NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
washington square news Vol. 42, No. 72
monday, october 6, 2014
nyunews.com technology
De Blasio announces creation of tech hub By Suebin Kim Contributing Writer
Staff Photo by Daniel Cole
Sophomore midfielder Ryan Cerqueira celebrates after scoring the first goal against the University of Rochester on Oct. 4.
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STORY ON PAGE 5
NYU artist finds success in student duo
inside this issue
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Photo by Rachel Liquindoli
The effortless harmonies of Jack + Eliza, an up-and-coming band made up of Gallatin sophomore Jack Staffen and Columbia University student Eliza Callahan, show that the duo is all about simplicity — simplicity that has managed to connect with people and shake things up beyond the limits of New York City. The duo’s first EP, “No Wonders,” was released on Sept. 23 and can be found in local record stores Other Music and Rough Trade, as well as at Amoeba in California. After working with Chris Zane, producer of music by Passion Pit, Holy Ghost and the Walkmen,
the band has evolved its sound past lo-fi singer-songwriter ballads into a beachy ’60s sound with clear-cut vocals. “I think we’re both really proud of the EP and happy with the way it turned out,” Staffen said. “What we wanted was a classic Beatles sound, something very simple that spoke to what we were actually doing. [Sane] maintained that simplicity but also brought his highly polished sound … We couldn’t have asked for anything else.” The band draws their influence from ’60s psychedelia and artists with a classic rock sound. “We’re really inspired by the
Features
Amtrak sponsors train residency By Kendall Levison Contributing Writer
During long commutes and travel, there are typically at least a couple people typing furiously on their laptops, perhaps doing some of their most efficient work of the day. Among those passengers spotted could be three NYU professors, recently selected to be a part of a residency program by Amtrak that allows writers to go on a long train ride and write. Farai Chideya of the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, Jeff Stanley of the Tisch School of the Arts and Darin Strauss of the CAS Creative Writing Program were chosen to participate in the program taking place over the next year.
Last December, writer Alexander Chee said in an interview with PEN America that he enjoyed writing on trains and wished Amtrak sponsored a residency. The idea eventually gained enough traction on Twitter that Amtrak took up the call to make Chee’s dream a reality. The program’s inspiration resonated with Stanley, who recently moved to Philadelphia. Despite his trepidation about having a two-hour commute to and from New York, Stanley found that the time affords him the opportunity to accomplish many things. “I realized I loved [the commute],” Stanley said. “It’s like my little private world to grade papers in, do my own writing.” All of the writers will be trav-
Socks collected for homeless
Weekend in sports
A program founded by an NYU student has collected over 12,000 socks from college campuses.
An overview of how the Violets fared in soccer, volleyball and golf.
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eling for about a week on one of Amtrak’s 17 named routes, although their itineraries are still under discussion. Chideya, who has visited about 26 countries and 48 states, was drawn to the adventurous nature of the program. “I love train travel and thought this would be a kick,” Chideya said. For Strauss, the program offered the opportunity to go back in time to when long-distance train travel was the norm. “I’d never been in one of those sleeper cabins on trains, and I’d just seen old movies where it looked fun,” Strauss said. Chideya, who reported from Los Angeles and New Orleans while working for NPR, hopes
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illustration by jourdan enriquez
FEATURES
By Hannah Treasure Features Editor
NYU students interested in developing startups or working in technology have a new resource available to them. In a press conference on Oct. 1, Mayor Bill de Blasio introduced Digital.NYC, a new web platform that aims to connect the tech startups and professionals in New York City. The platform seeks to engage entrepreneurs, investors, potential employees and organizations. Innovators who need funding can visit the Digital.NYC website to look at a list of potential investors and their locations in the city, as well as borough-specific resources available to startups. De Blasio said Digital.NYC may have the potential to become the hub of New York City’s expanding tech environment. “This is a sector that’s going to grow a lot more in this city, and I
Opportunities for women in Silicon Alley New York tech leaders should not follow Silicon Valley’s example. story on PG. 7