Washington Square news | September 3, 2019

5 CULTURE

9 OPINION

Students Spill Their Biggest Money Mishaps

NYU, We Need to Talk

6 ARTS

Former NYU Baseball Player Juggles Coaching Responsibilities

Art Business ‘Takes a Village’; Meet its Mayor, Tyler Cooperman VOLUME LIII | ISSUE 2

10 SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

NYU Center Finds Chinatown Jail Proposal Puts Seniors’ Health at Risk

MARVA SHI | WSN

A truck bearing the Correction Department of New York logo is parked near Chinatown buildings.

A study done by NYU’s Center for the Study of Asian American Health found that construction of a jail as part of a 10-year plan to close Rikers Island could seriously harm the health of local seniors.

By VICTOR PORCELLI News Editor One of four jails set to be built in order to close the infamous Rikers Island Prison Complex is facing opposition from locals, some of whom are pointing to a study by an NYU center that found construction would cause serious health hazards for older Chinatown residents.

NYU’s Center for the Study of Asian American Health provided testimony in July that if the city begins construction on the 45 to 50 story jail planned for 125 White St., it will increase the risk of older community members experiencing falls, serious long-term illnesses and even death.

“A lot of the standards in place are for the regular population and older adults are particularly vulnerable and the cur-

rent standards don’t really protect them,” NYU CSAAH Program Manager YiLing Tan told WSN. The center conducted the study at the request of members of a Chinatown community organization created to share information about the proposed jail plan, Neighbors United Below Canal. A low-income senior center, Chung Pak, shares a wall with the site of the would-be jail, with the Charles B. Wang Health Center for low-income individuals and a daycare center also nearby.

The construction site would increase exposure to particulate matter, which has been found to increase the chance of older adults getting lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and serious respiratory issues.

“In summary, increases in exposure of the elderly to elevated levels of PM from

construction sites, even short-term, can not only worsen co-morbidities, including cardiovascular and respiratory disease, but also result in hospitalizations, acute disease episodes, and/or death,” the testimony reads.

According to Tan, an increased likeliness of relocation for elder citizens puts them at major health risks, too. “[When moved older residents] suffer from relocation stress syndrome,” Tan said.

“Studies have shown when older adults lose their autonomy they do go into cognitive decline and this may lead to death as well” Jan Lee, one of the founders of NUBC, co-wrote an op-ed in the Gotham Gazette using the study and testimony of the CSAAH to argue that constructing the jail would cause a health crisis.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

VIA INSTAGRAM @CHISKLEMENS

From NYU Dorms to Los Angeles, How YouTuber Chris Klemens Made It Online READ MORE ON PAGE 4

Washington Square News

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

NEWS

NEWS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by VICTOR PORCELLI

NYU Center Finds Chinatown Jail Proposal Puts Seniors’ Health at Risk CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

This is one of the concerns Lee and NUBC have about Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 10-year plan to close Rikers Island, presented in 2017, by building new jails in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx.

In an unprecedented move, the mayor decided to have all four sites undergo the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, together rather than separately. Lee and others have argued that this is the result of the city rushing a process that needs more time, consideration and community input.

There was a public hearing for lo-

cals to raise concerns regarding the Chinatown jail when it was proposed to be built at 80 Center St. Since the site has been changed to 125 White St., however, there has only been one public meeting held by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

“It’s full-steam ahead,” Lee said.

“This is what the city has decided. It sounds like the city has had its mind set on doing it this way.”

Since the process has begun, all community boards in the affected areas have voted against the plans, as have all borough presidents but Brewer. However, none of those votes

have been binding.

On Tuesday, the Department of City Planning’s City Planning Commission will vote on the plan.

City Council will go to a vote next, requiring a simple majority, after a public hearing on all four jail plans on Thursday — which is also the first day of public school for many New York City students, something some say could discourage community input.

Lee and NUBC are strongly opposed to the proposed jail and are of the position that to decrease incarceration rates, the city should invest in mental health, rehabilita-

tion, career and other resources available to the public.

The council is reportedly reviewing the study and City Councilmember Margaret Chin, who represents Chinatown, is working to address issues raised in regard to the senior health center. With other councilmembers often deferring to their colleagues who represent the affected area, how Chin votes could have a significant effect on the council’s vote, which will occur in October.

“Closing Rikers is imperative to helping our city move towards a more humane criminal justice system,” City

Council spokesperson Jennifer Fermino said in a statement to WSN. “Every day that it’s open is a tragedy, and leads to more suffering. The ULURP process is just beginning, and we look forward to hearing and addressing community concerns.”

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Councilmember Margaret Chin and Mayor Bill de Blasio all did not respond to requests for comment by time of publication.

Email Victor Porcelli at vporcelli@nyunews.com.

Tandon Startup Developed Method for Pesticide-Free Weed, Wine and Tea

By BROOKE LAMANTIA Contributing Writer Lighting up a blunt or sipping a glass of wine can result in ingesting a pesticide listed under one of the most hazardous classes of chemicals being used in the agricultural sector, according to the World Health Organization.

A recent startup — based at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering and using research from one of its professors — is commercializing a protein meant to detoxify these harmful pesticides which are most commonly found in weed, wine and tea.

The protein breaks down the pesticides known as organophosphates, or OPs, found in the products. Funded partially by a two-year, $250,000 National Science Foundation grant, Brooklyn Bioscience is now f iguring out the most eff icient application process for the technology they developed for each respective industry.

“We have the proof of concept

down,” Tandon graduate student and co-founder of Brooklyn Bioscience Andrew Olsen said. “The next thing we’re working on is the best way to implement it.”

The work Brooklyn Bioscience did uses water, along with the protein, to break down this harmful pesticide in cannabis, tea and wine. According to a press release “engineered PTE provides a lowcost, eff icient and environmentally friendly solution for breaking down dangerous OPs into relatively benign products that can be more easily removed with water.”

The protein would be better used in some industries than others, according to Olsen. The breakdown of the pesticide is “a luxury for wine, but a need for cannabis and tea.” This project is especially important in cannabis because OPs are more toxic when inhaled than when ingested by mouth. Though little data has been collected about organophosphates in cannabis, the pesticide is not meant to be ingested

VIA NYU

Jin Kim Montclare, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, led a team at the Tandon School of Engineering to design a new protein that breaks down pesticides found in weed, wine and tea.

and is known to be harmful, making a detoxifying process desirable to address health concerns. Inhalation of the pesticide could lead to flu-like illnesses and respiratory problems.

With weed now legalized in 12 states and more on the way — it was on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s to-do list for his f irst 100 days of his most recent term, although the state has been unable to pass legislation since — the company’s development has implications for government-regulated cannabis markets.

While the group feels conf ident in their scientif ic research done using university labs, they’re working on how to develop and market their work to make it appealing and easy for customers to use.

Jin Kim Montclare, a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is the faculty behind Brooklyn Bioscience.

Montclare’s professional work has focused on this f ield since she began working at NYU in July 2005, but it wasn’t until April 2017 that Brooklyn Bioscience was formed, and the impact that this might have on the cannabis industry became clear.

“I had students interested in bringing this idea to the next level and I had the means to help them.

It’s been mostly them,” Montclare said. “I credit their independent ability to do this, to go beyond the academic setting and try to see if there’s a way to commercialize it.”

Tandon Dean Jelena Kovačević said the company is an example of successful problem-solving the school hopes to promote.

“Brooklyn Bioscience and its powerful process for pesticide remediation reflects our drive to educate students to be career-ready global citizens, who, if solutions to real-world problems don’t exist today, are ready to create them,” Kovačević said. “It is just one of many exciting ventures that speak to our focus on imbuing students with an entrepreneurial spirit and the will to help create a better world.”

Email Brook LaMantia at news@nyunews.com.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

NYU Physicist and Team Identify a New State of Matter

By ALEXANDRIA JOHNSON Deputy News Editor Led by an assistant professor at NYU, a team of researchers discovered a new state of matter that could bring us one step closer to optimizing quantum computing, which in turn could allow scientists to solve previously unsolvable problems due to its unparalleled processing speed.

The venture started in 2015, spearheaded by NYU Assistant Professor of Physics

Javad Shabani, who received help from two postdoctoral researchers and two other professors. The team’s efforts resulted in the discovery of what Physics Professor at the University of Buffalo Igor Zutic called topological superconductivity. The researchers analyzed the transition from a conventional to quantum state, and then to this new state. They found that the new state of matter is unique in its durability in the face of outside forces, which could make quantum computing more

reliable. Their efforts were partially funded by a research grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency.

“Topological superconductivity is a remarkable state of matter that robustly retains its character against external changes, noise, disorder or other environmental disturbances,” Zutic wrote in an email to WSN. This unique trait of the new state of matter could increase processing speed and reduce technical problems involved in quantum computing. Quantum computing is a type of computing that, by breaking down information further, can be exponentially more efficient.

“The new state of matter detected in our project represents a step forward to the future implementation of fault-tolerant quantum computers,” Assistant Professor of Physics at Wayne State University Alex Matos-Abiague wrote in an email to WSN. “With this discovery, a traditional computer can take millions of years to solve a problem, while a quantum computer can solve in minutes, and in some cases, seconds.”

It’s been speculated that quantum computing could lead to scientific advances from discovering distant planets to making more efficient drugs to better treating diseases like cancer.

Postdoctoral researcher William Mayer said that being involved in a discovery with such implications was thrilling.

“For what it was like to be part of this work, I can say the first few days when we realized what we were seeing was very exciting,” Mayer wrote in an email to WSN. “Those are the kind of days when you don’t really want to go home, you just keep working because everything is falling into place.”

VIA ADOBE STOCK

A group of researchers led by Assistant Professor of Physics Javad Shavani discovered a new state of matter that could lead to breakthroughs in quantum computing.

Email Alexandria Johnson at ajohnson@nyunews.com.

3 CRIME LOG

Student Stalked in 726 Broadway

By CRIME BOT Robot Reporter From Aug. 26 to 29, the NYU Department of Public Safety received one report of criminal trespass, four reports of liquor law violation, one report of simple assault and one report of stalking / domestic violence.

Criminal Trespass On Aug. 27 at 12:55 a.m., a student reported a criminal trespass in Founders Residence Hall. Police notification was declined. The case is open and under investigation.

Liquor Law Violation On Aug. 29 at 3:01 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Third Avenue North Residence Hall. Police notification was declined. The case is closed and referred to the office of community standards.

On Aug. 29 at 11:50 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Brittany Residence Hall. Police notification was declined. The case is closed and referred to the office of community standards.

On Aug. 29 at 12:07 a.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Palladium Hall. Police notification was declined. The case is closed and referred to the office of community standards.

On Aug. 28 at 10:44 p.m., an RA reported underage alcohol possession in Palladium Residence Hall. Police notification was declined. The case is closed and referred to the office of community standards.

Simple Assault On Aug. 26 at 10:55 a.m., an NYU staff member reported a simple assault in the Kimmel Center for University Life. Police notification was declined. The case is open and under investigation.

Stalking / Domestic Violence On Aug. 26 at 11:45 a.m., A student reported being stalked in 726 Broadway. Police notification was declined. The case is open and under investigation.

Email Crime Bot at crime@nyunews.com.

First-Years Feel Unprepared for NYU Academics After Welcome Week

By CLAIRE JONES and VICTOR PORCELLI Staff Writer and News Editor With Welcome Week complete for the class of 2023, some f irst-years have found community through the programming, but feel unprepared going into classes on Tuesday.

Welcome Week is a series of events designed to help f irst-year students transition into their time at NYU. From Drag Bingo to Unforgetta-Ball, events were available for students of all interests. WSN spoke to 24 f irstyears about their takeaways from Welcome Week, with several expressing that despite being able to make friends, they did not feel academically prepared.

“When you go to college, you don’t really know what to expect but there are a lot of different people you can meet here so the amount of events did make it diverse and easy for everyone to f it in,” Liberal Studies f irst-year Sahil Doshi said.

“Meeting people and living here is good parts of [Welcome Week] but we still need to learn how to balance our time academically.”

Steinhardt f irst-year Julia Moser echoed Doshi’s sentiment, saying that she did not feel ready for classes to start on Tuesday.

“They needed more events that would prepare you for the f irst week of classes because I only had a couple in my major and now I don’t really know what to expect from my classes,” Moser said. “Community-wise I’m prepared, but in terms of being in my classes and being a student, I’m not ready.”

Liberal Studies f irst-year Adriana Ugarte agreed with Moser.

“I got to meet new people but also when school starts next week, I’m not going to be prepared,” Ugarte said.

Many of the events are intended to provide opportunities to socialize, although students also have required introductory events attached to their schools and majors.

Other students were not as concerned over the non-academic focus.

Liberal Studies first-year Nicole Shiao said Welcome Week helped her get acquainted with NYU and its structure.

“It helped you figure out where to go, what places you need to be at a certain time, how to navigate the city and how much time to get from place to place,” Shiao said. “It helped me understand the climate of the student body and the atmosphere of the school.”

University spokesperson John Beckman said that Welcome Week intentionally includes sessions fo-

SAM KLEIN | WSN

“Bodak Yellow” gets a group of first-years dancing at Bed, Bath and Beyond After Dark in 2018, an annual Welcome Week event.

cused on helping students with academic success. He mentioned events that focus on time management or introduce students to the Academic Resource Center.

“It’s interesting feedback, and we will think about it and discuss it internally,” Beckman wrote in an email

to WSN. “That said, I would note the following: most of a student’s academic life takes place within his or her school, and that starts the week after Welcome Week, as the schools and colleges individually begin to introduce students to their academic culture, picking up where the Uni-

versity-wide welcome week leaves off with a more academic orientation.”

Additional reporting by Mina Mohammadi and Roshni Raj. Email Claire Jones and Victor Porcelli at news@nyunews.com.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

CULTURE

Edited by CAROL LEE

From NYU Dorms to Los Angeles, How YouTuber Chris Klemens Made It Online

By CAROLINE WEINSTEIN Staff Writer Like many other first-years in his graduating class, NYU alumnus Chris Klemens spent his first year at NYU pregaming for parties with bottles of wine and trying to survive Hurricane Sandy. Unlike his classmates, however, Klemens also found himself spending a month as an extra on the set of Martin Scorsese’s “Wolf of Wall Street.”

After a taste of life on the silver screen, he couldn’t imagine never being on set again.

“When that wrapped, it was winter break and I was sitting at home in Delaware bored out of my mind for five weeks wanting to do more projects on sets,” Klemens wrote in an email to WSN. Enter: YouTube. One of Klemens’ friends told him to start a channel. Although it only began as a hobby to fill his time that winter break at NYU, Klemens, now 25, has since turned it into his “full a-- career.”

With a total of over 87 million views on YouTube and nearly one million subscribers, Klemens regularly collaborates with major brands like W Hotels and Klondike and has successfully launched Middle Kid Supply, his own clothing brand.

Klemens’ videos center around his natural comedic ability and creative video concepts, with titles ranging from “Seeing If Strangers Notice I’m Wearing a Wig” to “Making My Own Balenciaga Shoes (the ones that look like socks).” For as long as he can remember, Klemens has always been the class clown that made everyone else laugh, and he continues to incorporate that gift into his content.

“I very much make stuff I would want to watch and laugh at, which is hands down the most self-serving thing I will probably ever say,” Klemens wrote. “Probably not actually.”

Steinhardt junior Serena Sampson learned of Klemens through a video where he stood outside the house of Team 10, a popular YouTube group created by Jake Paul, and interviewed fans and neighbors.

The video piqued her interest, and from there, Sampson continued to regularly watch Klemens’s work.

“It’s literally hilarious,” Sampson said.

“I like his sarcastic nature. I just find him very funny.”

Silver senior Goldie Raznick also routinely watches Klemens’ videos. She appreciates how seriously he takes his job, with his authenticity and sense of humor.

VIA INSTAGRAM @CHISKLEMENS

Chris Klemens studied at NYU in pursuit of a BFA in photography and imaging. He is currently a Youtube Star with over 900,000 subscribers and is known for his pranks and comedy sketches.

“I think he has an understanding of what it means to professionally be a YouTuber and create a brand,” Raznick said.

“The best YouTubers and influencers, I think, are ones who you can feel that they’re living their dream by doing this job every day, just having fun with their friends and doing silly stuff on the internet.”

As Raznick noted, Klemens has demonstrated an incredible level of business savvy and career instincts, which he partly attributes to NYU. “NYU is so competitive and there are always people more successful than you or people telling you to focus on school and not YouTube,” Klemens wrote. “That really taught me the importance of following my instincts and doing what I know is best for me. There was a professor in particular who told me I shouldn’t be working and should be focusing on class, and that was all the motivation I needed to make my business as stable as possible by the time I left.”

Klemens attended NYU as a photography major in Tisch and graduated in 2016. Although he initially chose NYU because of its status and name recognition, the school itself didn’t impact him as much as the life experience he gained in the city. As a student, Klemens often stood in Union Square, pranking New Yorkers or asking them about the latest pop culture hot topics.

“My fondest memories from NYU probably deal less with NYU and more so with the fact NYU allowed me to live in one of the best cities in the world,” Klemens wrote. “I had three jobs at one time, uploaded weekly videos, and was full time in school and I met so many interesting and multi-faceted people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

Klemens’s college years also cultivated a fashion sense that led him to create his own clothing brand, which he regularly promotes in the first 30-45 seconds of each of his videos. Fashion has long been a part of his life, and as a child he spent his free time painting, sewing and ironing his own designs onto craft store t-shirts.

“I can so vividly remember thinking in my mom’s kitchen, ‘I would love to be able to design clothes that people would wear, but that is so overwhelming, how would I

VIA INSTAGRAM @CHRISKLEMENS

Klemens shows off his “sky-blue” hair, which he revealed in his recent Youtube video.

ever do that?’” Klemens wrote.

During his time at NYU, he shot New York Fashion Week for WSN, which ignited his interest in the fashion world and an admiration for brands like Prada, Maison Margiela and Staatsballett, to name a few.

Since then, his newly-launched clothing brand has made three successful drops with items varying from sweatshirts to hats to even ashtrays and rolling papers.

What makes his merchandise particularly notable is how Klemens has carefully crafted a line and aesthetic that — unlike those of most of his fellow YouTubers — do not rely solely on the commodification of his own name. Instead, Middle Kid Supply, with its streetwear vibe and vibrant hues, has an identity of its own, successfully “[celebrating] individualism, boldness and a good f-cking time,” as stated on its website.

Klemens practices what he preaches

through his clothing brand, choosing to eschew what he calls “mindless and momentary” trends in favor of clothing that he finds to be unique and true to his style.

“Dressing yourself well and feeling confident about what you’re wearing is such an empowering feeling, at least for me,” Klemens wrote. “Or maybe I just have a serious shopping addiction and am deeply in denial. Once again, who knows.”

Unapologetically sarcastic and bold, Klemens continues to consistently delight his growing number of subscribers and fans — also known as Klementines — with his witty videos and distinctive designs. He makes the mundane, like trying hot sauces, irresistibly entertaining. Any interaction with Klemens, whether virtual or in-person, is sure to be a good f-cking time.

Email Caroline Weinstein at culture@nyunews.com.

Walk a Mile in Her Air Skylons

By DANIELA ORTIZ Staff Writer

DANIELA ORTIZ | WSN

Valentina Marin’s favorite shoes, Air Skylons from the Nike x Fear of God collection.

For Gallatin first-year Valentina Marin, the simplicity of a good outfit is one of the most underrated pleasures of life. Marin’s favorite outfit, a basic white t-shirt, her cream linen Aritzia pants and the star of the show, her Air Skylons from the Nike x Fear of God collection, is the embodiment of Marin herself: refined but nonconformist.

Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God, known for its streetwear clout and grungy ’90s nostalgia, released its first collaboration with Nike in December 2018. The sleek black and white designs “[combine] basketball’s nostalgic history with the forward-thinking” and caught the attention of every inthe-know sneakerhead.

Sneakers first piqued Marin’s interest when, at the age of six, she would see

her older brothers taking pride in their Jordans or Air Force 1’s. She then lived in South America from the ages of 10 to 13, during which time she had to stick to a rigid uniform of navy blue shoes and matching socks. When she returned home to Florida, she was finally free to develop her own style.

“I definitely discovered that for me, comfort meant sneakers,” Marin said. “In Florida, you can wear sandals, you can wear any open toed shoes but for me there’s this element of that streetwear and the variety of sneakers and how you can truly express yourself with color, with shapes, with patterns and textures.”

By the time she was a sophomore in high school, she had started her own collection.

For her, sneakers represent a sort of self-expression she could always have with her.

When Marin found out she would be

moving to New York in the fall, she decided it was time to reevaluate her style once again. South Florida is the land of short shorts, sandals, tank tops, t-shirts and other casual pieces that are good for the weather, but as Marin prepared for the next chapter in her life, she looked to the long pants and sneakers so prevalent in the streetwear of New York.

And so her white t-shirt, linen pants and Air Skylons check all the boxes for her perfect outfit, at least for now. It is an extension of herself and a reflection of major events in her life. Not many people can have the pleasure of saying they have a style that is all their own. It’s one of the small victories in life, and Marin has mastered it.

Email Daniela Ortiz at bstyle@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Culture

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

5

Students Spill Their Biggest Money Mishaps

By LAUREN GRUBER Deputy Culture Editor In a city where the streets are lined with outposts of every designer label imaginable, Michelin-starred restaurants and pop-up shops galore, it can be hard not to blow all of your — or your parents’ — hard-earned money every time you step outside. Given the exorbitant cost of attending NYU in the first place, many students struggle with enjoying the city’s attractions without landing in financial hot water.

Some students in particular have had to learn money smarts the hard way.

As Steinhardt senior Keighton Li knows, the shift from living at home with family to living independently at college can require a lot of financial adjustment.

“I grew up in a city where everything is just as expensive, but I was living with my parents then and was spending their money,” Li said via Instagram direct message. “Now that I don’t rely on them financially as much, I do find

myself spending more than I did.”

For Li, the most surprising change in his spending habits revolved around housing.

“I knew [rent] was going to be expensive, but man, I did not know what I was getting myself into,” Li said.

While Li has learned to regulate his spending, he did run into a financial mishap with his first credit card.

“I spent way too much and didn’t have enough money to pay it back,” he said. “It took roughly [six] months for me to pay back how much I spent.

Earn as much as you can. Spend what you have. Save what you have left.”

Speaking of splurges, one Tisch senior who preferred to stay anonymous spent $1,750 on a tattoo, which subsequently forced him to default on rent.

“It’s inspired by my Hebrew name and my heritage means a lot to me.

Plus it looks cool,” the student said on Facebook messenger, whose beloved tattoo was evidently well worth the financial risk.

That said, he does not recommend

that other students jeopardize themselves in the same way.

“Definitely save and budget,” he said.

Stern sophomore Michael-Scott Greco was also willing to sacrifice some money for an important — albeit much less expensive — purchase: his Mickey Mouse waffle maker. The decision was reportedly a no-brainer for Greco.

“My roommate floated the idea and I didn’t need much convincing,” Greco said in an email.

Outside of his waffle iron, Greco hasn’t run into a ton of unwelcome financial surprises.

“I only spend on food (and the occasional waffle iron),” he said. “There are great deals for students to get full food experiences at discounts.”

Learning to curb your enthusiasm when it comes to the city’s endless shopping and dining options is undeniably difficult, and forces students to learn the limits of their budgets through trial and error. Factoring in New York’s ruinous rent prices

Tim Ho Wan East Village Falls Short of its Michelin Star TIM HO WAN EAST VILLAGE 85 Fourth Ave., New York, NY 10003 CALL (212) 228 - 2800 HOURS Sun. - Thu.., 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Fri. - Sat. , 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.

VISIT timhowanusa.com

By MATTHEW KANG Staff Writer In 2009, chef Mak Kwai-Pui, a former chef at a three-star Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong, opened the Chinese dim sum restaurant called Tim Ho Wan alongside chef Leung Fai Keung. Not long after, Tim Ho Wan earned its own Michelin star and is self-proclaimed as “the world’s most inexpensive awarded dim sum restaurant.”

Currently, Tim Ho Wan has 46 restaurants spread out in nine different countries with two locations in New York City: Hell’s Kitchen and the East Village. Accredited as being affordable and worthy of a Michelin star, I expected decent service and delicious food. However, I found the restaurant was lacking in both.

Dim sum restaurants are widely enjoyed by Hongkongers for their afford-

ability and family-style dining experience.

I expected to be greeted with warm smiles, fast service and attentive servers, but the staff at Tim Ho Wan acted like they didn’t want to be there. After I was seated, none of the servers came around to check up on my table or take my order for 20 minutes.

Sadly, given the price, the food was not worth the wait. The texture of the meat in the siu mai was tender and the shrimp was succulent. However, both of these dim sum staples needed to be accompanied with some soy sauce or chili oil to make up for the lack of flavor. Tim Ho Wan charges $6 for the same dish you can find for better prices and larger portions in Chinatown.

The roasted pork bun was the only dish that seemed to be worth the visit. The contrast of textures between the flaky, crispy top and the chewy soft bun was sublime.

The savoriness from the pork filling complemented the sweet, flaky top well.

If you ever feel the urge to go to Tim Ho Wan, it’s worth checking off you foodie bucket list. However, if you are looking for a good dim sum meal that won’t break the bank, I would look into Golden Unicorn and Nom Wah Tea Parlor in Chinatown.

Email Matthew Kang at dining@nyunews.com.

MIN JI KIM | WSN

It can be difficult for students to manage their money, especially in New York.

— and NYU’s tuition rate — only adds financial pressure. By learning self-control and budgeting around the occasional treat-yourself splurges,the aforementioned money blunders can

Monday-Wednesday 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Thursday-Friday 5 p.m.-11 p.m.

Saturday 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m., 5 p.m.12 a.m.

Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., 5 p.m. 10 p.m.

Plant Food + Wine is a vegan restaurant that planted (pun intended) its first location in Venice, California before opening this location in the East Village. Even before you step inside the physical restaurant, Plant Food + Wine’s website and menu scream sophistication. While this recommendation might exceed a student budget for a casual night out, this is definitely one place to keep in mind when you’re ready to splurge.

JORENE HE | WSN

Mocha almond fudge mini cake and chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting in Sweets

by CHLOE., a vegan bakery on Bleeker St., open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

By CALAIS WATKINS Dining Editor

Monday-Sunday 9 a.m.-12 a.m.

After a late night of studying, it’s common practice to stop by a 24-hour diner and drown your academic sorrows in a creamy milkshake. There are plenty of late-night food destinations surrounding NYU’s Washington Square and Brooklyn campuses, but the most popular joints never seem to specialize in vegan offerings. Fret no longer, because here are six late night eateries with vegan options.

Whether you study abroad at Tandon or crossed the bridge for a Tinder meet-up, this recommendation is for anyone who finds themselves in Brooklyn late at night. Champs Diner is best known for its exclusively vegan comfort food. The diner’s retro interior design proves that even vegan foodies aren’t above trying to replicate the past.

Champs is the perfect destination for vegan dieters who miss sinking their teeth into a juicy mozzarella stick.

Ladybird

Urban Vegan Kitchen

Ladybird isn’t just a movie featuring Saoirse Ronan — it’s also a vegan and vegetarian restaurant. Referring to itself as a “Vegetable Bar,” this restaurant has an exclusively-tapas food menu with dishes that range from $5-$16 and an extensive wine and cocktail menu.

Given the sharing nature of tapas, in addition to an adorable interior design complete with Christmas lights, Ladybird is the perfect place to take a group of friends or that special someone.

Champs Diner The Siu Mai at Tim Ho Wan, located on 85 Fourth Ave., priced at $5.95.

Email Lauren Gruber at lgruber@nyunews.com.

Vegan Eats for Night Owls

111 E. Seventh St. Dine-in Monday-Saturday 5 p.m.-1 a.m.

Sunday 2 p.m.-10 p.m.

MATTHEW KANG | WSN

be avoided. If not, at least it makes for a funny story.

197 Meserole St. Dine-in or delivery

41 Carmine St. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Friday 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m.-12 a.m.

Sunday 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

In addition to Monday Comedy Nights, Urban Vegan Kitchen frequently plays host to events like concerts and vegan dinner party socials, all advertised on their website’s events page, making it a must-try for more reasons than the extensive vegan menu. It’s only a six-minute walk from Washington Square Park, making it the perfect escape after a long night of studying in Bobst.

Plant Food + Wine 67 Second Ave. Dine-in or delivery

Bar Verde 65 Second Ave. Dine-in Monday-Thursday 3 p.m.-11 p.m.

Friday 3 pm.-1 a.m.

Saturday 12 p.m.-1 a.m.

Sunday 12. p.m.-11 p.m.

Bar Verde is located directly next to Plant Food + Wine, which makes sense because the two establishments share a founder — Matthew Kenney is building a vegan empire. Whereas Plant Food + Wine is focused on minimal sophistication, Bar Verde focuses on Mexican-inspired plant-based dishes.

Bar Verde is also open later than Plant Food + Wine, so when you realize they don’t deliver, you might still have time to make it over.

Sweets by CHLOE. 185 Bleecker St. Dine-in or delivery Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

by CHLOE. is a vegan chain accompanied at specific locations by an extensive vegan bakery, hence “Sweets”. There’s no shame in popping in a minute before closing to grab some CBD-infused cookies and brownies to go. Some say by CHLOE. is overhyped, but others swear the food is worth every penny. You’re going to have to make that decision for yourself.

Email Calais Watkins at cwatkins@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News

6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

ARTS

ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by CLAIRE FISHMAN

Art Business ‘Takes a Village’; Meet Its Mayor, Tyler Cooperman

By CLAIRE FISHMAN Arts Editor It is a Friday afternoon in the Financial District. The sun beats down at 86 degrees even though the forecast promised a more mild afternoon. On Beekman Street, Tyler Cooperman (who goes by Ty) is getting ready for Patrick Church’s upcoming exhibition, “A Hell of My Own Making.”

He is wearing shorts that look more like swim trunks, and as he greets me, he apologizes for the sweat. He later tells me he only wears elastic to work and taking a look around at the space, I soon understand why.

Although a handful of paintings have already been hung on the wall, the majority are stacked by the entrance and against the wall opposite to it. A playlist I can only hope to call latin techno bumps in the background.

Church’s studio assistant is painting faces on the wall. There is little to no AC and vintage floor fans hum like cicadas. Passersby walking home from work rubberneck outside the large windows; some take pictures.

As a 24-year-old graduate student at Columbia University’s Teachers College, it’s hard to believe that Tyler Cooperman is largely in charge of this entire production. In fact, as Church’s artist representation, Cooperman isn’t just leading the charge for “A Hell of My Own Making,” but for all of Church’s art, whether it be hand-painted jackets that have been featured in Vogue or painting commis-

sions for collectors. It would, however, be misleading to say that Cooperman was doing all of this by himself.

“It takes a village,” Cooperman says repeatedly throughout the interview.

Indeed, in the world of fine art, it often does. While people tend to imagine an artist selling their work directly to buyers, the reality is much less romantic. Between the artist and the buyer are many people like Cooperman: appraisers, curators, dealers, artist representatives — you name it.

While these professionals don’t make the art, many would argue that they are an integral part of the fine art life cycle. In theory, they help artists make more money so that they can make more art and so on and so forth.

Sometimes though, these non-creative professionals can take advantage of their artists and make them dependent upon their representative’s connections and financial savvy. This is the exact thing Cooperman, one of the founders of the artist collective Haus of Anti, is trying to combat.

“Our mission statement is and has always been to help visual artists — and specifically queer visual artists — find financial viability in the contemporary art market. So I teach a lot of contract and financial literacy to artists,” Cooperman says.

Cooperman occupies a very niche area in business, and he knows that.

In fact, he tells me how frustrating it was trying to find the perfect area of study during his first years in college at Claremont McKenna.

Tyler Cooperman sits on a custom painted Patrick Church couch in his exhibition at 117 Beekman.

“I had like eight different majors.

I was on the finance bro path when I was 18. I was an econ guy when I started college. I feel like I tried out what feels like 10 different careers and the process of that kind of sucks because you keep feeling like ‘why can’t I find something that satiates me financially, emotionally and physically,’” Cooperman says.

It wasn’t until Cooperman transferred to NYU that he felt he had the freedom and the art community he needed to find his path.

“None of this would be happening had I not been in NY at a school that

was willing to teach me but [also] give me the freedom in terms of my time, I think allowing me to think of school as a full time job, and still have side projects and a life,” Cooperman says.

Cooperman doesn’t plan to leave New York anytime soon. As a fifth-generation New Yorker, he has both the connections and the can-do attitude that stop him from going anywhere else in the world. For Cooperman — who lives two blocks away from where his grandma grew up on the Lower East Side — New York is and will always be home, and he says transferring to NYU was a vital step in

CLAIRE FISHMAN | WSN

realizing that.

“I think the people who are new to New York forget this, but the way you accomplish the most things in this city is by being nice and by being competent, and as long as you are willing to do those things, you can really make magic.”

Patrick Church’s exhibition “A Hell of My Own Making” opens Thursday, Sept.

5 at 117 Beekman St., Financial District at 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Email Claire Fishman at cfishman@nyunews.com.

BROCKHAMPTON Rests on Its Laurels With “GINGER”

By ETHAN ZACK Music Editor

VIA TWITTER

BROCKHAMPTON released its new album, GINGER, on Aug. 23.

Maintaining their streak of a project per year, genre-bending boy band BROCKHAMPTON released its sixth album “GINGER” as a swan song after a summer chock full of large-scale music releases. After such a rapid rise in popularity over the last few years, the band now stands as one of the most unique icons of modern music. Unfortunately, it seems like the journey may have been more exciting than the destination.

While “GINGER” is competently produced and features some new hits, its overall lack of ambition leaves it feeling like a step down from what came before.

For much of its 12-track runtime, “GINGER” layers low-key, reserved beats under the members’ hallmark style of playing round-robin with vocals. The songs generally do flow well, but tonal uniformity strips many tracks of an identity to call their own. The band’s trademark forays into other genres and stylings like R&B and rock are few and far between. While some might argue this choice makes the album more stylistically focused, it can make a full listen-through feel rather repetitive.

When the group does dare to experiment, it pays off in the form of the album’s standout tracks. “SUGAR” is a warm, dizzy confession of love that will no doubt dominate many romantic playlists in the coming months. “BOY BYE” and “IF YOU PRAY RIGHT” are the catchiest songs on the record,

delivering smooth verses on top of some delightfully off-kilter beats.

“DEARLY DEPARTED” is a beautiful confession of hopes, worries and emotional scars that feels like the band at their most sincere.

As ever, thankfully, the lyricism is top-notch; introspective and thought-provoking verses abound for each of BROCKHAMPTON’s members. Even on songs that don’t stand out much, breaking down and dissecting their rich lyrics is a treat.

As its several strengths make clear, “GINGER” is not a bad album. It has a fair few highlights and it never dips below adequate. The problem is that it lacks the innovation and experimentalism one has come to expect from a band that has constantly reinvented themselves in the past. It mostly feels like ground that has been trodden on before. Solid enough ground, but unexciting ground nonetheless.

It is quite clear that BROCKHAMPTON still has many creative ideas to bring to life with their ever-expanding discography. Unfortunately, “GINGER” ends up feeling like a bit too much of an unnecessary entry without much of its own to add. Band frontman Kevin Abstract took to his Twitter on Aug. 28 to say that the new album “is literally where we at right now.” I can respect that. I’m just not entirely sure I want to join them there.

Email Ethan Zack at ezack@nyunews.com

Washington Square News | Arts

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

New York’s Indie Bookstores Survive by Promoting Community, Providing Experience

By JULIE GOLDBERG Theater & Books Editor In his novel “American Gods,” Neil Gaiman writes, “What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore.

It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore, it knows it’s not foolin’ a soul.”

The Guardian reports a decline in bookstores in Manhattan from 386 in 1950, to 106 in 2015, to a mere 80 or less in 2019. Communities throughout Manhattan and the outer boroughs, however, have rallied together time and time again to keep New York a literary city.

Westsider Books announced their closing this past January, but managed to stay in business through crowdfunding, as locals rushed to save the small business. Other rescued businesses include Midtown’s beloved Drama Book Shop, purchased by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

In May, the West Village said goodbye to Bookbook, with owners Carolyn Epstein and Chuck Mullin explaining in WestView News that “commercial changes in the neighborhood, alas, have forced us to finally end this phase of our lives as booksellers.”

Despite the disappearance of the brickand-mortar shop, however, Epstein and Mullin plan to continue their business as a pop-up at the Abingdon Square Greenmarket, and, occasionally, by the pickle stand on Carmine Street, between Sixth Avenue and Bleecker Street.

Rent hikes continue to threaten small, independent shops like Bookbook, but the city’s bibliophiles won’t give up without a fight. In October 2018, SoHo staple McNally Jackson Books seemed to face an inevitable relocation when the rent on the Prince Street store was bumped up from

$350,000 to a staggering $850,000, according to Vulture. Owner Sarah McNally was, however, able to negotiate a mangeable deal with the landlord ($650,000 for now with gradual increases over the next five years), and within weeks was in the process of opening not one but two new locations in Downtown Brooklyn and South Street Seaport.

“McNally said that prospective landlords had approached her — and not the other way around — for both the Seaport and City Point projects,” Vulture reported.

Despite the threat of Amazon and unprecedented rent hikes, indie bookstores continue to crop up in New York City, such as Books Are Magic in Cobble Hill, which opened its doors in May 2017. Owner Emma Straub told “Elle,” “When my husband and I found out that our local bookstore was closing, there were only two clear choices: Open a bookstore, or move.”

In 2015, six-year-old Greenlight Bookstore, located in Fort Greene, opened a second location in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Cafe con Libros opened shop in Crown Heights in January 2018, describing itself as a “feminist community bookstore [...] born from and are guided by the lush cannon of Black Feminist thought producers and activists.” The space seeks “to advance and uplift stories of womxn and girls around the globe who are redefining the word feminist and feminism with every day, ordinary culturally informed acts of resistance and love.” The feminist bookstore even prices their books at less than full retail value.

On the Lower East Side, Bluestockings Bookstore, Cafe & Activist Center hosts readings, workshops, performances, discussions and films almost every night. The store is volun-

teer-powered and collectively-owned.

This past May, Noëlle Santos opened The Lit. Bar in the Bronx in response to a 2014 petition to save a local Barnes and Noble, the last bookstore in the borough.

“This neighborhood is gentrifying, and we’re going to start seeing more and more businesses that look more upscale coming into this neighborhood,” Santos said. “I don’t want anybody from the existing population to walk by this place and question for a second that this place isn’t for us.”

The indie bookstore of 2019 is not just a place to buy books, but a place to find community, have a coffee, do some writing, attend literary events — or even take crochet and knitting classes at the BookMark Shoppe in Bay Ridge.

We’ve all heard that millennials are investing in experiences, not things.

The city’s independent bookstores are keenly aware of this, and are staying afloat by doing what Amazon cannot: bring people together, carefully curate their selection and provide an experience beyond the page.

These stores also have a moral conscience that is appealing to New Yorkers. Housing Works Bookstore Cafe and Bar, for example, gives 100% of its profits to their foundation, dedicated to “ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness.”

The Brooklyn Book Festival will take place this Sept. 16 - 23 and will showcase some of the city’s most beloved booksellers at its Literary Marketplace on the 21st and 22nd. It is these kinds of celebrations of the city’s booksellers that continue to foster a love for, and loyalty to, the brick-andmortar stores that — as Gaiman said — make a town a town.

Email Julie Goldberg at jgoldberg@nyunews.com.

ELAINE CHEN | WSN

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe & Bar, an independent bookstore on Crosby Street.

7

‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind’ Lives up to Its Radical Name

VIA YOUTUBE

“Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure” kicks off a fifth season, “Golden Wind,” exciting longtime viewers and garnering new fans alike.

By FAREID EL GAFY Film & TV Editor Housewives, toddlers, senior citizens and dogs with the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jacked and flamboyant heroes duking it out with super-powered manifestations of their fighting spirit called stands. The destiny of the Joestar bloodline is written in blood and tears. In syndication since 1987, Hirohiko Araki’s “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” has become a worldwide phenomenon due in no small part to David Production animating every page with reverence since 2012. With the fifth season, “Golden Wind,” wrapping up this summer, there’s no better time to be or become a “JoJo” fan.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” consists of eight parts, each following a different member of the Joestar bloodline who can feasibly be nicknamed JoJo. Yes, it’s a requirement. Part five takes place in the year 2001 in Italy and features Giorno “GioGio” Giovanna, whose stand, Gold Experience (named for the 1995 Prince album), has the power to give life to objects, turning them into small animals or plants. Giorno joins the mafia-esque Passione in hopes of rising to the top and ceasing the group’s egregious crimes. He shares this goal with six friends: five other stand-using gangsters — Narancia, Fugo, Abbacchio, Mista and their leader, Bruno Bucciarati — as well as Trish Una, the daughter of Passione’s boss, Diavolo. Together, Team Bucciarati must defeat Diavolo’s stand-user cronies and eventually the boss himself, whose stand, King Crimson, can bend reality to his will.

As “Golden Wind” is faithfully adapted from its source manga, much of its appeal must be attributed to the story penned and inked by Hirohiko Araki 20 years ago. “JoJo” is equal parts action, comedy and heart. Any mishap

may be the work of an enemy stand, and each one’s ability is more insane than the last. Grateful Dead causes everyone nearby to rapidly age to death, Beach Boy manifests as a fishing rod that can enter a body and tear out the heart and Oasis allows its user to swim through solid ground.

The series intermittently breaks from the excitement in favor of iconic and absurdist humor, such as episode seven’s torture dance, where Team Bucciarati dances to psychedelic visuals while roasting their enemy’s eye with focused sunlight. “Golden Wind’s” most enduring appeal, however, is in the genuine fellowship, forged from adversity, that its heroes share.

David Production deserves praise for the care they’ve taken in bringing Araki’s tale to life. From reference-laden credits sequences whose secrets are revealed only at the season’s end, to the shifting color palettes that define iconic fights, to a 40-second recreation of a seven-page beat down, David Production’s love for the source material is infectious.

There’s a special kind of joy to Hirohiko Araki’s storytelling. The brazen declarations of righteousness. The contorted poses that the heroes strike while flexing their power. Discovering what musical reference and off-the-wall stand ability will be on display next. Mista’s bullet-riding gremlins, the Sex Pistols, delighted to no end.

“JoJo” entertains beyond the screen with an adoring fan base in every corner of the Internet and every crevice of popular culture. Season five was most certainly a gold experience, and David Production’s next rendition of the bizarre adventure will be worth the wait. Until then, the “JoJo” references will keep us going.

Email Fareid El Gafy at felgafy@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News

8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

OPINION

OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

Edited by COLE STALLONE and ABBY HOFSTETTER

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor: ‘The Miseducation of Business’

By MICHAEL POSNER In his Aug. 22 opinion piece, “The Miseducation of Business,” Cole Stallone uses the case of Bill Tsai, a 2019 Stern School of Business graduate charged with insider trading, to argue that business schools like Stern

are “incapable of instilling proper ethics.” While he is right to criticize insider trading and other unethical business practices, he misses the point when he argues that “the role of business schools within a university must be critically examined and ultimately questioned.” The solution to the problems Stallone identifies is not to abandon business education but rather for business schools to expand courses and programs that address ethical issues in a serious way. And that is what a number of us at Stern are doing every day.

Six years ago, I joined the Stern faculty to teach and to create the Center for Business and Human Rights, the first human rights center at a business

school anywhere in the world. Our mandate is to challenge and empower business leaders to fully integrate human rights standards into their daily business operations. My colleagues and I have reported on substandard labor practices in factories producing clothing for global apparel brands in Bangladesh and Ethiopia; the exploitation of South Asian construction workers in the Gulf; and the failure of companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter to address political disinformation on their platforms. In 2016, Tensie Whelan joined the Stern faculty to create the Center for Sustainable Business. Its mission is to ensure current and future business leaders devel-

op the knowledge and skills to embed sustainability in their core business strategies as a way of reducing risk, creating competitive advantage and developing innovative services, products and processes.

Another colleague, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who joined the Stern faculty in 2011, is testing and applying his cutting-edge research on moral psychology. Haidt works with economists and other social scientists to figure out how to make businesses, governments and nonprofits work more efficiently and responsibly by applying ethical systems. Each of our programs are bringing this research into the classroom, providing MBA

students and undergraduate business students with ethical frameworks they can apply when they enter the business world. We have built on the foundation that Professor Bruce Buchanan created through the school’s social impact curriculum.

While Stern can always do more to promote and expand these and similar efforts, I don’t think there is a business school in the U.S. or elsewhere that is tackling these ethical questions as ambitiously or as well.

Michael Posner is a professor at the Stern School of Business, as well as the director of Stern’s Center for Business and Human Rights.

INTERNATIONAL

Only Korea Should Determine Korean Peace

By JUN SUNG Deputy Opinion Editor Japan and South Korea have recently been involved in a number of disputes resulting in high economic and security tensions between the two countries.

These disputes include a trade war and Japan’s removal of South Korea from its whitelist. On top of this, North Ko-

rea last month conducted seven weapons tests and said that more U.S. talks are unlikely. Any halt to North Korea-U.S. talks regarding nuclear weapons or diplomacy may lead to a reversal of past agreements. The concurrence of these two situations shows how these issues can affect each other and lead to destabilization in the region.

In light of the tense situation in the area, any new analysis should take into account both Japan’s nationalistic tendencies and the South Korea-Japan disputes. In doing so, it becomes clear that Japan should be kept out of any future discussions regarding Korean diplomatic negotiations.

One must recognize that the current South Korea-Japan dispute stems from

the Japanese imperial occupation of Korea during World War II. In fact, the South Korean Supreme Court recently ruled to seize a large amount of shares from two Japanese companies as compensation to Korean wartime laborers.

Japan’s restriction of key materials for smartphone production and other trade measures against South Korea are clearly retaliations against the Supreme Court’s decision. The fact that Japan blatantly engages in historical revisionism and ignores the court rulings shows how the current tensions in the region stem from problems that date back to World War II. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s administration also has connections with the Nippon Kaigi, a prominent nationalist group

with links to a school that sent a letter to parents insulting Korean and Chinese people in Japan based on their ethnicity. Abe’s involvement in the group shows that the racist rhetoric of the Japanese far-right has spread to the country’s highest office.

Considering Japan’s historical revisionism and the Abe administration’s nationalism, Japan should not be trusted in matters regarding the two Koreas. Having the former imperial occupier at the table only minimizes any possibility of progress. The country’s right-wing philosophies only bring perspectives that harken back to colonial oppression.

As tensions rise all over East Asia, it is vital that the South Korea-Japan

dispute and Korean peacekeeping situation are seen as interlinking issues.

In the context of Korean peace negotiations, it has become clear that these disputes have changed regional dynamics, and because of this, Japan should be kept out of any future discussions.

Allowing the country to access negotiations would hinder any potential progress, and would not create the strong trilateral alliance that the U.S. wants. At this stage, Japan’s refusal to acknowledge its historical faults, as well as its retaliations against the South Korean Supreme Court ruling, make Japan’s inclusion in Korean peace negotiations impermissible.

Email Jun Sung at jsung@nyunews.com.

POLITICS

The Red Flag Law Doesn’t Do Enough

By NOAH FRIEND Staff Writer This past weekend, a new gun control law, which has been named the Red Flag Bill, was put into effect in New York State. The law allows for teachers, family members or the police to file an “emergency risk protection order” against a person who they feel are a threat to others or themselves. After this temporary order is issued, a hearing occurs within three to six days to determine if the order is required. If the court rules that the person is a threat, all of their firearms may be confiscated and they will be unable to purchase guns for one year.

While this new law is a step in the right direction, it does not do enough and it introduces new complications, rather than keep New Yorkers safe.

One might think that common-sense gun control bills would be something that everyone would support. After all, a child’s right to live through first grade should take precedence over the right of the average citizen to own military-grade weapons. But here we are, almost seven years after the attack we thought would change the conversation, and we still have not done enough to protect our safety during the most minute of tasks, like seeing a movie, getting groceries or just taking a drive. This past weekend’s shooting in Texas only emphasizes how desperate we are for common-sense gun control.

In one of the most progressive states in the country, politicians are being applauded for passing the Red Flag Bill, even though the bill doesn’t do enough to keep us safe. Despite the bill allowing for the order to be renewed each year, this isn’t helpful. Anyone can pretend

they are no longer a threat for a year so they can get weapons again and then use them as they wish; Dylann Roof passed a background check, then legally purchased the firearm he used to murder nine congregants at a Charleston church. If someone is deemed a threat to society, the right of society to live should supercede their right to own a gun.

This bill also introduces many complications and bureaucratic tape. First, the bill requires someone to claim that a dangerous person is a threat. While this is a step up from having no course of action, in many instances this would have no impact. A shocking amount of the recent mass shooters have shown little or no warning signs, with people close to them saying that they are shocked that he could have done such a thing. Even in cases when there are clear warning signs, many people do not speak up. While this lack of voicing concern could be interpreted to be due to them not having an avenue to effectively report, this is often not the case, with many saying they

didn’t have a reason to be concerned.

Now, let’s get into the ridiculous features of this bill. Once someone — who, by the way, can only be either a teacher, family member or the police — suspects that someone else may be a threat to society, they must file an order with a court (which we all know runs very efficiently in the U.S.), and a hearing would occur within three to six days. This is a dangerous amount of time. If someone is truly a threat to society or themselves and they get served a court order claiming such, they would likely take action in those three to six days. The feelings associated with being accused of something — especially something this drastic — are often anger and betrayal, which would make a person even more likely to be a threat.

On an entirely different note, this bill allows for people to claim that those they do not like are threats. While this is certainly an abuse of the law, it is also a possibility and something to be concerned about. For instance, if a family member

is upset with a relative for unrelated reasons, they could petition the court to have that person’s firearms taken away, tangling them up in a court proceeding which would waste taxpayer money and could cause the person to become a threat when they were not originally.

The Red Flag Bill does do some good in that it allows for a system for citizens to speak up about dangerous things they see. However, the bill also leaves a lot of room for abuse — especially racial profiling — and does not go nearly as far as it should to protect New Yorkers. Yes, New Yorkers should be able to own firearms; however, it should be done in a safe way, with comprehensive background checks before a gun is owned or a threat is possible. Despite a constant fear of the gun violence everywhere in the U.S., our leaders continue to sit on their hands and try to do the very least while their citizens are murdered almost every day.

Email Noah Friend at opinion@nyunews.com.

Washington Square News | Opinion

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

9

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

How the Journalism Industry Obstructs Lower Income People

By SAKSHI VENKATRAMAN Editor-in-Chief When I first got started in journalism, I was 14, and I thought putting pen to paper and furiously writing two articles a week would be enough to get me to The New York Times one day. I’m a writer. I know basically everyone in New York says that — each person more self-absorbed than the last. But I am. That’s what I know; that’s what I love; that’s what I want to do forever. But the more I explore this field — and the more I see how the sausage is made running a newspaper — the more insecure I get about my future. I’ve also begun to realize that the promise of a career in journalism is disproportionately given to people who have the means to buy it.

This industry produces some of the most vital work done around the world. But it’s important to acknowledge that, like many other careers, it doesn’t welcome everyone with open arms. Socioeconomic factors determine people’s ability to enter and stay in media jobs, and those factors disproportionately keep lower income people of color out.

The first internship I ever took was the summer after junior year of high school at The Dallas Morning News. They paid me minimum wage, and I was living with my mom, so it felt like a pretty good setup. But since then, I’ve had three other summer internships — all unpaid. Taking an unpaid job feels dirty, like I’m feeding into a corrupt system. But what I’ve been taught — and what I know to be a reality — is that exposure is the most important thing a journalist can get.

When you’re as early in your career as I am, having a published piece is more important than having money in your bank account.

Right? So I take unpaid internships that I can’t afford, and I work several part-time jobs on the side to sustain myself. I come from a lower-income family. Every year, my mom warns me against taking an unpaid position, and every year, I convince her that it’s necessary. This is the last summer I’ll do it. I just need to get my name out there.

Not everyone can do that. As is reiterated to us constantly, our degree alone won’t get us a job. We need work experience. And with unpaid and minimum-wage internships as the norm, the journalism industry is keeping lower-income people out.

Ideally, the function of the press is to lift the voices of people who are underrepresented.

But how do you cover minority communities fairly when the journalism industry itself is inaccessible to them? When you have bills to pay or need to feed your family, you can’t afford to take unpaid or low-paying jobs. It puts poor people of color at an immediate disadvantage starting their careers. I’ve had friends with so much talent take jobs and internships outside of journalism because it simply doesn’t pay to

Submitting to

be an up-and-coming reporter.

There’s also a growing emphasis on the well-rounded, multimedia reporter. Writers can’t just be writers anymore. You can have a raw talent and do everything within your reach to hone that skill, and still be denied jobs because you’re not well-versed in the Adobe Creative Cloud, which costs over $50 per month. This semester, I’m skipping a journalism elective to take a computer programming class for no other reason than to make myself more marketable to future employers. The average journalist needs to know how to take photos and edit them, how to make quality videos and how to write basic code. Gaining those skills is out of reach for so many people whose voices are vital to every media outlet. I’ve never owned a professional camera. Thankfully, I’m at a school where I have access to one if I want it, but that’s not the case for a lot of people.

Many professional news organizations have problems with the way they cover minority communities. It’s pretty simple.

The staffs at most major media outlets are predominantly white and educated at Ivy Leagues or comparable universities. Because underrepresented minorities are not in newsrooms, they’re often not represented accurately in the news either.

This sounds like gatekeeping and, in a way, it is. But from my experience in newsrooms, most people genuinely want to make their coverage more fair and make their staff more diverse, even though the right moves are not necessarily being made by owners and management to reach that goal.

It’s no secret that media outlets aren’t doing too well. A lack of funding can prevent smaller newspapers from being able to pay and pay well. Running a student newspaper, I recognize these flaws on a smaller scale. Some of my most promising coworkers have left WSN to pursue paid positions elsewhere. And I can’t blame them. Passion doesn’t pay the rent.

Behemoth publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post have famously high starting salaries and good pay for interns, but they also admit to prioritizing graduates of elite colleges like Columbia and Northwestern University. The students they hire as college interns or fellows are required to be career-ready — with several examples of published work and internship experience under their belt.

These industry titans set the standard for smaller publications, and if they made a more concerted effort to welcome and teach young journalists, other media outlets might follow suit. The righteous intentions newspapers have when publishing stories should be applied to recruiting and hiring, as well. And for the rest of us, our support should go to student newspapers and local media, where new reporters have the chance to practice and hone their skills.

In the past few years, it seems like the journalism industry has been at a standstill at best, and in peril at worst. Making a strong effort to diversify newsrooms and coverage will only push us forward.

STAFF EDITORIAL

NYU, We Need to Talk As NYU students, we would hope for our administration to listen to us. Since NYU is the largest private university in the U.S., it has a particular responsibility to listen to all of its students and take our many concerns into consideration. In a May 2019 interview, WSN asked NYU President Andrew Hamilton if NYU should be a democratic institution. He flatly said “no.” In the same breath, he expanded, saying “I think NYU is an institution that has a number of different ways in which the views of the community are expressed and taken into account.” He went on to mention the role of student government and town halls in getting input from students. But while the university might advertise these methods as effective and helpful, clearly this is not enough. The views of NYU’s enormous community are frequently expressed, like Hamilton said, but they are rarely taken into account.

In a fundamentally undemocratic institution, is anyone really listening?

The highest authority at the university is the Board of Trustees, which has frequently disregarded student interests. One of the ways students can formally change NYU policy is through resolutions.

These go through the University Senate — a mix of students and faculty — and is finally brought to Board for approval, which rarely happens. Just last summer, the trustees vetoed three resolutions for student representation on the Board — the fourth resolution they’ve vetoed in the last three years. Instead, the trustees proposed other changes: more meetings with student leaders, an email address to which individuals can direct their concerns and the publication of their meetings’ minutes.

These initiatives were less than meaningful, especially considering the trustees have gone back on their initial compromise, promising to release summary reports of the meetings, as opposed to minutes. To date, no summary report of any Board of Trustees meeting has been made public. WSN has also had trouble reaching out to the Board in the past. The email provided by the Board prompts a response from the Office of Public Affairs instead. It seems that despite promises of change, the Board’s actions speak louder than their words — or lack thereof.

While there is no question about who makes the final decision at NYU, the administration touts recent town halls as another way any student can voice their concerns. Contrary to the university’s claims, town halls have been anything but productive. Despite their initial success, town halls have quickly devolved into tense and controlled social interactions. The meetings have been criticized by students

for their lack of substance and the administration’s tendency to dodge questions. Hamilton himself has questioned the usefulness of the meetings. If the Board doesn’t take student resolutions seriously and the administration won’t answer students’ questions truthfully, what are students supposed to do?

When the university refuses to recognize student concerns through university channels, they leave no choice but for students to protest. As a result, there is a strong history of protest at NYU — one that is only matched by the strength of university retaliation. Just last year, the university threatened several student protestors from the Incarceration to Education Coalition with suspension and alerted their parents. The university also threatened to remove their financial aid. This is the third time in the last three years that the university has threatened student protestors. While it is expected that protesting on school grounds can be cause for some form of punishment, the university’s treatment of protestors goes beyond what is fair or necessary.

Despite this hostile environment, the university has occasionally acquiesced to protest demands. In the summer of 2016, the university agreed to remove an application question about the criminal background of applicants. However, this concession is the exception and far from the norm. This decision came only after protests from IEC, and the university’s treatment of the protestors showed its true colors — IEC protestors were still threatened by the administration.

NYU is always quick to act when its inaction becomes national news. When a tweet about an anti-black incident at the Silver School of Social Work went viral, Silver responded with a statement acknowledging racism at the school almost immediately, and within a month had rolled out a comprehensive plan to hire an external consultant and add mandatory anti-racism training sessions for students and faculty. When NYU’s former dining provider, Aramark, came under fire for a failed health inspection at Lipton Dining Hall and a blatantly racist meal served in honor of Black History Month, the administration quickly began evaluating replacements. Aramark’s 42-year tenure at NYU ended this past summer, four years before its contract was set to expire.

It seems that the only way to not only gain the administration’s attention, but also leave them no choice but to act in your favor, is to force them into the headlines. But this is not the conversation that Hamilton promised; this is a forced, uncomfortable reckoning, and though it may be effective, it’s not a form of communication.

Email the Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

COLE STALLONE Chair ABBY HOFSTETTER Chair JUN SUNG Co-Chair DIYA JAIN Co-Chair

Email Sakshi Venkatraman at editor@nyunews.com.

SEND MAIL TO: 75 THIRD AVE. #SB07, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10003 OR EMAIL: OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM WSN welcomes letters to the editor, opinion pieces and articles relevant to the NYU community, or in response to articles. Letters should be less than 450 words. All submissions must be typed or emailed and must include the author’s name, address and phone number. Members of the NYU community must include a year and school or job title. WSN does not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

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SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

SPORTS

Edited by BELA KIRPALANI

Former NYU Baseball Player Juggles Coaching Responsibilities

By BENJAMIN MICHAEL DAVIS Deputy Sports Editor The newest member of the NYU men’s soccer and men’s and women’s golf coaching staff is also one of NYU’s most recent graduates. 2019 grad Jack Kurtenbach was the men’s soccer manager and a pitcher for the baseball team during his collegiate career and now juggles minor coaching responsibilities for three teams.

Kurtenbach’s NYU athletics journey started before his arrival in New York City when he decided to quit playing golf to focus on baseball full-time. The decision paid off, and he was recruited to join NYU where he played for two years before jetting off to London in the fall of his junior year. It’s this semester away that Kurtenbach said piqued his interest in soccer.

“At that point, the soccer bug had already kind of taken hold,” Kurtenbach said. “I decided to work in soccer.

Then NYCFC [New York City Football Club] offered me an internship that I thought I had no business being offered, so I took the opportunity and went that route.”

This internship was mainly spent on the business side of the sport, but Kurtenbach says it helped him stay interested nonetheless, and from there, he knew that he wanted to work for a sports team one day.

Through his time in London and with NYCFC, Kurtenbach developed more than just a love of soccer. He was also able to develop film analysis skills and gain experience with video technology, which he credits as the main driving force behind his application to the soccer team.

“I’m so into breaking down how teams play and there was really nothing

that comes from just being on Twitter and looking through websites so I thought if this is something that I do — and an actual talent or skill — let’s see if I can do it for NYU,” Kurtenbach said. “And [men’s soccer head coach Kim Wyant] was looking for someone to come in and do it at the same time so it was a very fortuitous match.”

Before his senior year began, Kurtenbach decided to shoot his shot and apply for the assistant coach position despite being a year out from graduation. Following an interview with Wyant, Kurtenbach was hired as a manager for the team.

“I’m always looking for good, qualified kids that can help because it’s a big operation and if somebody wants to get involved and they have a genuine interest in becoming involved, then we welcome the help,” Wyant said. “I was able to come up with some responsibilities to fit into his schedule, being a student still at NYU but also helping us out.”

From there, Kurtenbach became the team’s main source for game film analysis and was hired as an assistant coach upon graduation. Kurtenbach’s familiarity with NYU athletics helped him land his position as an assistant coach on the men’s and women’s golf teams as well.

Now that Kurtenbach is an official coach on three sports at once, his schedule is tight, but he has managed to develop a system that works, traveling mostly with the golf team, and alternating the sport he focuses on more every other day. He spends most of his energy on the golf teams, which he initially found surprising.

“I was actually kind of thinking that for golf, that [role] would be a little wonky, but to be honest, it’s probably more important,” Kurtenbach said.

VIA NYU ATHLETICS

Class of 2019 graduate Jack Kurtenbach was recently appointed assistant coach for three NYU teams.

“I think every coach that I’ve talked to, every player that I’ve talked to, they’re very into getting everything they possibly can so that they can improve their game.”

Gathering this information on players’ form and strategy is the main component of Kurtenbach’s role on both teams, and he describes his coaching style as being more hands-off and focused on getting the players what they need to improve on their own. The more lax approach is especially helpful for his work with the golf teams, as this is his first year and he is still fleshing out his role.

“Personally, I’m trying to make sure that I have a clear role figured out for these guys. Obviously with the golf team, it’s new, and so I’m hoping that by the end of the year we have a set schedule for the team and how we’re going to go about things,” Kurtenbach said. “I want more consistency with how I go about things with these guys.”

He believes that improving this consistency will help his already-talented teams to succeed at an even greater level.

Both the golf and soccer teams are looking to build upon past success in their respective NCAA DIII tournaments.

Last season, the women’s golf team

won the NCAA Division III National Championship for the first time in the program’s history.

“I hate to call on legitimate success on the playing field, but honestly, both teams are so primed for it,” Kurtenbach said. “As of right now, they all have the ability to win some serious silverware, and that’s the kind of thing that I think they’ll be able to take and remember fondly for the rest of their lives. I think that that’s going to be the best thing for these people.”

Email Benjamin Michael Davis at bdavis@nyunews.com.

Male Athletes Are Still Stuck in the Closet

By BELA KIRPALANI Sports Editor

SOPHIA DI IORIO | WSN

NFL veteran Ryan Russell recently wrote a beautiful piece for ESPN in which he came out as bisexual and discussed how he was unable to live an “open life” for much of his early professional career. Openness about his sexuality became one of the many things he sacrificed he made in order to succeed as a player. But it came at the expense of forming real, trusting relationships with his teammates and living in constant fear of being found out.

Right now, there isn’t a single openly gay player in the NFL, NBA, MLB or the NHL. Are we to believe that there isn’t a single gay player in any of these leagues? Perhaps. But the more likely answer is that players in these leagues are scared of coming out publicly because of the way they will be received.

The WNBA and the NWSL, in particular, have a number of openly gay athletes, yet they are often the subject of abuse or derision. From jokingly asking if lesbian athletes are actually just men in disguise to suggesting that openly gay athletes like Megan Rapinoe are only suc-

cessful because of their sexuality, a section of the general population harasses these women daily, mostly on the internet.

These aren’t new problems, though. When Billie Jean King was outed as gay in 1981, she lost all of her endorsements in just 24 hours.

Openly gay tennis player Amelie Mauresmo was once called “half a man” by a fellow player. WNBA player Brittney Griner was bullied her whole life, and coming out as gay in 2013 did not make things easier for her.

It’s no wonder then that so many male athletes don’t feel completely comfortable being who they are in these spaces, especially when we consider the toxic culture surrounding men’s sports and the problematic ideas about masculinity that we have placed upon young men in America.

As Russell wrote, he didn’t quite ”fit the bill” as a young black man because he was not particularly manly or aggressive, and so he felt stuck in between two worlds: the football world and the LGBTQ world.

Former NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan came out as gay six years after retiring from professional football and was recently quoted saying, “I think it’s safe to say there’s at least

one on every [NFL] team who is either gay or bisexual. A lot of guys still see it as potentially having a negative impact on their career.”

In his essay, Russell also mentioned the struggles that he faced in NFL locker rooms, unable to be his true self for fear of judgement and negative career action. It is a long-known fact that locker room culture can be toxic and propagate heteronormativity and hypermasculinity. How can we ask athletes to enter into a world that scrutinizes their every move and expects them to perform at the highest level when it won’t allow them to feel safe in their own identities?

It took a lot of courage for Russell to tell the world that he is a bisexual man. In fact, this is only the second time in history that an active player in the NFL has openly identified as LGBTQ. I hope that we will soon be able to stop counting, and that male athletes will one day feel safe enough to live their lives freely.

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.

Washington Square News | Sports

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

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NYU Predicts: NFL Edition

“

By BELA KIRPALANI Sports Editor After a summer full of movement and drama, the 2019 NFL season kicks off on Thursday. While teams like the New England Patriots remain perennial contenders, up-and-coming teams like the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs hope to make a splash this season. We asked NYU students their early predictions, including which teams will make it to Miami in February, and the picks may come as a surprise.

Email Bela Kirpalani at bkirpalani@nyunews.com.

Saints vs. Chiefs. The Chiefs added some great young players on defense which, when paired with the best offense in the NFL led by Patrick Mahomes, will make them incredibly difficult to beat. The Saints are going to make one last run in what I think will be Drew Brees’ final year with a very talented team on both sides of the ball MAX GORDON Stern Sophomore

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Chiefs vs. Saints in the Super Bowl because I think Mahomes will have another great season and the offensive core he has is too much.

And I think it’ll be enough to get past the Pats this year. As for the Saints, I think they were robbed of a Super Bowl berth last year in the conference finals, and they have kept their same team and Drew Brees has shown no signs of slowing down.

ERNEST MUDASIRU CAS Senior

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I think the Browns can surprise a lot of people and win a ton of games with Baker Mayfield at quarterback SAL CAMMISULI CAS Senior

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