Washington Square News | April 22, 2019

4 CULTURE

9 OPINION

Students Show Affinity for Astrology

Commemorating Lives Lost in the Attacks in Sri Lanka

6 ARTS

11 SPORTS

How a Tisch Junior Ended up Shooting for Chanel

The WNBA’s MVP Is Out for the Season. Now What?

VOLUME LII | ISSUE 12

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

Busting the Myth About NYU Recycling

By ANNA MURATOVA Deputy Under the Arch Editor

Where does the garbage chute actually lead?

KATIE PEURRUNG | WSN

A trash bin overflows with food scraps, containers and papers in Kimmel’s seventh-floor student lounge. Some of these items could be recycled.

Compost, landfill and recycling bins litter NYU’s Washington Square campus.

Whether separated or joined, each is decorated with appropriate signage and coloring — green for compost, gray for landfill and blue for all recycling. The system, supplemented with pictures, makes throwing trash away seem simple and self-explanatory.

Or so it appears.

Given the dialogue around The Green New Deal, worldwide climate protests, zero-waste living and veganism, it’s difficult to avoid thinking about the impact of climate change on our lives. It can feel impossible to wrap your mind around the ways to tackle it as an individual. NYU has even taken a small step when it contracted student-owned Seastraws to replace plastic straws with paper straws in all dining halls in October 2018.

Properly throwing away that salad bowl from Kimmel Market Place or a cup from Peet’s Coffee can be a step toward contributing to a greater cause of solving climate change. Once the plastic utensils tumble into the depths of the recycling bin, we entrust them to someone else’s hands. Then what?

NYU uses single-stream recycling — a process in which all recyclable trash is

thrown in a single bin instead of separate ones for each type. Although this makes it more accessible for students, it enhances the risk of contamination.

CAS sophomore Lila Jacobs, who takes part in sustainability efforts by opting for reusable items and adhering to a vegan diet, didn’t know about NYU’s efforts apart from her role as an EcoRep her first year and the fine print posted on disposable bins around campus.

“Recycling on campus is frustrating because it’s theoretically easy since NYU has a single-stream system,” she said. “Except that I feel kind of pointless actually recycling things because I know the recycling is often so contaminated that custodians put it into the trash bins anyway.”

Seeing landfill-bound trash and recyclables ending up in the same garbage bags or containers makes students assume NYU’s recycling isn’t being handled correctly. This assumption floods Wagner graduate student Edin Thornton’s daily conversations.

Thorton acts as the sustainability Senator at-Large and a teaching assistant in the Environmental Studies department. She refers to the issue of contamination of recyclable trash as “the NYU recycling myth.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Over Half of Student Government Candidates Ran Unopposed

By VICTOR PORCELLI News Editor Over half of the candidates who ran for positions in the Student Government Assembly ran unopposed, according to SGA’s Elections Commission.

SGA, the university’s main representative body, proposes resolutions that impact student life or university policy. From encouraging the university to divest from fossil fuels to supporting a push to have school off on Jewish holidays, SGA serves as the student body’s voice in conversations with the administration. Some 2019 candidates cited a lack of definitive action by the body and disinterested

potential candidates as reasons for the large number of unopposed elections.

Student government leadership did not respond to multiple requests for comment by time of publication.

Tisch first-year Holly Nance was the only person to run for president of Tisch School of the Arts and will serve on SGA in the fall. Nance has experience running events and attended all e-board meetings the past two semesters as the new student representative for Tisch.

When first considering running for president, Nance said she was worried about stepping on older members’ toes, but quickly realized that no one else was planning on running anyway.

“Most people just want to keep

their position on the executive board,” Nance said. “[President] has a lot more responsibility. I think there’s a lot of value to being on the e-board and not in a president or senator role, where you don’t have to go to SGA.” Nance said she endorsed candidates for other positions on the e-board during election season.

“I didn’t really feel like I was running because I was unopposed,” Nance said. “I didn’t campaign or anything.”

Steinhardt junior Sharon Kim was unaware of who was running for student government and how to vote for elections and said this lack of awareness by students may contribute to fewer competitive elections.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

COURTESY OF NYU QUIDDITCH

Forget Hogwarts — NYU Quidditch Is Flying High

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MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

NEWS

NEWS@NYUNEWS.COM

Meet Your New Student Government Assembly Executive Committee

Over Half of Student Government Candidates Ran Unopposed

SOPHIA DI IORIO | WSN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“It sounds like students don’t really care, to be honest, me included,” Kim said. “We don’t really know exactly what they do. It reflects students attitude or doubt of ‘Do students really have a say or power over what happens at our school?’”

Tisch junior Kyle Quick said although he sees the amount of unopposed elections as a problem, his own unawareness of student government prevents him from having a stronger opinion on the matter.

“It’s a participation issue,” Quick said.

“I mean I don’t know who any of these people are so I’m not really upset about it — it’s hard to formulate an opinion on the idea of people getting the position because they’re the only one that went for it, when I don’t know what the council itself does.”

Students were notif ied through a university-wide email by the Center for Student Life that they could vote using the link studentvote.nyu.edu, although some students remained unaware of the process.

“I didn’t even know the link had gone out, and I was running,” Nance said.

Current Stern School Senator and junior

By BETHANY ALLARD Deputy News Editor

Papa Yaw Sencherey was recently elected president of Stern after running against Farjad Malik, a junior in Stern’s Business and Political Economy program. To run for Stern president, a candidate must have served on the e-board previously, which Sencherey said may have limited the pool of candidates.

Sencherey said he feels some of the perceived lack of interest in student government may stem from what he sees as insuff icient action by the body.

“I don’t think, in these past two or three years, student council has been as great as it can be,” Sencherey said. “Making sure our name is known out there, making sure people know student council isn’t just an event planner, it’s not a BS club — it’s somewhere you can actually go, make change happen, do things. But in order for that to happen, students need to start seeing us actually do things.”

As a school senator, Sencherey hosted three town halls about socioeconomic and other identities within Stern, mental health during recruiting season and being an ally to the LGBTQ community and to other minority groups. Sencherey said that as president next semester, he’d like to begin taking action based on the information from the town halls. For example, he’d like to f ind a way to fund suit purchases for low-income students, an issue brought up at his f irst town hall. In Stern, being able to wear business formal attire is required for many activities and events, according to Sencherey.

Sencherey said more def initive action by student government could improve participation.

“I feel like the reason why a lot of these elections were unopposed is because students don’t know if they want to take a leadership role in something that they don’t think is doing anything,” Sencherey said.

Email Victor Porcelli at vporcelli@nyunews.com.

Edited by VICTOR PORCELLI and MEGHNA MAHARISHI

The 2019 to 2020 Student Government Assembly Executive Committee, which is the highest ranking group of student leaders at NYU, was announced Friday following all-university elections.

The new members are as follows: Jakiyah Bradley, SGA Chairperson; Kosar Kosar, Student Senators Council Vice-Chairperson; Rowan Dareer, Global Student’s Council Vice-Chairperson and Florence Tong, President’s Council Vice-Chairperson.

The executive committee’s primary responsibility is to oversee SGA, the main representative student body at NYU which is made up of President’s Council, Global Student Council and the Student Senators Council. The executive committee is elected by the rest of SGA and is responsible for appointing the members and chairs to various committees within SGA. In the case of an urgent manner where the full body cannot convene, the executive committee can act on SGA’s behalf.

Jakiyah Bradley, SGA Chairperson Bradley, a Gallatin junior, has previously served as a Senator at-Large for students experiencing food insecurity and students of color. As a senator, Bradley was part of the committee that voted for NYU’s new dining service provider, Chartwells, and has been working with them on ways to address food insecurity at NYU. She also served as co-chair of SGA’s

Diversity Committee, which recently took steps to honor the Black and Brown Coalition by putting up a plaque for the activist group in a lounge for students of color. On the issue of food insecurity, Bradley has hosted a town hall, started a newsletter detailing resources and events related to the topic and pushed for initiatives such as discounted meal plans.

As SGA chair, Bradley will be the off icial spokesperson of SGA and will set the agenda for SGA meetings.

Kosar Kosar, SSC Vice-Chairperson Kosar is a junior studying Politics and Global Public Health and is currently a school senator for CAS. In addition to serving as a school senator, Kosar serves as the treasurer for the NYU College Democrats, is the f inance director for the College Democrats of New York and is a resident assistant.

“I’m very excited to be working with Jakiyah, Flo and Rawan, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the three of them in making NYU a more inclusive space,” Kosar said in an email to WSN. Kosar will be responsible for placing students on University Senate and university-wide committees in addition to overseeing student government’s grievance process as the SSC vice-chairperson.

Rawan Dareer, Global Student’s Council Vice-Chairperson Dareer is a junior studying Political Science at NYU Abu Dhabi. As the global vice-chairperson, Dareer will be the main

contact for the global network and serve as the New York campus representative on the Global Student Council. She serves as the Global Affairs Committee Chair for NYUAD’s student government. She also is a junior editor on the editorial board of NYUAD’s Journal of Social Sciences, with academic interests in colonial legacy and political theory, particularly pertaining to democracy.

“I am very excited to be a member of this incredible team, and look forward to working towards making a positive impact on our entire NYU community,” Dareer said in an email to WSN. Florence Tong, PC Vice-Chairperson Tong, who is a Tandon junior studying Computer Engineering, serves as the Tandon Undergraduate Student Council president. As president, Tong worked with the Dean of Undergraduate Academics to create a three-credit internship course. Tong also hosted a Tandon Townhall for students to voice their questions and concerns with the university and helped create a new student lounge space in 6 MetroTech.

As the PC vice-chairperson, Tong will oversee all university programs and clubs as well as coordinate President’s Council meetings.

“I think we have a diverse group that will be leading SGA next year, and I look forward to seeing the difference we can make,” Tong said in an email to WSN. Email Bethany Allard at ballard@nyunews.com.

CAS Valedictorian Hopes the Honor Encourages POC Students

ALANA BEYER | WSN

CAS senior Kelsey Moore, a Public Policy and Africana studies major, was named the 2019 CAS valedictorian.

By MEGHNA MAHARISHI News Editor Right before spring break, CAS senior Kelsey Moore received an email from the dean’s office. It instructed her to go to the office to accept a graduation award, but she was unsure of what she had won. At the office, one of the administrators told Moore that she had been recognized as CAS’s 2019 valedictorian.

“At first, I was shocked,” Moore said.

“This isn’t something that I’ve worked towards. I didn’t come in thinking I would be valedictorian.”

A first-generation college student hailing from a single-parent home in South Carolina, Moore was overwhelmed with emotion after hearing she would be valedictorian of NYU’s largest college.

“I actually started crying,” Moore said. “I

don’t really cry, but that really took me out to say the least because just thinking of where I come from, someone like me becoming valedictorian at a school like NYU was a lot.”

Moore also said her background as a black woman in a predominantly white town made her realize how hard she would have to work in order to be taken seriously.

Moore is the recipient of the Roland P. Beattie Memorial Award, which is awarded annually to the CAS valedictorian. Moore will be giving her speech at the CAS commencement ceremony on May 21.

An Africana Studies and Public Policy major, Moore will pursue a doctorate in history at Johns Hopkins University next year. She plans to focus her studies on 20th-century African American women. Ultimately, Moore hopes to become a professor and author.

Upon entering NYU, Moore wanted to be an International Relations major, as she saw it as the best way to become a lawyer. Moore ended up dropping the major and found her passion in the Social and Cultural Analysis department’s Africana studies major. The subject also influenced her decision to pursue a doctorate instead of a law degree.

“The Africana studies classes have really transformed me into the person I am today,” Moore said. “I’ve been aware of my history, but being in classes where you’re having critical conversations on what it means to be black, and what it means to be part of a diaspora, [has] really shaped how I move on campus and my personality. The classes taught me to own who I am.”

Moore has also been involved as an advocacy intern at Domestic Workers United, an organization that advocates for fair labor standards for Caribbean, African and Latina domestic workers and was also a research fellow at NYU’s Leadership Alliance, a program that seeks to help undergraduate students planning to pursue a doctorate and to increase the presence of underrepresented minorities in academia.

While Moore was surprised to be recognized as valedictorian, the professors who have worked with her were not. Assistant Social and Cultural Analysis Professor Sharon Lee commented on Moore’s sincerity as a student and social justice advocate.

“Kelsey is an undeniably special student — of course she’s whip smart, most valedictorians

would be,” Lee wrote in a statement to WSN. “But what that title doesn’t automatically convey is that she uses her intellectualism with an eye toward social justice, which means using her studies to better her community or communities. I saw this equally in the way she committed herself to her internship at Domestic Workers United and in the way she researched, theorized, and wrote her senior honors thesis.”

Assistant Social and Cultural Analysis Professor Cecilia Márquez also commented on Moore’s work as a researcher. “[Kelsey’s] work is destined to reshape the way we think about American history,” Marquez said. “She is a thorough and dedicated researcher and represents everything we could hope for out of an NYU graduate.”

Moore hopes that her achievement as valedictorian sends an encouraging message to students of color at NYU. “This isn’t just about me,” Moore said. “I just hope that this is for people everywhere and that if they see my face, they’ll hope that they can do the same.”

Email Meghna Maharishi at mmaharishi@nyunews.com.

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

Washington Square News | News

Professor Accused of Sexual Harassment to Return to NYU

By MEGHNA MAHARISHI News Editor German and Comparative Literature Professor Avital Ronell — who was found responsible for sexually harassing a former graduate student — will be returning to teach at NYU this fall, as reported by NYU Local.

Ronell’s return comes after an 11-month Title IX investigation last year concluded that she had sexually harassed her doctoral advisee Nimrod Reitman for three years. In the report, Reitman alleged that Ronell had nonconsensually touched and kissed him on multiple occasions. After the investigation, Ronell was suspended from NYU for the 2018-2019 academic year without pay.

In an interview with the New York Times last year, Reitman described in the Title IX report how Ronell treated him while on a trip in Paris.

“She put my hands onto her breasts, and was pressing herself — her buttocks — onto my crotch,” Reitman said. “She was kissing me, kissing my hands, kissing my torso.”

In a statement to The New York Times last August, Ronell defended her interactions with Reitman.

“Our communications — which Reitman now claims constituted sexual harassment — were between two adults, a gay man and a queer woman, who share an Israeli heritage, as well as a penchant for florid and campy communications arising from our

common academic backgrounds and sensibilities,” Ronell wrote. “These communications were repeatedly invited, responded to and encouraged by him over a period of three years.”

After the university concluded the investigation, prominent academics like Judith Butler and Slavoj Žižek, who has taught at NYU, signed a letter testifying to Ronell’s character and intellectual prowess. The letter brought scrutiny to the #MeToo movement because Ronell had the continued support of prominent feminist scholars even after she was accused of sexual misconduct.

“We have all seen her relationship with students, and some of us know the individual who has waged this malicious campaign against her,” the letter said. “We wish to communicate first in the clearest terms our profound an[sic] enduring admiration for Professor Ronell whose mentorship of students has been no less than remarkable over many years.”

Reitman is currently suing Ronell and NYU in the New York State Supreme Court over wrongful misconduct.

When Reitman filed the lawsuit last year, university spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement to The New York Times that the university was sympathetic to Reitman, but did not see merit in the lawsuit.

“Given the promptness, seriousness and thoroughness with which we responded to his charges, we do

3

Grant from Commencement Speaker’s Foundation Funds Library Preservation

By EMILY MASON Deputy News Editor

VIA WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

The former Professor of German and Comparative Literature Avital Ronell is returning to NYU despite sexual harassment allegations.

not believe that his filing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the university would be warranted or just,” Beckman said in the statement.

In fall 2019, Ronell will be teaching a graduate course called “Unsettled Scores” in conjunction with the English, German and Comparative Literature departments. According to the description on Albert, the course will focus on historical themes of violence, trauma, sovereignty and forgiveness.

Ronell did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.

The university declined to comment.

Email Meghna Maharishi at mmaharishi@nyunews.com.

Music Professor Robert Rowe experienced every scholar’s nightmare when he tried to open the original digital version of his book, which was published in 1992. The old Microsoft files would not open because of unrecognized images.

Rowe took his computer to the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation & Conservation Department at Bobst Library assuming employees would be able to open the files, but they told him his only chance to recover the original document was to find an old computer.

Rowe ended up recovering half of the original text and then needed to scan the rest of it from the published book, but the complete original copy was lost.

This is the situation NYU Libraries is trying to overcome with its new project, “Enhancing Services to Preserve New Forms of Scholarship,” funded by a $527,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Mellon Foundation is dedicated to supporting higher education and cultural institutions. Since 2017, the foundation has donated over $3.5 million to NYU and its president, poet Elizabeth Alexander, will speak at the all-university commencement on May 22.

The project is a collaborative endeavor between publishing organizations, including NYU Press, to test new preservation methods for documents with media. This project is intended to prevent situations like Professor Rowe’s.

“I think [the project is] extremely necessary,” Rowe said. “There’s all

kinds of content being created now that will be unreadable in five to 10 years, so I think it’s critical.”

Rowe’s book included only text and pictures, but scholars are increasingly looking to include more complex types of media into their research like audio files, data sets and even simulations. These new forms of media present challenges for preservation groups that are responsible for ensuring that future researchers can access today’s scholarly work, according to Assistant Dean for Digital Library Technology Services David Millman.

“We’ve done a lot of work with our own press over the years so we just feel it’s our responsibility to do these types of things,” Millman said. “It’s a really old-fashioned library value to make sure the thing that publishers produce can be available to people and can be available in the future.”

Until NYU Libraries finishes its preservation research, scholars will have to be mindful of saving their own projects.

By the end of the 18-month grant period, the project hopes to establish new guidelines for authors to understand what is preservable.

“We think it’s going to result in a different way that publishers talk with their authors about what’s possible and what’s more risky,” Millan said.

“Some people want to do these things that are more difficult to preserve and maybe can’t be preserved, but for them it’s worth it to just have that experience exist for now.”

Email Emily Mason at emason@nyunews.com.

JORENE HE | WSN

Commencement speaker Elizabeth Alexander’s organization donated $527,000 to help NYU Libraries with its preservation efforts.

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MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

CULTURE

Edited by FAITH MARNECHECK

Students Show Affinity for Astrology

SOPHIA DI IORIO | WSN

By CALAIS WATKINS Staff Writer “Good morning. I’m Ms. Stielau, and I’m an Aquarius.”

At the start of the spring semester, Media, Culture, and Communications TA Anna Stielau introduced herself to a lecture hall of MCC students by identifying herself with her zodiac sign. She had a reason for this introduction.

“In my experience of New York so far […] astrological signs work as a shorthand to signal comfort and familiarity,” Stielau told WSN. “Whether you’re talking about them ironically or not, they’re a gentle way of saying, ‘I’m open to playing this particular game,’ which aligns you

with a community and its ideals.”

While NYU may lack a central campus and rah-rah school spirit, its attitude of embracing the unfamiliar aids in the cultivation of smaller and more niche subcultures — including astrology.

For NYU students, astrology is just one way they connect in the city they call a campus, like Steinhardt first-year Haley Mitchell, who is a Leo. “On [the] Co-Star [app], you can add friends and see how their chart matches up with yours,” Mitchell said. “I have a lot of friends that I’ve made here at NYU added on Co-Star, including my roommate.”

CAS junior Chris Molina, who is a Cancer, acknowledges NYU’s affinity for astrology despite his personal

lack of belief.

“NYU does seem more accepting of all types of opinions compared to some other universities,” Molina said. “If there’s a culture behind horoscopes here, no one would shame it. People are going to welcome it with open arms and let them do their thing.”

Astrology, like spiritual guides and religious traditions, is merely one way people can begin to learn not only about others but also themselves. As Molina points out, these four years are the perfect time to do so.

“Here at NYU, where people are in a phase of life where they’re trying to find themselves, horoscopes might allow for some sort of guidance or self-reflection,” Molina said.

Beyond self-exploration, there are many possible reasons why astrology has grown in popularity among millennials.

Apps like Co-Star and horoscope websites offer quick answers and easy ways to meet others who are also compatible. Technology’s advantageous influence on astrology has not gone unnoticed by Stielau.

“Alternative knowledge systems flourish on the Internet where they move rapidly through communities who might not otherwise share space or identifications,” Stielau said.

Studies have also found that stress is one of the main reasons people turn to horoscopes and star signs, hoping to find meaning amidst the chaos of the world and lessen the amount of unknown.

In an age where nothing seems concrete, millennials are arguably the most stressed-out generation. Global warming, a president who likes to threaten nuclear war, Brexit, realizing Justin and Selena are over for good — people are forced to reimagine aspects of the world they have always taken for granted, consequently turning to astrology.

However, CAS sophomore Isabella Bohren, who is a Pisces, has her own the-

ory about millennials’ fascination with astrology — it’s a blast from the past.

“Our generation has a fascination with the decades of the past,” Bohren said. “As we’re reverting back to a lot of aspects of the ’60s and ’70s, such as methods of listening to music with vinyls and clothing and polaroid film, it makes sense that people would become interested in the spiritual side as well.”

Bohren is referring to “The Age of Aquarius.” Astrologists in the ’60s determined the world’s backward movement, or retrograde, that placed the Earth in a new era. This declaration led to a revamp of astrology’s popularity, resulting in a spiritual revolution and — of course — the iconic musical, Hair, where songs like “Good Morning, Starshine” and “Aquarius” reflected society’s interests in cosmic concepts.

Despite astrology’s steady popularity across the decades, many questions remain over its validity. However, as a Cancer, CAS sophomore Nadia AbdulRahman is able to get past the lack of evidence in horoscopes and signs.

“Seasonal depression is real, and when people talk about being depressed because there’s no sun, that’s accepted and justified,” AbdulRahman said. “But when I say Mercury’s in retrograde and that’s why I’m acting weird, people think I’m crazy. Who’s to say the energies and gravitational pulls of our universe and planets don’t have some unknown effect?”

While a vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression, there is no credible evidence that the movement of other planets affects humans’ moods.

AbdulRahman is not alone in turning to the unexplainable as a reason not to dismiss astrology. Tisch sophomore Caroline Hedrick, who is a Leo, goes so far as to liken the belief in astrological birth charts to a religious tradition.

“You seek guidance from someone else,

and with astrology, that guidance is found in a chart that aligns with the time of your birth,” Hedrick said. “You can go to a priest and have him tell you what to do, but why not just look at your birth chart and try to make decisions based off of what is outlined there? I don’t see much of a difference.”

Pop culture markets have heard the astrological cry of millennials, and they have begun capitalizing on the trend.

Spotify commissioned astrologer Chani Nicholas to put together signbased playlists for each of the 12 zodiac signs. Nicholas claims to have made each playlist according to what might suit the moment each astrological sign finds themselves in according to their birth charts.

Astrology has influenced film as well.

Individuals have taken to giving popular characters from Disney movies and TV shows an astrological category, allowing people to easily identify with fictional characters.

In the online world, Cosmopolitan has added a horoscope section to their online publications and in the news section of the Snapchat app. The magazine offers several types of horoscopes, including daily, weekly and monthly horoscopes, dream-decoding horoscopes and sexoscopes.

Despite astrology’s fame onscreen and in print, many are unaware or choose to ignore its potential. When encountering those who dismiss astrology completely, Bohren poses a question for final thought.

“There are so many mysteries still unsolved in the world,” Bohren said. “Astrology could be one of them. There’s no point in shutting it down because we don’t know what exists beyond the physical realm. We don’t know, so why can’t it be astrology?”

Email Calais Watkins at culture@nyunews.com.

To Maintain Wellness, Students Turn to Plants

By AMINA FRASSL Contributing Writer After falling sick during her first year at NYU, Sophie Gossack eliminated processed foods, dairy, gluten and artificial sugars from her diet.

“My diet comprises pretty much entirely of anti-inflammatory and vitamin-rich foods,” Tandon senior Gossack said. “I eat primarily plant-based and try to incorporate as many colors in my diet as I can – that’s when I’m getting the most nutrients.”

Some students said they are altering their diets and relying on essential oils to supplement healthy living. While itself not a direct cure for illness, an anti-inflammatory diet can aid in a healthy lifestyle. Foods that fight inflammation include whole foods, such as colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins and fresh herbs and spices, according to a 2018 article from Harvard Medical School.

“Ginger, green tea and berries are my favorite,” said Gallatin sophomore Christina Gayton, who believes eating antioxidant-rich foods boosts her overall well-being.

Antioxidants are molecules that help fight oxidative stress caused by free radicals, or chemicals that damage your cells and their genetic material, according to a

Harvard School of Public Health report.

Free radicals are released when you consume highly processed foods or toxins and are exposed to sunlight or pollution.

Examples of antioxidant-rich foods include berries and dark, leafy vegetables.

Gallatin sophomore Mikaila Roncevich has been eating a whole food, plant-based diet for over three years.

The physical benefits are immense — increased energy, better sleep and better muscle growth.

“I notice an enormous difference in how I feel,” Roncevich said. “Eating foods with excess sugar and sodium feels like having a hangover.”

However, CAS sophomore Maren Altman claims the largest benefit she has received from her new diet lies in her mental state. Diet can’t cure depression and anxiety, but it can help alleviate symptoms, according to a 2018 Atlantic article.

“The high frequency carried in these plant foods is much more conducive to emotional and spiritual health than the density of animal products,” Altman said. “My grounding, whole foods diet has facilitated my journey of healing on a much deeper level than the physical.”

Furthermore, Altman incorporates essential oils, which she says enhance her mental health. To get around

NYU’s restriction on burning candles or incense in dorms, she acquired an oil diffuser and turned to essential oils.

Essential oils are aromatic compounds extracted from plants, and they contain a plant’s essence, or its scent and flavor. These are used in aromatherapy, a form of alternative medicine. While some oils have proven benefits, the risks are not fully evaluated, according to a 2018 Time article which draws on a National Institute of Health study.

“Using specific scents, either diffused or straight on the skin, can bring powerful shifts,” Altman said. “I often diffuse peppermint essential oil in the morning to wake me up a bit and rub a few drops of lavender oil on my neck and on the soles of my feet to calm me before bed.”

Tandon sophomore Rhea Patteri said essential oils relieve her anxiety.

“Essential oils have the ability to work with depression, panic attacks, stress, insomnia and anxiety,” Patteri said. “The fact that they are a natural alternative is only more appealing.”

Remember to use all medication safely and always follow the advice of healthcare professionals.

Email Amina Frassl at culture@nyunews.com.

KATIE PEURRUNG | WSN

De Lune, an essential oil, is a natural remedy for period pain.

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

Washington Square News | Culture

Banger Advice for Bangs

Immerse Yourself in a Bevy of Boiling Broths at Tang Hotpot

By KYLIE SMITH Contributing Writer If you’re in a style rut and looking to spice up your look, bangs are a quick fix. The only problem is that there’s a lot to ponder before you whip out the scissors: styling, texture, trimming and so much more. Before you ask your friends, “Should I get bangs?” consider these pieces of fringe advice from NYU students.

Oiliness Greasy hair is annoying enough, but bangs get greasier faster and are harder to hide. Luckily, it can be avoided if you’re willing to put in the work. Tisch first-year Stephanie Sui recommends wearing a hat on oily hair days, while Tisch first-year Erin Monreal has found a few other simple solutions.

“Making sure to wash my face regularly, not touching [my hair] so much and using dry shampoo between washes helps a lot,” Monreal said.

Trims When trying to grow out your bangs, it can feel like time is moving in slow motion.

But when you’re trying to maintain them, your hair seems to grow like crazy. It’s the most vexing of hair paradoxes. But there’s a simple solution.

“I trim them once every week and a half – I just cut them myself,” Sui said.

Grab your favorite pair of scissors, take it slow and step back to check how they look every once in a while.

Wind You spend 15 minutes perfecting your hair in the morning only to walk outside to discover it’s a breezy day and your hairdo is

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- midnight, Thurs. - Sat. noon - 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m. - midnight.

VISIT tanghotpotnyc.com

A student trims her bangs in front of a mirror.

ruined. Monreal admitted that there’s little that you can do about it.

“Just accept that it will happen and give them a quick adjustment in a mirror or camera once you get inside,” she said.

Inspiration There are so many different types of bangs. Wispy, short, side and blunt bangs are just a few of the many options. Look to celebrities like Zooey Deschanel and Taylor Swift, YouTubers like BestDressed and even your friends for fringe inspo. Everybody can work bangs, so don’t be discouraged by naysayers. Just go for it, like Gallatin sophomore Sonya Mezhericher.

“Because I have curly hair, I was told that it would never work out or that I would have to straighten them all the time,” she said.

Mezhericher has now been rocking curly bangs for three years.

MIN JI KIM | WSN

Growing Out Your Bangs Bangs can be time-consuming and demanding, and growing them out can be as strenuous as maintaining them. Growing out your fringe can take several months, hair clips and headbands. LS sophomore Sophia Garcia had bangs for three months before deciding to grow them out.

“Patience is key,” Garcia said. “There is no perfect way to grow out bangs. Just remember that bobby pins are your friends.”

Bangs can be your best friend or your greatest enemy – and sometimes both at once. They have their ups and downs, but everybody should the haircut out at least once in their lifetime. If you’ve been thinking about cutting bangs, this is your sign!

Email Kylie Smith at bstyle@nyunews.com.

By ARIN GARLAND Dining Editor Decorated with delicately rolled raw meats, bright leafy vegetables and freshly chopped onions and mushrooms, our table looked like a neatly curated selection of ingredients taken from a MasterChef kitchen. In the center of this spread was the piece de resistance: a large, bubbling brass pot of deep-red Sichuan broth, bobbing with red spicy peppers, and another smaller pot in the center containing a simmering, milky pork bone broth with leeks, dates and chunks of corn.

Hotpot is a traditional Chinese method of cooking raw vegetables and meats together in a boiling soup stock. Tang Hotpot began serving a new lunch special in March in which you can get this spread on Thursdays and Fridays from noon-3:30 p.m. for $25 per serving. It comes with a broth of your choice, an appetizer, noodles and two platters of meat and vegetables.

The meat platter consists of five slices of round steak, five slices of lamb shoulder roll, a small bowl of omasum beef tripe, two beef meatballs, sliced spam, pork sausages, fish cake and crab sticks. The vegetable platter comes with cabbage, crown daisy, wood ear and shiitake mushrooms, tofu skin and rice cakes.

Our waiter, Jason Liu, patiently explained each dish to us hotpot novices and — for good measure — also handed us an illustrated pamphlet labeled “Your Guide to the Ultimate Hotpot Experience: a step by step guide on how-to hotpot.” It described each dish and how long they take to boil. For example, the thinly sliced meats take 10-15 seconds while the vegetables take around three minutes.

Our platters were wheeled out on circular rolling carts, as our table was already overflowing with small bowls of seasoning, dipping sauces and our appetizer. We chose the chicken thigh marinated in chili sauce followed by a bowl of rice noodles,

both topped with sesame paste. The rice noodles tasted fresh and had a pleasantly chewy texture, but the chicken was slightly bland and it remained untouched as we decided to set aside our appetizers and save our appetite for the main course.

For the broth, I ordered the Tang Pot (Mother and Son Pot) — $23 without platters — the son being the smaller pot of pork bone broth and the mother being the larger pot of the spicy Sichuan beef tallow broth surrounding it.

Though I requested medium spiciness, my cheeks began prickling after just one sip of the Sichuan broth. Soon the sensation reached my nose where the spice seared the inside of my nostrils and tears formed at the corners of my eyes.

Liu said that the medium spice level ranged from around a 4-7 on a scale of 10, which I would dispute. However, he reassured me that it would get less spicy over time, and it did after he took out some of the peppers and added some pork broth to dilute it. Otherwise, the broth was flavorful with peppercorn seasoning.

The center pot with the pork bone broth was much deeper than I expected and I lost a few of my sausages in its depths. I had to go fishing once or twice for a few slivers of beef tripe that had slipped through my chopsticks but eventually found them at the bottom, albeit overcooked.

However, the meatballs were a literal explosion of flavor. There was a pocket of soup lining the inside of each ball that gushed into my mouth after the first bite.

To finish the meal off, we had sweet rice cakes dipped in condensed milk.

One serving is definitely too much for one person. However, if you don’t feel like sharing and can afford not to split the check, one serving will be more than enough to satisfy a hungry stomach.

Hotpot is definitely time consuming, as you are cooking your own food. In total, I spent two hours there, during which the servers replenished our broth three times and refilled our water a total of five times.

But at Tang Hotpot, the cooking time is part of the experience.

I became a MasterChef in my own right, tossing thinly sliced chives and diced garlic into the bevy of boiling broths in front of me, putting my new knowledge to the test and making my own fare to suit my taste.

Email Arin Garland at agarland@nyunews.com.

MIN JI KIM | WSN

The Tang Hot Pot’s lunch special. The restaurant is located on 135 Bowery and specializes in Sichuan hotpot.

Washington Square News

6

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

ARTS

ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by GURU RAMANATHAN

How a Tisch Junior Ended up Shooting for Chanel

Student cinematographer, Jason Lee, a junior at Tisch.

By CLAIRE FISHMAN Film & TV Editor Jason S. Lee likes to say that he’s lucky. After only a year of handling a camera, he won a Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Award at 16. Only a few months later, Lee’s award-winning photography series was accepted into two galleries: 2448 MOON Fine Arts in Seoul and The Silpe Gallery in Hartford, Connecticut. Now a 22-year-old Tisch senior, he’s shot editorial work for L’Officiel Indonesia and Chanel Taiwan. The latter commercial is currently featured on RED’s website as an example of exquisite cinematography. Last semester, Lee served as the Director of Photogra-

ALINA PATRICK | WSN

phy for seven different student films.

“A lot of things happened very quickly,” Lee said.

Lee didn’t become interested in photography until he was 16 years old and well into high school. Before then, he didn’t think much about photography and film — he says he was too busy with schoolwork and college prep to do much else. But something changed for Lee after he saw “Inception,” a movie that he says transported him into a different world through cinematography. He wanted to create the same experience for other people. Without a second thought, he bought a Canon EOS 5D Mark II. “I guess I’m just really lucky, because I didn’t shoot a lot actually,” Lee said.

“That’s what people don’t know about me. I probably went out to shoot photos maybe ten times a year. But when I did, I would go out for a full day.”

In high school, Lee’s grades always came first. As an international student at an elite boarding school in Connecticut, Lee had a lot of pressure from his parents to do well. He didn’t want to throw away all he had accomplished academically for a half-fledged hobby.

“My parents live in Korea and are purely Korean, so they’re like the typical Asian parents who wanted me to do well in school and get a good SAT score,” Lee said. “I was always busy going to SAT academies; I didn’t have a lot of time to pursue photography.”

Lee’s parents, however, quickly came around once he won the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Award for his photography. After that, they were nothing but supportive. So supportive in fact, that they bought him a RED DSMC2 Gemini camera — which retails for $19,500 — after he switched his major to Film & TV. “It’s not necessary to own a RED camera,” Lee said. But, considering his work is being featured on RED’s website, it’s clear that it certainly helped.

In this sense, Lee is very lucky. Not only are his parents supportive of his artistic career aspirations, but they’re also willing to help him financially as he realizes his dreams. This, support, Lee says, was an essential factor in embracing his artistic identity. Without having to worry about making money right after college, Lee feels he has the freedom to

be himself. After a short stint as a double major in Economics and Photography, he decided to transfer to the Tisch School of the Arts as a Film & TV major.

“When I was first on set, I felt like I was alive for the first time. I don’t know how else to describe it,” Lee said, referring to his first time on set at Tisch in an Intro to Video Art class he took in his first year.

Once he transferred, Lee devoted every waking hour to improving his photography and cinematography.

He freelanced for anyone that would hire him and refused to accept pay. He said the experience and expertise he learned on these sets was more than enough compensation.

“I was willing to do it for free because I’m not doing this for money anyways,” Lee said. “I’m doing this because I’m passionate; it’s what I love. This is what makes me happy.”

Eventually though, Lee’s free labor paid off tenfold. After he served as a Director of Photography for a School of Visual Arts graduate student’s thesis film, she recommended him and his work to an editorial fashion director, Yuti Chang. Since meeting, they’ve shot three different fashion editorials together for Blanc Magazine, Chanel Taiwan and L’Officiel Indonesia respectively.

“In terms of filmmaking, it’s about knowing the right people, so a lot of it is about luck. You don’t know who you’re going to meet or how that person might help you,” Lee said.

While luck has certainly played a large role in Lee’s artistic career, he’s made

sacrifices to get to this point. He was initially supposed to intern at CJ E&M in Korea last summer, but he gave up the internship to shoot the Chanel Taiwan commercial. It was only a singular day of shooting, Lee tells me, but having that work in his reel was invaluable.

Now, with his commercial experience, Lee hardly ever works for free. The only exception to this rule is when he shoots a thesis film that he truly believes in and would rather allocate the money they’d use to pay him to other costly aspects of production like equipment rental.

“I would rather have that they don’t pay me and that they use that money to improve the quality of the film,” Lee said. “It’s not about earning a quick $2000 […] If the film does really well and goes to a big festival or something, that’s how I could become really successful as a cinematographer.”

Clearly, Lee’s brief education in economics taught him a thing or two about opportunity cost. What he’s sacrificing now in gig fees, he has the chance to recuperate tenfold if he does his job well.

Lee has found his passion and he plans to stick with it. For him, there isn’t much appeal to doing anything else, even if that means he has to sacrifice some things in the process.

“To be very honest, I don’t think I could be myself, and be as confident as I am today, if I’m not who I am right now, doing what I’m passionate about and what I love.”

Email Claire Fishman at cfishman@nyunews.com.

CAS Theater Puts on Its First Shakespeare With ‘The Tempest’

By JULIE GOLDBERG Staff Writer College of Arts and Science Theater is putting on its f irst Shakespeare production in the 20 years since its inception. The club, which just won a 2019 President’s Service Award, is expanding its horizons and working through new challenges.

Director Josh Siegel, a CAS senior studying Journalism and Anthropology, is excited to work on a Shakespeare show before he graduates.

“I had this kooky English teacher who just loved Shakespeare and made me love Shakespeare,” he said. “Then I played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. I’ve been wanting to get back into it in college.”

After directing one of the CAST one-acts in the fall of his sophomore year, Siegel joined the e-board in the spring and has been involved on the production level ever since. As a senior this year, it was his job, alongside other senior members of the e-board, to choose the main stage production.

He felt it was time for him to return to Shakespeare and that working on a show like “The Tempest” would provide an opportunity for the club to step outside of its comfort zone.

Gallatin f irst-year Petra McGregor, who plays Boatswain, also discovered her love for Shakespeare back in high school.

“I played Bottom in ‘Midsummer’ and that’s where I realized how much fun Shakespeare could be,” she said.

“Now I love it.”

In regard to casting, Siegel emphasizes that they were just looking for people who f it each role, regardless of gender.

“Prospero is played by Sarah Runda; we just changed the name to Prospera,” he said, “We def initely wanted to bring more women into this play that doesn’t have a lot of women.”

At rehearsal on Friday, a week before opening night, the cast worked to put the f inal touches on everything and just “go over the scenes as much as we can to make sure that everything is sharp,” Siegel said.

The actors were not in full costume, but did wear capes and crowns over their normal clothing to ensure they would be used to moving in these mobility-limiting pieces. At the end of the run, Siegel gave brief notes.

“This is the last day you’ll be able to call ‘line,’ so make sure you’re off book for next rehearsal,” he told the cast. “Otherwise you’ll have to make up Shakespeare.”

Siegel emphasized that working with Shakespeare poses certain challenges but also provides opportunities for deeper inquiry than usual into the text of the play itself.

“Often, actors will have questions about what particular words mean or how you pronounce a certain word,” he said. “We’ll all take pause look it up together as a cast, and a lot of the time it’s pretty funny, especially if it’s a terrible entendre or a funny insult.

It kind of brightens up rehearsals.”

McGregor echoes this sentiment, recalling a line that reads, “I shall not fear fly-blowing.” “No one knew what ‘fly-blowing’ meant,” she said, laughing. “Apparently it’s this thing where flies deposit larvae.”

Even now, new questions arise.

“The moment between you and Gonzalo was really good today,” Siegel tells Runda during notes, prompting another cast member to ask, “Wait — what’s their history again?”

Moments like this allow the cast to come together and review key mo-

ments of the text before returning the rehearsal.

“What I really like about CAST is that there is a mix of actors who have been around the block for a while and also people who are just trying it out and just want to do a fun Shakespeare play and it’s like their second production ever,” Siegel said. “There’s a mix and we all learn from each other and it’s a great environment.”

It’s an exciting moment for the club, which attracts actors not only from CAS but across schools. In re-

hearsal, the camaraderie between the cast members is palpable. As they work through the complexities of the text together, they come to new realizations about their characters, the show and how they can illuminate the classic text in a contemporary context.

“The Tempest” will be performed on April 26 to 28 at 19 W. Fourth St., Room 101.

Email Julie Goldberg at theater@nyunews.com.

COURTESY OF HANNAH FREEMAN

From left to right, Zuleyma Sanchez, Sarah Runda and Hartley Bannister-Parker in CAST’s production of “The Tempest.” This is the first time in the club’s 20 year history that it’s staging a Shakespeare play.

Washington Square News | Arts

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

‘When Brooklyn Was Queer’ Uncovers the Borough’s Buried History

Indie Rockers Now, Now Make a Comeback on Their Own Terms

By NICOLE ROSENTHAL Music Editor

ALANA BEYER | WSN

Historian and NYU curator Hugh Ryan. His new book, “When Brooklyn Was Queer,” works to uncover the erased queer history of the borough.

By AASHNA AGARWAL Staff Writer What started as a pop-up museum in part-time NYU curator Hugh Ryan’s Bushwick loft eventually transformed into a quest to uncover Brooklyn’s queer history.

The pop-up was expected to be a small kick-off event, but when over 300 people showed up, and the cops came to shut it down, Ryan realized he’d struck a nerve.

Earlier this year, Ryan published his new book, “When Brooklyn Was Queer,” and he recently helped curate “Violet Holdings: LGBTQ+ Highlights from the NYU Special Collections,” an exhibition now on view in the Mamdouha Bobst Gallery, and “On the (Queer) Waterfront,” a show now on view at the Brooklyn Historical Society.

The pop-up museum was born out of retaliation against the removal of a video piece by the late queer artist David Wojnarowicz from the show “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” at the Smithsonian in 2010. Outcry from conservative groups over depictions of Jesus and male nudity led the museum to remove the film.

“Almost overnight, that film, ‘A Fire in My Belly,’ suddenly, that was everywhere,” Ryan said. “Which was sort of amazing on one hand, but then the more I thought about it, the more I realized we all were protesting the removal of this one video, but I couldn’t go anywhere in New York and see queer films or queer content in major museums.”

The group, which came to be known as the Pop-Up Museum of Queer History, eventually settled on a model based around community-created shows about local queer history; Ryan’s group would assist with curation and help bring in outside pieces.

“People kept asking me, ‘What are you doing next?’ and ‘When’s the next one?’ and I hadn’t really planned beyond that,” Ryan explained. “So we very quickly formed this sort of ad hoc committee of people that wanted to be a part of the pop-up museum and we tried to figure out what it meant and what it was we were doing.”

The museum went on to do shows in Manhattan and Philadelphia before deciding to return to Brooklyn. Deciding to hold a oneday outdoor version of the show is what kicked off Ryan’s research into Brooklyn’s queer history.

“When we put out the call for proposals, unlike a lot of the localities we worked in, there weren’t a lot of people who knew about Brooklyn’s history,” Ryan said.

“That was crazy to me, and that ticked me off to do research. It wasn’t meant to be a book at first, it just kind of expanded to there.”

Ryan’s research at first consisted of interviews and conversations.

His initial findings came from tidbits of information he’d collect from talking to historians and book-lovers. It was during this time that Ryan continued his research on the history of queer Brooklyn independently, realizing there was enough there for a book.

“There were a lot of things I discovered about Brooklyn in that early period that I didn’t expect,” Ryan said. “One of the things I was really excited about was that it would be a really diverse history.

It was a shock to me that between the end of slavery and 1940, Brooklyn was never less than 97% white.

Whiter than Manhattan and more racist than Manhattan.”

Much of Ryan’s focus is on the erasure of Brooklyn’s queer history specifically, kicked off largely by the culture of homophobia in the 1940s ushered in by the postwar rise of conservativism. Along with suburbanization and changes in transportation, the waterfront economy in Brooklyn tanked. The Brooklyn waterfront was integral to the livelihood of many working-class queer people and its downfall contributed to this erasure.

“My book ends in 1966. There are so many stories that come after,” Ryan said. “I think there’s a whole book to be written about the lesbian community in Park Slope and a book to be written around the black gay bars or the trans drag performance scene that’s happening right now in the Village.”

The New York Public Library gave Ryan a grant which funded

three months of full-time research.

By the end of the three months, Ryan had his book proposal together. The rights to the book were bought in 2017 by St. Martin’s Press. “When Brooklyn Was Queer” was published in March of this year to extremely warm reception. Ryan went on to speak on panels and partake in book readings. Coinciding with the release of the book, the Brooklyn Historical Society is showing an exhibit curated by Ryan on the queer history of the Brooklyn waterfront; an exhibition of pieces from NYU’s Special Collections highlighting New York City’s LGBTQ history, which Ryan curated as part of NYU’s Stonewall 50 celebration, is now on display in the Bobst Gallery.

It was at these readings that Ryan came to fully understand the importance of the stories he was relaying to the community. People came up to him to relate their own experiences or stories they’d heard from family and friends about queer Brooklyn that had gotten lost in history.

“One guy the other day was telling me that his first boyfriend when he moved to New York was a guy from Brighton Beach who was from an Orthodox Jewish family,” Ryan said. “He would go down to Coney Island in the 1930s to pick pennies out of the sand and use them to play games at the boardwalk amusements. He would hook up with sailors on the boardwalk.

These are amazing stories that are told orally only and you can’t catch them in the records anywhere.”

7

Riding the tail end of the late ’00s indie-rock revival, Minnesota-based band Now, Now seemed to meet the perfect criteria for success in 2012: a critically acclaimed sophomore album, several international tours and a record deal with Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie.

The group went from playing obscure clubs in the Midwest to New York City’s Terminal 5 in a matter of months.

Then came silence.

As the ’10s ushered in an era in which indie-rock took a backseat to the new wave of rap-infused electropop, artists such as Grizzly Bear, Vampire Weekend and Arcade Fire were suddenly washed away by the shinier, darker production, Now, Now fell into the silent abyss along with their predecessors. Guitars and subtle percussion were replaced with grandiose big-bass beats in the mainstream as Cacie “KC” Dalager (vocals), Bradley Hale (drums) and former member Jess Abbott (guitar) pondered just how, or what, to market to a new generation of musical consumers.

The answer took six years, the loss of one member and several fruitless attempts at releasing an album. It was not until 2018 that the group’s manager gave the band one final push in unveiling the new album, appropriately titled “Saved,” which had been completed over eight months leading up to its May 18 release.

“The reality of not putting an album out in six years hit me,” said Dalager, stating that she wanted to make sure every note was perfect during post-production.

The new album, which features electropop instrumentation, frank lyricism and sleek production is a 180-degree turn from the band’s older, stripped-back, organic approach to songwriting.

“When we started, we were like, ‘we’re a band with guitars and drums and that’s that,” Hale said in an interview with WSN. “[We thought], ‘We’re an indie band, so we’re kind of weird.’ We were always afraid of going outside of that, even though that is what we liked. That was what we were supposed to be and that’s what we had to be.”

Dalager said her songwriting is like trying to put a painting into words, prioritizing emotions instead of telling a clear narrative and allowing the listener to interpret the song for themselves.

“Everything that I’ve ever written up until

‘Saved’ had intentionally been very abstract,” Dalager said. “I didn’t want anyone to know what or who I was talking about. I was too scared to say my feelings up until writing ‘Saved’ […] I wanted to capture the feelings that I felt but not have any concerns about ‘What if somebody doesn’t know what I mean by this.’”

In addition, Dalager cites performing live as an inspiration for the band’s abrupt genre shift.

By experimenting with electronic sounds during live shows, Dalager began formulating songs with live shows in mind.

Yet the duo haven’t always been fans of performing live.

“I’ve always hated playing shows because I just felt really exposed and I didn’t feel good enough,” Dalager said. “I loved writing but I hated being the person to present it. I had to be something onstage — I had to be the face of these songs, and I wasn’t prepared for that until we started playing shows again. I felt like I didn’t have to hide behind anything anymore.”

Dalager doesn’t know where she found this confidence, suggesting the boost occurred in playing music with her best friend, Hale.

“I’m super timid and I’m really insecure and super introverted, but the band gives me so much confidence,” the lead singer said. “I’m proud of what I make and I love being able to share these songs. I used to really restrict myself and we used to stress so much about playing but then we realized that this is actually so fun. I get to run around onstage and smile at my best friend.’”

The next few months will be pivotal for the band. After playing large venues such as Terminal 5 and House of Blues Orlando while supporting what Dalager calls their “old music,” the band has been playing smaller-scale venues such as Music Hall of Williamsburg and Baby’s All Right during their resurgence.

Later this month, the band will be playing at the Warsaw in Greenpoint, a sign that the band is, once again, developing a strong and growing fanbase.

“I would never have listened to any of our old music,” Dalager said. “I write it and it’s therapeutic and it gets my feelings out, but it’s never something like, ‘I would listen to this.’ ‘Saved’ is the first time that I feel like we wrote something true to us and something that we would listen to. It was us being us.”

Email Nicole Rosenthal at nrosenthal@nyunews.com.

“When Brooklyn Was Queer: A History” is in bookstores now.

“Violet Holdings: LGBTQ+ Highlights from the NYU Special Collections” is on view in the Mamdouha Bobst Gallery, 70 Washington Square S., Manhattan, through Dec. 31.

“On the (Queer) Waterfront” is on view at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn, through Aug. 4.

Email Aashna Agarwal at books@nyunews.com.

VIA FACEBOOK

KC Dalager and Brad Hale from the band Now, Now.

8

Washington Square News | Opinion

OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

OPINION

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

Edited by HANNA KHOSRAVI and MELANIE PINEDA

HEALTHCARE

The Measles Outbreak Is a Failure on Multiple Fronts

By ABBY HOFSTETTER Instagram Editor There’s a concept in the Jewish tradition known as a Chillul Hashem — an embarrassment to God’s name. When a Jew acts in a way that gives a bad reputation to the Jewish people as a whole, they have committed a Chillul Hashem.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Chillul Hashems in the wake of the measles outbreaks in Williamsburg and Rockland County and the ways in which the public has chosen to respond to them. I am an Orthodox Jew, as is the majority of my ex-

tended family. My immediate family and I identify as Modern Orthodox, while some of my cousins, who live in Brooklyn, lean more toward the ultra-Orthodox. While my family members are vaccinated — I find it strange that I have to say that — some of my cousins’ neighbors are not.

Something else that I find strange is how often I’ve been finding the need to tell people that the Torah requires one to vaccinate their children. Though the Torah’s commandments are myriad, one surpasses almost all others: “Live by them.” The commandments of the Torah only matter insofar as one is alive to observe them. Rabbis overwhelmingly rule that parents should vaccinate their children, and anti-vaxxer rabbis, like anti-vaxxers in general, are outliers. One who chooses not to vaccinate their children violates the commandments of the Torah. Hasidic Jews are staunch observers of the Torah’s commandments; they would not intentionally violate its laws.

However, I’ve barely been seeing these facts in the articles I’ve read about the

measles outbreak. I’ve heard about a supposed financial influence that the Jews hold on Mayor Bill de Blasio, which allegedly caused him to delay his condemnation of anti-vaxxers, but I’ve heard almost nothing about the specific process that led to an overwhelming amount of people from these two distinct communities choosing to not vaccinate their children. I have heard that the Jews “did it to themselves” by living in such a tightly-packed neighborhood, but I have not heard about the reasons why they live so close together. Using an anti-Semitic trope and blaming the victims instead of sparking intellectual debate about the true reasons behind these outbreaks is harmful — not only to the Jewish people, who are directly impacted by this rhetoric, but also to those looking to prevent another outbreak.

Tight-knit communities like Williamsburg and Rockland County often fall victim to misinformation, and as a result, outbreaks. The Somali American community in Minnesota, the Amish community in

Ohio and the Russian-speaking community in Washington state have all faced measles outbreaks due to this pattern. When a community is as closely packed as these ones are, information spreads quickly whether or not it’s correct.

The Hasidic community of Williamsburg lives so close together because their lives revolve around their religion. Their children attend the yeshiva for school, they pray at the local synagogue three times a day and they buy their food from the kosher supermarket. The commandments of the Torah pose so many restrictions that they almost force an Orthodox Jew to live in a Jewish community so as to not make their life any more complicated.

The Jewish community in Williamsburg mainly speaks Yiddish; Hebrew and English are known but less familiar. When a Yiddish anti-vaccination pamphlet was distributed throughout the neighborhood, the Jews of Williamsburg did not have an understandable counterargument that could be distributed as easily as its predecessor — the Center

for Disease Control and Prevention’s website is easily accessible to the majority of the American people, but it’s in English, not Yiddish, and many Williamsburg residents avoid the internet for religious reasons. Parents stopped vaccinating their children not due to any Jewish law, but because they didn’t know any other way.

Many of my Orthodox friends, peers and mentors have been describing the measles outbreak as a Chillul Hashem. Many of my non-Orthodox friends, peers and mentors have been using the outbreak as a reason to decry organized religion and its cult-like characteristics. I cannot in good conscience agree with either of them. The Jewish communities of Williamsburg and Rockland County fell victim to something much larger than themselves; they were on the receiving end of a hoax that has so far claimed 359 victims.

To treat them with anything but sympathy is disgraceful — a true Chillul Hashem.

Email Abby Hofstetter at ahofstetter@nyunews.com.

INTERNATIONAL

Next Steps in US-NKorea Discussions

By JUN SUNG Contributing Writer Since the failure of the second Trump-Kim summit, denuclearization and peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula have come to a standstill. On one hand, the U.S. continues to maintain its position on strict sanctions and the denuclearization of the North. On

the other, North Korea is calling for the end of economic sanctions as well as the removal of the American military presence on the peninsula. But despite the seeming stagnation, it is crucial to remain cognizant of the ramifications of these discussions.

This stall between the two countries has led to heightened tensions in the region. Recently, North Korea announced that it had tested a new weapon in Pyongyang, and Chairman Kim Jong-un has also called for the removal of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from any further negotiations.

Both of these occurrences show increased agitation from the North in the denuclearization process. To stop this tension from escalating, the U.S. needs to take bold action by first removing

economic sanctions on the North immediately. From there, the two nations can work towards a complete denuclearization of the whole peninsula, and the peace process between the two Koreas can finally begin.

Considering the United States’ scarred military history and its aggressive presence on the Korean peninsula currently, a one-sided solution is nearly impossible. The U.S. stations around 28,000 troops in the South, and two years ago, had at least two nuclear submarines in the area. This powerful military presence presents an obvious danger to the Kim regime and to the North. The history of U.S. military action against countries like Iran, Afghanistan and Yemen shows there is a clear precedent for the use of armed forces to

resolve situations. It is, at least in part, the reason why the North’s nuclear program exists in the first place.

The U.S.’ involvement in trying to overthrow the Maduro government in Venezuela is another signal of American neo-imperialistic intentions, and gives the North Korean leader yet another reason to tighten his grip on nuclear weapons. The past and the present show why a one-sided denuclearization agreement should be left behind.

As if that wasn’t enough justification, there’s also the issue of the American representatives who have led the talks. John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, has made troubling statements regarding the situation in North Korea, even advocating for a pre-emptive strike to stop

the country’s nuclear weapons program — a strategy that could lead to 300,000 South Korean deaths. With Bolton as one of the main advisors to the president on this issue, it is no wonder the North is hesitant to denuclearize.

The U.S. must understand that the North has no reason to give up its nuclear weapons without a sign of good faith from the other side first. The clearest and best way to do this is to remove the economic sanctions that are impacting the largest industries in the country.

Doing this would break the standstill in negotiations as well as reaffirm President Trump’s promise to help bolster the North’s economy in the future.

Email Jun Sung at opinion@nyunews.com.

THE ART SCHOOL REPORT

Go to School and Don’t Be Afraid to Call Yourself an Artist

By JOHANNA STONE Columnist There comes a point in the life of the studious young artist where it seems like every adult in your life tells you not to go to art school. You hear it from business-oriented, pseudo-savvy relatives who tell you that an arts degree won’t get you a job, or at least not a job that pays you enough money. But you hear it from the other end of the spectrum as well; artistic mentors and creatives will also tell you that you shouldn’t waste your money, that art school is an oxymoronic education in a subject that doesn’t need to be conventionally taught.

Young and confused students don’t know who to listen to. They don’t feel

equipped to defend themselves against disapproving remarks from more experienced adults. I have been there myself, before and in the midst of going to college for a degree in the performing arts. I have been on the receiving end of pessimistic remarks sent over family email chains, and I’ve had more than one arts teacher I looked up to tell me that going to college for drama and writing would “mess up” my creative abilities by introducing complicating factors like marketability and employment.

So, here’s where I help prepare my fellow young artists for their next phone call with a doubtful parent or debate with a skeptical peer. As someone who has made the decision to go to art school despite this advice, the education is undoubtedly worth it, as many people who have attended art school in recent years will tell you.

Though I am sick of hearing the word “networking” in every art school conversation, the biggest benefit really is exposure to a vast world of collaborators, teachers and peers who have their own artistic lenses and can help you parse out your own.

I can testify that receiving an artistic education has made me feel more legitimate

in my creative endeavors, and strengthened my ability to take risks in whatever I am creating.

As someone who has yet to graduate from art school, I can’t tell you whether that job that makes any money actually exists, but I can testify that the job prospects can definitely begin cropping up while you’re still in school if you’re working hard and making connections. And here’s some concrete evidence to forward in your family email chain: the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, a survey which polled over 90,000 arts alumni from various educational institutions in recent years, found 70% of surveyed alumni spent most of their work time in an artistic setting, and only 3% of the former art majors were unemployed. Granted, over 50% of those alumni reported suffering from student debt — this raises a separate but very legitimate concern that art school is increasingly becoming an experience primarily reserved for the uber-privileged elite. But if you can go, the odds of getting a job in the creative field are in your favor.

There seems to be some sort of cultural shame surrounding the creative person

entering an academic setting. Tales of educational inadequacy are often relayed with heroic sentiment in the artistic world. Perhaps you’ve heard that your favorite writer, musician or painter dropped out of college, or was expelled, or didn’t even make it through high school. Why are these anecdotes so often told with encouraging chagrin in the artistic realm? Even Harvard University professors have perpetuated the myth; in 1998, established art critic and Harvard Professor Peter Schjeldahl published an article entitled “Why Artists Make the Worst Students.” Schjeldahl’s sophisticatedly worded argument doesn’t entirely disavow art education, but it is ultimately a problematic justification for the over-romanticized, isolated and tortured artist narrative that has pervaded U.S. culture for decades.

The sentiment within this statement and many like it is that real artists do not require an education, or that they are somehow too creative to conform to one. I see no reason why a creatively minded person wouldn’t benefit from the abundance of knowledge and creative conversation that comes with higher artistic education. And

a study recently published in the American Behavioral Scientist journal utilized SNAAP data to discuss how even creatively-minded people working in occupations traditionally considered non-creative can employ their art school sensibilities outside of jobs in the arts.

The truth is that there’s no such thing as being too creative for any occupation, artistic or not. The idea of artists as a separate cult of people from those who make up the typical population is antithetical to a more overall artistic, creative structure of the world. And whether you call yourself an artist or not, that’s a world we all should want. ‘‘The Art School Report” is a column about the trials and tribulations of art school and the New York City art scene at large. Johanna aims to document the experiences and opinions of Tisch students and the terrifying thought of graduating into the world with an arts degree.

Email Johanna Stone at opinion@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square News | Opinion

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

POLITICS

Abolish the Illogical Electoral College

By GAVIN ARNESON Contributing Writer It is not surprising to recount that in the presidential election of 2016, Hillary Clinton won nearly 3 million more votes than her opponent yet lost the presidency; however, it might be surprising to know that the Democratic Party’s nominee for president has won the most votes in seven of the last eight presidential elections, but has only held the office after four of them.

The reason that this has happened twice in our lifetimes is because of a relic of the 18th century that originated as a concession to slave owners: the Electoral College. Debates about this system and its purposes have abounded for decades, especially after a similar outcome occurred in the election of 2000. But following the elections in 2016 and leading up to 2020, Democratic candidates for president have called for its abolition. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has introduced legislation to elect the president by popular vote, and in March, Colorado became the most recent of 11 other states and Washington, D.C. to sign on to an initiative started by state legislatures to throw their electors to the winner of the national popular vote.

Understanding historical context matters because veneration of the framers of the Constitution is a popular talking point of those in favor of the Electoral College. However, the system today would be unrecognizable to what the framers envisioned and voted on at the Constitutional Convention. Jill Lepore’s book “These Truths” traces the founding of the Electoral College back to 1787, when James Madison fearfully rejected the popular election of the president. He argued that a system like this would give too much power to the North, as the South, while populous, was home to a large slave population who could not vote. In this sentiment, Madison echoed a fear that led to the defeat of a proposal to directly elect the president by popular vote.

Instead, the delegates to the Convention proposed an Electoral College, a system whose effect was two-fold: it would apportion votes for the presidency based on a state’s entire population, and not on the number of voters — with the caveat that slaves would be represented as three-fifths of a person, thus giving slave owners in the South more concentrated political power. In addition, it would remove the election of the president out of the hands of everyday people.

The system itself is racist and designed to appease slave owners, but there is a second aspect of it lost to history: the framers intended for the Electoral

Submitting to

College to be a mediator between the “excesses of democracy” and the election of the president, a term which referred to their belief that majority rule would leave the rights of the minority liable to unfair oppression. In the election of the president, this fear was rooted in the possibility of a demagogue rising to power. The original purpose of the Electoral College was for the delegates to the College to use their own judgment in electing the president. States were given their own liberties in deciding how they would appoint men to the college: about half of the 16 states in 1796 had state legislatures vote to appoint them, while the other half had the people vote to elect them.

In the 19th century, two phenomena occurred: states began moving entirely to the popular election of the Electors to the College and they also moved to winner-takes-all systems, the latter of which was not anticipated by the framers. In any case, the framers designed a system whose purpose was to make a decision on behalf of the people regarding who would become president. Today, it does no such thing, making its continued use a blatant defiance of logic — in 2019, the Electoral College is merely a vestige of a political apparatus of the 18th century.

There can be endless debate about the Electoral College and whether it incentivizes campaigning in more or fewer locations, and what the actual goals of our electoral system should be. Where the Electoral College falls dangerously and inexcusably short is in its illegitimacy: nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the president should be elected by the popular vote, according to a survey co-run by The Atlantic and The Public Religion Research Institute. In a system that repeatedly does not honor the will of a popular majority, how can Americans have faith in their political institutions?

This was evidenced when Donald Trump lost the popular vote in 2016, as the U.S. was forced to reconcile the election of the president by a system that is inherently undemocratic in a society that views itself as democratic. Trump himself instinctively defended his loss of the popular vote by saying that he actually did win it, because five million people voted illegally (there is no evidence to support this claim). If Trump was vindicated by winning the Electoral College because it was a politically legitimate system for electing the president, why did he need to defend his loss of the popular vote?

At NYU, we learn to question the reasons behind institutions and policies. We are obligated to join scholarly debates and constantly challenge the status quo and wonder why, and for what reason, the systems around us exist. When we do the same with the Electoral College, it becomes clear that it is one of our country’s most vestigial political apparatuses. It must be abolished before it leads to unrest that democracy cannot endure.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Commemorating Lives Lost in the Attacks in Sri Lanka The world awoke on Sunday to the news that at least 290 people had been killed, and more than 500 had been injured, in what can only be described as a disaster of horrific human carnage in Sri Lanka. With close to 800 casualties — and estimates growing by the hour — one might have thought this catastrophe to be the result of a natural disaster.

But the attacks in Sri Lanka were rather a manifestation of mass murder on an expansive scale. The victims were targeted with a series of explosions in coordinated terrorist attacks on three churches and three hotels on the morning of Easter Sunday and Passover.

The explosions, which began early in the morning, were carried out by suicide bombers; the attacks have been connected to 24 suspected terrorists. All of these individuals have been arrested by the police. Hotels, which housed many foreigners and tourists, were targets of the attacks; of the victims, at least 35 were confirmed to be of American, British, Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese citizenship. The majority of victims, however, were Sri Lankans — Easter worshipers celebrating Easter at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo and Zion Church in Batticaloa. The Sri Lankan government has blocked social media interfaces like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Viber, in order to avoid the spread of falsified information, and has instituted a nationwide curfew. The nation is reeling — as we write this story, the facts and figures are still developing, and the country is preparing to come to terms with what will be a historic loss.

The WSN Editorial Board is devoting this column to commemorating the lives so heinously lost in these attacks. Desensitization to such atrocities is simply not an option, despite the fact that the scope of this brutality seems to expand annually — just two months ago, we witnessed the death of 50 people in Christchurch, New Zealand following coordinated attacks on two mosques during Friday prayer.

The bombings yesterday will remain in our international consciousness as one of the deadliest terrorist attacks on civilians in recent history. It is crucial that we do not allow ourselves to waver in our recognition of such tragedies, and remain educated on their origins and consequences.

Because of the fatal toll of this attack, Sri Lanka may rise to a sort of international recognition. But it is startling to consider how little we might know about the roots of this violence — Sri Lanka is still, unbeknownst to many who heard the news of today’s attacks, recovering from the ramifications of a nearly three-decade civil war which defined the nation’s sociopolitical status from 1983 to 2009.

Sri Lanka is comprised of a diverse makeup of religions and cultures — the majority of the country is Buddhist, but 12.5% are Hindu, 10% are Muslim and 7% are Christian, according to the country’s 2012 census. Religious violence has permeated the nation since its independence from British rule in 1948, as sectarian issues led the country into deep divisions. The Tamil Tigers, a militia of mostly Hindu members that identifies as a secular military organization, revolted against the majority Sinhalese Buddhist population following a history of marginalization, paving the way for the civil war. The insurgent Tamil Tigers have been noted as “one of the most organized, effective and brutal terrorist groups in the world” — they are credited with inventing the suicide vest and dedicated their fight to a secession effort. The brutality of the group, arising in retaliation to intensifying nationalism of the Sinhalese Buddhist majority, resulted in a war that — according to UN estimates — caused the death of 40,000 civilians in the final phases alone. Sri Lanka’s mostly Buddhist national army engaged in consistent campaigns throughout the war in an effort to obliterate insurgent Tamil forces.

The conflict, which ended in 2009, concluded with the army’s execution of Tamil Tigers leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran and the assertion of the Buddhist

majority. The death toll for the war itself, in its entirety, is largely unknown, and many human rights organizations have cast both the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan army as guilty of war crimes. But ethnically Tamil and Sinhalese Sri Lankans are not exclusively Hindu or Buddhist either — there are members of each of these groups who are Christian as well.

As of publication, there is no public evidence regarding the religious, political or sectarian allegiance of the perpetrators.

But Sunday’s attacks were not the reverberations of a distant past. Just last year, Buddhist nationalists targeted Muslim-majority areas of the nation and set numerous Muslim-owned businesses ablaze. The UN condemned these actions as a “lack of accountability” for the “past actions” of the civil war. And it has even been reported that in the week leading up to Sunday’s attacks, police units had been put on alert about the possibility of attacks on churches on Easter Sunday.

The tragedy in Sri Lanka is a part of a broader pattern. For us to treat it as an unforeseen spike in violence would be to neglect a crucial, and very recent, history of bloodshed and turmoil. It is startling that it took a disaster as calamitous as this one to bring the fraught history of the nation to the forefront of the national conversation. Hopefully, students will see the integral importance of educating themselves on the context of these events — but it should not come down to bloodshed for us to recognize the gravity of the endemic conflicts that cause them.

It’s a noted fact that Americans tend to be overwhelmingly lacking in geographic and geopolitical awareness of global affairs. It’s a problem that draws its roots from a myriad of cultural norms, namely our educational system. But we should make it a priority to try and understand even that which we believe is too distant to affect us. This recognition and understanding will ultimately help create a culture that works towards active engagement and rejects desensitization.

Email the Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

HANNA KHOSRAVI Chair MELANIE PINEDA Chair COLE STALLONE Co-chair SARAH JOHN Co-chair

Email Gavin Arneson at opinion@nyunews.com.

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Washington Square News | UNDER THE ARCH

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2019

UNDER THE ARCH

Edited by PAMELA JEW

Busting the Myth About NYU Recycling Washington Square News Staff Editor-in-Chief

Sakshi Venkatraman Managing Editor

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Joey Hung, Andrew Ankersen DEPUTY Kate Lowe, Lauren Gruber, Sam Brinton, Paul Kim Multimedia

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Thornton explained how recyclables can often get contaminated with food and liquids, such as leftover wasabi on Palladium plastic sushi containers. When the contents of recycling bins are contaminated, it becomes trash, which is not able to be processed in recycling facilities due to how expensive and time-consuming the sorting process is.

“If it’s contaminated, it’s trash,” Thornton said.

But it’s much more than just the trash we throw away — NYU has a greater network of services that handle not only our waste but the university’s carbon footprint.

When Andrew Hamilton assumed the presidency at NYU, he vowed in his inauguration speech to make NYU one of the greenest urban universities in the United States, and to further expand the university’s sustainability initiatives. To lead this initiative, Hamilton appointed Cecil Scheib as assistant vice president of sustainability along with Diane Anderson as the Office of Sustainability director in 2018.

In 2009, Scheib took part in drafting NYU’s Climate Action Plan. The plan makes a commitment to “climate neutrality,” which involves reducing emissions around NYU’s facilities and campus by 100% and going carbon-neutral by 2040.

Established in 2006 first under the name Sustainability Task Force, the Office of Sustainability monitors student-run environmental groups, sponsors research in the field of environmentalism through “green grants” and manages trash on campus. Although waste only contributes to about 2% of NYU’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the 2009 plan, Scheib said it’s one of the most visible ways that people interact with sustainability in their daily lives.

“Most of our movement toward carbon neutrality will come from reducing emissions from energy used by campus buildings,” Scheib wrote in an email to WSN. “But reducing waste and handling it properly is still a big part of our efforts since it’s very visible in a way that carbon dioxide emissions are not.”

That 2% is handled by NYU’s Ground and Waste Management within the Office of Sustainability. George Reis began his career at NYU as a gardener in 1995 and has served as the manager of Ground and Waste Management since July 2016. Reis describes his job as overseeing waste removal — landfill, recycling and compost — from campus at the end of each day.

“There are lots of things that can go

wrong, and every day there’s a variety of dramas that are involved in that,” Reis said, referring to the complications that go into managing NYU’s waste.

Reis and his five-person team lead a greater network that takes different forms of trash off campus. The Ground and Waste Management network at NYU currently includes Aramark, Client Services Center and Action Carting.

Aramark The responsibility for trash collection and disposal around NYU falls on more than one company. The dining service provider, Aramark, bears the responsibility for all trash bins within dining facilities. NYU is currently in the process of switching its dining service provider from Aramark to Chartwells under Compass Group North America, and the contract will be finalized in July. Much like other parts of the contract, such as job retention for dining hall employees and meal plan pricing, it’s unknown if Chartwells will continue the same trash disposal that Aramark currently carries out for the university.

Client Services Center Anything outside of the dining services is handled by the Client Services Center, the umbrella organization which houses NYU’s custodian firms Collins Building Services, Inc. (CBS) and Facilities and Construction Management (FCM).

CBS, which is co-owned by NYU, employs custodians across NYU-owned buildings that collect the respective buildings’ trash to then be sent out to landfill storing facilities, which are manned by Action Carting, according to Scheib.

FCM is handled by maintenance workers around campus, who collect technoscrap such as printer ink or jewel cases for CDs. Besides technoscrap collection, FCM runs a team of engineers, many of whom are known to fill out work requests throughout residence halls.

Triumvirate Environmental, according to Scheib, takes care of hazardous trash from facilities such as NYU Langone Health and the Silver Center for Arts and Sciences laboratories.

Action Carting After CBS has collected and sorted waste from around NYU buildings, NYU’s waste management provider, Action Carting, picks up all the university’s waste and general recycling — glass, plastic, paper and metal.

KATIE PEURRUNG | WSN

According to Scheib, the company covers 80 pick-up locations around campus, including NYU-owned residence halls. However, the seven residence halls leased by NYU, now including Tandon’s Clark Street Residence Hall, get their trash taken to landfill waste-storing and recycling facilities by The City of New York Department of Sanitation, according to Reis.

Six times a week, Action Carting picks up landfill waste to be taken to its locations in New Jersey. Three times a week, it picks up recycled goods and takes all non-paper material to its Bronx recycling facility.

On its website, Action Carting specifies: “make sure you do not include any food waste or residual food waste with acceptable recycled items.”

Skyler Barr, the secretary of Community Agriculture and a part of NYU EcoReps, said that when it comes to recycling and making NYU sustainable and environmentally-friendly, the responsibility falls on the community as much as it does on the Office of Sustainability and other services, including Action Carting.

Barr believes, with all the risks considered, single-stream recycling incentivizes people to recycle more. They said one of the biggest issues with recycling is that people simply don’t know what can and can’t be recycled.

“A lot of people wouldn’t recycle if they had five different bins to choose from,” Barr said.

GLS junior Josi Riederer, a senior organizer with NYU’s Take Back the Tap — which promotes the use of tap water over bottled water — says that NYU has the infrastructure for students to recycle properly, but now it’s just a matter of education.

“There are pretty specific directions about what [waste] should go where,” Riederer said.

“There is just the bigger issue of student education, and if students care or know where to put what. Overall, I would say NYU needs to focus on reducing waste and limiting its sale of single-use goods as a way to bring down the amount of waste thrown out at school.”

Sustainability Senator at-Large Edin Thornton echoes Riederer’s concern for educating the greater NYU community about the university’s waste procedures.

“It would be so valuable for the entire NYU community to understand what’s happening with their trash,” Thornton said.

“We’re a team here.”

Email Anna Muratova at amuratova@nyunews.com.

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SPORTS

Edited by BRENDAN DUGGAN and ZACH HAN

Forget Hogwarts — NYU Quidditch Is Flying High

By BELA KIRPALANI Deputy Managing Editor At the start of his first year, Robert Mast tagged along to Club Fest with a friend. He jokingly signed up for NYU Quidditch on a whim, and when his friend asked him if he planned to attend the information session later that day, he laughed.

“I was like, ‘No, obviously I’m not going to actually go to the quidditch meeting,’” Mast quipped. “But then I was like, ‘You know, I just got to college.

I’m willing to do whatever.’”

Last weekend, the Gallatin senior played one of his final matches for the varsity quidditch team at the U.S. Quidditch Cup in Austin, Texas, where NYU made it to the final four — the furthest the team has ever advanced in its nineyear history. The team beat the likes of Virginia Tech, University of California Los Angeles and the University of Maryland before losing out to the University of California, Berkeley.

“I think I cried maybe five or six times throughout the course of the day,” Mast said with a smile.

NYU Quidditch is a university club broken into two teams: Varsity, for high-level competitive play, and the Pigeons, the developmental team for people who just want to have fun and dip their toes into the sport. The varsity team, comprised of 24 players, competes in eight tournaments during the school year, facing off against various east coast teams.

You may be imagining flying broomsticks and a snitch that buzzes about, swiftly fluttering in and out of view. In a muggle quidditch match like the ones NYU students play, however, everyone’s feet are firmly on the ground. Instead of brooms, players run about with PVC pipes between their legs. The snitch is not a tiny, magic ball with wings, but rather a neutral player with a flag football-esque tail attached to their shorts.

There are seven players per team allowed on the field at once: one seeker, three chasers, two beaters and one keeper.

CAS senior Aidan Claffey joined NYU Quidditch his first year, and noted the team’s growth and its different approach to this year’s national tournament.

“We’ve consistently underperformed at the regional tournament [in the fall],” Claffey said. “This year, we lost in the semifinals, which was really disappointing. So I think we played the rest of the season with a chip on our shoulder.”

Because the quidditch team is simply a club and not an official club sport or NYU athletics team, the team faces unique difficulties. Finding free field space in New York City for practice, scraping together the funds to travel to and from games and having to rely on a generous team member to store the equipment — brooms, hoops and all — are just some of the issues the student-run organization contends with.

Going into the tournament, nationally 12th-ranked NYU was underestimated by onlookers as it faced higher-ranked teams. As the team progressed, however, people began to take notice and even cheer in support.

“It was crazy,” Steinhardt sophomore Katelyn Martinez said. “They started shouting our chants back at us during the final games. It started around [the Sweet 16 game against UCLA] because people weren’t expecting us to still be in.

It was really, really cool to have the stands cheering for us.”

NYU is known for always thanking the other team after matches. When the team is together in practice, though, the trash talk knows no bounds.

“That’s how family is,” Mast said.

“You make fun of each other, you mess with each other. That’s how you get better and how you bond with each other.”

Family is more than a buzzword among the players. During timeouts, the team huddles together and chants, “Family on three!” before taking the

COURTESY OF NYU QUIDDITCH

CAS senior Landon Garfinkel throws a quaffle in a match against the University of Maryland. NYU won the game 190-170 to advance to the semifinals of the U.S. Quidditch Cup 12 for the first time.

field. When CAS sophomore Kellan Cupid, the team’s captain, was hit with a long-term injury, Claffey stepped up to lead the team for the crucial final month of the season.

“It’s a family; every game someone different steps up,” Mast said. “Your teammates are there to pick you up when you’re down. We’ve built a really great family on the team and a bunch of kids that care about each other.”

In the quarterfinals against the University of Maryland, College Park, Martinez, a star chaser, turned awkwardly and sprained her ACL, leaving her on the sidelines for the rest of the tournament.

“Immediately, I was surrounded by my team and they all helped me out,” Martinez said. “I was laid out on the medic’s table and one of my teammates was holding my hand, making sure I was OK. And I could hear us win and they all came over to celebrate with me, too.

I’m so proud of them and I’m very glad we got that far.”

Instead of crumbling, the team rallied after Martinez’s injury, ultimately winning the match against Maryland in overtime and securing their spot in the semifinal.

“We had players playing out of position, playing many more minutes than in previous games, just giving it their all,” Claffey said. “Seeing that was just really inspiring. That commitment allowed us to make that final four run.”

Ten members of the team will graduate in May, many of whom have been on the team for the majority of their college careers.

“What I’ll miss most is getting to be a part of something you feel is bigger than yourself,” Mast said. “Getting to be a part of something where you feel like you’ve really built a family from the ground up and you’ve spent time fostering a culture and great team environment.”

Though Claffey is graduating, he plans to stay with the team as he pursues a master’s in Data Science. But he

will miss the friendships he made during his four years, from both the Pigeons and varsity team.

“There’s people who have been playing on the B-team, people who have been playing on the Pigeons for four years,” Claffey said. “Just because they weren’t on the varsity team doesn’t mean they are any less important to the club. They’re also some really close friends of mine and they bring the same amount of passion to the club. I’m going to miss all of that.”

The seniors will leave behind a strong winning culture and a close-knit environment of players who really care about each other.

“Everyone is there for each other, and not every team in quidditch is like that,” Mast said. “A lot of teams will have maybe three or four players dominate. But with us, it’s different. It takes a whole team effort to do what we did.”

Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.

THE SPORTS GIRL

The WNBA’s MVP Is Out for the Season. Now What?

SOPHIA DI IORIO | WSN

By BELA KIRPALANI Deputy Managing Editor Reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in last weekend’s EuroLeague title game, rendering her injured for the entire WNBA 2019 season, which starts next month.

Aside from being incredibly devastating for

Stewart and the Seattle Storm’s title chances, this injury and the ones that preceded it underline the need for the WNBA to change the way it treats its players.

Stewart was playing for Russian team Dynamo Kursk when she landed on the foot of UMMC Ekaterinburg center and fellow WNBA star Brittney Griner and fell to the ground in pain. Stewart and Griner

were among seven WNBA players on the court that day.

Injuries are part of being a professional athlete; that comes with the deal. However, the 24-year-old’s injury is not the first to happen to a player abroad. After the conclusion of every WNBA season, many of the league’s stars — this year, 89 of the league’s 144 players — choose to play overseas in order to supplement their income.

A few weeks ago, Indiana Fever guard Victoria Vivians suffered a torn ACL while playing in Israel. She will also miss the upcoming WNBA season. WNBA Rookie of the Year A’ja Wilson had to return to the U.S. after she hurt her right knee playing in China. Thankfully, she was able to make a full recovery.

The median salary for a WNBA player is around $71,365, with starting salaries at $50,000. Stewart’s base salary last season with the Storm was $56,793, and she earned bonuses of $15,000 for being MVP, $11,025 for winning the WNBA title, $10,000 for being All-WNBA first team and $2,500 for being an All-Star. According to a CNBC report, WNBA players earn just 20% of NBA players’ salaries. Salaries for female players in the EuroLeague start at $100,000.

Can you imagine Stephen Curry or

LeBron James jetting off to Europe to play after the end of the NBA season? Of course not, because the prospect of playing more games after a grueling full season of basketball is ludicrous. This is the reality of many women in the WNBA. In 2018, Stewart played in China, had some time off, played 42 WNBA games, played in the World Cup in the Canary Islands, had some time off and then competed in the EuroLeague in Russia, where her season came to a premature end. The last time she had significant time to rest was before her senior year at the University of Connecticut four years ago — where she won four straight NCAA titles.

It’s not entirely fair to simply compare the salaries of NBA and WNBA players because the NBA earns significantly more revenue. However, the WNBA players are not treated the same as their male counterparts.

The NBA pays its players approximately 50% of league revenue. According to a 2017 Forbes report, WNBA players receive less than 25% of the league’s revenue. While the WNBA season is 48 games shorter than the NBA’s 82-game season, the average WNBA player only makes an average of $2,098 per game while an NBA player rakes in an average of $32,311. In other words, a significant gender wage gap exists in professional bas-

ketball and it is not going away.

WNBA players have been outspoken about their concerns ahead of negotiations for the new collective bargaining agreement. The Dallas Wings’ Elizabeth Cambage has suggested that she might sit out the upcoming WNBA season if her trade to the Los Angeles Sparks does not go through and pointed out how she can make significantly more money playing overseas than playing in the WNBA. But this is not just about money.

In a 2018 article in The Players’ Tribune, WNBA Players Association President Nneka Ogwumike wrote about the factors contributing to the players’ decision to opt out of the current CBA following the 2019 season. Lack of transparency from the league, poor travel conditions and little visibility are some of the issues WNBA players will surely bring up the next time they are sitting at the table with WNBA executives.

With the upcoming CBA negotiations, these issues are in the spotlight more than ever. It’s in the WNBA’s best interests to figure out a way to keep its best players healthy so they don’t have to push their bodies to the limits playing basketball all year long.

Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.