THE POLYTECHNIC REPORTER
The Voice of the Student Body of Polytechnic Institute of NYU
Merger Looming, Sports Program in Doubt
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Students Converge on Albany To Press Case for HEOP Funds By Mishah Jahangir
By Dheeraj Erraballi For athletes, another year competing in the NCAA Skyline Conference for the Blue Jays may be in jeopardy. The merger between NYUPoly and NYU may eliminate the Blue Jays’ eligibility for NCAA athletics. The NCAA has specific requirements in order for a college to compete in Division III. Among the requirements are an admissions office and a school president. NYU-Poly has a long tradition of competing in sports. An athletics program in some form has existed since 1904. This may give NYU-Poly exemption from the NCAA requirements through a grandfather clause, exempting certain institutions from the requirements of a piece of legislation affecting their previous rights. Whether NYU-Poly will
be eligible for NCAA competition or not, the future of the athletics program is still in doubt. The university has two sports programs, and they may be deemed unnecessary by the powersthat-be. According to the Equity in Athletics Data Analysis (EADA), NYU-Poly athletics has yearly expenses nearing a million dollars. Some of the funding for the NYU-Poly athletics program could be redistributed to academic interests. Members of the sports staff declined to comment on the subject, stating that no information will be released until a final decision has been made. An e-mail from Poly’s director of athletics, Curtis Spence, said: “It is our hope that details will be finalized in Continued on Page 5
Robotics Club Puts Out 'Fires' in the 'Home' and Starts Them in the Mind By Griswald Brooks An electronic eye gazes at a wall as wheels race back and forth, propelling a small robot through a maze modeled after the average suburban home. As one eye keeps the robot from crashing into the wall, another seeks out the ultraviolet frequency emitted by a fire. The robot’s mission: Put out a miniature house fire as quickly as possible. This is the scene at PolyBOTs, the robotics club of NYU-Poly. While members of the club, split into five different teams, work diligently on mobile-robot dynamics, other members work on electronic-art projects and discuss
philosophy.“PolyBOTs encompasses the spirit of the collaboration of ideas,” says Bilal Gill, vice president of external affairs. “We have many members from many different majors.” Members’ majors range from EE, CS, and ME to physics, BMS, and DM. To become a member, students complete two requirements: participating in a volunteering event for the club and building a project of their own. To accomplish the latter task, students are free to use the tools and resources in the club room; they are Continued on Page 6
HEOP staff and students at the state capital.
NYU-Poly HEOP students traveled to Albany, along with students from all over the state, on Feb. 12 to talk with members of the assembly and state senators about how the student-aid programs are vital in the pursuit of higher education. A main point raised during the conversations was just how aware are the people who decide on appropriations for these programs and pass legislation funding them. Senator Velmanette Montgomery, for example, asked the students how they heard about NYU-Poly HEOP. Most of the students said it was from their college counselor in high school, the one who helped them with the
college-application process. Some complained, however, that they didn’t have any college counselor in their high school and they had very little or no help. In response, Montgomery replied that “we [in the state legislature] need to know how these things are working. Your voices need to be heard.” She said it was necessary to devise a system that provides easy access to these programs for each and every high school student. “I’m working on these missing pieces to our system,” she said, and asked the students to help her find out these pieces. “I’m a huge proponent of early college, and I support opportunity programs like
INSIDE Editorial....................................................2 2013 Job Outlook.....................................3 SHPE Reaches Out...................................3 Faculty Profile: Enrico Bertini.................4 Club News: MSA.......................................4 Sports Wrap-up........................................5 'Star Talk Live'..........................................6 Review: Saul Restaurant..........................7 Review: 'Warm Bodies'.............................7 Take a Tip From Me: Build a PC............. 8
HEOP, STEP, and SEEK. It’s budget time and we are talking about the budget, but my main concerns are the opportunity programs [for college students].” Students also got a chance to speak to Alexandra Newclmb, a member of Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman’s staff. Students told her how state support for the student-aid programs has helped them pick the right college and get the education they need and deserve. In response, she said she supports the student-aid programs and was well aware that these days getting a higher education can be very expensive, “so you have to grab any opportunity coming your way, because education can get you far.” Shawneece Bailey, director of HEOP, said, in response to a question from The Reporter, “Lobby Day is an opportunity for students, staff and alumni to express to the New York State legislature how important it is to continue funding opportunity programs like HEOP and higher-education TAPaid grants. Programs like these help students to attend Continued on Page 6
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THE POLYTECHNIC REPORTER Editor-in-Chief Patrick gryczka Executive Editor Erica Levin Staff Reporters Yasir ali Arif azeez Griswald brooks Matthew Conte Jason duffy deeraj erraballi carol escamilla matthew izberskiy misha jahangir minh le yifan zhao Design, Layout and Editorial Director Jessia Leonard Faculty Adviser LOWELL SCHEINER
Editorial
A Bachelor's Degree— And Your Job Prospects There was recently an article in The New York Times concerning college-degree inflation, a topic that hits especially close to home for us students. With the substantial investment of time and money we put into getting a bachelor's degree, the last thing we want to hear is that it's not going to be able to get us as far as it once did. But that's precisely what reporter Catherine Rampell says is happening. According to her, many graduates are finding themselves in jobs that used to require only a high school diploma. While it is discouraging to learn that after four years of college, graduates are having to take jobs as runners and secretaries, it's important to remember that they are getting the very few jobs that are available. Even
as the power of a bachelor's degree seems to be waning, the degree is only becoming more and more indispensable. With multitudes of applicants, the few employers that are hiring--even for low-level jobs--have their pick, and are for the most part picking college graduates. Now all this talk in the media of jobs and degrees brought to mind Poly's own career fair, which took place just last Thursday. With over 100 employers participating, many looking to fill not only intern positions but full-time positions as well, the career fair seemed to be bucking the trend. But a closer look gives us a reason to pause, with a number of the larger companies like Coca Cola, AT&T, BNY Mellon, and major organizations such as the
Long Island Railroad and the Naval Air Systems Command looking mainly for graduate students. Which brings to mind the words that Xerox CEO and Poly graduate Ursula Burns told students here on a campus visit last fall: Get a master's degree. Although seeing undergraduate students walk away from the career fair with job offers isn't as common a sight as we might have hoped for, the experience taken away from interaction with potential employers is invaluable. Moreover, the career fair is a great chance to find and seize internship opportunities that give you that all-important first step into a corporate career. To read more about Poly's career fair, be sure to pick up the next issue. -PG
The opinions and views expressed in The Polytechnic Reporter do not necessarily reflect those of Polytechnic Institute of New York University. The opinions expressed in guest editorials are not necessarily the opinions of The Polytechnic Reporter or the institute. All submissions should be e-mailed to the editor at pgrycz01@students.poly.edu.
Club Leaders: Contact Us
To Our Readers: The Reporter is an independent
newspaper
and
none of the money spent to produce and publish it is provided by Polytechnic or NYU.
It seems that in nearly every issue we are calling upon club leaders to contact us regarding their upcoming activities. Few ever respond. A newspaper, especially one with a small staff, relies on its readers to keep it informed about important news. And in a college that has so many different clubs, this is not an unusual request. Even the major radio and network TV stations make similar appeals, asking their listeners and viewers to phone in reports on traffic snarls, acci-
dents, and newsworthy incidents. There are more than 40 clubs at NYU-Poly. We like to give every one of them the publicity they no doubt desire. So, if your club has elected new officers, wants to recruit new members, plans a future event to which you want to invite the NYU-Poly community, send us an e-mail addressed to pgrycz01@ students.poly.edu. The news item will appear in our very next issue. -PG
THE POLYTECHNIC REPORTER
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 | 3
Job Outlook for Class of 2013 Seems Hopeful By Erica Levin A shabby economy and an unemployment rate hovering around eight percent has spelled financial devastation for millions of Americans. Obviously, then, a question on many college students’ minds is, “Will I find employment upon graduation and be able to pay off my student loans?” Well, there is some good news. In September of 2012, the unemployment rate for college students fell to 6.3 percent, and according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers expect to hire 13 percent more college graduates from the graduating class of 2013 than they did from the graduating class of 2012. NACE reported that the top 10 degrees employers will be looking for from the 2013 graduating class, in order of preference, are finance, computer and information science, accounting, business administration/ management, mechanical engineering, management information systems, electrical engineering, computer engineering, marketing/marketing management, and economics. James Sillcox, the director at the Wasserman Center for Career Development at NYUPoly, is optimistic about this year’s, graduating class because of “the caliber of NYU-Poly students, the continued demand for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professionals, and the quality of career-related resources and services available to our students,” he wrote in an email. So for NYU-Poly students, the future does have a tinge of brightness, more so than in years past. According to PayScale, NYU-Poly is the highest ranked institution in New York City in terms of salary potential. Nationally, the school is number four among engineering schools and ranked number eight when
compared to all colleges. Impressive, isn’t it? Moreover, company attendance at NYU-Poly career fairs has increased by 98 percent in the last two years, suggesting employers are definitely interested in Poly graduates. The Engineering and Technology Career Fair this past fall had more than 120 employers in attendance. Sillcox believes that this recordnumber turnout is because employers have realized “they need to engage students early, convert their interns into full-time employees, and offer very competitive salaries.” Yet again, this is great news for Poly students. Outside of Poly, the STEM fields are looking good, too. A NACE Salary Survey found engineering majors are receiving the highest starting salary, averaging $60,639, and computer science majors are in second place with an average salary of $60,038. On the other hand, there is a downside. According to monster.com, quoting Jack Smith, the Milwaukee office president of Sanford Rose Associates, a recruitment firm, there is a slack in the demand for “civil engineers, chemical engineers, mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers and even aerospace engineers.” Sillcox, recommends that Poly students take advantage of the services offered to them by the Wasserman Center for Career Development. It will then enable students to prepare for interviews and job and internship searches, put together a resume, develop networking techniques, negotiate salary, use social media professionally, and apply to graduate school. “The best thing a student can do is come in and create a personalized career-action plan with one of our advisers,” Sillcox said. Students should take advantage of NYU CareerNet, NYU and Polytech’s own online job and internship search database.
NYU-Poly students who represent SHPE: (l. to r.): Laura Hernandez, Esteban Lima, Gilberto Hernandez-Gomez, Jose Colindres, Ximena Aristizabal, Andres Chaca, Carmen M. Villafane, Zev Levit-Ramos, Kevin Figueroa, Emanuel Azcona, Luis Freire, Leslie Ovando, and Carol Escamilla.
SHPE Reaches Out to the Community By Carol Escamilla
From winning the Technical Paper Competition last November at the National SHPE Conference to starting a Junior SHPE chapter at Bushwick Leaders’ High School for Academic Excellence in Brooklyn, the student SHPE chapter at NYU-Poly has proven to be doing exactly what the SHPE mission states: “to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development.” Founded in Los Angeles in 1974 by a group of engineers with a vision to form a national organization of professional engineers to serve as role models in the Hispanic community, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers has become much more than that. Today, SHPE is a large, strong, independent organization made up of professional and student chapters nationwide. SHPE offers its students the opportunity to network with professionals and obtain all the tools necessary to be successful in their
STEM careers. All student SHPE chapters are based on the five SHPE pillars: academics, community outreach, chapter development, leadership development, and professional development. To SHPE, the importance of having outstanding grades, giving back to your community, growing together as a community, building the leaders of tomorrow, and getting ready for the corporate world is crucial. At NYU-Poly, the SHPE chapter offers its members career-development workshops on such important topics as resume writing and interviewing skills. The SHPE chapter also offers its members study sessions and workshops on organization, study skills, and time management. Most important of all, it acts as a community, a community of students who support and motivate one another. SHPE is indeed a community of students who really care about one another and consider each other as family. SHPE gives students the drive to succeed. Poly SHPE treasurer Luis Freire
says, “SHPE has made me a leader. I’m no longer shy to talk to people, and I feel confident. SHPE changed my views on education, making me see even more clearly how important education is and how influential it can be in someone’s life.” Senior Zev Levit-Ramos says, “SHPE has been the biggest blessing and opportunity that I have been part of in my entire college career. Not only was I able to meet and work with tons of fantastic people, but I was actually able to get an internship with General Electric in my junior year and a fulltime position with Microsoft upon graduation.” For this spring semester, Poly SHPE will be offering study sessions for its members, Latin dance classes, a Latin food fest, corporate site visits, and several workshops such as “What to Do if You Don’t Get an Internship This Summer?” and “Leadership & Communications Workshops With the Marines.” Several members from Poly SHPE will also Continued on Page 6
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Faculty Profile
Enrico Bertini: Visualizing 'Big Data' by Matthew Conte Science has entered the age of “Big Data,” where biologists have cataloged the entire human genome, and particle physicists at facilities like the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland, produce terabytes of data every time two particles are fired into each other. This data contains the key to unlocking the mysteries and gaining new knowledge of the universe. But anyone who has ever stared at a raw Excel spreadsheet filled with numbers realizes that data is not necessarily knowledge; data needs to be interpreted in a way that makes sense to humans. Making sense of all this data -- turning it into knowledge that can teach us more about the world -- is the goal of the burgeoning field of information visualization, the process of taking these mountains of
computer-readable data and representing it graphically so that humans can more easily find patterns within it. NYUPoly now has the opportunity to enter into this field thanks to the arrival of Enrico Bertini, a recently hired professor of computer science. Bertini says that he “fell in love” with data visualization doing his master's thesis, a time when he was studying graphics and human-computer interaction (HCI) at the University of Rome. “I was interested in the human side [of computer science]. I fell in love with research in computer science for using computers to help people accomplish tasks.” Bertini came to NYUPoly last October – in part, he says, because of its multidisciplinary engineering atmosphere. “Information visualization is very interdisciplinary. Being here is an
opportunity to contact engineers who may need my help to visualize data.” In fact, he has already begun talking with Prof. Jin Kim Montclare of the chemical and biological engineering department about developing visualizations for her lab. Visualization has become a critical science for any researcher who needs to study large amounts of data, so there will be many opportunities for Bertini to collaborate with researchers in various disciplines here at NYU-Poly. Bertini already has a history of collaborating with other disciplines to conduct valuable scientific research that may actually help to save lives. For instance, while a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Konstanz in Germany, Bertini helped develop HiTSEE, a visual-
ization tool for biologists studying cancer-causing cell-degeneration activity. In their experiments, known as high-throughput screening, the biologists study hundreds of thousands of molecules to determine which ones react to certain proteins, Bertini explains. Molecules that react are known as “hits.” Quickly finding the hits, and thus the relevant scientific data, is a big challenge since so much data is generated; this is the problem that Bertini set out to solve. Before HiTSEE, the researchers had to scan through giant Excel spreadsheets, checking each row to see if a particular molecule met a certain threshold of activity, Bertini explains.
Not only does the HiTSEE system immediately present the most relevant molecules to the scientists, but it also gives them a graphical representation of the structure of each molecule, allowing the scientists to quickly analyze the results. The faster the researchers can analyze the data, the more experiments they can perform, bringing them closer to understanding a potential cause of cancer. Information visualization is still a relatively young field but it is becoming clear that visualizations will be essential for science as “Big Data” grows ever bigger. It will be exciting to watch this field grow here at NYU-Poly under Prof. Enrico Bertini.
Information Visualization in Everyday Life Information visualization isn't just a theoretical topic for academics; its applications are all around us. Just think back to last November's presidential election. Vote tallies from every county in America were processed and converted into an electoral map, clearly showing which candidate won each state using a red/blue color code. While browsing the Web, we have all seen the ubiquitous tag cloud. This is a visualization that takes frequency data for certain terms and displays those terms in font sizes relative to their frequencies. There is “Big Data” behind many of the common graphics that we see every day. -Matthew Conte
Club News:
Muslim Student Association Hosting Many Events This Semester By Yasir Ali The Muslim Student Association (MSA) hosts over 10 events a semester, making it one of the most active clubs at NYU-Poly. Its mission is to gather both Muslims and non-Muslims in a friendly and socially interactive environment and give everyone an opportunity to learn about Islam, its practices and its goal of building friendly networks. This club offers a wide range of benefits; for example, both Poly and NYU students have the ability to engage in great social and academic events. The events are not only meant to disseminate knowledge about Islam, but also to give partic-
ipants a chance to know one another and the opportunity to build a second academic family here at the college. Along with the various events, the Poly MSA also plays an enormous role in the everyday life of a Muslim. The club’s room not only offers a tranquil place to study but, most important, a place to practice Islam. The five daily prayers are obligatory upon every Muslim, so the MSA room provides spiritual benefits. Though there is a slight downside to the paucity of space in the MSA room, there still is a plus side: It gathers the students together, allowing them to get to know one another quickly--somewhat
like an icebreaker for incoming students. This semester, the Poly MSA intends to sponsor 10 events, including the following: • MSA basketball tournament: Mar. 7-8, 6-10 p.m. • Islamic Awareness Week: sometime in March • April workshop with Imam Siraj Wahhaj: April 1, 6-8 p.m. • April workshop with Imam Khalid Latif: April 9, 6-8 p.m. • April workshop with Raymond Brock Murray: April 18, 6-8 p.m. • April workshop on calligraphy: April 22/24, 6-8 p.m. • Senior appreciation night
MSA students praying in congregation.
(toward the end of the semester) • Brothers’ end-of- theyear BBQ (toward the end of the semester) • Sisters’ end-of-the-year picnic (toward the end of the semester) The club officers are: • Mohammad Mannan, president • Asma Mian, vice presi-
dent • Amel Al-Hariri, secretary • Hanain Hossain, treasurer • Saif Chowdhury, public relations • Rohul Amin, senior adviser If you’d like to join the MSA or learn more about it, contact Mohammad Mannan at mannan@polymsa.org.
THE POLYTECHNIC REPORTER
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Sports in Doubt
Sports Wrap-up By Arif Azeez
A few of the NYU-Poly sports teams have been having some success this year, at least compared with showings over the past few years. The men’s basketball team did quite well as the team won more games this season than it had in the past four seasons. While the Jays had been up and down all season, they finished with a little bit more fire toward the season’s end. On Feb. 2, they played St. Joseph’s College and won, 62 – 58. It was a great comeback from the last game they had played against the Golden Eagles, a game Poly lost, 87-79. That was on Jan. 22. This was the Jays’ first-ever victory against St. Joseph’s College since Poly joined the Skyline Conference six years ago. With just under eight minutes left, the Jays went on a 13 – 0 scoring spree to close out the game. The team played Yeshiva on Feb. 4 and came out on top, 91 – 86, marking the team’s first back-to-back victories of the season. Unfortunately, the team suffered a devastating 92-59 loss on Feb. 12 at the hands of Purchase College, one of the top contenders in the Skyline Conference. Poly was outrebounded, 41-28, and struggled from the field, shooting a dismal 30 percent. The Jays did, however, get a good night from the bench, which racked up a total of 21 points. The Jays’ playoff hopes ended on Feb. 14 in a tough game with Yeshiva. The Jays lost, 74-55, and got a few chances to catch up toward the end of the game, but they couldn’t quite finish. The team shot 12 for 26 from the free throw line and was 0 for 6 on three-pointers in the last closing moments of the game. After losing this game, the team’s chances of making the playoffs were finished. The final game of the season came against Mount Saint Vincent, which the team lost at home on Senior Day, 73-64. The Jays fin-
From Page 1
Freshman Jamel Gist and the Jays against Mount Saint Vincent on Feb. 16. Poly lost, 73-64.
Senior Shelby Bruns scoring her 1,000th career point against Mount Saint Vincent on Feb. 16. The Lady Jays won, 62-58.
ished with an overall record of 7-18, and were 3-15 in the Skyline Conference. One of the team’s top players on the offensive end was freshman Jamel Gist, averaging 17.8 points a game and a team high of 35 steals. He was named the Skyline Rookie of the Week four times. On the defensive side, sophomore Stefan Stoyanovich averaged 7.6 boards a game and had a team high of 18 blocks. Women’s Basketball The Lady Jays went 1- 6 in their last seven games. The team won its last game of the season in a close match against Mount Saint Vincent on Feb. 16 by a score of 6258. Shelby Bruns scored her 1,000th career point during the game. The team used the excitement from this and took the lead early on. Later
on in the game, with 2:27 left, the Lady Jays tied the game at 58 until Shelby Bruns hit the tiebreaking three, which was enough to hold off the Lady Dolphins. The victory before that came on Jan. 29 against the Sage Colleges Gators, which the Poly women won, 60 – 55. Freshman Alyssa D’Apice led the team in scoring with 27 points, shooting 10 out of 14 from the floor. Senior Shelby Bruns also had a great game with a double - double: 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Lady Jays finished their season with a record of 7-18, and were 3-10 in the Skyline Conference. D’Apice definitely helped the team out offensively, averaging 15.2 points a game. On defense, Bruns was outstanding, snagging 9.5 re-
bounds a game. Men’s Volleyball The men’s volleyball team started off slowly, losing its first four games. However, since then, the team won three of its last five games, putting them at an overall record of 4 and 7. On Feb. 12, the team beat Purchase College, 3 – 1, while racking up a total of 35 kills. Fild Kroqi led the Jays with 16 kills. The team played in a quad match at home on Feb. 17 against New Jersey City University, Yeshiva University and Ramapo. The team beat Yeshiva, 3-1, in a close match. They went on to play New Jersey City, but got shut out in that encounter, 3-0. Both teams are tied in the Skyline Conference at 3-3, but New Jersey City owns the headto-head play against the Jays.
the upcoming weeks. When they are, we will communicate with all stakeholders (student athletes, staff, prospective students, etc.) and of course the full NYU-Poly and NYU communities.” For NYU-Poly, there are three possibilities: The athletics program could return next year, and it will be business as usual. This is the most unlikely of posibilities. The second is that NYU-Poly’s and NYU’s athletics programs could merge, boosting the strength of NYU’s program. This will drastically reduce the opportunity for NYU-Poly students to play intercollegiate sports. Finally, NYU-Poly’s athletics program could drop down to the club or intramural level. With a very likely diminished participation in athletics in the near future, how will the NYU-Poly culture be affected? Last year, there were 159 student athletes in an overall undergraduate population of 1768. That's almost 1 in 10 students who participated in a sport. To some athletes, participating in NCAA competition could mean everything. As one student athlete, who asked that her name not be used, put it, "It's D-III or nothing. I don't think the club level is worth the time or the effort." Rishi Sarkar, a member of the Student Athletics Advisory Committee (SAAC), is one student who is extremely distraught over the impending decisions. “I’ve asked but they are not telling us anything.” Sarkar said he has been searching for answers since December 2012, but feels his and other studentathletes’ voices have not been heard. Sarkar believes that the NCAA athletics program will at least return next year. No NYU-Poly official has corroborated this view. For any students, athletes, or alumni who would like to have their voice heard on the subject, you can email Sarkar at r7sarkar@gmail.com.
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Albany From Page 1 colleges and universities in New York. Without such assistance, students would not have the academic and financial support to attend college and graduate. During the 1995-96 budget year, the then governor, George Pataki, wanted to eliminate the opportunity programs. If not for the support of legislative members and the lobbying from students of opportunity programs, we might not have them now.” Karen Rose Cover, HEOP tutor coordinator and counselor, was also present in Albany at what has been
known as Lobby Day, when students gather in the state capital to impress on the politicians the urgent need not to neglect them as the yearly budget is debated. She said, “One of the reasons why Lobby Day is so important is because the legislators-the people who make the key decisions about funding for higher education—don’t always get to meet the students who are affected by their budget cuts. Their busy schedules limit their interaction with students and, unfortunately, they don’t always get to hear the struggles students and their families encounter in trying to afford a college education.”
Robots From Page 1 available to all NYU students. This spring the club is gearing up for the upcoming Trinity College Fire Fighting Home Robot Contest, where competitors build small autonomous robots to put out miniature house fires “In the fall, we hold the SumoBOTs competition. [This event] is for beginners and people who don’t have any practical experience building robots.” says Gill.
Competitors have a month to build remote-controlled robots that push other robots out of a ring. The winner gets a prestigious trophy built by other PolyBOTs members. In addition to projects, members and other students study and socialize in the PolyBOTs club room. This mix of collaboration, crossmajor exposure, and material resources allows students to apply the theory of the classroom to practical and, at times, not so practical, applications. Returning to the minia-
ture house fire, the robot homes in on the flame in one of the rooms. With a burst from a giant fan, the robot triumphantly snuffs out the Lilliputian inferno. Certainly, if one could know the mind of the robot, it would be smiling. PolyBOTs is located in Rogers Hall, 725C, and is open to all NYU students Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Those who want to join the club should contact Bilal Gill at nycpolybots@gmail.com.
Review
'Star Talk Live' By Jason Duffy
Who has the ability to bring together both science geeks and Brooklyn hipsters under one roof on a rainy evening in February? Well, none other than America’s current voice of science--astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium, Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Last Feb. 7, Tyson hosted a live taping of his podcast “Star Talk Live“ at The Bell House in Brooklyn. “Star Talk Live” can be described as part topical science discussion mixed with irreverent pop-culture humor. The setup consists of Tyson and his co-host, stand-up comedian Eugene Mirman, most known for his voice-over roll in Fox’s “Bob’s Burgers,” discussing science topics that have recently been in the news. The two of them are also joined by three guest panelists; this particular evening the guests included Adam Sobel, professor of climate science at Columbia University; comedian and actor Michael Showalter; and Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, the drummer and living legend of the seminal hiphop group The Roots. Tyson and Mirman have an interesting chemistry while hosting the show.
They are both quite funny but in two completely different ways. Tyson has the humor of the kid in a science class who, besides knowing all the moons of Jupiter, can also recite the entire dialogue of Monty Python’s “Holy Grail,” whereas Mirman’s humor always pokes fun at the kid who knows all those moons. The topic of the evening centered on climate science and the resulting changes in our weather patterns, with emphasis on Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina. Sobel, who at first seemed like a fish out of water, was able to explain in simple terms how storms develop and are able to generate massive amounts of energy—all this, by the way, while dodging jokes from the panel about how his description of the process can also describe various sex acts. An interesting question raised by the panel was whether we could engineer preventive ways to stop a hurricane from forming. Sobel responded, saying that in theory it would be possible and that there were two options discussed among colleagues in his field, but the Continued on Page 8
Nikolas Vale, treasurer of PolyBOTs, scrutinizes his robot, Diro, as it makes its way through a simulated suburban home environment in preparation for the 2013 Trinity College Fire Fighting Home Robot contest.
SHPE From Page 3 be attending the Regional Leadership Development SHPE Conference in Cambridge, Mass., this weekend. In April, SHPE will work with two student chapters at NYU-Poly, Women in Search of Excellence (WISE) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), to host a masquerade ball. The Poly SHPE chapter will also continue mentoring the Junior Poly SHPE chapter at Bushwick Leaders’ High School for Academic Excellence, a high school with a large population of Hispanics. It’s amazing the
impact a group of university students can have on a group of high school students. By exposing these students from Bushwick Leaders’ to SHPE, Poly SHPE has made a difference in their lives. Prior to students from NYU-Poly visiting Bushwick Leaders’, many of the students there had little to no understanding of what SATs were, how to apply to college, and what STEM is. To many of these students, meeting students from NYU-Poly was as close as they have been to meeting an engineer.
This semester, Poly SHPE strives to show students from Bushwick Leaders’ a different career path as well as developing a stronger student SHPE chapter here at Poly. The SHPE vision-- to have a world where Hispanics are highly valued and influential as the leading innovators, scientists, mathematicians and engineers-- is clearly being pursued vigorously here at NYU-Poly. To become more involved in the Poly SHPE chapter, reach out to the Eboard at shpe@poly.edu.
THE POLYTECHNIC REPORTER
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Restaurant Review
Saul Restaurant By Minh Le
Imagine walking into a restaurant where the warm ambiance immediately wrestles you into a comfortable state, where the coat and bag check is discreet, and when you finally realize at the end of your meal that the water glass was never below half full. You would think you were at a four-star restaurant in Manhattan, but you’re not. Welcome to Saul Restaurant, located on Smith Street in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. Saul Restaurant, owned by Saul Bolton, first opened in 1999. Since then, the restaurant has received a Michelin star every year since 2005, a prestigious honor for a restaurant in Brooklyn (only five other restaurants in the borough boast stars). The only constant you will find here is an always-changing seasonal menu with American / French influences. The first thing you will realize about the restaurant, despite how low key it is, is the unobtrusive yet meticu-
lous attention to service. My jacket and bag were immediately taken at the front – no coat-check numbers needed. The table was crumbed twice during service, once after the bread course and again before dessert. After settling down at my table, the bread was brought out. Bread service is usually an afterthought, but an exception is made here. The butter possessed a deep, rich butteriness that complemented the hot, crusty bread – not your usual whipped oils passed off as butter and served numbingly cold and impossible to spread. Then came the cauliflower soup, served in a scorching hot bowl. The soup was intensely creamy and came garnished with splatters of lemon oil on top. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the lemon oil’s acid was able to cut through the creaminess of the soup, but came in waves, providing a nice contrast. I could definitely go for another bowl on
A look inside: a comfortable, unhurried dining experience.
any cold, snowy night. The market salad, however, was a disappointment. Fresh market greens served alongside thinly sliced radishes sounded and looked good, but the dressing tasted like something out of your neighborhood Key Foods. The dressing, oily and bland, overwhelmed the fresh and delicate vegetables. The main entrée of the night was sautéed monkfish served alongside mushrooms and brussel sprouts in a thick brown sauce that roughly resembled espagnole, one of the five French mother sauces. The sautéed monkfish was perfectly done, a nice brown crust on the outside
and slightly rare in the middle because nobody wants to eat well-done monkfish. The brussel sprouts weren’t overcooked and mushy, nor were they raw and crunchy; rather, they had some bite to them, which quickly gave way to any pressure. The mushrooms were earthy and had a slight crunch. Taken together in one bite, I experienced so many textures and flavors that it took multiple bites thereafter to fully appreciate what I had just eaten. Finally, for dessert I had a panna cotta with poached fruit and a wafer. The panna cotta was barely sweet, yet creamy, with specks of vanilla bean on top. Eaten with the poached fruit, I tasted a
Movie Review
'Warm Bodies' By Matthew izberskiy
In most zombie flicks, zombies are portrayed as vicious, brain-dead creatures whose only enjoyment in their empty lives is to eat the flesh of those who are still alive. In “Warm Bodies,” the zombies are still vicious creatures who love to eat flesh, but with a twist. The zombies in this movie are not completely brain-dead. These zombies have feelings, such as remorse, and they express the desire to communicate with other zombies. The film is not filled to the brim with action scenes; it focuses instead on character development, something that is very rare for a movie about zombies. Another un-
usual thing about this zombie movie is that it is a romantic comedy. How many romantic zombie movies are there? I don’t know, but I'm willing to bet that I’ll be able to count them all on my fingers. Even though a romantic zombie comedy sounds like a very weird oxymoron, the movie actually manages to pull it off. It focuses on the life of one zombie, later named R, and his human girlfriend, Julie. In many ways, this film is like a typical love story. A cold, possibly evil guy falls in love with a girl at first sight; the girl gets the guy to shed his hard shell, and she eventually falls in love with him. This movie is exactly that,
except instead of a human male, it is a zombie male who becomes a better person and gets the girl. What can be said about the cast? Well, nothing spectacular. They are not bad, but they aren’t going to win any awards either, except for maybe R, the character played by Nicholas Hoult. He has the main role and it's not
an easy one. He has to play a zombie who is either vicious, depressed, caring, adorable, or cunning. This kind of role is very difficult because there have not been many similar roles before and, as a result, Hoult did not have much, if any, research material available to him. Despite this, he does a very good job of playing R.
mellow sweetness that was pleasing and fitting for the end of the meal. Even better, though, was the Baked Alaska, ice cream inside of sponge cake with a meringue on top that was slightly charred. This dessert was visually flawless. Every table around me had one. One dessert was enough for me, but there’s no doubt I will be getting the Baked Alaska next time I’m there. Initially, Bolton may have opened the restaurant for lazy Brooklyn residents who didn’t want to cross the river to experience some expert cuisine without dropping a fortune. But his attention to detail and his ever-changing seasonal menu have made this restaurant a dining destination, with city folk making the reverse commute. At around $45 per person, this meal is a bargain, given the high level of service, quality of the food, and its environment. We’re so lucky to have this nearby, so find a special occasion and go spoil yourself and your date. You won’t regret it. Suggestion: Share an appetizer and dessert and get your own entrée – reservations recommended The other major role, Julie, is played by Teresa Palmer. She succeeds in the role, but nothing about the performance really stands out. Perhaps that's more because she isn't meant to stand out; the movie is really supposed to focus on R’s transformation, and that it does. The supporting roles are mainly there for comic relief for those slow moments in the film, and in this regard they do a satisfactory job. None of the supporting actors get much screen time so not a lot can be said about their performances. The scenery is just average. The main locations are an airport, a city (it doesn't Continued on Page 8
8 | Wednesday, March 6, 2013 THE POLYTECHNIC REPORTER Take a tip from me…
Build Your Own PC; Save Money and Have Some Fun By Yifan Zhao
“Why didn’t you just get a great, fully assembled PC and have it shipped to your door?” one of my friends asked me when I first built a PC at the age of 15. He had a good point. Building a PC is very time consuming, more so, in fact, than shopping for one. So why do so many people still love to build their own system? Everyone has his or her own answer to this question. For me, the answer is just that it’s fun. So let me take this opportunity to describe my experience in building a PC. I believe you can apply this approach to your own situation if, like me, you are an engineering student who loves to tinker. Before deciding to build your own PC, you really want to make sure what level of PC you want or what you’ll mainly use it for. If you just want to use it for surfing on YouTube and chatting with friends on Facebook, what you need to do is simply choose some low-level hardware and put it together because you do not need much performance. However, if you want to build a PC for gaming, a high-level graphics card and CPU are required. Don’t scrimp here, only to find out after you build the thing that “I may need something better.” After making your decision as to what kind of PC you need, it’s time to focus on what materials you have to get. You should keep in mind the names of the major manufacturers (EVGA, MSI, Intel, ASUS, etc.). Why the big names? Products
from major manufacturers, I found, normally perform better and come with reliable customer service. “So I can go ahead and drag items into my shopping cart?” you might ask. Hold on. Knowing how much to budget is another thing you have to take into consideration at this point. You certainly don’t want to choose some questionable items just because you’re bent upon saving a little money. Order is important in choosing hardware. It will save a lot of time when you know what to choose first. I recommend choosing the CPU first because the type of CPU you choose is directly related to the motherboard you will use. For example, if you select Intel Core i73770k, you want to choose a motherboard that has the same CPU socket type, which is LGA 1155. After making your decision on the motherboard, you can then turn to deciding on RAM, a graphics card, a sound card and other hardware based on what kinds of sockets the motherboard has. Now I have a little tip for choosing the CPU and graphics card in case you don’t know anything about them. You can use “the same price rule.” It means that when choosing a graphics card and CPU, make sure they are in the same price range. If you buy a CPU for $300, you want to find a graphics card within the $250 to $350 range. This rule will normally help ensure that these two items are at the same performance level. And be aware to doublecheck the items before you order them because you want them delivered together. When I first built my PC, I forgot to get the power supply and I had to wait another five days to get one and start working on it. When you begin the actual
building process, find a clear area so that you can keep things in order. In my experience, it took more than five hours to build my first PC. So be sure to leave a whole afternoon for this project. The hardware companies will normally provide detailed manuals with your order, providing instructions on how to install their components. When you are removing the hardware from the box and installing it, hold the component delicately because some parts break easily. I broke the pin of my CPU when building my first computer and I had to buy a new one. It will not be very hard for you to install the CPU, the cooling system, the RAM and the graphics card on the motherboard. But before you put them in the case, connect the hardware to the power supply and do a test-run. If that goes well, mount the motherboard in the case. It is not the end of the process after you put all items into the case and make them run. Software needs to be installed before you can go surfing online. The first thing you want to do is install the antivirus software. Then you can install the drivers that come with the hardware. It’s important to know what kind of system you are using when you install software. For example, Windows 7 has two versions: a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version. Most software can be installed in both versions but some software can only be installed in one version, which will be specified on the item's descriptions. After five to six hours of hard work, you can finally sit down and enjoy what you have done. Building your own PC not only saves you money, but it’s a heck of a lot of fun; take my word for it.
Computer components.
'Warm Bodies' From Page 7 matter which), and an underground tunnel. The only location that is highlighted to play a relatively large role is an airplane in which R spends the majority of his time. Not much of the city or the underground tunnel is shown. However, I do think that this was by design. Most of the time where something is taking place is not nearly as important as what is taking place and, as such, not much attention is paid to the scenery. As for the directing, it is flawless. Jonathan Levine has done a really good job of focusing on the important parts of the movie and
'Star Talk Live' From Page 6 options were either extremely dangerous or logistically impossible. These options were to detonate an atom bomb, thus disrupting the storm’s equilibrium, or to predict the storm’s path and deploy a massive number of pumps to bring cold water up from below the water’s surface. This would eviscerate the storm’s thirst for heat from the warm water on the top surface of the ocean. All the topics of the evening were wide ranging, and indeed covered in ways a layman could readily comprehend.
not spending a lot of time on the unimportant details. I didn’t feel like there was something that I wanted to see that wasn't shown to me. Levine was able to take a difficult genre and make it into a great movie. I don’t think that anything could have been improved in the directing. “Warm Bodies” is a unique movie. It has an unusual mix of genres that merge into something special. I rate it a must-watch movie, even for those who do not particularly enjoy zombie movies. “Warm Bodies” is a movie that is greater than the sum of its parts. While the acting and scenery do not generally excel, everything comes together to bring us one of the best movies of the year.
The Bell House is a great and comfortable venue. The events there are fascinating. I highly recommend it. It’s located just a short walk from the F train at 149 7th Street. “Star Talk Live” is held two or three times a year and is a wonderful event to attend, an event where you can unwind and relax with friends. I suggest getting tickets early because the show I went to sold out in a matter of minutes from the time tickets went on sale. If you wish, you can visit the Web site, www. startalkradio.net, and listen to past shows. Check for additional shows and events at the Bell House by going to its Web site: www.thebellhouseny.com.