Washington Square News | August 25, 2019

5 CULTURE

9 OPINION

Meet the Sophomore Running an Apartment Braiding Business

Overcoming Oppression Through Corrective Education

6 ARTS

11 SPORTS

The New York City Art Scene: An Introduction

NYU Swimmer Breaks Trinidad and Tobago Record

VOLUME LIII | ISSUE 1

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

Italian Princess Sues NYU For Billion-Dollar Art Collection The granddaughter of Sir Arthur Acton, who, along with his wife, owned an extensive art collection left to NYU by their son, is now suing the university for it.

By VICTOR PORCELLI News Editor

LISA COCHRAN | WSN

A view of Villa Natalia, on NYU Florence’s campus.

NYU is in a legal battle over its billion-dollar art collection — currently held at its study away site in Florence — with a woman whose mother was the illegitimate daughter of the British art collector who owned it.

Sir Arthur Acton was a middle-class British man who married Hortense Acton, a wealthy Chicagoan whose father was a president of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank. The couple lived in Italy, where Arthur used Hortense’s wealth to pursue a career as an art collector and dealer. Hortense paid for the art, as well as Villa La Pietra — a renaissance villa outside Florence now owned by NYU. The university acquired it from their son, Sir Harold Acton, who died in 1994.

The source of NYU’s legal trouble, though, is Arthur’s infidelity.

Arthur had a mistress with whom he had a daughter. That daughter was Liana Beacci, who began the lawsuit against NYU that her own daughter, Italian Princess Dialta Alliata Lensi Orlandi, has continued after her death.

Lensi believes that her mother deserved a portion of the estate left to Harold Acton, some of which is now owned by NYU. However, the court has not touched on the inheritance aspect of the case. After over two decades of litigation, a court has just confirmed that Liana was, in fact, Arthur’s daughter, which was previously being disputed.

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2018 Stern Grad Arrested for Insider Trading

By VICTOR PORCELLI News Editor An NYU alumnus was arrested for insider trading earlier this month after allegedly leveraging private information to make almost $100,000 off the stock market, according to court documents.

Bill Tsai — who graduated from the Stern School of Business in 2018 and served as Stern Student Council

President his senior year — worked as a junior analyst at the investment bank RBC Capital Markets after graduating.

Through his job, Tsai learned that the private equity firm Siris Capital Group would buy Electronics for Imaging, a digital printing technology company.

Using a brokerage account with a firm that was not permitted under his employment agreement with RBC, Tsai bought 187 stocks of EFI before it was announced that Siris acquired them,

court documents claim.

Using non-public information that may have an impact on stock prices — such as the fact that EFI was going to be bought — to buy or sell stocks is illegal. Tsai’s prior knowledge, gained only through his work at RBC, allowed him to buy EFI stocks when they were low, knowing he could sell them high after it was announced they had been bought by Siris.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

MARVA SHI | WSN

Former USWNT Goalkeeper Prepares for Fifth Season Coaching at NYU READ MORE ON PAGE 10

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In a statement, university spokesperson John Beckman said that because Liana was not related to Hortense, Lensi should not be entitled to any portion of the estate.

“The fact is that Villa La Pietra was not bought nor ever owned by Arthur Acton, who was of modest means,” Beckman said. “Rather, Villa La Pietra was acquired by his wife, Hortense, who was heir to an American banking fortune. And there is no question that Liana Beacci and her children are unrelated to Hortense Mitchell Acton, and have no claim whatsoever on her estate.”

In addition to Lensi’s stake in the fortune being questioned, whether or not she even had a basis to sue NYU is still

being explored. Italy previously had a law which prevented the suing of an heir to an heir. In this case, NYU is the heir to Harold who is the heir to Arthur and Hortense. However, during the long court battle, the law changed.

NYU School of Law Adjunct Professor Bridget Crawford, who teaches a course on estate and inheritance law, said that such a law typically would not apply retroactively.

Crawford also said that due to the fact that Arthur died first, any inheritance that he would have left — which Lensi may be entitled to — may not have even been a factor in the estate left to Harold.

“When Arthur died, the non-marital kid and then by definition the non-marital grandchild, definitely had dibs on part

of Arthur’s estate,” Crawford said in an interview with WSN. “Absolutely true that that child, or the grandchild standing in their shoes, could call back a portion of the estate that went to Hortense and/or Harold. But it’s going to be a long-hill flog to prove that Hortense was holding on to [Arthur’s money] by the time she died.”

With the heir-to-an-heir law and the fact that Hortense paid for the property being fought over, Crawford said the battle will likely end in a settlement.

“Bottom-line this grandchild’s probably not going to get anything, NYU will likely settle it for a very small amount and the grandchild will go away,” Crawford said.

Email Victor Porcelli at vporcelli@nyunews.com.

Edited by VICTOR PORCELLI

2018 Stern Grad Arrested for Insider Trading

Italian Princess Sues NYU For Billion-Dollar Art Collection CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

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EFI’s stock price jumped from $29.40 to $38 per share after the announcement, and Tsai made an estimated $98,750 by selling his stocks, according to court documents.

Tsai has since been charged by federal prosecutors with insider trading and had a civil lawsuit filed against him by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“We were shocked and disheartened by the news reports,” Stern said in a statement to WSN. “NYU Stern requires professional and social responsibility coursework as a core pillar in the undergraduate business curriculum. Any incident such as this only deepens our resolve to maintain ethics education as a priority.”

Tsai interned at RBC in the summer of 2017 and was hired as a full-time employee in July 2018, according to the SEC. As a junior analyst, part of his job was to update a list of transactions that included mergers and acquisitions like that of EFI by Siris.

Tsai went through training that covered RBC’s policy on insider trading. RBC requires

employees to keep non-public information confidential and clearly states that insider trading is both against its policy and federal law. He had also signed a form when he was first hired stating that he did not have “employee or employee related” trading accounts like the one he allegedly used to buy EFI stock.

“RBC has a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of the law or our code of conduct,” an RBC spokesperson said in a statement to WSN. “We have cooperated fully with law enforcement as it relates to this matter.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that Tsai has since been fired from the company. Tsai is set to appear in court on Sept. 11 for a preliminary hearing on his criminal charges.

Tsai and his attorney, Mark Hellerer, did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.

NYU Stern Student Council did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.

Email Victor Porcelli at vporcelli@nyunews.com.

Professor Sells NYU-Owned Townhouse For Millions

By ALEXANDRIA JOHNSON Deputy News Editor An NYU professor made $8.3 million by selling a property originally owned

by NYU — a deal which the university profited from, too — as reported by the New York Post.

In 1996 the NYU School of Law Foundation made a deal to rent the Charles Street Townhouse to Law Professor Richard Stewart for an undisclosed price, according to the university’s most recent tax filing. The deal had a provision which allowed the professor to sell the house — with NYU receiving a set amount based on an agreed-upon formula — and Stewart receiving the rest. The house was sold in 2017 but came up in NYU’s tax forms, which showed that Stewart pocketed $8.3 million after Le Petit Francozuelan LLC purchased the property for $15 million.

University spokesperson John Beckman noted that the large sum of money Stewart received stemmed from the property having increased in value over the 20-plus years it was used as faculty housing.

“The vast majority of Professor Stewart’s compensation as reflected in NYU’s 990 form did not come from the University or from tuition dollars,” Beckman said.

The New York Post notes that another law professor, Daniel Shaviro, does not have the option to buy a townhouse on the same street. Instead, he only rents it from the university.

The university had bought the townhouse in 1996 from Loren H. Plotkin, who studied tax law at NYU Law, according to city documents. Although the amount NYU paid for the property is not listed, a neighboring townhouse sold for $2.9 million in 2011, less than a fifth of the $15 million Stewart’s property sold for in 2017.

Email Alexandria Johnson at ajohnson@nyunews.com.

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A front view of 77 Charles St., a property originally owned by NYU, and recently sold for millions.

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Washington Square News | News

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

Adjunct Professor Claims Facebook’s New Currency Stole His Ideas

By ALEXANDRIA JOHNSON Deputy News Editor An NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences professor has claimed that Facebook plagiarized a trade coin he proposed in an academic paper with their new e-currency, Libra, according to Coindesk.

Adjunct Professor of Mathematics Alexander Lipton published a journal article called, “Digital Trade Coin: Towards a More Stable Currency,” with his peers Thomas Hardjono and Alex Pentland last year. He noticed three similarities between Libra — which was announced in June — and his proposed trade coin.

“Facebook duplicated my idea of a tradecoin proposal with their cryptocurrency, Libra,” Lipton told WSN. Lipton cited the fact that both Libra and his trade coin would be accessible around the world, instead of only targeting large countries as some cryptocurrencies do. Libra and Lipton’s coin would also both have validators, which adds security by verifying transactions.

This allows for larger transactions to be made in less time, according to Lipton.

In Libra’s “White Paper,” the document Facebook created to introduce their currency to the world, they mentioned that Libra would be led by the Libra Association, a nonprofit

organization based in Switzerland. This association would include large companies such as Mastercard, Ebay and Paypal, who would also serve as the validators mentioned earlier.

Lipton’s paper suggested a trade coin in which validators are also stakeholders, and Libra is following the same model.

“The association is designed to [...] coordinate the agreement among its stakeholders — the network’s validator nodes — in their pursuit to promote, develop, and expand the network, and to manage the reserve,” Libra’s White Paper stated.

This means the companies who benefit the most from Libra will also be in charge of regulating the system.

Libra will be run by a new Facebook subsidiary called Calibra. Calibra declined to comment to WSN. Coindesk pointed out differences between Libra and Lipton’s proposal. Libra will be used as a digital version of existing currencies, while Lipton’s trade coin would be used as an alternative to money consumers use today. Additionally, Lipton’s coin is backed by oil and other commodities; Libra will use other currencies.

Email Alexandria Johnson at ajohnson@nyunews.com.

3

NYU Shanghai to Double Size With New Campus in 2022

By VICTOR PORCELLI News Editor A lab, library and athletic center are a few upgrades that will be included in a new campus at NYU Shanghai planned for 2022, according to a press release by the university.

Located at Pudong’s Qiantan district in Shanghai, the campus will be in an up-andcoming area that is home to both residential and commercial buildings. It will be almost 1,230,000 square feet, allowing NYU Shanghai to double its classroom space and increase the current 1,300 student body by 4,000. The 10-story campus will be home to both graduate and undergraduate students, with areas open to the public, too.

NYU President Andrew Hamilton spoke about it using his standard catchphrase for the Washington Square campus, calling it “in and of the city.” “[NYU] has a strong tradition of being a university without walls and also being very integrated with its host city,” Hamilton said in the press release.

A new 16,000-foot library will be one feature of the new campus, as well as more lab, research and athletic space.

NYU Shanghai rising junior Chris Nelson said that he has mixed feelings about the new campus, but many of his friends feel

that the added space will be beneficial to current students.

Nelson worries business students who are placed in the newer campus may miss out on opportunities.

“The only real loss is we have such a high percentage of business students and being where we are they’re right in the heart of the business district,” Nelson said. “I think that’ll be a bummer for business students, in particular.”

Nelson did voice support for the collaboration between students and developers when planning the campus. The project was the first in China to be awarded Honors for Excellence in Planning a New Campus from the Society for College and University Planning.

With an increase in size, Nelson is also concerned that NYU Shanghai may lose its small-school atmosphere, but is hopeful.

“I think that can still be maintained considering the maximum capacity of the new building is going to be around 4,000 students, which is still very small,” Nelson said.

“So, I think that very tight-knit community, I don’t think there will be a problem maintaining that at the new campus.”

Email Victor Porcelli at vporcelli@nyunews.com.

Langone No Longer Accepting Donations From Opioid Manufacturing Family

By JULIA BAXLEY Staff Writer Earlier this summer, NYU Langone ceased to accept donations from the Sacklers — the powerful family that owns Purdue Pharma, a company that manufactures OxyContin. However, the name of Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, named for the family, has not been changed.

Purdue Pharma is currently being sued by 48 states that have accused the company and its owners of practicing unsafe marketing practices by downplaying the risks of addiction to OxyContin while exaggerating its benefits. With many states now feeling the effects of the opioid crisis — nearly 218,000 people have died in the United States from prescription opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2017, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Langone has joined institutions such as the Tate Galleries and Guggenheim Museum in publicly stating that they will no longer accept donations from the Sacklers.

NYU Langone’s connection with the Sackler family goes back to 1980, when the Sackler Institute was named after the family. However, a spokesperson said that Langone has not accepted donations for almost a decade.

“We have not taken a donation from the Sackler family since 2010,” a spokesperson from NYU Langone Health told WSN. “We have decided we will not be accepting new donations from the Sackler family or any Sackler-related entities.”

The spokesperson did not comment on whether or not Langone

would consider changing their graduate school’s name.

NYU has been criticized by students and others in the past for buildings named after controversial figures. A student activist group demanded Bobst Library be renamed in 2016 due to the library’s namesake, Elmer Holmes Bobst, being an anti-Semite and accused pedophile. After Michael Steinhardt was accused of sexually harassing multiple women, some students expressed support for renaming the Steinhardt School of Education, Culture and Human Development.

Despite this, the university has never expressed any intention to rename the buildings.

Like Michael Steinhardt, the Sacklers have donated significant amounts to other institutions as well. Because of this, NYU Langone isn’t the only institution to take the name of the powerful family.

The Old Royal Naval College in London has the Sackler Gallery, and the Louvre has the Sackler Wing of Oriental Antiques. Oxford University has a Sackler Library, Columbia University has a Sackler Institute and you can even find a Sackler Wing in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The National Institute on Drug Abuse listed false marketing as a major cause of the opioid crisis, including the allegations against Purdue Pharma. This has resulted in many institutions cutting off relations with the Sacklers, but none have removed the family name thus far.

NINA SCHIFANO | WSN

Email Julia Baxley at news@nyunews.com.

The entrance to the main campus of NYU Langone Health in Midtown. In June, Langone stopped accepting donations from the owners of Purdue Pharma.

Washington Square News

4

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

CULTURE

CULTURE@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by CAROL LEE

Spots To Savor Before Summer’s End

By LAUREN GRUBER Deputy Culture Editor While classes might soon be starting again, it’s not quite yet sweater weather and the summer heat in New York is far from over. Holing up indoors with an industrial-sized fan until fall is a great way to escape the scorching temperatures, but you’ll be missing out on the city’s best seasonal events.

Make some time to savor the last days of summer with these fun activities — before it’s too late!

Smorgasburg in Williamsburg When: Now through late October, Saturdays 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Where: Williamsburg Cost: Free entry, pay for food The beloved — albeit over-Instagrammed — foodie market in Williamsburg is the perfect spot to sample a myriad of creative bites like Thai rolled ice cream, savory Colombian arepas, pizza cupcakes (yes, really) and plenty more. Those brave enough to ride the dreaded L train to Brooklyn will be rewarded with all these delicacies, plus gorgeous views from East River Park.

Kayaking in the Hudson River When: Now through Oct. 14, various times Where: Hudson River Park Cost: Free Even non-outdoorsy types will love getting to experience Manhattan by boat. Not only is kayaking a great

arm workout, but it allows us to see the city from a new vantage point and take a break from the oppressive late summer heat. Make it a group outing, or start cuffing season early with this creative date idea. Either way, you’ll get to take in unique views of New York City and have some incentive to leave the comfort of your hopefully air-conditioned dorm or apartment.

Luna Park When: Various dates and times through Oct. 27 Where: Coney Island Cost: $41-$69 Before your schedule gets inundated with exams and essays, take a trip down to Coney Island and visit one of New York’s most recognizable summer destinations. Ride the iconic Coney Island Cyclone, have a blast losing money at the arcade games and scarf down a corn dog or four.

Can’t make it this September? Luna Park has plenty of Halloween-themed events throughout October before closing for the winter.

Queens Night Market When: Sept. 14 - Oct. 26, 5 p.m. Midnight Where: Corona Park Cost: Free entry, pay for food Already sick of Smorgasburg?

Make the trek to Flushing Meadows Corona Park to attend this beloved foodie event, renowned for its myriad of delicious international foods. This season, the market offers delicacies

JULIA MCNEILL | WSN

Students picnic and relax in Central Park, just one of New York’s many parks.

like Indian masala noodles, Norwegian fish pudding, Ukrainian blintzes and Puerto Rican tamales, among others. The festival also features an array of shops, artists and performers to delay the inevitable food coma.

Catch an Outdoor Movie When: Varies Where: Varies Cost: Varies Bring a blanket, snacks and bug spray to one of New York’s many outdoor movie venues. Parklife in Brooklyn hosts movies on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., with flicks like 10

Things I Hate About You (Aug. 28) and Beetlejuice (Sept. 4), alongside their tasty Mexican food and drink menu. Also in Brooklyn, Habana Outpost pairs films (Sundays at 8 p.m.) with their traditional Mexican and Cuban cuisine. If you prefer to stay in Manhattan, Seaport District NYC is showing their Seaport Cinema series (Mondays through Sept. 16) of outdoor movies like 50 First Dates and Hook at their Lower East Side rooftop.

Where: Any park Cost: Varies

Picnic

Email Lauren Gruber at lgruber@nyunews.com.

When: Your choice

If scheduled events are too stressful, you can still enjoy the sunshine on your own time with a low-maintenance park picnic. Bring towels, friends and plenty of snacks to Tompkin Square Park’s coveted green space, or make a day of it and take a trip to Prospect Park. Better yet, bring a book and get some much-needed you-time before the craziness of classes sets in.

Curing Heartbreak One Bite at a Time

By CALAIS WATKINS Dining Editor Some say ice cream and romantic comedies are all it takes to get over a breakup. Your mom keeps reminding you of how many fish there are in the sea. Your friends encourage a night out topped off with a rebound.

You delete what you can, but then Snapchat Memories do you dirty and the pattern repeats. The one thing you can count on is the healing that comes with time, but time moves slowly for the broken-hearted.

Or maybe that’s just me. After getting my own heart broken this summer, my writing is fueled by personal experience.

Whether you’re facing the end of a high school romance, a whirlwind summer fling or a relationship with the person you thought was The One, breakups suck.

Period. But here’s the good news. Your heart might feel empty, but your stomach doesn’t have to.

There are two types of people when it comes to dealing with stress, anxiety and food: the stress eaters and the stress non-eaters.

CAS junior Emmett Hannigan, shared some advice for those who find it difficult to eat when grappling with negative emotions.

“Keep meals small and frequent throughout the day rather than trying to force down huge meals when you have no appetite,” Hannigan said in a text message. “Whether you’re hungry or not, it’s important to eat, and over time it will become as enjoyable as it was before the breakup.”

As a stress non-eater myself, I highly recommend smoothies. Liquiteria has smooth-

ies, juices and acai bowls that both taste great and come with the option of adding powder shots, such as protein and energy-boosting blends. Liquiteria has three locations close to campus, but if getting off of your couch feels like an unachievable feat, they also deliver. You really can’t go wrong.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the stress eaters. At 11:30 p.m., there’s a pint of peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with your name on it. At

“

When all you want to do is beat yourself up on the couch, getting up and doing something productive can go a long way as far as changing your flow of thoughts.

NOAH ROSNER Gallatin junior

”

11:40 p.m., the ice cream is gone and you’re left with a whole lot of regret, cursing the people over at Häagen-Dazs for making their product so tempting.

I’m not suggesting holding out on food when you’re feeling hungry. However, instead of filling your shopping cart with junk food, try picking up some healthier items.

Not convinced just yet? Steinhardt junior Kate, who used an alias because her ex attends NYU, spoke about her struggles as a stress-eater.

“Healthier foods actually made me feel better,” Kate said in a Facebook message. “Salads, hot tea, vegetables, and other things like that made me feel stronger both physically and mentally after the breakup with my ex.”

This change of habit could look like something as simple as swapping out the family-sized bag of Doritos for some Trader Joe’s organic popcorn. Baby steps.

When asked what her go-to comfort food was, Kate recommended frozen yogurt from 16 Handles, located on Second Avenue and 10th Street. And I can almost guarantee that your stomach will feel better after some fro-yo than it would after a pint of ice cream.

However, it’s not only what you eat, but how you go about preparing your food that could make up the difference between a terrible and a not-so-bad night when going through a breakup.

Gallatin junior Noah Rosner expressed his belief in the healing powers of cooking.

“First, you have to go out into the world and buy ingredients,” Rosner said in a Facebook message. “When all you want to do is beat yourself up on the couch, getting up and doing something productive can go a long way as far as changing your flow of thoughts.”

What’s more, following this excursion out into the world comes a sense of accomplishment and pride in preparing a meal.

In addition to providing a healthy distraction for your thoughts, cooking also means you’re taking care of yourself physically.

All of this advice sounds great, but you and I both know it’s hard to actual-

ly implement into a post-breakup mindset and lifestyle. If cooking and eating healthy seem too daunting for the time being, it’s okay. You can start whenever you feel ready.

Email Calais Watkins at cwatkins@nyunews.com.

LLUSTRATION BY LI-CHUN PAN

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

Washington Square News | Culture

Meet the Sophomore Running an Apartment Braiding Business

By BELLA GIL Beauty & Style Editor The art of turning multiple strands into one. Some people are well-versed in the art of braiding, with a select few able to handle the tricky maneuvers of box braids and cornrows. However, not many can say they turned their braiding skills into a business.

Steinhardt sophomore and Brooklyn native Ashley Hart is a hair connoisseur who turned the skills she learned in childhood from her aunt into something prof itable. After years practicing on dolls and eventually her friends and family, Hart was prompted by a friend to start styling others’ hair. She even went so far as to take a class that focused on stitch braiding. Soon after, she started promoting herself on Instagram, where she gained a lot of traction from NYU students, especially those in her f irst-year dorm.

In Rubin Hall, notorious for its sudden f ire alarms and blazing temperatures in the summer, Hart decided to start her own business and become a hair braider this past April.

Now working from her own apartment off campus, she feels a new level of professionalism in her work.

“In the dorm, I just had everything in a bag on my desk,” Hart laughed. “But I still have NYU students come to me.”

Hart typically has about two appointments a day, which she schedules through Instagram direct messages. Once availability is set, Hart then tells her client what kind of hair extensions they should provide for the specif ic style they requested.

“My favorite style to do is the knotless box braids. They’re easy and light,” Hart said. “It’s not too much hair, and they’re not too tight, either.”

Although she has her favorite styles readily available, Hart accepts challenges and is always interested in trying new styles whenever her clients request them. Another thing she f inds intriguing about running her business is the connections and interactions she has with her customers.

“Usually you have to feel the vibe,” Hart said. “Some people come in and

you can tell they don’t wanna talk and just like to listen to music, but some people love to talk and I’m f ine with either one.”

Hart’s expertise and careful ability to gauge customers is what continues to bring in clients, both old and new.

“Ashley’s business is her professionalism, cleanliness, her overall work and her flexibility with scheduling,” CAS sophomore Likai Flemming said. “Her prices are amazing for her services as well.”

Her regulars — called brand ambassadors because they sport her merch — come not only from NYU, but make the train ride all the way from all over Brooklyn and Queens.

This upcoming semester, Hart is

5

NYU Trend Report: Back to School Edition

studying abroad at NYU London, where she wants to continue braiding. She has been tagging her posts with the hashtag #londonbraider in hopes of f inding clients overseas.

However, regulars like Flemming continue bringing customers in while Hart is still in the city. “[Hart] makes you enjoy your time getting your hair done from the minute you walk in and sit in her chair until you leave,” Flemming said. “Nothing is worse than getting services done from a person you feel uncomfortable with or who is rude. Ashley is just the opposite, which makes the whole experience even better.”

Email Bella Gil at bgil@nyunews.com.

MANDIE MONTES | WSN

Leopard print midi-skirt styled with a leopard print sweater on display at Madewell.

By CAROL LEE Culture Editor What is Welcome Week if not an opportunity for NYU students to show off their stellar summer outfits? Here are a few of the trends you’ll be sure to see strutting down University Place.

Fjällräven Kånken Backpacks Channel your inner VSCO girl.

If your deepest, wildest desire is to blend seamlessly into the crowds of NYU students roaming the Greenwich Village streets, simply jump onto the years-long backpack trend that refuses to die. The multifarious color selection allows for a certain level of self-expression — although the same exact style will probably make an appearance on the backs of three other students in your 8 a.m. lecture.

MARVA SHI | WSN

Steinhardt sophomore Ashley Hart poses with merchandise from her hairstyling business, based out of her Brooklyn apartment.

Leopard Print Midi Skirts The new little black dress.

Eye-catching, chic, but now hardly unique, these glorious

garments have monopolized the women’s clothing market from the waist down. And for good reason — you can slip these on with any top of your choice, from a classic white button-down to that itchy multi-colored sweater your grandma knit you last winter.

Wildly basic.

Silk Scarves On your bag, in your hair, around your waist, everywhere.

Silk scarves are the unsung heroines of accessories. Yes, they can be a pop of color in an otherwise boring ensemble or add a unique twist to a bag everybody has, but a silk scarf can be just as utilitarian as it is decorative. Don’t own a belt? Silk scarf around your waist. Hair sad and limp because you didn’t get to wash it last night?

Silk scarf around your ponytail.

Hiding a hickey and running late to meet your parents for dinner?

Silk scarf around your neck. See? Stylish, sleek and solved.

Email Carol Lee at clee@nyunews.com.

Shoot Your Platonic Shot

By RIA MITTAL Staff Writer Starting your first year at college is hard enough already — you’re leaving behind all semblance of structure and delving into a new world of opinions, experimentation and copious amounts of alcohol. What puts all these other struggles to shame, however, is the universally awkward dance of making friends.

You go from spending most of your life with the same people to being thrust into a completely new environment where everything and everyone is unknown. There is a silver lining, though — the fact that nobody is alone in this.

Welcome Week is usually where students meet the most people and where the statistical chances of friend-making success are highest. With all the events, tours and hangouts, there’s something

for almost everyone. Steinhardt junior Shreya Jain met her closest friends at the South East Asian club meeting during Welcome Week.

“The biggest thing is not to be shy,” Jain said. “Attend all the events and meetings you can during the first week because there will be activities that you and others can enjoy and bond over.”

CAS junior Krini Papacharalambous vouched for the value of joining clubs.

“I think it’s definitely a good idea to enter clubs you’re interested in so you meet people similar to you,” Papacharalambous said. “I made some of my best friends in [Model United Nations] because we already had mutual interests and it was just so easy to connect.”

Tandon senior Kathy Ching said that even the simple act of rushing a fraternity or sorority allows you to make unexpected connections.

“I went to rush Theta Tau and even though I didn’t get to be a brother, a lot of the brothers I know in that fraternity became good friends of mine,” Ching said.

Living in a city as big as New York and going to a college like NYU can be intimidating, but school-specific programs and events are a good way to meet people.

“Because I’m in CAS, I was able to make a few friends through the Cohort Program,” CAS sophomore Tiffany Rhodes said.

Though the school-specific path may be a quick way to build a community of like-minded people, the key is not to take it too seriously. According to Stern junior Yash Sacheti, exclusivity is the worst way to go about making friends.

“If people took Gallatin people more seriously and hated Sternies a little less,

life would be easier,” he said.

People tend to put a lot of pressure on the first week of school, but don’t worry too much if you still haven’t found your new best buds by the end. Where are 20 to 200 college students stuck in the same room for at least 3 hours a week?

In your classes! Don’t be afraid to talk to the person sitting next to you in lecture.

They’re probably hoping you will. But if you can’t get up the strength to actually talk, you can start with baby steps.

“Try to smile at people in class,” CAS junior Emma Ragusa said. “Put out good vibes no matter how alone or nervous you feel at the beginning.”

Try not to get fixated on your idea of what college should be. There’s no pressure to instantly click with your roommate or go out partying every night or find your soulmate during Welcome Week, so don’t try to force anything

into existence or beat yourself up if they don’t pan out. Ragusa underscored the importance of being patient.

“I met [my best friend] in November and thank god I did because up until the first Thanksgiving, I had no friends,” Ragusa said. “The key is not to rush yourself and think that you need a best friend right away. It takes time for things that matter to form.”

Still, trying to find your forever friends among around 27,000 undergraduate students can seem an impossible feat, and it’s hard to be patient when it seems like everyone else is already in established cliques. But if all of these upperclassmen did it, so can you. Just remember to put on a smile, be brave and shoot your platonic shot — as many times as needed.

Email Ria Mittal at culture@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

ARTS

ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by CLAIRE FISHMAN

‘Get Curious’: Skirball’s Fall Programming Promises Literature, Technicolor and Copulating Moles

VIA NYU

Promotional imagery for Philippe Quesne: The Moles, to be performed at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

By JULIE GOLDBERG Books & Theater Editor “Every year we kind of have a new motto,” explains NYU Skirball Director Jay Wegman. “This year it’s ‘Get Curious.’”

Featuring shows tackling modern media coverage through the lens of Greek mythology, drawing on postmodern novels, and borrowing the aboriginal notion of the ‘songline’ or ‘dreaming track’ — the repetition of a song through one’s navigation of a

landscape as a means of accessing ancestral connections to that land — the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts promises adventure and unorthodoxy with its Fall 2019 programming.

“It’s not stuff you’ll see on Broadway,” Wegman said.

On Philippe Quesne’s “The Moles,” a performance which will venture beyond the confines of Skirball’s 850-foot theater, Wegman notes, “They’re from France, they’re seven big moles and they’re go-

ing to go tour Greenwich Village. People are going to think it’s like 42nd Street.

But no, this isn’t Elmo.” Be forewarned: the evening performance is R-rated, while the matinee is family friendly. “Basically, the moles have sex in the night show,” Wegman said.

“The Moles” will run from Sept. 13-14, one of the first productions of the season, following “Bad News! I Was There…,” a site-specific processional performance from JoAnne Akalaitis.

On Sept. 16, Skirball will present “NYU Writers: A Celebration of Writers and Writing at NYU,” which will showcase some of the university’s most esteemed creative writing talent, including Zadie Smith, Jonathan Safran Foer and Jeffrey Eugenides, among others.

Come December, you won’t want to miss “The Builders Association: Elements of Oz,” which is not so much a retelling of Oz as it is a multimedia experience of the film’s production and of the myriad cultural responses to the film, from Youtube videos to fan theories to critical interpretations of the text. The audience will also be asked to download an app on their phone which will “deliver the Technicolor Land of Oz direct to our devices.” (For example, flying monkeys will dash across the screen when you open it.) The performance will explore the moment in which the film transitions from black and white to color, as well as delve into the personal life of Judy Garland.

Skirball is also launching a weekly “book club” series to take place before each Friday night show. Handpicked by Director of Engagement J De Leon, each book has been chosen as a kind of companion piece to the night’s event; the texts all connect to the performance in some way, whether that connection be rather straightforward or more tangential.

The pairing of Don DeLilo’s “White Noise” and Tony-nominated Daniel Fish’s performance piece — freely inspired by Delilo’s seminal novel — of the same name, for example, is a rather obvious choice; Helen Oyeyemi’s inventive novel “Gingerbead,” on the other hand, is a more open-ended selection to accompany “The Builders Association: Elements of Oz.” All of the texts have been published in

the last year, excepting “White Noise.”

The book club picks are meant to open up different interpretations of the performance, and encourage associative thinking. “We’re trying to make as many connections as possible, to offer as many points of entry as possible,” Wegman said.

Wegman attributes student interest in Skirball programming largely to the efforts of the faculty, who have begun putting Skirball events on syllabi or even just encouraging their students to attend a show. Last year, every incoming first-year in Tisch had to attend a Skirball performance and write a response to it.

While shows like “The Moles” are wacky and fun, other performances, such as “ICE: George Lewis’s Soundlines” — Lewis’s musical interpretation of Steven Schick’s 700-mile walk from the U.S.-Mexico border to the San Francisco Bay Area — offer nontraditional ways of seeing and internalizing the complexities of the crises facing the world today.

In “to come (extended),” described on Skirball’s website as a “sculptural performance”, Danish choreographer, dancer and performance artist Mette Ingvartsen explores sexuality and intimacy, specifically in regards to sexual representation, through the movement of 15 discrete bodies as they morph into one formation.

“There’s a huge surprise at the end [of “to come (extended)”] that we can’t talk about,” Wegman said. “You don’t see the last 20 minutes coming, so the last 20 minutes I just love.”

You can buy tickets to Skirball Events at the box office on LaGuardia Place, or online at its website.

Email Jule Goldberg at jgoldberg@nyunews.com.

The New York City Art Scene: An Introduction

By CLAIRE FISHMAN Arts Editor The New York City visual art scene is a daunting one. With so many distinguished museums, galleries and pop-up exhibits, it’s nearly impossible to decide how to spend your weekend. Like most things in New York, it seems that there’s too much to see and too little time. Should you start at the MoMA or The Met? The Whitney or the New Museum? Are you obligated to see the classics first or is it more important to take in the art of the era?

Lucky for us, we have four years to see the breadth of what New York City and a valid NYU ID have to offer. What many students can only see in textbooks, we can see every night of the week. So make use of your university museum membership discounts and your metrocard and make your way to any of the following art spaces for an afternoon of enrichment, culture and class.

Grey Art Gallery (Free with NYU ID) 100 Washington Square East, Greenwich Village Inside the Silver Center, there is a small-but-mighty art gallery that functions within the university as a resource for students, faculty and the people of Greenwich Village. The gallery often

has shows featuring NYU alumni and is a great place to take a study break between classes. Better yet, try to go to an exhibit opening and chat up one of the curators. There’s nothing better than a cute art history nerd telling you about the effect the Iranian Revolution had on modern Middle Eastern art.

The Frick Collection (Free with NYU ID) 1 E 70th St., Upper East Side Located in one of the most beautiful buildings in New York City, The Henry Clay Frick House, The Frick Collection is one of New York’s preeminent museums.

Although the collection rarely changes, the art on display — which right now ranges from Rococo to Revolutionary American — is so masterful that it invites a kind of repeated examination that is seldom demanded by other celebrated private collections. Be sure to catch the Masterpieces of the French Faience exhibit, a great curation of pottery from the collection of Sidney R. Knafel, before it’s gone on Sept. 22. And please, for the love of God, don’t Instagram the Garden Court Fountain.

New Museum (Free with NYU ID) 235 Bowery, Nolita

New Museum is a museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Like its avant garde, metallic exterior, it often shows exhibits like its current “Sydney Shen: Onion Master,” a classic silhouette of an arcade claw machine that protects not candy, but artificial onions, that many students would label questionable. That said, New Museum is one of the only art museums in New York — outside of the Whitney — to consistently take risks and keep its collection current. At only a 10-minute walk from campus, it’s certainly worth a Thursday afternoon visit.

comes with a very high price tag. If you’re looking for the Barneys of the New York City art scene, look no further. But, even still, you should probably take a look.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (by donation) 1000 Fifth Ave., Upper East Side It’s difficult to give The Met a just description, yet despite its importance, many NYU students never take the time in their four years to visit. Whether you

go to see the ancient relics, the impressive collection of Romantic paintings or the rooftop bar, the 30-minute journey from campus will certainly be worth your while. Make a day out of it; laugh at the tourists. The beauty of being in the city is that a museum many students around the world dream of going to is, for you, the price of a subway swipe Email Claire Fishman at cfishman@nyunews.

Gagosian (Free) 522 W 21st St., Chelsea Gagosian isn’t just a gallery, it’s an institution. Larry Gagosian has been one of the most storied art dealers in the history of New York City since the late ’70s and his galleries demonstrate that prestige very clearly. Many New York City galleries, especially the trendy ones, can seem unapproachable and cold in order to garner attention from other unapproachable, cold critics, but the Gagosian Gallery in Chelsea lacks that same urge for attention. At this point, it is more like the Frick than a trendy gallery in Chelsea. Except the art, which is from artists like Jeff Koons and Frank Gehry, is still for sale and

VIA FLICKR

The facade of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of New York’s must-see art destinations.

Washington Square News | Arts

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

‘Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus’ Delights Inferior Humans Young and Old

7

Pom Pom Squad Walks Forward While Looking Back

By ETHAN ZACK Music Editor It wasn’t too long ago that the Brooklyn-based indie rock band Pom Pom Squad was nothing more than an inkling of an idea in the back of the mind of a high schooler.

Now, the band has numerous singles, live shows and attention from mainstream outlets like The Fader under their belt. On the verge of releasing an EP and fully transitioning into a new era, band frontwoman and Clive Davis Institute alum Mia Berrin reflected on the evolution of both the band and herself.

“I don’t want to create this narrative that I just fell into everything,” Berrin said. “I’ve had to work really f-cking hard, but I’m so proud of my journey with this band, mostly because I had no expectations for it.”

Pom Pom Squad is currently enjoying some widespread buzz, courtesy of music media outlet The Fader, following the release of their latest single “Honeysuckle,” a grungy rock throwback with a bitter tinge that betrays its sugary title.

“It was sort of surreal,” Berrin said. “I grew up on The Fader and the fact that they wanted to support the song was pretty dreamy. I kind of didn’t believe it was going to happen until it did.”

Despite their gained experience, Berrin noted the single as a prime example of the amount of effort the band still must put into production and revision to ensure a quality song.

“I was pretty precious about editing this song down, but it had a hard

The year is 2000. Nickelodeon has redef ined children’s media with the likes of “Ren and Stimpy”; crass humor and gratuitous violence abound. American mothers shudder in the wake of the satanic threat posed by Pokémania. Into this world, Jhonen Vasquez unleashes “Invader Zim,” its eponymous, bug-eyed, littlegreen-man endeavoring to subjugate humanity and harvest organs from schoolchildren. During its mere 27-episode run, the show’s ratings were in perpetual decline, but its razor-sharp edge reaped a dedicated fan base. Thirteen years after Zim’s last television appearance, Netflix’s “Enter the Florpus” delivers a compelling conclusion to the beloved cult classic.

“Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus” continues the essential premise of the cartoon. Zim (Richard Horvitz) belongs to the Irken race, whose empire stretches across the Universe. Despised by his brethren for his idiocy and overzealousness, Zim is sent by co-emperors The Almighty Tallest (Wally Wingert and Kevin McDonald) on a secret mission to a far-off planet they call “Urth.” There, he and his malfunctioning robot servant GIR

Email Ethan Zack at ezack@nyunews.com.

VIA NETFLIX

Still from Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus.

By FAREID EL GAFY Film & TV Editor

time finding its footing in the first round of practices,” Berrin said.

“When our old guitarist, Alex Mercuri, brought in that riff, it was like the entire song snapped into place.”

“Honeysuckle” marks the second single for the band’s new EP “Ow,” which is due out on Sept. 6. Berrin described the EP, which has been in the works for over a year, as a simultaneous departure from and culmination of the music the band has created thus far.

“We experimented with sounds, instruments and song structures I’ve never tried before,” Berrin said.

“I think what we achieved in letting go of a commitment to genre is like a story arc. I allowed myself to be a lot freer on this EP. It feels, for me, like an actualized version of our past stuff.”

Aside from their EP, the immediate future for the band consists of their signature bombastic live performances, with a headlining show at Baby’s All Right — their record release party — in Brooklyn on Sept. 15 and an opening show for Miss June at Brooklyn’s Rough Trade in October. Looking further, Berrin assured that more music will come from the band in the future.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself, I’ve learned a lot about music and I feel really lucky and excited about everything that’s happened and is happening,” Berrin said. “But what keeps me grounded is being grateful to do this at all, and to do it with my best friends.”

(Rosearik Rikki Simons) earnestly prepare humanity for domination by the Irken Armada. Fortunately, their efforts are thwarted by 12-year-old paranormal nut Dib (Andy Berman) and his cruelly apathetic sister, Gaz (Melissa Fahn), the children of the brilliant but neglectful Professor Membrane (Rodger Bumpass).

“Enter the Florpus” answers the burning question, what if the alien invader wins?

“Invader Zim” drew much of its cult following from its jarring, offthe-wall humor, and the f ilm recreates that authenticity without repeating old gags. Finally aware that his people are never coming out to the galactic sticks — but unaware that it’s because they bitterly hate him — Zim decides to take Urth to them. It’s a scheme only he could devise. Zim viciously satirizes to such a degree that it is very much at home in today’s comedy world, hyper-aware of society’s ever-increasing polarization. The Irken invader easily hypnotizes humanity with a smartphone-esque product, mindless lies and a song about chicken and rice. At one point he muses, “All this time trying to subjugate the humans, and all I had to do was charge them for it!” GIR’s wacky exclamations on tacos and peanuts epitomize early

2000s “randomness” but they remain as endearing as they were all those years ago.

Improving upon the sharpedged, grunge aesthetic of the original cartoon, “Enter the Florpus” amps up the animation and incorporates its own style. Colors are vibrant while character animation is snappy and frenetically expressive. The TV-movie budget goes a long way in affording multiple styles and all of the metallic, spider-legged, sci-f i eye candy of its predecessor.

“Zim” initiates will draw most of their enjoyment from the zany action, but veterans will be pleasantly surprised by the neat and cathartic end that “Enter the Florpus” provides. In contrast to “Hey Arnold!” and “Rocko’s Modern Life” — both of which recently received movie follow-ups — “Invader Zim” struggled against network execs, and Vasquez was largely unable to tell the story he truly wanted during its troubled run.

“Enter the Florpus,” for all the cynicism of its world, righteously doles out comeuppances and affectionately allows Dib and Zim a face-off worthy of their shared delusions of grandeur.

Email Fareid El Gafy at felgafy@nyunews.com.

VIA FACEBOOK

Pom Pom Squad frontwoman Mia Berren.

Washington Square News

8

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

OPINION

OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by COLE STALLONE and ABBY HOFSTETTER

UNIVERSITY LIFE

Smoothing the FYA Transition

By JUN SUNG Deputy Opinion Editor As a first-year away student at NYU Washington, D.C., I found the FYA program to be a mixed bag of experiences.

While it did provide great opportunities, it didn’t provide a good connection with the rest of the school as a whole. A greater issue came after the year was over, and I had to begin the difficult process of transitioning to the Washington Square campus. Getting accustomed to the fastpaced environment of the city and adapting to a new set of challenges made the transition a stressful experience.

At the time, I felt anxious while trying to keep up with the pace of the city, and it felt taxing to essentially start college for the second time. This meant having to adjust to the environment while the

rest of my classmates seemed to already be settled. I felt like I was one step behind my peers in anything I did.

For me, it was important to realize that this stress was normal. I found quickly that feeling anxious or nervous was a regular feeling that came with moving to New York, and ignoring my feelings wouldn’t help ease the transition.

In adjusting to the move, I found that there were helpful ways to deal with stress. The most important one was relying on the bonds that I made during my first year. Holding on to

these friendships helped give me a supportive base. They also provided a sense of stability that countered the fast pace of the city. With these close bonds, I was able to retain consistency in a period of irregularity.

Another important part of smoothing out my switch to the main campus was maintaining a steady rhythm in my schedule. I did this through small acts, like studying at the same coffee shop a few times a week, or taking a break in the park once a day. These small things added up to make a difference in clearing my head and calming myself. They

helped me form a basic structure in my schedule as well, which motivated me both in and outside of school.

Of course, these ideas can be applied to first-years as well. The same methods can be used to help navigate both New York and NYU. Particularly, though, the idea of leaning on newly-made friendships as a support structure can be useful when first starting college. Essentially, having organization can make the NYU experience a much more enjoyable one from the start.

Email Jun Sung at jsung@nyunews.com.

CULTURE

Lizzo, I’m Crying Cuz I Love You

By ABBY HOFSTETTER Opinion Editor A less-than-quiet transformation is happening to the public’s relationship to fatness, especially fat women. Generation Z, specifically, has been privy to a body positivity movement that seemed entirely unprecedented. With the 2010s came new levels of representation: Melissa McCarthy, Rebel Wilson, Amy Schumer. “Sports Illustrated” featured plus-size model Ashley Graham on the cover of their annual swimsuit issue. But it’s difficult to discern if any of the examples of body positivity that were set in the past decade have, in fact, been positive.

McCarthy’s character in “Bridesmaids” and Wilson’s in “Pitch Perfect” were grotesque caricatures of fat women. Every sexual encounter they had was presented as a

gag — as if how they attracted these men was some mystery that even the movies’ writers couldn’t solve. Schumer’s comedy centered mainly around loving herself despite being fat, her gratitude for her partners loving her even though she was fat, and hating herself for being fat. But not only is Schumer not fat, but volunteering your body for representation and then publicly hating that body cannot possibly be considered positivity. Graham’s cover shoot was a monumental step for representation, but it also reiterated what many already knew: fat women would only be publicly appreciated if they conformed to the rest of traditional beauty standards.

Graham is classically beautiful, perfectly proportioned, and her cellulite and stretch marks (which she proudly features on her Instagram) were missing from the photo.

There was no room to be weird or quirky as a fat woman.

So what happens when we take insults masquerading as compliments and call it body positivity?

At 12 years old, I watched McCarthy and Wilson in the theaters and crossed my arms over my stomach as my friends laughed at Fat Amy’s inability to exercise. At 15, I bought Schumer’s memoir in a desperate attempt for tips on how to

love my body, and found a role model in self-deprecation instead. At 17, I heard that a plus-size model had landed the cover of the swimsuit issue, only to find that the woman on the cover didn’t look like the Ashley Graham I knew from Instagram.

Weight Watchers’ stock price has risen exponentially since hiring Oprah Winfrey as a spokesperson, and they’ve begun offering free memberships to children.

Suicide rates linked to struggles with body image have doubled in the past decade. Fat women who are victims of sexual assault are less likely to be believed; the perpetrator often cites the victim’s weight as proof of his innocence.

This isn’t to say that massive strides toward body positivity haven’t already been made, especially recently. Hulu’s “Shrill,” for example, depicted the complexities of maneuvering social interactions while struggling with body image. “Shrill” was praised, specifically, for depicting a fat woman as a protagonist who was shown both having sex onscreen and with a happy ending. However, “Shrill” was largely a story of discomfort and insecurity, which was unfortunately why it hit so close to home for so many women. Fat women may have finally gotten representation, but it seemed like a dead end — would fat woman char-

acters ever be happy?

Twenty-four days after “Shrill’s” premiere, Lizzo released her soon-to-be hit single “Juice.” Quickly declared a contender for song of the summer, “Juice” launched Lizzo into the spotlight, and the entertainment industry — and the general public — soon had to reckon with the star’s brand of unrelenting self-love.

Lizzo leaves the discomfort and insecurity behind; her lyrics bring unbridled positivity and confidence. “Shrill” was marketed as an honest look at what it’s like to live as a fat woman, but the experience depicted was bleak. Lizzo offers her own honest look at what it’s like to live as a fat woman, and the life she presents is full of love from both herself and others. This life had not been offered to fat women before.

Lizzo is fat, but she almost never addresses this as either a pro or con — it’s stated as fact, only when relevant, then left alone. On “Tempo,” she explains that she “can’t move all of this” to a slower song; on “Water Me,” she thanks God that she’s “getting thicker,” because it makes for better sex. Everything is presented precisely and objectively — she only discusses her weight when it’s necessary, and it rarely is.

Lizzo has sex, and she wants you to know. Her lyrics bring to the spotlight

what has been kept offscreen for years.

She sings about chasing men, about men chasing her, about the pain at the end of a relationship and about the butterflies at the beginning of a new one. She is always the protagonist, never the best friend and never sidelined. Lizzo loves herself, and she doesn’t love herself despite being fat — she loves herself because she has every reason to. Lizzo is weird — she doesn’t conform to one genre, let alone the entertainment industry’s expectations for a fat woman.

She carries a flute in one hand and a platinum single in the other. Her vulnerability lends her power, and her confidence comes unchallenged.

I don’t know what would have happened if I’d heard Lizzo’s music at 12 years old. But when I listened to “Juice” for the first time, I felt my younger self, buried somewhere deep inside me, uncross her arms and dance. Lizzo’s sudden rise to superstardom and the public’s warm embrace of her and her music suggest that a new age of body positivity is on the horizon — one that is actually positive, and one that gives fat women not only happy endings, but happiness, full stop.

Email Abby Hofstetter at ahofstetter@nyunews.com.

INTERNATIONAL

Learning to Communicate After Kashmir

By DIYA JAIN Deputy Opinion Editor August 5th, 2019 is a day few Indians will forget; social media sites buzzed for days to follow. The ruling political power of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party, announced that Article 370 — a constitutional provision that grants the Jammu and Kashmir regions “special status” — would be revoked.

Locked between Indian and Pakistani administration, the Muslim-majority state uses its “special status” to receive benefits in property rights and protection from Hin-

du nationalist immigration. However, this status also brings limitations in women’s rights and the safety of its residents. A grave departure for human rights occurred after this event, as all communication from Kashmir was blacked out, leaving the local residents shouting into the void with no way to reach their fellow countrymen. As I scrolled through hundreds of #RedWithKashmir posts and stories on different social networking sites, I grew increasingly worried about the biased information about this move on the internet. Concerningly, a large number of fights broke out behind glowing screens during the week that followed.

Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook began with teenagers sharing filtered pictures of food, travel and themselves. Now, these sites are transforming into a venting space for these same teenagers’ growing frustrations as their social and political views take shape. Troublingly, these sites have also become a medium for spreading misinformation and biased news by parties

with malicious intentions. An example of this spread of misinformation are the strikingly similar #BlueWithSudan posts that went viral after the crisis. Con artists promised unsuspecting social media users that they would send aid to Sudan in return for reposts and likes. Thousands fell for these scams as they tried to help fix a crisis they probably did not know enough about.

Political and social conversations have changed from mutual respect and understanding to anger and confusion hidden behind screens. While the notion that the youth of today do not accept the actions of their leaders without critical thought is uplifting, the anonymity that comes with bias and hate is dampening. Phrases like “don’t @ me” that are often used after making hurtful or offensive statements towards a particular group reveal disinterest in hearing the next person’s point of view. Users wash their hands of the consequences and responsibility for their words. The false veil of safety that comes with closing doors to different per-

spectives has become the brand of our generation, and the internet has become a space for individuals to speak, but not be heard.

To gain a deeper perspective on this issue, I asked mutual Instagram followers to message me about how they felt about Article 370, a current hot topic for debate back home in India, over my summer break. The responses were staggering. Varied views and opinions came pouring in from different corners of the world, filled with forceful words like “be cognizant” and “read the constitution.” Despite their initial hostility due to the tension surrounding the conflict, after I thanked the users for their opinions, their tones would often change to respect and openness. One user’s initial response to my call for opinions on Article 370 was assertive to the point of being authoritative.

She bombarded me with forceful language and multiple messages about the issue and (in a “don’t @ me” fashion) chose not to respond when presented with a view that did not match hers. “You’re not looking at

this one-dimensionally,” she relented, once she realized my tone was drastically different than hers. Given some time and consideration, her tone softened further. “Thank you for listening!” she logged off. All it took was some thoughtfulness and civility to transform the conversation.

Ultimately, it was heartening to see followers message me about their views on Article 370. These messages are a spark of hope that our generation does understand that there are ways to make your voice heard through legitimate means, and even if it took an “I hear you” or “I respect your opinion” from me to make the tone of conversation respectful, it was always reciprocated. Social media can be a useful place to voice political opinions and generate informal dialogue, but it is imperative we recognize rules and etiquette that come with discussing sensitive issues so that the conversation is productive, not hateful.

Email Diya Jain at djain@nyunews.com.

9

Washington Square News | OPINION

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019 EDUCATION

The Miseducation of Business

By COLE STALLONE Opinion Editor

Bill Tsai, former Stern Student Council President, was charged by the SEC on Aug. 12 with insider trading.

They allege he gained nearly $100,000 from the sale of stocks he purchased after learning that the company would be bought out by a private equity f irm.

Many news outlets covering the story point to his experience as student body president as ironic, with Bloomberg’s article highlighting Tsai’s poorly-aged advice for f irst-year students at Stern: “Hold onto your values.”

The implication of this focus is that it should be surprising that someone who excelled in a business school environment would then partake in criminal activity in their career. However, despite their image of social entrepreneurship and corporate responsibility, business schools like Stern, at their cores and in their current practices, are incapable of instilling proper ethics.

As a result, the role of business schools within a university must be critically examined and ultimately questioned.

Leonard N. Stern, namesake of the Stern School of Business, is notorious for his cutthroat business tactics. A few years after paying one of the largest out-of-court antitrust settlements at that time — over $42 million — Stern donated $30 million to NYU, which led to the renaming of the business school in an overt attempt to improve his public image.

Stern’s history isn’t the only aspect that highlights the problem; the theoretical and intellectual content that schools like Stern teach their students also contribute to the current situation. Take Milton Friedman for example, hailed as one of the greatest economists of the 20th century. He advised several world leaders, including U.S. President Ronald Reagan, U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and perhaps most controversially, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Friedman also argued in favor of insider trading, as do many other scholars that are oriented towards a free-market ideology.

In an experiential and intellectual environment like this, is it any surprise Tsai acted as he did?

But can the ideas and actions of a few people def ine an entire industry?

Unfortunately, the statistics don’t paint a better picture, especially with regards to insider trading in corporate f inance. Professors from Stern and a colleague from McGill University conducted a study which found that “a quarter of all public company deals may involve some form of insider

Submitting to

trading.” If true, this widespread prevalence would make it hard for anyone in Tsai’s line of work to avoid partaking in or at least witnessing what he was charged with.

Contrary to what insider trading advocates would suggest, the widespread prevalence of the act doesn’t mean that the practice itself is justif ied. Rather, prevailing institutions are structured in a way that makes unethical action necessary. Given the assumed role of higher education in shaping the future workforce, this should be deeply concerning. However, it would be a misconception to consider all Stern students to be overly-ambitious investment bankers, even more so for all business majors in the U.S. As the most popular major in the country, many people feel drawn to business to increase their post-graduation salary prospects. While this is a reasonable motivation, especially in the midst of the student debt crisis and a looming recession, the data doesn’t support the supply or the demand. Business majors do fare better in terms of employment, but only by a single percentage point compared to humanities majors.

In a study at the University of Leeds, a survey of worker cooperatives across the Western Hemisphere and Europe showed they operated more effectively and productively than conventional businesses. What this small piece of evidence shows is that, contrary to the individualistic ethos of business school, prioritizing collectivism and egalitarianism over individualism and prof its often leads to better results than expected, even by business standards.

With the practical benef its of business school obscure, these programs must also address its theoretical def icits. In addition to supporting insider trading, Milton Friedman’s famous business ethos could be summarized as “the business of business is prof its.”

Unfortunately for business schools, the business of business has seeped into the teaching of business. Rather than pursuing business for the sake of study itself, business has been pursued for extreme wealth at its worst and for f inancial security at its best. Given the ethical and practical problems of those respective paths, the overall purpose of the business school seems to be left uncertain.

So what does this mean for business students, especially those here at Stern? No one can decide what to do with their education but themselves, however, the study of business should probably be left to those who have a deep and sincere interest in it. Otherwise, time and money would be better spent learning skills within f ields of genuine interest to those who pursue them, while the skills of business can be learned after graduation, in the business world.

Email Cole Stallone at cstallone@nyunews.com.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Overcoming Oppression Through Corrective Education Last June and July were the hottest months ever recorded around the world, and with that heat came a wave of unrelenting violence inspired by bigotry. Recent shootings in California, Texas and Ohio have forced the conversation of gun control and domestic terrorism back into the national spotlight. These shootings took place before the second anniversary of the Unite the Right rally and the 400th anniversary of the first slaves arriving in what is now the U.S., as marked by the New York Times’ 1619 Project. Remembering these anniversaries forces us to be aware of the growing resurgence of hate and white supremacy, as well as their underlying roots in the foundation of our nation. Although the intentions behind remembering these events are uplifting, the situation remains bleak, and it is clear to many that more must be done to protect those most vulnerable in our communities.

As students, we believe the most important change begins at our level, and that education can be a form of liberation from oppressive systems. To confront this resurgence of bigotry a corrective education becomes necessary. A corrective education is one that forces us to confront and clarify our history so we can understand how it contributes to today’s problems and reconcile our past with our future.

The success afforded by privilege blinds the reality upon which it is built; nowhere is this more apparent than in the U.S. From the displacement of indigenous peoples to the beginning of the slave trade, the history of oppression in this country is too extensive to list. Nevertheless, oppression isn’t limited to the time of long ago: even after the end of slavery, the experience of Jim Crow and New Jim Crow problems steming from the systemic racism that began four centuries ago. As of the publication of this article, according to the Washington Post’s police shooting database, 131 black individuals have been killed by police in 2019. So far there have been 237 days in the year, meaning that a black person has been killed by police, on average, every other day since the beginning of the year. This statistic can not be noted without acknowledging the origins of policing lie in slave patrols.

More privileged and educated sections of society have a responsibility to make others

truly aware of the disparity that continues today. The university must continually strive to be a place that promotes openness and learning geared towards collective improvement and common understanding. Practically, the university can implement coursework that focuses on criticism as opposed to compliance.

But more so, the university’s most important task is to secure the environment where this can occur.

One of the ways we can protect our communities is by confronting bigotry directly. Last year, alt-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak at NYU, until his speech was canceled two days later, after protests from the Graduate Student Organizing Committee, Student Government and various other parts of the student body. The final straw came after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio intervened, urging NYU to cancel the event.

The university didn’t act until pushed by the mayor, which is an unquestionable failure on its part. Going forward, the university must be more receptive to student voices and concerns and should act in our best interests before being forced to do so.

As hate crimes skyrocket and over half a million undocumented immigrants are estimated to live in New York City, we must recognize our unique position as NYU students and actively work within our local community to make it a better place for all. However, the responsibility of education isn’t our burden alone. Pressure must be placed on the university to live up to its Code of Ethical Conduct, especially its principles of “adhering to the highest ethical standards” and “respecting the rights and dignity of others.” Particular attention must also be paid to undocumented students here at NYU. No piece of paper or government status should determine your right to exist within the space we’ve all earned.

Beyond creating a safe environment for its students, the university must continue to shape the content we learn, updating it as new information is made available. This will enable us to critically engage with the things we learn and the way things are. Only through relevant, meaningful curriculums and a more holistic education system, can we begin to right our wrongs and learn from the mistakes of the past.

Email the Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

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SPORTS

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Edited by BELA KIRPALANI

Former USWNT Goalkeeper Prepares for Fifth Season Coaching at NYU

By BELA KIRPALANI Sports Editor NYU men’s soccer head coach and one-time USWNT goalkeeper Kim Wyant grew up racing motorcycles and playing sports in the backyard with her older brother and his friends, before she fell into soccer by chance.

Wyant grew up in Miami in the 1970s, when the NFL’s Dolphins were enjoying the best period in the team’s history, including the only undefeated season in the league’s history.

“I actually grew up wanting to be a football player,” Wyant said with a laugh. “I thought I’d be a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins and I quickly realized, as I got into middle and high school that it was just not possible.”

In high school, she played almost every sport available — from tennis to basketball to softball. One day, a teacher approached her trying to get girls to sign up to join the new school soccer team. A natural athlete, Wyant obliged.

“I walked out to the field and I took a look at the field and thought, ‘Whoa, this is a really big field,’ and I said, ‘So, you want me to run up and down?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, you gotta chase the ball,’ and I said, ‘Look, if it’s OK with you, I’ll play as goalkeeper.”

Soon after joining, a friend’s club team coach saw her play and offered her a spot on his team, which she gladly accepted. After a few strong performances, Jim Rudy, the wom-

en’s soccer coach at the University of Central Florida at the time, got wind of Wyant’s talent and drove down to watch her play. A year later, Wyant was standing in goal for the Knights in the first-ever NCAA Women’s National Soccer Championship Game in 1982.

In the summer of 1985, Wyant was called up to join the first United States women’s national soccer team, traveling to Italy.

“And that’s literally how it all started,” she said. “By somebody just asking me to play soccer in high school.”

Wyant went on to play 16 international matches for the U.S., recording the team’s first shutout and win against Canada in 1986, cementing her status in history. Because there were few opportunities to earn a living playing women’s professional soccer, Wyant dedicated two decades to coaching women’s soccer, in addition to playing for the Long Island Lady Riders in the United Soccer League.

This past summer in France, the United States women’s national soccer team won the 2019 FIFA World Cup for the fourth time in the program’s history. The team has made waves both on and off the field, with some of the best players in the world appearing on national television and in the headlines, advocating for fair pay and an increased support of women’s soccer.

To some, it may seem like the women’s national team has always been at the forefront of the conversation.

But others, like Wyant, head coach of

NYU’s men’s soccer team and starting goalkeeper for the first-ever USWNT remember the difficulties the team had to endure just to get here.

“I didn’t know any better,” she said, reflecting on her first call-up to the national team in 1985. “I thought, ‘Great, I’m going to Italy! Oh, I get some per diem money!’ We didn’t know any different. You can just go back and look at the constant battles that women have had to endure to just be invested in or be taken care of in the way that they should be taken care of.”

Wyant applauds the work that players like Megan Rapinoe, Kelley O’Hara and Alex Morgan are doing to promote the women’s game and fight for what they deserve.

“They’re doing fantastic,” Wyant said. “They’re making 200,000% than what I made because we made zero.

But they’re making 100,000% of what [Julie] Foudy and Mia Hamm did.

And it’s going to be interesting to see the next generation, if they’re going to push the envelope even further.”

Wyant is grateful for the many opportunities that playing and coaching soccer provided her in life, calling it “rewarding” for her.

“I got a college education because of soccer,” she said. “I got to travel the world because of soccer. Now I make my living because of soccer.”

Now, the men’s soccer head coach is entering her fifth season in charge at NYU. In 2018, Wyant led the team to its first NCAA tournament appear-

ance since 2010. (They won their first round but lost in a penalty shootout to Montclair State in the second.) Despite all of the strides made by women in sports, Wyant became the only female-identifying head coach of an NCAA men’s soccer team. Her players, however, have no doubts about her abilities or her leadership.

“One of the most common questions you get from other athletes is ‘What is it like playing for a [female] coach?’ And to be honest, it’s not even something you think about because it’s so natural,” Stern junior and men’s soccer defenseman Jake Velvel said. “Kim fits so well with us, no one really thinks about it in a negative way. The fact that Kim can be a head coach on a successful men’s team speaks volumes.”

On the backs of the players’ training shirts are three words that define the culture that Wyant has established at NYU: “Compete, respect, elevate.”

“One of the hardest parts of coaching is reaching your players and for us, last year we found a way to naturally gel everything together,” Velvel said. “And a lot of that was through Kim. Her relentlessness, remembering what our program’s about, remembering who we are, remembering to stick to our plan, it guided us to the season we had.”

Assistant Coach Joseph Ruesgen has spent the past three seasons working with Wyant and credits her for the rise in the men’s soccer program.

“It’s been massive,” Ruesgen said.

“It’s been revolutionary. From where the program was and where it is now, it’s a complete 180 and I think it’s obviously in large part to Kim’s leadership and her vision.”

When asked how Wyant’s international experience and playing career adds to her coaching pedigree, Ruesgen said that it supplements her excellent expertise and judgement.

“She clearly knows the game, and even if she never had the international experience she’d still be as incredible as she is now,” Ruesgen explained. “I don’t think that that really defines her as a coach.”

Since taking over as head coach of the men’s soccer team in 2015, Wyant has steadily improved the program, earning an overall 35-32-6 record and three consecutive postseason bids, including the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament in 2016 and 2017 and the NCAA tournament in 2018. As she prepares for the upcoming fall season, she thinks back to her formative days in college and hopes to create a similar welcoming environment for her players.

“I know that these kids are having a great experience just being in college, and if I can add to it by giving them a real positive experience being a part of a team, then I just think that’s the greatest job in the world,” Wyant said.

Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.

New 181 Mercer Facility to House Basketball and Wrestling Teams

By BENJAMIN MICHAEL DAVIS Deputy Sports Editor Just around the block from the Angelika Film Center, yet another construction project is underway at 181 Mercer St. Tucked between Bleecker and Houston Streets, NYU’s latest undertaking will include new undergraduate housing, academic classrooms and athletic facilities. Scheduled to open in fall 2022, the class of 2023 will be the first to use the new amenities. The building will be the center of NYU athletics, acting as a space for student athletes to congregate, study and train.

According to NYU Athletic Director Christopher Bledsoe, the main draw of the facilities is its centralized location.

“I certainly think it will have great benefit for anybody who participates in varsity, club sports or intramurals,” Bledsoe said. “Instead of having to travel great distances within the five boroughs or even up to Westchester or Fairfield County, Connecticut just to practice [...] that’ll be able to happen on campus, so that will be a great benefit to all our athletes.”

These centralized facilities will include four full-length basketball and volleyball courts, a small pool, a fencing gym, an aerobics room, a cardio room, multiple weight rooms, a wrestling room and locker rooms. The athletics section of the building will also be able to hold large non-athletic convocations.

181 Mercer will be more than just a place for athletics and activities to take

place, as it will free up space in the other NYU athletics buildings — Palladium Athletic Facility, 404 Fitness and the Brooklyn Athletic Facility. This will allow many sports at all levels from varsity to intramural to move their practices and games closer to campus.

“We want to, as much as possible, turn that into an activity space and not an office space,” Bledsoe said.

In order to accomplish this, many of the offices for coaches and athletics department officials will be across the street in 194 Mercer, which is already a space for offices and classrooms. This strategy was also used in the old facilities at the Coles Sports Center, which was at 181 Mercer’s location until 2015.

Bledsoe, as well as Matt Huck, Assistant Athletic Director for business and club sports, anticipates that the new athletic facilities will be mostly used by the teams that trained in the Coles Sports Center. Most indoor sports will also host some practices at 181 Mercer, and the space will also function as a place for some indoor preseason practices for field sports. “[181 Mercer] gives the university something that we haven’t had since the old 181,” Bledsoe said. “And that’s a large, central athletic space where teams and coaches and the community will come together and share space with each other on a day by day, hour by hour basis.”

Email Benjamin Michael Davis at bdavis@nyunews.com.

GRAPHIC VIA NYU

New sports facilities are included in the layout plan for the in-progress NYU building on Mercer Street.

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Washington Square News | SPORTS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019

NYU Swimmer Breaks Trinidad and Tobago Record at 2019 Pan American Games

VIA NYU ATHLETICS

Graham Chatoor, who swims for NYU, recently competed at the 2019 Pan American Games, representing Trinidad and Tobago.

By BENJAMIN MICHAEL DAVIS Deputy Sports Editor While most students returned home to relax after the school year ended, CAS sophomore and NYU men’s swimming team member Graham Chatoor was preparing for yet another test — the 2019 Pan American Games.

Representing his home country of Trinidad and Tobago, Chatoor competed in the 400-meter and 1500-meter freestyle races and cemented his name in the history books. On Aug. 6 and 10, Chatoor placed 13th overall in the 400-me-

ter and 15th in the 1500-meter freestyle races with times of 4:02.77 and 16:13.84, respectively. The 1500-meter time set a national record in Trinidad and Tobago.

Chatoor has been competing for Trinidad and Tobago internationally since he was 13. Since he was already registered as a swimmer, all of his officially recorded race times were automatically used to determine whether he made the cut.

“I think Graham had expected to go [to the Games] for a while, so when he officially qualified we were happy for him,” CAS senior and men’s swimming captain Davis Looney said. “It was a mat-

ter of how fast he could go, not whether he could qualify.”

Once the semester concluded in May, Chatoor returned to Trinidad and began a training regime, leading up to the Games. Trevor Miele, Chatoor’s swimming coach at NYU, has had experience working with swimmers who compete internationally and is familiar with the difficulties of this time period.

“We’re not allowed to coach in the offseason. It’s an NCAA Division III rule, so we can’t,” Miele said. “International swimming is — of course — in meters, and college is in yards,

so definitely training should be a little different for that, but we’re not allowed to help with it. The NCAA kind of handicaps us.”

The Pan American Games were a new and exciting experience for Chatoor. Despite his experience in previous international events, he had never lived in a “games village” for athletes, let alone competed on a stage as large as the Pan American Games. The extended length of the games also brought a new set of challenges for Chatoor.

“I was there for about five days before my first race, so it was good to chill,” Chatoor said. “But trying to keep fit during the week [between the two races] was rough, because I had to keep my fitness up without getting too tired before the 1500.”

The races themselves were a mixed bag for Chatoor. He struggled in the qualifying round of the 400-meter race — his first appearance in the Games — and placed 17th, but a strong showing in the final catapulted him up four spots to 13th. Chatoor also struggled early in the 1500-meter race, but was once again able to overcome and finish strong.

“I personally don’t have a lot of trouble concentrating, I just sing a song in my head and keep going,” Chatoor said.

“But that day, the guy next to me was making my life hard, getting up beside me and then falling behind, but eventually, I got past it.”

After pushing through this initial challenge, he went on to break Trinidad and Tobago’s record time for the 1500-meter race.

“It’s a big confidence booster for

sure,” Chatoor said. “I got messages from a bunch of my friends on the [NYU] team and my coaches after.”

The excitement from friends and coaches went beyond text messages as many of them had been anticipating race day for months and had been supporting him since his qualification.

Many actively followed his races online due to lack of broadcasting options.

“I followed Graham’s races primarily through coverage on Twitter,” NYU swimmer and CAS senior Hannah Bub said. “I am so proud of Graham for how well he swam and I can’t wait to see how he does in this upcoming season.”

NYU’s upcoming fall season brings high expectations for Chatoor as he looks to emulate his success at the Games and return to the Division III finals in the 1500-yard freestyle. As a first-year, Chatoor finished fourth at the NCAA Championships.

“The goal with Graham is to get him back to NCAA’s, and to be top eight in the country and vie for the championship,” Miele said. “That’s the next step for Graham. As a team, we want to be one of the top teams in the country, so we should be top ten, fighting for a place in the top five.”

Chatoor and the rest of the NYU Swimming and Diving Team return to action on Nov. 8 as they take on Princeton University, Stevens Institute of Technology and Drew University at the NYU Fall Invitational at Palladium Athletic Facility.

Email Benjamin Michael Davis at bdavis@nyunews.com.

The Problem With Kobe Bryant’s Support of Women’s Sports

By BELA KIRPALANI Sports Editor It has been an objectively good summer for women’s sports. The United States women’s national soccer team won its fourth FIFA World Cup and continues to make national news in its fight for fair pay. NBA 2K recently announced that it would introduce WNBA players into the video game for the first time. The National Women’s Soccer League has seen a 70 percent increase in attendance immediately following the World Cup. And the WNBA’s viewership has also seen a more substantial increase than in previous years.

If you’ve been paying close attention to the WNBA this summer, you will certainly have seen the stars on display. But you may also have seen other stars on the sidelines. Stars like Kobe Bryant and Floyd Mayweather.

Stars who have — to say the least — questionable histories with women.

We can’t just forget how Bryant essentially admitted his wrongdoing following sexual assault allegations while simultaneously having his team of attorneys bully his accuser into silence.

Or Mayweather’s repeated instances of domestic violence.

I’ll be honest. It has been very difficult for me to see some of my favorite players support these male athletes without ever addressing the allegations made against them.

I’m not here to judge anyone for their reactions to meeting Bryant or hearing his support. Yes, I’m sure

it’s cool to see a player of his stature compliment another athlete’s game or help someone through a difficult time period. That’s all fine. But I can’t fathom openly celebrating him or his seemingly genuine support of women’s sports. If you really want to praise a famous man for supporting the WNBA, send your regards to Snoop Dogg, LeBron James or Bradley Beal.

Better yet, showcase one of the amazing women that play in the league.

I recognize that having a legend like Bryant on the sidelines may bring the league some perks such as increased media coverage or social media. But the WNBA — and women’s sports in general — doesn’t need the support of men with poor records who have not made amends or even attempted to make amends for their actions.

I’m not suggesting that the WNBA or NWSL bar Bryant or Mayweather from entering and enjoying games as fans. I’m merely suggesting that women’s leagues, networks and sports as a whole don’t go out of their way to use these men as faces or promoters of the sport. There already are incredibly capable women who can be showcased and supported. We can — believe it or not — sell women’s sports to people by having an actual woman be the face of the campaign.

The Sports Girl is a weekly sports column that will feature a girl’s take on sports.

Yes, a girl. Yes, on sports.

Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.

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