Washington Square News April 2, 2018

NYU’s Independent Student Newspaper | est. 1973

nyunews.com

Monday, April 2, 2018

Volume L, Issue 10

ARTS

FEATURES

OPINION

SPORTS

Been Stellar Talks Midwest and Ben Stiller

NYU Prepares to Lead in March for Science

Students Are Shouting, Trustees Need to Listen

Diana King, Queen of the Softball Field

ON PAGE 4

ON PAGE 6

ON PAGE 9

ON PAGE 11

An Inside Look at the Groups Pushing NYU’s Administration

SPORTS

Rainey Tops Off Senior Year With Two National Championships

I

By WARNER RADLIFF Deputy Sports Editor

an Rainey capped off his collegiate swimming career in style at the 2018 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Swimming and Diving National Championships by winning two national titles over a two-day span. With the nation’s top finishes in both the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medley events, the historic feat made Rainey the first national champion in NYU men’s swimming and diving history.

STAFF PHOTO BY ECHO CHEN

Demonstrators march from the Bonomi Family Admissions Center to the Kimmel Center for University Life.

By ALEX DOMB Deputy News Editor

On the morning of Thursday, March 29, the University Senate passed three resolutions that would allow student, tenured faculty and contract faculty representation on the Board of Trustees. The resolutions have been relayed to the board, which will vote on whether to approve or reject each resolution.

It is unknown how soon the board will hold these votes. It took the board 14 months to vote and even-

tually strike down a University Senate resolution for fossil fuel divestment in 2016.

The resolutions for student and faculty representation are championed by the Student Labor Action Movement, an NYU activist group which has advocated for greater representation and increased transparency repeatedly since its inception.

SLAM’s demand for student representation on the board received an endorsement from NYU alumnus and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in September, who unsuc-

cessfully advocated for the same goal as an NYU undergraduate.

Last week was SLAM’s busiest of the year thus far. From March 26 through March 29, SLAM members — alongside members of NYU Divest — occupied the Bonomi Family Admissions Center for three days and the Kimmel Center for University Life for two days.

Representatives from SLAM and Divest met with Senior Vice President for University Relations and Public Affairs Lynne Brown and Senior Associate Vice President of

Student Affairs Tom Ellett. In this meeting, the administrators threatened activists with disciplinary action if they occupy any building past its closing time and requested a week to address a demand from the activists to have a public town hall with administrators and trustees by the end of the semester. Following this meeting, activists decided to suspend their occupation.

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As fairytale-esque as the ending may seem, Rainey’s journey to the top of the Division III ranks was far from linear. The SPS senior began his collegiate career at the University of Michigan, where he exercised his first two years of NCAA eligibility at the Division I level. While representing the Wolverines, Rainey found success in the pool with a handful of top 10 finishes and a national championship.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10|

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Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

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NEWS

nyunews.com Edited by Sakshi Venkatraman and Mack DeGeurin news@nyunews.com

An Inside Look at the Groups Pushing NYU’s Administration INSIDE SLAM’S ORGANIZING | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Thursday’s victory was the culmination of months of preparation and advocacy, most of which was unseen by the public. Although this time-consuming work often requires its members to sacrifice other aspects of their lives, activists express few regrets.

“My GPA has definitely dropped because of organizing, but I’m pretty fine with that,” CAS junior and SLAM member Ben Zinevich, who is currently studying abroad in Buenos Aires, said in a video call with

STAFF PHOTO BY ECHO CHEN

A demonstrator holds a banner that demands NYU to terminate all investments in fossil fuel companies.

WSN. “I don’t think that there’s anything else on campus that can give me the sense of fulfillment that student activism has.”

Gallatin sophomore and SLAM member Stephanie Rountree agrees.

“You’re only going to remember so many of your readings or your classes from college,” Rountree said.

“Through activism, you build these bonds and connections that won’t go away and you pick up new skills in dealing with things. It’s just fighting for something greater. Your essays can’t really facilitate that, but direct action can.”

SLAM has an incredibly tight-knit community of core members, who see each other not only as fellow activists, but also as close friends. Its members explain that this is necessary to its efforts; to take part in any aspect of SLAM’s activism — making difficult decisions, occupying a campus building for hours, confronting administrators and trustees — requires its members to get along well, to support one another and to get things done quickly and cohesively.

“I’ve been in a 30-hour occupation with people and come out after 30 hours so bonded,” Gallatin senior and SLAM member Hannah Fullerton said. “You are holding each other up, you are all putting yourselves on the line for something together, which is so powerful. There’s this bond when you’re showing up for something to-

gether that just can’t be paralleled.”

SLAM uses meticulously developed tactics for group discussion.

Activists use a complex set of hand signals — for emotions such as agreement, disagreement and a desire to interject — to facilitate conversation. At every meeting, one of its members keeps track of who has signaled a desire to speak, allowing each member to have their voices heard and preventing verbal competition.

Members agree to several key assumptions and principles going into conversation. Participants are reminded to assume best intent in dialogue, a method that prevents anyone from taking personal offense to disagreement. The group has no delegated leaders, so as to avoid conflicts over power and hierarchy and to emphasize that each of its members’ opinions are valued equally. And in every discussion, members strive for genuine consensus and are rarely satisfied unless nearly every member of the group is on board with a prospective decision.

“You have to trust one another when you’re operating in this way, without hierarchy,” Fullerton said.

“And you also have to know each other in a real, intimate way, not in a coworker-y way. We’re like a beehive, we’re operating like a big unit, so we have to be able to have those kind of bonds.”

SLAM’s activists reminisce

fondly on their memories of joining the group.

“One piece of advice that I’d like to extol is always trust the people who hand you a disorientation guide,” said Zinevich, who joined as a firstyear after picking up a guide from a SLAM activist. “In the end it has all of the truths about the university just laid out in a very easy to read format.”

When Fullerton originally came to NYU on a sizeable scholarship, she felt appreciative that the university was helping fund her education. Yet, upon arriving as a student, she started to notice how many other students would be graduating with heavy debt, which drove her to join SLAM. “I made a [Facebook] post asking why no one is doing anything about debt on campus, and someone commented that there are people doing it — they’re called the Student Labor Action Movement,” Fullerton said.

“I was like ‘word.’ And then I got totally radicalized.”

Although SLAM takes up a significant amount of time for its most dedicated members — a core group of only 10 to 15 students do the vast majority of organizing and activism — its members feel that SLAM has helped them develop skills that will help them apply for jobs and succeed in the workplace.

“As a person applying for jobs right now, it is the most transferable job,” Fullerton said. “You know how

to event plan, you know how to recruit, you know how to do outreach, you know how to publicly speak, you know how to do media, you know how to negotiate, you know how to budget — you know literally everything. There is not a path I think you could go into that this would not inform.”

Fullerton also spoke to the importance of practicing activism.

“I think the main lesson [I’ve learned] is the f-cking cliche protest chant, ‘The people united will never be defeated,’ and direct action has shown that over and over and over again,” she said. “You can read that in the classroom, you can watch a documentary on it, but when you’re actually practicing that, you know it in a way that’s more than just believing it’s true or hoping that it’s true — you’ve experienced it. And that does change your way of walking throughout the world and engaging with other human beings.”

SLAM continues to advocate for a public town hall with trustees by the end of this academic year. In a March 30 email to administrators, activists stated their intent to occupy Kimmel indefinitely, starting on Monday, April 9, if they do not receive a satisfactory response by Friday, April 6.

Email Alex Domb at adomb@nyunews.com.

Fallen NYU Fireman Honored by New York Community

By NOAH MUTTERPERL Contributing Writer

Hundreds of New York City Fire Department firefighters lined the streets of Fifth Avenue on March 29, the solemn sound of bagpipes surrounded them. The men and women had gathered to mourn and honor their fallen member, Christopher “Tripp” Zanetis.

Zanetis was carried atop a fire engine, dedicated in his honor, down Fifth Avenue to the arch of Washington Square Park.

The CAS (’03) alumnus Zanetis died in a helicopter crash while serving the 106th Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard in Iraq. He died on March 15 alongside six other soldiers, including fellow former New York firefighter Sgt. Maj. Christopher Raguso.

Zanetis’s family and friends trailed behind the fire engine as it made its way to Washington Square Park where Zanetis received formal military honors.

The ceremony ended with a 21gun salute. FDNY officials, Air Force officials, NYU administrators and community members all mournfully looked on from within and around the park.

The procession was followed by a private ceremony celebrating Zanetis’ life in the Kimmel Center for Student Life Eisner & Lubin Auditorium. The celebra-

tion began with a speech from another NYU alumnus Mayor Bill de Blasio, who spoke about the immensely positive impact Zanetis had on those in his life.

“It seems today we have lost a Superman, we lost someone who was endowed with some amazing ability, an extraordinary ability, to wrench from life the greatness of every moment,” de Blasio said.

“He loved life and we remain incredibly indebted to him.”

The ceremony was closed to the public and students were not allowed in without credentials.

Zanetis accomplished much in his short 37 years of life. President Andrew Hamilton spoke at the ceremony and said that Zanetis had thrived academically and socially at NYU. He detailed Zanetis’ many accomplishments during his college career, including how in his second year of college, he rushed to aid first responders to the 9/11 attacks.

Zanetis went on to serve as the chair of the NYU Student Senators Council — the highest office a student can hold at the university. After graduating in 2003 cum laude, he began his career with the FDNY. He later joined the U.S. ANG, where he performed rescue missions while simultaneously attending Stanford Law School, according to Lt. Col. John Schultz.

Shultz recounted when Zanetis came into his office and told him he wanted to be deployed as a pilot for an earlier mission.

“I remember sitting back in my chair and thinking, ‘I love this guy’s motivation, but I think he’s crazy,’” Shultz said.

Shultz went on to detail the ways Zanetis took on every task with a positive attitude, including how he surged troop morale by leading crossfit sessions.

“It became the must see must do event of the whole base. We had marines running from two miles across the base to participate,” he said. “We had British Apache helicopter pilots coming over to join in. Even Prince Harry did burpees for Tripp.”

Zanetis served in the ANG from 2008 until his untimely death this past March. During his military career, he earned five Air Medals for his service.

Later on in the ceremony, Zanetis’ younger sister, Britt, spoke about her profound admiration for her brother.

“I have had the extreme privilege of growing up and navigating adulthood in Tripp’s radiant light,” Britt Zanetis said, holding back tears. “He was my protector, my guide and my partner in life.”

The ceremony concluded with a speech from Zanetis’ lifelong friend, Drew Elliott. Elliot

STAFF PHOTO BY SAM KLEIN

Following the event in the park, four members of FDNY head to the Kimmel Center for University Life for a private reception in Zanetis’ honor.

opened up about Zanetis’ personal life, including his experience as a gay man serving in the military while “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was still in affect.

Elliot maintained a lighthearted tone in his remembrance of Zanetis. But while concluding,

he grew somber and serious.

“He was supposed to be the first gay president,” Elliot said. “He was changing the world because he was changing people’s minds.”

Email Noah Mutterperl at news@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

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NEWS

Edited by Sakshi Venkatraman and Mack DeGeurin news@nyunews.com

Part Moderator, Part Activist — NYU Secrets Admin Seeks Improved Student Health

By JEMIMA MCEVOY Editor-in-Chief

Classes, internships, social activities — the administrator of the popular Facebook page NYU Secrets has a life like most other students. That is, aside from covertly running a site for 40,000 people, reading through dozens of anonymous and often jarring anecdotes a week and working directly with NYU’s Student Health Center to leverage her admin position as a tool for good in the NYU community.

The page’s admin, a Gallatin senior, chooses to conceal her identity from the public, going by the moniker “admin” like her predecessor. She said the dozens of stories submitted to the page anonymously each week range from comedic to concerning.

“I get fun stuff, like ‘I f-cked in Bobst,’” the admin said. “It runs from serious to funny to just, why would you send that in?”

However, two or three of every 100 secrets stop her in her tracks. These secrets often pertain to mental health issues and instances of sexual assault at the university or alleged shortcomings in NYU’s services for students coming forward with these experiences. Stories like these have fueled her recent push to use the platform as a way to hold NYU accountable.

One submission in particular, published on Aug. 8 of last year, detailed a student’s attempt to get help from the Wellness Exchange after they were raped, only to be told not to drink too much next time. Having experienced sexual assault in her own life a month beforehand, the admin said reading the student’s account of the Wellness Exchange’s poor response outraged her. She posted the secret and tagged NYU in the comments on Facebook, hoping for a response.

“After that, I got all these secrets from students saying ‘I’ve had bad experiences with Wellness too and this happened to me when I called or this happened to me when I went in,’” she said. “I kept posting them and kept tagging them because I wanted some kind of response — I wanted them to take responsibility.”

Toward the end of that month, the admin received an email from Wellness asking her to post a statement.

She agreed under the condition that she could meet with university administrators.

Since then, she has been active in orchestrating change — working with the SHC to create a forum, which made its debut in August of last year, where students can come to the admin with negative or positive experiences about the Wellness services. Students can choose to what extent of information they can provide. The admin emphasized that she prioritizes the privacy of her users, and this partnership will not impact the function of the page.

“I noticed that we kept running into this problem where I would report

CRIME LOG

Student Witnesses Kidnapping Near Washington Square Park

By SAKSHI VENKATRAMAN News Editor

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

The Facebook page for NYU Secrets. The page moderator recently posted a link to a survey to give feedback on NYU Wellness and Counseling due to the high number of Secrets posts critiquing these services.

something to them and they would do stuff with it, apparently, but then the person [who reported the incident] would message me and say ‘Hey, what’s happened? Nothing is going on,’” she said. “Then I would ask them if there was anything they could tell me, and they couldn’t because of the [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act].”

Legal boundaries on health-related information and limited information have restrained the success of this program and caused frustration — a roadblock that the NYU Secrets admin hoped to overcome in a meeting on March 28 with Director of Counseling and Wellness Zoe Ragouzeos; Assistant Director of Counseling, Wellness and Sexual Assault Rebecca Whiting; and Executive Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator Mary Signor.

The admin said that they are still in the early stages of improving the program, but she has hopes to work with multiple departments at NYU. “I have a couple more [NYU administrators] I’m going to reach out to,” she said. “I still think we’re going to run into similar issues but it’s at least worth a shot.”

Ragouzeos reiterated the difficulties of this partnership — especially the challenge of investigating feedback passed on by the NYU Secrets admin which usually doesn’t include many details and the fact that it’s illegal for the SHC to provide people with information on another student’s health without their explicit permission.

“This puts the NYU Secrets admin in a difficult position with the people who use her site — she has to be careful not to overpromise what her liaison role may bring,” Ragouzeos said. “If we cannot investigate the report because we do not have enough information and we cannot use her as the go-between due to confidentiality, then not much will come of her role.”

Both Ragouzeos and the page’s admin pointed out that students may feel more comfortable coming forward to NYU Secrets than using the various channels offered by the SHC, which Ragouzeos considers to be a great benefit of the partnership.

“It’s hard to come forward about

things, especially when you’ve been wronged by an institution it can feel weird to go to that institution to report something that happened,” the NYU Secrets admin said.

In addition to the 20 cases she is working on currently, the admin said she plans to start a foundation for NYU Secrets with former admin — site founder and 2015 graduate Aristotelis “Aristo” Orginos — who was outed by NYU Local in August 2014. Controversy surrounded the page after it was reported that Orginos participated in the Men’s Rights Movement. NYU Local also reported that he used Reddit to lash out against the page’s users, particularly women.

Despite this, many commenters on the page have called for a return to Originos’ era of management — criticizing the current admin for inserting too much of her own voice into the conversation and focusing on social change. Someone even created a Facebook page, NYU Secrets 2.0, dedicated to carrying on the community of the Originos-run NYU Secrets.

As the current admin finishes up her last semester and plans to hand off the page soon, she is seeking a replacement that prioritizes the same wellness efforts and hopes NYU Secrets will continue to positively influence the community.

She thinks NYU’s Wellness Center does good work, but there are inconsistencies. She has read submissions from people who had extremely positive experiences and others who had the opposite. Overall, she seeks to encourage higher standards for NYU’s Student Health Center services but appreciates how representatives from the departments she is working with have supported her thus far.

“I think they’re trying as hard as they can within the limits of the bureaucracy that is there,” the NYU Secrets admin said about the SHC. “I think that they do take criticism very seriously and I really respect them for that, but I think they have a tendency to feel that a lot of the incidents that are happening are isolated, rather than being indicative of a larger issue and they treat them as such.”

Email Jemima McEvoy at jmcevoy@nyunews.com.

From March 22 to 27, the NYU Department of Public Safety received six reports of an alcohol violation, one report of rape, one report of robbery, three reports of larceny, one report of a controlled substance, one report of kidnapping, one report of dating violence and three reports of trespass.

ALCOHOL VIOLATION

On March 22 at 9:23 p.m., a resident assistant reported that he recovered alcohol from students entering Gramercy Green Residence Hall. Police notification was declined and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

On March 22 at 11:40 p.m., an RA reported that he recovered alcohol from students entering Weinstein Residence Hall. Police notification was declined and the case was closed and referred to the Student Conduct.

On March 23 at 11:05 p.m., an RA reported that, during rounds, she recovered alcohol from a dormitory in Lipton Residence Hall. Police notification was declined and the case was closed and referred to Student Conduct.

On March 23 at 11:20 p.m., an RA reported that, during rounds, she recovered alcohol from a dormitory in Lipton Residence Hall. Police notification was declined and the case was closed and referred to Student Conduct.

On March 24 at 12:12 a.m., an RA reported that he recovered alcohol from students entering Alumni Residence Hall.

Police notification was declined and the case was closed and referred to Student Conduct.

On March 24 at 11:08 p.m., an RA reported that, during rounds, she recovered alcohol from a dormitory in University Residence Hall. Police notification was declined and the case was closed and referred to Student Conduct.

RAPE

On March 22, an NYU student reported that she was a victim of rape at Gramercy Green. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

ROBBERY

On March 22 at 5:30 p.m., an NYU student reported that an unidentified man swiped

his headphones from his head at 1 Metrotech. A tussle ensued. A police report was filed and the case is open and under investigation.

LARCENY

On March 23 at 5:40 p.m., an NYU student reported that her laundy was missing from the laundry room of Rubin Residence Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On March 25 at 3:20 p.m., a Columbia University student reported that his coat was missing from the Greenberg Lounge in Vanderbilt Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

On March 26 at 8:45 p.m., an NYU student reported missing a jacket from his locker at Rogers Hall. Police notification was declined and the case is open and under investigation.

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

On March 25 at 7:45 a.m., Public Safety responded to a report of an alleged controlled substance violation at University Residence Hall and recovered a small amount of drugs from the residence. The report was closed and referred to Student Conduct.

KIDNAPPING

On March 25 at 1:30 a.m., an NYU student reported that he witnessed a kidnapping on Washington Square North. A police report was filed and the case was closed and referred to New York Police Department.

DATING VIOLENCE

On March 26, an NYU student reported that he and an ex-girlfriend got into a fight on West 13th Street. Two arrests were made and the case was closed and referred to the Title IX Office.

TRESPASS

On March 27 at 6:21 p.m., A Public Safety officer reported an individual trespassing at Palladium Residence Hall.

The case was closed and referred to Student Conduct.

On March 29 at 12:10 a.m., an RA reported an individual trespassing at Third Avenue North Residence Hall. The person was escorted out and the case was closed.

Email the News Team at news@nyunews.com.

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ARTS

Edited by Ryan Mikel arts@nyunews.com

Been Stellar Talks Midwest and Ben Stiller

Magana Ngazia Always Hears the Music

By AVANI JURAKHAN Staff Writer

COURTESY OF BEEN STELLAR

GLS first-year Skylar Knapp (left) and Tisch first-year Sam Slocum (right) of Been Stellar.

By NICOLE ROSENTHAL Staff Writer

NYU garage-punk band Been Stellar tackles the transition from adolescence to young adulthood through high-energy rock. Formed at a Michigan high school during cross country practice, vocalist and Tisch first-year Sam Slocum and guitarist and GLS first-year Skylar Knapp hit the ground running with their The Strokes-inspired sound that the two have become known for.

“Sam and I came up with a name [for the band] while we were vacationing in Cape Cod with Sam’s parents,” Knapp told WSN. “We determined that we wanted to make music together. There was this band called Com Truise that I knew of, and I thought it was cool how they used an actor’s name. I wanted to use an actor’s name but make it its own sort of sentence. I thought Been Stellar was cool because it sounds like Ben Stiller, but it also sounds like the phrase,

‘How’ve you been? I’ve been stellar.’”

After 15 months of songwriting and production, the band finally released its debut effort “Sells Out” last June on Bandcamp. Featuring 10 lo-fi tracks blending surf rock, indie rock and punk, the LP tackled the trials and tribulations of growing up as well as the fine line between adolescence and adulthood.

“Selling out is the main theme throughout all the songs,” Slocum told WSN. “We saw our friends and a lot of the kids we grew up with decide to become different people, and to us they were selling out. Everybody wants to be someone else at a certain point. It’s a fine line between wanting to be somebody else and looking like a moron while doing it.”

Following the success of “Sells Out,” Been Stellar wasted no time on releasing new music. The band’s follow-up single “Midwestern Holiday” hit Spotify early last December and was met with overwhelming positivity, garnering more plays than any song the band had released yet.

The pair’s transition from Michigan to Manhattan has shaped Been Stellar’s work significantly. While the band was largely unable to play many shows back at home, save for a handful of shows at the University of Michigan or basement performances, Been Stellar has blossomed in Brooklyn, playing in rooms with over 200 audience members.

“It’s impossible not to be influenced

by New York lyrically,” Knapp said.

“You’re always surrounded by interesting things. There’s creative people everywhere and you gain a new sense of perception for the world …

We’ve picked up a unit of comparison between living in Michigan and living in New York, and that’s been the conceptual force behind the new stuff we’re doing.”

Check out the band’s latest single, “Midwestern Holiday” on Bandcamp and visit their website for updates and new releases.

Email Nicole Rosenthal at music@nyunews.com.

Magana Ngaiza, an NYU first-year from Kenya, just dropped the newest single on your feels playlist. Like its title suggests, the soulful, house-infused “Keep It Going” is bound to keep you playing it on repeat.

An acting student in the Tisch School of the Arts, Ngaiza is shaking the world of rhythm and blues while simultaneously pursuing theatre. Whether it was making music or learning lines, Ngaiza’s childhood was shaped by music, encouraged and influenced by her father.

“He’s always singing, so since I was three, I started singing and then writing music,” Ngaiza told WSN. “He listened to afro-beats like Fela Kuti, and even old-school hip-hop, like A Tribe Called Quest and Slick Rick.”

From small concerts to musicals, Ngaiza immersed herself in the world of performance when her family moved to Virginia. Regardless of her formal training in piano and voice, she applied

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

NYU first-year Magana Ngaiza just dropped her debut single “Keep It Going.”

to NYU for acting over singing because the former had played a more prominent role in her life. She was quickly engulfed by the New York music scene, realizing that her art needed more room to breathe than it had been given before. Thus, her debut single “Keep It Going” was born.

“This song is about being in a relationship with somebody and knowing that they’re probably not going to be good for you,” Ngaiza said. “Even when you know someone has a reputation for being a dog, but you still get into a relationship with them.”

She predominantly writes about the love and thrill of life that young people experience. Though recently Ngaiza found her style gravitating toward vibes similar to SZA and Lauryn Hill, her music continues to provide solace for her.

“Music is life … I know that’s so cliche,” Ngaiza said. “Music is literally a microcosm for life, whether it’s the experiences I’ve been through or my friends have been through, that’s what inspires me … wherever you go, you always hear music.”

The hardest part of making music, in her opinion, is building up the courage to blow past self-doubt and put art out into the world.

“Experiment and be free and just be confident because in the end of the day I’m making this music for me and i’m just sharing it in case someone else likes it,” Ngaiza said. “It doesn’t really phase me if someone doesn’t like it.”

Ngaiza is currently enjoying the support and encouragement of her friends in response to her first song. Her ideal career balances the love she has for both.

When I asked what fans can expect in the future, she said to just “stay tuned.”

Email Avani Jurakhan at music@nyunews.com.

‘The Roast of Vegetables’ Serves Up Fresh Produce Puns

By LILY DOLIN Staff Writer

Vegetables: some people love them; most people hate them.

Therefore, they make the perfect subject for a roast, both literally and comedically.

On March 25, Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted “The Roast of Vegetables,” featuring an array of local comedians. Each comedian roasted a specific vegetable, lobbying insults and jabs at produce. Overall, the show was funny. It was packed with so many puns that it would make even the most diehard of comedy fans wilt.

The host, Zach Zimmerman, was friendly and upbeat. He was able to keep the audience laughing with subtle jabs at America’s most controversial food group. However, it wasn’t long before the puns kicked in and Zimmerman was inviting audience members to “be mean to

greens,” “deflower cauliflower” and “turn up their noses at turnips.” At times, it wasn’t clear whether the audience should laugh or groan.

After an introduction, the first comedian, Eliza Cossio, took the stage to verbally combat cauliflower. Her set had a shaky start, with some of her jokes falling on deaf ears.

However, she eventually found her stride, calling out the vegetable for being as boring as if “the DMV had to wait in line at the post office.”

Tommy McNamara was next to take the stage, singing a rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie,” but instead asking “Why don’t you taste like something celery?” He made some valid points, like how celery is really only good as a vehicle for peanut butter. His delivery and enthusiasm sold the song to the audience, even if the jokes weren’t always funny.

Jason Gilbert followed with a roast of arugula, or as he put it, a

vegetable as disappointing as the C train. Gilbert’s witty and deadpan delivery kept the audience laughing.

Later on, while roasting potatoes, he said that “if I wanted to be bored by an overplayed Irish export, I would have gone to a U2 concert.”

The pianist, Dave Holtz, taught everyone about the conspiracy behind America’s kale obsession, in a gut busting, paranoia-filled set.

After listening to his hilarious explanation and catchy song about the nefarious plots of the American Kale Association, one might be inclined to believe his wild vegetable conspiracy.

Comedians impersonating squash and avocado came out to defend their produce brethren. However, their sets often dragged and didn’t deliver on the laughs like the other performers.

Mitra Jouhari and Halcyon Person were both slated to perform, but were unable to make it. Instead, they

PHOTO BY LILY DOLIN

An ensemble of comedians performed in “The Roast of Vegetables” on March 25 at Union Hall in Brooklyn.

sent in recordings of their standup, which didn’t go over as well as if they had been there in person.

The show was surprisingly funny, considering the subject matter. While not all of the sets were successful, it was overall an entertaining evening.

At times, there were too many puns,

yet that seemed to be the point. In the end, it seemed as though the audience couldn’t decide whether they liked the show or not. Then again, that is how most people feel about vegetables.

Email Lily Dolin at entertainment@nyunews.com.

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ARTS

Edited by Ryan Mikel arts@nyunews.com

All-Female Cast Breathes Relevancy Into ‘Richard III’

By EMMA HERNANDO Staff Writer

When I mentioned to friends that I was seeing William Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” I was frequently cautioned, “Don’t fall asleep.” Shakespeare is known for his amazing comedies and tragedies, but “Richard III” belongs to his lesser known genre of histories. So when I went to see Columbia University’s Master of Fine Art program do an all-female version of Richard III, I braced myself.

But these premonitions of falling asleep couldn’t be further from the truth. While the Shakespearean language was still daunting, the actors were so incredibly skilled at handling the material that their performances were enveloping. The actors’ physicality and use of the language allowed complex text to appear simple and amplified the characters’ key qualities.

Directed by Nana Dakin, 2018 Columbia MFA Directing Candidate, “Richard III” was her directorial thesis. Before arriving at Columbia, her work was predominantly devised stage productions, where Dakin and her actors created work in reaction

to current events. And in this production, Dakin seems to effortlessly blend her affinity for this movement with the bard’s work.

“

The casting of female actors in all the roles positioned the characters with a different perspective, to the point where their gender seemed to be both acknowledged and erased.

”

“Richard III” follows the rise and fall of King Richard III of England and the bloody determination that defined his short reign. Told through the voices of an all-female cast, the production reexamines the confines of gender and power. Bearing move-

ments like Time’s Up in mind, Dakin asks the audience, “How far is too far to get what you want?”

The stage was kept empty except for three black bands on the ground, all of which appeared to be painted on. Richard III (Katie Mack) would reach down and bring up the bands at key moments in the play in an attempt to assert power in her desire for the crown. During fight scenes, shadows of the characters were projected onto the walls to make them appear larger than life.

But most notably, the casting of female actors in all the roles positioned the characters with a different perspective, to the point where their gender seemed to be both acknowledged and erased.

Each cast member, with a few exceptions, played multiple characters.

When coming onstage it would take a moment to adjust to their new characters, but the actor would find new ways to differentiate them each time.

Adjustments as big as changing the way the characters walked and as small as maintaining a certain expression or glimmer in their eyes were used by the actors to evoke full body transformations.

Regardless of any assumptions

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Columbia MFA Directing Candidate Nana Dakin reimagines Shakespeare’s “Richard III” with an all-female cast.

one may have before going to see Shakespeare, the sheer volume of productions of his plays inspires those working on new projects to get creative. In this work, it was clear that the team and the performers crafted something new out of something old, not by adjusting the actual material or adding in cultural

relevance, but by fully experiencing the work and using its process to allow the audience to understand the complex language.

“Richard III” ran at The Lenfest Center for the Arts through March 31.

Email Emma Hernando at theater@nyunews.com.

NYU Grad Explores Love and Marriage in India

PHOTO BY ABBEY OLDHAM

In her book “The Heart is a Shifting Sea: Love and Marriage in Mumbai,” NYU grad Elizabeth Flock explores the most human and intimate aspects of love and marriage in India.

By DEVANSHI KHETARPAL Staff Writer

In a cozy nook of McNally Jackson Independent Booksellers and Cafe in Williamsburg,

an audience sat awaiting Elizabeth Flock to read from her debut book, “The Heart is a Shifting Sea: Love and Marriage in Mumbai.” The author and NYU Journalism graduate student quietly

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walked down the aisle and sat before the crowd with an air of reserved confidence.

Flock read excerpts from her book, which writer Katie Roiphe called “a nuanced and intimate evocation of Indian culture,” before speaking with Suketu Mehta, an associate professor of Journalism at NYU. Mehta, who was Flock’s professor when she was a master’s student in narrative nonfiction, introduced Flock as his “star student.”

Flock’s “The Heart is a Shifting Sea” does not present a grand narrative of India, but she’s aware of this fact. Instead, she aims to explore the most human and intimate aspects of love and marriage in India.

Having written for Forbes India, U.S. News and World Report, The New York Times and The Hindu among others, Flock’s time as a journalist has helped her in choosing and shadowing subjects intricately. For the book, she spent nearly 10 years in India and chose three couples from Mumbai to interview.

Flock witnessed the couples at

their strongest and at their most vulnerable moments, and thus writes about her subjects with profound care and attention.

“Time was a big factor,” she said. It seems time taught her how to sympathize and how to observe the depth of her subjects’ private lives.

Flock chose to embark on this project for personal reasons. Her own doubts about the institution of marriage, infidelity and what makes a good or successful marriage was also a huge motivator.

Mehta — born in Kolkata and raised in Mumbai — noted how the city of Mumbai itself is a character in the lives of the couples in the book. The city determines space and boundaries, and permeates their domestic lives as well.

The professor is partially responsible for sparking Flock’s interest in India and Indian culture. During her time at NYU, Mehta encouraged Flock to watch Bollywood movies and Indian television shows as a way of understanding.

Despite this cultural and empathic understanding, Flock

chooses her words carefully, and her experience presents the dichotomy of being an outsider.

“As a white person in India, you are granted access to spaces in India that even another Indian may not have access to,” she said.

“There is an element of privilege to that.”

Perhaps this privilege and platform was what made her subjects reveal to her things they wouldn’t have opened up about to other people. And from that, Flock excavated stories that likely wouldn’t have surfaced otherwise.

“For most people, their first novels are what seem most necessary to them,” Mehta said. After the conversation, one leaves with the certainty that Flock’s book is not just necessary for her but for all of us.

Flock battles with subjectivity and objectivity in “The Heart is a Shifting Sea,” but she remains faithful to that which it represents: the humanity and love in all of us.

Email Devanshi Khetarpal at books@nyunews.com.

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

Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

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FEATURES

Edited by Yasmin Gulec features@nyunews.com

NYU Leads March for Science

STAFF PHOTO BY TONY WU

Three signs to be displayed during the March for Science in New York City on April 14.

By NATALIE CHINN Deputy Features Editor

More than one million people around the world participated in the March for Science last year to support scientific research and evidence-based policies. Their voices cried for policymakers to address pressing issues such as climate change. Among the crowd in Washington, D.C. — where the main march took place — dozens of NYU students and faculty protested, representing the school as a sponsor.

Inspired by the electric passion they experienced last year in D.C., these NYU community members have taken lead in orchestrating

this year’s New York City satellite march. The March for Science New York City will take place on April 14 at 9 a.m. There will be a rally and teach-in at Washington Square Park, along with musical interludes. Afterwards, attendees will march down Broadway to City Hall.

“We’d hoped that the people who organized last year’s march would be doing it again, and NYU would just rally the troops and go,” Carol Shoshkes Reiss, an NYU professor and March for Science co-organizer, said. “But since there was no one organizing it, five weeks ago, I started getting permits from the city.”

The following weeks have been

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a whirlwind of meetings, according to Reiss. Along with her nine other co-organizers, most of whom are affiliated with NYU, Reiss has been busy obtaining permits, reaching out to speakers and scavenging for funding.

“I raised $40,000 that went into our new purchasing account, so we could buy posters, get permits, rent equipment and set up the website,” Reiss said. “We had to learn how to organize everything here. If you’ve already done it, then you know what to do, where to go, and it wouldn’t be that hard to do in six weeks. We had to reinvent the wheel.”

All of their hard work has been worth it so far, according to Syed

Ali Shehryar, a Tandon graduate student and communications co-chair for the march. Shehryar looks forward to seeing attendees learn more about why scientific research is important to society.

“Science is absolutely imperative to human progress,” Shehryar said. “And as scientists, it’s our job to bridge the gap that exists between us scientists and the public.”

In order to engage the public in this conversation, the teach-in at Washington Square Park will feature speakers from diverse backgrounds in science. They will speak to the theme of “educate to empower,” according to the March for Science New York website.

Notable speakers include NYU President Andrew Hamilton, NYU Professor Elodie Ghedin and Executive Director of Hudson Riverkeeper Paul Gallay.

“The [teach-in] is not just some classroom discussion — it’s about stuff in our everyday lives,” Ingrid Paredes, Tandon graduate student and communications co-chair, said.

However, the purpose of March for Science is more than raising awareness of issues surrounding science; it’s to show the public just how much this matters to people.

“We’re having a march to demonstrate that there are people who care about science,” Reiss said. “It’s to show that fact-based, science-based information is important to inform decisions. Science really improves our lives.”

At the 2017 March for Science

in Washington, D.C., Reiss gave a teach-in talk about her specialty, infectious diseases. She was moved by the energy of the march, and hopes this year’s New York march will be just as exciting for attendees.

Paredes, who also attended last year’s D.C. march, wants people to know that even though this march only happens once a year, its message is relevant every single day.

“We want people to know that the momentum we had at the last march hasn’t gone away,” Paredes said. “It was kind of just the opening statement. This year’s goal is to collect all of those voices again to celebrate what we’ve done, but also address what needs to be done.”

Right now, it is hard to determine how big the turnout will be, according to Shehryar. As parts of the communications team, Paredes and Shehryar helped create and manage the March for Science website and social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and have been using these sites to estimate the turnout.

No matter how many attend the march, Paredes hopes every person that comes leaves feeling inspired.

“I want marchers to feel empowered to go out and do things like vote or run their own advocacy groups within their schools or networks,” Paredes said. “I want them to feel like their voice means something when it comes to these discussions.”

Email Natalie Chinn at nchinn@nyunews.com.

MindfulNYU Founder Refuses to Leave the Present

By SARAH ELLIS Contributing Writer

Is there a difference between living and being truly alive? For Yael Shy, senior director of Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life, the answer lies in meditation.

Shy struggled with crippling anxiety before signing up for a silent retreat that turned her world upside down. After immersing herself in the Zen Buddhist tradition of meditation, she discovered the ways mindfulness could help young people stay present and connected. Shy founded MindfulNYU, the largest campus-wide meditation initiative in the country. Her book, “What Now? Meditation for your Twenties and Beyond,” came out in last November.

WSN: Tell us about your religious background. Did you grow up believing in a religion?

Yael Shy: I grew up pretty observant Jewish, and my mother is a rabbi. Judaism was always a wonderful, deep part of my life. College is when I first went on a Jewish silent meditation retreat, and that was my first entry into meditation. It was not until years later that I started to learn more about Buddhism and dig deeper. I

still feel like I live in both worlds, but they work together beautifully and enrich my life in a very meaningful way.

WSN: And I know you had a bit of a breaking point, which is what led you to meditation.

YS: I was totally transformed by the retreat. I remember standing on a corner when it was freezing cold in New York, and the wind was coming in as I was waiting for a bus. But what if instead of thinking, “I hate the cold,” and struggling against it, I thought, “What is cold?” I could get very molecular, feel the coldness on my cheek. Life opened up in a way I hadn’t ever experienced before.

WSN: How would you frame that idea within the larger concept of mindfulness?

YS: Mindfulness is this practice of inhabiting our lives. We live in a world where we’re constantly planning the future, or constantly reliving things in the past, or daydreaming and living parallel to our daily existence. We’re watching a movie of our lives instead of dropping into the visceral experience of being alive. Mindfulness practices help us to drop into what is actually happening now.

WSN: And why is this especially important for young people?

YS: Young people are facing higher

levels of anxiety and isolation than ever before, maybe as a result of social media and cellphone use. Even though we’re super connected electronically, it’s promoting an image that does not help us really feel our lives in the world. It causes a lot of suffering and anxiety and pain.

WSN: You write a lot about “waking up to your life” and being present in the world. How can we find balance in a world that expects us to be so digitally connected?

YS: In many fields, you can’t abandon your social media presence. It’s a matter of thinking, “How can I build in different ways to find who I really am?” I try to take a pause from scrolling and say, “Am I trying to escape something? Am I trying not to feel what I’m feeling right now by getting lost in this universe?”

Just take those moments to check in, put the phone down for a minute and really be with yourself.

WSN: Do you worry that we’re becoming more and more distant from real life?

YS: It’s almost impossible to say that we’re not. On the other hand, I never like all the hand-wringing about this generation being doomed. There’s not really any going back at this point, so what can we do in this context?

WSN: Any suggestions for how the secular young person can approach meditation?

YS: Buddhism is not necessarily a faith, and in some ways, it’s more of a scientific method. Different traditions have different rituals that start to look like religion, but you can find places that are really very secular. There are plenty of access points for meditation without feeling like you have to take on a religion.

WSN: I love what you write about impermanence, the idea that everything is transient and we have to come to terms with change. Keeping in mind the death we all face can make us appreciate being alive. Can you speak to that?

YS: Knowing that death will come makes you realize, “How am I spending my time? How many hours a day am I on Instagram?” This is really going to happen. It’s not that far away. How do I want to spend my time here?

There’s also the day to day, becoming attuned to this very breath. This breath has a life and a death of its own. Everything changes. I try to watch how much I grasp at things and how much suffering that brings. I’m just trying to be aware of it and remember that everything is going to change. All I can do in the mean-

time is try to stay open and love what is there to be loved.

WSN: So it’s this process of living fully into the present because nothing beyond that is guaranteed.

YS: Exactly. And before you know it, your entire day, week, life is gone. This is the only thing that’s really true, and you aren’t there for it. This is the life you have. Are you actually showing up?

Email Sarah Ellis at features@nyunews.com.

VIA NYU.EDU

Yael Shy is the founder and director of MindfulNYU.

Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

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FEATURES

Edited by Yasmin Gulec features@nyunews.com

Shopping Social Media: Instagram Brands

VIA INSTAGRAM.COM

Kylie Jenner wears Fashion Nova jeans for an ad on her Instagram account.

By THOMAS CHOU Beauty & Style Editor

In recent years, as fashion has adapted to today’s tech-centric society, a powerful new platform for advertising has emerged: Instagram.

A cost-effective, direct method of advertising, brands that advertise on Instagram are able to have photos of their clothes displayed directly on the screens of their consumers’ phones, skipping the steep costs of traditional print advertisements in magazines or newspapers. With a heavy focus on e-commerce, as opposed to traditional brick-and-mortar stores, popular Instagram brands like Fashion Nova, I.AM.GIA and Pretty Little Thing have completely revolutionized the shopping experience.

Fashion Nova, an online retailer based in Los Angeles, has over 11 million Instagram followers. Often featuring celebrities and influencers such as Kylie Jenner, Cardi B and Amber Rose wearing its designs, Fashion Nova has rapidly grown a loyal consumer base — which includes many NYU students — almost entirely through the photo sharing app.

“I first found Fashion Nova a few years back when I saw a photo of Kylie Jenner in a pair of [its] jeans,” CAS sophomore Jia Liu said. “She tagged the brand in the photo, and because I thought the jeans

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looked great on her, I wanted to check out their page to see what [it was] all about.”

Another facet of the Instagram shopping craze is the competitive pricing that these brands are able to offer. By taking runway fashion trends and translating them into more affordable generic designs, shoppers are able to get a taste of luxury at a fraction of the cost.

“The experience of shopping Fashion Nova clothes through [its] Instagram almost doesn’t feel like shopping at all,” Liu said. “Although I know that every photo they post is basically a subliminal advertisement, it’s fun to look through [its] feed and peruse looks for style inspiration and to purchase especially since the clothes are so cheap.”

CAS junior Juli Torres expressed a similar sentiment.

“Shopping from Instagram brands directly is the ultimate way to try out styles that become popular through social media,” Torres said. “It’s a fun way to experiment with high fashion or trendy styles that you might not want to invest a lot of money into, just in case the trend blows over, or you realize that you don’t like it as much as you thought you would.”

However, as is often the case with fast fashion, the quality of the clothing of these Instagram brands is not always the greatest.

“Last year, I bought an outfit to wear out on Halloween from Fashion Nova because it was super cute when I saw it online,” Liu said. “But when it actually arrived, I couldn’t see myself wearing it more than two times before the stitching of the straps tore away or something along those lines. The quality felt cheap.”

With successful Instagram brands popping up left and right, it is interesting to see how the culture of fashion changes to suit the needs and wants of the modern-day shopper. While it’s no secret that shoppers have begun to shirk away from shopping in-store in favor of shopping online, Instagram-based brands represent a fervor for online retail taken one step further.

Email Thomas Chou at tchou@nyunews.com.

Fashion as an Accessory to Activism

By TIANNE JOHNSON Staff Writer

In wake of the numerous marches across the nation, many of us rallied together during times of injustice and filled city streets with our unified voices. We take inspiration from historical organizations and movements of the past such as the suffragettes, the Civil Rights movement, the Black Panthers and many others. Not only does a collection of voices communicate a cause, but so can the fashion trends worn during that movement. By looking back at the history of various organizations, it is evident that the styles activists wore deeply aligned with the messages they sought to send.

One past example of leadership and activism arose with the British Suffragette movement, which influenced the creation of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. These women fought for voting rights against misogyny within society. Led by Susan B. Anthony, these women marched and modernized what was thought of as acceptable women’s attire. To align with their cause, they got rid of their bondages, petticoats and corsets, and they even burned their bras to free women both physically and metaphorically.

This leadership influenced great political advancements for women over the years. The legacy of women’s rights activism influences many of today’s movements like the #MeToo movement and the Women’s March. The #MeToo movement that surfaced loudly on social media and became an online sensation was highly perpetuated by celebrity women. With this sort of advocacy and defined leadership, many people followed suit and wore black in solidarity with victims of sexual abuse at award ceremonies and even at the 2018 State of the Union Address.

Martin Luther King Jr., leader of the Civil Rights movement, was a

gallant leader, popular for his work in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and in reshaping the U.S. political apparatus. King often wore a suit and tie, exuding an air of seriousness. This communicated a sense of professionalism that marchers could follow both in the streets and in civic centers where ideas and strategies were discussed. King perpetuated a legacy of importance and professionalism for the black community.

The Black Lives Matter movement, on the other hand, does not have one defined leader, but thousands. Through social media and organized marches, passionate individuals come together to protest black lives lost to police brutality, gun-violence and many other injustices. When members of the movement rally together in marches, they often sport shirts emblazoned with politically-charged phrases, similarly political shirts and posters that make their purpose unquestionable

— and they don’t speak the language that white America wants to hear. Despite this unification, BLM has been deemed unorganized and with an unclear purpose. BLM continues to make an impact on the political conversation, but without a clear leader, the organization has had to work harder than most to paint its stance.

Protestors are sure to continue voicing their beliefs through fashion like they have with “pink pussy hats” and many other styles because fashion and political change complement one another. However, the missing link today is often popular advocacy. Portrayals of justice through fashion are important and inspirational in unifying citizens over a cause; however, it is evident that fashion activism alone, without advocacy in the political apparatus, cannot get the job done.

Email Tianne Johnson at bstyle@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF SAVANNAH DUKES

Tisch first-year Savannah Dukes holds a sign at the March for Our Lives in Washington D.C. on March 24, 2018.

Want Food Quick? Put It on a Stick just passed on March 28, but if you missed it we have five foods that you nibble on year round.

KEBAB/VEGGIE SKEWERS

STAFF PHOTO BY KATIE PEURRUNG

An NYU student enjoys a popsicle on the steps of an apartment building on 12th Street.

By CELINA KHORMA Contributing Writer

If you needed an excuse to shamelessly celebrate your love for corn dogs or cake pops, the proclaimed national “Something on a Stick Day”

Cutlery is so last season — ditch your steak knife and make room for a steak stick. These convenient kebabs allow you to consume your daily dose of protein more easily as a skewer. This meal is served as a skewer with flavorful cubes of beef, chicken or, more common in fusion cuisine, salmon. Ariana Afghan Kebob offers an array of grilled kebabs mostly geared toward meateaters such as Beef Tikka Kebab and Lamb Kofta Kebab. If you’re a vegetarian, the family-owned restaurant has many curries — though not vegetable skewers.

However, most vegetables, like peppers, onions and zucchini pack just as much flavor on a stick and are easily made at home even without a grill.

S’MORES

Though the closest NYU students get to spending time in the great outdoors is strolling through Washington Square Park with a hot coffee in hand, that doesn’t mean we can’t also enjoy this campfire treat. It’s thought that s’mores were named after the fact that after eating them, people kept asking for “some more.” This addictive treat with marshmallows charred over an open campfire and a piece of chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers is irresistible. Luckily there are many places you can get s’mores-themed treats that don’t require an open fire on your part. Dominique Ansel Kitchen has its very own frozen s’mores, perfect for the warmer weather heading our way.

CORN DOG

These batter-coated, deep-fried sausages on sticks originally came about at a Texas state fair in 1940. They’re

perfect to pack layers of flavor with an endless array of toppings to drizzle and coat. Getting a corn dog is only a short two minute walk from Washington Square Park at Papaya Dog, that should be an added incentive to indulge in between classes.

POPSICLES

Craving thick, velvety ice cream? Or maybe smooth, sweet sorbet? Popsicles can give you the best of both worlds.

Head down to your local grocery store and pick whichever frozen treat on a stick speaks to you or flock to La Newyorkina for authentic Mexican paletas. This renowned New York City parlor serves paletas, or Mexican popsicles. They come in an array of different flavors like mango chile or Mexican chocolate, making it the quintessential spot to tap into your sweet tooth when you’re craving frozen, sugary deliciousness on the go.

CAKE POPS

First there were cake slices that were too big, so we condensed them into cupcakes. And because that apparently wasn’t enough, we then dipped miniscule bites of cake in chocolate before skewering them on sticks — and the cake pop was born.

These small desserts really do pack a lot of flavor. Their small size also makes them easy to make at home.

All you have to do is mix pre-baked cake with frosting, form the dough into balls, dip them in chocolate, sprinkle with whatever toppings you desire and skewer them into sticks for portable bites of heaven.

Sweet or savory — the stick is able to capture it all. Skewer any of these treats for a quick and portable treat.

Email Celina Khorma at dining@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

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OPINION

nyunews.com Edited by Tyler Crews opinion@nyunews.com

UNIVERSITY LIFE

The Relentless Rat Race of Finding a Summer Internship

By TYLER CREWS Opinion Editor

Reaching the end of my first year as an undergraduate student at NYU, I should feel relieved. I made it through a year of college and a year of living in the city without failing, dying or having too many mental breakdowns — though I’ll admit, there have been a few here and there. Now, I’m only six weeks away from going home where I finally can relax with my family. Except, I have now realized that there is nothing relaxing about undergraduate summers or the weeks preceding. The competitive nature of the summer internship search leaves no room for relaxation.

Recently, my suitemate walked into my room and said, “I think I’ll be fine

without a paid internship if I do an unpaid internship while also working at a restaurant at night. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll volunteer somewhere regularly while working a job that pays well, but doesn’t look good on my resume.” Her reasoning didn’t come as a surprise, considering the fact that all any student will talk about at the moment is how they’re going to secure a summer position that boosts their resume.

Odds are, if you are an undergraduate student at NYU, you are familiar with the internship struggle — you either have an internship lined up for the summer or you’re desperately looking for one. Gone are the days of working part-time at ice cream shops and grocery stores, and, in many cases, actually getting paid for

your work — a greater problem in and of itself.

People don’t warn you that your career begins on your first day at NYU. At 18, I am expected to know what I want to do with my life and make a jump start on my future, or else I’ll be stuck playing catch up to my peers.

I believe that internships can provide positive learning environments for expanding skill sets and gaining experience, especially for juniors, seniors and graduate students. How-

ever, the quality of your resume and ability to secure an internship later on should not be contingent on what you did over the summer after your first year. Entry level jobs are now requiring up to two years of industry experience, so when you graduate your resume is expected to be deep in both quantity and quality — which delegitimizes that ice cream scooping job. There are even some internships for juniors and seniors that require prior industry experience, pushing the timeline forward even more.

Furthermore, at a school with students from different states and countries, many of us don’t have the same internships opportunities at home compared to those provided in New York City. As a result, some students choose to stay in the city over the

summer to work, and only see their families for a week or two. It’s sad to think that this summer will be my last summer at home because where I live in New Hampshire doesn’t have nearly as many internship opportunities in my industry as there are in New York.

Unfortunately, there is no clear way to get around this. Admittedly, I am writing this piece after submitting over 10 applications, partaking in numerous phone interviews and jumping at every indeed.com notification that pops up in my inbox. At the end of the day, you either play along and run the internship race, or get left eating your classmate’s dust.

Email Tyler Crews at tcrews@nyunews.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Response: ‘The Moses Center Needs a Makeover’

By ROBYN WEISS Senior Director of Moses Center for Students with Disabilities

It was disheartening to read a disparaging article on the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities, abbreviated as CSD, ultimately based on the feedback of two individuals in last week’s issue of the Washington Square News. The center provides valuable services to almost 3,000 registered NYU students and offers assistance to many more who choose not to register but

experience specific needs during their time here.

Most of the items discussed in last week’s column lack an understanding of what the industry standards are in the field. The services we provide are not only governed by law, but are also essential to providing equal access for all students with disabilities. CSD follows best practices within the field of disability services in higher education, and anyone would be hard-pressed to find an institution that allows any student — with or without a dis-

ability — to enter an unsupervised testing environment with books, backpacks, phones or notes. The cameras are standard in this field and [are] intended to maintain academic integrity and student safety.

Student confidentiality is never compromised. It is also important to note that WSN made errors in their reporting in the news article and had to publish a correction; CSD does not request that students remove their shoes upon entering the testing facility.

Regarding the charge that NYU

should have compensated a student for requiring daily car service due to injury, it would prove very challenging to find another institution that provides such reimbursements.

CSD does offer students a $75 reimbursement for travel to and from NYU classes/activities, and this is supplemented by NYU’s accessible shuttle services. CSD always encourages and accepts student feedback and appeals, but we also want to ensure facts are appropriately presented. Rather than highlight some of our accomplishments

— including winning National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations’ Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education award for our work with students on the autism spectrum — WSN chose only to publicly criticize our offices operations. The Moses Center can only hope these opinions do not discourage other students with disabilities from accessing services vital to their success.

Email the Editorial Board at opinion@nyunews.com.

POLITICS

Gun Reform Movement Is Too White

By PAOLA NAGOVITCH Deputy Opinion Editor

On March 24, millions marched across the country at the March for Our Lives alongside and in solidarity with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students demanding gun reform. While this movement is inspiring, it is not as inclusive as it should be. On the evening of the marches, Chance the Rapper asked, “Does Gun Control include the police?” To answer Chance — and to remind all gun reform allies — it must. We can’t have a nationwide conversation about gun reform without addressing the problem of systemic police violence against black communities. This emerging gun reform movement must explicitly ally itself with the black communities who have been protesting

gun violence for years while many tried to silence and repress them.

The March for Our Lives activists have been fortunate enough not to experience arrests thus far while scores of members of the Movement for Black Lives have been arrested. While there was only one reported arrest at a march in San Jose out of the hundreds of marches in cities across the United States on March 24, 11 were arrested at a Black Lives Matter protest for Stephon Clark in New York City, five days after the March for Our Lives. Due to the disparity between how white and black protesters are treated in the U.S., it is imperative that the March for Our Lives organization explicitly establishes cooperation with movements advocating against gun violence targeting black communities. BLM

has been combating gun violence on behalf of African-Americans since its creation in 2013. My question is: where were all these new gun reform allies when BLM protesters were giving their lives for gun control? Black liberation from gun violence is a cause the March for Our Lives and its allies should advocate for.

Out of 264 individuals who have been shot and killed by the police in the U.S. in 2018, 53 of those were black men, according to a database compiled by The Wash-

ington Post. Black men too often are killed by the police with no retribution. The latest case illustrating the culture of impunity within the police system is that of Alton Sterling, who was shot and killed by two Baton Rouge officers who will go unpunished.

If African-Americans made up 25 percent of police killings in 2017 despite only being 13.3 percent of the U.S. population, there is a clear systemic problem that should be a priority of the gun reform movement. While strides have been made in some departments with the implementation of body cameras, Stephon Clark’s death shows that body cameras are not enough, as they can be muted or never turned on. The police force must be an institution that is thoroughly reconstructed to ensure that African-Americans are

no longer unlawfully murdered.

Black students Marjory Stoneman Douglas feel they have been underrepresented in this movement, an issue addressed at the march in Washington D.C. It’s time to include black voices. The next time you want to use the phrase ‘Don’t Shoot’ at a March for Our Lives event, remember that the phrase emerged after Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer. Gun violence extends beyond the classroom; it is inescapable for black communities. As we move toward gun reform, we can’t forget Stephon Clark, Philando Castile and all the other victims of police gun violence whose families and communities deserve to be included in this movement.

Email Paola Nagovitch at pnagovitch@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

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OPINION

Edited by Tyler Crews opinion@nyunews.com

CULTURE STAFF EDITORIAL

Society Favors Extroverts

By VICTOR PORCELLI Staff Writer

Entering the NYU Journalism Career Fair, I felt intimidated. I couldn’t help but breathe in the nervous energy of a hundred students polluting the air. As the sound of a hundred resumes emerged from their folders reached my ears, I thought of the resume I had pulled together that morning.

As a first-year, my resume is not particularly strong, and I wondered why I even bothered coming. Yet I knew many of my peers sought internships for the summer, and thought if I failed to do the same, I would be setting myself back.

While waiting in line for an interview, I observed one student in action. His face held a smile the entire time as he joked with the interviewer like they were old friends.

He was outgoing, talking loudly and passionately about his interests and expressing his willingness to work extremely hard. Honestly, I found this somewhat annoying. Perhaps because this made me examine my own shortcomings, it did not seem authentic to me. However, it seemed to be working for him, and I began to wonder why.

The answer appears to be that extroverts do better in interviews. Due to the nature

of those one-on-one interactions, employers make judgments based on a first impression, and interviewers commonly favor people who can capitalize on this opportunity. Being outgoing and possessing the ability to quickly turn thoughts into responses are traits that are beneficial in this process. These are traits often found in extroverts. However, it is more than interviews that favor extroverts. Susan Cain, author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” claims that our work and school environments favor extroverts as well.

Living in a society that favors certain traits and essentially molds people into displaying them is incredibly detrimental.

Whether it be college admissions or job interviews, society seems to have ways of filtering out those who do not express their thoughts as vocally as others. In an interview, Cain mentioned that college ad-

mission officers prefer students who show leadership. These leadership roles are too often held by extroverts — another problem in and of itself. As someone who recently went through that process, I know firsthand that leadership is valued highly by admissions officers. Colleges often ask applicants to list leadership roles they have held; this is something students know before they apply. For introverts, this means they must adjust how they socialize to improve their college applications or resign themselves to being written off as less qualified.

That pressure doesn’t subside once students get into college. NYU, like most schools, fosters a sense of competitiveness — for internships, grades and more.

The stain students suffer to achieve these things is justifiable, as they have an impact on our futures. For example, at the career fair I met an alumna struggling to find a job who cited her her difficulty getting an internship in college as the source of her problem. After hearing that, I felt the fear of returning to this fair in four years jobless overwhelm me, and the extrovert I had seen earlier seemed less like a nuisance and more like a role model.

Email Victor Porcelli at opinion@nyunews.com.

Students Are Shouting, Trustees Need to Listen

This past week has been a whirlwind for members of the student groups, NYU Student Labor Action Movement and NYU Divest, who have made headlines with their week of activism. Whether it is shouted in the new Bonomi Family Admissions Center or from the steps of the Kimmel Center for University Life, their message is clear — they want student representation on the Board of Trustees, increased communication and full divestment from fossil fuels. We believe that it is imperative that their demands are met — conversations concerning our interests, well-beings and finances should not be hidden from us.

On March 26, Divest and SLAM began their weeklong protests by occupying the new admissions center. After a three-day occupation without a substantial response from either the board or NYU’s administration, the two clubs relocated to Kimmel, where they intended to continue the occupation if they did not receive confirmation of a meeting with administrators by midnight on March 28. Finally, on Thursday, representatives of the two groups met with two NYU administrators, Senior Vice President for University Relations and Public Affairs Lynne Brown and Senior Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Tom Ellett. In the meeting, SLAM and Divest demanded a public town hall meeting with the board, which would then be followed by an annual town hall meeting. The administrators responded that they could not give assurance of a meeting until next Friday, April 6. They also threatened disciplinary action for protestors who stay in NYU facilities past hours of operation.

SLAM and Divest will resume their activism on April 9 if they do not receive confirmation of the meeting by this Friday.

It is important for the board to acquiesce to SLAM and Divest’s demands because greater transparency and accountability is essential to ensure the board acts on behalf of the best interests of the NYU community. In the past, members of the board have been linked to investments in the fossil fuel industry and student debt companies. This presents conflicts of interest, seeing that NYU claims to be committed to a more sustainable future. Additionally, when NYU did divest from two direct fossil fuel investments, the student body was not notified, displaying an alarming lack of transparency. In response to the secrecy shrouding the board, student activists have demanded a seat at the table. The University Senate — a body composed of both students and faculty — has recently voted in favor of student representation on the board, so now the only barrier is a board vote. This would enable the student body to be better informed about board decisions and have greater participation in the decision-making process. Furthermore, students could better hold the board accountable in the event that its conflicts of interest affect its decisions.

For now, organizing town hall meetings between the Board of Trustees and representatives of Divest and SLAM appears to be the only effective way to ensure direct communication between the two parties. If the trustees want to fulfill their mission of defending the interests of the NYU community, they can no longer run away from debates with the students at whom their decisions are directed. If the board doesn’t have anything to hide, then it shouldn’t have a problem abandoning its secrecy.

Email the WSN Editorial Board at opinion@nyunews.com EDITORIAL BOARD: Tyler Crews (Chair), Paola Nagovitch (Co-chair), Alison Zimmerman (Co-chair)

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Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

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SPORTS Keeping up with the

BOBCATS

Edited by Maddie Howard sports@nyunews.com

Baseball April 3

Softball April 4

Track and Field April 6

vs. The City College of New York

at Manhattanville College

vs. Sam Howell Invitational Host: Princeton University

WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE March 28 to April 1

By WARNER RADLIFF AND BELA KIRPALANI Deputy Sports Editors

BASEBALL

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

SPS senior Ian Rainey competing for NYU. Rainey recently won two national titles at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving National Championships.

Rainey Tops Off Senior Year With Two National Championship Titles | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Although Rainey said he truly enjoyed his time in Ann Arbor, he decided to transfer out of Michigan because he wouldn’t be able to pursue his passion for real estate. Following his sophomore year, Rainey took a semester off from his studies to find a university that could best integrate his academic and athletic endeavors. After learning about NYU from his brother, who was a first-year at the Stern School of Business at the time, and visiting the campus to meet members of the swimming and diving program, Rainey decided to trade maize and blue for violet and matriculated to NYU in the spring of 2017.

“I visited here, I loved the swim team, the coaches were awesome and I could study real estate, which is what I wanted to do,” Rainey said.

“So it worked out perfectly, and the balance between academics and athletics was perfect.”

In his two seasons as a Violet, Rainey demonstrated athletic excellence by setting multiple school records, garnering All-American honors and winning two national championships. Assistant swimming coach Erica Belcher credited Rainey’s success in the pool to his humble character.

“Ian is incredibly humble — anyone that knows him or has met him can attest to this,” Belcher said.

“Speaking to him, you would never know he has won multiple national titles. This quality has allowed him to never rest on his laurels when it came to his success. Ian won races a lot, but

he never settled and always wanted to keep moving forward and keep getting better and this definitely has driven his success.”

Rainey said that the individual acclaim of his national championships pales in comparison to the impact those awards will have on the future of the swimming and diving program.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for the team,” Rainey said. “It feels great personally and it was really exciting, but I think it’s even more exciting for the team because it will bring recognition to NYU. I hope other swimmers can see that and know that you don’t have to be in Division I to perform well in swimming or any sport.

I think it’s a big opportunity for NYU and the swim program itself.”

When asked about the impact Rainey’s legacy will leave on the program, Head Coach Trevor Miele made it clear that Rainey’s success will set expectations that will elevate the program’s commitment to becoming a top-tier program in the nation.

“Ian’s success shows that our swimmers can compete and succeed at the highest level of NCAA competition,” Miele said. “Ian will go down as one of the top athletes in NYU history, and he has set the bar very high for our current and future swimmers.”

Teammate and Gallatin sophomore Giorgio DelGrosso said that the underclassmen are now tasked with stepping up to address Rainey’s departure.

“Individuals will either step up to fill in Ian’s absence or an important aspect of depth will fade in competition,” DelGrosso said. “His team

records and strong performances at championship meets has only raised our program’s bar of expectations.”

In further speaking to the impact of Rainey’s legacy, swim captain and Stern senior Tim Kou added that he believes Rainey’s success will prompt more top transfers and recruits to consider competing at both NYU and at the Division III level at large.

“Ian has established a precedent for all swimmers who are hoping to balance a prestigious education with their hopes of athletic success,” Kou said. “I see his success encouraging top-notch transfers and recruits to take a second look at NYU and other top Division III programs for years to come.”

Having exercised all four years of his collegiate eligibility, Rainey will step away from competitive swimming for the first time since he began competing at age six after he graduates. His numerous records, championships and athletic honors will be permanently cemented in the history books, and Rainey’s impact on the NYU swimming and diving program will extend far beyond his time as a Violet with current and future generations of swimmers being held to the expectations he set both in and out of the pool as an athlete and teammate.

This summer Rainey will work as a property management intern at Related Companies before returning to NYU next school year to complete a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Real Estate and cheer on the Violets from dryland.

Email Warner Radliff at sports@nyunews.com.

The Violets played a fourgame home series against Washington University in St. Louis at MCU Park in Brooklyn, New York on March 30 to April 1.

NYU Baseball lost the opener on Friday, 4-1, before splitting Saturday’s doubleheader, losing the first game 6-2 before coming from behind to win 4-2 in the second game of the day.

SPS senior and pitcher Cameron Serapilio-Frank struck out six players in the 4-2 win.

NYU lost the fourth and final game of the series on Sunday, 3-0, bringing its overall record to 16-4.

SOFTBALL

NYU Softball split its home doubleheader against Stevens Institute of Technology at Bahoshy Field in New York on March 28.

The Violets defeated the Ducks 4-2 in game one, before falling 5-3 in game two.

Stern junior and pitcher Karissa Zubulake struck out five, allowing only one earned run and six hits in the win. Despite the loss, Steinhardt junior and pitcher Diana King had a good game, striking out five, allowing only six hits and one walk.

The Violets (9-7) return to action on April 4, for a doubleheader at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York.

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

The Men’s Track and Field team divided its athletes to compete in both the Roadrunner Invitational at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey and the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, North Carolina over the March 30 to March 31 weekend.

At Ramapo, Steinhardt firstyear Zavy Miller stood out for the Violets with a fifth place finish in the 100-meter dash and seventh place finish in the 200-meter dash.

Other top 10 finishes for the Violets include an eighth place finish by Stern senior Sam Praveen in the 3000 meter steeplechase, tenth place finish by CAS first-year Jonathan Sussman in the 5000 meter and seventh place finish by CAS first-year Zachary Adams in the triple jump.

In Raleigh, the team was represented by the 4x800 meter relay team’s ninth place finish at a time of 7:47.80. SPS senior Malcolm Montilus’s 17th place finish in the 400 meter dash.

The Violets will cross the Hudson River twice this week to compete in the Sam Howell Invitational on April 6 and the The College of New Jersey Invitational on April 7.

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

The Women’s Track and Field team placed tenth out of 20 teams at the Roadrunner Invitational at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey on March 31.

Two Violets finished in the top ten for the triple jump with CAS sophomore Evelyn Nkanga taking third and Stern senior Brianna Yee taking eighth.

The Violets had a trio of upperclassmen place in the 1500 meter with CAS senior Hannah Haley taking fourth, Steinhardt senior Megan Davis seventh and Steinhardt senior Morel Malcolm thirteenth.

CAS sophomore Isabella Steains competed in the 800 meter for the first time in her collegiate career, taking fourth place.

The team will join the men’s track and field team to compete at the Sam Howell Invitational on April 6 and the TCNJ Invitational on April 7.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

On Friday March 30, the NYU Men’s Volleyball team defeated Nazareth College 3-1 in four sets (25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 26-24).

Tandon sophomore Neil Ferraro finished with 13 kills and no errors, while Stern sophomore Alex Li struck a match-high 21 kills.

The Violets then won their sixth straight match on Saturday, March 31 against St. John Fisher College in three sets (2520, 25-17, 25-20).

Stern sophomore Martin Bikdeli and Ferraro registered game-high totals of 20 assists and three blocks, respectively. Li again led all players with 13 kills.

The Violets return to action on Thursday, April 5, for their regular-season finale at Rutgers-Newark University.

Email the Sports Desk at sports@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

nyunews.com

Page 11

SPORTS

Edited by Maddie Howard sports@nyunews.com

NYU REACTS

NYU Reacts: March Madness Final Predictions

By MADDIE HOWARD, WARNER RADLIFF AND BELA KIRPALANI

March Madness has historically provided fans with numerous exciting games, crazy upsets, epic celebrations and more. The 2018 tournament has been no different and no perfect brackets remain after unforeseen events, such as the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s biggest upset in the history of the tournament against No. 1 overall seed University of Virginia, or Loyola University Chicago’s run to the Final Four.

NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament final will be played on April 2 between the University of Michigan and Villanova University.

Can the Wolverines get their first national title since 1989 — unless you count Louisville’s vacated win in 2013 — or will Villanova win its second title in three years? We asked NYU students for their predictions:

“As for who will win the championship, I think it’s pretty clear who the favorites are. However, nobody expected Loyola to make it all the way to the Final Four, so anything can still happen. I think that if Michigan can somehow play solid defense and close out on those 3-pointers, they could make the game close. I still think that Villanova will probably run away with it, and it may end up being one of the least entertaining national championship games I will have seen. Of course, that could be because my team is sitting at home.”

KISHAN DESAI, CAS junior

“Michigan has played great throughout the whole tournament, and they’ve shown flashes of dominance defensively and shooting from the perimeter. However, there have been times when they have had trouble shooting the basketball, and I don’t see them being able to match Villanova shot for shot. I don’t think ‘Nova will match what they did against Kansas, but they will most likely beat Michigan through pace of play and shooting.”

NEIL RAGAVAN, CAS junior

“Villanova. They’re absolutely lethal from 3-point range, and they’ve been on the national stage more recently than Michigan! Absolutely banzangers! I made 15 brackets and all were trashed in the first round.”

DIMITRI HENRY, CAS and Wagner junior

“When I first started my bracket, I chose Kansas as my winner. But given the Final Four results, I think Villanova will end up taking the championship. This year was full of surprise wins, and they don’t call it March Madness for nothing because you’d really have to be ‘mad’ to make the right picks in this year’s tournament.

Maybe Villanova will get lucky again this year and hit another buzzer beater!”

HELEN ZHEN, CAS senior

Email the Sports Desk at sports@nyunews.com.

Diana King, Queen of the Softball Field

By BELA KIRPALANI Deputy Sports Editor

As the ball pings against the bat, it flies out of the park. The crowd goes wild, screaming and cheering. High school senior Diana King flips her bat and ceremoniously rounds the bases after connecting a home run that would tie the game in the third inning. As the ninth inning ends, King and her teammates embrace each other, tears of joy and pride streaming down their faces as they celebrate Rye Neck High School’s first section finals win since 2002 against four-time champion and cross-town rival, Valhalla High, marking a sign of things to come for then-high school senior and NYU-bound King.

Growing up in Rye, New York, the now Steinhardt junior was always an active child. She played almost every sport, excelling particularly at tennis and softball. When faced with having to decide between the two sports, King decided to continue with softball because she loved being a part of a team.

“I loved playing tennis, but I also just felt alone a lot of the times on the court,” King said. “Then I’d go and play softball and be around all of friends and have fun and laugh a lot more. So I decided that if I were to continue playing one sport, I’d want it to be softball.”

Last season, King started all 38 games of the 2016-17 season where she led NYU’s offense in runs, hits, home runs and slugging percentage while also demonstrating skillful base running as the Violet’s leading base stealer. Away from the diamond, King also demonstrated her academic merit as the recipient of a number of awards and honors, namely of the University Athletic Association Spring Sport All-Academic and Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports-Scholar Award.

Now in her third year as pitcher and centerfielder for the softball team, King has become a leading figure in both the locker room and on the field for her teammates.

Stern junior and catcher Jacqueline Finn said that King’s presence elevates the team’s expectations to perform.

“Diana is the kind of teammate that makes everyone else around her better because she’s always performing at such a high level,” Finn said. “It makes all of us want to meet her there.”

Head Coach Now-Allah James, who has known King since her high school days, attributes King’s success on the field to her strong leadership skills and work ethic.

“She’s very giving, she’s willing to work with people whenever they ask,” James said. “She’s a great teammate to her teammates.

She’s a big leader by example — she works hard, shows up on time, competes every single day whether

STAFF PHOTO BY JULIA DRAYSON

Steinhardt junior Diane King in Washington Square Park. King excels as pitcher and centerfielder for the softball team.

it’s a game or practice. She just competes and that’s what makes her the player that she is. She works hard on her craft.”

Throughout her life, King has always been active and interested in other kinds of workouts, not just softball.

“I look up to all these fitness YouTubers and Instagrammers, and I feel like I had something different to offer because I play tennis and softball,” King said. “I was watching all these other people to figure out what kind of workouts I could do. And in high school, I also worked out with these football players and basketball players, so I felt like I had a personal training education without actually having it just because I was doing so many different things with different kinds of sports and athletes.”

When not excelling on the softball field, King loves working out and promoting a healthy lifestyle through her Instagram account, where she posts her own workout videos, recipes of healthy snacks that she makes for herself, and more.

“I started @dianakingfitness when I was abroad in [NYU] Madrid, and I wasn’t playing softball,” King said. “So I kind of was experiencing what it would be like to be a normal college student, not playing a sport. But I would always still want to work out and exercise and be active.”

Inspired by fitness bloggers, YouTubers and Instagrammers such as Whitney Simmons, Sarah Stevenson and Natacha Océane, King learned how to eat health-

ier, work out in different ways and take better care of her body.

“All three people meshed really well together because they each offered different things to me, and so they are the three people that I look up to and learn the most from,” King said.

King’s passion for exercise and healthy living extends beyond herself and serves as a way to inspire the people around her and teach them to never give up.

“She has always been eating healthy since she came into the program,” James said. “She’s big on the weight room; she’s big on working out [and] she always keeps herself in shape no matter what time of year it is even in the offseason. She brings her teammates in to work out with her, and that pushes them to compete with her. She pushes them to get better in that sense.”

For those wishing to live a healthier life, King offered some advice.

“Finding a lifestyle that works for you is a lot of trial and error, and it takes time and patience,” King said. “You won’t see results in a week. But I think the best way to succeed is to have something that you’re working towards all the time, not in an intense way. I think just being goal-driven is the best advice that I can give. Just start small. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing because once you have a huge life change, it never sticks.

Start small, be patient and let the process work.”

Email Bela Kirpalani at sports@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Monday, April 2, 2018

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The Jackfruit Hey oh Human Yellow, slimy, sticky, smelly pulp scooped out of the mottled shell, leaving the empty carcass of the jackfruit.

It lies on the table, still cold from the freezer.

Special glass dessert bowls are brought out and a gracious amount is dumped in each one with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.

The relatives around the table take their rations, slurping up the cold fruit into their mouths.

The sharp, bittersweet taste triggers faint memories of when they were little and had nothing else to enjoy but the putrid insides of a large jackfruit.

No words need to be said.

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The seeds are sucked on, then spit out.

Bowls shamelessly licked clean.

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A bowl of jackfruit is passed down the table to my unwilling hands.

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The quick red flush on my cheeks miraculously goes unnoticed.

A cousin I might have seen three times in my life wonders why I can’t have this wonderful delicacy that she has grown up relishing.

I stare back, not answering.

Perhaps what she does not realize, is that jackfruits do not, cannot grow in NYC. Only in hot, humid places like Bangladesh where they reside among the tall, fruit-bearing trees.

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