DECEMBER 7

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December 7, 2011

Volume 63 | Issue 10

THE PACE PRESS SERVING PACE UNIVERSITY’S MANHATTAN CAMPUS SINCE 1948

Protesters occupy Wall Street,

NYPD occupies Pace

photos by Caitlin Richardson Riot NYPD police surrounding the outside of One Pace Plaza.

RUDY LUNA Contributor Since the end of September, the NYPD had been using Spruce Street as a central location for their mounted force because of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement happening nearby. Recently, the NYPD has left the area by the University after complaints from students.

Many students would stop passing through or hanging out in the courtyard because the smell from the horse feces was too much to handle.

When the OWS protesters mobilized and marched on the Brooklyn Bridge for the Day of Action on Nov. 17, a large number of riot police were stationed on the front steps of One Pace Plaza, leaving students to sidestep the police to simply enter the building and to their classes.

In regards to the desire of the students to have the NYPD leave, Administrative Security member

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Brian Ahearn stated to Gothamist.com, “They’re on the city street. If students are upset they can call the city.”

While that may have been true, when the police positioned themselves on the steps of One Pace Plaza, they were no longer on a city street, they were on the steps of a private institution.

In November, students began signing a petition and sending emails to school officials such as Dean for Students Marijo Russell-O’Grady in attempts to have the police removed from the University.

There were allegations made of police brutality against students and complaints about the unattended horse feces collecting on the street.

On Nov. 18, University President Stephen J. Friedman sent out a Universitywide press release stating that the University could not control police presence surrounding the campus.

“While we cannot control where the police decide to set up staging operations, we have and will continue to request them to not take any actions that disturb our campus. As always, the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff is our most important consideration,”

NEWS Meet Thomas Hull, VP & CIO of IT Services PAGE 3

A group of NYPD officers inside the University.

Pres. Friedman stated.

“I think their presence was intrusive and invasive not only to Pace property, but to the student population as well. I feel by allowing the NYPD, during the protests, to use our facilities was a political statement on behalf of Pace whether intended or not. As well, the head of security told a student and I that in the time of crisis the NYPD is always welcome to use the private institution...I am delighted that the NYPD is gone from Pace property for many reasons. It is a private institution and should not be used to harbor police.

“As well, it shows the power of the student population. Many of us sent petitions and letters to the Administration demanding they leave. With such high demand the University had to listen to its students. This demonstrates the true power we have as student body and that our University works for us,” junior Caitlin Richardson said.

Whether the absence of the NYPD is due to there no longer being a need for police protection from OWS rioters, or as a result of a movement by the student population, the atmosphere at the University is back to normal.

ARTS University Dance Professor Lauren Gaul is a Rockette PAGE 8

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FEATURES Manhattan gets in the holiday spirit PAGE 13

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December 7, 2011

University law professor Andrew Lund in favor of executive bonuses ANDREW THEORI Contributor University Associate Professor of Law Andrew Lund published a jointletter with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Professor of Law Gregg Polsky to the editors of The New York Times on Nov. 17 titled, “Is It Time to Take Away the Bankers’ Bonuses?”

Prof. Lund wrote how limiting corporate executive’s bonuses are doubtful to minimizing excessive risk-taking.

The letter was a reply to an Op-Ed

by NYU Professor Nicholas Nassim Taleb published in early November. His piece, “End Bonuses for Bankers,” proposed that any company that would require a taxpayer bailout “should not get a bonus ever.”

This includes banks, some insurance companies and even hedge funds. Prof. Taleb argues that there is no “disincentive penalty” for excessive risk-taking, which means certain companies have no discouragement for taking unpredictable risk, even if it is too much, because they know they will be getting bailed out.

Prof. Taleb’s hope is for liability to be shifted from the taxpayer’s wallets onto the executive bonuses to put executive’s interests first. “The year 2010 brought the largest bank compensation in history. It has become clear that merely ‘clawing back’ past bonuses after the fact is not enough.

Supervision, regulation and other forms of monitoring are necessary, but insufficient,” Professor Taleb wrote in his Op-Ed. Prof. Lund’s reply responds by questioning how effective Prof. Taleb’s proposals would be. “I think we generally overestimate our ability to shape behavior through pay structure.

So any argument that justifies pay regulation because of significant effects it will have on the way people run companies is suspect in mind,” Prof.

Lund said.

In his reply, Prof. Lund argues that senior management answers are under pressure, “To satisfy their short-term stock demands...senior executives will push their subordinates to take risks necessary to maintain short-term share

prices to preserve their own jobs.”

Prof. Lund has other ideas in mind to cut down on risk. When reached for comment, he stated, “The point is that indirect regulation through pay won’t have any effect. Top down regulation of the risk-taking is probably the only effective solution.”

“Regulating compensation would probably not lower risktaking. Compensation is a part of it...risk-taking structure is more than just compensation. If you limit compensation, executives will still need to do what they need to do regardless because the traders, board, shareholders all will be pressuring the executives to make them the most money. Companies will do what is the most profitable because the most profitable is what everyone else is doing, and huge chunks of their revenue will come from risktaking,” senior Mateusz Żelazko said.

However, not all students agree with this stance. Senior Alvin Li, who read both Prof. Taleb’s Op-Ed and Prof.

Lund’s reply, thinks that Prof. Taleb is on to something. “Limiting salaries are

Young start up developers face depression and stress to chase their dreams MARLENNE ROJAS Contributor With the huge increase of young start up founders in the past five years, people may wonder what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur and the journey it takes to get there. The death of social networking site Diaspora founder, Ilya Zhitomirskiy, left many to wonder as to what led to this terrible end.

“Human beings are socially wired to think negative facts about themselves,” Dr. Brian Petersen, Assistant Director of Psychology Training at the University’s Counseling Center, stated in a past interview. “People seem to rely on others peoples’ comments.

As growing up, people are set to believe in their triumphs, but even the smallest negative comment may affect one’s well-being,” Dr. Petersen said.

Entrepreneurs in general tend to have specific characteristics. Usually these business professionals are often concerned with creating a competitive advantage, projecting a positive business image and their customers’ satisfaction.

Coming up with new ideas on how to build a business and an effective business team can be overwhelming for most businesspeople.

All these pressures, “can be overwhelmingly high ideals,” University Counseling Center Director and adjunct professor of psychology, Dr. Richard Shadick, said in an interview with The Pace Press.

“These are the new masters of the universe. Entrepreneurs, especially those in the high-risk-high-reward startup game tend to have a specific type of personality profile: exceedingly driven, creative and often idiosyncratic thinkers,” Dr. Shadick said.

Rising young startups have general ideas on how to approach today’s global market,

but adopting and projecting a newer different taste is a separate journey most of them face.

Mental health in today’s market brings up a damaging image for tomorrow’s young startup founders. Many people hold onto the myth that artistic people need to be depressed to be creatively successful, but recent research gathered by Deena Polanco at Mercy College, has linked creative thinking to mood disorders.

Based on the research’s outcome, creative people may be susceptible to depression. One of the facts for depressive behavior in creative people may be finding aspects of personal life and work to be of great importance.

Unfortunately, many creative thinkers experience severe depression, often resulting in suicide, such as the case of Zhitomirskiy.

One of the ways to battle depressive behaviors is to seek professional help. Also, having a mentor in the business world may come in handy. Skillsshare, a marketing blog, recently posted the importance of receiving mentoring in entrepreneurship. “Startups need to adopt a modern-day guild system, where the entrepreneurial pioneers train, mentor, and equip young entrepreneurs to own and leverage these new methods of idea creation and execution,” according to Skillsshares’ website.

As apprentices, young start up founders can learn the ins and outs of business before coming up with a business of their own. It is recommended that any prospective founder seek professional advice on how to pitch ideas and incorporate them in future investments.

Dr. Petersen holds a positive attitude towards mentoring. “As growing up whether in school, work or business, people are set to believe in their triumphs,” Dr. Petersen said.

a step in the right direction,” Li said.

“That way, they feel some responsibility for their risk-taking. This would not stop risk-taking, but it would be a start.”

This debate taking place in The New York Times is occurring against the backdrop of the Occupy Wall Street protests occurring around the country. Many protesters claim that Wall Street bonuses are too high and that it is time we step in to start regulating how much they make. “[I do] not really think Occupy Wall Street has anything interesting to add to the question of risk-taking or compensation incentives. On the other hand, it may offer an independent argument for regulating or taxing pay.

Of course, there may be reasons to regulate [or tax] bonuses specifically, or pay more generally. For instance, our view says nothing about the redistributive effect such regulation may have,” Prof. Lund said in regard to Occupy Wall Street.

Occupy Wall Street Week 10 Update

PATRICK DEHAHN Staff Writer After the Nov. 15 eviction of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) encampment at Zuccotti Park, hundreds of protesters and supporters participated in a Day of Action two days later on Nov. 17.

The Day of Action was to commemorate the movement’s two month anniversary and it included a march to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) that had OWS protesters linking arms and blocking each street entrance to the NYSE building on Wall Street.

Later on in the day, there was a meeting at Union Square in the afternoon where the protesters then marched in the streets down to Foley Square in Lower Manhattan.

The NYPD struggled to keep them on the sidewalks, but marchers were greatly outnumbering them.

The massive gathering in Foley Square consisted of an estimated 30,000 protesters and it resulted in a peaceful march over the Brooklyn Bridge.

There was an attempt to put on a 24-hour drum circle in front of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s townhouse on the Upper East Side on Nov. 20. The NYPD shut down Mayor Bloomberg’s block and only let residents of the street enter and created a No-First Amendment Zone.

On Nov. 21, CUNY students protested against a university tuition increase. There were students who registered to attend an open student meeting with university trustees on the tuition hike. A rally of students attempted to enter the Baruch College building where the meeting was to be held only to have a clash with campus police.

A week later, another protest took place at Madison Square Park where during the city march the tuition hike was approved 15 to one.

Approximately 30 New School students also occupied a school art gallery on 5th Ave. and 14th St. from the Day of Action on Nov. 17 until Nov. 26. They were evicted due to complaints from the owner of the building and the space being covered in graffiti.

Locations of encampments in Philadelphia and Los Angeles were evicted on the same night of Nov. 30.

The Philadelphia Police Department staged at a city art museum before raiding the protester’s encampment at Dilworth Plaza.

When it came time to take over the OWS site, cop cars surrounded the government building and encampment as bus loads of police wearing riot gear stepped out into the streets around 1 a.m.

The police began taking down

OWS continued on PAGE 5

December 7, 2011

NEWS

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Thomas Hull appointed as Vice President and CIO of Information Technology Services IVONNA THOMPSON Managing Editor Former Siena College Chief Information Officer (CIO) Thomas Hull was appointed as Vice President and CIO of Information Technology Services (ITS) at the University. Hull works on both the NYC and PLV campuses overseeing all technology bases.

The Pace Press caught up with Hull and discussed his transition from working at Siena College to the University and his upcoming plans and contributions towards ITS. The Pace Press (TPP): What brought you to Pace University from Siena College?

Tom Hull (TH): I felt a connection to Pace from the initial contacts during the recruitment and interview process.

I quickly realized that Pace University is a great place to be because it has built strong programs, is academically diverse and is positioned well in the NYC area.

The challenges and opportunities here are exciting because we are open to new ideas and our faculty and administrators are looking for continuous improvements, which is what the technology industry is all about. Pace is like many of our peers; we have to annually improve offerings in order to stay relevant in today’s Internet age of higher education.

TPP: What has been your experience working on a multi-campus University?

TH: As CIO, I have a lot of experience in handling multi-campus organizations and communities. I have worked at Virginia Commonwealth University and Cornell, which were very large and broad geographic universities. I have also managed worldwide teams while at IBM and had a multi-location ITS organization at Visions FCU. Here at Pace, it is very similar in that we have large communities in separate locations, which actually gives us an advantage over other universities because we are able to see opportunities across different populations. This can help us enhance our offerings and differentiate ourselves from the others. I really enjoy the multi-campus combination and handling the challenges that come with the separate environments.

TPP: How have you connected with the University student body and what are some ways that you would like to try reaching out to them?

TH: I have had several meetings with individual students and with student groups, forums and the student government associations. This includes connecting with students with [the] initiatives such as IBMs Solutions for a Smarter Planet and the Computer Club with many students in [the] Seidenberg programs.

We are currently talking about the potentials of new programs and student projects with all students with interests in technology. We currently have 119 student consultant workers in ITS this semester and expect approximately the same amount next semester.

I have also spoken with Provost Feldman, the deans and several professors about working with their programs or student centered initiatives such as the Pace Creative Labs in Seidenberg and distributed learning environments with technology focus. Recently we have improved many common areas in PLV Kessel, BRC Pace Perk and NYC Labs and Multipurpose Rooms with updated technology.

I have had dinner meetings with key SGA student leaders and am working together with OSA leadership to enhance the student experience both academically and with extra-curricular support services. In my last institution, I started a Student Technology Advisory Team (STAT) and set goals to perform technology improvements every semester. Coming up you will notice some improved Digital Signage in both Westchester and NYC locations as part of some new initiatives.

TPP: Do you have any new plans or changes for ITS? TH: Yes, we have several new plans for ITS. We are currently building a strategic technology plan that will encompass all technology areas including academic technology, Administrative technology, user services, systems services, business operations and networking and business intelligence through enterprise reporting services. We have new program plans for many of these areas. This semester we pace.edu have a new Web Services initiative that is providing technology partnership with our Thomas Hull serves at the new Vice President and CIO of Information schools and administrative areas, especially Technology Services at NYC and PLV campuses.

University Relations, for the intent of serving the technology and programming including Buildings & Grounds, Facilities, significant challenges in higher education needs for our web environments including Security and my ITS team got together and and when going forward with meeting those Pace.edu. called Con Ed and other service providers challenges and making new opportunities, We have also provided more focus on including Backup Power Generators for there is usually technology to help with the the ITS Project Management Office (PMO) Westchester locations. In Briarcliff, our situation. in which we see the opportunity to use a ITS leadership team were able to work with standard project methodology and have [Buildings and Grounds along] with Bill TPP: What are some of the ITS Strategic a better sense of performing IT projects Link and his team to be sure that our Data Plans that will be implemented this year? with predictable times of completion Center power was going the entire time. TH: We are improving several areas of and utilization of resources around the The result was that we kept the Data Center technology services in our strategic plan University. going the entire time of more than three days this year including academic uses of This type of emphasis had been started of the power outage in Briarcliff Manor. new software, distance and distributed by the Senior Administrative Officer, Bill learning solutions, video technology, McGrath, and we hope to continue to TPP: How will you help contribute to the new opportunities for high performance enhance the model. There are other exciting fact that ITS is a vital department at the computing, digital signage around campus, offerings that are in progress, including University? more web applications and mobile one in working with Dean Connie Knapp TH: Our ITS services must to be vital to our computing support, enhancements to in the Seidenberg School for partnership educational programs and student support Blackboard, Banner and strategic business with technology focused students and areas. I will need to help keep our team intelligence for decision support. the ITS organization here at Pace. engaged in high priority ideas and modern technologies so that our academic areas can TPP: How was your experience handling compete with the changing landscape of the first University snowstorm back higher education. We must be “technical” in October with the generators? Did and business process experts so that our you feel it was your time to show administrative areas have the information the University community that you they need to make decisions and manage are an effective communicator? the transactional business of the University.

TH: As a Pace management team, we did a I want ITS to be an essential part of the great job of handling the snowstorm a few future goals of all areas of the University. weeks ago. Soon after it started snowing with the heavy, wet downfall, power lines TPP: What organizations within the came down and the power went out to most University will ITS look forward to of Westchester County, the Bronx and parts working with? of Queens and Brooklyn. We responded TH: I want to work closely with all immediately. organizations in the University. There are Our team under Bill McGrath

TPP: Is there anything else you would like to add?

TH: I am excited to be here at Pace University. I look forward to working with the students, faculty and staff here for our current projects and future endeavors. I welcome anyone to reach out to me at thull@pace.edu for any additional thoughts or ideas and I want everyone to go to our web pages and see the latest great projects that we are working on in this year’s plan at Pace.edu/information-technologyservices/about-its/tactical-plan.

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NEWS

December 7, 2011

Black Friday sales break record as shoppers begin their holiday shopping SARAH AIRES Staff Writer Consumers shopped until they dropped on Nov. 25, setting record highs in sales since the recession hit in 2008.

Overall, there was a 6.6 percent increase in holiday shoppers this past Thanksgiving weekend than in 2010 with $11.4 billion ranked in this season so far.

If the U.S. is still in the depths of a financial crisis, you would have never known it this Black Friday.

Lines of shoppers began forming on Thanksgiving night with everyone hoping to score great deals on otherwise pricey merchandise.

These lines may turn some less dedicated shoppers off, but for those looking for a steal it is just a Black Friday shopper’s reality. Retailers lured potential shoppers in with huge markdowns.

The National Retail Federation estimated the average spending amount per Black Friday shopper at $400 per customer—a 9.1 percent increase from last year.

“The sales were really incredible so I was able to not only get Christmas shopping done for gifts for my family, but I picked up a lot of great things for myself as well,” sophomore Zoe Kulina said, who shopped at stores such as J. Crew, Banana Republic and Best Buy. “I don’t care what time I have to get

businessweek.com up if it means I will be saving money,” senior Joseph Cipolla said who purchased products from GameStop and Best Buy. Though Black Friday has in the past been connected to all the shoppers patiently waiting sometimes for hours outside stores for their deals, the real sales within the last decade have come from online shopping.

A new holiday shopping term— Cyber Monday is on the Monday after Thanksgiving where retailers offer price reductions on merchandise for people

scouring the internet for sales.

As opposed to Black Friday, Cyber Monday typically offers shoppers free shipping, a huge incentive to stay in bed and the chance to do the Christmas shopping from home.

“My friends and I waited for four hours to get into Walmart. In the past, we scored huge with movies because we would leave with stacks of them for cheap but this year we left with barely anything because there wasn’t anything left. We decided it was our last [Black Friday]. Next year we’re

just going to take part in online sales. I got an Xbox with a Kinect and everything for only $200,” senior Cindy Vargas said.

All the shopping done over the holiday weekend is a huge supportive point for economic prosperity and maybe even a sign the worst of this economic mess may be over.

If Black Friday does set the tone for the rest of the holiday shopping season, it seems that holiday shoppers this year may be unstoppable in their pursuit for the greatest steal.

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NEWS

December 7, 2011

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New technology uses cell phones to track consumer shopping habits

Senator Charles Schumer fights to keep consumer privacy and information safe ERICK MANCEBO Staff Writer In a bid to maintain sales in light of stiff competition from online merchants, select stores on Black Friday made use of a new technology that tracks customers’ movements through their cell phones according to a report on Newsday.com.

The use of the tracking service drew outrage from New York State Senator Charles Schumer, who sent letters criticizing the program to both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the creators of the service.

Sen. Schumer has asked the FTC to review the new technology for violations of consumer privacy regulations already in place.

The technology, named “FootPath Technology,” was created and sold by Path Intelligence of Portsmouth, England and uses cell phone signals to track customers’ movements from store to store, tallying up for the retailer a list of stores their customers most frequent.

The information is used to study the brands that customers like and can answer questions like, “How many of our customers also shop at Starbucks?”

Sen. Schumer asked that Path Intelligence first have the consent of consumers before using their cell phones for research purposes.

In his letter to the company Sen. Schumer wrote, “A shopper’s personal cell phone should not be used by a third party as a tracking device by retailers who are seeking to determine holiday shopping patterns,” according to Newsday.com.

He also wrote that, “Personal cell phones are just that— personal. If retailers want to tap into your phone to see what your shopping patterns are, they can ask you for your permission to do so.”

The company routinely asks stores involved with the program to put up signage advising customers of the tracking.

Sen. Schumer however, thinks that customers should have an easier way of opting out of the program.

In an email obtained from Newsday, Schumer wrote, “It shouldn’t be up to the consumer to turn their cell phone off

[to turn off the service] when they walk into the mall to ensure they aren’t being virtually tailed… A shopper should not have to choose between the ability to be in touch with friends and family in case of emergency and safeguarding her privacy.”

“I think that you should have to… opt into it. Because if there’s just a sign and you don’t realize it, they’re going to follow you, they’re going to drain your battery, they’re going to use [up] your data...if you can’t get away from them unless you turn your phone off —people are on their phones all the time, they’re not going to turn their phone off so then they’re going to have to deal with that,” junior Stephanie Kozofsky said.

“I think if it drains your battery and data that’s a kink that they need to work out,” junior Monique Gremaud said.

However, she doesn’t see the tracking as an invasion of her privacy stating, “As far as the software—everything on your Facebook is being used constantly [for marketing purposes]…

“When you do Google searches they use your zip code—it’s just another method of that [marketing]. If it’ll give you better products…then [it’s] okay. If [from tracking me] they can figure out, ‘Okay, H&M has these price points, and maybe we need to hit these,’ [then I don’t have a problem with it],” Gremaud said.

Kozofsky, however, sees the program as too intrusive and as an inconvenience to her shopping experience.

“I guess I would probably turn off my phone before entering the store but that’s like annoying...I would definitely complain about it, I think that’s ridiculous…I want to shop where I want to shop and I don’t want to have to worry about people knowing where I go,” Kozofsky said.

Kozofsky thinks that the program needs to be more like the smartphone application Foursquare, where users can choose to “check in” to locations, allowing their friends to know where they are. “[With Foursquare,] you choose… to share where you are… but when you have no choice… that’s not a comforting thought,” Kozofsky said.

After the outpour of criticism,

nypost.com

Sen. Schumer speaks out against FootPath Technology and its tracking system.

Newsday.com reported that the select locations which did trial runs during the holiday pulled the technology from their

stores, although it is unclear if the end of the trial was due to the criticisms.

PURPOSE FOR FOOTPATH TECHNOLOGY - To study consumer research through brand identification and tracking.

- To locate the global positioning of consumers via cell phone without consent.

- To provide data for popular shopping holidays such as Black Friday.

-To provide retailers with graphics, charts, and reports of where consumers are shopping at.

- To create a “3D” picture of movement within the store which is then compared and analyzed against shopping and spending patterns.

OWS movement continues despite eviction from the city and arrests continued from PAGE 2 tents about 20 minutes after entering the encampment as the protesters voluntarily left the Plaza. After leaving, the protesters started a city wide march that lasted until 5 a.m.

The Philadelphia raid resulted in 52 arrests and the reasoning behind it was due to a planned $50 million renovation plan that had been delayed because of the protests.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) called the OWS gathering by L.A. City Hall an “unlawful assembly.” The LAPD issued a citywide tactical alert prior to evicting the protesters’ set up.

The LAPD also set up a “limited media pool” where only few journalists were allowed. There were eight people selected by the LAPD, which included three reporters, three photographers and two people from radio stations. They did not allow any bloggers or freelancers that had press passes.

According to LA Weekly, the media in the pool were alerted an hour before of the police arrival and weren’t allowed to use their phones.

Another rule was that the reporters in the pool had to submit their reports from that night to the city government, specifically the City News Service, before anyone could publish the news.

Just minutes before the LAPD arrived at the Occupy L.A. encampment, protesters launched fireworks.

After giving a warning around midnight, officers flooded the steps of City Hall and took over the camp. Police officers were seen with batons, tear gas containers and rubber bullets while some officers wore riot gear and others wore white hazmat suits.

Protesters were peaceful, but there were 292 arrests made that night in L.A. The clearing of the park didn’t end until 5 a.m. because of a few protesters who were staying in makeshift tree houses.

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THE PACE PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD Kim Bui Editor-in-Chief Kaitlynn Blyth Associate Editor Ivonna Thompson Managing Editor Hilda Adeniji Creative Director Fotini Sachpatzidis News Editor Stephanie Hansen Arts Editor Craig Held Features Editor Kate Hamzik Copy Editor Leucepe Martinez Advertising Manager Brian Rentas Web Editor Nazary Nebeluk Circulation Manager Michael Oricchio Faculty Consultant

STAFF Sarah Aires Amanda Baker Abby Beatson Olivia Beteta Patrick deHahn Betty Fermin Joanna Gonzalez Mona Khaldi Erick Mancebo Anthony Mastroianni Nicole Morales Damien Morgan Julia Yeung

December 7, 2011

OPINION AND EDITORIALS DISCLAIMER: These opinions are expressed by contributors (students, faculty, administration and staff) to The Pace Press. These opinions are solely those of the individual writers and do not reflect the opinions of The Pace Press, the members of The Pace Press staff or Pace University. The Pace Press is not responsible and expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind of arising out of use or relevance to any information contained in this section.

ADAM WELLS | CONTRIBUTOR

An Early Gift

I could not believe that my gift for the holidays came a little earlier than expected. Let me touch base on the one named Tiger Woods. He is back. I don’t mean 2008 Woods who was good, I mean the early ’00s Woods, the one who would win two or three majors a year. He put in the winning putt in the singles match in the President’s Cup, beating [Aaron] Baddeley by four strokes, ironic isn’t it? He was making putts, hitting the green and he had that look in his eyes of intensity again. And above all, he is healthy and clear from all of the mess that was surrounding him. Now he can get back to golf and winning, which means the PGA tour commissioner can start counting his blessings that people will start watching again.

Tiger was enough but now the NBA too? There was a split instance that I thought I would have to turn to hockey for my NBA fix. Well, that was a close one. But even if the season was to be cancelled, there was no way I was going to turn to hockey. No offense to anyone who enjoys the sport, however, it just does not appeal to me. Anyway, back to the best present I could ask for.

I don’t care what “side” you were on or if you thought that one was being greedy or not, it does not matter now. The deal is done and I can look forward to watching my favorite sport again. Honestly, I thought this would be over quicker than it was. Now, I had my doubts, they actually had real problems unlike the NFL, but both of them said, we are losing too much money and we have to make a profit somehow. So now the season will start on Christmas Day. What is there to look forward to this year?

Well the title defense of the Dallas Mavericks and every media outlet criticizing the Miami Heat and why LeBron [James] did not take that shot, why didn’t James pass the ball.

Not to mention the glorious draft class that came in. Actually, this class is not that exciting. There are a few players, Kemba

Walker in Charlotte, Kyrie Irving in Cleveland and Derrick Williams in Minnesota, but after that, I’m still searching for some good rookies to make a splash like Blake Griffin. I’m positive that Irving is going to put up some gaudy numbers being on such a joke of a team, no offense of course, but I just don’t think he will have the same aura as Griffin.

With the NBA season comes the free agents. Obviously this is not as glamorous as last year’s class of free agents with [Dwyane] Wade, [Chris] Bosh and how can we forget King [LeBron] James. But the three big names are out there; Dwight Howard, Deron Williams and my favorite player, Chris Paul. There is so much speculation about whether they will resign or whether they will go.

Here is my prediction. Howard will go to the [Los Angeles] Lakers. He would be perfect there, he is a baby version of Shaquille O’Neal and he would flourish in that town, not to mention he might bring them another possible championship. However, I feel Howard should resign and bring in Williams, or Williams resign with my New Jersey [Nets] soon to be Brooklyn Nets and bring in Howard. As for Paul, he wants to join a team like James and Bosh did with Wade in Miami. So the [New York] Knicks seems like the place but I’m throwing in a dark horse, the [Los Angeles] Clippers. Yes they are the definition of a dark horse but him and Griffin with those compliments around him would be a dangerous team.

It is early but I’m picking my finals now, I’m so excited.

The [Miami] Heat will make it back to the finals, they are just too good and that hunger will be there and the team coming from the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant will win another Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Russell Westbrook will decide to pass the ball once in a while. The winner will be the [Miami] Heat. This will certainly [be] the greatest Christmas in my memory.

MIKI TAMURA | CONTRIBUTOR

Say “No” to Summer Glow in the Winter The Pace Press is the student newspaper of Pace University’s New York City Campus.

It is managed and operated entirely by members of the student body as it appears above.

The Pace Press welcomes guest editorials and letters from students, faculty, administration and staff.

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According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the use of tanning beds before the age of 30 increases the risk of melanoma by 75 percent. “Well, you don’t see that on Jersey Shore,” senior Emily Casey said.

Which is true—facts like these are never promoted much within the media that targets youth and young adults. There should be more awareness about the risk of using tanning beds amongst our generation.

In today’s popular culture, having a tan means beauty to both men and women. Everyone desires that sun-kissed summer glow that is described as radiant and healthy— especially in the winter months—­­­­­­­but at what cost? The American Academy of Dermatology stated, “Skin cancer is the most common cancer for those ages 25 to 29.” This year alone, 11,790 deaths are expected from skin cancer, with

more than 8,700 deaths from melanoma according to statistics from the American Cancer Society.

New York State is looking to make tanning bed reforms to protect children and young teens from skin cancer by eliminating the use of tanning beds by minors under the age of 18. These are reforms that the American Cancer Society heavily supports. California recently became the first state to ban tanning bed use by minors and here’s to hope that New York State follows suit.

A great site with more information is Acscan.org/action/ ny run by the American Cancer Society. It focuses specifically on New York State reforms and campaigns. Your voice can be heard, so send a letter to your local congressperson to help pass laws to protect people from cancer.

If you like reading

THE PACE PRESS you’ll love writing for it.

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December 7, 2011

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ARTS Six years in the making, University dance team Shakti performs in competition ZORAN SAHER Contributor The institution of dance has become an integral part in our society. The various styles and forms of dance have come a long way in giving the audience every bit of its entertainment value. In essence to glorify the unimaginable love, passion and influence that dance has stirred across the globe, one such instance that comes to mind is the Bollywood Dance group Shakti that is a part of the University.

The word Shakti in Hindi means strength and is everything that this group of young talent is all about.

After six years in the making, Shakti has configured and incorporated the best of the best from the University.

The all female team represents the talent and artistic minds that have been molded together into one unified masterpiece.

After numerous performances throughout the years, they have exhibited the qualities that have brought them to where they stand today. Shakti competed at Hofstra University’s annual NAACH dance competition on Nov. 11. Dance teams came from different universities such as Rutgers, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), University of Maryland and many more.

After practicing for weeks, Shakti left the judges with a memorable performance through their simplistic, yet beautiful ensemble.

Needless to say, their hearts are immersed in dance and their minds are in total collaboration and commitment to making it happen in the most unique manner. Hence, such a modernistic and dedicated display in replicating the richness of the subcontinent truly represents the greatness of the University’s diversification. From Hip-Hop and Bollywood, to classical dancing, they have managed to showcase their mastery in all three genres.

Every year, Shakti looks for new incoming talent who have a passion for dance. They hold auditions, ensuring that they compromise on nothing less than true potential. Once the auditions have been conducted, they then select future performances and confirm the song selection, as well as the costume designs. As the weeks go by, they work extraordinarily hard on investing in team building sessions through rehearsals, which are held four to five times a week. In return, this gives every member a chance to familiarize themselves and build a rapport with the other dancers on the team.

Prianca Kapadia University dance team Shakti members from left to right: Nisha Chaudhari, Tania Pasha, Nashrah Ahmed, Alina Rizvi, Prianca Kapadia, Karishma Arora, Meghana Reddy and Rachana Talati.

The Pace Press asked team captains Prianca Kapadia and Tania Pasha what makes them feel proud to be a part of such a tight knit bunch of performers.

“We are so proud of how far the team has come within the past couple of years. These girls continue to put in so much time and effort and really show their dedication to dancing,” Kapadia and Pasha said.

The effort and time that goes into putting up a dynamic display of skillful and tasteful choreography has truly been the stand out quality of Shakti, as far as their success as a team is concerned. Therefore, it is highly evident to affirm the fact that every member on the team has shown true dedication and passion through the energy that they bring with them to practice.

“In essence to what they strive at achieving with every performance that they give...with every rehearsal and performance we put together, we strive to challenge ourselves with tough and unique choreography, facial expressions and synchronization—setting Shakti apart from other teams,” Kapadia added.

It is rather incredible to know that besides all of their hard work, dedication and commitment towards the team, Shakti’s dancers are able to manage their busy schedules and balance their academics while still being able to invest their time towards other priorities productively and effectively.

With every great performance comes a greater benchmark that one is inspired by and aspires to walk in the shadow of. Today, Shakti has built a strong reputation among the University community through their constant scintillating performances at events held at the University and outside as well. This has only taken them many steps closer in striving to portray their talent amongst other well-reputed colleges.

It is only fair to say that Shakti, with all their talent, experience and energy combined together, have walked an illustrious journey with their dreams and ambitions skyrocketing and expectations mounting. With such bright and courageous enthusiasm, this team is set to dance their way in living up to their name—Shakti.

University alumna performs in hilarious improvisational sketch comedy show SAMANTHA MEYERS Contributor “Ay Que Funny” is an improv comedy show full of knee-slapping skits and proved that ideas for good comedy aren’t ruined. Anyone hoping for outrageously dirty jokes was sure to be laughing away their troubles at this show The skit, “Driving Miss Daisy Dukes,” involves an outrageously loud Latina and her friend Lolo, a transvestite, who are taking every chance they can get to stop their cab for food or hilarious social gatherings.

Disgustingly funny remarks to their cab driver such as, “You smell like Vicks,” caused the audience to point and laugh. Some muffled comments heard by the cast such as, “Who thought of this?” served as fuel for the whole show.

“I was happy there was cursing,” audience member Ashley Antunes said.

The skit “Pinocchio” assured the audience that cursing and anything inappropriate would not be left out. The skit included an evil Geppetto threatening to beat Pinocchio for breaking a cookie jar. Finally, when Pinocchio broke out in song with a remix to Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me,” the audience was laughing with tears of guilt.

“I loved all of the skits and I was laughing the entire

time,” audience member Monet Johnson said. “But Pinocchio was my favorite,” Johnson added.

“The ideas were original, and it’s something you don’t see every day,” Antunes said. Another original skit included “Ghetto Family Feud,” which was a favorite of Antunes and “Ay Que Funny” cast member John Satori. “I liked this one because they were really into it. I saw they were comfortable with each other and the audience and this made them good at playing their roles,” Antunes said.

Since the skits were full of cursing and therefore laidback, it made it easier for everyone to laugh away their everyday problems. Antunes was able to tell that a great majority of the performances were improv, but never saw a hint of fear in anyone’s eyes. “If they messed up I couldn’t tell,” Antunes said, adding that “it was good improv.”

“It was a lot of improv,” “Ay Que Funny” cast member and University alumna Jenni Ruiz said. “We like the bloopers, but we know we need to support each other,” Ruiz added. Cast members Sabrina Vance and Bisa Dawes talked about practicing simple improv lessons such as giving their partner a certain cue to help them get back on track. These efforts showed during the show as the cast was confident and, realistic and never too over dramatic.

The location of the performance added to the show.

There were lights covering the small stage, which gave it a natural feel. “They didn’t need anything big,” Antunes said. “They did good with their props and that’s what comedy is, making people laugh by themselves.”

Creator, writer, producer and cast member of “Ay Que Funny,” Jesenia Bailey, stated that after auditioning for other plays she was sick of the denial from producers due to her physique. Three years ago, she decided to step up and create her own improv comedy show. Inspirations included “Saturday Night Live” and “In Living Color.”

Sadly, after three seasons of the improv show, Bailey has decided to stop the “Ay Que Funny” performances.

“It takes a lot,” Bailey said. Although the cast seemed upset, they loved reminiscing about their favorite skits throughout each season.

“Aye Que Funny” has only been performed in the New York area. Yet, Bailey would love to expand the performances to other states. Just because she’s stopping her “Ay Que Funny” improv skits doesn’t mean it’s the end of her career. She is looking forward to gathering sponsors and performing elsewhere. Bailey is pleased with all of her shows and stated, “They’re exactly how I wanted them to be. No matter how much I say ‘I want better’ to the cast, the show is always amazing.”

ARTS

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World Famous Rockette Legacy

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December 7, 2011

Dance Professor Lauren Gaul, a renowned Rockette for ten years LYDIA ROBLEDO Contributor Teaching performing arts students at the University is not the only thing keeping dance instructor Lauren Gaul busy this holiday season. For 10 years, Gaul has been dancing with the famous Radio City Rockettes in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. In its 79th year, the show features holiday favorites such as the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,” “The Living Nativity” as well as a new 3D live scene.

Since 2007, the tap, theater dance and jazz teacher has been utilizing her experience as a professional New York performer in the commercial dance field to help expand the University’s new commercial dance program and to pass valuable advice on to her students.

“I think it is wonderful that Lauren is a Rockette. One of the great things about our program is that we are taught by such talented working professionals,” senior Courtney Taylor said, who is minoring in dance.

Gaul knows the teaching benefits that come with her job. “I get to take my lessons on the stage directly to them in the classroom at Pace. The hard work and discipline that comes with being a Rockette is what I try to expose my students in the program to in each class,” Gaul said.

Gaul was inspired by the Rockettes at a young age, and after seeing them on tour in Philadelphia as a teenager she instantly connected to them.

“I grew up as a tap dancer and they do both beautiful tap and jazz numbers.

They encompass all the styles of dance I truly love to perform which is what inspired me most,” Gaul said.

After graduating college, she underwent an intense two-day audition of four to five hour sessions with 500 other dancers. Gaul landed the job on her first try and now takes part of the “world famous legacy that is a part of American dance history” as she describes it.

With two casts split between the shows, the gold and the blue cast, Gaul performs with the blue morning cast and performs anywhere from 16 to 18 shows a week.

According to Gaul, the Rockettes do a total of over 300 of those famous “eye high” kicks per show. Gaul said that the kicks may look simple, but they are perfected through hours of practice and are often followed by lengthy dance numbers. “It’s definitely the most rewarding and most difficult job

I’ve ever done. I love the intense physicality of each dance and the precision that is required to execute it as a group,” Gaul said.

Gaul stated that intense choreography is required backstage as well as onstage because the show features eight costume changes with a ready wardrobe staff on hand to help the dancers change between numbers. Some costume changes happen as fast as 78 seconds.

Throughout the years, the extremely ornate costumes have been fashioned by such famous designers as Bob Mackie during the ’80s, Liza Minnelli’s father Vincent Minnelli, and now Tony Award winning designers such as Martin Pakledinaz.

Gaul calls the costumes, “amazing to wear,” as they range from newer additions to untouched classics. One of the newer costumes called Shine, is used for the number “Let Christmas Shine” and is completely covered in Swarovski crystals from the dancers’ head to toe. Timeless costumes like the ones worn during the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” number, which was designed by Minnelli in 1933, remain unchanged.

When asked what she plans to do after the Rockettes, Gaul said, “My future plans or dreams are hopefully to be a full time member of the Pace University dance faculty. I actually took a two year hiatus from the Rockettes to return to graduate school to gain my Masters of Fine of Arts in dance performance and teaching in hopes of being a part of dance in higher education.”

Students like Taylor certainly wouldn’t mind seeing more of Gaul around the University. “Lauren is amazingly smart and talented. The fact that she is now passing her knowledge down to me makes my dreams feel more tangible and realistic. She is incredibly inspirational,” Taylor said.

If Gaul could pass down one piece of advice to her performing art students it would be to “never give up,” and also, “You have to drive yourself harder than anyone else. Finally, most important, don’t forsake your training. Your time at Pace is to prepare you for a career in the commercial dance world so dig deep and take it all in.”

Gaul stated she has high hopes for her students’ future, “I am hopeful that someday Pace students will line the playbill of Radio City Music Hall and that maybe some of my teaching will have paved a pathway for them there.”

Professor Lauren Gaul (left) with fellow Rockette Kristin Jantzie (right).

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December 7, 2011

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University art professor practices what he preaches Professor William Pappenheimer brings new media arts to University students

William Pappenheimer Work by William Pappenheimer—a digital rendition of the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Eastern River bridges.

DAMIEN MORGAN Staff Writer The University is progressively growing by making a name for itself in NYC as a school to be taken seriously when it comes to the arts. The University offers multiple courses that teach and enrich students to think creatively and produce art.

The professors that teach these classes are not your average teachers who are taught to be instructors, but instead are actually artists with many accomplishments in the art world outside of the classroom. Each and every one of them brings his or her own experiences into the classroom and uses that as their template to pass on to each of their students.

Fine Arts Professor William Pappenheimer is exactly one of these professors. Teaching digital design, digital imaging, video animation, desktop publishing, digital illustration, project studio and flash animation. Prof. Pappenheimer displays his vast knowledge in both fine arts and new media arts.

Starting at a young age, Prof. Pappenheimer began his interest in art with the simple desire to draw something on a piece of paper that gradually grew into something more.

Like many others, once seeing other artist’s work, he was inspired to further pursue a career in art. He then went on to get degrees at Harvard and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts of Tufts University. Afterwards, following multiple projects, he began teaching here at the University.

In an interview with The Pace Press, Prof. Pappenheimer talked about what teaching at a university means to him.

“Teaching is something that comes along with loving the subject, being very committed and it is at a more conveying level” Pappenheimer said.

He also talked about how joyful it is to receive the kind of feedback that is only obtainable in a college setting and watching his students learn from each other. His students get to see everyone’s art pieces, encouraging them to learn from the pieces and grow with interest to make more art, is the exact kind of feedback that is offered in a university art course.

Pappenheimer teaches a wide variety of new media art. One may generally think of art as just a drawing or a painting hung up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but in this new age of technology, new media art is growing with the times. Film, photography, animation, digital software and even the internet are giving artists a greater canvas in which to express their ideas and to create something new that no one has ever seen before.

“If you look at the history of art in the 20th century it has moved past just painting and art. This is a field widening and widening. The latest area is new media, with the expanding of the same principle of making images and visual experiences. Not just visual, but its audible and moving image. Also, it’s not just a person with a paint brush but with interesting thoughts in mind,” Pappenheimer said. He also spoke about how this expansion in the art field is great to pass on to students in ways to get people to think in a more creative way.

Through this new field of art, Pappenheimer has worked on multiple projects in the past that have had a great impact on the world today. One of his most notable

contributions is the work he did on Virta-Flaneurazine.

This piece of art is actually an artist’s collective and pharmaceutical start-up that displays a programmable mood-changing drug for online virtual worlds and other social networks. This virtual drug was also produced alongside doctors and artists to help with Wanderlust Deficit Disorder (WDD) or internet addiction.

In addition, Pappenheimer’s pieces have been exhibited both nationally and internationally as well as reviewed in many journals such as The New York Times for Art Basel Miami 2003, Art in America and NY Arts International.

Currently, Pappenheimer is working on a project known as augmented reality. This program is a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment.

Through a person’s phone, he or she will be able see a virtual display of GPS directions, real life environments across the world and even using the outside world as a template for animations. Before anyone knows it, this art project will soon be out for most types of phones.

Although the University may not come off as a great art school as compared to other NYC universities, it does have the resources that go beyond normal art courses. The professors, such as Pappenheimer, bring an environment to the classroom that allows a student to develop and grow as an artist who can survive in the outside world.

Through their own experiences, any student will be able to learn from them and make something of themselves in the art world.

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ARTS

December 7, 2011

Italian film festival proves that Naples is a city of arts ANTHONY MASTROIANNI Staff Writer The 41st Parallel North is an imaginary line that connects NYC to Naples, Italy. So it is no surprise that the New York based American spin off of the Napoli Film Festival took the name for itself, 41esimo Parallelo or 41st Parallel.

From Nov. 28 to Dec. 1, the festival showed Neapolitan films never before released in the U.S. as well as Italian classics.

Oddly enough, the city of Naples has been greatly overlooked as one of the most important cultural centers in the world. NYC can now thank the 41st Parallel Festival and its founders, Davide Azzolini and Antonio Monda, for bringing the beautiful culture of Naples to our doorsteps.

The Festival paid homage to producer Dino De Laurentiis who has made contributions to both the film and art world. De Laurentiis produced Italian films such as La Strada and Nights of Cabiria, but did not confine himself to solely Italian films as he also produced Hollywood classics such as King Kong and Serpico.

On the first night of the festival, a collection of contemporary Neapolitan shorts called ShermoNapoli were screened. Movies like Il Sogno di

Gennaro and La Currybonara were picked by Azzolini, not only because of their quality, but because he has a true passion for helping out lesser known artists.

For the second evening of the festival, Monda held a screening of the De Laurentiis produced film La Grande Guerra meaning “the Great War” starring Vittorio Gassman and Alberto Sordi at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater.

The film is about two Italian soldiers who work hard to be lazy and is a comedy with tragedy, or maybe a tragedy with comedy. Monda began the evening with a story of how when producing a Fellini film, De Laurentiis didn’t like one of the scenes, so he broke back into the studio at night and destroyed the film and later told Fellini that thieves broke and stole his latest scene. A mix of natural comedic talents and charisma, Monda was as much fun to watch as the renowned film itself.

For the third evening of the festival, there was a screening of the documentary O’ Mast, which is about the sartorial arts practiced in Naples. Italian fashion, as well as the aforementioned art, is thought of as typically northern Italian, however the tailors of Naples stand side by side with the English tailors of Savile Row. Tailors like Rubinacci and Borrelli are considered true masters of their field and have paved the way in suit making.

For a city obsessed with “la bella figura” it’s no surprise that their tailors are that of the highest quality.

On the final day of the festival, there was a screening of the film Catene by Italian director Raffaello Matarazzo.

Filmed in Naples, Catene is considered one of the premier melodramas. Starring Amedeo Nazzari, it tells of the tales and troubles of a runaway lover.

This year marks 41st Parallel’s eighth year and it doesn’t look like it is slowing down. Expect more from Azzolini and Monda’s film extravaganzas in the near future. In May, they are hosting literary discussions with noteworthy Englishspeaking authors, but for now, the festival’s founders would ask you to sit tight and look up the film, art and culture of their beloved Naples.

kiddandy.com Movie poster for O’Mast, a documentary featured at the festival.

Dashboard Confessional celebrates 10 years since debut album at Irving Plaza CRAIG HELD Features Editor It’s been over 10 years since The Swiss Army Romance, Dashboard Confessional’s debut album, was released to broken hearts across the world and frontman Chris Carrabba shows no signs of slowing down. Carrabba returned to NYC for his fall solo acoustic tour-a victory lap after his last tour to celebrate the anniversary of Swiss Army Romance.

The crowd at Irving Plaza was electric in anticipation for Carrabba’s acoustic set. After respectable sets by Madi Diaz, a singer/songwriter in the vein of Liz Phair and a more upbeat Sara Bareilles, and The Front Bottoms, an up and coming punk band out of New Jersey, Carrabba took the stage and opened his set with “The Good Fight” from his second album, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most. He followed up with the eponymous song from the same album.

The night was a mixture of nostalgia, with Carrabba throwing back to his ever popular first album, and newer material from his first upcoming solo venture, Covered in the Flood, an album of covers. Unlike most audiences, who are completely unreceptive to new material at a live show, Carrabba’s audience couldn’t get enough. His unreleased material was cheered just as hard as classics such as, “Screaming Infidelities” and “Hands Down.”

The past 10 years have been incredibly kind to Carrabba. He certainly isn’t lacking for audience—Irving Plaza was packed to the brim with Dashboard Confessional fans. When Carrabba fell silent during a song, the audience knew every vocal nuance by heart and sang it back to him. To these people, Carrabba is an icon and his status is well-deserved.

Many of Carrabba’s colleagues in the pop-emo genre have fallen out of the industry and haven’t even released an album since their heyday in the early 2000s. Yet, Carrabba is a master of his craft; his emotional vocals and evocative musicality transcend the trendiness of other pop-emo bands that have fallen by the wayside.

As Carrabba ends this tour, his fans eagerly await what’s next for him. If this concert was any indication, he will be celebrating many more anniversaries.

ARTS

December 7, 2011

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Breaking Laces fails to lace their influences throughout album NICOLE MORALES Staff Writer

Brooklyn based alternative-pop rock trio Breaking Laces recently released their latest album When You Find Out. The band, which includes Billy Hartong (lead vocals), Rob Chojnacki (bass) and Seth Masarsky (drums) have been together since 2004.

Their latest album includes songs that have been previously recorded on earlier albums like “God in Training,” which features a clear nod to Nirvana in its opening riffs.

The band cites Nirvana and Radiohead as their influences; however their album lacks the “cool” factor that the aforementioned bands exude.

The album also lacks attitude and edge, with the exception of “Angeline,” which still plays it safe. It seems farfetched that either Nirvana or Radiohead could be direct influences for this album. Perhaps a more fitting influence would be the modestly successful ’90s band, Soul Coughing. Their influence is heard in the opening track “What We Need,” a drab opener that does nothing to attract listeners, as well as the tracks that follow.

The title track “When You Find Out” begins as an acoustic song and slowly works itself into a cheerfully upbeat pop-rock anthem. The rest of the album trails behind with pop aesthetic vocals by Hartong. With songs like “Shopping for Two” carrying an out of place country twang, it’s clear the album lacks cohesion and theme.

Throughout the 12-tracks featured on When You Find Out, Breaking Laces seems to still be in search of a musical identity. Rather than list best-selling bands as influences when they only mimic familiar guitar riffs, Breaking Laces ought to find a true source of inspiration in both lyrics and composition.

The album is at times painfully cheesy in that safe, marketable non-aggressive poprock way. There is no doubt that the album will attract some fans for its easy-going charm, but those in search of original music with even the slightest bit of substance might find themselves cringing with the predictability of the pop-rock aesthetic.

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Following Loud Rihanna releases sixth studio album Talk That Talk

amazon.com ERICK MANCEBO Staff Writer After nearly a year of her previous album dominating the radio waves with number one singles like “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name” and “S&M,” Barbadian pop singer Rihanna released her sixth studio album Talk That Talk on Nov. 18.

The album opens up with her second single off the album, “You Da One.” In her signature accent, Rihanna proclaims to a lover that he is “da one,” over and over.

While the song isn’t exactly a party song, the bouncy reggae-esque beat mixed with a dubstep breakdown will at least allow for a mid-tempo grind on the dance floor.

“Where Have You Been” is a slightly more emphatic attempt at a dance song, with synthesizers and bass mixing with piano and acoustic guitar to provide a thumping beat behind which Rihanna asks, “Where have you been all my life?” Snare drum hits take over after each instrumental crescendo—almost as if to reassure the listener that this is, after all, still a dance song.

Next comes the most repetitive yet unavoidable single to be released in all of 2011 and her 11th consecutive Hot 100 number one single, “We Found Love.” Odds are that you have already listened, grinded and sung along in the

shower to this song. For those of you who haven’t—it’s an unapologetic dance pop song in which synthesizers, a pounding bass line and “clap” sounds provide a backdrop for Rihanna to sing “We found love in a hopeless place,” probably close to 30 times before the song’s end.

Following that guilty pleasure is Rihanna’s only featured song on the album, her collaboration with rapper Jay-Z titled “Talk That Talk.” Jay-Z opens up the track by laying down a pseudo-arrogant verse in which he boasts, “Everything I do is big/ I talk big money/ I talk big homes/ I sell out arenas/ I call that getting dome.”

Rihanna comes in immediately after Jay-Z’s verse and the song is at once revealed to be 2011’s answer to her early 2010 single “Rude Boy” with the lyrics, “Yeah boy I like it/ Yeah boy I like it/ I love it when you talk that talk to me, yeah!”

At this point in the album, Rihanna takes a few minutes to keep the “Parental Advisory—Explicit Content” sticker manufacturers in business with “Cockiness (Love It)” and “Birthday Cake.” “Cockiness” opens appropriately enough, with what is arguably the filthiest line in pop music since Lady Gaga’s “Let’s have some fun this beat is sick/ I wanna take a ride on your discostick.”

In between bass and snare hits, Rihanna sings, “Suck my cockiness/ lick my persuasion/ eat my words and then swallow your pride down, down.” The song, for all its thinly veiled innuendos, fails to go anywhere. There are no major dance floor flooding breakdowns, dubstep or trance references, but thankfully Rihanna follows the track up with an interlude called “Birthday Cake.”

Drilling synthesizers set the stage for the minute-long interlude as Rihanna’s verses are adorned by alternating “clap” and bass hits while she sings, “It’s not even my birthday/ But he wanna lick the icing off,” and then, “He want that cake cake cake cake cake cake cake cake cake cake cake cake cake cake cake.” It’s a shame that the best song on the album thus far, for whatever reason, is only an interlude.

Trading her filthy, sexy persona for her tender slow dance persona, Rihanna continues on with the midtempo “We All Want Love.” The track doesn’t make use of flashy bass, snare or synthesizers, but instead lets her sing along to an unobtrusive guitar and bass drum-driven instrumental, which is a well-earned change of pace for listeners. In fact, Rihanna stays the course with her tender slow dance tangent through her next track, “Drunk on Love.” The track, like “We All Want Love,” includes minimal instrumentation and features her voice instead of

synths. The lyrics tell a story of being naïve about love, or rather, ‘drunk’ on love.

Fans of filthy sexy Rihanna need not wait too long for their heroine to return, as she does just that with “Roc Me Out.” The song features heavy guitar-riffs and rock music-inspired chord progressions, which makes sense, given the title. Speaking of which, the “Roc” in the title seems to be a shout-out to her management Roc Nation, which is headed by Jay-Z who signed her to Def Jam when he was the head of the record company back in 2005.

You could say that this album doesn’t make the obvious references to Rihanna’s Barbados roots that Loud’s “Man Down,” “What’s My Name” or Rated R’s “Rude Boy” made, but “Watch n’ Learn” opens up with the crackle of steel drums and a reggae beat. The syncopated synth and vibraphone beat take over followed by drum slaps, and Rihanna semi-raps her introductory lines. The song is one that you probably wouldn’t sing near the elderly or kindergartners as one line in particular, “Just because I can’t kiss back/ Doesn’t mean you can’t kiss that,” would probably land you in a tight spot.

The last track off the standard edition (the deluxe edition of the album offers three bonus tracks and an extended version of “We Found Love,”) “Farewell,” is destined to replace Vitamin C’s “Graduation (Friends Forever)” as the song that will be blasted at graduation ceremonies across the country come June. In the song, Rihanna says “farewell” to a friend or lover, letting them know that however much she will miss them she needs to let them go, “And I know that you’re going somewhere/ To make a better life/ I hope that you find it on the first try/ And even though it kills me that you have to go/ I know I will be sadder if you never hit the road.”

All in all, fans of Rihanna will love what the singer is offering, especially given that the album was meant to be a re-release of Loud with only a few additional tracks.

On an artistic level, she shows only mild growth from her past albums and realistically it is obvious that the album was the result of good songwriting and good producing.

Specifically, only the exceptional songs like “You Da One,” “Roc Me Out” and “Talk That Talk” prove that they were meant to be sung by Rihanna. Otherwise, far too many tracks could have easily been taken on by any other of today’s pop singers.

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December 7, 2011

Drake drops semi-autobiographical sophomore album IVONNA THOMPSON Managing Editor

Toronto, Canada native Drake has returned to deliver music to soothe and uplift. His sophomore album entitled, Take Care has finally arrived for fans that were waiting throughout the past summer and fall as select singles were released. Following his multi-platinum selling debut album Thank Me Later, as promised, Drake has finally given new material to his fans.

Drake satisfied his fans with Take Care and it seems to be on the same road to success as its predecessor. Take Care debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, selling approximately 631,000 copies. So far, it is the third bestselling album of 2011 falling short of Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV at second place and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, at first place.

Kicking off the album is the single “Over My Dead Body” with soft drums and a light piano accompanying them. Drake observes his success after his debut album Thank Me Later. He brings up the fact that people are already projecting his success, and how he is supposed to have his next album outdo the prior one. Canadian musician Chantal Kreviazuk sings the chorus which symbolizes that Drake will not fall through on his career when she sings, “I know, I know you don’t love me baby/ Time to take you away from me/ Only over my dead body.” The chorus also illustrates that despite the fact that Drake may have those that dislike him, he would not allow them to prevent him from being successful.

The next song “Shot for Me” is about how some of Drake’s former girlfriends are unhappy in relationships with other men. He observes that the reason why they are upset is because their new boyfriends do not have the same qualities as he did. He also cites the fact that the reason why they may be drinking and possibly doing drugs is because they miss him. Apparently, when Drake dated them, he changed them for the better. However, after he broke up with them, things fell apart. He then became successful, contrary to their belief in his abilities.

It shows with the lyrics, “First I made you who you are then I made it/ And you’re wasted with your ladies/ Yeah I’m the reason why you always getting faded.”

Following “Shot for Me” is the song “Headlines” which was the first official song that Drake released this past July. “Headlines” has a fast paced tempo that is aided with violins and snare drums that transition right into Drake’s opening verse. It is a song that shows how Drake is officially ready to take his career to the next level.

Despite the fact that he has fans that like his old material, he asserts that he owes them a change and growth in his new music.

Drake utilized his new R&B Canadian protégé The Weeknd for the song “Crew Love.” The Weeknd is featured on the hook and also produced the track. At the beginning of the track, The Weeknd displays a certain rejection to the people who rejected Drake at first, but want to jump on the bandwagon. This is apparent in the opening lyrics that state, “What you following me for?/ This ain’t no fuckin sing along/ So girl what you singin’ for?” Then it follows with how Drake is content with the position he is in his life. Along with how he likes to enjoy the fruits of his labor in different areas with those who respect him and what he does for a living.

For the listener who was a fan of the hit single, “What’s My Name” with Rihanna featuring Drake, there is follow up. The two artists have another duet with the single “Take Care.” It starts off with an upbeat piano tempo symbolizing Drake moving on with his woes and finding a potential love interest. Rihanna takes on the position of the new woman when she sings, “I know you’ve been hurt, by, someone else/ I can tell by the way you carry yourself/ If you let me, here’s what I’ll do/ I’ll take care of you/ I’ve loved and I’ve lost.” With this uplifting song it makes the listener want to dance, but not for long unfortunately.

Following “Take Care” is the Summer 2011 hit “Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive Interlude” which hit home for fans, as this was the first single Drake himself released off of the album. The listener feels a somber mood as the song begins as it has a sad tone. It is about how Drake drunkenly calls a former girlfriend and tells her that she could do better than the guy she is currently dating. She repeatedly asks him if he is drunk, but he continually responds, “I’m just sayin’ you could do better/ Tell me have you heard that lately?” In the long run, the girl never agrees or rejects Drake’s questioning.

The “Buried Alive Interlude” is from the point of view of the boyfriend who was initially mentioned in the song. The song discusses how the girl cheated on him with a very successful Canadian, who happens to be Drake, but his name is never mentioned in the verse.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar solely rapped on this extra verse in which fans were unaware of until the album hit stands.

For the listener who is a fan of both Lamar and Drake, it is a pleasant surprise to hear their collaboration on the track.

Any listener that is a fan of Young Money was happy to see the collaboration between Drake and female rapper Nicki Minaj on the song “Make Me Proud.” The song begins with the sound of an airplane taking off. To the listener, it is somewhat symbolic of the woman that Drake is talking about, discussing the woman he is interested in who can hold her own. As well as the fact that she does

amazon.com not waste her time with just anyone. He shows that he is so proud of her that he repeats in the hook, “I’m so, I’m so, I’m so/ I’m so proud of you/ Everything’s adding up, you’ve been to hell and back/ That’s why you bad as fuck.”

A few tracks later is the much anticipated “Doing It Wrong” which features highly acclaimed R&B artist Stevie Wonder. The track is about a hard break up in which Drake parts with his girlfriend. Neither party wants to leave each other but they only do it because it is best for them in the long run. Although Wonder was featured on the song, he only has a harmonica solo instead of actually singing on the track. It was surprising as to what many listeners and fans originally had in mind, however Wonder did not fail to make a strong contribution to the song.

The track “Look What You’ve Done” featuring rapper Lil Wayne is a reflection on the past two years of the relationship with his mother. He discusses how his mother constantly helped him along the way. Despite the mishaps and fights between them, he pays her back through trips and paying for her bills. He also made it apparent that he would always be there for her. At end of the song, Drake plays a voicemail of his mother sending her best wishes and how she hopes to see him soon.

Overall, if you are someone who is on the road to a successful career with the various significant other that may break your heart, then this is the album for you. It has both unconventional and mainstream methods to the usual hip hop album. Fans who love pop, R&B and hiphop will be sure to enjoy Drake’s Take Care.

Sondre Lerche closes 2011 Tour at Music Hall of Williamsburg NICOLE MORALES Staff Writer Norwegian indie-pop artist Sondre Lerche closed his 2011 tour for his self-titled album released earlier this year at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Dec. 2. Though Lerche may not be a household name in the U.S., one of his most well known works is performing and composing the Dan in Real Life soundtrack. Opening for Lerche were Brooklyn based band Bird of Youth and Okkervil River front man, Will Sheff, who performed acoustic versions of the band’s works.

When Bird of Youth got on stage, they had a sort of humbleness to them. With music reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Beth Wawerna’s crisp vocals put the audience in a trance. They fumbled as they decided which songs to play next and even played a beautiful, yet to be recorded, untitled song about Wawerna’s father. Though their set was short, Bird of Youth properly prepped the audience for Sheff’s set. Sheff went for the most part, unappreciated by a chatty audience. He sang Okkervil River hits like “Wake and Be Fine” and “I Am Very Far.” Towards the end of his set, he eventually acknowledged the balcony audience for their rude behavior, but finished his set with the wonderful “Lost Coastlines.”

The crowd, consisting mostly of women and a few scattered men, now waited for Lerche to take the stage. Finally, Lerche appeared as adoring shrouds of women screamed in delight and lined the stage, clasping their hands with excitement. Wasting no time, he began with “Nevermind the Typos” from his latest album. The song featured just Lerche and his guitar and there was something mesmerizing about it. Afterwards he

decided to get the “loud stuff” over with first, much to the delight of his fans, promising a surprise later on in the show.

He brought out his new supporting band for songs like “Go Right Ahead” and “Private Caller” and the favorite hit “Two-Way Monologue.” In between songs, Lerche proved to be a bit of a comedian, making jokes about how to pronounce his name and even making Mystikal references. He showed excitement at being able to close his 2011 tour at what he now proudly calls “his hood” of Williamsburg, where he has been living for the past six years.

After a few songs, Lerche brought out the opening acts to sing the Steely Dan song “Dirty Work.” Afterwards, he closed with “Domino” and upon leaving the stage, the audience began to cheer for his return. Not even five minutes after leaving, Lerche was back on stage and ready to unveil his surprise. For his surprise, Lerche sang without his band, the popular hit from Dan in Real Life “My Hands are Shaking” much to the audience’s delight. As a man full of surprises, he had just one more. He unplugged his guitar and stepped away from the mic as he climbed atop an amp on the left side of the room and began the chords to the closing duet song in Dan in Real Life, entitled “Modern Nature.” For the part of the woman singing on the track, the women in the audience took it upon themselves to sing the female vocals. Lerche went on an improvisational acoustic guitar solo for the song before coming back with a lovely ending.

His show was not only a mesmerizing display of Lerche’s talent as a guitarist, performer, and singer, but also very personal with the stories he shared with the audience about each song. The show was truly a memorable and personal experience for all who attended.

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December 7, 2011

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NYC gets in the Christmas spirit with ice skating and holiday shops ERICK MANCEDO Staff Writer It’s not tough to find something to do in NYC on any given night, but some let the weather keep them inside with December weather here. Luckily for city-dwellers, the holiday season brings even more options for all of the city’s inhabitants to take advantage of. The best part is that it’s okay to pretend to be a tourist for a little while.

For those looking for the quintessential NYC ice skating experience without having to wait hours in line for a few minutes on the ice at Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park’s Citi Pond has much to offer.

Admission is free, but for $14 customers can rent skates and head out onto the ice, which sits below the beautiful Bank of America Tower in Midtown Manhattan. The rink is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays and from 8 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. From Dec. 15 until Dec. 30, Citi Pond will remain open from 8 a.m. to midnight starting seven days a week.

Fans of “The Nutcracker” will find the holiday season in NYC to be particularly enjoyable.

This year, there are at least two excellent stage performances of the holiday themed ballet in production. The first comes from the American Ballet Theatre, who is said to have shelved all fall performances to prepare for the show. Second is the New York City Ballet’s take on the show, which will feature a “nine-foot-wide Mother Ginger character and Tchaikovsky’s evocative score,” according to Time Out New York.

For New Yorkers who don’t have a problem mingling with the thousands of holiday tourists making their way around the city, a night at Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular is something they might enjoy. The show, which of course features the world-famous Rockettes, ranges anywhere from $45 to $250 depending on seating and will be running until Jan. 2.

The holidays in the city have something for everyone—even fans of Lady Gaga. The swanky Barney’s flagship store on the Upper East Side is playing host to a special guest this year—Gaga’s Workshop. The fifth floor of the store has been outfitted with displays and shelves stocked with products exclusively designed for Lady Gaga fans.

As HuffingtonPost.com reported, “In the candy shop section there are cookies shaped like little monsters and rock candy necklaces, while inside the boudoir, sort of a tent shaped like a wig, there are hair bows and hologram-effect nail polishes. For toys, there are plush monsters riding a train, and the jewelry store has chunky necklaces and bracelets from Erickson Beamon and Pamela Love.” The workshop at Barney’s flagship store will be open until Jan. 2.

A romantic night-time horse-drawn carriage ride may be just what the doctor ordered for couples who find themselves suffering from holiday cabin fever. The rides can be prearranged by submitting a payment on Central Park’s website and are quoted at $150 for a 45 minute ride. The park also offers “walk-up” rides, although the park reserves the right to add an additional fee for the ride and availability of carriages cannot be guaranteed.

The aforementioned holiday traditions and festivities are all fun but the daring may enjoy braving the elements for the chance to spend New Year’s Eve in Times Square. On the off-chance that spending a cold and possibly rainy or snowy night packed into Times Square with a million strangers doesn’t sound too appealing, it should be noted that there will be two special guests in Times Square on Dec. 31: Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. The two are the only confirmed acts so far for Dick Clark’s 40th “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012” special.

If Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber aren’t quite up to par, Boys II Men and New Kids on the Block will also be performing a joint show on Dec. 31. The ’80s and ’90s groups will be performing at the famed Roseland Ballroom this New Year’s Eve. Tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster, but will run close to $200.

New York City Christmas Trees to see Origami Holiday Tree Until Jan. 2, American Museum of Natural History Annual Christmas Tree & Neapolitan Baroque Crèche Until Jan. 6, Metropolitan Museum of Art Chorus Seaport Tree Until Jan. 7, South Street Seaport New York Stock Exchange Christmas Tree Until Dec. 31, 11 Wall Street Cathedral of St. John the Divine Peace Tree Until Dec. 31, 1047 Amsterdam Ave Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Until Jan. 7, 10 Rockefeller Plaza

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December 7, 2011

University students fear the “Freshman 15” as the semester ends ASHLEY LALL Contributor

With the end of the semester approaching, the Freshman 15, or the weight-gain associated with college freshman, is rearing its head amongst freshman at the University.

With obesity as a growing problem in the country as a whole, the Freshman 15 is seen as a dangerous beginning to an ongoing problem that begins in teenagers and young adults.

With the many health issues associated with obesity such as diabetes, heart-disease and strokes, among others, the risks of chronic weight-gain are sure to be a concern amongst college students going forward.

The transition from high-school to college is a hectic and stressful one, as students are often moving out of their homes to a strange, new place and taking on a considerably heavier work load. Along with these changes, students adapt to their new environments, often becoming subject to unhealthy habits regarding what they eat, how many hours of sleep they get and how much time is spent dedicated to physical exercise. All of these can be attributed to the unhealthy weight-gain of students in their freshman year, as well as the increasing weight-gain that follows in later years at a university. Yet, not all agree that the students are to blame.

“I would have to say that the food available in the café is most to blame for the Freshman 15. When I was a freshman two years ago, Lackmann was still the food provider for the café and our options were very limited. They still are in many ways.

Sure, there’s the salad bar, but the abundance of fried and fatty foods in comparison to healthy choices is an obvious problem,” junior Devin Gray said.

According to a study by Dr. Steven Pugh and associates at the University of South Alabama in 2010, students who gained weight during their freshman year attributed the weight gain to reasons such as late-night snacking, cafeteria food selection, social eating, an irregular schedule, general stress, decreased activity, lack of healthy foods and social drinking.

Many University students also argue that the specific costs of foods at the University causes students to make unhealthier choices in attempts to make their meal plans last longer. Considering the cost of french fries at $2.00 versus the cost of sushi at $5.99, if a students eats just about every meal in Café 101 and wants his or her meal plan to last until the end of the semester, the student will lean towards the cheaper option.

“After I moved out on my own and became limited in terms of my meal plan, I was able to make healthier choices in buying my own foods rather than having to make

unhealthy sacrifices eating café food all the time,” senior Nanna Taralesca said.

Though the food in the café can be seen as more on the unhealthy side, in recent semesters, the University has seen some drastic changes in terms of the food available to students with the transition from Lackmann to Chartwells. In the Spotlight Café, students are now provided with a fruit and vegetable smoothie kiosk, where one can purchase a smoothie made with whatever ingredients he or she requests. Additionally, there is now the sushi section of Café 101 that allows students to purchase freshly made sushi, as well as pre-packaged sushi dishes.

The study at the University of South Alabama suggests that the problem of the Freshman 15 can be remedied through preventative programs established by the University that stresses the importance of healthy eating, consistent exercise and other healthy habits in order to ensure that students can be more aware of going into their freshman year at college. It also suggests that nutritionists and dieticians could be more involved in creating healthier university cafeteria menus and food choices. Though these are not practices found at the University, the student body maintains the right to propose such ideas to the Administration, as long as student’s healths are at risk.

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Manhattan’s west side makes the slow march to gentrification CRAIG HELD Features Editor For NYC natives, Manhattan’s west side has retained one of the poorest reputations in the city. Many areas of NYC such as Williamsburg, Park Slope and Greenpoint have enjoyed the benefits of gentrification over the years and are just a few examples of turnarounds in neighborhood dynamics. In a borough where real estate is so prime though, it seems odd that a gargantuan chunk of waterfront land was allowed to stay undeveloped for so long.

The Meatpacking District is one of the west side’s largest success stories. The area’s name certainly speaks for itself—it was home to over 250 slaughterhouses and packing plants. While the district never quite lost its name, it soon became known for the less than desirables that populated the area. It was a gamble by French restaurateur Florent Morellet that helped revitalize the ever-seedy Meatpacking District. His 24-hour diner, Florent, became a melting pot mecca for old-school New Yorkers in 1985 and spawned a renewed interest in the Meatpacking District.

Throughout the mid to late ’90s, various business owners took a cue from Morellet and with a pop culture push by Samantha Jones from “Sex and The City” fame, the Meatpacking District had turned from the cesspool of debauchery to the latest upand-coming neighborhood in Manhattan. With the completion of the High Line, the Meatpacking District has completely turned around but the process hasn’t been as easy for other areas of NYC. The West Side Yard, a stretch of tracks that stores out of use trains for the Long Island Rail Road, has been the cornerstone of many redevelopment projects. Originally built in 1987, the stretch of land was conceived with the idea that something might be built above it—contractors left space between the tracks for support columns for an overlying building. After the completion of the yard, Madison Square Garden contemplated a move down 34th St. but the plan fell through, citing financial costs. A similar situation arose in 1998 when the New York Yankees eyed the still empty yard as their new home.

Current NYC residents will remember the most infamous attempt to revamp the West Side Yard when a new West Side Stadium was proposed that would’ve housed the New York Jets and acted as the centerpiece of NYC’s 2012 Olympic bid. After a campaign

by Cablevision, the owner of Madison Square Garden, to defeat the stadium, the state assembly voted down the funds required to build the stadium and New York subsequently

Bain News Service The Meatpacking District long before nightclubs and restaurants.

Legend Yearbook gets AMBER ELLIOT Contributor As spring semester looms in the minds of students, it means planning for spring break for some, while for others it means preparing for graduation. An aspect that many students tend to overlook is the tradition of ordering their yearbook. In high school, the yearly excitement of cracking open the binding of a new yearbook was something that many students long anticipated. However, in college that thrill seems to have faded.

This year, The Legend Yearbook is more connected and is offering more than ever before.

“The theme this year is called ‘Wired.’ In 2011-12 we are more connected than ever since the mass use of Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and the computer and cell phone in general,” President of the Yearbook Committee Andrew Davis said. Using this idea, the Yearbook will be integrating design elements of social media sites into the layout.

This illustrates not only the importance of these technologies to our everyday lives, but how organizations, clubs and everyone in the University community uses these sites to stay connected.

The most exciting new feature of this year’s edition is that the Yearbook is not only a keepsake, but an interactive tool. It will now include QR codes, the codes that can be scanned with smartphones, in the spreads. When students scan the code of an organization, they will link directly to the Facebook, Twitter or to a video of a club event.

Some students are skeptical about the importance of yearbooks in college. When asked about her views on the importance of a yearbook, senior Nanna Taralesca said,

lost its Olympic bid.

After years of governmental waffling and financial turmoil surrounding the area, the city rezoned the area and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) leased the yards, now known as the Hudson Yards, to Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group in 2010 in order to build up the area. After 24 years, it seems that the yards might finally find its tenant.

With the 7 train extension taking shape, Manhattan’s west side is slowly making its way to become as popular as its sibling on the opposite side of the island. Judging from the many attempts to build up the west side, it remains to be seen if this will finally be the

newpennstation.org Hudson Yards remain empty as city slowly attempts to build area up.

sevenstreets.com Pastis, one of the Meatpacking District’s culinary mainstays.

for this year’s edition

“It depends on how active you are in school. If you’re very active and you’re involved in clubs then you should get it because it is going to show you everything you’ve done. If you’re not involved at Pace then the only thing you really need to show of your work at Pace is your transcript.”

The yearbook staff is putting in a lot of effort to alleviate these worries. Davis stated that he and the yearbook staff have been working hard to cover all events held on the NYC Campus to make sure everyone is fully represented. The recent picture week that was held for seniors had a good turnout, which will result in more senior portraits than in any other edition.

For those students who may still have hesitations about getting their copy of the yearbook, Davis stated the true importance behind college yearbooks. “College is no piece of cake… it is a lot of hard work. Some students may be first generation college graduates and others may be extremely involved on campus. A yearbook allows those students to share their experiences and reflect on their journey for years to come. It does not matter if you are a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, a yearbook is timeless and exemplifies all the hard work that you put into your studies and to be proud of being a Pace University student,” Davis said.

This year’s edition of The Legend Yearbook not only offers the sentimental value for the seniors preparing to graduate but is also a tool for other students to stay connected for the rest of their time here at the University.

Students can order the book online at Yearbookordercenter.com—Order #14182 or they can visit The Legend Yearbook office located in 41 Park row, room 809 to get their copy.

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Student clothing line enjoys success with FiDi pop-up shop NICOLE MORALES Staff Writer

Last fall, senior finance majors Chris Jennings and Alex Hage-Boutros decided to start their own clothing line called Ethik Clothing Co. The brand epitomizes New York street culture, catering to its underground audience. Just one year after conceiving the idea for the brand name, Jennings and Hage-Boutros realized their dream by opening a temporary pop-up shop on Nassau Street. The Pace Press caught up with the masterminds behind Ethik Clothing Co. to talk about their successful pop-up shop, to find out how they came to be and plans for their next move.

One of Ethik’s original designs.

Ethik’s pop-up on Nassau Street.

The Pace Press (TPP): How did your interest in starting up Ethik come about?

Alex Hage-Boutros (AHB): The reason why I really got into this clothing company is because…since I moved to the city, I really found it very intriguing and pretty cool and its very different from where I grew up. I grew up in a very preppy or upscale town and city culture isn’t really a thing over there I guess. I found it very intriguing and cool and underground and that’s why I really developed a fond appreciation for this type of stuff.

Chris Jennings (CJ): I’ve always [been] involved with this sort of street culture and it just sort of enhanced after I moved to New York. When I lived in Boston I was 16-years-old and I really couldn’t do anything by myself, but as soon as I was in college he [Hage-Boutros] wanted to do something and so we actually started a business [to] make it happen. So that’s how Ethik got started, I guess.

His was a new found interest and mine was one I pretty much lived with forever, so with both minds working together we started [Ethik].

AHB: [We started] I think around this time last year. I would give credit though to one person, Drew Verderame.

He started talking about a clothing company. I hadn’t really thought about it, but it was cool. I always wanted to start my own thing but I didn’t really know what it was.

CJ: As soon as we thought of the name Ethik it was perfect. Everyday in our lives we sort of see the good part and the bad parts of New York City and our environment.

Ours is about vice and virtue; choosing between right and wrong. One of our logos is a scale. Like one of those old [justice] scales.

only word to describe what I mean. What I take photos of involves who we are. All of the media I take can sum who we are up.

AHB: We have a little newspaper/magazine coming up.

It’s like eight pages but it encompasses the whole lifestyle, the whole scene. The college students in the city, it just encompasses our entire life.

CJ: It’s just like a tabloid of pictures I’ve taken over the past year. It’ll be done Dec. 21. We’re going to be handing them out to all Pace students.

TPP: How do you represent your mission of “vice and virtue” in your designs?

AHB: A good one would be the scale. One of our first designs was a justice scale. [It represents] vice and virtue; right and wrong. NYC is not the most virtuous of cities, I guess. It reflects the whole hustle of the city and how everyone wants to make it big.

CJ: Definitely. We see every day [things] that our parents would see and be like “Oh my God!” That’s where the “Empire State Flippers” logo came from and we have another shirt that says “Grimey Hustle.”

TPP: Chris, you do photography. Do you take pictures of things that inspire you and interpret it into your designs?

CJ: Sometimes, yeah. Mainly what I like to take pictures of is the lifestyle. I hate that word so much but that is the

TPP: How did the pop-up shop this fall come to be?

CJ: When you have a brand you try and find stockists, people to buy your clothing. The way we wanted to do it was skip that step for a year, wait until we have a larger platform to base ourselves and then more stores would be interested in buying our stuff. Instead, we worked really hard, did what we had to do and we opened our own shop so we could [expose] our own clothing, but also have a lot of other stuff that will attract [customers]. We have consignment; we have a lot of rare clothing; very limited clothing as well that would attract other people, but all in the same sort of scene. It worked excellently.

AHB: We were initially going to work with a few other people and they were going to have a fashion show and it was also going to have a fundraiser. I mean, it was cool but…I feel like we wouldn’t have gotten enough credit that I thought we deserved for all the work we put into [it]...

We got lucky with the old Flight Club...That month was hell because we print our own line [by hand]...There are a few things we send out like embroidery, but everything else is all us. We take the tags out [of the shirts] put our own customs tags, custom designs, custom everything.

We went through like 15 [to] 20 designs. Each design took about a day. We spent Saturday nights staying up until 3 in the morning printing clothing. We made over 500 pieces of apparel to sell in the store. [For] our opening night, I found a graffiti artist, so we have this huge wall downstairs… people came in [and] tagged their names. We had this group called Tr!beGvng that performed for us. It was the first time they performed live, so they were in the basement and upstairs was all the clothing. It was a really cool scene.

It blew our expectations away because we had like 350 people there that night.

TPP: Ethik caters to street culture, but what about those who are not experiencing street culture?

AHB: We have a very specific market type, the urban type

all photos by Chris Jennings who grew up in the city. From that base you slowly expand more and more. So as of now that is our target market, but through that we hope to expand to other markets as well.

CJ: We just push towards that market and people grew to like it.

TPP: Would you be open to collaborating with other artists?

CJ: Yeah, in this last time we actually did collaborate with another clothing company called BOPPO! We sent ideas back and forth and came up with something. But definitely in the future, we’re definitely going to [again].

TPP: How do you fund Ethik and survive the recession?

AHB: We don’t have an ongoing open shop because from an investor’s perspective, we have a base but it’s not big enough. I like to go on Facebook and see how many people like our stuff and see more and more people liking us. I’m [a] major investor, so if we need money I’ll give it to the company and eventually I’ll get it back. That’s how we funded the shop. We’re going to expand slowly.

TPP: What’s next for you guys?

AHB: We plan dropping one or two designs every month or so before the spring for our next line. We definitely want to get into cut and sew, which will be custom….We want to sit there, pick pieces of fabric, stitch it all together. Like, that’s us. That’s nobody but us. Spinning into women’s clothing in due course. We also will be doing another popup in the spring.

TPP: What are your long term goals for the company?

CJ: Personally, my goal or dream­—I think eventually we’re going to have a permanent shop that is more like a studio, where it’s our clothing, music production, video production, a studio to actually print clothes, provide the service for other companies and have a store front as well.

We could have consignment and us too. I want that in New York and then head to L.A. and then it’ll merge somewhere in the middle.

AHB: Definitely a shop, [within the] next five years.

FOR MORE INFO ON “ETHIK” VISIT: Blog: ethikclothingco.tumblr.com Facebook: Ethik Clothing Co Twitter: @ETHIKCLOTHINGNY Website: ethikNY.com