NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 43, No. 34
MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015
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SPORTS
UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS
NYU breaks applicant record
Sexton talks NYU baseball revival By BOBBY WAGNER Sports Editor
NYU President John Sexton’s relationship with baseball is rooted in his childhood in Brooklyn. It is appropriate, then, that things have come full circle when he threw out the first pitch for NYU baseball at MCU Park. Decked out in purple and white, he stared down NYU head coach Doug Kimbler as Sexton prepared to throw out the first pitch of their home opener against Brandeis University. He wound up and tossed what, with the help of a frame job from Kimbler, could be called a strike by some generous umpires. Sexton grew up playing and watching baseball with his father. By chance, his father became friends with legendary Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who made history when he signed Jackie Robinson, the first black major
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By MARITA VLACHOU News Editor
STAFF PHOTO BY SHAWN PAIK
NYU President John Sexton holds the game ball from the baseball team’s last club game on April 27, 2014.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
VIA NYU.EDU
Housing hunt leaves students distressed Many NYU students are upset about their housing assignments, with some Washington Square students placed on NYU’s Brooklyn campus for housing. STORY on PG. 3
Picking classes?
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Check out this list of classes to take next semester. From happiness to the Supreme Court, NYU’s most popular classes cover a range of topics. STORY on PG. 4
Take a wage hike McDonald’s ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDAN ENRIQUEZ
WSN Editorial Board: McDonald’s workers deserve more. STORY on PG. 7
NYU announced Thursday that it has received a record number of applications for the 2015-2016 academic year. More than 60,000 students applied, but only 31 percent were admitted, making the class of 2019 three percentage points more selective than the class of 2018. The class of 2019 will comprises students from 50 different states and 139 countries, making it NYU’s most diverse class yet. The freshman class at the New York City campus will include a total of 5,600 students, while NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai will welcome 310 and 300 new students, respectively. Approximately 250 students will spend their first semester at one of NYU’s academic centers abroad including Florence, London, Paris and, for the first time, Washington, D.C. Between 15 and 20 percent of the incoming freshman class will
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FEATURES
Student songs top charts in China By LINGYI HOU Contributing Writer
While largely unknown to American audiences, the television drama “You Are My Sunshine” has become an overnight success in China, reaching 6 billion views since its premiere in January. The popularity of the program has contributed to the success of Shan Gao, a student in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development Master’s of Music in Songwriting, whose two songs “The Road Not Taken” and “All Stars Are Falling On My Head at the Moment I Meet You” became number one hits in China after being featured on the show. Gao, however, said she started writing what would become hit songs not to become famous, but for more personal reasons. During her junior year of high school, Gao wrote her first song “The Road Not Taken” for a student movie. As a freshman in college, she
wrote “All Stars Are Falling on My Head at the Moment I Meet You” as a birthday gift for a close friend. It was only when Gao’s producer introduced her work to the music director of “You Are My Sunshine” that her songs started attracting attention. Nevertheless, Gao still retains a sense of relatability when she writes her music. “I really enjoy writing songs and creating emotional connection with people through my music,” Gao said. “I am a very nostalgic person, so I always want to snap those moments that make our life different.” As an independent singersongwriter, Gao creates music that draws inspiration from indie-folk, jazz, electronic and pop music. Steinhardt graduate student Suri He praises Gao’s songs for their ability to capture her emotions. “Every time I listen to her music, I feel like I am totally falling into it,” He said. “The melody is so unique and the
lyric is really saying something to your heart. It is hard to forget once you listen.” Gao’s music career started in high school, when she formed her first band. After high school, she attended Peking University in Beijing, where she studied advertising. Drawing on the knowledge of media and branding she got while studying advertising, Gao has developed a unique perspective on today’s music industry. “The digital media has changed the game entirely,” Gao said. “It is hard to cut through the clutter, but it is also a time that great music wouldn’t be buried. So the key is to create compelling music.” Despite the offers of Chinese record companies who were willing to sign Gao as a contracted singer, she ultimately decided to pursue her passion for music in New York City. Phil Galdston, a faculty member of the Steinhardt film
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Coco came into my life the summer of 2010. I received an email from a family friend that she had been tied to a post at a vet’s office near Houston. I immediately forwarded the email to my mom with, “Can we get her?” I had asked for a dog a thousand times before, so the “no” that I received was not a surprise. After weeks of nagging, my mom decided that we could foster Coco for two weeks. It’s been almost five years now, and Coco is without a doubt the light of my family’s life. She is now a registered therapy animal who goes on regular visits, she’s an alarm when the doorbell rings and a source of pure, unadulterated joy on a rough day. So thank you to everyone who didn’t want the stray – I don’t know where I’d be without her.
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Editor-in-Chief
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news ALANNA BAYARIN, MARITA VLACHOU features MARINA ZHENG arts ALEXA SPIELER sports BOBBY WAGNER senior editors LARSON BINZER, CHRISTINA
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news ALEX BAZELEY features NINA JANG beauty & style SOPHIE LEWIS dining REBECCA RIDDLE film ISABEL JONES entertainment AUDREY DENG music E.R. PULGAR theater/books CAROLINE CUNFER sports KYLE LUTHER
OPINION PAGE
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opinion editor
TESS WOOSLEY deputy opinion editors
ANNIE COHEN, TOMMY COLLISON, MATTHEW TESSLER
BLOGS
editor EMILY BELL exposure HANNAH LUU violet vision GABRIELLA BOWER the highlighter MARISSA ELLIOT LITTLE under the arch EMMA SCOBLE global DANA RESZUTEK
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EMMA HOWCROFT SALES REPRESENTATIVES
AMY LU, BEN SWINEHART
The Right to Have Rights Gallatin School of Individualized Study and the Urban Democracy Lab join together to bring Corpovisionarios president Antanas Mockus to discuss citizenship and the future of cities. The event will be held in the Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre of the Performing Arts at 6:30 p.m.
Data and Goliath Security technologist Bruce Schneier is coming to the Polytechnic School of Engineering to talk about “The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World.” The event will be held on the eighth floor of 2 Metrotech Center at noon.
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MIKE GROTT, LUXI PENG GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
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NANCI HEALY EDITORIAL ADVISER
“Risk to Resilience” Conference Liisa Ahlstedt, left, gives Dean, center, a treat on Easter Sunday in a street market that spanned from Union Square to Madison Square. Nicholas, Dean’s owner, sat by the market with a sign wishing all a happy Easter.
To celebrate the opening of “Risk to Resilience: Building Support Systems for Children and Schools,” a keynote speech by Angela Glover Blackwell followed by a panel discussion will be in the Kimmel Center for University Life at 5:30 p.m.
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RACHEL HOLLIDAY SMITH EDITORS-AT-LARGE
TATIANA BAEZ, NICOLE BROWN, ALEX GREENBERGER, CLIO MCCONNELL, JORDAN MELENDREZ 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 the managing editors at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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>
60,000
% APPLICANTS 1 3 ACCEPTED
18,500 ADMITTED
2,500 ADMITTED UNDER
EARLY DECISION
NYU 2015
ADMISSIONS DATA
7,700 APPLIED UNDER EARLY DECISION TOTAL GRAPHIC BY ALEXA WONG
Students disappointed by housing By ALEX BAZELEY Deputy News Editor
In the wake of a hectic housing selection week, some NYU students have been left wondering where they will live next year. Due to limited housing space, some students who attempted to select their oncampus housing for the coming school year were left only with the option to live in Brooklyn, while some received no housing assignment. Those looking for guaranteed housing for the upcoming school year are required to fill out the housing application and make a non-refundable and non-transferrable $1000 deposit. This year, students became eligible to choose their housing starting March 30. Rising sophomores tended to have the highest priority while rising seniors had the lowest. However, some students who received a Friday selection time opened up the housing portal to find that their only option was the Clark Street Residence Hall in Brooklyn — not the preferred choice for many students at the Washington Square Park campus. Those with the latest selection time found they were unable to select any option. Students who faced this dilemma received an email
from housing services notifying them that, if Clark Street was unavailable, they would be assigned housing over the summer. “Administrative assignments will be made over the summer after cancellations are processed and will be based on the preferences students submit,” the email reads. “Though we cannot guarantee specific assignments, we have had past success in meeting most students’ preferences.” Steinhardt sophomore Chelsea Lim, whose selection time was Friday, was left with few available options and said she is considering withdrawing her housing application. “I am worried about housing next year, as almost all the dorms have been filled up before I had a chance to choose my preference,” Lim said. “Although I’m hoping that I can be assigned to a housing choice that I prefer, I’m currently debating whether I should search for an apartment instead.” Shortage of housing is not a new problem for NYU. With the ongoing renovation of Hayden Residence Hall throughout the 2014-2015 school year, some students were placed in the Manhattan Affinia Hotel — an option that will remain open for the coming year. Steinhardt sophomore Roger
Wu, a student from Taiwan, had a late selection time and was placed on a housing waitlist as a result. Wu expressed his dismay for the system which puts international students at a disadvantage. “I just think it’s ridiculous that international upperclassmen have abysmally late room selection times if they choose not to live in special interest housing,” Wu said. “It’s harder for international students to find off-campus housing and considering the fact that international students do not depend on the school for financial aid, we should have a bigger say as to where we want to live.” NYU hopes to address the housing shortage as a part of its 2031 expansion plan. CAS freshman Brennan Wakey had a Monday selection time, but a glitch in the system didn’t allow him to select a housing space until Friday. He was ultimately placed in Brooklyn housing, and said he is doing what he can to adjust his situation. “I immediately submitted a request to change my room to one of the other dorms,” Wakey said. “But I’ll probably end up just biting the bullet, canceling my housing and getting an apartment.” Email Alex Bazeley at abazeley@nyunews.com.
Incoming class excited despite tuition hikes
also be the first generation in their families to complete a four-year college program. In a press release, NYU spokesperson John Beckman said NYU is the top choice among early decision applicants nationwide. There are 2,500 early decision applicants from the class of 2019. “It is believed that more students applied to NYU early decision — over 7,700 — than any other college or university in the United States,” Beckman said. Incoming CAS freshman Melvis Acosta said he is very excited to attend NYU in the fall because it is a diverse and open-minded community. “I applied to NYU because it offered me a great education in a great city,” Acosta said. “The NYU community also seems to be very liberal and accepting, which is right in line with my own beliefs and ideals.” Despite their excitement, some students have expressed concerns about the rising costs of attendance for the 2015-2016 academic year. A group of accepted students circulated a petition earlier protesting the increase in tuition and requesting a more affordable education.
Incoming LS freshman Brandon Richards said the rising costs of tuition could prevent him from attending his dream school. “I come from a single parent family, with the parent being an assistant teacher, so you can only imagine that money is often tight,” Richards said. “I don’t want to give up on NYU, so I plan on applying to a multitude of scholarships, and offering a multitude of prayers. I have to make the dream work.” Despite the tuition hike, for some students the name and reputation of NYU is worth the money. Incoming CAS freshman Robyn Epstein said the increase in tuition did not play a large role in her decision to attend NYU. “I knew that a school like NYU could open so many doors for me and provide me with opportunities that I wouldn’t have anywhere else,” Epstein said. “The tuition increases didn’t play a huge role in my decision because I had been encouraged by my parents to choose the college where I felt I would be happiest.” Email Marita Vlachou at mvlachou@nyunews.com.
CRIME LOG march 26 to april 1 By LEXI FAUNCE Staff Writer
ter locking it to a street sign in front of Meyer Hall.
The NYU Department of Public Safety received reports of six incidents of larceny, two incidents of controlled substance possession, one incident of burglary, one incident of arson and one incident of harassment between March 26 and April 1.
Controlled Substance
Larceny At 8:50 p.m. on March 26, Public Safety received a report that a student’s purse had gone missing from the Weinstein Dining Hall. The purse was returned with $80 in cash missing. At 4:20 p.m. on March 27, Public Safety notified the New York Police Department that a student’s purse was stolen from the back of her chair while she was working on her computer at the Starbucks on West Fourth Street. At 5:23 p.m. on March 27, Public Safety received a report that a student’s bag including $1,500 worth of items was stolen in Weinstein Dining Hall between 4 and 5:23 p.m. At 8:55 p.m. on March 28, Public Safety received a report that a student’s purse was stolen from the back of her chair at Starbucks. At 10:15 p.m. on March 28, Public Safety received a report that a contract employee had his jacket containing a wallet and a gold ring stolen between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The employee did not file a police report. At 9:30 p.m. on April 1, a student declared she found her bicycle missing between 8:40 a.m. and 8 p.m. af-
At 7:35 p.m. on March 27, Public Safety confiscated a small amount of marijuana along with drug paraphernalia from a Third North Residence Hall room. At 10:19 p.m. on March 28, Public Safety recovered a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia from a Brittany Residence Hall room.
Burglary At 5:20 p.m. on March 27, Public Safety received a report that a staff member’s backpack had been stolen from his office at 4:30 p.m. The staff member recovered his backpack from the burglar, but later noticed his cell phone was no longer there.
Arson At 2 p.m. on March 30, Public Safety received a report from Othmer Residence Hall staff that video footage showed a student setting fire to a piece of clothing in the laundry room at 8:11 p.m. on March 22.
Harassment At 8:25 p.m. on March 30, a Gramercy Green student reported he had been receiving phone calls from an unknown female for several months. NYPD was contacted, but a police report was not filed. Email Lexi Faunce at news@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
FEATURES
EDITED BY MARINA ZHENG FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
Instagram dominates NYU
By FRANCESCA CONLIN Contributing Writer
Hot Dog Legs, Throwback Thursdays and The Fat Jewish have become Internet sensations thanks to an app the world has become familiar with — Instagram. All active social media users are absorbed by Instagram’s effects. With just a few edits, photos of food, nature or even buildings can garner upwards of 100 likes by viewers of the photo. For many, including Steinhardt junior and fashion blogger Ilona Selina, Instagram has become an art form. “I do focus a lot more on lighting, positioning and capturing a fun or beautiful moment,” said Selina, who has 4,000 followers on her account @routelondonnewyork. “The image has to be well lit and sharp.” Social media has an ephemeral quality. Although breaking the 100 likes mark on that newly uploaded selfie brings a moment of satisfac-
tion, the feeling is temporary. The fleetingness of the app can also be attributed to the sheer abundance of content. Because new photos will continue to appear on every user’s news feed, users are lured to check the app multiple times throughout the day for an endless scroll of photos. Tisch junior Chris Klemens, who goes by @chrisklemens on the app, has attracted an Instagram following of close to 3,000 users. Although he is also active on other social media platforms such as Twitter and Snapchat, he notes that Instagram offers a sense of nostalgia that the other apps do not. “On a more personal level, I love that it’s a visual journal of everything I do in my life,” Klemens said. “I can go back and reminisce on some of the things I’ve done and remember where and when each photo was taken.” Social media outlets like Facebook and Instagram serve as virtual time
capsules. History will be traced back to social media accounts and rather than any physical traces of a humankind ever existing, this life will be represented by digital codes. Klemens also said Instagram is a way to be creative in a low-risk environment. With additional apps such as Afterlight, VSCOcam and PicStitch to further edit photos, the average person can easily express creativity and share it with the 300 million Instagram users who use the app every day. Anyone with a camera can express a more prolific part of his or her personality in a way that is otherwise incommunicable without the app. Stern sophomore Brandon Osorio may be majoring in finance and marketing but his skills for photography are expressed through his Instagram account @brandonosorio. CAS sophomore Cole Peterson, who is one of Osorio’s 20,000 Instagram followers, cites his minimalistic filtering and interesting content as the sources of the pictures’ popularity.
VIA INSTAGRAM.COM
Brandon Osorio has 19.6 thousand followers on Instagram. “Brandon’s pictures are just really aesthetic pleasing,” Peterson said. “They’re simple and clean but at the same time, there’s always something discretely unique about each image.” As Instagram photographers con-
stantly look for the next scene or still life to capture, they find themselves wanting to snap a photo that is also worth a thousand likes. Email Francesca Conlin at features@nyunews.com.
Compelling classes to 5 take this fall
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By BEN MOK Staff Writer
As class registration for Fall 2015 draws closer, the stress of picking the right classes is beginning to mount for many NYU students. Some are aiming for entertaining courses; others, for enriching ones. These following five classes provide a sampler of interesting classes available for fall.
1. The Science of Happiness (CAMS-UA 110)
STAFF PHOTO BY SANG BAE
Shan Gao launched into popularity after two of her songs were featured on a national Chinese TV Drama.
Shan Gao achieved two musical hits in China
scoring and songwriting program, described Gao as an uncommonly talented songwriter who is musical, innovative and curious. “To write lyrics in a language other than your own requires ability much greater than, for example, writing a good essay or technical paper,” Galdston said. “The lyrics not only have to make emotional sense, they have to sing.” Thanks to the abundance of inspiration New York City provides, as well as the songwrit-
ing program at NYU, Gao said she is experimenting with new sounds and ideas as she works on her next hit. “I love New York, the music culture here is more open and advanced,” Gao said. “I am currently learning more electronic and R&B, and trying to collaborate with my friends to write new songs. Hopefully, we can have our music show next semester.” Email Lingyi Hou at features@nyunews.com.
Stressed out and overwhelmed by the fast-paced lifestyle of being a college student in New York City? If you are worried about your sanity and well being, then taking “The Science of Happiness” is a great way to learn how to confront these issues. The class teaches students both the psychological and social contexts of happiness. Tisch freshman Josh Kane is among the hundreds of happy students who have taken this course. “It’s about the recent studies in positive psychology and the ability to change one’s physical or psychological wellbeing through positive practices in brain malleability,” Kane said. “Not only would the class benefit personal well-being, you may find your share of happiness spreading to others, as the class encourages students to promote an area of mental wellness on campus.”
2. The U.S. to 1865 (HIST-UA 9)
From federal politics to gender inequality, U.S. history has a major impact on modern society. This class takes a closer look at what shaped the foundations of the modern United States, touching on topics including religion, the Revolution and the Civil War. While history can be difficult to learn at times, CAS freshman Trevor Sherman vouches for the helpfulness of the teaching faculty. “The class was very interesting, and if you had any problems with the material, the professor was always willing to help,” Sherman said.
3. Drama in Performance (DRLIT-UA 300) It is difficult to spend time in New York City without being exposed to theater. NYU students attend Broadway musicals and indie basement performances in equal measure. Yet, without a guide to the theatrical journey, it is easy to miss out on fully appreciating these shows. This class remedies that problem by teaching students dramatic theories and concepts applicable to performance through the study of 12 diverse plays. Gallatin freshman Hannah Fullerton not only enjoyed the syllabus of the class, but she has also had the opportunity to interact with her classmates. “Watching the 12 plays was fascinating, and students in the class definitely form strong bonds with each other in the process,” Fullerton said.
4. The Supreme Court and The Religion Clauses (FRSEM-UA 218)
Taught by NYU President John Sexton, the class covers the relationship between Supreme Court law and religion in the United States. It captures the essence of the topic with a wide variety of cases, ranging from the first instances of entanglement between religion and state to modern issues like the recent Hobby Lobby case. With Sexton stepping down as president of NYU, this could be your last chance to take this class.
5. Thinking About Games (OART-UT 1606) Video games are a growing field in the modern entertainment industry. Looking critically at the intricacies of game design and theory could be useful to those pursuing a future in games design or simply those interested in the field. The class is offered as a Tisch Open Arts Curriculum, so applicants from all schools are welcome. The class itself is held at the Polytechnic School of Engineering. For students like Tisch freshman Andrew Kanatani, the course offers an interesting perspective on a familiar topic. “It gives insight into the history of games and how loads of theory and principles are applied in modern entertainment,” Kanatani said. Email Benjamin Mok at features@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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SPORTS
EDITED BY BOBBY WAGNER SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Mixed results for baseball on weekeend VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM
Powers took third in the 200m at the Roadunner Invitational.
Runners impress at invitational
By JONATHAN SCHIFMAN Contributing Writer
The NYU track and field teams posted strong results during the Roadrunner Invitational at Ramapo College in New Jersey on Friday and Saturday. The men’s team finished in seventh place out of a total of 28 teams with 34 total points — 96 points behind first-place Monroe College. The women’s team scored 16 points, coming in 14th out of 26 schools and finishing 120.5 points behind first-place Ithaca College. The men’s squad had several top 10 finishes, including the team’s best performance by the 4x100 team of freshman Malcolm Montilus, junior Matthew Powers and sophomores Budd Brown and Caleb Su. The foursome placed second out of 21 teams, clocking in at a season-best time of 42.78 and accumulating eight points. Powers and Brown also scored points in the 200-meter dash, where they raced individually. Competing against 69 racers, Powers placed third and scored six points for NYU and Brown scored four points by coming in fifth place. The Violets also had outstanding performances in the 1,500-meter run, including a fifth place finish from senior Steve Crnic. Clocking in at 4:10.89, Crnic ended the race ahead of 63 competitors, scoring four points. Two other participants in the race were junior Daniel Rieger and freshman Jordan Reyes, who finished in 19th and 24th, respectively. Crnic, who had a stress fracture in his lower back during the fall semester, said he was relieved to place highly without any pain. “I think I’m finally starting to round into shape,” Crnic said. “It was good to be up near the front today and feeling good at the end of a race, so I’m excited to keep training hard and getting ready for bigger meets down the road.” The rest of the Violets’ scoring came from junior Max Avila, freshman Isaac Cohen,
and sophomore Carter Beardsley, who scored a combined total of 12 points. Avila was the third Violet to have a fifth place finish, beating out 56 competitors in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:00.92. Cohen, who participated in the 5000-meter run, clocked in at 16:24.86 for a sixth place finish. Beardsley competed in both the shot put and the hammer throw, but only scored in the shot with a 13.95-meter fourth-place finish. In the women’s competition, juniors Sarah Sisk and Becky Turlip had the best performances. Racing against 61 participants in the 800-meter run, Sisk came in third place with a time of 2:20.11 while Turlip finished one place behind at 2:21.62. Together, the two earned 11 of NYU’s 16 points. Junior Kristina Harris scored the remaining five points in the 100-meter dash, where she ran 12.66 in the preliminary heats and 12.69 in the final race against eight competitors. Other strong showings came from sophomore Simone Cooper and junior Rebecca Shimonov. Cooper placed in 11th out of 25 in the triple jump with a personal best distance of 10.17 meters. In the long jump and 100-meter hurdles, Shimonov finished in 17th and 16th out of 43 and 38 participants, respectively. She achieved a season-high distance in the long jump with 4.84 meters, and a personal best time of 15.99 in the hurdles. Despite her strong showing, Shimonov believes she is capable of performing better in the long jump. “I wish I did better in long jump since I ended up fouling my last two jumps and my mark of 4.84 is roughly 0.3 meters shy of my outdoor best,” Shimonov said. Both track teams will compete next at the New York City Metropolitan Championships on April 11. Email Jonathan Schifman at sports@nyunews.com.
By MICHAEL THOMPSON Contributing Writer
The NYU baseball team was in action last Friday and Saturday, dropping two out of three games to Skidmore College in a closely contested series. The games, played at Skidmore, were up and down battles with many lead changes and momentum swings. The stage was set on Friday, when the teams played two of the series’ first three games in a doubleheader. In game one, the Violets quickly found themselves in the hole as Skidmore scored runs in the first three innings to take a 5-0 lead against freshman starting pitcher Cameron SerapilioFrank. The Violets narrowed the lead to three in the fifth inning, with RBIs from freshmen Michael Vokulich and Jeremy Wayne. In the sixth inning, the Violets, now down 6-2, came roaring back with three runs to close the gap to one, but could not get the game-tying run across. The Violets left nine runners on base in their 6-5 defeat. The tide turned in game two as the Violets once again found themselves with an early 1-3 deficit. This time, NYU came all the way back with a sixth
VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM
Chase Denison struck out seven hitters on Saturday. inning triple from freshman Jonathan Iaione, which cleared the bases and gave NYU a 6-3 lead. Violet pitchers also performed well, as freshman Michael Vokulich was able to pitch well after an early mistake, going 5.2 innings for his second victory of the season. Freshman Matthew Millus further solidified his position as the Violets’ closing pitcher, finishing off Skidmore with a four out save, his fourth of the season. Saturday’s rubber match was perhaps the most unpredictable of the slate. This time, the Violets started hot, building a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Interestingly, both runs were scored without a hit. After building their lead to five runs heading into the bottom of the sixth, it seemed as if the Violets were in firm control. Skidmore rallied back with an astounding six-run inning,
however, taking a 7-6 lead. The back-and-forth game continued into the seventh, when the Violets once again knotted up the game at seven, but Skidmore proved to be too much, scoring two more in the seventh and one in the eighth to take the third game of the series 10-7. The Violets have a busy week ahead, and Serapilio-Frank is determined to get on track. “I think we are realizing what happens when we don’t do the little things right,” SerapilioFrank said. “So with six games this week, our goal is to win out and to keep winning until we get back to .500 and to make sure we never fall below that win percentage again.” The Violets, now 7-14, look to bounce back against the College of Mount Saint Vincent on April 7. Email Michael Thompson at sports@nyunews.com.
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Sexton shares love of baseball
leaguer in 1947. Sexton said it was this that sparked his lifelong love of baseball, culminating in his most recent book and NYU course, “Baseball As A Road to God.” “You can imagine what it’s like to be eight, nine, 10 or 11 years old and have Jackie Robinson at your dinner table,” Sexton said. “He’s my hero.” Being close to this pivotal moment in sports history piqued Sexton’s interest, but it was the impact it had on his relationship with his father that kept him coming back to America’s pastime. “Every morning before I went to serve 6:30 mass, my dad would wake me up at 5:30 and he would have the newspapers from the night before, and we would go through the box scores,” Sexton said. “It’s a father-son thing.” In 1969, when Sexton’s son was born, he had the chance to pass down what he had grown to
love. He then converted from a Dodgers fan to a hometown Yankees fan. “I knew, more important than the religion I gave him, would be the teams in which he rooted for,” Sexton said. “He was baptized and later bar mitzvahed, but he’s still a Yankees fan.” Sexton’s interest in baseball played some role in bringing the program back to the school, but the real driving force behind the reemergence of Violet baseball was the opportunity to officially merge with NYU Poly and get engineering back at the school. Since coming back, the baseball team has struggled, as would be expected for an inaugural season, getting off to a 7-14 start. Coach Kimbler, who was the coach at Poly last year, took the reins this year for the Violets’ many new players. The team is stocked with 22 freshman whom Kimbler recruited to be part of this year’s team of pioneers. “It was an honor for me, truly
an honor,” Kimbler said. “He told me he was so thankful to have me as the NYU coach and that he was proud of me.” But it wasn’t just Kimbler who was thrilled to have Sexton throw out the first pitch. After Sexton left the mound, he turned around to see the NYU players lined up to get one of his trademark hugs. “I think they were very excited,” Kimbler said. “I think after opening day they are now probably thinking about what really goes into starting a varsity baseball program at NYU.” With baseball back at the university and a team full of young guns looking to bring fireworks to Coney Island, the Violets have the chance to build a one-of-akind program that can have an impact both on and off the field. Sexton, though, is just glad to be back around the game he loves. Email Bobby Wagner at bwagner@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
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Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 THE620For NEW TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU InformationYORK Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Monday, April 6, 2015
Crossword ACROSS 1 Sends to the lockup 6 Golf target 9 Ponzi scheme, e.g. 14 Cow in old Borden ads 15 Interstate, e.g.: Abbr. 16 Comedian Bruce 17 Cézanne’s “The Basket of Apples,” e.g. 19 Skip over in speech 20 Tyke 21 Brother of Jacob 22 “Mad About You” co-star Paul 23 Radio station identification 25 ___ Kelly, classic circus clown 29 Sash in “Madama Butterfly” 30 Fervor 31 Layered hairstyle
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34 Andrea, Carla and Michael 39 Underpaid employee’s demand 41 Time in history 42 What a sun visor protects against 43 Building wing 44 Prewedding purchase 46 ___ Holder, first African-American attorney general
63 “A beast,” according to Ogden Nash 65 Opposite of tight 66 Beaver’s construction 67 Weird 68 Longtime Syrian strongman 69 The “S” in CBS: Abbr. 70 Sing “lay odl lay odl lay hee hoo”
DOWN 1 Nonserious remark 49 Club : golf :: 2 Kind of sax ___ : tennis 3 “___ something I 51 “Momma” said?” cartoonist 4 Al Capp’s “___ 57 Cat also called a Abner” dwarf leopard 5 Choose 58 ___ & Chandon 6 Perfume (Champagne) container 59 Tile container in 7 Horrible Scrabble 8 “The Catcher in 62 “This looks bad, the ___” bad, bad!” 9 Short-lived 10 Blazing again, as TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE a fire M A H A T P A R T B 11 Licoricelike flavor C R O S S O P E R A 12 Down ___ A G R I P T O P A Z (Australia) N O N S D O D O 13 Colorists S E A N C A M E O 18 Exams for future S D I C K C L A R K attys. L S D I A L N S A 22 Confederate A N K S L A T soldier, for short P O N S E M B O S S 24 Boston airport O B O M B P A N A M 25 Alternative rock’s N B E L A R E N E Better Than ___ L U L U S R A 26 Nasty T S T R E T C H E R 27 Central street O W E A R I S O M E T F R Y O L A T O R 28 “… or ___!” (threat)
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50 Rick with the 1988 #1 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”
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51 Cold cash 52 Pioneering 1960s communications satellites
59 Shakespeare, for one 60 French girlfriend 61 Scottish Highlander
53 Kids’ building toys 63 QB stats 54 Peruvian author 64 Sign between Mario Vargas ___ Cancer and Virgo
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NYUNEWS.COM | MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY TESS WOOSLEY OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
UNIVERSITY STAFF EDITORIAL
NYU Housing selection process broken By TOMMY COLLISON Deputy Opinions Editor
The semester often feels like a series of looming deadlines — as soon as classes start, it is midterms season, then gearing up for registration on Albert and, of course, selecting housing for next year. Students who choose to live off-campus have their own set of headaches, but this year more than others, students who chose to live in dorms were subjected to unnecessary stress. Some CAS students were told last Friday that the only available housing was Clark Street in Brooklyn. These are students who will have to commute to Washington Square daily because of NYU’s mismanagement of the housing process. Students who receive lower priority in the allocation process received an email saying that, due to demand, some students may not be assigned housing until the summer. The email wrote that “not every student will be able to select a space during Phase 2 of this process.” Year after year, NYU opens housing selection to more students than they can fit, like airlines selling seats on an
overbooked flight. This results in increased anxiety on the part of cashstrapped students, and it has to stop. The reality is that many students at NYU are living on a shoestring budget. Not every student can afford every dorm, especially given that the prices for undergraduate dorms can vary by $10,000 for the academic year. But NYU makes no allowances for these financial realities at the Office of the Bursar, another administrative section of NYU. For students on limited budgets, not getting their first choice could mean the difference between staying at NYU and being forced to drop out. NYU’s promise of guaranteed housing rings hollow when it is deaf to the financial needs of its students. One possible solution would be an incorporation of students’ finan-
cial information into the housing process. Currently, the allocation of housing seems to be based entirely on year, with juniors and seniors traditionally having the latest registration date. This should change, especially because students who receive financial aid give so much information about their financial realities. Even implementing something as simple as the ability to set a rent limit would reduce some of the stress students feel during the selection process. And it is not unreasonable to guarantee that students get housing in the borough they attend classes in. As of Friday, CAS students are facing the prospect of commuting to Manhattan every day as the price of an unlimited monthly MetroCard rises to $116.50. NYU is not taking into account what it is like to live in the city on a limited budget. Uncertainty breeds stress, and the administration should do more to diminish the anxiety many students feel as they move through the selection process. Email Tommy Collison at tcollison@nyunews.com.
EDUCATION
Well-rounded curricula needed
By RICHARD SHU Deputy Copy Chief
The parable of American pre-professional college education can be seen in the parallel stories of two sectors. On the one side, the legal jobs market has been awful. Ever since the turn of the financial crisis, unemployment for law school graduates has been consistently higher than the national average. Articles highlighting the struggle for law graduates to find jobs in their chosen sector were all too common, and legal-minded undergraduates were steered away — law school applications have decreased 37 percent from 2010. Meanwhile, the insurgent technological sector, fueled by paranoia over a shortage of tech workers, painted Silicon Valley as a gold mine for many prospective undergraduates. Schools and government officials began to emphasize the importance of technology in improving the U.S. economic landscape. This resulted in an an influx of brighteyed science and engineering students bursting through college and into the workforce — only to find
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that the STEM employees were not as rare as previously believed and the entire technology jobs sector may be on the razor’s edge. In the law world, we see how variable job markets can be. Growing awareness of a job shortage leads to a decrease in law school applicants, and the problem corrects itself in almost no time at all. In the tech industry, we see how hype and overspecialization can lead undergraduates into a basele, further inflating a bubble ready to burst. The origin of these stories rests in the singleminded attitude that many students take toward their college educations. No one should go through college wholly focused on one career. The job market is simply too volatile to allow it. This is why core requirements in an undergraduate curriculum are
so important. College should be a time for exploring intellectual passions, not just for preparing oneself for the workforce, for the simple reason that no one can predict what the workforce will look like in the future. Rather than thinking about acquiring certain skills or items of knowledge, students should instead find new ways of thinking, develop personal connections and to become more adaptable individuals. That is what a liberal arts education is all about. Computer science and other technology fields have a lot to offer in turns of analytical thinking and pragmatic problemsolving, and law students would do well to have some of those skills under their belts. Likewise, the humanities can offer computer science students a new way of solving global problems. Ultimately, a well-balanced education is the best tool any aspiring professional can have, and rather than focusing on the trendy growth sector of the day, students need to prepare themselves for anything. Email Richard Shu at opinion@nyunews.com.
McDonald’s should take wage hike
McDonald’s announced last week that it would increase the hourly salary for workers at company-owned stores to $1 an hour higher than the local minimum wage. The announcement follows several other companies’ pay raises during the last several months, including Walmart, T.J. Maxx and its partner companies. Unfortunately, the raise only applies to the 90,000 company-operated store workers, not to the over 750,000 workers at McDonald’s franchises. The trend in private-sector pay increases in recent months is encouraging, but it has not gone far enough. Only a federal minimum wage increase will result in meaningful improvement for the working class. Recently there has been an uptick in criticism of McDonald’s wages. NYU students protested at two McDonald’s on Broadway and Sixth Avenue last Wednesday in a demonstration organized by the Student Labor Action Movement. SLAM protested in support of the Fight for $15 Campaign, which seeks to raise the minimum wage for workers across all industries. The average minimum wage for McDonald’s employees in stores under company control will be around $9.90 by July. By comparison, the current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, which amounts to $15,080 annually. Even at $9.90 an hour, full-time workers will only make approximately $19,800 a year before taxes. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to live in New York City with that income. Another aspect of the problem is that many McDonald’s employees work part-time, and therefore are not entitled to many benefits that full-time workers receive such as retirement or health insurance. This further compounds the struggles these workers and their families face. The lack of government action on this issue has left wage increases in the hands of private companies. In New York State, minimum wage increase measures were cut from the budget that was passed Wednesday. Republicans opposed the suggested wage increase from the current $8.75 an hour to $10.50 by 2017 and $11.50 in New York City. It was cut in order to gain bipartisan support for ethics and education reforms. Considering the potential impact of a minimum wage increase, this was too great a sacrifice. McDonald’s is clearly attempting to appease employees, but it has not truly changed the standard of living in the way government action can. This is unsurprising given the fact that McDonald’s is a private company — expecting it to sacrifice profits is unreasonable. These recent minimal increases fail to solve the problems their employees face. Ultimately, an increase in state and federal minimum wage is what workers at all stores, franchised or not, require. While $15 an hour might not be a realistic number at this time, a substantial increase in the minimum wage will go a long way in improving the lives of the lowest paid workers.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Tess Woosley (Chair), Annie Cohen (Co-chair), Tommy Collison (Co-chair), Matthew Tessler (Co-chair) ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDAN ENRIQUEZ
Send mail to: 838 Broadway, Fifth Floor 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.
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