NYU’s Daily Student Newspaper
WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS Vol. 42, No. 81
THURSDAY OCTOBER 23, 2014
nyunews.com PROTEST
Outcry against brutality, detention By KEVIN BURNS Senior Editor
Several hundred protesters marched from Union Square to Times Square to speak out against police brutality and mass incarceration on Oct. 22. Protesters gathered in Union Square, where organizers initiated a call and response from the bed of a pickup truck. The protesters then followed the truck to 39th Street and chanted slogans like “Hands up, don’t shoot.” The mass action was part of a National Day of Protest against police brutality. It was the 19th annual day of action and featured demonstrations in around 80 cities nationwide. STAFF PHOTO BY DANIEL COLE
A man raises his hands, chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot” as he leads the protest up the stairs in Times Square.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
STAFF PHOTO BY SANGJUN BAE
Student featured on vlog Madison Emiko Love worked with Teen Vogue star Bryanboy. STORY on PG. 4
Gun restrictions must be increased Partial gun legislation is harmful. STORY on PG. 7
PROTEST continued on PG. 3
THEATER REVIEW
Stage adaptation of ‘The Curious Incident’ shines By NIKOLAS REDA-CASTELAO Theater/Books Editor
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” has come from London’s West End to the Barrymore Theatre in Times Square, joining the pantheon of some of the theater world’s best. It is safe to say that the play, based on Mark Haddon’s novel of the same name, is not only rightfully among its equals, but is above and beyond Broadway audiences’ expectations. To witness “The Curious Incident” is to see a bizarre, eccentric and outright brilliant piece of theater that defies what is possible for a narrative play. “The Curious Incident” follows the tribulations of Christopher Boone (Alex Sharp), a 15-year-old British boy who falls somewhere on the autistic spectrum and has a love of stars and logic. He goes beyond
the banality of his neighborhood to solve the murder of Wellington, his neighbor’s dog. In doing so, he confronts his fears of the modern world and the creeping secrets hiding behind people’s words. Chris is sincere and determined, but ultimately alienated. He has a refreshed view of the world and of people. What seems to be a lighthearted, whimsical production quickly turns into a daunting and eye-catching portrait of a human who cannot understand us and, as a result, is incomprehensible to us. However, the genius lies in that the audience can connect to his frustration, to the exasperation of those who try to protect him, because of two things — Sharp and the play’s direction. In his Broadway debut, Sharp is a revelation as Christopher. Everything he expresses is visceral and at the cusp of some-
thing very real. His character is psychologically far beyond what a normal person can be, and luckily, Sharp holds a talent that is far beyond normal. Of course, the supporting cast members play their parts fantastically. Ian Barford is heartwrenching as Chris’ struggling father, distraught and forever striving to replace his frustration with admiration for his son and his difficulties. The stage, as a representation of the world, is a triumph. It is just three plain walls, blue cross-patterns suggesting a digitized modernity. The walls hold hidden compartments with ever-replenishing props. Then those walls can become anything the directors want — an observatory to view the theater-eating galaxy that splatters the faces of patrons with bright stars, the goliath chaos of London’s metro systems and maps and
algorithms through the eyes of Christopher. There is not a single thing done in any part of the play that does not serve the entirety, for even the smallest business becomes something extraordinary. The set is just like Chris himself. It is unassuming at first, but eventually it becomes whatever it so desires. The set is clever and duplicitous in its sincerity. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is technically excellent and carries a profound message about the indifference of the world to the truly special. In that way, it is perfect, and so far beyond Broadway’s other offerings. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is playing at the Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th St. Email Nikolas Reda-Castelao at nredacastelao@nyunews.com.
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NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
Professor speaks on impact of conflict
PROTEST continued from PG. 1
Protest brings hundreds to Times Square
Labor and political organizer Stan Williams, 32, said he went to the march to support those who died at the hands of police violence, their families and the incarcerated. “I’m standing here today in solidarity, and I’m marching to try to end it,” Williams said. The O22 Coalition and the Stop Mass Incarceration Network organized the event and could only secure a permit allowing protesters to march to 39th Street. When the march reached that point, protesters continued marching to rally in front of the Times Square police station on 43rd Street. Jogging past 40th Street in an effort to catch up with the front of the advancing crowd, protest organizer and recent NYU graduate Paul Funkhouser said the limited permit would not stop the protest. “They’ll try to intimidate people, but they’re not going to stop us with force,” Funkhouser said. The march rallied again at the red steps in Times Square
By SHIRLEY FOO Staff Writer
anything that runs from birth to death.” Jones said. “I think there’s a lot of interest in biography right now and one of the things that I find is very encouraging is it’s across disciplines.” A member of the audience asked the panelists why culinary history is an important topic to discuss further, and why the content of cookbooks throughout history matters. “This is something that people are dealing with everyday, constantly,” Branch said. “[Food] is ordinary in a lot of ways, it’s something that’s almost invisible. These documents that we can collect do tell us something about what people valued in terms of cooking and eating.” Stern sophomore Vanessa Mao, who attended the event, said she did not realize how intertwined gender and cooking are. “It’s interesting for my family,” Mao said. “My grandpa actually cooked for the whole family, not my grandma. I don’t see a specific role for women as a cook for the whole family. I feel like here, in general, people see food more as a lifestyle, and in China it’s more like a daily responsibility.”
Former Israeli Minister of Education Yuli Tamir, Steinhardt professor, said xenophobia and paranoia among people in Palestine contribute to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. At a lecture on Oct. 22 in the Washington Mews, Tamir said people with Arab names phoned companies for career opportunities, but were turned down due to a lack of job availability. Merely minutes later, however, people with Jewish names phoned the same companies and were able to successfully interview for a job. She also discussed the ways the conflict impacted children in classrooms in the region. “When what you hear outside of class conflicts with what you hear within class, what you hear outside dominates,” Tamir said. LS freshman Barrie Knapp attended the lecture and said only a limited number of people outside of Israel realize how prevalent the impact of the conflict is. “I think that if you haven’t been to Israel, you’re not really exposed to that,” Knapp said. “I went to Israel for the first time this summer, and I was really shocked by the disparity that was present because I had no idea that it existed before.” LS freshman Becky Shams, who also attended the event, said Tamir’s stance on the issue was refreshing. “I think it’s amazing how an Israeli can speak about these issues without siding with the classic orthodox approach of ‘it’s our state, it’s our land,’ and instead say that we’re a bipartisan land, that we indulge in the same things as Palestinians,” Shams said. Students for Justice in Palestine at NYU said Tamir did not address the root of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. “Former Israeli Education Minister Tamir poses the question of whether Arab/Jewish coexistence is possible in Israel, obscuring a much more important question: ‘What are the barriers to coexistence in Israel/Palestine and how can they be overcome?’” SJP said in a statement. “Israel must stop using ethnic categories to define membership to the state. A truly democratic Israel/Palestine will be one in which every individual, whether Jewish, Israeli or Palestinian, is equal.”
Email Suebin Kim at news@nyunews.com.
Email Shirley Foo at news@nyunews.com.
STAFF PHOTO BY DANIEL COLE
Protesters express anger toward the police upon arriving in Times Square from Union Square. before continuing back to 39th Street to rejoin the truck that led the protest, which the New York Police Department prevented from advancing to Times Square. Former NYU student Lucy Parks, who helped organize NYU students to come to the protest, said the march was important because police violence has not stopped since the Michael Brown and Eric Garner killings. “That’s all been going on for so long that finally it’s about to boil over and I think it is really important for everyone to be out in the street,” Parks said. Parks drew on her experi-
ence working with activists at Rikers Island, New York’s main jail complex, over the past summer to explain her involvement in the movement against mass incarceration. “People die at Rikers Island just because of neglect, or they don’t get the medical attention they need,” Parks said. Gallatin senior Caitlin Brimmer, who studies urban social movements, said she went to the march because she has seen and worked on cases of police brutality. She said the United States disproportionately imprisons black and hispanic youth. “The mass incarceration system is absolutely insane, and it directly
affects youth of color more than youth like myself and I think that is ridiculous,” Brimmer said. CAS junior Davis Saltonstall said the march was an issue of solidarity against police violence across the country. “It is really important for those movements to talk to each other and support each other in order for the movement to have any true meaning and effect,” Saltonstall said. “We need to stand with Ferguson.” Email Kevin Burns at kburns@nyunews.com. Check out nyunews.com for video coverage of the protest.
Panel discusses gender, cooking in writing By SUEBIN KIM Staff Writer
Panelists debated the role of women in the history of the culinary industry during a panel hosted by the NYU Humanities Initiative on Oct. 22. Professor of nutrition, food studies and public health Amy Bentley moderated the discussion, “Women Innovators in Culinary History.” Also speaking at the panel were Tracey Deutsch, an associate professor at University of Minnesota, and Erin Branch, an assistant teaching professor at Wake Forest University. Bentley opened the discussion with a question about the role that gender plays in culinary history and whether the panelists intended to address the issue in their work. Megan Elias, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, spoke about her initial resistance to writing about gender and her later realization that it needed to be analyzed. “I really did not want to write about gender because women and cooking are always tied together and I
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STAFF PHOTO BY MATHILDE VAN TULDER
Amy Bentley speaks about women in culinary history on Oct. 22. thought there’s something else going on here,” Elias said. “I just want to look at the words about food for their own sake and not what they have to tell us about women’s lives and women’s roles.” Sarah Franklin, a food studies doctoral student in Steinhardt and panelists, however, said she embraced writing about women’s role in the culinary industry. “I’ve been interested in women’s writing since many years
ago, since I was a freshman in college,” Franklin said. “I was always interested in women’s writing and especially their descriptions of domestic spaces.” The panelists also discussed the role of biographies in their research. Franklin said her research examines the life of Knopf senior editor Judith Jones and added that she does not believe lives can be looked at as linear. “I found it very helpful to stop thinking about biography as something that looks like
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM
FEATURES
EDITED BY HANNAH TREASURE FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM
by TSERING BISTA Contributing Writer
COURTESY OF JILLIAN EZRA
Alumna Jillian Ezra’s video company now services New York.
Video company chronicles daily life By LINGYI HOU Contributing Writer
NYU alumna Jillian Ezra is turning the trend of taping the small moments in life into a business opportunity. Founded in Los Angeles in 2012, her video company, Ezra Productions, is now available in New York City. The video service offers personalized videos of families, capturing the day-to-day moments in their lives and memorializing the intimacy of basic interactions. The production crew begins their work by conducting background research and interviews to pinpoint their client’s unique needs and goals for the personalized video. Next, the Ezra Productions filmmakers spend one or two days recording the clients to capture tiny moments of their daily life and to understand the client’s habits and interactions. Ezra Productions also
helps clients edit any footage shot on their own phones. The crew interviews the family members of the client and records their answers. For example, they would ask a grandparent to say a few words that they would want their children to remember throughout their lives. “We are not focused on doing a dynamic photo album,” Ezra said. “What we really want is to help them tell a compelling story about their life, their living history and build their family archive.” This is a new approach to showing a family’s values from generation to generation through the memories of daily life. In one video featured on the company’s website, parents play with their children in the family room of their apartment. “The ability to record essentially anything and everything has truly transformed our relationship with memories, and those accompany-
ing experiences,” Steinhardt sophomore Shira Feldman said. “It’s a beautiful thing that we can reminiscence so fondly and document the unexpected special moments. Gallatin sophomore Anya Urcuyo said there are limits to how organic these moments captured on camera can really be, however “I think when we solely focus on recording our life events, we take away the human connection and interaction we get from those actual experiences,” Urcuyo said. LS sophomore Michael Abraham pointed out that technology is now being used to commemorate daily life. “Recording our day-to-day moments is a triumph for anthropology,” Abraham said. “We’ve created a real-time record of the way we think about and represent reality.” Email Lingyi Hou at features@nyunews.com.
The crisp fall weather lends itself particularly well to outdoor events, especially in October, when the Halloween spirit seems to take over the city. From a flash mob to a dog parade, this weekend has plenty of opportunities to get into the autumnal mood, if the colder weather and pumpkin spice mania have not done so already. Thrill the World NYC: Cross “being part of a flash mob” off of your bucket list on Saturday, Oct. 25, with nonprofit Michael Jackson tribute dance group Thrill the World. Thrill Day begins at 3 p.m. with dance run-throughs, zombie makeup sessions and raffles. But the activities really begin at 6 p.m., when hundreds of participants will take over Coney Island to perform a dance routine to “Thriller” on the boardwalk. Thrill Day ends with an afterparty and dinner by the beach. Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade: Head over to Tompkins Square Park on Saturday, Oct. 25, at noon to experience one of the largest dog costume parades in the world. In this year’s parade, not only will you be able to see adorable pugs stuffed into tiny hot dog and taco costumes, but also attend free of charge. Zombie Run: The Zombie Run has taken place all across the country, and it is finally
coming to New York City on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn. This 3-mile obstacle course emulates a zombie apocalypse. You can sign up as either a zombie or a human, in which case you will either chase others or be chased through the course. Although tickets are a bit pricey at $45, they include a T-shirt, medal, bag and admission to the after-party. Halloween Costume Parade and Party: If you feel like joining in on a calmer, more lowkey weekend activity than being chased by zombies, attend the Friends of Washington Market Park on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. There will be fun, familyfriendly games like penny-ina-haystack and bone digging in sandboxes. Additionally, there will be marching bands and a costume parade that will start at Beach and Greenwich Streets at 12:45 p.m. Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Flotilla: Visit Central Park on Sunday, Oct. 26, for live music, ghost stories, pumpkin carving and the Central Park Conservancy’s annual pumpkin flotilla, which sets pumpkins afloat across the Harlem Meer at 6 p.m. The event is free, but guests who want their own pumpkins to set sail must register in advance. Email Tsering Bista at features@nyunews.com.
Tisch student guest stars in Bryanboy video, pursues music By NATALIA BARR Contributing Writer
Tisch sophomore Madison Emiko Love represented NYU’s fashionable community in Bryanboy’s video series, “Bryanboy Goes to College,” where Love joins the fashion blogger to discuss everything from style to singing. The video, “When Tailored Chic Meets Normcore: Bryanboy and NYU Singer Make Sweet Music,” posted Oct. 8, includes Bryanboy and Love talking about NYU, the trials and tribulations of dorming and, of course, what she wore. With her involvement in the video, Love sought to show the style on campus and around the city. “I definitely wanted to showcase how stylish and fashion forward people are in New York City, and that the NYU students are so much more di-
verse,” Love said. “One of the reasons why I came to NYU was because of the fashion. Everyone tries harder here.” After Love’s dorm style was featured in Teen Vogue’s February 2014 issue, the magazine invited her to audition for Bryanboy’s web series. Love was asked to send in a picture of her favorite outfit, but as a Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music student, she created a compilation video of photos and her music instead. With her musical background, Love gave Bryanboy a music lesson at the end of the video. The resulting song included some of Bryanboy’s favorite things — putting on fur and Louboutins, going to fashion shows and taking selfies. “We had a good time singing along to it together,” Love said. “He’s such an amazing guy, and he just wants to be everyone’s best friend.”
In addition to her collaboration with Bryanboy, Love has previously made marks in the fashion world, having created a clothing line called Miss Blink with a friend when she was younger. After following fashion blogs like Bryanboy, she is now launching a fashion blog with CAS and Steinhardt sophomore Kate Ramsay. Their blog, The High Life, will be focused on low-budget options for high-class outfits. “Inspired by Bryanboy, our premise for this blog is to feature new and exciting style — something that vibrantly paints our world of fashion,” Ramsay said. “We’re combining our business structures to appeal to crowds of all ages, and to stay simple and chic. We believe fashion is to celebrate humans, to accentuate the beauty of ourselves, and we want our blog and fashion/website style to mirror that
as well.” Despite Love’s strides in the fashion world, she plans to prioritize her music — something she has loved doing since she was 13 years old. “Fashion is my number two part of my life, because music is number one,” Love said. Love now performs under the name MADLOVE in the singersongwriter genre and is currently exploring working with EDM music and commercial pop with producer and fellow Tisch sophomore Ben Shapiro. “She is an incredibly talented songwriter who is taking some amazing steps right now in her career,” Shapiro said. “She has recently gone from doing more singer-songwriter acoustic music to now doing fully produced pop records that suit her image and quirkiness incredibly well.” Email Natalia Barr at features@nyunews.com.
STAFF PHOTO BY SANGJUN BAE
Madison Love spoke about her style and sang a song in a video with a fashion blogger.
NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
ARTS
EDITED BY ALEX GREENBERGER ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM
NYU alum crafts modern love film
REVIEW
Cenac reveals passion for city in Netflix special By ZACH MARTIN Contributing Writer
By STEPHANIE CHENG Staff Writer
With relationships today as easy as a swipe right on Tinder, technology defines both the way we meet people and the way people can deceive us. This is the idea behind “The Heart Machine,” NYU alumnus Zachary Wigon’s debut film. “The Heart Machine” focuses on Cody (John Gallagher Jr.) and Virginia (Kate Lyn Sheil) — a couple that meet online and begin a romantic long-distance relationship. Cody begins to suspect Virginia may not be living in Berlin as she claims to be and may even live in the same city as him. Wigon, the writer and director, said the idea of filming a story centered on technology and Internet romance came when he was involved in a long-distance relationship that was carried out mostly through Skype conversations. “After I got out of school, I was in a relationship with this woman who was doing her entire junior year abroad,” Wigon said. “It worked really well — we got along, we were in love and everything was going well. And then, when her junior year ended, she came back to New York and it was like, ‘Oh my god, this is terrible. This is a really bad fit.’” Wigon’s personal experience led him to think about the ideas surrounding the film. Using his life as inspiration, he was able to
COURTESY OF FILMBUFF
Zachary Wigon wrote and directed “The Heart Machine.” write complex characters. “You’d think that it would be harder to make long-distance work and easier to make it work in person, so why would it be the other way around?” Wigon said. “So that led me to think about the manner which digital technology provides a sort of social buffer between two people. It allows for you to maintain a level of safety — a cocoon for emotional exposure that you can’t afford to indulge in when you’re in-person with someone else.” With the emergence of dating applications such as Tinder, Wigon questions the effect these apps have on relationships. “When you do online dating, say Tinder for example, there’s something very commodity-like about being on it,” Wigon said. “I think you lose a lot of what makes people human. What makes people human is to deal with the messiness and the complications and contradictions that are held within a person’s identity. These apps eliminate that, and I wonder if they train us to think about relationships in an unhelpful manner.” In “The Heart Machine,” Wigon highlights the reliance on tech-
nology, focusing on character psychology through Cody, and the reasons why people use technology to stalk people. “There was something in Cody that I was interested in exploring as the movie goes on — the obsessive tendencies and behaviors that come out when you start Internet stalking someone,” Wigon said. “It’s funny because everyone uses that term like it’s no big deal, but people sort of forget that stalking someone is really intense.” Wigon wanted to call attention to the biases of technologies that most people accept and take for granted. “Because we are so immersed in how these technologies work and function on a day-today basis, we’re lacking in the perspective to be able to see their contradictions and their flaws,” Wigon said. “There’s no more kind of intimate relationship than a romantic relationship, and what better way to highlight how technology affects how we socialize through a romance?” Email Stephanie Cheng at film@nyunews.com.
Wyatt Cenac is no stranger to social satire. His rise to prominence in comedy can mostly be attributed to the four years he spent as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” On the show, his race-oriented segments focused on issues pertaining to African-Americans and mocked the ambivalence of white politicians to those concerns. “Wyatt Cenac: Brooklyn,” his first stand-up release since leaving Stewart’s show in 2012, continues this trend of socially conscious comedy. The main theme of the one-hour stand-up special is a satirical look at the ongoing gentrification of the Brooklyn area. Cenac is perceptive because he is genuinely curious about Brooklyn. His commentary is sharp, delving into facets of his life including his brief stint living in Manhattan, his decision to move across the river and his growing frustration at the changing landscape of where he lives. During one particularly insightful bit, he identifies the inherent ridiculousness of a mayonnaise store opening in his neighborhood. Cenac is not afraid of getting personal for the majority of the performance, especially when discussing his childhood summers in Brooklyn with his grandmother. Cenac appears to feel right at home in a venue that is more intimate than his first comedy special, “Comedy Person.” The smaller audience in Brooklyn’s Union Hall creates a sense of warmth and seclusion that is absent from arena comedy specials. Cenac’s demeanor also
contributes to the warm atmosphere — at many times during the set he sits on the standard stool and tells his stories in a subdued and calm manner. This refreshing contrast to the bombastic style of other big-name comedians is one of his greatest strengths. It allows him to explore more personal material, notably a lengthy segment about the death of his father showing Cenac’s ambition a testament to his unique storytelling style. Cenac also released “Brooklyn” as a limited edition vinyl record, but the vinyl loses one of the fun, unique visual elements featured in the Netflix special — puppets. Occasionally, while Cenac is speaking, there is a puppet show acting out his words while the stand-up footage is shown in the background. These moments occur sporadically and without any reason, and they largely serve no purpose other than to reiterate whatever point Cenac is making. Still, it is a cute and entertaining idea that does not detract from the power of Cenac’s experiential and observational commentary. Above all else, the content is consistently funny. Cenac is a talented comedian who is clearly passionate about the gentrification rampant in his city. Although he abandons the main theme during the last quarter of the hour, the frequency of laughs stays consistent. Bookended by shots of Brooklyn streets, the stand-up special is a hilarious takedown of the borough’s pressing issues and a striking disclosure of the personal connection Cenac has to the area. Email Zach Martin at entertainment@nyunews.com.
CMJ shows to check out today By MATTHEW MAHONEY Staff Writer
The CMJ Music Marathon continues today, with various artists worth checking out. Here are our top five picks for showcases to see on Thursday.
Kate Boy The Swedish-Australian electronic pop group Kate Boy will take Neon Gold’s CMJ showcase by storm ahead of their upcoming debut album. The group was met with enthusiasm in late 2012 on the release of its debut single “Northern Lights” and has been riding a wave of Internet acclaim since then. Midnight at Santos Party House
Widowspeak The dreamy rock and roll duo Widowspeak, which comprises Hudson Valley residents Molly
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Hamilton and Rob Thomas, will be headlining the Captured Tracks showcase at Baby’s Alright. The duo will preview tracks from its upcoming album without having a backing band. Hamilton wrote on his Facebook page that this would probably be “the only time we’ll ever perform them like this.” 6 p.m. at Baby’s Alright
Alexz Johnson will be bringing her fall tour, in support of her recently released second album “Let ’Em Eat Cake” to the Marlin Room at Webster Hall. The singer’s jazzy songwriting style and gorgeous voice is sure to soothe anyone’s stressed CMJweek nerves. 8:45 p.m. in the Marlin Room, Webster Hall
Elle King
Tkay Maidza
The soulful Brooklynite Elle King will take Rockwood with her unique blend of pop, rock and blues. Her mix of tongue-incheek sing-a-longs and haunting ballads is sure to entertain the audience. Hopefully, she will delight the audience with her cover of Khia’s “My Neck, My Back.” 8 p.m. at Rockwood Music
The 17-year-old Australian rapper Tkay Maidza, originally from Zimbabwe, is sure to cause a stir with her standout tracks “Brontosaurus” and “U-Huh.” Often compared to M.I.A. and Azealia Banks, Maidza is definitely one to watch as she preps her debut album. 9:40 p.m. at the Paper Box
Alexz Johnson The child-actress-turned-singer
Email Matthew Mahoney at music@nyunews.com.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW MAHONEY
Elle King performed at Webster Hall on Oct. 21 as part of CMJ. Read more about her performance on WSN’s The Highlighter at wsnhighlighter.com.
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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM
NYUNEWS.COM THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU Crossword ACROSS 1 Spicy quality 5 Like more than a third of U.S. immigrants nowadays 10 Female motorcyclists, in biker slang 15 Airport shuttle route, commonly 16 Man trying to clarify the spelling of his name in 21-, 25-, 38-, 52and 57-Across 17 Tequila source 18 Takes responsibility for 19 Sound of an incoming text, e.g. 20 Martin Sheen’s real first name 21 Unhelpful spelling clarification #1 23 Outs 24 Bébé’s need 25 Spelling clarification #2
27 Circles around the sun 30 Team that last won an N.F.L. championship in 1957 31 Place often named after a corporation 32 Firing locale 33 Nicknames 37 Sch. whose team is the Violets 38 Spelling clarification #3 42 Nearly nada 43 Fair 45 Setting for “Gladiator” 46 “The Last Supper,” e.g. 48 Not fair 50 Copy 52 Spelling clarification #4 55 “Ooh-la-la!” 56 Places where you can hear a pin drop? 57 Spelling clarification #5
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61 Courtroom fixture 62 Rhythmic feet 64 Sp-[gasp]-speaks like th-[sniffle]this 65 Busybody 66 What the listener might think 16-Across’s name is? 67 “Would ___ to you?” 68 Like many indie films 69 Beats it 70 A whole bunch DOWN 1 Blue Dog Democrats, e.g. 2 One of 14 in the Big Ten 3 A whole bunch 4 Elasticity symbol, in economics 5 Tree in a giraffe’s diet 6 General reception? 7 “Hmm … is that so!” 8 ___ Lingus 9 W.S.J. alternative 10 “The Old Man and the Sea” fish 11 Con 12 Tree-dwelling snake 13 To have, in Toulouse 14 Meaning 22 Some sitters 23 Together 25 Dress style 26 Feels bad 27 Support staff 28 African antelope 29 Go for additional service
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PUZZLE BY JOEL FAGLIANO
32 Celebrity couple portmanteau 34 Air 35 Part of a black cloud 36 It’s always underfoot 39 First sign 40 PlayStation maker 41 Friends of Firenze
44 Situates 47 Something set in a place setting
57 Song that was a hit for a spell in the 1970s?
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58 Modern acronym suggesting “seize the day”
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59 Life lines?
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62 Geniuses’ prides
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63 Chip shot’s path
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Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.
NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS
OPINION
EDITED BY CHRISTINA COLEBURN OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
DOMESTIC POLICY
Gun control efforts too limited in scope By DAN MORITZ-RABSON Staff Columnist
The New York Times reported on Oct. 19 that a database of New York residents prohibited from possessing guns due to mental instability contains around 34,500 names. This list was created via the passage of the SAFE Act, supported by Gov. Andrew Cuomo after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. This act increased gun restrictions in New York, banned assault weapons and led to the creation of this government no-gun database. While commended by many who find it a logical precaution to help prevent atrocities like the Fort Hood and Isla Vista shootings, the high number of individuals on this list draws criticism, even from some who recognize its benefits. As delineated by the Times, the established system lacks the discretion necessary to properly carry out its function. Despite any systemic errors preventing an ideal implementation of the SAFE Act, the largest failure of Cuomo’s efforts exists in the conception that only those identified as mentally unstable present an impending threat to public safety when armed.
When trying to comprehend the motivating factors behind mass shootings, society avoids the underlying danger enabled by the prevalence of guns in the United States. Instead, much of the discourse on gun control revolves around preventing those deemed mentally unstable from gaining access to firearms. Prohibiting gun ownership by individuals who visibly demonstrate the potential of harming others offers a partial solution to an appreciable problem. Reactionary regulations, justified by undocumented postulations that individuals with mental illness primarily cause gun violence shirk the underlying societal problems created by a vehement defense of the Second Amendment. One of the most common arguments supporting gun rights revolves around self-protection. In a 2013 Gallup poll, 60 percent of American gun owners
indicated that part of their reasoning for obtaining a gun was because of a desire for security. The frequency of events such as the Renisha McBride shooting and the Jordan Davis killing demonstrate the detrimental effects of gun ownership to public safety, and does not support ownership enabling genuine personal protection. Instances requiring self-defense certainly exist, and many gun owners comprehend the gravity of the consequences that arise from reckless weapon use. But as signified by unintentional shootings, even the best-intentioned gun owners mistakenly cause harm. Firearm discharges resulted in 84,258 nonfatal injuries and over 30,000 deaths in 2013. Out of the 84,258 nonfatal injuries, 16,864 cases were unintentional, meaning 20 percent were accidents. Every technological invention can accidentally cause damage through inattentive use. The remaining 80 percent of injuries are intentional. This indicates the extent to which Americans as a whole — not just those considered mentally unstable — are ill-prepared to own guns. Email Dan Moritz-Rabson at opinion@nyunews.com.
SOCIAL ISSUES
Sexism evident in party admission prices By SHARIKA DHAR Contributing Columnist
With Halloween just over a week away, NYU students can anticipate a plethora of party options to fill their weekend. Female students can also expect reduced or free admission to virtually every party next weekend. Girls getting in places for free is a widespread practice that has become the status quo for partygoers. From a solely economic standpoint, this price discrimination seems logical. If it is cheaper for women to get into parties, then more will come. If there are more women, men will be willing to pay full price in the hopes of pursuing them. This practice, which is overwhelmingly enforced by male club owners and fraternities, serves to manipulate the male-to-female ratio in a way that exploits the male’s belief that he will find a female partner. When a man pays to get into a party, he is paying, in part, for access to women he hopes to interact with. But when a woman gets into a party for free, it still
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costs her something — instead of money, she is paying with her sexual appeal. There is certainly nothing wrong with the hook-up culture that is prevalent throughout both NYU Greek life and New York’s party scene. When it is framed in the context of this price discrimination, however, an uncomfortable truth emerges: this party fee structure reduces women to a commodity and perpetuates suffocating gender roles that dictate men as pursuers and women as the pursued. Of course, women could also be interested in finding a male partner at a party, but this system is clearly intended to exploit the stereotypical male’s belief that he will succeed. This realization is nothing new, nor even especially shocking. It has been entrenched in
our culture for a long time. Like many other examples of discrimination against men and subtle objectification of women, it goes unnoticed or is disregarded. The truth of the matter is that by entering parties for free, women are enabling this sexist practice to continue. Why do women continue to do this? Forgoing the price of party admission is an obvious benefit, especially for a broke college student. Even if women did choose not to frequent establishments that discriminate based on gender, it would take an immense shift in culture and our national dialogue to eliminate the stereotypes that encourage this practice. By allowing this gender bias to continue, however, we are allowing an overtly sexist practice to remain a part of our society. Ladies of NYU, when you make the decision to enter a party without paying next weekend, please consider what this price discrimination really represents. Email Sharika Dhar at opinion@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Bronx can recover from Barnes & Noble closure
After 15 years, Barnes & Noble has decided to close its only retail location in the Bronx due to rising rent costs. After the store closes at the end of December, there will be no national, full-service bookstore in the entire borough. The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation is both offering incentives to encourage the store to remain open and searching for a large bookstore to replace it. While the loss of this neighborhood icon is a painful blow, alternative booksellers can provide the range of reading materials that customers seek and fill an important community role — albeit not in a single place. Given the increasing accessibility of books enabled by Amazon, the closing of branches of large bookstore chains hardly comes as a shock. For readers looking for a specific book, Amazon offers a solution. Considering the website’s wide selection and quick delivery speed, national booksellers are having to fight for business. Despite the benefits of Amazon, Barnes & Noble still has an advantage in that it provides a space for customers to explore. Bronx residents have rightfully argued that the Barnes & Noble was a critical component of their community, serving as a cultural center where people could gather. While providing cohesion for the community, the physical existence of a bookstore also exposes customers to books they may not have initially been interested in. Local booksellers are an excellent alternative. While most shops offer a more limited selection, they can still provide a comfortable atmosphere to peruse and congregate. Although local stores are disadvantaged in terms of space and money, support from residents can change this. The fact that one community is critical to the success of small retailers further differentiates them from large booksellers, which have no real obligation to provide resources to underserved neighborhoods. For exampling, when struggling to maintain profits and keep up with rent, the owners of St. Mark’s Bookshop — recognizing their importance to the community — chose to relocate to a smaller space while remaining in the East Village. Barnes & Noble is facing fierce competition from other national and international sellers, and its only obligations are to its stockholders. Although for a time chain stores offered a wider selection of books for readers, the shift to online shopping has led to the closure of many local branches. The Bronx has made substantial economic advances in recent years, and the loss of an important national bookseller does not signify a greater decline. In light of this unfortunate loss, Bronx readers should turn to local shops when they can for literature and community space and keep in mind that their support can help strengthen community.
Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. EDITORIAL BOARD: Christina Coleburn (Chair), Omar Etman (Co-chair), Adam Fazlibegu (Co-chair), Tess Woosley (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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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM
SPORTS
EDITED BY CHRIS MARCOTRIGIANO SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Violets put pressure on St. Joseph’s By KYLE LUTHER Staff Writer
The women’s soccer team defeated St. Joseph’s College 1-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Patchogue, New York, improving its record to 10-4. With this win, the Violets were able to get back on track after losing their last game against Carnegie Mellon University. The game remained scoreless after the first half, but not because of a lack of scoring opportunities for the Violets. They took 14 shots, compared to only one shot from the Eagles, but could not break through. The Violets maintained a majority of possession and had scoring opportunities from freshman forward Teressa Fazio and junior midfielder Lexi Clarke in the first few minutes of the game. The Violets were finally able to break through in the 69th minute, scoring the first and only goal of the game off the boot of junior forward Melissa Menta. That one goal would prove enough to win, as the Eagles were never allowed another shot on goal in the second half. “The conditions were not ideal, so that made it more difficult to get a result, but Menta did a great job staying com-
VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM
Melissa Menta scored her fifth goal of the season against SJC on Oct. 21. posed,” senior forward Cami Crawford said. The game was the seventh shutout of the season for sophomore goalkeeper Cassie Steinberg. The Violets’ defense only allowed one shot in the entire game, which allowed the offense to keep pushing forward and led to the Violets taking 21 total shots. The Violets ended the contest with 13 shots on goal while the Eagles did not have one. The offensive pressure and possession gave the Violets the edge, and although it was a one score game, the Violets’ defense was dominant. “We have a really solid back line
with a lot of discipline,” Crawford said. “They did a great job keeping the ball on the offensive side of the field.” The Eagles, 5-10-2, have struggled for most of the season. The Eagles’ goalkeeper Katie McGarrell was able to record 12 saves, but her effort was in vain as St. Joseph’s offense never picked up against the staunch Violet defense. The Violets recorded their 10th win and have improved compared to last year’s campaign, but they are not becoming complacent in their effort. “There’s always room for improvement, and it’s difficult to feel satisfied,” Crawford said. “We’re pushing each other to be better every day, and we expect to continue to improve until the end of the season. We’re really excited for every game.” The Violets will be back in action this Saturday, Oct. 25, for the annual Alumnae Game at Gaelic Park. They resume conference play on Oct. 31 against University of Chicago in Illinois and then travel to Missouri to play against Washington University in St. Louis on Nov. 2. Email Kyle Luther at sports@nyunews.com.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BEARZI
The Lady Violets recognize seniors before their game against SIT.
Volleyball loses fourth straight game By BOBBY WAGNER Staff Writer
The NYU women’s volleyball team dropped its fourth straight match Tuesday night, losing in a hard fought contest to crossriver foe Stevens Institute of Technology. The loss drops the Violets’ record to 17-12, while Stevens moves to 24-4 on the year. The Violets came out hot in the first set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in only a minute. They were riding on the momentum from a senior night ceremony that unofficially bid farewell to four players — captain Allie Williams, Sonya Bray, Katie Robinson and Vera Shulgina. After their quick start, however, the Violets hit a wall and were a little flat for the remainder of the set, letting Stevens handle the tempo and cruise to a win. The Violets hung tight until the middle of the set, when a few mental mistakes condemned their chances at grabbing the early lead in the match. The Violets suffered a bit of a slump at the beginning of the second set. Falling behind early at 8-3 proved to be their biggest problem for the majority of the night, as they often found themselves having to claw back into sets. Thanks to some good team play, as well as a positioned timeout call by coach Jolie Ward and a critical ace from sophomore libero MaTia Hughes, the Violets were able to swing the momentum back in their favor in the middle of the set. A string of NYU kills, including those from junior middle blocker Nicole Frias on the 23rd and 24th point, allowed the Violets to ride that momentum to a 25-21 set victory. The third and fourth sets were again indicative of the back and forth nature of volleyball. The Violets looked emotionally burnt out after their sevenpoint comeback in the second set, however. Good attacking
play from Frias, Williams and sophomore outside hitter Gigi Morally kept it close, but the Violets could not corral several serves from Stevens freshman outside hitter Brianna Evans. They let the third set slip, after falling behind 21-14 and needing a timeout to regroup. NYU went on to lose the set by a count of 25-17. The fourth set was a back and forth battle between the two sides. The set started out 4-3 in favor of Stevens, only to see them reel off three straight and extend their lead. A Frias kill and Hughes ace made the score 15-11 before Bray put her mark on the set, putting away a kill to force an SIT timeout. Bray then had two straight blocks to push the lead all the way out to 18-11. There were a few disjointed plays after that, and Ward felt it necessary to take a timeout. Her strategy worked, as the Violets went on to take the set 25-17. The Violets started spirited in the fifth and final set by winning two straight points, but Stevens took over after that. It seemed as though NYU’s streakiness had finally taken its toll. The team petered out in the fifth set with a couple unforced errors, losing by a score of 15-9. An important takeaway from the night was the play of the seniors, who combined for 15 kills. “It’s a weird feeling,” Frias said. “It was the last volleyball game played at Coles. And it was on senior night, which is already emotional.” NYU has yet to announce a specific closing date for Coles Sports Center as a part of the 2031 expansion plan. The Violets will look to finish the season on a stronger note when they travel to Galloway, New Jersey, on Oct 25 for a backto-back against Richard Stockton College and Baruch College. Email Bobby Wagner at sports@nyunews.com.