NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 43, No. 43
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
nyunews.com ENVIRONMENT
NYU celebrates Earth Day all month By CHRISTINE WANG Staff Writer
STAFF PHOTO BY SHAWN PAIK
Jared Sexton speaks during an A/P/A discussion on mixed race in Washington Mews on Monday. Sexton is a professor on Director of African African Studies at the University of California Irvine.
EARTH DAY continued on PG. 3
STORY ON PAGE 3 ENTERTAINMENT
All-female improv passes Bechdel Test By TALIA MILAVETZ Staff Writer
NYU is home to many comedy troupes — including decadesold teams like Dangerbox and Hammerkatz — but the newest team, Bechdel Test, is unique in that it is the first and only team made up entirely of women. The president and founder of the group, Tisch senior Meghan Sullivan transferred to NYU after she was a part of an all-female comedy group at Muhlenberg College. When she started at NYU, Sullivan was shocked to find out that the university did not have an all-female troupe, so she decided to start her own.
Earth Day may be only April 22, but throughout April NYU is celebrating the 46th anniversary of the holiday with eco-friendly events including clothing swaps, presentations by guest speakers and environment-themed plays. The program will conclude on April 30 with the meeting of the Sustainability Task Force, a body of activists interested in improving environmental sustainability and increasing awareness, to discuss green projects on campus. The organizers of the events hope to generate awareness of environmental issues, educate the student body and provide hands on opportunities for students to get involved with environmental initiatives. EarthMatters@NYU helped organize many of the events
Sullivan said she enjoys being a part of an all-female group, and is proud to take steps toward increasing the prevalence of women in comedy. While Sullivan recognizes women’s comedic power, she also is well-aware of the challenges that women still face in the industry. “Women are hilarious and comedy groups are fun to be a part of,” Sullivan said. “I guess I am tired of waiting for female humor to become mainstream. I created this group because women are funny and they bring a unique voice to the comedy world.”
BECHDEL continued on PG. 4
DINING
Terrific tea to thrill the tastebuds By KENDALL LEVISON Staff Writer
Although films and TV shows typically portray college students chugging huge mugs of coffee to fuel their allnighters, these days many are reaching for a different source of caffeine — tea. If you don’t know much about the beverage, there are a few things to consider when picking out which kind of tea you want to drink. Though there are thousands of varieties of tea, they all come from the same plant: Camellia sinensis. This is where things start to get murky, however, because blends of herbs like peppermint and chamomile are labeled as tea when they are really ti-
sanes. True tea can be divided up into four categories: black, green, oolong and white. All of these teas begin as leaves on a Camellia sinensis bush, but are treated differently after being picked. To make black tea, the leaves are first left in the sun to wither. They are then rolled to remove the remaining moisture. The next step is oxidation, where the cells in the leaves react with the oxygen in the air. Then the leaves turn from green to brown, which results in tea with a strong, although sometimes slightly bitter taste. Green tea is produced in almost the same way, except there is an extra step between the withering and rolling. The leaves are steamed or pan fried,
and the blast of heat stops the oxidation process, which gives the tea a grassy, earthy flavor. Oolong tea is somewhere in the middle, since it is only partially oxidized. White tea can only be picked a few days a year when the plant’s buds are still closed, and it then undergoes the same process as green tea. White tea has a much lighter flavor, and has less caffeine than green or black tea. Tea is renowned for its health benefits, particularly its high concentration of antioxidants. If health is a main concern when choosing your variety of tea, consider trying matcha, a form of green tea popular in Japan. Matcha is thought to
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
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FROM THE BLOG
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS presents
THE
HIGHLIGHTER HIGHLIGHTS FROM RECORD STORE DAY
BY KIERAN GRAULICH
Editor-in-Chief
VALENTINA DUQUE BOJANINI Managing Editor
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Since 2007, Record Store Day has been a worldwide celebration of the past glory (and recent revival) of record store and vinyl culture with exclusive/limited edition releases and reissues. Every year has an exclusive lineup, and, as Record Store Day becomes more popular, an increasingly expansive set. This year in particular featured, among others, a very early Elvis single, a wonderful Wu Tang black/yellow 7 inch and a non-album track from Run the Jewels put on vinyl. Here’s a short rundown of some of the highlights from RSD 2015, which happened April 18.
FATHER JOHN MISTY: I LOVE YOU, HONEYBEAR 7-INCH Following the critical acclaim of his album, “I Love You, Honeybear” this January, Father John Misty is releasing the title track of the album on oh-so-cute heart shaped clear red 7-inch. Features the exclusive B-side “Never Been a Woman,” which is not only a spectacular track, but also very true.
FOO FIGHTERS: SONGS FROM THE LAUNDRY ROOM 10-INCH The Foo Fighters, fronted by official Record Store Day 2015 Ambassador (Yes, that is a real title) Dave Grohl, have put out an exclusive 10-inch of demos to comprised of two demo cuts (“Alone/Easy Target” and “Big Me”), an
unreleased song titled “Empty Handed” and a cover of “Kids in America.”
THE BLACK KEYS/JUNIOR KIMBROUGH: MEET ME IN THE CITY 7-INCH
POLARIS: MUSIC FROM THE ADVENTURES OF PETE & PETE 12-INCH
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of the original Kimbrough single “All Night Long,” the Black Keys have pressed the original with their cover of the Kimbrough classic on a double-A sided 7-inch.
Remember the fictional band Polaris from the classic TV show Pete & Pete? This is their album. Pressed on vinyl for the first time, “Music from the Adventures of Pete & Pete” includes everything from “Hey Sandy” to “Coronado II.” Oh, and the band is going on tour. Check them out May 15th at the Highline during finals week.
STEPHEN HAWKING: GALAXY SONG 7-INCH Yes, you read this correctly. Stephen Hawking has covered “Galaxy Song” by Monty Python, and there is an amazing music video that goes along with it. The single itself will be pressed onto a 7-inch for 1,000 physical copies.
A-HA: TAKE ON ME 30TH ANNIVERSARY 7-INCH PICTURE DISK The greatest cheesy ’80s pop song of all time just got a cheesy ’80s picture disk reprint, featuring a scene taken straight from the song’s legendary music video. A perfect centerpiece for your dresser where you store your neon spandex and pink headband.
THE WHITE STRIPES: GET BEHIND ME, SATAN 2×12-INCH COLORED Ten years after the initial release of the White Stripes’ most avant-garde and stripped back album, it’s finally getting it’s own vinyl release. Includes two colored 12inch discs, mp3 download and exclusive 3D gate-fold jacket.
WU-TANG CLAN: PROTECT YA NECK 12-INCH COLORED
SHAWN PAIK photo SAM BEARZI video CALVIN FALK deputy photo SANG BAE, MATHILDE VAN TULDER deputy video CHRISTIAN FORTE
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OPINION PAGE
Two songs (“Protect Ya Neck” and “Method Man”) from one of the cornerstones of East Coast hip-hop, Wu-Tang Clan’s “Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers,” are getting their own exclusive vinyl release on 3,000 physical copies on gorgeous yellow and black vinyl. The 12-inch contains three remixes of “Protect Ya Neck” on the A-side and four remixes of “Method Man” on the B-side, with a reproduction of the original covert art on the sleeve.
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Wildlife Conservation Film Screening The Steinhardt Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education and the Environmental Conservation Education Program is hosting a trio of film screenings for Earth Day, featuring “We Are Rhino,” “Boots on the Ground” and “Quiet Giants.” The event will be at 7 p.m. in room 102 of 19 University Place and costs $6 for NYU students.
Is the Internet of Things Media? Phil Howard, an author and professor at the University of Washington and Central European University, comes to NYU to discuss media, communication and technology at 12:30 p.m. in room 741 of 239 Greene St.
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April showers in Washington Square Park.
SNAPSHOT BY HANNAH SHULMAN
Tseng Kwong Chi: Performing for the Camera
TATIANA BAEZ, NICOLE BROWN, ALEX GREENBERGER, CLIO MCCONNELL, JORDAN MELENDREZ
Today marks the opening of a new Grey Art Gallery Exhibit featuring the works of Chinese artist Tseng Kwong Chi, who specialized in photography. The director of the gallery Lynn Gumpert will speak about the new exhibit at 5 p.m.
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.
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NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
NYUAD hosts global TED event
Panel discusses mixed race scholarship By AMANDA MORRIS Contributing Writer
By LEXI FAUNCE Staff Writer
In an effort to bridge the gap between students from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, TEDxNYUAD held its first conference Sunday. Students were encouraged to incorporate issues from their home countries in their presentations, which were screened for New York campus students on Monday at NYU’s NYC Abu Dhabi building. In their presentations, speakers addressed conventional stereotypes existing in their home countries. Through their speeches, students tried to provide resolutions to crucial questions, such as how to combat political corruption or how to challenge biases toward Muslim women. NYUAD freshman and speaker Amer Nasr shared his experience with creating a movement against political corruption in Brazil. He said the inherent inequality within the country must be fought by students, who will be the next generation to lead Brazil. “Students have the potential to change the world by raising their voices,” Nasr said. “It starts with a voice to embrace solidarity. If more people decided to take action, then less people would be hesitant in doing so.” Hayat Seid, NYUAD speaker and co-founder of PenAfrica, an organization that shares
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STAFF PHOTO BY HANNAH SHULMAN
The TEDxNYU event promoted connection across all global sites. stories from underrepresented African women, said storytelling can encourage people to overlook biases placed on African women. “We want to present stories that aren’t centered on poverty or disease, and instead focus on the beauty that lies within Africa,” Seid said. “This will help us facilitate a conversation that places all women on equal ground.” CAS junior Padema Rhea, who attended the screening at the NYU New York campus, said the presentations created a strong impression on her and changed how she thought about international disputes. “These students are working toward eliminating the injustice that plagues today’s society,” Rhea said. “We should not be defined by stereotypical labels. We need to be more aware of how we see and interact with one another.” In her presentation, NYUAD speaker Maitha al Memari focused on liberating and unifying Muslim women who wore abayas, traditional cloaks worn
to cover the body that promotes modesty. Memari spoke about challenging the stereotypes surrounding wearing the religious garment and how to overcome these biases. “Wearing an abaya is not an act of oppression as many assume,” Memari said. “They are a combination of self expression, and they represent one’s individuality.” TEDxNYU chief of staff Lillian Leung, a Stern sophomore, said holding conferences with students from NYU global sites allows for different viewpoints to be included in the conversation. “Through TEDxNYUAD, we are able to connect with students beyond the Washington Square campus and recognize this diverse community where we see people from all across different backgrounds,” Leung said. “These conferences encourage global collaboration and allow us to look at issues from a variety of angles.” Email Lexi Faunce at news@nyunews.com.
In studying mixed race identities, the historical focus has been on the individual, but speakers at Monday’s roundtable conversation “What’s Radical About Mixed Race?” aimed to reframe discussion in a way that allows for more nuanced understanding of racial identity. Speakers at the event, which was hosted by the Asian/Pacific/ American Institute, included Minelle Mahtani, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, and Jared Sexton, an associate professor and director of African American studies at the University of California, Irvine. Sexton said hypodescent, a condition in which people with multiple race identities are automatically classified according to their non-white race, is one of the concerns researchers of mixed race have had in the past. Sexton said he wants researchers to re-examine this issue in a larger framework of racial stereotypes. “Some of the preoccupations are the issue of hypodescent and challenging its reflexive use, but in challenging hypodescent, multiracial studies also runs the risk of re-stigmatizing the very identities that it claims to combine,” Sexton said. Mahtani said some mixed raced individuals try to fuse their various identities, but often reinforce white supremacy by ignoring their non-white ancestry. Mahtani added that the media often takes advantage of people of mixed race, using their perceived racial ambiguity to appeal to several demographics at once. “Working at CBC, the produc-
ers told me ‘We’d like you to be on camera,’” Mahtani said. “They told me ‘It’d be easy for you to look like what the audience wants you to look like and you’d appeal to a large cross section of racial groups in the process.” Mahtani said to progress, mixed race studies must rethink its focus. “We need to ask new questions,” Mahtani said. “Not ‘What is mixed race?’ but ‘How does the meaning of mixed race change over time?’” University of Washington student Na’quel Walker, who attended the event, said she often had trouble with her identity as a child. “When I was younger, for me to say ‘I’m mixed,’ was to denounce blackness,” Walker said. “I was trying to elevate myself because I wanted to feel special or different, but I was running away from my blackness.” Nicole Holliday, a doctoral student at NYU in linguistics who is studying the speech patterns of people of mixed race, agreed that research into mixed race culture needs to take a new approach. “The problem is that in a lot of social science literature, it seems like the end goal is to prove that multi-racial people who are multiracial, either people who identify themselves as multiracial or who are identified by a researcher as multiracial, are somehow special or exceptional,” Holliday said. “I’m interested in how can we study this population of people who identify as multiracial in a more nuanced way, without putting them on a pedestal.” Email Amanda Morris at news@nyunews.com.
EARTH DAY continued from PG. 1
Events celebrate environment
along with individual clubs and interest groups, and the NYU Office of Sustainability consolidated all the events in the calendar. The New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy sponsored a talk by Barbara Kates-Garnick of the Center for International Environment and Resources Policy at Tufts University on April 8 about how the public can improve the way it produces and consumes energy. Events even included service activities, such as Let’s Get Earthy, where students helped prepare garden beds, transplant seedlings and construct a new shed on April 11. CAS junior Lila Carpenter attended the event and said she felt that spending time gardening was a great, tangible way to spread environmental awareness. “I think that any and every connection to nature helps to
reinforce its importance to our lives, and remind us where our food comes from,” Carpenter said. “Having the chance to help out the Community Agriculture Club was a lot of fun and a good excuse to relax outside, but also reminded me of what we’re fighting for.” Gallatin junior and Vice President of EarthMatters@ NYU Emma Spett hosted an event on April 16 with guest speaker Andrew Revkin. Spett said she hopes Revkin’s talk inspires people to make small, helpful adjustments to their day-to-day lives. “As a columnist for The New York Times, he gave an interesting look into the evolution of how the public perceives environmental issues, as well as the different needs that the movement requires in order to gain and keep momentum,” Spett said. “Our hope is that individuals who par-
ticipate in our events will begin to understand the urgency of our current environmental state, as well as personal ways to begin living a lower-impact lifestyle.” Spett added that positive change could come about as long as activists continue fighting to provide avenues for people to learn more about the environment. “If students are able to find opportunities to get involved and make change, then we have achieved what we seek to do with the Earth Month programs,” Spett said. The university has also established committees to oversee the process of making NYU buildings more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Bonnie Brown, the facilitator of the Bobst Library Sustainability Committee, said more events such as the ones featured in this monthlong tribute are needed at NYU.
STAFF PHOTO BY HANNAH SHULMAN
The Avery Fisher center hosted screenings of Plastic Paradise and Divide in Concord. “Earth Day should be every day, but I believe that the events related to saving our environment are extremely helpful because they bring together the NYU community and beyond in order to discuss these issues and talk to one another,” Brown said. “The task
to save our planet is daunting, of course, but when I get together with people like myself who care so much, I feel like we can really make a difference and we do.” Email Christine Wang at news@nyunews.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
ARTS
EDITED BY ALEXA SPIELER ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM
REVIEW
Play tells emotional story of survival By WILLA TELLEKSON-FLASH Contributing Writer
Janka Festinger was taken from her home in Sighet, Romania, to Auschwitz in May 1944. By the end of the war, she had lost 63 family members, and only she, her brother and her sister survived. She withheld her struggles and story from her family, but in 1997 her son, Oscar Speace, discovered her written account of her life. From this 60-page letter Speace wrote “JANKA,” an emotionally charged one-woman show that tells his mother’s story in the first person. “JANKA,” an Off-Broadway play directed by James Phillips Gates, tells Janka Festinger’s story in its entirety, not limited to her time in Auschwitz or in Europe. Janka (Janice Noga) recalls both the painful memories of her time during the war and her life after moving to the United States with her husband, a G.I. The story is full of both joyous, seemingly happily-ever-after moments and moments of intense sorrow and loss — no emotion is spared. The show opens in a 1950s living room filled with two upholstered armchairs, a sofa, a tea set on the coffee table and many black and white photographs. Janka perfectly embodies a grandmother in her black turtleneck and vest. A black geometric structure builds somewhat of an
arch upstage, from which memories hang in the form of objects, ranging from a teddy bear to a gas mask. The set is designed with so many familiar touches that it feels as though the whole theater is part of her living room. This proximity is strengthened as Janka begins to speak directly to the audience. In the play, her life is organized into four stages: her life in Romania before the rise of Hitler, her life during the war, her life after the war with her husband Bob and her life after Bob’s death. However, the play does not adhere to this chronology. As often happens when telling a story, Janka is frequently reminded of related memories and gets offtopic. While this tendency appears natural, it does make her story a bit difficult to follow, at times. The lighting and sound contribute enormously to the clarity of Janka’s story. Designed by Travis Sawyer, the lighting transports the audience from Janka’s living room to near-blackness, with only a blue-tinted spotlight on her in moments of intense sorrow. The blue-tinted spotlight recurs throughout the show, connecting the accounts of struggle. Emotional vulnerability is what makes “JANKA” particularly special. Survivor’s guilt, love, distress, disbelief and joy are just some of the raw emotions that
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The show features the life of Janka, an Auschwitz survivor who kept her story a secret. Noga shares with the audience. Her memories of moments of joy are the most powerful, and she seems to emit beams of energy when her face lights up. Speace and Noga make meaningful connections to “JANKA,” which makes it feel more authentic. At the end of the play, it is no surprise that Noga came out to bow with tears streaming down her face, as it would be nearly impossible to not be touched by Janka Festinger’s powerfully resilient life. “JANKA” is presented by the Roust Theater Company and is playing at the June Havoc Theatre through May 3. Email Willa Tellekson-Flash at theater@nyunews.com.
BECHDEL continued from PG. 1
Sullivan: women needed in comedy
In doing so, Sullivan said she strives to combat the problems that female comedians currently face. “There is a stigma around female jokes that they have to be one thing or another, well they do not,” she said. “Bechdel Test is bold brand of comedy that is run by women.” As an improv team, Bechdel Test does not prepare anything for their shows. Instead, they ask the audience for suggestions to inspire games and then perform comedic scene off the top of their heads. A highlight of the show occurred during a game in which Bechdel Test took a homonym at their show on April 17 as their suggestion, and improvised several short scenes revolving around this word. The subsequent scenes then
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In one scene, a member takes her mother to meet the love of her life, Mount Everest. came together to form a larger story, which was an intriguing process to watch. During each scene, improvisers created a cavalcade of off-beat characters including people who used their sorrows for inspiration in the weight room, a reality show for talented people with disabilities and advertising for a new toy that would release a disease and kill children. The improvisational component made the show feel fast and fun, and the variety of humor kept the show interesting.
REVIEW
The humor vacillated between being rowdy and intellectual, while consistently balancing being witty and bawdy, all of which the audience responded to well. The improv comedians’ next performance will be on April 24 at the Comedy Prom, with fellow NYU comedy groups Free Beer, Home Improvement, Dirt Circle, Dangerbox, Pasadena Golf Club, and After School Special. Email Talia Milavetz at entertainment@nyunews.com.
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“Sound and Color” is set to be released today, April 21.
Alabama Shakes’ experiments pay off By HANNAH TREASURE Digital Director
With the release of their sophomore album “Sound and Color,” Alabama Shakes swaps a bit of their Southern twang for psychedelic experimentation. In the three years following the release of their debut album, “Boys & Girls,” the four-piece has clearly matured their sound. The high production value of the instrumentation refines the band’s previously distorted sound, without losing its grittiness. The title track, with its layered vibraphones and violins, shows a softer side of the band’s fiery soul-rock. Songs like “Dunes” and “Gemini” explore more subtle and modernized aspects of Southern blues, adding in sparse, bright percussion, reverb and echoed vocals. Despite their new sound, Alabama Shakes still manages to hold listeners’ feelings in the palm of their hands — hitting listeners with heartbreak one moment and encouraging them to stay strong the next. Lead singer Brittany Howard’s unreserved and breathtaking belting sounds like Etta James singing garage rock and serves as the emotional bedrock of the album. “Sound and Color” testifies to Howard’s ability to sing in various styles, as she captures whatever dynamic her bandmates throw at her with graceful ease. Howard’s powerhouse voice, despite being the main driving force behind the album’s emotional momentum, highlights the weak lyrics — generic, undetailed accounts of nostalgia, love and loss. The lack of lyrical revolution, however, can be overlooked on songs like “Gimme All Your Love,” a funk-in-
fluenced track featuring a heartfelt, charged chorous with deeply resonate vocals. Despite failing to amaze lyrically, Alabama Shakes are taking risks with drastic changes to their sound. The roots of soul would be impossible to dig out of the group’s foundation, but they manage to seamlessly weave in melodies reminiscent of D’Angelo and classic rock. With such variety, however, also, comes confusion, as the album’s lack of cohesion makes it hard for the listener to hold onto more than a few standout songs. “Don’t Wanna Fight” is one such example, as it is loaded with catchy guitar riffs alongside Howard’s compelling cries of “Why can’t I catch my breath? / I’m gonna work myself to death.” Though “Sound and Color” fails to bring anything revolutionary, Alabama Shakes demonstrates that, ultimately, it will move and shake its listeners. The album’s variety — which is reflected in its name — manifests itself in expermintation, which explores every facet the band has to offer. The variety reflects the album’s name and manifests itself in experimentation, exploring the dualities in the listener and the band. Between Howard’s clear emotional power to the band’s willingness to venture into new territory, “Sound and Color” continues to surprise listeners, for both better and worse. While its experiments are not always successful, the band has presented fans with an impeccable summer album to enjoy anytime — whether they are sprawled out in a park or speeding down a hot Southern highway. Email Hannah Treasure at htreasure@nyunews.com.
NYUNEWS.COM | TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
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DINING
EDITED BY REBECCA RIDDLE DINING@NYUNEWS.COM
Where to feed out of town guests By RIDDHI KERALIA Contributing Writer
Because New York City offers such a vast melting pot of culture and cuisine, New Yorkers often find it difficult to choose which places to take their guests to eat when they come to town. Even if you ate at a different restaurant for every meal for 10 years, you still would not have eaten at every restaurant in New York. Three meals a day is not enough when you’re in the city, but to make every meal count, try treating your guests to these suggestions. Pizza, which is a popular choice for college students, is a must-eat food in New York that many guests from out of town want to experience. There are numerous authentic pizza places that can’t be missed when one is in New York City. From the famous Joe’s Pizza (7 Carmine St.),
which is many celebrities’ favorite, to Artichoke Basille’s Pizza (328 14th St.) that melts in your mouth, New York City pizza is hard to beat. New York is said to have the best bagels in America, with popular choices such as an everything bagel from Ess-a-Bagel (831 Third Ave.). Other typical New York foods to treat your guests to are hot dogs from Gray’s Papaya (2090 Broadway), soft pretzels from Sigmund’s pretzel shop (29 Ave. B) and cheesecake from Junior’s (386 Flashbulb Ave., Brooklyn). The long list of must eats in New York also includes the lunch-only, off-menu burger from Gramercy Tavern (42 E. 20th St.) or the Shackburger from Shake Shack (366 Columbus Ave.). Delicious pierogies from the traditional Ukrainian diner Veselka (144 Second Ave.) definitely makes the list along
with Pork Buns at Momofuku Noodle Bar (171 First Ave.). Other dishes to satisfy your appetite in New York are burritos from Taqueria Diana (129 Second Ave.), an egg cream from Eddie’s Sweet Shop (105-29 Metropolitan Ave., Forest Hills), pastrami on rye at Katz’s Delicatessen (205 E. Houston St.), a porterhouse steak at Peter Luger Steak House (178 Broadway, Brooklyn), black and white cookies at Glaser’s Bake Shop (1670 First Ave.) and savory crepes from The Crooked Tree (110 Saint Marks Place). Along with delicious cheesecakes and bagels, New York street food is something your guests should be sure not to miss. Halal Guys, a food cart located on 53rd Street. and 6th Avenue, is a popular, inexpensive choice for authentic street fare. Email Riddhi Keralia at dining@nyunews.com.
The Halal Guys cart is located on 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue, as well as other locations around Manhattan.
Best eateries in the West Village
TEA continued from PG. 1
By AMANDA MORRIS Staff Writer
Magnolia Bakery 401 Bleecker St.
STAFF PHOTO BY SANG BAE
Tea makes for an appropriate replacement of coffee.
Local shops offer tea varieties for everyone
be especially healthy because the whole leaf is powdered and mixed with hot water before being consumed. Once you know what kind of tea you want to drink, there are also a few tips to remember in order to ensure you are drinking the best tasting tea possible. If you think you do not like tea, it might be because you have only tasted tea which has been badly brewed from pre-made tea bags. Tea bags are often made with small pieces of broken leaves that are easy to over-steep, producing a bitter taste. Triangle tea sachets are a better option, like like those sold by Harney and Sons (433 Broome St.), which are large enough to allow the water to properly mix with larger pieces of tea leaves. Most of the best quality tea never makes it into bags, and is instead sold as loose-leaf. To pre-
STAFF PHOTO BY CALVIN FALK
pare loose-leaf tea, simply combine one teaspoon of tea with eight ounces of hot water in a measuring cup. Steep, then pour the tea through a strainer or coffee filter into a mug. Investing in a tea steeper, which is a mesh container that acts as a reusable version on a tea bag, is also an option. The best place to buy loose leaf tea is at a dedicated tea shop, such as Bosie Tea Parlor (10 Morton St.). It is also important to remember not to use water that is too hot when making tea, as this can result in bitterness. Only black tea should be made with boiling water. Boiling water that has cooled for a few minutes is perfect for oolong, and green and white teas taste best when made with water that is just steaming. Email Kendall Levison at dining@nyunews.com.
If you are looking for delicious cupcakes, stop by Magnolia Bakery, which offers a variety of $3.50 specialty cupcakes. Magnolia offers a wide variety of options such as the Hummingbird, which is described as a “banana, pineapple and pecan cake with sweet cream cheese icing topped with toasted pecans,” and the Truffle cupcake, which is a “devil’s food cake and chocolate or white chocolate truffle filling covered with chocolate ganache.” Perhaps even better than their cupcakes or other pastries is their famous banana pudding, which is creamy and sweet yet not overpowering. Even those who do not particularly love bananas will enjoy the dessert.
Pasticceria Rocco 243 Bleecker St. Another great spot to grab a bite in the West Village is Pasticceria Rocco. This Italian restaurant offers wonderful breakfast and lunch options for under $10, as well as dozens of desserts that are sure to suit any taste. Some of their best desserts are their traditional cannoli and their Italian-style cheesecakes.
roasted mushrooms and much more as toppings for your potato. This restaurant offers a variety of signature potato dishes such as the Veggie Heavy potato, which is topped with an assortment of delicious vegetables. Customers also have the option to create their own potato, where every feature of the dish is customizable as you can choose the type of potato you want, your sauce and your toppings, which are unlimited.
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza 111 MacDougal Street If you’ve never tried artichokes on your pizza, this is the place to start. Though artichokes are not usually a popular pizza topping, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza uses them to make their iconic and delicious pizza. If you are not feeling adventurous enough for artichokes, the pizzeria also has many other more traditional options.
Hakata Tonton 61 Grove St. If you are looking to try something a little more exotic, Hakata Tonton is a Japanese restaurant most well-known for its pig’s feet, which are so tender that the meat literally falls off the bone. Another
popular favorite at this restaurant is the hot pot, Hakata Tonton, from which the restaurant gets its name. Be sure to make a reservation before eating here, though, as sometimes the line can reach far outside the restaurant.
100 Montaditos 176 Bleecker St. It is common to find 100 Montaditos crowded on Wednesdays, as people flock there for their special $1 Wednesday sandwiches. In fact, everything on the menu costs a dollar on Wednesdays. Their sandwiches are small but cheap and delicious. Every other night, 100 Montaditos’ sandwiches are still only $2.50 each, and customers can get a special combo of three sandwiches, fries and one soft drink for only $8. One combination of sandwiches that is offered is called the Sevilla, which includes a mozzarella, tomato and pesto sandwich, a whole grain chicken, green pepper, tomato and aioli sandwich and a brie, arugula, onion and honey mustard sandwich. With variety like this, eating at 100 Montaditos is a good way to have a little bit of everything. Email Amanda Morris at dining@nyunews.com.
Potatopia 378 Sixth Ave. The term “loaded baked potato” takes on a whole new meaning at Potatopia. Forget about just sour cream, bacon, chives and cheese — at Potatopia, you can get steak, roasted jalapenos, shrimp,
STAFF PHOTO BY SANG BAE
The West Village offers many restaurants, including Potatopia.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 | NYUNEWS.COM
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OPINION
EDITED BY TESS WOOSLEY OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
POINT
COUNTERPOINT
$15 wage necessary for workers
$15 wage will accelerate automation
By RICHARD SHU Deputy Copy Chief On a $15 dollar minimum wage, someone working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year, would take home only $30,000 per year — $24,716 after taxes. For the vast majority of fast food employees, who are self-subsisting 25- to 54-yearolds, this income is all they have to survive. And this money stretches very thin, especially in New York — $24,716 would not even cover an average year’s rent in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, the current New York City minimum wage of $8.75 per hour translates to just $17,500 per year, just barely enough to make rent in the Bronx and hardly sufficient for human survival, much less supporting a family without public assistance. Blogger Matt Walsh recently wrote a viral piece excoriating the New York fast food protesters for requesting a $15 per hour minimum wage. His argument, and the argument of many other pundits in his camp, is that because such a high wage would outstrip the wages of paramedics, teachers and mechanics, fast food workers should keep quiet and accept their lot. It is not fair, he opines, that fast food workers — with relatively simple tasks — should ask for more than what their hardworking counterparts earn. It is true that skilled workers are underpaid, but it is telling that Walsh’s
first reaction is to drag fast-food workers down rather than try to lift other workers up. This reasoning represents a closed-minded political outlook that pits workers against workers and distracts from the class struggle that wage campaigns are meant to solve. For Walsh to demonize the working class is rubbing salt into their festering wounds. Conservatives like Walsh are content to invoke the struggles of the working class when it helps to put other working class people down, but never to question the overarching economic phenomena that hurts all workers — fry cooks and mechanics alike. This prescription for poverty is simply to work harder, to put in the extra hours and take that second job in order to move up the proverbial ladder. But the U.S. labor landscape of today is much less forgiving than such an idyllic conception. Class mobility has stagnated to 1970s levels, the middle class is shrinking and income inequality is growing. The reason that fast food employees need the extra income is that, for the foreseeable future, that deadend job is all they have. Until workers are able to square off against their employers and rattle unfair corporate structures through protests, they will not see any progress in their living situations, no matter how hard they toil at the grease traps. Insisting that minimum wage earners buckle down, work harder and shut up helps nobody. Email Richard Shu at opinion@nyunews.com.
By MATTHEW TESSLER Deputy Opinion Editor Income inequality is a major issue. Current minimum wage levels are unsustainable for individuals and families, especially those living and working in New York City. Executive compensation, economic mobility, money in politics — these are all problems that make it seem like the decks are stacked against everyday Americans. All of these concerns are valid, and there is certainly room for improvement. Workers in this country have the right to strike and argue for greater pay, and $15 an hour would be a more sustainable wage for workers currently living on minimum wage. However, the Fight for $15 will not have a lasting impact for one major reason — automation. Even if this campaign somehow succeeds in raising the wages of food service workers to the desired level of $15, automation will soon eliminate the majority of jobs that would benefit from the raise. Increasing wages for human workers gives corporations an even greater impetus to invest in technology. Using software interfaces to take orders and eventually having robots make food is preferable for both companies and consumers. Just as people quickly adopted GrubHub and Seamless because of their efficiency, businesses and consumers will adopt and prefer these interfaces to human interaction. McDonald’s, Chili’s, Panera Bread and a variety of other res-
taurant chains have been experimenting with automated-ordering kiosks for the past few years. Multiple JFK airport terminals have hundreds of iPads that are used for taking food orders. Employees costing businesses more would only amplify the push for this ordering method. In addition to jobs at the counter, tasks in the kitchen will be handed off to robots in the not too distant future — burger flipping robots already exist. The current argument used by the Fight for $15 campaign is that the wages they are currently being paid are insufficient. It is hard to argue with stories of people struggling just to make ends meet, especially when McDonald’s — the main target of the campaign’s rage — has a significant public image problem. The reality, however, is that the repetitive tasks the workers do are not worth $15 an hour. It is especially difficult to justify that wage when McDonald’s is struggling to keep revenue up. The world where cashiers are replaced with apps and burger flippers are replaced with robots is already here. Asking for a raise may be the only way for workers to continue to get by, but it is an unsustainable solution that merely accelerates the push for automation. There never will be an optimal time to ask for greater pay because their jobs are disappearing. The technology to replace them is here, and it is ready for prime time. Email Matthew Tessler at mtessler@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Decriminalizing minor offenses a positive step The New York Daily News reported on Monday that City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is working on a proposal that would see fewer New Yorkers arrested on relatively minor charges, including public consumption of alcohol, being in a park after dark and public urination. In New York City today, minor offenses like these are criminal offenses that are maintained on record and can lead to jail time if addressed. Several City Council members are seeking to reclassify these as civil offenses, meaning they would lead to fines, instead of an appearance in criminal court. The City Council are right to reduce the needlessly punitive aspects of the justice system. Most importantly, they are finally reversing the discredited “broken windows”
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theory and not jailing people — predominantly people of color — for minor offenses. Years of aggressive policing has resulted in the flood of misdemeanor cases, which account for 70 to 80 percent of criminal cases each year. Low-income defendants often lack the financial wherewithal to hire lawyers, and often give up defending their cases. Such cases are pointless and merely strain the judicial system. The National Center for State Courts argues that the unmanageable volume of misdemeanor cases caused the U.S. judicial system to be degraded to “assembly line justice,” in which police officers, prosecutors and clerks merely execute processes and do not actively enforce justice in the society. While using the courts to gen-
erate revenues can be harmful, as shown by recent events in Ferguson, the decriminalization initiative would both reduce costs and increase money flow to the city’s coffers. The changes would allow individuals to pay fines via mail or online, likely leading to a higher percentage of paid fines. While some have expressed concern about people pleading guilty to misdemeanors by paying their fine remotely, this could improve on the current system, in which half of those who receive criminal summons do not attend and a quarter of those fined do not pay. Failure to pay a civil fine can result in garnished wages and damaged credit, but not jail time, so decriminalization would reduce the cost of jailing residents for
minor infractions while raising revenue through fines. New York City spends more than any other city or even state on incarceration, with a year’s jail time costing about $167,000 per inmate, which is more than two years’ tuition at Harvard. Speaking at a council meeting in March, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton warned that civil summonses would not be as effective at preventing crime. But deterrence is only one function of the justice system: a bigger problem than civil tickets not being taken seriously is the thousands in prison for petty offenses. Government bodies work for the citizenry — from the city council to the NYPD, they should benefit everyone and not favor the elites.
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.
WSN does not print unsigned letters or editorials. WSN reserves the right to reject any submission and edit accepted submissions in any and all ways. With the exception of the staff editorial, opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.
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