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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 | NYUNEWS.COM
Brennan Center Sues Trump
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The Brennan Center for Justice, located in the NYU Law building, is fighting the latest version of Trump’s travel ban. By AMY RHEE Contributing Writer The Brennan Center for Justice, a policy institute and think tank within the NYU School of Law that provides counsel for legal cases, is fighting the latest version of President Donald Trump’s travel ban, which goes into effect Oct. 18. The lawsuit, Zakzok v. Trump, claims that Trump’s September proclamation violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. In late September, the Trump administration released the most recent version of the travel ban which prohibits almost all travel
from seven countries — Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea — many of which overlap with the nations affected by the travel ban from earlier this year. With the recent proclamation, certain groups from Venezuela and Iraq are also subject to additional scrutiny. Brennan Center Lawyers Faiza Patel and Michael Price are serving as counsel for the parties involved in the case the Brennan Center filed against Trump. In an interview, Price, senior counsel for the Liberty and National Security Program, said that the Council on American-Islamic Relations asked the Brennan Center for help in bringing the case to court. Price added that this is not the first time that the Brennan Center has taken action. The legal team previously filed briefs on behalf of all affected individuals during past iterations of the ban. The ban affects student visas from some of the aforementioned countries. Price said that one plaintiff’s sister was accepted by Ohio State University for research. However, if the ban goes into effect, she will not be able to pursue her academic studies. The plaintiff’s sister could have been an NYU student, Price noted. “If [students] are subject to the new order, there’s a real chance
that universities like NYU will be deprived of the chance to have students from diverse populations and … Muslim students from the targeted countries,” Price said. “I think that is a loss for everybody, for the university and those potential students.” NYU’s political groups are aware of the Brennan Center’s suit against the Trump administration. NYU College Republicans said they do not support the Brennan Center filing suit. “I believe that the Brennan Center should be looking at taking action in more appropriate and time-worthy causes and that such a suit is not appropriate for an educational institution such as [NYU],” NYUCR’s director of media, CAS senior Shawn Kim, said. The case’s oral arguments will be heard on Oct. 16 in Maryland District Court. Price stated that there is a likely chance that the ban will be blocked before it goes into effect in consideration of the judge’s past ruling on the original ban. “We’re trying to tell [the Trump administration] that discrimination on the basis of religion or nationality is un-American,” Price said. Email Amy Rhee at news@nyunews.com.
NYU Dentistry Wins $3.7 Million By ALEX DOMB Contributing Writer
Researchers at the NYU College of Dentistry have received two grants totaling approximately $3.7 million from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The recipients, led by Associate Professor of Biomaterials Dr. Yu Zhang, intend to use the grant money to research, revise and develop new ceramic materials for dental restorations. “People often go for ceramics rather than other metallic materials for aesthetic reasons, however, the problem with ceramics is that they’re susceptible to fracture,” Zhang said. “Now, we hope to develop materials that are both aesthetic and strong.” While the grants, each totaling approximately $1.85 million, were awarded for different purposes, their applications are related. The first grant will be used primarily to improve longevity in existing ceramic structures, while the second grant will be used to develop a new system that also helps to improve longevity while also improving aesthetics. The second grant was awarded to “develop a new system to give better fracture resistance.” Zhang explained that, while the best restoration materials are highly effective, patients often opt for different, weaker materials for aesthetic reasons. “The veneer [of ceramics] are very susceptible to fracture and we know it’s due to residual thermal stress which makes it more vulnerable to fracture,” Zhang said. “Now, the key is to understand residual stress field in the material.
To this day, no one has a good handle on this, because crown systems are so complex.” To combat this, Zhang’s team is using computerized simulation systems to better understand the crown system. In doing so, he is working with University of Connecticut Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Jeongho Kim to create advanced computerized models. “By working with Kim, he provides guided analysis and we provide experimental validations,” Zhang said. “Between the two of us, we can come up with a solution for how to extend the performance of the current restoration system.” The second grant, awarded with the intent of it being used to create new models, will primarily go toward making what Zhang calls a monolithic material out of a metal called zirconia. The challenge is that zirconia is an opaque white and does not look like natural teeth, so the researchers hope to make the zirconia metal translucent. “To do this you need to use … materials consisting of a lot of small grains and reduce those to the size of the nano scale so that it won’t interfere with the natural light,” Zhang said. “To make [this type of] material is the main challenge, as we cannot make those materials easily, so we are using new techniques to make new translucent materials to fabricate both translucency and stress so as to improve aesthetics.” To be awarded the grants, the researchers had to submit an extensive written application to NIDCR, which is under the domain of the National
Institute of Health. As part of the application, a team of experts at NIH look not only at the written submission but also at publication records and past achievements to assess capabilities. The awarding of the grant allowed Zhang’s team to sign a fiveyear research contract with NIDCR. Going forward, Zhang hopes to work with more undergraduates in his research pursuits, especially CAS students with interests in dentistry or engineering. “We hope to have more exposure to CAS student researchers and interns,” Zhang said. “At the moment, we’ve mainly focused on graduate students at the School of Dentistry, but we would love to have more undergraduates in our labs.” Email Alex Domb at news@nyunews.com.
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The NYU College of Dentistry has received two grants totaling approximately $3.7 million. The grants, led by Dr. Yu Zhang, pictured, will allow the department to develop new ceramic materials for dental restorations.
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By SAKSHI VENKATRAMAN Deputy News Editor The NYU Department of Public Safety received 11 reports of larceny, one report of menacing, one report of attempted larceny, two reports of simple assault, one report of larceny/ trespassing and one report of criminal mischief from Oct. 5 to Oct. 12.
Larceny On Oct. 5 at 1:06 a.m., a member of Public Safety reported a bike theft at the 726 Broadway bike racks. The report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 5 at 3:20 p.m., an NYU staff member reported that her laptop and charger were missing from her desk at 1 Washington Square North. A police report was filed, and the report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 5 at 9:15 p.m., an NYU student reported that her laptop was missing from the fourth floor west wing of Elmer Holmes Bobst Library. A police report was filed, and the report is open and under investigation On the night of Oct. 5, an NYU student reported that her laptop was missing from the seventh floor west wing of Elmer Holmes Bobst Library. A police report was filed, and the report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 6 at 5:08 p.m., an NYU staff member reported that an unidentified man walked out of the Weinstein Hall food court without paying for a salad and drink. Police notification was declined, and the report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 8 at 4 p.m., an NYU student reported that $20 were missing from his wallet at Greenwich Hall. Police notification was declined, and the report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 9 at 6:10 p.m., an NYU student reported that her backpack and laptop were missing from the seventh floor east wing of Elmer Holmes Bobst Library. On Oct. 10 at 3 p.m., the backpack and laptop were found on the sixth floor of Bobst with $40 missing. The report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 11 at 5:30 p.m., an NYU student reported that his bike was missing from the 404 Lafayette bike racks. A police report was filed, and the report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 11 at 8:25 p.m., an
NYU student reported that his bike was missing from the corner of Washington Square South and LaGuardia Place. A police report was filed, and the report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 11 at 9:57 p.m., a non-NYU affiliate reported that his phone was missing from a common lounge at Tisch Hall. Police notification was declined, and the report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 12 at 2:15 p.m., an NYU student reported that her laser pointer was missing from a room in the Meyer Complex. Police notification was declined, and the report is open and under investigation.
Menacing On Oct. 5 at 3:35 p.m., an NYU staff member reported that she was the victim of menacing by an unidentified man at the Dental Center. A police report was filed, and the report is open and under investigation.
Attempted Larceny On Oct. 7 at 4:58 p.m., a member of Public Safety reported an attempted bike theft at the 721 Broadway bike racks. The report is open and under investigation.
Simple Assault On Oct. 8 at 10:19 p.m., an NYU student reported that he was a victim of simple assault at Palladium Hall. The report is open and under investigation. On Oct. 8 at 10:28 p.m., two NYU students were involved in a physical altercation at Founders Hall. Police were notified, but both students declined to press charges. The report is open and under investigation.
Larceny/Trespassing On Oct. 9 at 10:10 a.m., a member of Public Safety reported that an NYU student took a key from his desk without permission and used it to enter a locked room. No items were reported missing from the room. Police notification was declined, and the report was closed and referred to Student Affairs.
Criminal Mischief On Oct. 11 at 3:35 p.m., an NYU staff member reported graffiti at Othmer Hall. The graffiti was not of a biased nature. Police notification was declined, and the report is open and under investigation. Email the News Team at news@nyunews.com.
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Journalism Institute Launches First Amendment Watchdog Site By SAKSHI VENKATRAMAN Deputy News Editor On Wednesday Oct. 11, the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute introduced its First Amendment Watch website to analyze and contextualize key news events relating to the freedoms of speech and press. Spearheaded by journalism professor Stephen D. Solomon, the site is meant to be a watchdog for freedom of expression, providing updates, legal background, historical context and commentary to First Amendment events and cases. “It’s really an educational site,” Solomon said. “I hope it goes a long way in making a contribution to people’s understanding of First Amendment conflicts. We put a very high priority on the site being non-partisan. We cover the First Amendment, we’re not in the business of being anti-anybody.” Solomon proposed the idea for the site in February and very quickly gained financial support from NYU administration. Since then, he has been working part-time on the concept along with website managing editor Tatiana Serafin, an adjunct professor at Marymount Manhattan College. Solomon also hired CAS sophomore John Barna as a research assistant. “Professor Solomon taught my freshman honors seminar,” Barna said. “During the semester I was able to develop a thorough appreciation for the role of the first amendment in our representative democracy. He asked me to join this project as a research assistant.” The three person team aggregates First Amendment news stories that they determine to be important on issues such
as news gathering, hate speech, fake news, libel, campus speech and censorship. Included along with the news stories are various opinion pieces on the subject and historical and legal context. “The potential audience is anyone interested in these conflicts,” Solomon said. “There’s so much written about them and so much on social media and its dominating news. There’s so much material out there but I think people need a trusted source to go.” Solomon believes First Amendment Watch can also be helpful to journalists trying to gain a deeper understanding on the news stories they are covering. Barna asserts the importance of this understanding for college students in particular, referencing events on college campuses like the hecklers' veto of various conservative speakers. “Some of the most interesting First Amendment issues have been campus speech issues,” Barna said. “NYU has been one of the campuses where speech has been a really prominent subject. When you think of the university as a platform to freely and openly express ideas, you start to see that’s under threat.” As of the website’s launch, the featured story has been the heated debate around NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem at football games. The news and opinion stories are supported with landmark Supreme Court cases on symbolic speech. First Amendment Watch is also active on Twitter and Facebook, where updates on developing stories are continuously posted. Email Sakshi Venkatraman at svenktatraman@nyunews.com.
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The Arthur L. Carter Journalism institute launched its First Amendment Watch website earlier this week. The site will analyze and contextualize key news events relating to freedom of speech and press.
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Tandon Professor Juliana Freire is the first woman to be elected as chair of ACM’s SIGMOD in its 42-year history.
Tandon Professor is First Female Chair of Database By CHIA CHEN LEE Contributing Writer
Juliana Freire, a professor at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and NYU Center for Data Science, was elected this year as the first female chair of the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Management of Data. Freire is the first woman to be elected as chair of ACM’s SIGMOD in its 42-year history. Her term officially started on July 1. “I was honored to be nominated to the position and even more so to have been elected by the members of the community,” Freire said. Established in 1975, ACM’s SIGMOD is concerned with the principles, techniques and applications of database management systems and data management technology. Members of SIGMOD include software developers, academic and industrial researchers, practitioners, users and students. SIGMOD also sponsors the annual SIGMOD and Principles of Database Systems conference, which is one of the most important and selective conferences in the field. Fatma Ozcan, secretary and treasurer of SIGMOD, as well as a research staff member and manager at IBM Almaden Research Center, also explained SIGMOD’s role in the field of data science. “SIGMOD has made significant contributions to the information management research community over the years and has been a beacon of progress for many decades,” Ozcan said. “Relational databases and data mining were both pioneered in this community.” As the SIGMOD Chair, Freire is responsible for managing the groups’ activities as well as setting new directions for the field of database research. “One of my goals is to increase the adoption of transparency and reproducibility best-practices for database research,” Freire said. “This has the potential to improve the quality of our research output by enabling others to build upon our results, magnify our impact and speed up new developments.” The ACM’s SIGMOD conference has also been a pioneer in creating technology for reproducibility. The group
has been a model for other ACM and non-ACM conferences. Freire and her team hope to continue to lead this agenda in the future. “Another goal I have is to better articulate the importance of data management to the general public,” Freire said. The technology developed by the database community has made the big data revolution possible, but when new major big data or data science developments are publicized, the data management component is minimized or omitted. “We need to make sure that database research is recognized as a vital component of data-intensive science and computing,” Freire said. “This may mean special tracks in conferences that illustrate these contributions through case studies, promoting collaborations with disciplines within and beyond computer science that engage in data-intensive research, and journalistic outreach to show how the technologies we develop have an ongoing impact on data science at scale.” “I think it is important to increase the participation of all interested parties, both academicians and practitioners, as well as bring more transparency and creating a democratic environment as we continuously transform our research focus and increase our scope and interests,” Ozcan said. Both Freire and Ozcan had expressed personal expectations of their new roles as part of the SIGMOD leadership. “In general, women in leadership positions can serve as role models for young people,” Freire said. “Hopefully, I can be a positive role model.” Freire is also the Executive Director of the Moore-Sloan Data Science Environment, a five-year $37.8 million cross-institutional grant that is housed at CDS. Ozcan said she is very proud of the community for choosing a woman present while also promoting and embracing diversity in all aspects, not just gender. “I would like the SIGMOD community to play a leadership role as we embark on the new era of more intelligent systems,” Ozcan said. “After all, data is at the center of all decision making.” Email Chia Chen Lee at news@nyunews.com.
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Painful Nostalgia in ‘Wonder Wheel’ By DANIELLA NICHINSON Film Editor
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NYU’s Shakespeare in the Square performed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden’s rooftop in the East Village on Saturday, Oct. 14.
After more than four decades in Hollywood, NYU dropout Woody Allen’s well of ideas seems to be eternal, as he paints new stories year after year. With the inevitability of age, Allen chooses to continue his exploration of mortality, which sets brooding and bleak tones for his pictures. On Saturday night, the 55th New York Film Festival came to a fitting close, with a picture by the quintessential New York filmmaker. Woody Allen’s “Wonder Wheel” tells the story of an ex-actress, Ginny (Kate Winslet), and her carny husband, Humpty (Jim Belushi), in 1950s Coney Island. As Ginny becomes involved in an affair with a young, aspir-
NYU Students Genderbend Shakespeare By JOSHUA JONES Contributing Writer
This weekend, NYU students performed a Shakespearean classic with a twist — Shakespeare in the Square put on a gender flipped version of William Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The performance was directed by Tisch senior Alejandro Cervantes and is a part of Shakespeare in the Square, an NYU group dedicated to providing free, public and accessible performances of the Shakespeare's work. Performing in La Plaza Cultural Community Garden and Washington Square Park, the show follows the confusion and chaos surrounding four Athenians. Demetria and Lysander both love Hermio (Hermia in the original), but Hermio only loves Lysander. Hermio’s parent gives him an ultimatum: marry Demetria or be executed. Hermio and Lysander run off into the woods to elope. Meanwhile, Helena loves Demetria, who doesn’t return her affection. The situation becomes more confusing once a fairy named Puck casts a spell that causes Lysander and Demetria to love Helena. Further in the woods, a notably awful theater company rehearses for a performance of “Pyramus and Thisbe.” Described by the group as an “hour long, very queer, totally free” production, the reimagining doesn’t change the core text, while still making significant changes of its own. The characters of Her-
mio, Demetria and others have their genders changed in order to create a very different experience. When Hermio and Lysander’s love is forbidden, both characters now male, it takes on a much different, more topical meaning than in the Bard’s original play. And like all great Shakespeare adaptations, it is supported by fantastic acting. Tisch junior Davis Summers and Tisch sophomore Gus Laughlin add life and passion to the forbidden lovers Lysander and Hermio, while Maddie Jewell is fervently devoted as Helena, the spurned admirer of Demetria. Other standouts include comic relief characters such as the egotistical actor Bottom played by Tisch freshman Mia Pak, the whimsical actor Snug played by Tisch senior Lily Lipman and the hilariously incompetent fairy Puck played by Tisch sophomore Ben Wang. The group forgoes fancy effects and elaborate sets in favor of a more grounded show that forces audience members to use their imagination while watching the play. If you want to get involved with Shakespeare in the Square, you can audition for its fall or spring productions. And while the run of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” may have ended this weekend, Shakespeare in the Square will have a spring performance, so be sure not to miss it. Email Joshua Jones at entertainment@nyunews.com.
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NYU alumnus Woody Allen released his new film “Wonder Wheel” at the New York Film Festival. The film tells the story of a couple in the 1950s living in Coney Island.
ing-writer lifeguard, Mickey (Justin Timberlake), and Humpty’s daughter, Carolina (Juno Temple), shows up at their doorstep on the run from the mob, Ginny’s mental state slowly unravels. The themes and ponderings of “Wonder Wheel” are those commonly found in all of Allen’s work: nostalgia, longing to discover a profound meaning in life and a sense of disappointment that comes with middle age. Set against the backdrop of Coney Island — a place of false and fabricated magic — these philosophical dilemmas are magnified and even mocked by the absurdity of the carnival. For Ginny and Humpty, who live in the shadow of the park’s ferris wheel, is there any point in attempting an escape? With “Wonder Wheel,” Allen writes Winslet a role of the same caliber as Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine.” Ginny wallows in the regret of her choices as an immature youth and fears tumbling down the same hole again. Though she is painfully aware that her fling with Mickey will culminate in a similar fate, Ginny continues to pursue it — an act of self-loathing at its finest. Winslet brings a tender yet tough face to the role, as she immerses herself in the body of a woman refusing to abandon her past. The legendary Vittorio Storaro provides a breadth of light and dark into the world of 1950s
Brooklyn. The striking and explosive colors of Coney Island are balanced with the looming clouds of Ginny’s haunting past and the mobsters on the prowl for Carolina. In the delusion of Coney Island, Storaro’s stunning cinematography grounds the story in a somber reality. The story is told through the lens of Mickey, who opens the film by breaking the fourth wall. This often renders his conversation heavy-handed, as it offers too much exposition and detracts from the substance of his words. When the film strays from Mickey’s narration, Allen’s eminent comedic and quick dialogue is given a stage to triumph. Simultaneously funny, provocative and tragic, the script showcases Allen’s nimble talent with words. Comparing “Wonder Wheel” with Allen’s earlier works is an insurmountable difficulty. With the passage of time, he has evolved as a filmmaker — interests change and another perspective on life is gained. The film depicts the psychological consequences of choices and how they can drastically unwind a person’s psyche, a challenge of morality that Allen has devoted years to investigating. Though not his most significant feat, “Wonder Wheel” proves that Woody Allen is still infatuated with cinema and has enduring wisdom to share. Email Daniella Nichinson at dnichinson@nyunews.com.
Weaves Ventures into ‘Wide Open’ By ROBERT FREZZA Contributing Writer
Canadian indie-pop group Weaves hails from Toronto with lead vocalist Jasmine Burke, guitarist Morgan Waters, bassist Zach Bines and drummer Spencer Cole all in the mix. Burke, who was a bit shy of her own voice at first, overcame her fear while singing for other bands prior to joining Weaves. “I met Jasmine while she was performing a solo set at one of my friend’s shows,” Waters said in an interview with WSN. “She was playing with a looping pedal and was singing to it. I went up to her and asked if she wanted to make music together. Her voice was just so captivating.” Her raspy, husky voice has proven to be a valuable asset for the band to this day. Burke is the emotional center of the band, as she is the main songwriter. “I work on the lyrics with her when the song is more developed,” Waters said. “The songs take even more shape when the entire band jams together.” The quartet’s DIY sound started off very organic and refreshing with their self-titled EP, which was released in 2014. Its sound ini-
tially stood out due to its eccentric, quirky blend of folk music. The band’s influences run the gamut. “The rhythm section is more influenced by R&B since they went to music school,” Waters explained. “I am into Ween and PJ Harvey. Jasmine is into Bjork too. We like pop music too. It goes into the caldron and we stir it up.” The band has definitely evolved with its new, poppier LP “Wide Open,” which has an ‘80s flair. “I think our new album is more direct emotionally and simpler in terms of the songs rather than the arrangement,” Waters said. “With this record we broke it down to something more timeless and classic in terms of the songwriting.” Weaves definitely wants to see success in the United States and cross it off its bucket list, but admits that it is an interest in other territories too. “The music market [in the U.S.] is huge,” Waters said. “There are more venues. Everyone wants to break into the States. We got to tour Europe. They have an appreciation for the arts overseas. They really love rock music in England as well and that really fuels the music scene.” Waters disagreed with the opinion that there is more pop
sound across the U.S. border than what is found on Canadian radio these days. “I don’t think it’s more pop orientated in the States than it is in Canada right now,” she said. “I think it’s about the same, but hiphop is definitely a driving force of pop culture right now. We are just trying to cut through and do something different with guitars, bass and vocals.” Weaves play Rough Trade Tuesday night in Brooklyn. Email Robert Frezza at music@nyunews.com.
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Weaves is an indie-pop band from Toronto, Canada and will play at Rough Trade in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
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Elizabeth Cappuccino Talks New Film and Life After NYU By AMELIA REARDON Contributing Writer
For NYU Tisch alum Elizabeth Cappuccino, the times are a little brighter than the title of her new film, “Super Dark Times,” would suggest. WSN sat down with Cappuccino to talk about her experience at NYU and achieving her dreams as a young actress. Washington Square News: Since you’ve graduated, you’ve had some really big projects like “Broad City” and then you played young Jessica Jones. What has that been like, and did your experience at NYU help? Elizabeth Cappuccino: I technically booked “Jessica Jones” and “Super Dark Times” while I was still a student. NYU was great and bad at the same time. My first studio was amazing because they gave me amazing acting training, but they were also super strict about me missing for auditions, so that was really really hard. I’d often get in trouble for missing for auditions; one of which was Jessica Jones. In the fall semester, I
booked “Super Dark Times” and I left school about three weeks early. Most of my teachers were really amazing about it, so I’ve had a mixed experience of teachers that understood and were supportive. WSN: Your newest movie “Super Dark Times” — how would you describe it to someone who has not seen or heard of it? EC: I would say it’s a coming of age thriller and an exaggeration of the horrors of growing up and what adolescence is. It’s an exaggeration of that. It’s not what these filmmakers endured as teenagers, but it’s this idea that growing up is hard, and I think especially they’re focusing on toxic masculinity — what is it to be a young boy in that toxic environment of how boys act and how they are and how they’re taught to be by societal norms because this is the ’90s. Think of the ’90s and the kind of behavior that was acceptable, and you’re brushing that up with what is young love and guilt and everything like that. WSN: How would you describe your character, Allison?
EC: Allison is so different from someone like Jessica Jones, so different from something like what I did with “Broad City.” I think it’s because Allison is so soft and she’s very much, archetypically, a caregiver. She’s definitely a little cooler than the boys. By being kind of cool and having an older brother, she fit in but when it came to romance was more naive and more innocent and wanted a meaningful relationship in her life. She liked Zach, this boy who’s an artist. She thinks, ‘Aw, I like him, maybe.’ I always picture her as every freshman girl in high school who likes a boy and doesn’t know what to do about it. No one’s good at love, at 15 or even now at 23. WSN: You co-starred alongside Owen Campbell and Charlie Tahan. How was working with them? EC: A lot of my scenes were with Owen, not as much with Charlie. Although Charlie and I have the same agent, we’d never met before, but we knew similar people and working with them was really amazing. Working with Owen was great; some
scenes are more tense than others so you become good at giving what the other actor needs and understanding they need space on set to get into their zone. We were all living in this motel in Kingston, [New York in] this Best Western Plus. It was just like this family. I have such a fondness for everyone from that set still. WSN: Are there any upcoming projects that you want to be a part of? EC: When I’m older, I really want to play Tamera in Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus.” I’m also obsessed with the idea of playing Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet.” There was a project about the Manson girls that I got a call back for, and I really wanted it, but it ended up not going forward. These things are like all artistic endeavors like film, it’s a collaboration and my vision might have not lined up with the director’s vision. It doesn’t mean it was bad, it just wasn’t ultimately the right fit. I really want to work with Reed Morano and Woody Allen. I would love to work with Wes Anderson. There are so many dream directors.
STAFF PHOTO BY ANNA LETSON
Elizabeth Cappuccino graduated from Tisch last winter. She has recently been promoting her film “Super Dark Times” and was in the season four premiere of “Broad City.” There are a couple of specific roles that I think sound really awesome but it’s more of working with people who are really talented and seeing what they do and just collaborate with them. Email Amelia Reardon at film@nyunews.com.
Peterson Toscano Uses Comedy to Tackle Societal Issues By AMELIA MCBAIN Contributing Writer
Comedian, LGBTQ and environmental rights advocate Peterson Toscano chatted with WSN contributing writer Amelia McBain to discuss his lecture and comedic routine at NYU. The lecture occurred on Oct. 11 at the Jeffrey S. Gould Welcome Center for NYU’s Office of Sustainability’s semi-annual speaker series. Washington Square News: What is the process like of taking something serious and starting a conversation about it in a way that’s humorous? Peterson Toscano: I think part of the process is being vulnerable. I need to first find the humor in myself. Take my conversion therapy experience for example. It is traumatic, but it’s also ridiculous. While it’s easy to make fun of the people who are running these programs, I had to look at myself and
find what was ridiculous in myself. The other part of it is the commitment to be non violent. Humor can be violent, right? You can really attack people with humor. So I tried to create characters that I like, that I have an affection for, and I never try to hurt someone with my humor. Humor can be dismissive, and I’m not trying to make light of issues; I’m trying to shed light on them. Also, humor is one of those things where everyone has their own tastes. That’s something else I have to be aware of — it doesn’t work for everybody. There will be people who will walk away, who even think it’s too serious of an issue and that I shouldn’t use comedy. To which I say, well, maybe you shouldn’t come to my show. Go to a lecture, you might like that better. WSN: Why do you think an LGBTQ response to climate change is important? PT: The environmental move-
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Comedian Peterson Toscano discusses his comedic routines before his lecture on Oct. 11 at NYU.
ment is a very white, middle class, heteronormative movement. There are a lot of people who feel left out. A queer response to climate change can really challenge that and make us ask, “What other reasons are there to act?” I think that’s really important because, as they say in the recovery community, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. The playbook of the environmental movement has been similar since the ’70s and it’s time to question the talking points. Things are changing, there’s more talk about environmental justice, environmental racism and climate justice. More people of color are getting involved in the discussion and it’s shifting the way that people look at the environment. With climate change, we’re all on the same boat together, but we’re not all on the same deck. We know people have different experiences of the world. I think it’s also important from a queer family values perspective that we’re affected by climate change differently than other people. LGBTQ seniors, who are often more isolated than other seniors, may not have people checking in on them during a heat wave or hurricane. LGBTQ homeless youth, who may not feel welcome at shelters, need somewhere to go during big storms. We need to make sure we will survive these storms and that our people have healthy, strong lives. WSN: Who inspires you? Which comedians, activists and other people do you look up to?
PT: I have been very influenced in my comedy by Mad Magazine, by Joan Rivers, who was fearless in taking on really serious issues through comedy, by the marginalized people who’ve done comedy through
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The environmental movement is a very white, middle class, heteronormative movement. PETERSON TOSCANO
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the years like John Leguizamo, Lily Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg. They all did one-person shows where they took on multiple characters because I think as a marginalized person, you’re often alone so you have to move in and out of all sorts of worlds and speak in different languages. That definitely has inspired me. WSN: What advice do you have for NYU students that may want to get involved in queer groups, environmental justice or comedy? Or, like you, all three? PT: I remember when I came out in ‘99, it was like someone handed me a folder and said, “Now that you’re gay, this is the music you like, these are the clothes you wear, these are your politics.” I felt that I
needed to reject that and figure it out for myself. I think that we’re seeing this more and more, that people are being queer in the way that they need to be queer. With that, whatever you do, wherever you do your activism — whether it’s for queer or environmental rights or something completely different — come as your whole queer self and be your own damn queer. WSN: Anything else you desperately need the public to know? PT: We live in an extraordinary time. It sort of reminds me of the HIV/AIDS crisis, when suddenly people are called on to do things they never imagined they would do and felt completely inadequate to do. The public is panicked and hostile, there are a lot of hate crimes, just like during the crisis. It was a dire period of time and activists were young people who had no experience. When we look at their accomplishments, they were pretty stunning, and it gives me a model for what we can do now. WSN: Wow. I’m very moved by that. PT: We can learn from our ancestors. This is not our first rodeo. We can also learn from their mistakes. Though everyone suffered from AIDS, some did more than others based on their backgrounds and level of income. We were all on the same boat together, just not all on the same deck. Email Amelia McBain at arts@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 | NYUNEWS.COM
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EDITED BY KAITLYN WANG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
Donut Ice Cream Rocks Your Taste Buds By SHERRY YAN Contributing Writer
Ice cream and donuts are the two stars of the dessert world, but what about the combination of the two? Stuffed Ice Cream, a store located at 139 First Ave. in the East Village, serves an answer to that question. They name the donut ice cream sandwich concoction “cruff.” According to Alan Yaung, the 24-year-old co-founder of Stuffed Ice Cream, cruff is a portmanteau of on the words cream and stuffed. “I wanted to come up with a name that is very catchy and make it sound like a real word,” he said. “Among the cruffs, Unicorn Poop and Cookie Road are the most popular choices.” Besides the two aforementioned flavors, there are also six signature cruffs, including “Thai Kwon Dough,” “MatchaMa-Call-It,” “The Mint Monster,” “Tea Party,” “Peppermint Latte” and “Cereal Killer.” Boasting unique and imaginative names, these $7 cruffs invite customers to embark on a fantastic journey induced by the mix of an airy donut and sugary ice cream. The sweetness, in fact, hits the perfect balance — sweet enough to delight one’s taste buds, but not too sweet. LS freshman Julienne Ching, who had the "Unicorn Poop" cruff, gushed about her taste bud journey. “Basically the Unicorn Poop has white chocolate lavender, as well as Thai milk tea ice cream,” Ching said. “It has like rainbow-colored Fruity Pebbles all over and all of it is enveloped in the donut. This was one of the most amazing desserts that
I have ever had. Even though I don’t like donuts or the Fruity Pebbles, somehow the cruff makes it work.” The amazing taste of the cruff can be traced back to the secret process behind its creation. The soft glazed donut is filled with two scoops of different flavored ice cream and then put into a magic machine where the dough warms while the ice cream remains cold in its shape without melting. After taking it out, the staff cuts the donut ice cream in half to make a sandwich and places varied toppings to add flavor and aesthetic appeal. Yaung further explained what makes Stuffed Ice Cream special. “Everything we do here is made in house,” Yaung said. “We make all the donuts and we make all the ice cream. We make sure everything is exactly the flavor we say it is. We make sure every single ice cream is very rich in flavor. We make sure every donut is very nice and fluffy, so it is able to hold the whole ice cream.” According to Yaung, there are roughly 150 to 200 customers per day during weekdays, and the weekend is hard to estimate since the number drastically increased in the past couple of weekends. Stuffed Ice Cream is not the only vendor selling incredible ice cream served in a donut. There are some other places around the NYU area too, including Holey Cream, Ice & Vice, Mikey Likes It Ice Cream and DO Cookie Dough Confection. Give this delicious new trend a try. Email Sherry Yan at dining@nyunews.com.
PHOTO BY SHERRY YAN
Stuffed Ice Cream, located at 139 First Ave., has created a donut ice cream sandwich, which they have named the “cruff.”
Taco Bell Fashion: A Hit or Miss? By CHRISTOPHER COLLADO Staff Writer
Fast food and fast fashion collide in Forever 21's new collection in collaboration with Taco Bell. While an unlikely duo, the department store and fast food restaurant teamed up to create clothing released on Wednesday, Oct. 11. Forever 21 x Taco Bell isn’t the first restaurant and fashion collaboration. Previous examples of food and clothing partnerships include Coca-Cola x Adidas in 2002, CFDA x Starbucks in 2011, McDonald's x Moschino in 2014 and The Meatball Shop x Vans in 2016. Fashion is art and anything can be an influence for the creation of clothes, even food. As the newest fashion and
food collaboration, the Forever 21 x Taco Bell line has been receiving a lot of attention. The clothing line offers clothing for plus-size and non plus-size women as well as for girls. It also offers outfits for men, but the options are pretty limited. The collection includes shirts that say “Too Much Sauce” with images of tacos, naturally. There are body suits that say “Fire Don’t Wait Up” and “Hot Born Saucy.” The collection also has hoodies with the iconic Taco Bell logo. The fashion line also offers phone cases with tacos and sauce packets on them for the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 6 Plus and 7 Plus. While Forever 21 does appeal to some customers with the Taco Bell collection, it’s not for
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Forever 21 and Taco Bell released a clothing collection on Oct. 11. The collection offers comedic pieces for Taco Bell fans and those with quirky styles.
those who are trying to be fashionable. One could argue that the McDonald’s x Moschino collaboration was high fashion, but the Forever 21 x Taco Bell collaboration is comedic clothing. It isn’t couture to wear a bodysuit that looks like a Taco Bell sauce packet, but it is humorous. The shirts with taco illustrations come off as childish. The men’s and women’s jackets don’t incorporate a fast food brand fashionably, as it just looks like they are Taco Bell uniforms. The collection seems to only be appropriate for children, looking painfully juvenile. For anyone who has a quirky sense of style or is an extreme fanatic of Taco Bell, this collection could be a staple in your wardrobe. The collection has a wide range of articles of clothing in a variety of colors, making the clothing appropriate for all seasons. More fashionable customers, however, should pass. Forever 21 does a good job at selling fashionable clothes at affordable prices and Taco Bell does a good job creating Mexican fast food, but the two do not make a dynamic duo. You can check out the Forever 21 x Taco Bell collection on the Forever 21 website. Email Christopher Collado at bstyle@nyunews.com.
Celebrating Diwali at NYU
By NATASHA ROY Assistant Managing Editor
Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, is celebrated by people lighting matches, candles and even playing with sparklers and fireworks. The five-day-long Indian festival is meant to welcome the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi, into the home. The tradition carries over with the many families who leave India for other countries as well. In the United States, Indian Americans will gather together for large parties where they will play with sparklers, set off snapdragons and light small fireworks. But going to college can change the way students celebrate Diwali. CAS freshman Prish Chakraborty said she regularly celebrated Diwali until she moved to New York, and she will not be able to celebrate it this year. “I would visit my uncle and aunt and my cousins every year so it was more of a familial affair,” Chakraborty said. “Since I'm not a part of an Indian society at NYU, I do not celebrate Diwali here. Also, it coincides with midterms.” Chakraborty said when she was younger, she would light fireworks, but it eventually became more of a family get-together for Lakshmi Puja, a prayer ceremony
during which Hindus give thanks to the goddess. Other NYU students like College of Global Public Health junior Akshitha Dondapati are planning to commemorate Diwali this year by eating lots of sweets and desserts. Dondapati said she doesn’t usually get to celebrate Diwali at NYU, but she always celebrates at home. “We light our house with candles — like we deck the house in candles that are lit for most of the afternoon, [and] it’s really pretty walking down hallways that are lighted up,” Dondapati said. “I also usually have friends over and we all light up sparklers and fireworks.” Many members of the Hindu and Indian communities celebrate Diwali with their families, performing different traditional activities in addition to Lakshmi Puja. Stern sophomore Heena Kothari, who is from Hong Kong, said she calls her family members to receive blessings if they are not there in person, and she and her family eat traditional Indian sweets and foods like chola bhatura, a dish made from chickpeas and special bread. “There is a huge Indian community in Hong Kong,” Kothari said, “And so there are many dinners and parties that happen in the few weeks leading up to and after Diwali for more lighthearted celebrations.” For Kothari, Diwali signifies new
COURTESY OF NATASHA ROY
CAS sophomore Natasha Roy (right) and her friend Dani Dudas wear traditional clothing during Diwali. beginning and celebrates the little things that give her happiness, including her family, friends, dancing and singing. Celebrating Diwali at NYU has helped Kothari feel more at home in the United States, and she plans to attend both community and NYU events this year. “As an international student, I didn’t have my immediate family here when I came to NYU, but I tried to keep some of the same traditions alive — I called all my family and ate Indian food,” Kothari said. “I was thankful enough to have been invited to a community event by some family friends, which was extremely similar to the ones at home.” Email Natasha Roy at nroy@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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EDITED BY KAITLYN WANG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
By SHERAH NDJONGO Staff Writer The month of October is dedicated to spreading awareness about breast cancer. The goal is to provide useful information, from reminders on making sure to get early checkups to passing along the word about mammograms. This is certainly significant because today, with the exception of skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women — there are more than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, which includes both women who are currently being treated and women who have finished receiving treatment. While there are various ways to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, one method
Shopping for a Cure
to ensure your donation counts is to make a purchase at any of the following places, as a portion of their proceeds will go toward this worthy cause.
Alex and Ani
The company’s Spiral Sun Charm Bangle, which is described on the company site as representing the key terms “radiant, life and evolution” is customized with a spiral which “reminds us to go with the flow and accept where life carries us.” The $38 arm candy, available in either a shiny gold or silver finish, is part of a larger vow from Alex and Ani to donate 20 percent of the purchase price from each Spiral Sun Charm sold, with a minimum donation of $25,000 between January 2017 and December 2017, to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, an organization which
has created and followed through with the major goal of funding the world's most effective research to find a way to defeat breast cancer.
Bobbi Brown
This set, called the limited edition Art Stick Duo, comes with easy to use, rich and bold lip pencils available in the perfect shades of pink called “Dusty Pink” and “Electric Pink,” both fitting for people of all skin tones. What’s great about the bright pink shades is that they are as close to representing the cause as possible. Now labeled on the site as a cult classic after its much deserved previous success, you now have the opportunity to make a difference if you choose to pick up this set. After all, Bobbi Brown has promised to donate $10 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for every purchase. What was
Urban Farm Reopens its Doors
PHOTO BY JENDAYI OMOWALE
NYU’s Urban Farm Lab reopened on Oct 11. It was founded two years ago by NYU Food Studies professor Amy Bentley as a place for food study majors to harvest crops right in the city. By JENDAYI OMOWALE Contributing Writer On a slightly overcast day, when the sun was peeking through the clouds over a garden filled with a variety of fruits and vegetables, people harvested crops, stuffed their faces and corralled children who were running amok on the soil beds. In the immediate background, cars and trucks zoomed past, traffic noises infiltrated conversations about farming and pedestrians looked on curiously as a ribbon was cut to announce the official reopening of NYU's Urban Farm Lab on Wednesday, Oct. 11. “We’re kind of building a community here,” Melissa Metrick, the instructor of NYU Steinhardt’s Introduction to Urban Agriculture course said. Her students maintain the Urban Farm, along with residents from the Silver Towers that border the garden and children from a neighboring nursery. Two years ago, the NYU Urban Farm Lab was founded by Direc-
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tor of the Graduate Food Studies Program Jennifer Berg and Professor of Food Studies Amy Bentley. The initiative was started by graduate student Daniel Bowman Simon and was shortly thereafter ceased. “Because this building is landmarked, it’s got landmark status, we couldn’t do anything around it without permission from New York City,” Bentley said. She said that without permanent status, the farm had to be replaced with a lawn. “Now it’s permanent and we’re just delighted, we hope to improve it every year.” Bentley said urban farms are important for environmental sustainability and greatly benefit the local community. "Gardens have so many benefits — they retain water, rainwater, they cool down spaces that otherwise would be too hot with just asphalt," Bentley said. "There's a lot of evidence that shows if kids for instance have involvement in how the food is grown then they
are more likely to eat and enjoy a vegetable later on.” Many people unaffiliated with the farm also came to the opening ceremony to admire the garden. CAS Metropolitan Studies senior Jessica Saab said urban farms are important for food justice because they educate people about how their food grows and where it comes from. “It’s hard to bring fresh food and the closer we can bring food to the source of the city, then the better and the more equitable it can be,” Saab said. Joachim Hjerl, who works with an urban aquaculture company in Denmark, complimented the program for allowing children to connect with a natural landscape. “When you live in a big city like this one, that’s just really important because people who grew up in cities lose contact with nature and to the places where food comes from,” Hjerl said. The students from the Introduction to Urban Agriculture course work on the farm on a weekly basis from seed to harvest according to Metrick. She explained that the garden’s location on West Houston Street enhances the farming experience for the students because they are part of this urban environment while gardening. Bentley said that NYU’s urban farm goes beyond benefiting those directly involved, but also positively impacts the wider community. “Growing stuff makes people happy,” Bentley said. “Looking at growing food, it lightens people’s moods. There are psychological studies that show we as humans need green spaces for our wellbeing and whatever we can do to contribute to that is really what our mission’s about.” Email Jendayi Omowale at dining@nyunews.com.
originally valued at $56 is sold for a discounted $50.
Gap
If you need another reason for why working out is worth it, you’re in luck. GapFit Breathe’s graphic hoodie tee fulfills the promise of supporting the mission of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by donating 15 percent of the purchase price items bought between Sept. 25 and Oct. 31, while supplies last. This jersey knit tee with the words “fight like a girl” written across it has many useful details such as Dry Moisture Wicking to help one’s skin remain dry and four-way stretch that provides the ability to move freely while also giving top-notch shape retention. Breast cancer awareness is always something worth fighting for. If you choose to support breast
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For every sale of Bobbi Brown’s Art Stick Duo, $10 will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. cancer research, even buying just one product from any of the aforementioned brands means that you are already contributing tremendously to the cause. Email Sherah Ndjongo at bstyle@nyunews.com.
Midterm Madness By TYLER CREWS Deputy Sports Editor
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library is currently overflowing with stressed students, backs hunch over textbooks or laptops, eyes dead from lack of sleep or potentially red from crying. This signifies the beginning of midterm season. While midterms are exams traditionally taken in the middle of the semester, here at NYU, students take test and write papers in the name of midterms for an entire month. Students have classes with two or three “midterms” and one final, yet still view the midterms with greater weight than they would a regular test or paper. However, many professors are working away from this title, labelling major tests numerically in order to alleviate students’ stress levels. While freshmen are new to the midterm experience and are therefore more worried than most students, Stern senior Devyani Nijhawan said, “I feel really stressed right now. Despite being a senior, to date I still feel stressed when I have midterms.” Nijhawan, an RA at Lipton Hall, is concerned about her freshmen residents’ midterm experiences. “I see them going to the library after midnight and studying really hard, but I worry about them pulling all-nighters,” Nijhawan said. “Of course, I don’t practice what I preach, but it really is important to have sleep
STAFF PHOTO BY RENEE YANG
NYU students flock to every corner of Bobst during midterms to study for tests or write papers.
prior to the midterm.” CAS freshman Rza Mollaev has definitely been feeling the pressure of midterms. “I’ve been losing a lot of sleep because I’ve had to go over 11 chapters of material and make sure that I had it all entirely memorized,” Mollaev said. “I’ve also had to cut out a lot of food simply because I saw it as a distraction and time I could spend studying instead of eating.” Students’ anxieties may be falsely sourced. “I have a class where there are literally three midterms before the final, but all four of those tests are weighed the same,” GLS freshman Simona Gemayel. The terms “midterm” and “final” automatically assign a heavy weight, but it is important to look at the percentage distribution. While these exams cumulatively have the potential to make or break someone’s grade, they are not worth losing sleep over. Steinhardt freshman Annie Lemanski found the midterm season to be less stressful. “I don’t have any labelled as midterms, and it makes me feel a lot better about the exam,” Lemanski said, referring to her exams being labeled numerically, as exam one, exam two and so on. While these tests have the same weight as other students’ midterms, the phraseology reduces anxiety. Many professors are beginning to pursue this method, recognizing that it may be more beneficial for students’ mental health. Midterm season is stressful for everyone, and it is important to stay mindful and remind yourself to take breaks and relax. If you find yourself unable to handle your stress and anxiety, do not hesitate to reach out and communicate with your professors. Additionally, MindfulNYU, located on the fourth floor of GCASL, is an amazing resource for relaxation techniques. Email Tyler Crews at features@nyunews.com.
Memetic Warfare at NYU By ABIGAIL WEINBERG Editor-in-Chief Memes are no laughing matter — at least, not for the Tandon IT Center worker who, according to Tandon sophomore Arystan Tatishev, told him, “I would’ve killed myself if it wasn’t for your memes.” The worker most likely didn’t mean it literally, but Tatishev does truly believe in the power of memes. In February, Tatishev created a Facebook group for NYU students to share funny NYU-related images. “NYU Memes for Slightly Bankrupt Teens” now has more than 3,000 members, seven administrators and five moderators. People recognize Tatishev when they see him in the park. He’s known as the meme guy. But the largest active NYU meme group didn’t gain its life-saving power overnight. In fact, the current iteration of the page is the result of a truce that followed a prolonged intra-university Facebook meme group war. Tatishev envisioned his group as an NYU version of University of California Berkeley’s infamous "UC Berkeley Memes for Edgy Teens" group, which boasts more than 118,000 members and spawned copycat pages at elite colleges across the nation. It’s no surprise that NYU followed suit with a page that Tatishev originally called "NYU Memes for Slightly Overrated Teens." Last summer, LS freshman Sebastian Michael Paine started his own NYU meme group, called "NYU Memes for Bankrupt Teens," which amassed about 700 followers mainly from the incoming freshman class at NYU London and posed a threat to the dominant upperclassman meme group. “We started feuding, which I thought was hilarious,” Paine said. “At one point there were like three meme pages. It was like World War I. It was crazy.” After several months of lighthearted battle, Tatishev asked Paine to merge the two groups. Paine agreed to archive his page and became an administrator on Tatishev’s page, which was renamed to "NYU Memes for Slightly Bankrupt Teens." “I got tired of the effort it takes to go to war,” Tatishev said. Tatishev and Paine agree that memes have a peculiar way of uniting students, whether it be through rallying against a common enemy, like underclassmen, or commiserating over everyday struggles. “They’re relatable,” Tatishev said. “Sometimes it’s very ironic and self-deprecating, but that’s what makes life fun, if you look at it in an ironic kind of way.” Irony, it seems, brings out the best and worst of humanity over the internet. According to Time, in 2012, Mountain Dew
asked the internet to come up with a slogan for the neon green drink brand. The winner? “Hitler did nothing wrong.” Conversely, though, a team of memesters raised $164,102 through GoFundMe for the cancer treatment of Stefan Stefansson, who played Robbie Rotten on the children’s show “LazyTown” and blew up in the meme world in 2016 for his song “We Are Number One,” which amassed more than three million views on YouTube. Tatishev highlighted this act of internet goodwill as one of the greatest benefits of increased meme exposure. “We can say that memes actually save lives,” Tatishev said. Memes may be silly, but there’s actually something there, some nearly universal human appeal. Kashif Azam, a GLS and CAS junior and member of NYU Memes for Slightly Bankrupt Teens, sees the posts come up on his newsfeed and enjoys their irony. “I do identify with it,” he said of meme culture. “It’s nonsensical a lot of the time, and it’s very meta, which is what I like about it.” But memes no longer lurk solely in the dark corners of 4chan and Reddit. They’re ubiquitous on all forms of social media and have worked their way into the everyday lives of college students, at least at NYU. “It’s a really interesting way of communicating ideas. It’s very versatile,” Paine said. “It’s a weird medium of human interaction that hasn’t been seen before.” “Weird” may be the most apt way to describe the fact that Tatishev is recognized by fans of the page while walking in Washington Square Park. But it also describes the times we live in, when a reality TV star is president of the United States and the Patriots can bend the laws of time and space to win the SuperBowl and “La La Land” is not, in fact, Best Picture — bizarre events highlighted in a New Yorker article that theorizes we’re living in a video game simulation. Memes are weird, but they’re alluring. That’s why 3,000 NYU students engage in a nonsensical meme page, for better or for worse. As for the fate of the page, Tatishev hopes that it becomes self-perpetuating, like an empire, and his leadership won’t be needed once he graduates. “So far it’s been me being the powerhouse of the meme page,” he said. “As time goes, I feel like whoever owns the page, it won’t really matter, because the page will be driven by community rather than one person...People share their problems and common ground with memes.” Email Abigail Weinberg at aweinberg@nyunews.com.
NYU’s Favorite Memes By NATASHA ROY Assistant Managing Editor NYU students are no strangers to memes, as evident by the ever-popular Facebook page “NYU Memes for Slightly Bankrupt Teens.” Every day, students can take a break from the impending doom of midterms and bank loans and escape to a blissful world of memes. With thousands of meme connoisseurs at the university poring over the internet hourly, a few truly outstanding memes have reigned superior. Here are some of NYU’s finest, dankest memes.
Bella Hadid “Homeboy” If you haven’t already been blessed by Bella Hadid’s interview with Complex, all you need to know is that Hadid first looks at a guy’s sneakers when she meets him. If his sneakers are clean and fresh, “homeboy’s gonna, like, get it.” The interview itself has over two million views, and the meme has quickly gone viral. Tandon freshman Melissa Canavan said she likes the meme because Hadid’s way of speaking seems awkward, and the phrase doesn’t make sense. “It's funny because you can just use that quote to make a joke out of anything,” Canavan said.
students, like LS sophomore Kira Burkhauser, enjoy it because of its versatility. “Not to get too deep over a meme, but this meme — like many memes — has a sort of universality to it,” Burkhauser said. “It can express virtually any metaphor. I've seen it used for everything. I've seen it as everything from the orthodox usage as a side chick meme, all the way to LS memes about the rise in socialist sentiment among the youth, and even some weird very specific ones about the way 11-year-olds draw the letter S on their notebooks.”
??? Some memes need no words, as is the case for ‘???.’ You can apply it to anything in your life — did you finish your Writing the Essay paper? Will you ever finish your WTE paper? Have you even started it? Who knows? Certainly not you, and certainly not the star of this meme. Beyond its versatility, students like CAS freshman Alex Shpylko find that the meme’s simplicity and resemblance to older versions of memes make it appealing. “Remember the time that we used to send each other the first, primitive memes like trollface or forever alone?” Shpylko said. “It’s just a pleasant throwback to an old time where I could actually use memes to communicate with others. Sure, makes me look like a seventh grader sometimes but I dig it.”
Distracted Boyfriend An unfortunate fear came to life in this stock photo of a man checking out another girl while on a date with his supposed girlfriend. The girlfriend in question is, of course, appalled. According to Know Your Meme, “Distracted Boyfriend” first became popular on Twitter in February, and some NYU
Niche Memes Mainstream memes are fun for reassuring everyone that you’re hip and with the kids at parties, but sometimes you just need a niche meme to sat-
isfy your humor. In the case of Gallatin freshman Chase Nenner, the bread meme is funny for its sheer absurdity. “Naturally one of sane mind would not be compelled to pour water over their bread,” Nenner said. “The creator's condescending tone leads the meme consumer to assume that the creator is serious and actually believes that whoever does not rinse their bread is not up to their social standards, although we understand that the nature of a meme is to entertain and is not meant to be taken seriously.” However, Nenner also has a simple appreciation for a horse meme, which states, "You're never too old to say 'horses' when you drive past some horse." “As a child who grew up in the pastoral outback of Westchester, New York, I related to the horse meme instantly, and as I read the words within, memories of the many horses I've passed in driving through the rolling hills came bounding through my head as well as that fateful word that escaped my mouth every time: ‘horses,’" Nenner said. “The meme made me chuckle because I could relate to it. Further, it brings me joy knowing that all memes have at least one person that can relate to them.” Niche memes don’t always need to relate back to childhood. For other NYU students, identifying with a meme at all is what makes it so special. Gallatin freshman Aleyna Dogan sees the “Thomas the Tank Engine” meme as more than just a meme. It represents her and her friends’ inner thoughts and feelings. “While we struggle because of the change we are facing — moving to another country, speaking a different language, living on your own, cleaning after yourself — basically adulting, seeing this meme makes us feel a little better,” Dogan said. “Now we know that we are not alone. The terrified look on the face of Thomas, looking right, having no idea about the mess happening around him, well, that's me. That's all of us really.” Email Natasha Roy at nroy@nyunews.com.
Where Do You Meme? By JORDAN REYNOLDS Arts Editor Memes are a part of everyone’s life, regardless of what form they might take. Memes slip into my daily life in a number of ways — half of my family’s communication is comprised of Bitmojis, I’m constantly tagged in different memes on Facebook and a new meme seems to take over my Twitter feed once a day. Memes play many roles in people’s lives, and the roles they take are often shaped by where they’re found. Different kinds of memes are shared in different ways on different media platforms, and it can get confusing to those who aren’t well-versed in meme culture. Tandon senior Daniel Jiang, the founder of one of Facebook’s many meme groups, “Twenty-First Century Meme Connoisseur,” outlined each platform’s main use. “Each platform is good for a lot of different types,” Jiang said. “Reddit for fandom memes, 4chan for reaction images, Twitter for general silliness … some like Reddit are very impersonal and basically impossible to share to individuals, while many are their most accurate portrayals of themselves on sites like Facebook, while on Instagram some will try to maintain a certain image or aesthetic.” One memester commented on
the nature of Facebook and Twitter, in particular. “Essentially, Facebook is an archive of memes, some of which involve tweets in them but most of which have been posted by certain meme pages with smaller amounts of people creating their own memes,” CAS junior and avid meme user Matthew Ramirez said. “While you can reshare memes onto your Facebook profile, they'll mostly get likes and a few shares, which doesn't even matter really. On Twitter, however, there's an inclination to post your own original content and share it with your followers to get their followers to retweet and like your tweets as well as to possibly gain new followers due to similar taste in memes.” Ramirez said that the meme community on Twitter is more tight-knit than Facebook and gives more substance to meme culture. On Twitter, some users even keep track of the trending memes from month to month. “In my opinion, Facebook and Twitter are where you can find the most quality relatable memes,” Ramirez said. “You can find specific Facebook pages or Twitter accounts, but these memes end up being recycled over and over again until they die and become dead memes. The most successful memes are the ones that are original content, not mass marketed by Twitter accounts
like @girlposts with no clear narrative whatsoever.” As those who use memes on a daily basis know, there’s a meme for every occasion. “They're better than Hallmark cards in my honest opinion,” CAS junior Ashley Gutierrez said. “Whether it allows folks in the same class to laugh at a topic they're learning about or friends to come together for a moment to think about something they went through together, something that relates to how their friend group functions, or for those who are lucky enough to be in a relationship to have that chance to tag their significant other in something that reminds them of said partner.” Memes are becoming an increasingly large part of the way we all communicate — and not just for millennials. “Even my parents use memes on WhatsApp, so it’s truly a global culture,” CAS junior Akshitha Dondapati said. Extensions like the GIF keyboard on iPhones have made it easier for users of all ages to co-opt and use memes in their day-to-day conversations. No matter where they’re found or what form they take, memes don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Email Jordan Reynolds at jreynolds@nyunews.com.
A Walk Down Memeory Lane By PAMELA JEW Copy Chief Memes existed even before we had the words to refer to them as such. The meme evolution has marked our culture by giving us Pepe the Frog, Doge, Dramatic Chipmunk and, most recently, Bella Hadid’s sneaker interview. But where did the meme even come from? Richard Dawkins, an English author, coined the phrase back in 1976 in his book “The Selfish Gene” in which memes are to culture as genes are to humans. Essentially, memes make up culture. An article from Wired in 1993 defined memes as "infectious ideas ... much as viruses leap from body to body," but memes didn’t really go off until the rise of the internet or, moreover, the death of AOL. Even now meme-ologists (those who study memes) can’t determine what the first meme was, as they pre-date the internet. But there are a few contenders out there, one being “All Your Base Are Belong to Us.” This image
macro meme — a meme with white block letters on the image — premiered back in 2000 and joked at the poor English translation of a 1989 Japanese Saga Genesis game, “Zero Wing.” The video got blasted on news stations and across message boards, igniting the start of the basic meme format. In a Thrillist interview with memegod Elliot Tebele, otherwise known as FuckJerry, he said, "I think [image macro memes were] when I became aware of memes as a concept, even if I didn't even really know they were called 'memes.'" Another meme, “The Dancing Baby,” started out in a more wholesome manner, different from the hellbent, post-everything-and-anything internet dump of today’s memes. In 1996, graphic designer Michael Girard wanted to show that movement could be programmed and then projected onto different characters, thus birthing Baby Cha-Cha-Cha, better known as “The Dancing Baby.” The video spread around and made it into the hands of a LucasArts employee, who made it
into a gif and sent it out in an email chain. In an interview with “Great Big Story,” Girard said he himself received the email and regrets “The Dancing Baby” 100 percent. But all memes eventually die out due to overexposure, and many animated memes enter the same fate as “The Dancing Baby” — the Uncanny Valley, in which a computer-generated figure resembles a human and we eventually become repulsed by it. With all the memes we’ve witnessed throughout the years, even meme-masters can’t pinpoint the start, since many of their beginnings were just simple images or videos manipulated over time to their full meme ascension, such as Rickrolling and even the Shake Weight. Instead, we can safely say memes have a few Founding Fathers, who came before the mass meme internet infection and have paved the way to daily memeing. Let the meme evolution run wild. DM Pamela on Yahoo Chat if she’s online at pjew@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 | NYUNEWS.COM
OPINION
EDITED BY ANDREW HEYING OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
POLITICS
Bump Fire Stocks, Women Drivers and Illusory Progress By THEO WAYT Contributing Writer Last week, when the infamously anti-regulatory National Rifle Association stated that bump fire stocks — the firearm accessory that gave the Las Vegas shooter fully automatic firing capability — should be subject to additional regulations, politicians and reporters heralded a change of direction for the group. News outlets reported a surprising reversal, and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy touted “the first significant crack in the NRA’s political facade,” predicting that the anti-gun movement is now on its way to countering the pro-gun lobby. With Las Vegas, the NRA has fi-
nally found a massacre terrible enough to warrant a minor concession on accessories that make little money for weapons manufacturers. By admitting the necessity of bump stock regulation — though explicitly opposing an outright ban — the NRA appears open to reasonable change, taking one vaguely positive step forward after decades of militantly aggressive steps back. Their concession, however, pushes popular discourse farther away from more effective solutions to gun violence. Recall after 20 first-graders were murdered inside their Sandy Hook classrooms, the vast majority of Americans — including 74 percent of NRA members — supported legislation for universal background checks on firearms purchasers. Un-
surprisingly, this legislation died in the Senate without NRA support. In 2016, North Carolina Senator Richard Burr — one of many senators financially rewarded for their vote against the bill — received $6.2 million from the NRA. The NRA and the repressive Saudi Arabian monarchy utilize similar strategies: politically disenfranchise the public politically and financially, through lobbyists or
control of oil revenues, and justify their actions with so-called national values, citing the Second Amendment or the Quran. The Saudi Arabian government was widely praised in the Western press last month when it decided to let women drive cars. Then, to much less fanfare and press, it jailed 22 social media users for inciting public opinion. The government continues to hold 30,000 political prisoners and murder countless Yemeni civilians. Saudi Arabian women still must cover themselves regardless of religious belief and seek consent from a male guardian in order to work, travel or undergo medical procedures. Even though Saudi Arabia shares many of its Sharia law codes with ISIS and the
Taliban, President Donald Trump, an avowed critic of Islam, inked a $350 billion weapons deal with the Saudis earlier this year. In this turbulent time, people look everywhere for some semblance of positive progress — a sign that maybe the bad guys are not so bad after all. But both the Saudi Government and the NRA are anti-democratic groups with backward agendas. They do not make decisions with public welfare in mind. We should not praise them for these decisions. That they are praised for having a bit of common decency should draw attention to what these groups typically stand for. Email Theo Wayt at opinion@nyunews.com.
CULTURE
Read This Out Loud: ‘I Agree With Eminem’ By ADRYAN BARLIA Deputy Opinion Editor Guess who’s back, back again, Shady’s back … and he just made waves in our political climate. If you have not heard it by now, Eminem dropped an anti-Trump freestyle, “The Storm," this past Wednesday at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. In his verses, Eminem made several remarks and metaphorical attacks aimed at President Donald Trump. Now, some may be wondering, why is this anti-Trump rant important? Trump is literally criticised every day, so why would we care if one more celebrity adds on to the fold? Well, Marshall Mathers’ — Eminem’s birth name — freestyle certainly has a reason for
blowing up. He made the biggest anti-Trump case, beautifully and lyrically outlined in five minutes, and it is among one of the most powerful messages expressed in rap to date. Furthermore, it is a message conveyed by one of the most controversial rap gods of all time — and we are are listening and agreeing with him. In his verses, Mathers went all out, bringing to light the president’s lack of care when it comes to aid in Puerto Rico or discussions of gun reform from the Las Vegas concert shooting. He cornered him on the grounds that Trump aggressively responds to things if they are personally against him, such as with the National Football League kneeling ordeal, and distracts the people from what
really matters by always blowing up a Twitter storm. He ended his rant by calling out his Trump fans and exclaiming one last time, “We f**cking hate Trump.” Reading into every point he brought up in his rap, none of the remarks are new for anyone listening, as everything Mathers mentions has been covered extensively in the media during the past few weeks. Yet, the popularity of his track has nothing to do with
whether the information is new, but rather the form in which he delivers the message. Mathers is known to be one of the best MCs of all time, granting him extra attention in the public eye whenever he does something political, even though there have been several tracks from other artists in the past that also lash out against Trump. It is precisely because we all know who he is, what he has done and what he means as a rapper that we all find ourselves to be familiar with his BET video. What is further astonishing is that Mathers has been the center of controversies many times in the past for numerous reasons, and we have all hated on him for it, but we nonetheless cannot deny that we are in line with the
points he brings up about Trump. Mathers has now been solidified in his status as an influencer in the political war that is steadily brewing. What Mathers says now matters, and I never thought I'd say that. He is the king of absolutely not caring at all about anything happening outside of his world of rap and celebrity drama. However, like many in the rap genre — possibly the most outspoken genre in music when it comes to politics — he has had enough with the way in which our commander in chief has dealt with virtually every issue that the country has faced since his presidency, both domestically and internationally. Email Adryan Barlia at abarlia@nyunews.com.
SPORTS
By WAYNE CHEN Contributing Writer Being an athlete in college is an act of pure devotion. There is no compensation, because somehow the National Collegiate Athletic Association wrote the rules this way, and the time and effort it takes away that could be used for studying and socializing means that only the best of the best — and those who truly love the sports they’re committed to — will join an athletic team. By joining an athletic team, these college students are automatically associated with the NCAA, which manages the athletic programs of major universities around the U.S. Advertisers and brand seek
NCAA Takes Advantage of Athletes
endorsements from college athletes through the NCAA. A recent revelation, however, shows that the students themselves are not getting paid for what they are putting in — instead, the NCAA is allegedly shoving all of the money into its own pocket. College students who invest precious time into such a tedious endeavor should not see someone else accepting the money they deserve — especially the very organization that has profited from their exposure in the first place. High-level, competitive intercollegiate sports make an extremely profitable business. While schools like NYU have less exposure to the business, other schools like University of Cali-
fornia, Los Angeles, Ohio State University and the University of Texas are the notorious big players with renowned football and basketball teams. The teams at these colleges often make millions from brand sponsorship or more. While these teams make considerably less money than professional sports leagues, it can still theoretically sum up to a hefty amount for any college stu-
dent. The athletes are barred from accessing any of that money for the sake of spo-caled amateurism. What we do know, however, is the extent of ridiculous rules the NCAA enforces that inhibit the athletes’ daily lives. Two college athletes who started selling T-shirts online (an endeavor unrelated to NCAA) faced a message from NCAA threatening to disqualify them — merely because they mentioned they were on the college swimming team on their own website. The NCAA reacted in this way because the NCAA's advertising deals allegedly prohibit the student athletes from promoting themselves. A manifestation of these issues was recently dealt with when sev-
eral federal prosecutors charged three parties: an executive of an undisclosed sports apparel brand, several coaches and an agent who linked the two parties up within this NCAA profit cycle. But this still has not made the entire NCAA accountable for its poor treatment of athletes. Athletes are not property; they might volunteer to play with no compensation, but that does not mean they are giving consent for other people to milk the money made on their behalf. College athletes should be appreciated for their hard work, and the NCAA should not take advantage of amateurism to this extent. Email Wayne Chen at opinion@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY ANDREW HEYING OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
CULTURE
STAFF EDITORIAL
White Men Win Nobel Prize Again By TYLER CREWS Deputy Sports Editor
On Oct. 9, the Prize in Economic Sciences, the final Nobel Prize of the year, was awarded to Richard H. Thaler, yet another white male in the string of Nobel winners for 2017. This year’s awardees truly demonstrated the lack of diversity in higher academia, with all of the laureates being male, and all but one being white. A roster like this perpetuates the idea that white males are to be at the forefront of science and technology, which discourages the academic pursuits of those who do not fit these demographics. Of the prize winners, we see 10 white men and one Japanese man. While their accomplishments are truly ingenious, our academic trailblazers of the year are nearly indistinguishable. This aligns properly with the history of the prestigious award, seeing that, since the start of the 21st century, there have only been 19 female laureates. Of those 19 women, only six were awarded a prize in physics, chemistry and physiology or medicine, also known as the hard
sciences. Even more frustrating is the lack of black recognition, seeing that there have only been only six black laureates since 2001 and 16 prize winners in total. Of these 16 black laureates, none have been awarded a prize in a hard science. If you combine these two demographics, you can see that there have only been three black women awarded the Nobel Prize. The lack of diversity does not end there. Since 2001, there have been 13 Japanese laureates, seven Muslim laureates, six Chinese laureates, three Indian laureates and two Latino and Hispanic laureates. Going even further, we have never seen laureates who do not identify as heterosexual, cisgender or fully able. When I look at the list of 2017 laureates, I do not feel inspired. I, a woman, am less likely to be
recognized for my efforts in academics than a man. If I were to pursue a scientific field, I would have to struggle more than most to gain a foothold. I will not have the same opportunities to reach the top, and once I get there, I will not have the same opportunities to be recognized for my efforts. So why even bother trying? We are told to aim higher, to work harder, but are discouraged from trying when we see what limited benefits our efforts yield. This cycle is the reality of minorities around the world, and with different layers of minority come more restrictions. Prestigious institutions that award academic prizes need to understand the direct impact their selections have on our society. Our future cannot rely upon the research and innovation of white men because our world and its viewpoints are not uniform. If we wish to reach our full potential in research and discovery, then we must encourage people of all backgrounds to participate. Email Tyler Crews at opinion@nyunews.com.
POLITICS
International Students Deserve to Vote By GIOVANNA TRABASSO Contributing Writer
College Park, Maryland has become the largest city in the United States to allow non-citizens to partake in municipal elections. The ultimately divided city council vote was preceded by similar discussions among the population of District 4. Some claimed allowing non-citizens to vote would dilute the meaning of citizenship in the U.S. Contrastingly, others agreed with the proposal because non-citizens are also affected by the council's decisions. As of Sept. 12, College Park will be joining Hyattsville, Mount Rainier, Takoma Park and other smaller towns in allowing non-citizens to vote in 2019. College Park holds the flagship campus for the University of Maryland. UMCP is currently home to approximately 3,600 international students, out of 39,000 total, from over 150 countries, representing over 100 ma-
jors and programs. Due to the approval of the proposal, the university now holds an extra nine percent of students that are eligible to voice their political opinions in ballots that will directly affect them during their college careers at College Park. Believe it or not, international studwents are legitimate thinkers able to formulate opinions regarding the politics surrounding them. NYU has an ever growing population of international students, holding the highest number in the U.S., with over 17,000 students from over 140 countries, none of whom are able to vote. As foreigners, international students have made the choice to come not
only to NYU, but to New York City. With that decision comes a belief that this would be the greatest growing opportunity for them. For some that might mean academic prestige and career opportunities, but for many this city was the place they saw themselves the safest and happiest they could be. American patriotism bleeding into politics forces American politicians and citizens to forget that they themselves are not the only ones affected by their policies and decisions. Undocumented or not, international students are consuming all that the U.S. produces while fueling its economy. For a country that prides itself as a melting pot of opportunities, it would only seem natural for international students, the leaders of the future generation, to be allowed a say about those who will be making decisions about the places they chose to live in. Email Giovanna Trabasso at opinion@nyunews.com.
NYU PEP Deserves Expansion
Last week, five students — Ryan Purcell, Roy Burvick, Danis Flores, Khalan Pendelton and Vincent Thompson — became the first graduates of NYU’s Prison Education Program. Even though the graduation was held in Wallkill Correctional Facility, it featured purple caps and gowns, as well as jazz music, heartfelt speeches and President Andrew Hamilton himself. All five graduates received associate’s degrees in Liberal Studies. This new program is an excellent example of NYU living up to its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. While the NYU administration deserves immense praise for piloting this program, much more can and should be done. NYU’s Prison Education Program was announced in March 2015. The initiative encourages incarcerated individuals in the Wallkill Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in upstate New York, to pursue an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. As former imprisoned individuals face incredible prejudice once they are released from prison, the program aims to facilitate their reassimilation into society by providing students with an education, a step ahead, that will help them succeed above the discrimination. There are at least 12 courses offered per year and they are all administered in person and in a classroom equipped with technological devices. New students are admitted every academic year and they are supported by an amalgam of student resources, such as writing support, career advice, professional workshops, multimedia training, wellness services and social events. NYU PEP also provides support to help guarantee the students jobs and housing post-release and graduation. There are other schools throughout the country that have similar programs in place, such as Ohio University, Colorado State University and Andrews University, to name a few. All of these school have different degrees available, ranging from bachelors to masters degree. With this in mind, NYU should follow suit and work to offer more degree options — beyond just an associate’s degree — especially considering the competitive nature of today’s job markets. The type of degree one carries in life is unfortunately often the determinant in whether someone will be able to live a stable life. If incarcerated people do not have quality job options upon being released, the possibility of rehabilitation is nearly impossible. Because of this, expanding this program is incredibly important. NYU PEP is an excellent example of the NYU administration living up to the values it preaches. Because of this, it is vital that this program not only continues, but be expanded. There is immense potential here to educate more prisoners and to educate prisoners beyond the associate’s level. Hopefully, NYU will see this and make NYU PEP a priority in funding going forward. After all, this program provides much more value to students and to the world than any new building or facility ever could.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at opinion@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Andrew Heying (Chair), Adryan Barlia (Co-chair), Carine Zambrano (Co-chair) STAFF PHOTO BY POLINA BUCHAK
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 | NYUNEWS.COM
SPORTS
EDITED BY MADDIE HOWARD SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
W EEK LY S PO RTS U P DAT E
Oct. 9 to Oct. 14
By TYLER CREWS Deputy Sports Editor
Swimming and Diving On Saturday, Oct. 14 both men and women’s swimming and diving opened up their seasons with wins over Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. For the men’s team, the Violets won 10 out of 16 events. Stern senior and team captain Tim Kou led the team in victories, winning the 100-yard breaststroke, the 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard medley relay with his teammates. For the women’s team, the Violets took victories in 11 of 16 events. Individually, LS sophomore and last year’s individual national champion Honore Collins won the 100-yard breaststroke and also helped her teammates win the 200-yard medley relay. In diving, SPS junior Connor Brisson had top scores in both the one-meter and three-meter dives. CAS freshman Ashlyn King and CAS sophomore Carmen White won in the three-meter and the one-meter dives respectively. Come see both teams swim at their home invitational on Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4.
Men’s Soccer On Monday, Oct. 9 the men defeated Baruch College at Gaelic Park, winning by one goal with a score of 3-2. The Violets were unable to maintain this momentum, however, and fell to Emory University 0-5 on Friday, Oct. 13 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Violets will try for redemp-
tion on Sunday, Oct. 15, when they play University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.
Women’s Soccer On Friday, Oct. 13 the NYU women’s soccer team traveled to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, ending the game with a 1-1 tie. CAS sophomore Alex Benedict scored NYU’s only goal. The game stayed tied after double overtime. The Violets play again on Sunday, Oct. 15 against the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.
Women’s Volleyball On Saturday, Oct. 14 the women’s volleyball team played the University of Rochester and the University of Chicago as part of the second University Athletic Association Round Robin at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. The team fell in three sets to the University of Rochester, with a score of 25-16, 25-19, 2521, and then lost another three sets against the host team, with a score of 25-7, 25-9, 25-16. This brings the Violets’ record to 4-18. On Sunday, Oct. 15 the Violets will play two more matches in the UAA Round Robin, playing against Emory University and Brandeis University.
Cross Country On Friday, Oct. 13 both the men and women’s cross country teams competed in the Metropolitan Championship at Van Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, New York. The Violets were the only DIII team in the race.
The men’s team came in eighth place out of 11 teams. Tisch sophomore Benjamin Heintz was the top runner for NYU, coming in 39th out of the 111 runners that competed. The women’s team came in eighth out of 14 teams. CAS senior Hannah Haley was the first to cross the line for NYU, finishing in 32nd place out of 129 runners. The Violets will run again when they host the UAA Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Oct. 28 in Woodland Park, New York.
Women’s Tennis Three members of the NYU women’s tennis team played in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Oracle Cup Championship from Thursday, Oct. 12 to Saturday, Oct. 14, in Rome, Georgia. Stern freshman Anna Maria Buraya competed in singles, while the team of Stern junior Flyora Shiyanova and CAS sophomore Coco Kulle competed in doubles. On the first day, Buraya’s body got the best of her and she was forced to retire in the third set. Shiyanova and Kulle were shutout in their first match 0-6, 0-6. Buraya was able to bounce back and compete in her second match of the weekend, but was defeated 5-7, 5-7. In doubles, Shiyanova and Kulle lost with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 5-10. On Saturday, the Violets lost both their singles and doubles matches, concluding their play at the ITA Championship. Email Tyler Crews at sports@nyunews.com.
VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM
The NYU women’s volleyball team played in a round robin tournament at the University of Chicago.
VIA WHITEHOUSE.GOV
Vice President Mike Pence abruptly left the Colts and 49ers game on Oct. 8 in Indianapolis after several players knelt during the national anthem.
Commentary: Pence Should Have Stayed By HELEN XIE Contributing Writer Imagine waking up in the morning, turning on the TV and seeing news stories of your president condemning those protesting racial inequality as white supremacists riot in the streets and kill people of color and immigrants. One might be confused about over these occurrences and ask, what year is it? Is it the 1950s? Hardly, as it is 2017, this is our reality, and America has yet to evolve from our racist roots. What was considered progress due to the election of our first African-American president was slowly backtracked for us to become one of the most socially tumultuous and racially bigoted countries of the developed world. Mike Pence exemplifies this ignorance and racism, and he has expressed this most recently at the Indianapolis Colts game against the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 8, leaving abruptly after players knelt during the national anthem to protest against racial inequality. As Twitter became the strongest form of communication between the White House and the country, Pence took to the social media platform as well to alert the public of his reason for leaving. His tweet stated, “I left today’s Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.” His comments are neither uncommon nor shocking. He is a proud Christian, famous for say-
ing the line “I am a Christian, a Conservative and a Republican, in that order.” This time, though, he used his beliefs to hide his racism underneath a shield of patriotism. While there is nothing wrong with loving God and having conservative political beliefs, there is something wrong when you are in a position of power and continue to oppress minorities and condone the this country's harmful behavior toward people of color. As a leader, much like in ethics, we ought to take the path of the greatest good. Stating that his actions were a reprimand to the football players because it is disrespectful to our country begs the question, why were the same responses not taken for the aftermath of the Charlottesville and University of Virginia Nationalist Marches? While, objectively, disrespecting the flag is considered an act done only by anti-nationalists who despise our country, what the football players did was an act of resistance, albeit disrespectful, but one that helped to raise awareness of the white nationalist social climate now seemingly dominating our country. If our own president fails to denounce those who very blatantly are bringing back the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, one of the worst xenophobic organizations in American history, and the murder of a counter-protestor without precedence, what will we do as a country? Email Helen Xie at sports@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2017 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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SPORTS
EDITED BY MADDIE HOWARD SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Last Week’s Good, Bad and Ugly By AUSTIN DAY Contributing Writer
Good: October baseball is FUN. October baseball just has magic to it. It really does. It has people in the Bronx not washing their socks in fear of ruining the good juju the Yanks are riding. It has Dodger fans walking around town with their tongues out Puig-style. It’s the March Madness of pro sports. The past few postseasons have been games of “whatever you can do I can do better.” Two years ago, blue and orange hats were popping up out of nowhere in support of the Mets’ improbable run, powered by the luscious locks of their starting rotation. Last year, we pitted two long-time hopeless franchises against each other for the best World Series I’ve ever seen, ultimately ending the Curse of Murph. For those who don’t get the reference, see below. This time around, we’ve already been through two 0-2 comebacks in the Divisional round, which had previously been done only nine times since 1969. That’s incredible. You can’t even make comebacks like that in backyard games of wiffle ball. We have the best case of size might matter in the battle of the Astros vs. Yankees, highlighted by Jose Altuve
and Aaron Judge, respectively. One is small, one is tall. Google it. Then we have the Dodgers trying to break through against the returning champion, the Cubs, which is a series that doesn’t need analysis, just popcorn. Personally, I need a Dodgers/Yankees series to cap it off. Nothing would be more classic than a Kershaw vs. Judge showdown, plus highlight reels from Didi, Puig and crew for a hopeful seven games. I can’t wait.
Bad: The NFL just doesn’t get out of its own way. Zeke’s out, Zeke’s in, Zeke’s out, Zeke’s in. Get it together guys. I’m sure the legal system is hard and taking big names off the field is harder, but you have guys getting a year for smoking a plant while others are getting only a game for domestic violence cases. Are you kidding me? It’s 2017: I think it’s time to send the message that beating your wife, or girlfriend, or anyone, is worse than getting high. Wake up and smell the roses. People today are more aware and cognizant of big brands and what they stand for. People are more and more willing to abandon certain things if they don’t match up to their morals and beliefs, because there is an increasing amount of options
out there. Stay ahead of the game and stay on top, National Football League, I want you to. I just don’t want you to make it hard for me to say I’m a fan in front of my mom.
Ugly: Washington State is for re-ahhh never mind. On a lighter note, HA. Ha. Washington State University’s attempt to be this year’s Boise State of the mid 2000s ended after a 37-3 embarrassment on national television Friday night. The NCAA basically said, "Here you go, number eight in the country, go follow up Clemson on Friday where you’ll be the sole focus, route a struggling Cal team and make some waves for your program and your playoff hopes." Seven turnovers and 37 points against later, yikes. Washington State’s home field is red. It’s cool, normally. However, while they didn’t play Cal at home, there was red everywhere. There was blood everywhere. It was a Red Wedding-esque route that shattered Heisman hopeful Luke Falk’s campaign and pretty much took WSU out of any playoff conversation. Many college kids take L’s on Friday night, but very few the size of this one. Email Austin Day at sports@nyunews.com.
VIA WIKIMEDIA.ORG
This week’s Good, Bad and Ugly includes the start of the baseball season, Ezekiel Elliott's suspension and Washington State University’s embarrassing game on national television.
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news MACK DEGEURIN, CAROLINE
HASKINS, SAKSHI VENKATRAMAN film DANIELLA NICHINSON sports TYLER CREWS books and theater KHRYSGIANA PINEDA music CONNOR GATESMAN entertainment RYAN MIKEL features THOMAS CHOU dining YASMIN GULEC beauty and style SOPHIE SHAW abroad TAYLOR NICOLE ROGERS photo KAMILA DAURENOVA, COREY ROME
OPINION PAGE
editor ANDREW HEYING deputy ADRYAN BARLIA,
CARINE ZAMBRANO
BLOGS
violet vision MICHAELA HOFFMAN the highlighter ANUBHUTI KUMAR under the arch GEORGE HAJJAR
ADVISING Director of Operations NANCI HEALY Editorial Adviser RACHEL HOLLIDAY SMITH Editors-at-Large HAILEY NUTHALS, KATHERINE PLATZ, RACHEL RUECKER, HANNAH SHULMAN, GRACE HALIO, GABRIELLA BOWER
About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published in print on Mondays and throughout the week online during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods. Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact the managing editors at managing@nyunews.com
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