Most Influential Students: 2012 Edition by Washington Square News

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 40 No. 50 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012

THE

INFLUENTIAL STU

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

t’s not difficult to find inspiration in New York City. With an abundance of resources and opportunities at our fingertips, we are constantly stimulated by what we see, where we go and who we meet. But we often forget to look at our very own community for a source of inspiration. If we take the time to look around, we can find students who are working tirelessly to bring a positive change to our immediate campus and beyond. There is Malina Jai Webb, the translator who has selflessly spoken on behalf of the student body, championing university-wide issues. There is Ryan Kuhel, the entrepreneur who has used food and the Internet to connect communities within NYU and in New York City. And then there is Redwan Hussain, the unifier who has dedicated himself to bridging the gap between our campuses in Greenwich Village and Brooklyn. In this issue, we present 15 students who have not only made a difference in their surrounding communities but have built a stronger road for future generations at NYU. Through their genuine passion and dedication, these students show that the power to be influential is within each one of us. We wanted to recognize the incredible works of these students and also capture the distinct personalities that propel them toward their goals. In a yearbook theme that aligns with the 40th anniversary of the Washington Square News, we have included each of the students’ signatures and personal drawings. In addition to photos from our in-house shoot, we have featured

images taken at places these students call home and have put together a video, available on our website. To me, working on the Influential Issue has been a testament to the dedication of WSN’s staff members who never cease to motivate me. I will forever be thankful to editor-in-chief Amanda Randone and editor-atlarge Francis Poon for their help and support. This issue would not have been possible without our photographer Sonja Podesta, deputy multimedia editor Jonathan Tan and senior editor Bridgette Doran. Thank you, editors, photographers and copy editors, for your diligence. Managing team and business team, I can’t thank you enough. I hope you will take the time to read through the stories of this year’s 15 most influential students. And I hope their stories inspire you to leave a mark of your own.

— Jaewon Kang, Managing Editor

STUDIO PORTRAITS BY

SONJA PODESTA

DENTS

(from left to right)

S ta c i Barton

L auren K alo g ridis

E ri c S il v er

A le c F oster

R ashida K amal

A J S mith

E mil y Genser

R y an K uhel

A le x is T one y

R edwan H ussain

Z ain M emon

Caroline Veith

Benjamin J an c e I V

K elsie P ri c e

M alina W e b b

THE CAREGIVER

teinhardt graduate student Staci Barton struggled with her racial identity when she was growing up. “As a light-skinned black person, my racial identity was always challenged by others,” she said. “People either didn’t think I ‘looked black’ or ‘acted black.’” Because of this personal experience, she wanted to help other minority groups. Barton, who is pursuing her Master’s degree in Community and International Public Health, became involved with the Center of Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies the summer before her senior year. As a CAS undergraduate studying Psychology, she started interning for Project Desire — a study conducted by CHIBPS to better understand the sexual behavior of African-American and Latino men living in New York City who have sex with other men. “I’ve always wanted to work with minority populations and marginalized groups,” she said. “Those are where the health disparities are.” As an intern, Barton conducted interviews with men ages 13 to 17, whom she asked questions about their sexual behavior and why they may be inclined to engage in unprotected sex. After speaking with these men, she realized she wanted to continue working with these underserved communities. “Actually hearing about people’s experiences directly from their mouth, completely unfiltered, was very fascinating,” Barton said. This desire to not only communicate with but also give this group a voice has been the drive behind her role within CHIBPS, where she continued to work after completing her years as a student in the College of Arts and Science. After she graduated in June, she was hired as a project coordinator of Project 18, also a project designed to learn about young LGBTQ men. Three years later she was promoted to

RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN

assistant project director, which has given her a larger role in ensuring that the project runs smoothly everyday. Not only does she conduct many of the participant assessments and HIV tests, but she also contributes to the technical work of the project. Since Barton became assistant project director, CHIBPS has published one academic article containing the data the project has collected, and is currently working on others. Part of her job is also to select and train the interns, and in recent years P-18 has had as many as 300 intern applicants from from all over the world. But her most significant impact on the project has been the strong relationships she has developed with the participants. Her colleagues know her as the one who remembers all 600 names of the men in the study. She makes an effort to meet with the same men each time they come in. “I have guys that I did their appointment when they were 18, and I have done their appointment every six months until they turned 21,” she said. This effort has contributed to the high retention rate of P-18, which is about 85 percent. One of the hardest parts of Barton’s job is telling a man he tested positive for HIV, but she does not simply pass along the bad news and leave. Barton said she personally calls centers in the area, gets in a cab with the man and takes him to professionals who can help. “The experience of doing that has really been

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incredible, knowing that we are not just collecting data and ignoring the humanity aspect of the project,” she said. “We are helping people as much as we can.” Barton hopes the study, which is expected to continue at least another five years, will shed more light on the epidemic of HIV and remind people that the issue should not be overlooked. She said sometimes it is difficult to balance working during the day and attending classes

at night. Although Barton plans to continue this type of work in the future, she wants to explore the education aspect. In particular, she would like to play a role in improving sexual health education programs. “The more comprehensively we understand this epidemic, the better we can reduce the new rates of infection among the community as well as ensure that those who are HIV-positive are as healthy as possible,” she said. — NICOLE BROWN

the a c ti v ist

lec Foster was devastated when a girl he knew passed away because of a drug overdose. According to the CAS junior, his friend’s death could likely have been prevented if those nearby had called for help. Hoping to prevent tragedies like his friend’s death, Foster began reaching out to government and administrative organizations at NYU that affect student on student well-being and helped form an alliance among them in relation to drug policy. Through these connections, Foster has restructured NYU’s branch of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, successfully changing NYU’s Good Samaritan Policy this past May. The policy now states that students are able to call for help in situations where someone is in need of medical assistance without the fear of disciplinary consequence by the university. Before the change, students who called for help could be punished for the illegal activity. Everything Foster does is part of his passion for public service and building a community, a passion he first began to realize when he took the reigns of SSDP.

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DAVID LIN/WSN

“Through SSDP, I feel like I’ve made a community at NYU for students who have obscure interests,” Foster said. “For example, people like myself that are looking for a community at NYU that might like drugs or that might hate drugs but want to bring it into public discourse and create a conversation where there wasn’t one already.” He continued this community-building effort by connecting with students as a mentor through Steinhardt, where he taught new student seminars for incoming students to adjust to life at NYU. It became Foster’s mission to connect the students with resources they might not even know they are looking for and to help them advocate for changes they want put in place. Despite Foster’s suit, tie and professional manner, his personality is also apparent from his smile, sense of humor and longboard cluttered with stickers that read NYU SSDP, No More Drug War, Skateboarding Is Not A Crime, Students for Sensible Drug Policy and OBAMA BIDEN 2012. During the summer of 2011, he created a political action committee at NYU called Skateboarders for Car and Road Safety, which most recently advocated for the repaving the road on Washington Square East

directly in front of Silver. They also support making safety sexy and for more bicycle lanes in New York City. In July, Foster continued his efforts to increase community at NYU when he became the face of NYU Memes, a Facebook group dedicated to communicating student issues and experiences through a picture and short caption. Frustrated at seeing the program run as a business, Foster used his skills in technology communication to improve the page. He said it created a new, creative side in him. “To me, that’s just another version of public service. It’s community-building at NYU and helps other students become more culturally aware.” As a current intern at the White House during his study away semester in Washington, D.C., Foster has developed a renewed dedication to public service, which he hopes to bring back to NYU and continue throughout his life and career. With so much on his plate, Foster does not have time for much else — but he is fine with mixing work with play. “I tend to make my hobbies into causes,” he said. — Julie DeVito

THE RENEWER

JONATHAN TAN/WSN

t was hard to keep up with CAS senior Emily Genser between her fast-paced talk, overwhelming enthusiasm and the bagel she kept munching. Even without her rapidity and the food interrupting her sentences, it would probably still be difficult to keep pace with Genser’s busy life. A leader in what seems to be every environment-related activity on campus, Genser has dedicated her time at NYU to creating a greener and more sustainable community. It is difficult to believe that when Genser entered college, she didn’t realize global warming was a serious issue until her firstsemester Climate Change professor “calmly scared the shit out of [her].” The professor alerted Genser to new problems that demanded immediate attention. Although Genser’s passion for the environment came at a later stage in her academic career,

it arrived in full force as she gravitated toward every opportunity she found, both at NYU and in New York City. Students and faculty pass by Genser’s contributions everyday, whether it is in the form of a compost bin in one of seven dining halls, a recycling center around campus or the technoscrap collections awaiting pickup in the basement of Palladium residence hall. But Genser refuses to take full credit for any of these accomplishments, emphasizing the roles of her peers and NYU. “Nobody builds anything alone,” Genser said. “I just happen to connect people in a way that gets things done.” Still, it is impossible not to praise Genser when she is at the forefront of these initiatives. Dividing her time between her jobs as the Recycling and Composting program coordinator and Sustainability

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Task Force member, Genser could be called a real-life environmental superwoman. Her latest project involves measuring the climate change footprint of NYU’s waste stream and creating ways to reduce it. Double majoring in environmental studies and history, Genser tackles environmental issues from several perspectives. “Having a history background helps a lot and gives me resources I wouldn’t normally have to address certain problems,” Genser said. “You can’t solve present problems without looking to the past.” Genser seeks ways to alter communities outside of NYU, too. Her previous positions with Democracy Now! and Do Something extend from her passion for the environment into other avenues of activism. “You can’t just care about what immediately affects you,” she said. “How are you going to say, ‘Not in my backyard?’

You have to say, ‘Not on my planet.’” What makes Genser even more of a superwoman is how her life is a skillful balancing act — fun and downtime are necessary parts of her schedule. Her love of posting world maps on Tumblr, watching raunchy comedies like “Step Brothers” and planning the perfect dance party, as she did for three housewarming parties when she moved to Brooklyn, all add to her quirky yet grounded character. With graduation looming, Genser has bigger and even better plans for the future. While she does admit it would be easier if she could decide on where she wants to reside after receiving her diploma, no matter where she goes, Genser’s passion will continue to inspire people to care about the environment, just as it has at NYU. “There’s hope for the future,” she said. — Tatiana Baez

the B R I D G E

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f stereotype suggests that engineers are a reclusive and slightly obsessive lot, then Redwan Hussain embodies a crushing rebuttal. Smartly dressed yet laid-back, in love with his work yet nevertheless amiably accessible, it should come as no surprise that Hussain has been instrumental in bridging the gap between the NYU-Poly student body and the NYU Washington Square campus. He seems like he could have emerged from either world, and he has used this characteristic to the advantage of fellow students on both sides. Even before he was elected Student Council Vice President of Academic Success for the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, Hussain was working to make the resources of the two campuses accessible to one another. “I have a lot of friends at the Washington Square campus, so whenever there was some kind of event going on, I used to spread the word,” Hussain said. “Poly’s sort of like a myth on the NYU campus. During my first semester at Poly, we didn’t even have access to Coles or Palladium ... [We] did not have access to NYU Home [online].” But things have steadily improved, and Hussain has worked to facilitate this change in every manner possible. He was part of the first group of NYU-Poly students to be given positions as Welcome Week leaders. “I met a lot of different students from ... various schools at NYU,” Hussain said. “I acquainted myself with staff members as well.” He used these contacts to help him coordinate events open to students from any of the multiple schools at NYU and not simply NYU-Poly. “It’s really important to foster a sense of student life and community,” he said. “A lot of our programs are open to students from the other [schools].” The secret to Hussain’s success may lay in his apparent commitment to never settle for what is merely good enough. He uses a calendar application to plan his appointments down to the half hour. He is even bringing NYU-Poly’s Student Council into the digital age by helping to implement an active Twitter feed. “We might incorporate some kind of incentives program,” Hussain said. “Every fifth tweet gets some kind of prize.” Anyone could set up a Twitter feed and vainly expect people to take an interest in it, but Hussain actually intends to do something with it. “You can’t just repeat something that another organization or engineer did before you,” Hussain said. “You need to always be creative when it comes to ... finding more efficient solutions to problems, when creating new products to outdo your competitors or to create things that are just fascinating.” Only a junior, Hussain still intends to expand his efforts at NYU. He currently maintains a highly successful mentoring program that allows upperclassmen to assist first-year students in their studies. He attributes the program’s success to the long-term pairings and frequent interaction required by the program’s guidelines. “All the mentors love their mentees and vice versa,” Hussain said. “A lot of first-year students feel more welcome because of this mentoring program.” Hussain wants the mentoring program and his latest endeavor, an Academic Workshop Series, to constitute his legacy at NYU. With his prior work in mind, he hopes for that legacy to be embodied by a spirit of inter-campus unity. “I don’t want these to be just open to Poly students,” Hussain said. “I want students from all of NYU to benefit.” — Stefan Melnyk

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the F A C I L I T A T O R

oon after NYU Abu Dhabi sophomore Benjamin Jance IV arrived in the United Arab Emirates to begin his university studies, he discovered an overwhelming sense of community. Equipped with a strong sense of idealism, a desire to bring people together and a brilliant smile, Jance looks for ways to implement grassroots solutions to local and global issues. With positivity and conviction to win over the most cynical and pessimistic of critics, he has strived to establish an atmosphere of symbiotic encouragement and respect. A typical day for Jance is busy. At any given moment, he could be meeting with members of student government, planning the next event for his environmentally focused group Ecoherence, or setting up the stage for an open mic night. You may find Benjamin interning with the United Nations Environment Programme, working as a Peer Ambassador on NYUAD Candidate

Weekends or singing with his band December 10th. He also go-karts recreationally. “In the limited free time he has, he supports his classmates by attending events they have organized and are hosting, or in which they are participating,” said Renee Dugan, acting assistant dean of Campus Life at NYUAD. That any full-time student could manage to juggle such a heavy and varied schedule seems to defy linear time. But despite this seemingly sleepless combination of extracurriculars and community activities, Jance radiates energy and enthusiasm. “My motto is people before programs,” he said. “We can accomplish so much more by focusing on [the] needs of who we’re working with.” Fueling his energy — and intimidatingly packed schedule — is a passion for making meaningful, sustainable change in the world and a drive to empower those around him to do the same. This is what brought Jance to create the first-ever Global Issues Network conference at NYUAD.

An offshoot of similar conferences, this event brings young people together to facilitate provocative discussion and sowing ideas and meaningful action plans from grassroots-based youth. It is scheduled to take place in January 2013 with 80 delegates from “every continent, except Antarctica.” Not bad for someone with so little free time. And yes, he does go to class. Jance studies political science, with a multidisciplinary concentration in environmental studies. He dreams big. “In many ways, [Global Issues Network 2013] is more than just a conference,” he said. “It’s a blueprint that can be taken to schools around the world to give thousands of other students the chance to implement their ideas.” Yet he grounds himself in the people who surround him, pushing all else aside for a good conversation or discussion. “There’s so much to be learned from individual people, I don’t see any other way to work,” he said. — Alistair Blacklock

JACK DICKSON FOR WSN

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the G U A R D I A N

JONATHAN TAN/WSN

hey told her she always smiled. They told her to push her limits. They told her that by doing so she inspired others to join her efforts. Together, Lauren Kalogridis’s dance teacher, art teacher and family of seven provided a network of supportive mentors, but upon leaving her small Floridian town for life in the Big City, Kalogridis was consumed by loneliness. Kalogridis checked out many different clubs her freshman year in search of community, but only one remembered her name. She joined that club, and four years later, as a senior in the Silver School of Social Work, Kalogradis is not only still in Against Child Trafficking, she has taken on the role of president. Now, striving every day to build community, Kalogradis has found her place at NYU — fighting for social justice and educating young people as a founding member of the social venture Youth Take Charge. Kalogridis became president of Against Child Trafficking her sophomore year. During this time her naïve curiosity about the horrors of

human trafficking evolved into a conscious realization that she could bring more attention to the crimes often neglected victims. “I really believe this is an issue that can come to light in our generation,” Kalogridis said. “I am not in the position to be changing policies right now, but I am in the position to be getting young people involved and aware of this issue.” Kalogridis works to expand Against Child Trafficking’s activism. She partnered with Freedom Week NYC in 2010 and 2011 to host events that brought together a coalition against human trafficking. She drew over 450 students in October 2011 to hear humanitarian and sex slave survivor Somaly Mam speak. In April 2012, 50 people attended her free screening of “The Dark Side of Chocolate,” a documentary about slave labor in chocolate production. Mam’s book “The Road of Lost Innocence” inspired Kalogridis and seven other Against Child Trafficking members’ newest venture: Youth Take Charge. This team of NYU students wanted to raise young people’s awareness, so they developed curricular materials aiming to

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bring anti-trafficking education to high schools in New York City. “I think high schoolers are looking for something to define themselves,” Kalogridis explained. “And if you introduce activism and community involvement to them at that age ... it can be a very powerful mode of self-expression.” In April 2012, the project received the top award of ‘Best Overall Venture’ in the Reynolds Changemaker Challenge and was awarded $7,800 to carry out the idea. At the end of November, five schools contacted YTC to present workshops. After the workshops are presented, YTC hopes to engage students in 12-week long mentorships and deepen their understandings of human trafficking. To Kalogridis, it is important for high school students to be aware of the issue because it is something that affects teenagers nationwide. In 2011, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center received 19,427 phone calls, 696 of which originated in New York, where at least 129 potential trafficking situations were discovered. “It’s never going to be solved if we don’t talk

about it and I think that awareness is the first step,” Kalogridis said. In addition to her positions with YTC and Against Child Trafficking, Kalogridis also interns at Claremont International High School in the Bronx, where all of the students immigrated to the United States within the past year. “I just think about how ... as a youth worker, I come at it from a lot different angles [such as] social work and as an activist and as an artist,” Kalogridis reflectively said. “I’ve had some really great experiences working with young people ... where I’ve just been the happiest, most inspired and most fulfilled.” Motivated by the students she works with, Kalogridis will remain invested with YTC after graduation. She wants to attend graduate school or continue working with children and impacting the community. “I wake up every morning smiling ... not because I’m excited about my hour commute,” Kalogridis said, “but because I’m excited to know that I’m working as part of a team.” — Emily McDermott

the A D V O C A T E

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s Superstorm Sandy ravaged the East Coast, CAS senior and RA Rashida Kamal was playing Taboo on a tiled and uncomfortable hallway in Broome Street residential college with her other 10th floor residents. Hours later, as lights flickered out in one residence hall after another and thousands of students flocked to the Kimmel Center for University Life to seek refuge, the chair of NYU’s Civic Team was brewing ways to help her neighbors. “It started setting in when the power outage was continuing and continuing, and all of the implications of what that might mean really became more and more real,” Kamal said. “Even [for] those of us who were lucky enough to have Kimmel as a safe haven. Not everyone in our immediate community within blocks had that.” In the midst of a blackout zone, Kamal facilitated service projects for the NYU community with the help of the Center for Student Activities, Leadership and Service and the Office of Civic Engagement. Tending to elderly citizens stranded in high-rise apartment buildings and distributing meals to residents surviving without electricity, heat and running water were simply the beginnings of an ongoing relief effort. And her service work in the wake of Sandy is only one seed that Kamal has planted in an effort to empower the student body and foster community engagement. Her efforts have sprouted within other leadership roles. As chair of the Civic Team, Kamal connects students to volunteer opportunities at nonprofit and government agencies in the city. From hosting a Halloween jamboree for Chung Pak Day Care Center kids to a senior prom for the elderly, Kamal and her peers provided outlets for students to become members of a tangible community that is rooted in giving back. “I love having students realize their potentials,” Kamal said. “That can be really powerful in the context of service because

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not only do you realize your personal potential, but you realize the potential your own community has and the community that you’re serving.” Kamal, a second-year RA at Broome, spends more than 20 hours a week leading the residence hall’s service group and aiding students in selecting their majors. When Kamal is not manning her hall of college kids, she is guiding waves of eager prospective students around campus as an admissions ambassador. Despite her fear of public speaking, she views her role as a means to step out of her comfort zone and challenge herself — a goal that she helps others achieve. And for someone with an exuberant laugh and an endearing smile, it’s hard to imagine she’s secretly an introvert. When she smiles, it is contagious. But when she chuckles, her body shakes with laughter. Even though her teachers have dubbed her quiet and studious, a girl who doesn’t speak up enough in class, she has found more ways than one to advocate for those in need. “There are pockets of silences from students that don’t necessarily have to be there,” Kamal said. “And I think it’s about making those connections to people who have the resources and the people who want them. Somehow, to me in my mind, that fits into the desire for advocacy.” Driven by her entrepreneurial spirit, Kamal envisions many different futures for herself, with possible career paths that may lead her to the Peace Corps, Teach for America or law school. But regardless of her future position, Kamal has created channels for the empowerment and projection of muted voices. “At NYU, it’s a little bit about putting yourself out there and being like, ‘Hey, I kind of want this to happen, can it happen?’” Kamal said. “And pushing through ... any minor frictions there might be and realizing that if you have a vision, you can accomplish it.” — Kristina Bogos

the entrepreneur

yan Kuhel is always seeking to build connections. And he is eager to tell a cohesive story by connecting his seemingly disparate ventures such as the various disciplines he explores as a Gallatin junior, the dissimilar nature of his start-ups — WeCookSocial and Hublished — and his desire to harness the power of communities. Communities are essential to Kuhel’s work philosophy, which reflects his desire to produce something beneficial without putting himself in the spotlight. By approaching his efforts from an entrepreneurial angle, Kuhel seeks to produce an organized result from the chaos some may believe is inherent in a community. In his attempts to channel the power of a crowd in such an ordered fashion, Kuhel has often employed his love of storytelling. He found an opportunity to tell the stories of countless cultures before he transferred to NYU from Brandeis University. But he said he was soon attracted to the opportunities presented by New York City and NYU’s broad offerings. With the help of his friends from Brandeis, Kuhel created his first community in 2011 around WeCookSocial, a food blog and social portal that combined his proclivity for food and social networking into a single outlet. “At the core of every community, family, religion, tribe, are stories,” Kuhel said. “And we tell stories at the table over food.” Kuhel helped WeCookSocial tell the stories of everyone, from NYU students to the employees of Tumblr. After receiving emails for events ranging from dorm events to engagement parties, he realized WeCookSocial’s value proposition worked, but its channels of distribution did not. “We were running around the city with cookware and aprons,” Kuhel said. “It was madness.” An opportunity arose to improve the weaknesses of WeCookSocial when Kuhel and his business partner devised a plan

for a new website that would emphasize quality over popularity. Together, they tested ideas in Stern professor Lawrence Lenihan’s Entrepreneurship for the New Economy class, which inspired Kuhel’s love of crowdsourcing. The result, Hublished, set to launch in January, will provide an online portal for content creators to create valuable output and rewards them with new, dedicated consumers. Producers upload webinars, podcasts and other content to teach audiences a specific skill. “Google doesn’t reward expertise, but it couldn’t,” Kuhel said as he drew a flow chart in his office. “That needs to be done by a crowd.” Hublished takes this philosophy and divides its users into two groups: publishers and peers. Publishers upload and tag content. If their peers value what they discover, they can subsequently rate and subscribe to the content. The publisher’s work is then promoted to those with similar interests. Kuhel took an iterative process to creating Hublished, and he did not deny the accompanying hardships. “[Entrepreneurship is] not easy [and] it’s not glamorous,” Kuhel said. “We’re talking about something we’re very proud of, but we’re just getting started.” Even though Kuhel views his work as the start of a larger pursuit, he continues to use crowdsourcing in an innovative fashion. As a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi, Kuhel helped his brothers earn money for the humanitarian group Save a Child’s Heart. In only 48 hours, the fraternity raised $10,000 by rocking in chairs outside Weinstein residence hall. “We didn’t reinvent the wheel,” Kuhel said. “But when you harness the power of a crowd, you can deliver something unbelievable.” And whether around the dinner table of a WeCookSocial meeting, in the virtual webinars of Hublished or on the sidewalks of New York City, Kuhel continues to tell the stories of every community that he joins or creates. — JONATHON DORNBUSH

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the UNIFIER

he sheer scope of ecological, political and human rights injustices that plague the world may seem insurmountable, especially from the perspective of a single student. But CAS senior Zain Memon doesn’t see it that way. “There is a huge potential with students because we are the new generation,” Memon said. For Memon, that potential lays in students’ ability to spread information about social justice that can inspire far-reaching movements. “Just telling people that there has been a severe drought and [that] children don’t have access to water,” Memon said. “That image just reaches into people, and automatically there is a humanistic connection that develops.” This September, along with his friend Fatima Kamran, 19, Memon co-chaired Fast-a-Thon — a charity dinner hosted by the Islamic Student Association. Memon turned the one-night event into a month-long campaign to spread the word about water shortages in East Africa. “I realized that some of my most cherished memories at NYU included volunteering and helping out in previous Fast-AThons,” Memon said. “And as a chair of this year’s campaign, I wanted to take this event to another level, where incoming students and volunteers could also feel the same connection when they looked back to their years at NYU.” The campaign included hosting bake sales and setting up a table in the lobby of the Kimmel Center for University Life. With the help of 23 co-sponsors and 75 volunteers, all organized by Memon, word of the event spread through campus and on the web. Students began changing their profile pictures and tweeting statuses to remind their peers about the event. The day of the event, the 270 students in attendance took a break from their daily routine and abstained from eating meals. They then took the extra money and donated it to Fast-A-Thon, raising almost $30,000 in just one day. The donations will go toward building three wells and will give 9,000 people access to clean water. But beyond all this, Memon believes the event will bring more benefits. “Everything is linked,” Memon said. “It is a cycle, information and raising awareness and that translates into a more solidified response for the country.” This first drop, this single event, has inspired a wave. Today, two months after the event, Memon still receives emails from students around the country, asking for advice about how to successfully organize events. “I just emailed a bunch of co-sponsors before the event, not thinking they would respond ... and a majority of them didn’t,” Memon said. “But after Fast-A-Thon, we have developed those relationships because people saw how powerful our charity fundraising event was, and now they’re eager to help.” The event itself was just the beginning. As a longtime member of the ISA, Memon is using the success of the event to open up a dialogue about Islam’s place in the United States. Earlier this month, the ISA has already planned and hosted a new event, the “Islamic Center at NYU Emergency Fundraiser: Gaza Crisis Goal,” a forum for Palestinian and Israeli students. “[The ISA’s] main goal is to create representation for Muslims at NYU,” Memon said. “For Americans living far from their homelands, I think it is essential [that] we interweave ideas with other groups because that’s what is developing our identity.” This interweaving of community, charity and religion is crucial to Memon’s work. While many people see religion as divisive by nature, Memon argues that it is another way to motivate people toward social change. “[Religious groups] have a reach within their religious communities, and then the people within the communities can bring the information outside,” Memon said. “It’s like a convergence of spheres.” In the future, Memon hopes to become an anesthesiologist and wants to take his sense of charity on a global level. Calling Dr. Khaled Hosseini from “The Kite Runner” his role model, Memon dreams of one day writing a book about his experiences in global charity. “It’s hard to explain the happiness I feel when I see NYU students, who would not normally interact with each other, taking initiatives together as family to raise awareness for the drought in East Africa,” Memon said. “I want people to remember NYU students as individuals who worked tirelessly, quietly and peacefully towards the betterment of others.” — Charles Mahoney

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THE SUPPORTER

JONATHAN TAN/WSN

elsie Price encourages young women to be “amazing, regardless.” When the Stern senior arrived at NYU in 2009, she joined Women of Excellence, Strength and Tenacity, a club focused on empowering women to become leaders in their communities at a moment’s notice. The Los Angeles native was eager to find a community in a new city. Though only about 10 women attended her first meeting, Price immediately felt connected to the tight-knit group. She was struck by the way the group opened the meeting with an exercise called Amazing Regardless, in which each member shared something negative that happened that week, but assured themselves — and other WEST women — that they are amazing, regardless of any issue in school, at work or with family. “I really liked the community idea of having a tight-knit group of women who supported each other,” Price said. Since then, Price has worked to revitalize and expand the group to reach and empower more women on campus. Under her leadership, WEST promotes community building through service, leadership and scholarship, has become an all-square club, has seen tremendous growth in membership and has allowed young women to support each other to become influential voices and leaders in their communities. Price was initially drawn to WEST because of her interest in minority groups. “I’ve really tried to get involved with underrepresented minority groups at NYU. That’s what I’m interested in based on my own identities,” Price said. “Whether it’s black and

Latino people or LGBTQ communities or women, there’s still a long way to go. There have been great strides, but there’s still a long way to go.” When Price joined WEST as a freshman, few underclassmen were involved. “[WEST] was not going to exist anymore,” Price said. “That made me sad because I really resonated with women’s empowerment and wanting to empower women to be leaders.” Determined to spread WEST’s message to women around campus, Price convinced a few friends to join the executive board with her in the following year. She became vice president and began to bring major changes to the small group. “[The old e-board] had a lot of great ideas, but they weren’t reaching a lot of people,” Price said. “There was nothing really enticing. It wasn’t being marketed.” Price and her team began to build personal connections within WEST and spread the group’s message around campus. When she returned to NYU as a sophomore, Price successfully led the first meeting, attended by 50 young women. Now, Price works with WEST’s members to help them realize their potentials as young women and develop leadership skills through discussions and workshops on topics that range from taking control over domestic violence to preparing for careers, as well as through community service activities. Price also encourages positivity through exercises like Throwing Away Negatives, where WEST members write negative things they feel about themselves on pieces of paper — and then tear them up. Price’s drive to teach and inspire others comes from those who have inspired her, including her four older siblings and the many NYU administrators she has worked with.

INFLUENTIAL MEANS...

“I understand all the ways other people have helped me and shaped me,” Price said. “It just fit naturally for me to want to help others in the same way I’ve been helped.” Price also engages others through her continued involvement as co-chair of the Women’s HERstory Month planning committee and as a prominent leader in the Academic Achievement Program, the NYU Global Services Corps and the Alternative Breaks program, among other organizations. Price further pursues her passion for helping others and strengthening minority communities through her studies in the Stern School of Business, where she is studying accounting and social entrepreneurship. She hopes to use

these skills to empower minority groups with financial literacy. “For me, even for my family, growing up [I saw] that there is a lack of that knowledge,” Price said. “I would love to help communities that don’t really have access to that information.” As Price prepares to graduate, she is focused on passing the torch to new WEST leaders. “All of the strides that I’ve [made] with my peers in terms of community building will mean nothing if it falls off next year,” Price said. “I always say that if people hear ‘WEST’ and think of me, that’s not good. People can’t associate me with the organization. They need to associate the organization with its goals.” — Nicola Pring

the P O E T

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ric Silver is a master of the English language, but there is one subject he can’t articulate — himself. It’s not that the CAS senior from Westchester, N.Y. doesn’t have anything to talk about and to make him proud. Silver is the third-year president and a co-founder of the university’s first slam poetry team, Slam! at NYU. Earlier this year, Silver led the team to victory as the number one collegiate slam poetry team in the country when they won the College Unions Poetry Slams Invitational. Instead of his own accomplishments,

performaces, and academics, Silver would rather talk about the talents of his fellow Slam! teammates, his friends at all the other schools and Shanna Williams and Taeesha Muhammad, his favorite department administrative aides. “They’ll help you out,” Silver said without hesitation. “They’re probably the best people in this entire university.” When Silver does talk about himself, it is reserved for his poetry. On the surface, Silver’s poems are lighthearted and humorous. In one work, Silver describes his mother as “the original sandwich artist; Subway got nothing on my mama.” His voice, like a comedian’s, is loud and inviting. A few moments later, his voice becomes reflective and somber, as the poem reveals its true purpose — to say goodbye to his mother as he leaves home to become an adult. “Your son is not tough,” Silver quietly reveals.

INFLUENTIAL MEANS...

When Silver isn’t writing a poem, his focus is on those around him while he builds a community that embraces and unites all the diverse voices of NYU. “I’ve really tried to be as open and as determined as possible [during] my time here at NYU,” Silver said. “Community is hard to come by.” And if there is any team sport that thrives on the presence of others, it’s slam poetry. Slam!’s weekly meetings are open to all students, whether they have experience in slam poetry, are only getting started or are simply just curious about the craft. At the meetings, Silver leads writing workshops and encourages people to share their work, as well as their enthusiasm. “Audience members are such a key, key, key part of any poetry slam,” Silver explained. “If you feel a way about a line, you’re supposed to make a noise like, ‘Aww, that’s crazy,’ or ‘Mmm, that’s so good,’ or snap or clap about it.”

Slam! has performed at events for various NYU clubs and organizations, including the LGBTQ Center, the Black Student Union and the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs. “When our poems speak to other people, I feel like we’re making a really positive impact,” Silver added. Silver’s other commitments include writing for NYU Local, helping at the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life and serving on the e-board for Second Street residence hall. Silver also runs art workshops for convicted high school-aged boys on Rikers Island. Slam! is still where Silver has made his greatest mark on NYU. “Hopefully people come to these meetings and realize they have a place and a method to write about what they’re feeling,” Silver said. “Everyone has something about themselves that they need to talk about.” — Jeremy Grossman

the C O N D U C T O R

“

”

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en-year-old AJ Smith was sitting on the floor of his home armed with a poster board, markers and an idea. His new album cover was almost ready. It didn’t seem to matter that no album existed. He wrote down the titles of songs he had not yet written. “You have to start somewhere,” he said. That passion and drive to initiate something is the common denominator that allows him to communicate and reach out to others, whether as a soloist performing for his audience, a member of the NYU Lacrosse team, or an RA mentoring younger students. Just last month, Smith was named a winner of NYU Steinhardt’s Songwriting Scholar Award — an honor created by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts — and opened for the legendary band The Eagles at the Steinhardt Vision Awards Gala. The event’s aim was to raise money for scholarships. Before even being asked to perform, Smith knew he had to get involved. After all, as a beneficiary of scholarships himself, it was a natural impulse to try and give back to future NYU students. For Smith, songwriting was the vehicle through which he knew he could have the greatest impact. “When I play a song that I’ve written for somebody, the goal is not just for them to enjoy it, but for them to walk away with an experience that maybe they can communicate,” he explained. However, it wasn’t music but NYU’s lacrosse team that netted Smith a sense of community he had searched for during his freshman year. Because of his determined work ethic and strong sense of leadership, Smith was elected the team’s captain for his sophomore year. But while this was validation for what others saw in him, he sees it as much more.

INFLUENTIAL MEANS...

“I look at leadership not necessarily as an accomplishment but an opportunity,” he said. “I see it as a means to help other people find the sense of community that I found freshman year.” He added with a smile, showing that he has reached that comfort zone. Now a senior in his third year as captain, Smith has used his position to elevate the program’s recognition with hopes of also lifting NYU, the first collegiate lacrosse program in the nation, back into the ranks of the National College Athletic Association. Winning games and attracting talented players to the program are important factors, but it isn’t sufficient to make that jump. Helping the women’s team rise to that same level while raising the profile of NYU’s athletic programs in general is also at the top of his to-do list. As vice president of the Club Sports Advisory Committee he helped create, he works to increase the presence of club sports on campus, raise school spirit and athletic awareness and bring athletic groups together. Becoming an example for others on campus is something, he said, that is key to his success. As a second-year RA at Third North residence hall, he sees a great amount of responsibility in helping others develop skills that college allowed him to develop. This sense of reciprocity is part of passing the torch on to others — whether it is a resident, a teammate or a random student he sits with at a dining hall. Regardless of what role he is filling, the goal remains the same — ensuring that they have as positive an experience as he has enjoyed at a place that feels like home. “I didn’t realize that it was possible to have so many different aspects of relationships and friendships that might not necessarily be in the same circles,” Smith said. “But I brought a lot of them together.” — Chris DiNardo

the I N I T I A T O R

he first day of college for Steinhardt senior Alexis Toney was a lonely one. The Tennessee native said she was one of the few black students on campus and was in search for other minority students. Toney, who comes from a large family, said she wanted to have a family at NYU, too. She was introduced to the Academic Achievement Program by its director Julia Avina, an organization that supports students of color in achieving their academic and leadership potential. At the time Toney joined, the group was comprised of 12 students. Today, she serves as a university liaison for AAP, which has grown to have a consistent membership of 50 to 60 students and holds weekly rap sessions and game days. The program is one of the many ways in which Toney tries to foster community for minorities at the university.

With her energetic and bright personality, Toney has set an example by devoting a significant amount of time every day to support various minority clubs on campus. Toney believes her family at NYU is her priority, and her love for her fellow family members inspires her to continue working to unite and strengthen the presence of minorities on campus. A founding member of the Black Students Union during her sophomore year, Toney has served as community outreach chair. Currently, she leads the group as the president and has spearheaded events like Keepin’ It 100 and Homecoming Week. One of Toney’s priorities has been helping incoming freshman transition smoothly into NYU. Four years ago, Toney was unable to find a black community at the university, but now, she has helped create a growing and lively family for incoming students to join.

She also took part in creating the Black Students Guide, which contains helpful tips and advice for new students. And through BSU’s Inspired showcase at Scholars Weekend and the NYU Black Class of 2016 Facebook page, Toney said she wants the newly admitted students to know that there is a strong presence of black community at the university. “We make ourselves visible so that if they do come here they know we’re here,” Alexis said. Two summers ago, Toney and a friend got the idea to start a Black Solidarity Conference to provide an opportunity for black students to discuss and interact with each other. Last year, the BSU held the first Black Solidarity Conference at NYU, with a focus on identity. “There’s this African proverb, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ There’s strength in numbers,” Toney said. “The more people we have and the more voices we have, the stronger we’ll be as a union.”

In her efforts to create an even larger presence this year, Toney launched the Black and Brown Coalition — an umbrella organization for African-American and Latino-based organizations on campus. Toney said the aim of the coalition is to create unity among students of color by providing opportunities for various clubs to support and collaborate on planning events. Toney’s enthusiasm and passion for everything she does has allowed her to enjoy her time at NYU. She is currently planning to hold a benefit concert in the spring for Hurricane Sandy, where she hopes to have her favorite rapper 2 Chainz perform. “NYU has been the most amazing experience for me because I’ve done everything I wanted to do,” Toney said. “I got in here and saw that there wasn’t a black community, and I helped create that community and I helped build things to foster and bring more students in.” — Mary Jane Dumankaya

JONATHAN TAN/WSN

INFLUENTIAL MEANS...

the W E L C O M E R

s a high school senior from a town approximately one hour north of the city, Caroline Veith had a clear idea of what her ideal college would resemble: an intimate, closed-campus community. The CAS senior said NYU was far from what she had originally wanted, so she did not even consider applying. With that and her presumed major of international relations in mind, she applied early decision to American University. But after her freshman year, she applied to NYU to be closer to her parents and three sisters at home. Even though it was a grand leap from what she wanted, Veith settled in comfortably three weeks into the semester. She said the easy transition had a lot to do with the Welcome Week events geared toward transfer students, which is where she met some of her closest friends. “I realized I would have never made friends if it wasn’t for the Welcome Week stuff that they had and all the programs that they offered,” she said. “If I hadn’t met my friends, I probably just wouldn’t be happy here, and I would be in a completely different situation.” Veith, who was also heavily involved in service activities prior to coming to NYU both at American University and in her high school, said her positive experience when she arrived to Washington Square ultimately drove her to get involved and take on the leadership roles at the university. “I hear about people from other schools, or even just other students, who had such a bad experience,” she said. “Hearing that and then knowing what I went through and knowing how I could actually have a direct impact on people is what sort of motivates me to keep going.” In an effort to have a positive, direct impact on transfer students, Veith applied to become a transfer ambassador the following year. Her ascendence into a leadership role for the transfer community escalated when she ran TransferMation — the Alternative Breaks trip exclusive to transfer students. But that was only the beginning. Despite the Welcome Week events devoted to transfer students, Veith still felt more could be done for this community at NYU. “I realized that there was one thing that I felt like was really missing for transfers, which was a transfer student advocacy group,” she said. Reviving and revamping the defunct transfer student club, Veith launched the Transfer and Transitioning Student Association as a way to give transfer students a much-needed voice in the NYU community. With Veith leading the way, the TTSA held its first Transfer Recognition Day, Nov. 29, which more than 300 students attended. “To be able to hit that number throughout our day’s events was just ... the best feeling,” she said. “I felt like what I had worked so hard on over the summer and what I really pushed to start this year really paid off.” Don’t expect that accomplishment — or even graduation — to impede this social-minded leader, though. Veith decided to transfer from Steinhardt School of Communication, Education and Human Development to the College of Arts and Science to pursue a major in sociology and a minor in education, which will allow her to pursue her passions. “I love working with people,” Veith said. “So I’m considering going to school for social work when I graduate or going to law school to do some sort of public service work.” — Tony Chau

RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN

INFLUENTIAL MEANS...

THE TRANSLATOR

alina Webb is anything but a politician. Her typical greeting is not a handshake — it’s a brilliant smile. When posed with a difficult question, she will hesitate only to compliment you on its depth. And when placed at a crossroads, she will not choose the path less traveled but will make her own. As the chair of the Student Senators Council, Webb admits she knows of friends who see NYU as a bureaucratic entity. But the CAS senior, who once considered transferring, is quick to defend the university. “I’ve really just been motivated by this thought, whether it be problems with NYU or even just my friends [that] if I want to change [something], I have to understand it first,” she said. “And then move forward with my understanding.” It is this methodology of understanding, possibly derived from her major in Sociology accompanied by double minors in Business Studies and Public Policy and Management, that has guided Webb to her position as the top student government official. Upon taking the lead of SSC this year, Webb has championed all university issues. She has defended NYU President John Sexton’s NYU 2031 plan and has fought for the funding of residence hall toilet paper, an issue that hits close to home, as she is a residence assistant in Weinstein residence hall. For every project she works on, Webb brings her unique approach to decision-making. “I try to be fair and even-minded, by first weighing the pros and cons of my opinion against ... opposing opinion,” Webb said. “I try to compare that to the general student perspective.” At the end of this summer, Webb spearheaded an SSC scholarship that will be awarded in the spring to an incoming freshman who has demonstrated financial need and extensive extra-curricular activities. She said she hopes to add to the fund, which currently has $10,000, through the university’s annual formal Violet Ball. Under Webb’s leadership, the university saw a $200,000 increase in budget for Wasserman Center for Career Development’s unfunded internship program. But she also faced obstacles during her term as the chair of SSC. Superstorm Sandy postponed the council’s most anticipated event of the semester: Sexton’s Town Hall meeting. Even though it was a scramble to reschedule, Webb considered the event a success. “I feel like both the voice for the student body and the translator to administration,”

DAVID LIN/WSN

Webb said. “I take feelings from students and sentiments and translate them into policy changes or constructive complaints for administrators that can change services and such at NYU.” It is this call to duty that Webb said makes her successful as the chair of SSC. But her impact on NYU has been much greater with her simple goal to enlighten others. “As a person, beyond my involvement, I want to leave people with an option,” Webb said. “To get them to continue to give back, and help them realize they have a larger impact than they think they do.” — Gentry Brown

INFLUENTIAL MEANS...

CONTRIBUTORS senior staff

Washington Square News nyunews.com

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THE SELECTION PROCESS

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About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods. Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact managing editor Jaewon Kang at managing@ nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.

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ll influential candidates were nominated by their peers, faculty and staff at NYU. Members of the WSN Influential Selection Committee — Hanqing Chen, Daniel Hinton, Jaewon Kang, Francis Poon, Meryll Preposi, Amanda Randone, Jonathan Tan and Amy Zhang — deliberated and chose 15 candidates based on the scope and importance of their influence on NYU and the surrounding community. Even though some candidates were nominated more than once, the number of nominations was not a factor in the deliberations. Committee members who had personal relationships with the nominees were excused from the vote on that candidate. For questions on the nomination and selection process, email managing@nyunews.com.

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