark canvas, delicately pleading Moritz and the audience to “walk as far as my house with me.” Her voice, silently screaming with the hope that they should both see another day, came only moments before the tragedy of Moritz’s gut-wrenching suicide.

“The Dark I Know Well,” a haunting duet about the sexual abuse suffered by Ilse and Martha, played by junior Emily McNally, was a kick in the groin for anyone who has ever doubted the sheer vocal force of the alto. Other shining moments included senior Matt Ross’ coquettish Hanschen and sophomore Tony Carrubba’s equally coy Ernst. Their clandestine romance

provided some much-needed comic relief to the story.

Professor Christopher Murrah’s direction was spellbinding, with cast members often functioning as frozen set pieces and multiple voices echoing the demands of omnipresent authority figures.

The occasional use of the play’s native German was a much appreciated touch, grounding the audience in the musical’s dramatic origins. The lighting captured the musical’s tone, with introspective blues, innocent greens and jarring yellows, and even it incorporated flashlights into the performance.

Adam Fleming’s choreography was controlled and angular, reflecting oppression in its slightest movements. All the vocals in the performance were excellent, with careful Latin pronunciations to boot, and the performers should be proud to have tackled such a demanding score.

At times, however, the orchestra overpowered the cast members.

This is an incurable flaw of occupying a small performance space. On the heels of Deaf West’s innovative production, Steinhardt Stage Company’s “Spring Awakening” was truly an accomplishment.

Email Alexandra Pierson at theater@nyunews.com.

Former NYU students Thandiwe and Niambi Sala — known as the performing duo OSHUN — released their first music ­ video for their track “Sango” this past Thursday. OSHUN, named after the Yoruba deity that inspires them, strives to spread messages of empowerment in all forms: cultural, spiritual or women’s empowerment. “Sango” mirrors all these themes, with lyrics like “A weak woman goes where she is smiled at / But I’ve never seen a smile quite like yours.”

The yellow tones that “Sango” plays with are a nod to the Yoruba movement, and a warm glow is cast over a bedroom as the song opens. Director Jonah Best’s cinematography breaks into dream-like sequences and first-person shots of the muse, Xxavier “Superzay” Polk.

The film takes viewers into the deepest, most relatable parts of love, as Thandiwe sings “Even though you kept it real with me and you been blunt / Saying that we

won’t be together and this is only lust.” She is pensive in every shot, often staring at the ceiling and admiring little trinkets from Polk.

Both Thandiwe and Sala address their awareness of the camera, which grounds the scenes in real time. The breaking of the fourth wall is paralleled with a speedy progression of their relationship, a surrealist tactic director Best has clearly mastered. The camera frames Polk as if he were the viewer’s muse as well, and the duality of the interactions between Polk, Thandiwe and Niambi also makes this experience ours.

The emotionality of OSHUN is characterized by its blurring of reality and fiction. Clouds and smoke are incorporated into the colors and textures of Best’s ethereal video. The styling, done by Stitch n Run, adds to the already otherworldly, spiritual feelings that “Sango” masters. Hopefully, this is only the beginning of Best’s thoughtful showcasing of OSHUN. Email Sabeena Singhani at music@nyunews.com.

VIA YOUTUBE.COM

March 29 saw the release of Oshun’s music video for “Sango,” on YouTube, which balances masculine and feminine energy.

Drawing up to Disney and DreamWorks

By LOUIS RODRIGUEZ Contributing Writer

Animation was born from doodlers filling the margins of their composition books. Scribbles become stories and amateurs become animators, limited only by the scope of their imaginations. But the wizards behind your favorite childhood films are hard workers who put countless hours into mere seconds of anima-

tion. Animators’ works often require navigating an industry that’s difficult, competitive and always evolving.

This past Wednesday, the Student Animation League hosted two Tisch alums who are now professional animators. Isabelle Gedigk, a story artist at Disney Television, and Garrett Lewis, a 3D animator at DreamWorks Animation, spoke to aspiring animators about their journeys to where they are now. Professors Dean

PHOTO BY LOUIS RODRIGUEZ

From left to right, Professor John Canemaker, Professor Dean Lennert, Disney storyboard artist Isabelle Gedigk and Dreamworks 3D animator Garrett Lewis discuss the animation industry .

Lennert and John Canemaker moderated the event.

Gedigk spoke first and illustrated the small steps she took before arriving at Disney Television. Titmouse, an animation studio in New York, gave her an internship and a job after graduation, where she worked as a clean-up artist. After a year, Gedigk moved to Los Angeles to pursue storyboarding. She first found a job in character design and later worked as a storyboard artist for a stop-motion company before Disney picked her up.

“It was a lot of patience and hard work and taking a lot of jobs that I knew was going to get me a little bit closer, even if it wasn’t quite there,” Gedigk said.

For Lewis, the move to Los Angeles wasn’t easy. He applied to 10 studios a day but would only get about two responses out of 100 job applications. When he got an inter-

view at DreamWorks, he learned that they had contacted every studio he worked at to confirm his solid reputation. Big studios like those take no chances.

Gedigk and Lewis also advised the audience to reach out to professionals who can be open to giving advice, answering questions and critiquing their work.

“Everybody loves to give advice, so you shouldn’t be afraid to ask,” Canemaker said. “It’s very flattering.”

While at Tisch, Lewis reached out to an NYU graduate to ask him questions and ended up visiting Blue Sky Studios, where the animator worked. He showed Lewis some of his work and even critiqued Lewis’ portfolio.

“Don’t show your stuff and expect that you’re going to get praise,” Lennert said. “Be ready for frank advice and also be ready to act on that.”

Theirs was to start building con-

nections now. Both animators kept emphasizing that to all students preparing their career. They said that the people students collaborated with now would become friends who could recommend them for a job later. By drawing from their ties to former NYU students, Gedigk and Lewis were able to find jobs many students dreamed of.

After years of feedback and working on her portfolio, Gedigk said what ultimately helped get her job at Disney Television was a referral by an NYU graduate. Gedigk is currently working for the animated show “Lion Guard” at Disney Television.

“One thing I realized after graduating was that — way more so than any professional connections you may make — your friends are going to get you to your job,” Gedigk said.

Email Louis Rodriguez at entertainment@nyunews.com.

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Anne Hathaway Faces Monsters in ‘Colossal’

By ETHAN SAPIENZA Film Editor

As Nacho Vigalondo’s new film “Colossal” opens, a gigantic beast with skin that looks like tree bark has suddenly materialized over Seoul, South Korea. After a night of drinking, Gloria (Anne Hathaway) awakens to news coverage on the scores of Koreans who have perished under the creature’s attack.

Horrified, she notices one extra hitch: the monster’s actions exactly mimic her own — everything from phone tossing to dancing.

It turns out, if she does it, then so does the creature.

The film begins with Gloria breaking up with and getting evicted by her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) because of her incessant lies regarding her drinking habits.

Lacking money and a home, Gloria moves back to her childhood abode, which is inexplicably empty and

By RYAN MIKEL Staff Writer Tisch alumnus Jacoby Pruitt returned to his home turf Wednesday evening for Ailey 2’s New York season premiere at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Un-

COURTESY OF NICHOLAS ROSE

Ailey 2 is composed of multiple choreographed works that serve to connect to the community. It played at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts from March 29 to April 2.

unattended to. Back in her hometown, she swears to Tim she’ll get her life in order — until her plans quickly run amok when she runs into her old friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) who happens to own a bar. Needless to say, more drinking than life-organizing ensues.

It’s during these binge-drinking sessions when the unnamed Kaiju monster first appears, and a simple allegory is established — Gloria’s internal demons of alcoholism are manifested physically in the monster. This concept is fitting and joyfully toyed with throughout the film’s first hour. Hathaway plays up the absurdity of having a monster-double, drunkenly relishing in the ability to make it gyrate here and there, which works as a tremendously bizarre yet entertaining visual gag. The actress also grounds the absurdity in solemnity as she emotionally

elaborates on how her movements can have very dire and disastrous effects.

It then seems that “Colossal” would progress into a narrative simply about confronting one’s personal issues, which would have worked just fine. The concept of the film is original and wondrous enough to justify such a straightforward story. Instead, the film takes a turn for the peculiar, as Oscar discovers he has his own Kaiju, a robot.

While his demons are introduced — at one point we get a glimpse of his disgustingly cluttered home — “Colossal” instead reaches for a commentary on male privilege.

There’s just one issue — the film’s second-half turn makes no logical sense within the story’s progression. Much of the issue lies in Oscar’s characterization in the first half, as he’s a nice, unassuming dude whom anyone would want to grab a beer with — typical fare

for Sudeikis. However, there isn’t a whiff of the insecurity, sadism or controlling behavior in Oscar’s nice-guy persona that’s needed to justify his sudden character change — upon which he becomes remarkably cruel.

Sudeikis portrays both halves of Oscar convincingly, suggesting that Vigalondo’s writing is to blame for the fact that his character — and the movie — make essentially no sense. This point is furthered by the fact that the film doesn’t dedicate much time to explaining the reasons behind Gloria’s alcoholism — a very half-baked explanation with a career in journalism is vaguely offered — nor does it work to truly address the issue. The origin of the monsters is neglected as well, relying on a supernatural event that has no explanation and chemistry between Gloria and Oscar as children that simply isn’t there.

“Colossal” sadly has two halves

COURTESY OF CINETIC MEDIA

Anne Hathaway stars in “Colossal,” a film about a woman and the discovery of her connection to a creature terrorizing Seoul, South Korea set to release April that just don’t add up, resulting in a film with too many of its own issues to overcome.

“Colossal” opens in theaters this Friday.

Email Ethan Sapienza at film@nyunews.com.

NYU Grad Takes Professional Stage der the direction of Trey Powell, the evening revolved around three new works, choreographed for the 12 talented and diverse dancers of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s second company.

“Circular,” choreographed by Jae Man Joon, opened with the company in silhouetted, statuesque poses against a barren, atmospheric and chrome-colored landscape.

Dancer Tara Bellardini’s miniscule solo movements began the piece in silence before thumbing piano keys signaled the rest of Ailey 2 to join the sporadic leg and arm movements — a motif in Joon’s choreography.

A noteworthy moment from “Circular” featured the company in a huddle, vaguely lit from the chest up by lighting from the wings while engaging in synchronized upper body choreography. Downstage, under a warm, yellow spotlight,

a soloist male was on display in flesh-toned tights.

Additionally, an all-too-rare maleon-male pas de deux, danced by the exquisite Christopher Wilson and Jacoby Pruitt, highlighted the musically complex and choreographically collective “Circular.”

“Stream of Consciousness,” choreographed by Marcus Jarrell Willis, began abruptly with Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.” Khalia Campbell and company, garbed in Catholic school uniforms, danced on a foggy, gothic-lit stage as if revolting in the schoolyard, and at some moments appearing possessed.

These dark themes soon disappeared, bringing forth lighter and comedic movement. Dancers Gabriel Hyman and Bellardini cut loose, engaged in a freestyle danceoff. The company mimicked schoolkid archetypes such as hyperactiv-

ity and falling asleep in class.

“Sketches of Flames,” the final and most fiery piece of the evening, was set against a sultry red backdrop and featured choreography

by Bridget L. Moore. A departure from classical ballet positions and controlled technique, “Flames” was a jazzy, Latin and hip-hop fusion of flamenco steps and sassy choreography and garnered much applause.

Pruitt, a member of Ailey 2 since 2015, enjoyed significant stage time in both “Circular” and “Sketches of Flames,” with his classical ballet facility and modern movements. He admitted to owing much of this success to his time studying at Tisch.

“You learn how to be an independent artist,” Pruitt said. “You learn how to take class, show up and motivate yourself. Leaving Tisch, I knew exactly what I wanted to accomplish as a new artist out of college.”

By dancing with the company, Pruitt considered it a giant honor to share Mr. Ailey’s legacy.

“Mr. Ailey started this company to really give a voice to the unheard,” Pruitt said. “He built this safe space to reflect society and his own shared story and struggles on the main stage.”

On top of their touring schedule, Pruitt and Ailey 2 further promote Ailey’s legacy of inclusivity through community outreach, lecture demonstrations and master classes in local schools and communities.

“Mr. Ailey has a really famous quote — ‘Dance came from the people and should always be delivered back to the people,’” Pruitt said.

“And that is really at the core of what we do at Alvin Ailey.”

Email Ryan Mikel at entertainment@nyunews.com.

Ariel Levy Navigates Life, Love in ‘The Rules Do Not Apply’

By KHRYSGIANA PINEDA Staff Writer

Journalist Ariel Levy was married, pregnant and successful when she left on a reporting trip to Mongolia in 2012. A month later, she had separated from her partner, suffered a miscarriage and was no longer financially stable. In her witty, comical and brave account of these events “The Rules Do Not Apply,” Levy’s memoir celebrates the life she was unprepared for, but which she grew to love. Last Wednesday, Levy was joined by Emily Nussbaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic for the New Yorker, to discuss “‘The Rules Do Not Apply” at Strand Books.

In her book, Levy profiles the face in the mirror, and she began her talk by describing the impulse behind writing it.

“Writing, it just came out of my fingers,” Levy said. “I thought it was important to publish it.”

As a woman, she felt that she owed it to other women to write about her own miscarriage, noting that all women experience some sort of drama surrounding their fertility and womanhood — whether it be their period, menopause or a miscarriage.

“I remember I was in the ambulance making sentences in my head,” Levy said. “I think women are shocked by how painful it is, how gutted they feel. It’s not like they had a little medical accident.

It’s that they lost their child.”

Levy also read a passage about her partner Amy, who struggled with alcoholism.

“In journalism you always want to put the reader first,” Levy said.

“That’s your job as a journalist — [to serve] the reader.”

She commented that this was the first time in her career as a journalist that she had to worry about someone besides the reader.

She praised her partner for being understanding and gracious, and she mentioned how Amy gave her praise on publishing the book. One

VIA TWITTER.COM

Ariel Levy promoted her memoir, “The Rules Do Not Apply,” which centers around her miscarriage. Her reading occurred this past Sunday at Strand Books.

section of the book is written from Amy’s perspective when she found out that Levy cheated on her.

“I wanted to take responsibility for it,” Levy said. “I didn’t want this book to be about a marriage that failed, because one person was an alcoholic. I was trying to show the reader how painful it was to the person I hurt.”

Levy and Nussbaum kept the discussion lively, leaving the audience questioning whether this was a painful account of life’s twists and turns or a comedy show.

“So far I’ve insulted the Gilmore Girls and all novelists!” Nussbaum said. “We should start our own gossip column. Oh my gosh, could you imagine!”

Levy went on to discuss the ending of the book, which leaves out the fact that she fell in love again.

“I didn’t want it to end with ‘and

then this handsome man came and saved me from my grief and my lesbianism.” Levy said. “Because that’s not what happened.”

After being asked about where her “lesbianism” went, Levy replied humorously.

“Oh, it didn’t go anywhere!” Levy said. “I’ve always been bisexual. It’s all in there cookin’ away.”

“The Rules Do Not Apply” is written in a journalistic style, maintaining the often light-hearted, very real appeal of a painful comedy.

“I knew how I wanted it to feel,” Levy said. “I knew what I wanted the art to be. I knew what I wanted the point to be. I didn’t think it was cautionary tale, because a cautionary tale is ‘be careful or you could end up like me.’ And I love my life.”

Email Khrysgiana Pineda at books@nyunews.com.

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FEATURES

By DREW LEDERMAN Staff Writer If millennials learned anything from Sharpay Evans in “High School Musical,” it’s that “bigger is better and better is bigger — a little bit is never enough!” She’s no Raven, but she may have predicted the ominous future of American food trends.

With smoothie bowls, unicorn foods and purple bread dominating last year’s trends, a new food fascination has emerged: giant

EDITED BY TAYLOR NICOLE ROGERS FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

Is Bigger Food Better?

food. Most Americans are used to large portion sizes from chain restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory, but these super-sized foods are more than big — they are giant.

Restaurants like BOWLMOR Lanes in Times Square serve food monstrosities such as two-foot long hot dogs and five-pound burgers. A seemingly insatiable American appetite, drive for Americans to get their money’s worth and tendency to clean the whole plate have led to unforeseen negative consequences

STAFF PHOTO BY RYAN QUAN

The Third North Courtyard Cafe, like many other NYU dining halls, is a buffet style dining hall. As a result, students may take large amounts of food, which is a concern for obesity rates.

for American health. The giant food trend simply perpetrates it.

According to the International Journal of Obesity, adults eat 92 percent of the food on their plate. We were taught as kids to finish everything, so when enlarged foods fill up one big plate, it poses a danger for those who tend to view one plate as one serving. Some restaurants even offer prizes for accomplishing this task.

Tisch freshman Cita Atwell has visited restaurants in San Antonio, Texas that serve large portion sizes.

“I can only eat two bites,” Attwell said. “But you see people coming in that eat it all just for the free t-shirt or the free meal.”

According to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving sizes have grown exponentially over the past 20 years: hamburgers by 23 percent, a plate of Mexican food by 27 percent, soft drink serving sizes by 52 percent and snacks by 60 percent.

Samara Joy Nielsen, a doctoral student at UNC-Chapel Hill, said in the press release that these are large increases, especially since this growth is paired with a rise in snacking.

“We think this is important information not only because it

documents this trend, but also because obesity presents a growing health threat both in the United States and abroad,” Nielsen said in the press release.

Unfortunately, this trend favoring large portions has perpetuated obesity, which has been furiously on the rise. According to a 2015 study by the Center for

to the larger availability of food.

Steinhardt Public Health Professor Sally Guttmacher said that the giant food trend is senseless and demonstrates no sympathy for those who lack substantial, reliable food sources.

“Clearly, it’s not particularly healthy for the individual who participates,” Guttmacher said.

“

You see people coming in that eat it all just for the free t-shirt or the free meal.

CITA ATWELL

”

Disease Control and Prevention, more than two out of three American adults are considered either overweight or obese.

Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 documentary, “Super Size Me,” illustrated some possible factors of this phenomenon. Americans tend to jump at the opportunity to save money by buying more than they need or purchasing their needed goods in bulk and family sizes. This idea of thriftiness backfires when consumers then eat more than intended due

“But what does it say about our concern for the many people in our country and planet who are barely getting enough to eat to stay alive?”

This idea that eating well equates to eating everything on your plate perpetuates overeating and obesity in the United States — the giant food trend is not only wasteful but is also dangerous to Americans’ health.

Email Drew Lederman at dining@nyunews.com.

OpenAG: Urban Farming With Computers

By GEOMARI MARTINEZ Contributing Writer

Computers can now control the weather, thanks to MIT Principal Investigator and Director of the Open Agriculture (OpenAG) Initiative Caleb Harper. His invention, the Food Computer, uses the artificial to create the natural.

Ranging in scale from the desktop-sized Personal Food Computer to the industrial-scale Food Data Center, these glass chambers are monitored by computerized systems to make them grow, sustain and harvest crops.

“It will all be monitored; the food will not need pesticides or chemicals, and it’ll be predictable 365 days a year,” Harper said of his Open Agriculture, or Open AG, initiative in a 2015 interview with National Geographic. “We also envision things like corporate cafeterias doing more of their own growing or school cafeterias growing their own food.”

This new mode of urban farming would reduce water waste, utilize less land and eliminate the need for food transportation.

Associate Professor at the NYU Steinhardt Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Carolyn Dimitri said the method by which this initiative grows plants is nothing new, but its application is.

“There is a production method called ‘precision agriculture,’” Dimitri wrote in an e-mail. “It seems this food computer is a form of that practice. In general, precision agriculture can help farmers increase their productivity and lower costs, so, in principle, I think it is a terrific method for the tech-savvy farmer.”

However, Dimitri questioned how widely adopted this technology could be within the farming community.

Amy Bentley, co-founder of the NYU Farm Lab and professor of Food Studies at Steinhardt, believes this small plot of land – located on the south side of the Silver Towers

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on Houston Street – will be a valuable educational tool not only to students but also to the New York community as a whole.

“It’s great, because it has multiuses,” Bentley said. “We have an urban agriculture class here in our department that’s run three times a year: spring, summer, fall. It’s used by faculty who live in Silver Towers, it’s used by the nursery school there as part of their enrichment program, and we get a lot of community buy-in by passersby on the way. They’re very interested in it – they think it’s a great thing.”

The Farm Lab is a great way to discover new ways of farming and agriculture, similar to how Harper discovered new options for farming with his computer.

Bentley is also open to the possibility of using Harper’s “Food Computer” at the Farm Lab. Email Geomari Martinez at dining@nyunews.com

VIA PIXABAY.COM

The “Food Computer,” invented by MIT agricultural researcher Caleb Harper, can make urban farming more sustainable. Amy Bentley, co-founder of the NYU Farm Lab and Professor of Food Studies at NYU Steinhardt, is thinking about using the “Food Computer” at the NYU Farm Lab.

NEWS | 3 P.M. OPINION | 3 P.M. FEATURES | 3:30 P.M. SPORTS | 3:30 P.M. UNDER THE ARCH | 3:30 P.M. ARTS | 4 P.M. PHOTO/MULTIMEDIA | 4:30 P.M.

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FEATURES

EDITED BY TAYLOR NICOLE ROGERS FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

Girl Meets Boy: Androgynous Fashion for All

By SHERAH NDJONGO Staff Writer

STAFF PHOTO BY JULIA SALIBA

Androgynous fashion blurs the line between men’s and women’s fashion, thus appealing to all genders.

Androgynous style has been part of American fashion since the early twentieth century, but it didn’t hit the mainstream circuit until recently. Although often considered just a style that doesn’t adhere to male or female stereotypes, androgynous fashion isn’t that simple — it involves blurring the lines between men’s and women’s fashion and appealing to both sexes at once. Androgynous clothing is defined by pieces that are commonly worn by both men and women and don’t serve to make one look specifically masculine or feminine.

It’s not an easy style to master, but these tips will definitely help in achieving this sartorial goal.

For Women: Oxford Shoes Whether you want to dress up

Pants and Dresses: A Duo That Can Work

By CHRISTOPHER COLLADO Staff Writer

Anyone who paid attention to pop culture and fashion in the 2000s knows that a major trend was wearing a dress over pants.

Celebrities who wore the dressover-pants trend include Anne Hathaway, Ashley Tisdale and Kim Kardashian. As the look reemerges, it has become a point to style the trend without resembling the early aughts.

One major issue with the 2000s trend was that the dress and pants did not match. People would wear flared jeans or pants under an ugly dress, which did not work. On top of this, people over-accessorized or wore shawls over their dresses, making the look overly complicated. The lack of color coordination between the two articles of clothing was another issue.

Overall, the dress and pants look was often unpolished and overly busy.

Although the look was terribly executed in the 2000s, it is possible to wear a dress with pants and not look ridiculous.

The first thing to consider about the dress-over-pants look is that everything should match. Both the pants and the dress should have bold colors and the pants should have a bold pattern. Having the right color coordination will make the outfit’s overall presentation excellent.

The pants should be the perfect fit — wearing a dress over loose pants looks goofy. Shoes should match the colors of the pants and dress.

For example, if you are wearing a white dress with black pants, then black or white shoes would be a good choice. With just the

right amount of accessories such as earrings and a small purse paired with the right color coordination and fit, it is possible for anyone to pull off the dressover-pants look. Some celebrities have looked amazing in this combination because of the simple guidelines for wearing the trend correctly.

While some looks were presented poorly during the time of their peak popularity, the possibility of bringing the trends back should not be ruled out completely. Most of the time, it’s not about what you wear but how you wear it. With the right accessorizing, color coordination, fit as well as some self-confidence, a dress and pants can look stunning together.

Email Christopher Collado at bstyle@nyunews.com.

or dress down, the oxford shoe is always a go-to. Both comfortable and stylish, a pair of these traditional menswear-inspired footwear can tie together any outfit combination.

Blazers These standard symbols of formality have been reinvented to not only polish up already dressy looks, but also to add that one last bit of pizzazz to any ensemble you put together — even giving a classic feel to everyday outfits.

Boyfriend Jeans Denim’s versatility is just one of its benefits. Combine that with this slouchy boyfriend fit, and you’ve the got the perfect mix of androgyny and comfort. Whether you want to pair them with a worn and torn graphic tee or a flowy flannel, there’s no way you could go wrong with boyfriend jeans.

Watches A subtle yet effective way to

As the androgynous style starts gaining momentum, don’t be afraid to experiment with these different tips to try it out for yourself and add your own personal flair.

Email Sherah Ndjongo at bstyle@nyunews.com.

By PAMELA JEW Staff Writer

Despite its reputation as a diverse community, some items repeatedly show up across NYU. Students are always in tune with the latest and most popular trends — whether that be technology, fashion or stationery. Here’s a guide to achieving or validating your already basic NYU Student look.

MacBook Computer Glimmering silver lids with radiating apples blind you when you walk into any class. Matching their sister iPhones, MacBooks are the majority of laptops used and seen across campus. If you have a Macbook, chances are it’s also decked out with a sea of RedBubble stickers to fully achieve that “I’m a college student who shows my interests with stickers” look.

Advertised as “the perfect backpack for everyday adventure,” these bags constantly accompany NYU students on their adventures through the city streets or the catacombs of Bobst. They come in a range of sizes — from purses to classic backpacks — and boast colors like putty and ochre.

Passion Planner

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

For Men: Draped Shirts Looser shirts that hide one’s form are usually the way to go when following androgynous style. Some options include oversized sweaters, flannels, shapeless tank tops and baggy t-shirts.

Scarves These are perhaps one of the most difficult accessories to style, but the right one can amp up a look in various ways. One rule is to keep it simple — navigate toward plain hues or simple patterns to complement the rest of your outfit

without stealing all the attention.

Patterns When it comes to patterns, the options are limitless. The easiest route is picking a tastefully patterned button-down that can be easily paired with more muted pieces, such as a leather jacket or black skinny jeans.

Canvas Shoes Not only are these ridiculously easy to find, keep they’re also a breeze to style. Their relaxed element makes them a laid-back footwear choice to wear on a daily basis for a more convenient way to rock the androgynous style.

NYU Student Starter Pack

Fjallraven Kanken Backpacks

The dress-over-pants trend was popular in the early 2000s.

There is a question of whether or not this trend can and should be brought back.

achieve an androgynous look is to sport an oversized watch. Although they’re a huge — and riskier — step away from the more familiar, dainty watches often catered to women, oversized and bracelet watches are just as sophisticated and chic with proper styling.

Sure, these were given out for free at the beginning of the year. But, students are nonetheless still using these nondescript black books to keep the secrets and details of their ever-busy NYU lives.

With all those tiny boxes, how do they manage to write in their classes, especially some of those lengthy Gallatin class titles?

GRAPHIC BY VERONICA LIOW

The NYU student starter pack consists of a Macbook, Fjallraven Kanken Backpack, Canada Goose Jacket and Adidas Superstars.

Apple Earphones

Adidas Superstars

Although they won’t cancel out fire engine sirens or honking taxis, this other Apple product is a staple for students who attempt to drown out city sounds with their music. Students use these around campus to pass time during commutes, between classes and to avoid people they don’t want to talk to. Aside from trivial use, students also like to augmentate their music volumes to slowly kill their eardrums with more of a concert listening experience.

These bulky shoes have made their way into everyone’s closets and hearts because they pair with almost everything under the sun. Despite Superstars coming in an array of colors, the classic black and white shoes are the most common on campus.

Canada Goose Jackets

Many people struggled to stay warm this past winter, but not the students around Washington Square Park — flocks of them wore these infamous jackets.

With a pretty $800 price tag and strong opposition from PETA enthusiasts, some wonder why people haven’t found cheaper but equally warm alternatives.

Another College’s Gear

Our university is full of school spirit for NYU — and Harvard and Boston College and Stanford. The list goes on. Vintage is all the rage, and people are picking up old college pullovers from local thrift shops to flaunt big names like Berkeley and Columbia Law School. Swag from other colleges is a staple whether you’re a reject of said school or dug it out of your mom’s closet.

Email Pamela Jew at features@nyunews.com

letter from

the editor

By KAITLYN WANG Managing Editor NYU’s status as a research university means that the school is dedicated to both education and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. The vast amount of research conducted at NYU allows students to be at the forefront of innovation. However, for undergraduates who aspire to do research, finding an opportunity isn’t always an easy task — many students who work in labs are Ph.D. students or postdoctoral fellows.

Though difficult, it is not impossible to find a research opportunity as an undergraduate at NYU. Just ask CAS freshman Sora Nithikasem.

Nithikasem works at the NYU Langone Smilow Research Center, where she studies ubiquitin proteins — the protein compounds that break down defective or unnecessary cells — to understand how they relate to cancerous cell phenotypes. When she was looking for research opportunities on campus, she originally contacted multiple labs through email.

“Usually, you can look in the listserv for the Medical Record, and they have job offerings that you can apply to,” Nithikasem said. “Otherwise, you can also just send out emails and sometimes [labs] offer interviews and trial periods.”

CAS sophomore Katie Furman is a research assistant in the Alberini Lab at NYU’s Center for Neural Science. She also got her start by reaching out to multiple researchers through email.

She received a response from Cristina Alberini, the principal investigator of Alberini Lab. Furman now does molecular

Research is contemplation in action. Although it can involve extensive reading and long hours in the lab, it is not a passive activity — research is the pursuit of information to better the world we live in. At NYU, the title “research university” is taken seriously, as research initiatives exist in every department and contribute to the collective knowledge in every nook of the world.

The Research Issue aims to highlight to the cutting-edge initiatives our community is spearheading and display the ways students can get involved and develop their own investigations.

Email Miranda Levingston at mlevingston@nyunews.com.

and biochemical neuroscience research.

“She was the only one who answered my email, and her answer just happened to be a yes,” Furman said. “So I was really lucky about that, because most people don’t even get a response.”

Furman also said that though she found her opportunity through email, she believes that many students are able to get positions at CNS because of the CNS Research Match program — a departmental program to match students with labs — run by CNS Director of Undergraduate Studies Wendy Suzuki. “[Suzuki] contacts all the neuro labs at NYU and finds out exactly which labs need an undergrad or two, and then she sends all that info to all the neuro undergrads who can then apply for the positions that are available,” Furman said.

“I think the Research Match is the main way that a lot of people get a research position at CNS.” Furman also said that research opportunities are available for pre-health students on the pre-health email newsletter and the bulletin boards of the science buildings — students just need to keep their eyes out.

Unlike Nithikasem and Furman, CAS junior Sahaana Sundar discovered her research position through the CNS Research Match program. Sundar works in the Basu Lab at the Neuroscience Institute in NYU Langone, where she studies the forward and backward projections between the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex, parts of the brain that interact with each other.

“I found out about the open position in the lab through the Research Match opportunity through the Center for Neural Science,” Sundar said. “After a long application process, I was selected as an intern.

Since then, I’ve learned enough to work on a Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund [project] here.”

Sundar said she is using her DURF grant to research anatomical mapping regarding the communication between the hippocampus and entorhinal sections of the brain.

However, CNS isn’t the only department working to provide research opportunities to undergraduates. And NYU’s New York City campus isn’t the only place students can do research. CAS sophomore Nikita Reddy currently studies at NYU Tel Aviv, and her biology professor matched all the biology students with labs at Tel Aviv University, where Reddy currently works in Berman Lab with one other NYU undergraduate.

For Reddy, working as one of the only undergraduates in Berman Lab is not as intimidating as she thought it would be.

“I think I expected there to be more of a language barrier going into the lab,” Reddy said. “However, since science is presented and published in English worldwide, everyone is really comfortable with using English and talking to us in the lab.”

Reddy also said that despite being surrounded by graduate students, she is enjoying her experience, because her supervisor is very open to teaching the interns new techniques.

Sundar expressed a similar sentiment.

“I love being in an environment where there is always more to learn,” Sundar said. “Being surrounded by people who know way more than you can sound intimidating, but it’s actually the coolest way to learn.”

Email Kaitlyn Wang at kwang@nyunews.com.

the

search for

research

take

research for granted at nyu

By MIRANDA LEVINGSTON Deputy News Editor NYU helps students engage with their studies outside of the classroom — no matter your area of interest, there’s a grant for it. The following seven recurring research grants are among the most notable opportunities at NYU, but many others are available at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Offered through the Langone School of Medicine and the American Medical Association’s Minority Scholars Program, the Black Cardiologists Scholarship provides the means to conduct research for first- or second-year black medical students studying cardiology. All applicants must be recommended by their university and are eligible to receive $5,000 per year for their studies. The application deadline for next year is not listed yet.

NYU Reynolds Changemaker Challenge

The Silver School of Social Work gives doctoral students the opportunity to collaborate with professors on their research projects for 20 paid hours a week during their first two years of study. Faculty research projects range from studying the role of mental health resources provided to incarcerated individuals to effective family planning initiatives. Each mentorship prepares graduate students to join the professional research world.

After two years, students are prepared to lead research institutions and take on independent investigations.

Dr. Richard Allen Williams & Genita Evangelista Johnson Association of Black Cardiologists Scholarship

Students are encouraged to team up and use their imaginations as part of the NYU Reynolds Program in Social Entrepreneurship Changemaker Challenge, an annual competition opportunity for undergraduate students interested in sustainable social change. Student teams finishing third through fifth place are awarded grants of up to $1,000, and the two grand prize winners receive up to $10,000 to further their research. All grant-winning teams receive access to Reynolds-sponsored support, resources and networks. Each year, the 12-week competition begins in the fall.

Doctoral Faculty Research at the Silver School of Social Work

The Doctoral Student Travel Fund

Created in 1996, the DURF is an annual grant of up to $1,000 for undergraduates at CAS to expand their resources for both individual and group research projects. The grant covers travel expenses to conferences and access to collections, technology and other resources. The grant can be used as a means for beginner research geared toward underclassmen, but all students can apply except for second-semester seniors. Application deadlines are available in fall, winter and spring terms.

Summer Studies with the Public Interest Law Center at NYU Law

Open to all Steinhardt students, this grant is for students looking to conduct scholarly or creative work under the supervision of one of the school’s faculty members. Previous projects include a study in Latino parenting practices and children’s self-regulating skills, a schoolbased ethnography of restorative justice practices and a study of language functioning in Swedish-speaking school-age children with and without language impairment. Up to $1,000 will be granted to qualified students who have an innovative, realistic and well-specified plan to advance their field of study.

The Doctoral Student Travel Fund is for students doing their dissertations through the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. The grant exists to cover travel funds for students presenting their research at conferences. Students can use their grant of up to $500 to cover transportation, lodging, food and conference fees. The application deadline for the summer session is May 1.

Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund

The Public Interest Law Center at NYU Law provides a Summer Funding Program that guarantees grants for first- and second-year students who intend to research public interest work and hold government positions. The program provides essential experience for students who are aspiring public interest lawyers and encourages aspiring private lawyers to pursue pro bono work. First-year students receive $4,500, and second-year students receive $6,500.

Undergraduate and Master’s Students Research/Creative Projects Award

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OPINION

EDITED BY THOMAS PRICE OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

TECHNOLOGY

By ANDREW HEYING Deputy Opinion Editor

Podcasts Are the Journalism of the Future

In the wake of the shocking 2016 election results, the traditional media has been criticized for being inaccurate, biased and even fake. While a significant portion of this criticism is just a result of President Donald Trump’s habit of attacking everyone who disagrees with him, there is some truth to these claims. Mainstream media did in fact convince the country that Hillary Clinton had essentially no chance of losing, which turned out to be incredibly misleading. This shocking turn of events revealed why it is so important that Americans do not allow one, two or even three media

outlets to control the national conversation — diversity of thought is critical. To achieve this, reporting must come from numerous independent individuals who are not controlled or influenced by elite media outlets, and the best way to achieve this is through a relatively new medium: podcasts.

In 2014, Serial — a podcast tyat focused on re-examining the murder of Hae Min Lee during its breakout season — became an international phenomenon, and it introduced the beauty of podcasts to millions. The program was led

by Sarah Koenig, who thoroughly looked at various questionable components of Adnan Syed’s conviction. The podcast ultimately created so much public outcry sur-

rounding the case that Syed was granted a new trial, which is still ongoing. Similar situations have occurred with other podcasts, such as Up and Vanished. The series followed an independent documentary filmmaker who looked at a twelve year old cold case in Georgia. Within months, the podcast created enough attention that new leads were reported, leading to the arrest of two indi-

viduals. Similarly, the podcast titled In the Dark uncovered years of police corruption in Stearns County, Minn., while also looking at various ethical and legal flaws in the sex offender registry — two topics almost entirely ignored by mainstream media.

To consider these developments is quite astounding. People often think that in order to create change as a journalist, they need a large platform such as CNN or MSNBC. However, podcasts continually prove that effective journalism simply requires perseverance and a microphone. None of the voices behind these aforementioned podcasts were household names like Megyn Kelly or Anderson Cooper. They neverthe-

less brought attention to and even enacted change in immensely important cases.

There is no denying that the dawn of technology created immense challenges for the journalism field. These include everything from the fake news epidemic to the echo chamber phenomenon. However, technology also opens endless doors for journalists. Young people interested in enacting change through investigative work should stop obsessing over eventually working for The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal and instead grab a microphone and get to work.

Email Andrew Heying at opinion@nyunews.com.

HEALTHCARE

New York’s Imminent Need for a Supervised Injection Facility

By SAM ROLFE Guest Editorial

In 2016, approximately 1,300 New Yorkers died of preventable drug overdoses — 80 percent of those deaths were linked to opiate use. This rise can be partially attributed to fentanyl, a power synthetic opiate 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, which has recently being added to street heroin to increase potency. As a syringe exchange outreach worker, I feel a sense of hopelessness among my clients. Older clients remark that they have not witnessed this many deaths among one particular population since the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. New York City can no longer ignore this public health emergency. As a radical, innovative proposal to

combat opiate overdose deaths, the city should open Supervised Injection Facilities.

SIFs are spaces where drug users can inject street drugs under medically supervised conditions.

SIFs bring marginalized, misunderstood and stigmatized people off the streets and out of the shadows. There are 98 SIFs operating in 66 countries around the world with InSite in Vancouver being the most studied amongst them.

All InSite staff are trained in the administration of Naloxone — an opiate antagonist used to reverse overdose — and the site has never lost a participant from opiate overdose, even after supervising over one million injections and encountering hundreds of overdoses.

Taking inspiration from InSite’s success, Seattle recently piloted

their own SIF, and New York must follow suit. Momentum has been building since the inception of SIF NYC, a public coalition of harm reduction professionals, syringe exchanges and criminal justice organizations pushing for SIFs. Pressure from SIF NYC led the de Blasio administration to commit $100,000 to studying the efficacy of establishing a SIF in New York.

Unsurprisingly, SIF NYC faces criticism and ambivalence. SIF critics often ground their lan-

guage around lawless spaces of drug use, where medical professionals enable addicts and junkies to continue their deviant behavior. Aside from trafficking in stigmatizing language, these arguments rely on inaccurate and archaic perspectives on how to treat substance use. The arguments being made against SIFs in New York — in the face of mountains of evidence to their efficacy — echo the arguments made against syringe exchange before legalization in 1992. Instead of criminalizing drug users for syringe possession, the city legalized syringe exchange, and rates of HIV among injection drug users in New York City fell from 50 percent to their current rates of around seven percent.

Opiate overdose in New York

doesn’t have to be deadly. The city has done great work to raise awareness of overdose. Their push to make Naloxone widely available and study SIF feasibility in particular should be commended.

Now, the de Blasio administration must forcefully push for the implementation of a SIF as another public health intervention to save lives, connect people to care and destigmatize drug use.

Sam Rolfe is an MSW candidate at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. He currently splits his time working at NYU and at the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center, a syringe exchange and community health center in Lower Manhattan.

Email Sam Rolfe at opinion@nyunews.com.

CULTURE

By HENRY COHEN Staff Writer

Don’t Discourage Discussing Mental Illness

Over the past few years, mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety have been taken more seriously and have become more accepted by our culture, resulting in more widespread awareness and sensitivity. This is a huge improvement as people become more tuned in to the struggles of the mentally ill and become more sensitive to their feelings. Just as using the word gay as a pejorative has begun to fade from the vernacular, more people are beginning to understand the weight of the words depression

and anxiety and are therefore treating them accordingly. Unfortunately, this shift in what is acceptable to say has created a dangerously misguided flipside, specifically when well-meaning people discourage others from saying that they feel depressed or anxious when they “don’t really mean it.”

The problem with this mode of thinking is that it frames mental illness as some kind of exclusive club — one that only the authentically mentally ill can be a part of. It is a bullish, cruel way of thinking that asks people to prove their own feelings of helplessness, paranoia and so on. The irony, of course,

is that the people who often decry the inauthentic mentally ill are those who claim to be sensitive to the subject and are simply trying to protect the integrity of the term mentally ill.

This dissonance — from people who ostensibly want to be sensitive to the mentally ill and try to dictate who is allowed to be sick — comes from the idea

that overusing these words or using them frivolously downplays their seriousness, but this concern is unfounded. If someone says they are depressed because of doing poorly on a test, they are not diminishing the weight of depression, but hyperbolically expressing their disappointment. For example, someone can hyperbolically say they would murder their boss without downplaying the crime of murder. The much more present danger is that making mental illness an exclusive title discourages people from coming forward about their own feelings. It creates a hostile environment for people who doubt

the validity of their emotions — people who may only feel marginally depressed or anxious but who would benefit massively from treatment.

It is vital that we create a welcoming, inclusive environment for the mentally ill, and the current politically correct culture may be a major threat to that.

If we allow the same language policing tactics that have come to define discussions of race, gender and sexuality, these acceptability barriers will only serve to create a hostile, inhospitable culture.

Email Henry Cohen at opinion@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY THOMAS PRICE OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

CULTURE

STAFF EDITORIAL

The Best Food Is Under Five Dollars

By THOMAS PRICE Opinion Editor

New York City is an eclectic mix of cultures and people that creates an extraordinarily unique place to live. However, what stands out more than the skyscrapers or the bustle of the city itself is the food. Save for Mexican food, New York City is home to a near perfect mix of food from around the world, and the gourmet cuisine from each country is noteworthy and worth every penny. However, despite the culinary prowess of these establishments, the best food that the city offers lies in its hot dog carts, bagel shops and pizza places — all for under five dollars.

In a city littered with grand bistros and Michelin-starred restaurants, the best food that can be bought here is still dirtcheap and found on nearly every corner. No place in the world has quite mastered the hot dog

in the manner that New York has. Sitting in steaming water that hasn’t been changed in about two decades, a hot sausage served with a few onions and mustard remains the pinnacle of Manhattan dining. As the costs of living and food in the city keep increasing, nothing will ever beat the pure ecstasy of biting into a piping hot slice of 99 cent pizza at three in the morning or a toasted bagel with cream cheese the next morning. It is a tradition of NYU students to grab a slice at Joe’s or breakfast at Bagel Bob’s, and every person who lives in the city has their own spots that are just as unique and

delicious. These foods continue to stand as pillars of the New York City identity in ways that no gourmet dish ever could. All great cities in the world, save for London, are filled with extraordinary high-end food worth shelling out dollars for, but not every city has food that is just as tasty for spare change in your pocket.

These iconic street foods are as synonymous with New York as the Empire State Building, and the tastes they cultivate are just as grand. No matter which new restaurant opens, whether it has a world-renowned chef or top quality ingredients, it will have to stand second to beat-up carts and hole-in-the-wall establishments serving food at comically low prices. The best food in New York will always be less than five dollars and taste like a million bucks.

Email Thomas Price at opinion@nyunews.com

TIME IS TICKING

HB 51 Deters Campus Assault Reports

Controversy bubbled in the state of Georgia regarding a new bill — dubbed HB 51 — that would require all universities to report incidents of sexual assault on campus to law enforcement, regardless of the victim’s feelings.

Most universities currently have policies that allow victims to decide whether they want to report their assaulters or rapists to authorities. Under this policy, the university usually decides what punishment is appropriate on a case-by-case basis. Supporters of this new bill — which many have compared to the philosophies of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos — say it will protect people from being falsely accused. In reality, it sets a dangerous precedent, which would ultimately discourage victims of sexual assault from reporting such incidents.

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted in college. Additionally, it is reported that more than 90 percent of sexual assault victims do not report their incidents. Under Title IX, universities are required to address any sexual misconduct that occurs on campus through disciplinary hearings. If reported to law enforcement and dealt with in the criminal justice system, rape cases would be public and the names of victims could found in public records.

The problem with taking investigative power away from universities in cases of rape is that it forces victims to report the incidents to police officers instead of campus administrators. This can discourage victims from reporting rape at all, for reasons that run the gamut but broadly pertain to the weight associated with talking to the police. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, 20 percent of student victims wouldn’t report an incident to the police from a fear of reprisal, and another 26 percent wouldn’t because they believed that the crime is a personal matter. In addition, while the harshest punishment a university can dole out is expulsion, involving the police can obviously heighten the stakes of reporting. This can deter reporting because of the perceived notion that the reporter is ruining their rapist’s life.

This bill has gained support under the guise of protecting those falsely accused of sexual assault, but it will most likely further deter victims of rape from reporting their incidents. It restricts victims’ freedom to deal with the case in the manner they wish. If this bill passes, it could make rape a more repressed issue than it already is and open the doors for states other than Georgia to follow suit.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD: Thomas Price (Chair), Emma Rudd (Co-chair), Andrew Heying (Co-chair)

Featuring Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Marc Wais, NYU President Andrew Hamilton and Board of Trustees Chairperson William Berkley (from left to right)

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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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SPORTS

EDITED BY RACHEL RUECKER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

By Water or by Land: Matthew Devens

By TREVOR FRANCESCONI Contributing Writer

NYU athletic trainer Matthew Devens, a Bellmore, N.Y. native, grew up exploring the bay on his family’s 17-foot Boston Whaler.

One of five siblings, Devens spent summers fishing, clamming and water-skiing. He learned to love spending time in and around the water from a young age.

His love for sports continued into his time at John F. Kennedy High School, where he competed for the track, cross-country and swimming teams. He credits his track and cross-country coach Al Berkowsky for instilling discipline in him and inspiring him to succeed. Berkowsky, along with JFK’s record as as a state champion in multiple track events, pushed Devens to train hard. He ended up at the Division II school Southern Connecticut State University, where he ran track for one year.

It was at Southern Connecticut State that Devens realized he wanted to prioritize his passion for athletic training, but that didn’t mean he was going to hang up his swim trunks or his running sneakers just yet.

“I still competed in swimming, track and field and running on my own, in pursuit of meeting my own personal goals while mainly

focusing on and working toward my career goals,” Devens said.

A certified lifeguard since the age of 16, Devens began at a local pool and advanced to lifeguarding at busy Jones Beach as a college student. He’s spent the past 13 summers keeping watch over people diving into the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

“It helps you stay fit, and it is very competitive,” Devens said.

“Lifeguards have to try out every year and pass a test before they can be a lifeguard at Jones Beach.

Being a lifeguard has taught me how to react and handle stressful situations when it’s you, a huge body of water, large waves and one or multiple victims.”

Devens said that lifeguarding has helped him as an athletic trainer because it taught him to be aware of his surroundings, whether it be by the water or athletic field. He said reacting and responding quickly and with control are essential for success in both professions.

Devens returned to New York after graduation. He volunteered as an athletic trainer at his alma mater and other local high school cross-country races in his community for a month following college. He finally convinced the organization facilitating the events that it was necessary to have a paid professional athletic

trainer on site. As a graduate student at Long Island University Brooklyn, Devens worked these events exclusively.

After grad school, he landed a job at Hunter College, working as a part-time athletic trainer and in the equipment room.

However, it was as a trainer for the Brooklyn Aviators hockey team that Devens’ athletic training career took off.

“I traveled for a year all over the Northeast and into Canada,” Devens said. “I was the primary health care provider for the team, taking care of traumatic on-ice injuries ranging from severe concussions to lost teeth.

Having that experience showed me that I could be successful as an athletic trainer in competitive sports.”

Devens joined the NYU community in 2011, serving as the Head Athletic Trainer for the then NYU-Poly before NYU athletics and NYU-Poly athletics officially merged in the fall of 2014.

Devens works with the women’s softball, men’s soccer, and both the men and women’s track and cross-country teams at NYU. Devens said he particularly enjoys traveling with and working alongside the track and cross-country teams due to his own passion and the years of training he has dedi-

COURTESY OF MATTHEW DEVENS

Matthew Devens — pictured in the center — works with colleagues to help a girl who collapsed at the High School Track and Field Nationals, which took place at Greensboro, N.C. in 2013. cated to the sport.

“My favorite part of working with college athletes is seeing their tenacity and ability to rebound and maintain a positive spirit when dealing with setback after setback,” Devens said.

In addition to his position at NYU, Devens also works as part of the medical team for the National Scholastic Athletic Foundation, the national governing body for high school cross-country and track and field in the United States.

Devens’ college mentor made a lasting impression on him while he was still studying at

Southern Connecticut State.

Charlie Davis, professor of Emergency Care and First-Aid CPR, told him to “be your own superhero.” Once Devens was put on the spot and forced to act under pressure as an athletic trainer, he understood Davis’ message.

“You’re the person everyone looks to on the field when a situation arises,” Devens said. “At first you think [Davis] is just saying it, but when it actually happens, you’re like, whoa I’m the guy.”

Email Trevor Francesconi at sports@nyunews.com.

Long Road Ahead for Equitable Support in USA Hockey

By KAITLYN WANG Managing Editor

When it comes to equitable opportunities for men and women, USA Hockey isn’t doing well.

Members of the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team announced a boycott of the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championships via social media this past month. The team’s captain, Meghan Duggan, posted an explanation of the decision on Twitter — she cited a lack of progress in negotiations with USA Hockey concerning fair wages and equitable support as compared to the men’s program.

Unfortunately, fair pay and equitable support for women in the sports world isn’t a new fight.

This particular episode harkens

back to another women’s national team fighting for equal pay in 2016: the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Five players filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for wage discrimination, citing the large gap between what the women and men were paid, despite the female league’s far greater success on the field.

Sound familiar?

The U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team and USA Hockey reached a private agreement on Tuesday, March 28. This undisclosed consensus came just in time for the team to defend its gold medal at Worlds beginning that Friday. In the opening United States vs. Canada preliminary game — always a crowd-drawing rivalry — the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team soundly de-

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

The U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team boycotted the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championships this past month due to inequality in pay.

feated the team from the north 2-0 with only 48 hours of preparation. The following preliminary game on Saturday featured the U.S. women trouncing Russia 7-0.

The success was to be expected of the national team, which has won gold in every championship since 2005, excluding 2007 and 2012 when they won silver. The team has also medaled in every Olympics since 1998, when women’s hockey was first introduced to the games. Compare this with the U.S. Men’s National Hockey Team, which has only won two medals in the World Championships since 2005 — both of them bronze. Although the men’s team won silver in the 2010 Olympics, it fell short of the podium in Sochi 2014. The women’s consistent international success is what makes their fight and boycott significant.

In spite of their success on ice, the women on the national team are not compensated in nearly the same way as the men are — most of them are on NHL contracts that earn them hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Because the men make millions, USA Hockey doesn’t really need to provide them with more funds. The U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team, in contrast, had to slash salaries this season, which were already low — anywhere from $10,000 to $26,000 per year — to begin

with. According to the statement put out by the team’s lawyers, USA Hockey pays players only $1000 per month for six months during an Olympic year — that’s $6000 every four years and $125 a month. Still, USA Hockey expects players to train and compete fulltime in non-Olympic years as well.

Although men do not receive more money from USA Hockey, they still get more benefits, according to USA Today. The men’s team receives far greater support for travel expenses, equipment, publicity, meals and transportation.

It’s not just the wages and compensation, either. The statement also outlines a lack of effort to grow and develop the sport for women. Where USA Hockey spends $3.5 million annually on the National Team Development Program for boys, there is no comparable program in place for girls. Where the National Team Development Program grows the men’s sport and is able to financially support underrepresented populations and players like Toronto Maple Leafs star rookie Auston Matthews in pursuing their dreams, many girls simply do not get that opportunity.

But instead of working with the national team to continue negotiations, USA Hockey opted to reach out to players they had previously spurned — and perhaps, more

egregiously, high school students on the U-18 national team. USA Hockey would have rather put teenagers against adults in the World Championships than work with the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team to resolve the issues. What’s more telling is that the players USA Hockey reached out to turned them down — emblematic of a shared unity and support of the growth and success of the women’s program. As the #BeBoldForChange hashtag states proudly, these women are choosing to stand together.

The U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team and USA Hockey may have come to an agreement.

But there’s a long, long way to go before we can say there’s equitable support in this sport for girls and women. The University of North Dakota — a school known for its success in hockey, in both male and female leagues — just announced it would be cutting its women’s hockey program. A petition appealing to UND to keep the program currently has 3,264 signatories.

There’s no illusion that this is the final word in reaching equity for USA Hockey and the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team, but the agreement and the harsh spotlight the boycott brought are a step forward.

Email Kaitlyn Wang at kwang@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

13

SPORTS

EDITED BY RACHEL RUECKER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE March 27 to April 2

By SIERRA JACKSON Managing Editor

Softball (8-6) The softball team’s troubling streak continued this week with two straight losses against Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday.

In the opener against Stevens, the Violets lost 4-12. They led the first inning by one point thanks to sophomore catcher Jacqueline Finn, but they fell behind in both the second and third. Neither team scored during the fourth inning, but the Violets were able to tie the game 3-3 in the fifth with sophomore outfielder Ashley Main’s tworun triple. But the Violets were unable to keep this momentum and fell behind again in the sixth.

The Violets fared better in the nightcap, losing just 4-5. The team played defensively for the first six innings, only allowing Stevens to earn four points. In the seventh, the Violets made a major comeback and earned four points. Unfortunately, Stevens still took the game.

The team’s two games against the College at Old Westbury on Friday were postponed because of the weather.

The team will play its next game on Wednesday, April 5 against Drew University in Madison, N.J.

Baseball (11-4)

The Violets triumphed over Maritime College Wednesday, winning 11-3. They tied 2-2 with Maritime in the first inning and led in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Sophomore starter Chad Jones, senior outfielder Adrian Splints and sophomore shortstop Ryan McLaughlin gave great performances and made the Violets a force to be reckoned with.

Their games against Rutgers-Newark University on Thursday and the City College of New York on Friday were postponed because of the weather.

The baseball team will face off against John Jay College Tuesday, April 4 at MCU Park in Brooklyn.

Men’s Tennis (7-2)

The men’s tennis team was also successful this week and won two of its three games.

The first game on Wednesday against the College of New Jersey was a tight win — the Violets came out on top with 5-4. The team’s match against Vassar College on Saturday was postponed because of the rain.

On Sunday, the Violets were once again victorious, winning 8-1 against Merrimack College.

The team won all its doubles matches and five of its six singles matches. Senior Umberto Setter, junior Samuel Khoshbin, freshman Benedict Teoh and freshman Michael Li gave stand-out performances.

The tennis team faces off against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Wednesday, April 5 at the U.S. Na-

tional Tennis Center.

Men’s Volleyball (15-8)

During its home game against Ramapo College, the men’s volleyball team destroyed the Roadrunners in straight sets.

Although Ramapo scored the first point, the Violets led for the majority of the match. The Violets were able to turn the first set into a victory even though they trailed behind halfway through the frame.

A kill by senior middle blocker Stephan Tan ended the match with a win for NYU. Other highlights for our team included freshman Alex Li’s match-high record of 20 kills for NYU and senior Derrick Chiu’s match-best of 36 assists in the win.

The Violets were defeated 1-3 in their match against Hunter College on Thursday. NYU lost the first two sets, but came back with a victory in the third set.

The team also hosted the April 1UVC Crossover. In their opener against Elmira College, the Violets won 3-0 and in their match against MIT they won 3-1. Senior Derrick Chiu, senior Nick Benson and freshman Neil Ferraro helped bring the team to victory.

The volleyball team will play its next game against Endicott College Friday, April 7 in Beverly, Md.

Track and Field

The Violets participated in the Roadrunner International hosted

by Ramapo College in Mahwah, N.J. last Friday and Saturday. Both the men’s and women’s teams placed placed 14th.

Junior Shannon Morgan placed 40th in the preliminaries with a time of 15.04, and sophomore Amanda Casas placed 29th in the women’s 400m dash. Sophomore Sherine Sbay placed 39th for the 800m run, and sophomore Isabella Steains placed 19th in the 1500m run.

For the men, junior Tyler Whitehouse placed 45th in the preliminaries. In the 400m dash, Senior Fred Lam placed 17th, and sophomore Daniel Sovich placed 42nd.

Junior Vincent Booth placed sixth in the 800m run. In the 1500m run, freshmen Connor Riley, Benjamin Karam and Benjamins Heintz placed fourth, fifth and 10th respectively. In the 300m steeplechase, junior Sam Praveen placed sixth.

The Violets will participate in the Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton University Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8.

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

NYU Reacts: March Madness

By MADDIE HOWARD Staff Writer

March Madness is one of the most celebrated college sports events of the year. People all over the country anxiously fill out brackets, aiming to predict the fate of each team that makes the tournament. Those who entered a pool have already — or soon will — discovered how their predictions fared. The University of South Carolina Gamecocks won the title of NCAA Women’s Basketball champions April 2, and Gonzaga University and the University of North Carolina will fight for the men’s title at 9 p.m. today.

WSN spoke to a variety of NYU students about their March Madness experiences, ranging from students interested in all the basketball excitement to those with zero interest in the event. Here is what NYU students had to say about their March Madness experiences: Email Maddie Howard at sports@nyunews.com.

“I have a 99 percent accuracy for my bracket. I’m in the top one percent in the United States.”

MATTEO SCHLITZ, FRESHMAN SPORTS MANAGEMENT MAJOR IN SPS

“I’m currently winning the only pool that I’m in right now, but I need two upsets this weekend. I need Gonzaga to lose and I need UNC to lose.”

WILEY LAUERMAN, SOPHOMORE NEUROSCIENCE MAJOR IN CAS

“UConn women’s basketball lost and that’s all that matters here.”

ALEX BENEDICT, FRESHMAN ECONOMICS MAJOR IN CAS

“I like the idea of March Madness but I think it’s really interesting how people only people care about guys’ March Madness. My friend said something the other day about the women’s team in UConn and I didn’t even realize they were still in it because they don’t really publicize their games as much. I haven’t watched any women’s games but I’ve watched a lot of the guys’ games.”

WILEY LAUERMAN, SOPHOMORE NEUROSCIENCE MAJOR IN CAS

Men’s Golf

The men’s golf team attended the Hershey Cup in Hershey, Pa. last Sunday, and it will continue its play today. As of Sunday, the team ranked third of 15.

The Violets will participate in the NYU Spring Invitational this coming Saturday, April 8 in Bloomfield, N.J. Email Sierra Jackson at sjackson@nyunews.com.

“I don’t watch basketball.”

JANE KIM, FRESHMAN IN LIBERAL STUDIES

“I think it’s interesting how Division III basketball isn’t as highly publicized as Division I.” JAIME ROBINSON, FRESHMAN NURSING MAJOR IN RORY MEYERS COLLEGE OF NURSING

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Fairytales

By JEMIMA MCEVOY News Editor She told me a story when the lights were off.

She told me a story so it wouldn’t be the same.

So I wouldn’t feel this shame, This pain, She lives with everyday.

She spoke of sticks, stones, breaking bones, How words will make you ache.

Red capes, Cupcakes, Things that she would never make.

The force he used, she couldn’t shake.

Now roses make her red, And violets make her red.

Everything makes her face red: Her cheeks flush, and her eyes wet.

What big teeth you have.

Old and grey, A furry face, Locked her in and made her wait.

Through the woods, she couldn’t shake, The shadow of his guilty pace.

She cried wolf, she’d seen a wolf, But she’d been crying to the wolves.

They only speak in howls and barks, Fairy tales; story arcs; Add those to the list of things that I just can’t believe.

It all makes sense to me now, She doesn’t go home for Christmas.

She doesn’t miss him, or them, or this.

These big teeth that bite, not kiss.

She spoke of birthdays by the lake.

Candy shores; vanilla cakes.

Games she didn’t want to play.

They rowed out to his secret place, But clouds were fuming; black with hate.

A feeling she would never shake.

A tear fell down, red in shape.

But story books don’t warn of that, Of wolves that hide in shards of grass.

Who slit our memories with glass.

Sixteen, Bad dreams; Things she wished she’d never seen.

How could it be the same for me?

How can I break this losing streak?

I’m clinging onto something clean.

Whatever doesn’t make me scream.

Passing notes beneath the sheets, Check a box; it started sweet.

Then I saw your gleaming teeth.

Thoughts I’m finally setting free: What big teeth you have.

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