5 CULTURE
7 ARTS
9 OPINION
Spring Admission Program Expands After Successful First Year
Mystery Concert Headliners Revealed
More Welcome, Less Weak
VOLUME LI | ISSUE 2
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
TONY WU | WSN
Free Med School Ignites Supporters, Skeptics Langone hopes the move will drive doctors to less lucrative positions, but critics question effectiveness. By ALEX DOMB and KRISTINA HAYHURST News Editors
It seemed an utterly uncharacteristic move from one of the most expensive universities in the United States, but NYU’s School of Medicine, the third-ranked medical school in the nation, recently made a surprise announcement that sent shockwaves throughout the world of higher education. Effective immediately,
no current or future students will need to pay tuition fees to attend the prestigious postgraduate program. “This decision recognizes a moral imperative that must be addressed, as institutions place an increasing debt burden on young people who aspire to become physicians,” Dean and CEO of NYU Medical School Robert Grossman said in a press release. Although tuition will be covered for all students, attending NYU Medical School
will not be free for all. Non-commuter students will still need to pay for costs of living, which, for those who choose to live in campus housing, average at $27,000 annually. But the elimination of tuition fees, which total at approximately $55,000, significantly changes the financial landscape of current students and potential applicants for years to come. Many journalists expect the move will lead to a surge in applications at Langone, a program that already touts a hyper-exclusive acceptance
rate of just six percent. The announcement, which elicited a raucous ovation from the incoming firstyear class, was the result of 11 years of intensive fundraising. Pitching the concept of free tuition to wealthy donors over the course of several years, NYU Langone raised $450 million of its intended $600 million dollars to fund the initiative. $100 million was contributed by Home Depot co-founder and Vice CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
A Guide to New York’s Midterm Elections By SARAH JACKSON News Editor If you’re registered to vote in New York, brace yourself for midterm election primaries, which will be in full swing in fewer than 10 days. The candidates in this year’s elections include everyone from a former NYU professor to New York’s first openly gay member of Congress, and the issues they champion — or oppose — range from free college to MTA changes. Ahead of the Sept. 13 primaries and Nov. 6 general elections, here’s a look at the politicians vying for your vote in federal and state elections.
Governor In the Democratic primary, incumbent Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will run for a third term, facing off against activist and “Sex and the City” actress Cynthia Nixon, a proponent of education reform and universal rent control. Across the aisle is Republican nominee and Dutchess County executive Marc Molinaro, who has spoken about combating the opioid epidemic and reforming mass transit. Running as an independent under the banner of a new political party, the Serve America Movement, is former Syracuse mayor and former NYU Wagner visiting Professor
Stephanie Miner, who is running largely on an anti-corruption platform. Other gubernatorial candidates include former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra, who is also running as an independent, as well as Green Party co-founder Howie Hawkins and Libertarian businessman Larry Sharpe. Cuomo remains the one to beat in the Democratic primary, leading his closest competitor, Nixon, by an average of 33.5 points, based on polls conducted in July by the Siena College Research Institute and the Quinnipiac U niversity Poll. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
TONY WU | WSN
Candidates in the Democratic primary include Andrew Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon.
Washington Square News
2
NEWS
NEWS@NYUNEWS.COM
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Edited by ALEX DOMB, KRISTINA HAYHURST and SARAH JACKSON
Unlikely Friends: NYU and Facebook Tackle MRI Research By KRISTINA HAYHURST News Editor An unlikely pairing between NYU Medicine’s Department of Radiology and the social media giant Facebook has led to a revolutionary research initiative to improve MRIs. Combining artificial intelligence and radio-imaging, teams from both organizations aim to speed up one of the world’s most essential medical scans. MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, is a technique that utilizes strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the human body. The technology is employed for many diagnoses, from scanning for pelvic cancer to looking for a small tear in a tendon. Additionally, it is the least invasive and painful imaging procedure, mitigating the harmful radiation from X-rays while providing fast answers for doctors. The collaboration between NYU and Facebook started a few months ago, two years after NYU f irst delved into the problem. Combining artif icial intelligence expertise from Facebook’s AI Research, known as FAIR, and three million anonymous magnetic resonance images of the knee,
brain and liver provided by NYU, the pair is working to make the machine faster and more accessible to patients across the globe. Daniel Sodickson, vice chair for research in radiology at NYU School of Medicine, said that the biggest obstacle to widespread MRI use was how long each individual scan can take. “Most MRIs can be an hour long, and for some it can be a very challenging proposition,” Sodickson said in an interview with WSN. “If you can get a 10 times faster MRI, you can get the 60 minutes down to five. This is great for the patient experience, but it’s also great to increase accessibility for the MRI in areas where there are limited scanners — in the developing world and even in the states.” The other issue with MRI, explained NYU Department of Radiology Chairman Michael Recht, is that the slow speed causes doctors to rely on X-rays that can provide immediate results, along with harmful radiation. “If some people injure themselves in sports, the first thing they do is get an X-ray. In most cases, the X-ray doesn’t show anything, but we do it because it’s fast and it’s much less ex-
pensive than the MRI,” Recht told WSN. “If we were able to get [MRI results] faster, we wouldn’t have to radiate people and we could get concrete answers faster.” The two groups combined to perfect deep learning, an AI process that mirrors the way humans learn new information. This process allows AI to become familiar with the tissue and cellular makeup of the human body so that it can complete the partial MRI scans using previously stored knowledge. This will allow the MRI technology to work faster as it has to collect much less data thanks to the use of these partial pictures. “AI will learn all of the common, underlying features [in the MRI images] and the doctors will focus data acquisitions on the stuff that’s new and particular to an individual patient,” Recht said. “We’re going to be working very carefully so we can get the patient-specif ic things accurately quoted, and we’re working on different methods to make sure we don’t lose the true patient information.” While the partial MRIs are instrumental in speeding up the imaging process, they also pose one of the big-
The exterior of the NYU Langone Health Center located on 1st Ave.
gest potential problems with the new technology. If the deep learning network creates a partial image in place of a tumor, doctors could miss the problem altogether. Yvonne Lui, the associate chair for artificial intelligence in the Department of Radiology, said she is looking forward to overcoming these obstacles. “A few missing or incorrectly mod-
ALANA BEYER | WSN
eled pixels could mean the difference between an all-clear scan and one in which radiologists find a torn ligament or potential tumor,” Lui said. “Conversely, capturing previously inaccessible information in an image can quite literally save lives.” Email Kristina Hayhurst at khayhurst@nyunews.com.
Free Med School Ignites Supporters, Skeptics FROM PAGE 1
Chair of the NYU Board of Trustees Ken Langone, the namesake of the Medical School. How and why did it happen? The initiative is intended to address two core problems in the U.S. healthcare system. The U.S. will face a shortage of physicians soon — 87 hospitals in rural areas have closed in recent years and the American Association of Medical Colleges projects a shortage of over 100,000 doctors by 2030. NYU Langone hopes its elimination of tuition will encourage more students to apply to medical school and, in the long term, bring talented doctors in greater numbers to less popular fields within the discipline, according to the press release. The initiative is also intended to alleviate Langone graduates’ debt. Medical students nationwide take on an average of $190,000 in debt and the high cost of living in New York makes it more difficult for NYU medical students to scrape by. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a 2015 graduate of NYU Langone, and her fiance, who graduated from the same program in 2013, accumulated over half a million dollars in debt to finance their degrees. “Everyone that goes to a school like NYU has to be frugal in their spending, but for us it’s very real in terms of the choices we make and the types of apartments we live in and how we budget on a day-to-day basis, and also in terms of life decisions,” Bracho-Sanchez, currently a consultant at ABC News’ Medical Unit, told WSN. “We would love to buy a home, but our priority right now is to pay our debt.” What can free tuition accomplish? According to an article recently published by fourth-year NYU medical student Eli Cahan, a policy of free tuition will have four major positive effects: increasing racial diversity in medicine, reducing physician burnout, increasing the number of medical school applicants and increasing the number
of medical school graduates who decide to pursue careers in primary care in particular. Because primary care physicians generally earn lower salaries than specialized physicians, medical school graduates saddled by heavy debt burdens are often inclined to pursue careers in more lucrative fields. However, because of the increasing number of seniors in the United States and the prevalence of chronic diseases, there is the potential that primary care physicians will be in even greater demand in coming years; without a heavy debt burden to overcome, medical school graduates passionate about primary care are more likely to pursue careers in those fields. However, NYU emphasizes that free tuition is not intended to steer graduates into one medical field over another. “People have said this is all about creating more primary care doctors. That’s a bit misleading,” Associate Dean for Admission and Financial Aid at NYU Langone Rafael Rivera said in an email to WSN. “We do not want to limit people’s options as to what specialty they choose because our goal is to provide the most talented and caring physician workforce we feel society needs — and that need spans both primary and non-primary care doctors alike.” Where can free tuition fall short, and how could it have been better designed? The policy has been criticized as being tailored to the elite. According to the New York Times, one-third of medschool applicants come from families who do not apply for financial aid, begging the question of whether all students should be receiving a free ride. “This dramatic gesture is, at best, a well-intentioned waste — an expensive, unnecessary subsidy for elite medical grads who already stand to make a killing one day as anesthesiologists and orthopedic surgeons,” Slate’s Jordan Weissman argued in an article. “It’s a donation from today’s rich to tomorrow’s rich, all at taxpayers’ expense.”
TONY WU | WSN
NYU School of Medicine will offer all students enrolled in its M.D. degree program full-tuition scholarships.
The move to free tuition also may not change the medical field as anticipated; because specialized doctors can earn up to $3 million more than primary care physicians in their lifetime, there is no incentive to work in underserved specialties. The low-cost initiative at NYU was designed to encourage students to take on diverse medical practices; however, there is no evidence that there will be any correlation between the two. In fact, a 2016 Brown University study found that the debt burden had no effect on students choosing primary versus specialized care. Those criticizing NYU Langone say the policy could improve by pursuing other avenues, such as looking to the federal government’s National Health Services Corps., a program that offers scholarships to M.D. candidates who agree to practice primary care in underserved communities. This can spread doctors across specialties, rather than concentrat-
ing them in areas that will earn them the most money. Additionally, critics say the initiative could be improved by offering more financial discounts for students applying for graduate schools, such as paying for travel expenses for interviews, waiving application fees and increasing research opportunities for high school students. As it stands now, the process of applying to graduate schools can cost upwards of $10,000. How will free tuition impact NYU and other universities? Free tuition will inevitably increase the number of applicants to NYU’s medical program, lowering the acceptance rate and raising the quality of talented students the university will foster over the years. As many M.D. graduates join a residency program in the same hospitals affiliated with their medical school, NYU will benefit by growing its
own alumni network. “I think it was very headline grabbing but I hope and believe it’s not purely a PR stunt,” Cahan said. “I don’t think what NYU has done is the perfect version of this sort of initiative, but I think it sets an example that we can follow and build off of.” Bracho-Sanchez, while disappointed that she missed out on free tuition by a few years, applauds NYU’s decision and hopes that other universities follow suit. “When you’re working a 30-hour shift at the ICU, while simultaneously having hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, it just doesn’t make sense,” Bracho-Sanchez said. “Given the work we put in, our commitment and personal sacrifices, I really don’t see why we have to pay the astronomical amounts that we have to pay for medical education.” Email Alex Domb and Kristina Hayhurst at news@nyunews.com.
Washington Square News | News
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Langone Hires New CFO By DEETS SHARMA Contributing Writer At the beginning of what was already a productive and potentially turbulent month, NYU Langone Health appointed a new Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Daniel J. Widawsky. Widawsky’s hiring came just weeks before Langone announced that it would go tuition-free for students enrolled in its medical school. Many expected that Widawsky, as the man in charge of the money, would have been involved in such a big decision. However, when asked about the role he played in the decision making process, he said that the motion to go tuition-free had been part of a long-term effort. “NYU School of Medicine’s decision to offer these scholarships, which underwrite tuition costs for all students enrolled in their M.D. degree program, has been in the works for the past 11 years,” Widawsky said. “While virtually all of the planning took place before my time here, I think it was essential to make this happen for our students and ultimately the benefit of our patients.” When asked about what drew him to work-
WWW.CITYOFCHICAGO.ORG
Daniel J. Widawsky, Langone’s new CFO.
ing at NYU, Widawsky cited the extraordinary growth experienced this summer at the school — which includes the opening of the brand new Kimmel Pavilion and Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. Widawsky also noted an overall interest in working in health. “I think this is a fascinating time to be in the healthcare sector,” Widawsky said. “I’m excited to be part of this leadership team as they continue to look for new opportunities to transform medical education, patient care and research.” Widawsky’s career has spanned all reaches of the financial spectrum, including investment management, city government planning and tax law. He holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a Juris Doctorate from the Yale School of Law. He has served as the global tax director for General Electric’s Consumer Finance division, as head of Tax at NBC and as managing director at Citadel, one of the world’s leading alternative investment management firms. Additionally, he was appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel as the Comptroller for the City of Chicago, a prestigious position tasked with overseeing the Department of Finance, where he led a team of 650 people. Most recently, Widawsky served as Director of EFO Capital Management, an investment management and consulting firm. According to Widawsky, his new position at NYU Langone is alike in some ways, but he still has much to learn. “In many ways it’s similar because the same financial principles still apply,” Widawsky said. “That said, it’s my first time working in an academic medical setting. Any time you enter a new sector, there is a learning curve as you get to know the nuances of the industry, and I was excited for the opportunity to take on this new challenge.” Email Deets Sharma at news@nyunews.com.
A Guide to New York’s Midterm Elections FROM PAGE 1
Lieutenant Governor Cuomo’s running mate, incumbent Kathy Hochul, who has served as the state’s second-in-command since 2015 and was a vocal advocate for the bump to a $15 minimum wage. Hochul will square off against Nixon’s right hand man, Jumaane Williams, a Council member for New York City’s 45th District who is focused on preventing gun violence and fighting for union rights, in the Democratic primary. Molinaro’s running mate, Julie Killian, a former deputy mayor of the city of Rye, New York, backs infrastructure investments and substance abuse intervention. Miner, a registered Democrat, picked Republican Mayor Michael Volpe as her running mate. The Siena poll also showed Hochul with a slim lead of nine points over Williams among the Democratic primary voters surveyed.
US Senate
Incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand will run for re-election to the position of the state’s junior senator, challenged by Republican businesswoman Chele Farley, who served as the New York State Republican Party’s New York City finance chair. The Libertarian Party nominated for the position Aaron Commey, who is branding himself as a necessary blue collar candidate. On average, Gillibrand has a 30-point advantage over Farley, based on Siena and Quinnipiac polls conducted in June and July.
Attorney General
The race to fill the position formerly held by Eric Schneiderman, who resigned in May amid allegations of physical and sexual abuse, is a crowded one. The Democratic candidates include Sean Patrick Maloney, who represents New York’s
18th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives and is the state’s first openly gay Congress member. Also in the running is Public Advocate for the City of New York Letitia “Tish” James, who has been endorsed by state Democrats and supports rent regulation laws and criminal justice reform. The two will face additional competition from Zephyr Teachout, a professor at Fordham University School of Law who wants to tackle student debt by reducing or eliminating public college tuition for families that earn less than $125,000 a year. Leecia Eve, a former aide to Hillary Clinton and Andrew Cuomo, has also launched a campaign for attorney general, with the hopes of reforming voting laws if elected. The Republican candidate, attorney Keith Wofford, hopes to tackle education and business law reform. Other candidates include the Reform Party’s Nancy Sliwa and Libertarian Christopher Garvey. James is the one to beat, with the support of 26 percent of respondents in the Quinnipiac University Poll, followed by Maloney at 15 percent, Teachout at 12 percent and Eve at three percent.
Comptroller
The key figures in the running to become New York’s chief financial officer are investment banker Jonathan Trichter, a registered Democrat running under the Republican bill, and incumbent Thomas DiNapoli, who has held the position since 2007. Among the other candidates is Green Party nominee and single-payer health care proponent Mark Dunlea. Polling data was not available for the comptroller race. Email Sarah Jackson at sjackson@nyunews.com.
3 CRIME LOG
Dorm Liquor Violations Spike During Welcome Week By CRIME BOT Robot Reporter From Aug. 17 to Aug. 30, the NYU Department of Public Safety received two reports of alcohol violation, one report of burglary, one report of controlled substance, one report of criminal mischief, one report of fire, four reports of harassment, nine reports of larceny and 15 reports of liquor law violation.
Alcohol Violation On Aug. 17 at 11:15 p.m., a resident assistant reported confiscating of alcohol from Lafayette Residence Hall. The case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 23 at 3:30 p.m., an RA reported underage drinking in Third North Residence Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.
Burglary On Aug. 22 at 8:30 a.m., an NYU staff member reported items missing from his office in the Kimmel Center for University Life. A police report was filed, and the case is open and under investigation.
Controlled Substance On Aug. 27 at 4:02 p.m., Public Safety responded to an alleged controlled substance violation and recovered a small amount of marijuana in Othmer Residence Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case is open and under investigation.
Criminal Mischief On Aug. 25 at 9:17 p.m., an RA reported witnessing vandalism on a door in Othmer Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards.
Fire On Aug. 29 at 6:47 p.m., a small grease fire in a pan was extinguished in Rubin Residence Hall. No damages or injuries were reported. The case is open and under investigation.
Harassment On Aug. 23 at 2:15 p.m., an NYU student reported that he was a victim of electronic harassment in the Silver Center for Arts and Science. The case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 23 at 10:38 p.m., two RAs reported that they were victims of harassment in Lafayette Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 30 at 5:15 a.m., a Washington Square Village resident reported that his roommate threatened him. A police report was filed, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 30 at 7:45 p.m., an NYU student reported that an unidentified man harassed her in Washington Square Park. Police notification was declined, and the
case is open and under investigation.
Larceny On Aug. 18 at 12:07 p.m., an NYU student reported his bike missing from a bike rack outside of 383 Lafayette. The case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 20 at 4:12 p.m., an NYU faculty member reported his headphones missing from his desk in the Basic Science Building. Police notification was declined, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 21 at 12:30 p.m., an NYU staff member reported his earphones missing from a lounge in the Dental Center. Police notification was declined, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 23 at 7:41 p.m., an NYU student reported his bike missing from outside Vanderbilt Hall. A police report was filed, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 26, an NYU student reported her wallet missing in Washington Square Park. A police report will be filed, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 27, an NYU student reported several items, including a wallet and phone, missing from her person in Washington Square Park. A police report was filed, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 28 at 12 a.m., a Starbucks staff member reported that an unidentified person took two milk cartons and left without paying for them in Starbucks on the Square. A police report was filed, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 30 at 10:40 a.m., an NYU student reported that her clothes were missing from a laundry room in Gramercy Green Residence Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 30 at 4:55 p.m., an NYU Dental patient reported her sunglasses missing in the Dental Center. Police notification was declined, and the case is open and under investigation.
Liquor Law Violation On Aug. 22 at 10:30 a.m., an RA reported underage drinking in Lipton Residence Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 25 at 9:42 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage drinking in Broome Street Residence Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 25 at 11:40 p.m., an RA reported underage drinking in Broome Street Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 26 at 9:28 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage
alcohol possession in Weinstein Residence Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case is open and under investigation. On Aug. 26 at 9:37 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage drinking in Third North Residence Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 26 at 10:15 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage drinking in Third North. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 26 at 10:45 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage drinking in Third North. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 28 at 12:05 a.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession in University Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 28 at 12:36 a.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession in Broome Street Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 28 at 10:24 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession in Third North. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 28 at 10:50 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession in Third North. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 28 at 11:48 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession in Broome Street Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 29 at 11:35 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession in Founders Residence Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 30 at 12:45 a.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession in Founders Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. On Aug. 30 at 9:07 p.m., an RA reported witnessing underage alcohol possession in Broome Street Hall. Police notification was declined, and the case was closed and referred to the Office of Community Standards. Email Crime Bot at news@nyunews.com.
Washington Square News | Culture
4
CULTURE
CULTURE@NYUNEWS.COM
SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2018
Edited by NATALIE CHINN
Menswear Podcasts Worth Listening To By MATIAS MOLLIN Contributing Writer Whether you’re shopping alone, or telling the hostess it’s table for one, podcasts are a great way to keep yourself entertained while multitasking. Although fashion is mainly a visual medium, podcasts have even captured the attention of large retailers and major fashion houses as they have launched their own. If you’re also intrigued by this latest trend and hoping to up your fashion game here are some of the best menswear podcasts you should sample. 1. Blamo!
ALANA BEYER | WSN
A man wears headphones in Kips Bay.
Jeramy Kirkland’s “Blamo!,” was the first menswear podcast to gain traction. This podcast is perfect for those who want to unearth the success story of their favorite stylist, designer or
fashion writer. Notable guests such as Stephen Mann, a men’s stylist with a cult following, retailer Chris Gibbs from Union Los Angeles and internet curator Chris Black, have been featured. Stories like these offer a perfect window into a variety of industry careers.
ing guests — mainly by interrupting them and talking about themselves. During the two hour-long show they discuss life in New York City, dating and occasionally fashion — deeming themselves “The Only Podcast That Matters.”
2. Failing Upwards
GQ’s own “Corporate Lunch” is a podcast for the fashion nerds of the industry. Launched in tandem with the seasonal GQ Style magazine, the podcast dives deep into fashion with a capital F. Hosted by Will Welch and Noah Johnson, the podcast explores the minute details of great garments, runway shows and styles that have been featured in their magazine. The hosts entertain lengthy discussions on air drying and machine drying T-shirts, and entire episodes have been devoted to pants. This podcast
Hosts Lawrence Schlossman and James Harris were writers at Four Pins, a blog from Complex Magazine that took a nonchalant and amusing approach to fashion. While entertaining a substantial fan base with Four Pins, the duo developed a YouTube series, Fashion Bros, though evidently ahead of its time, the series was only successful when transformed into a podcast. The podcast embraces a new format but maintains the same comedic approach to interview-
3. Corporate Lunch
is best for those who can talk about a t-shirt’s armhole for days.
4. THE MEMORY OF… With John Galliano Maison Margiela was the first major house to launch its own podcast. Legendary designer turned creative director John Galliano describes the inspiration and technical detail behind each piece of his most recent mens and womens Autumn Winter 2018 Artisanal Collections. With his experienced voice — having been at the helm of Givenchy and Christian Dior before Maison Margiela — Galliano invites listeners into not only one of the most important fashion houses of today, but into one of the most important minds designing today’s culture. Email Matias Mollin at bstyle@nyunews.com.
Why I Can’t Stop Studying Abroad By HANNAH BENSON Contributing Writer
A side street in Paris.
ANNA LETSON | WSN
NYU students typically expect to start their first year under the arch in Washington Square Park, but I began mine in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe. My first year in Paris was filled with amazing trips and new, everlasting friendships, but what stuck with me the most was the Parisian lifestyle. My concept of Sunday was changed forever. No longer did I wake up and try to be as productive as possible. Instead, I learned to sleep in, sip my coffee and stroll through nearby parks. I took in all the relaxation that Sundays had to offer. Being my first home away from home, Paris’s habits and attitudes altered my conception of adult life. It was not until I arrived in New York City sophomore year that I realized I had left Paris. On my first Sunday in New York, my roommates were all up and out the door before 10 a.m. I awoke an hour later to find myself alone. I spent the morning making coffee and basking in the light coming through the large common room windows.
Leaving my building, I walked to Washington Square Park for my Sunday stroll. New Yorkers were rushing through as if it were a weekday, none of them stopping to take in the beauty of that strong standing arch. I was in New York, and I had lost my Parisian Sundays. I have recently returned to Paris to spend my junior year abroad. I am excited to reclaim my lifestyle there, yet I know it will not be the same as before. Does “you can’t step in the same river twice” also apply to cities? Afterall — like rivers — cities are living, breathing entities. The streets may seem static, but the pedestrians pounding on the pavement change with the seasons. I am trying to avoid the trap of nostalgia. Many of the people I met the first year who I love and care for are staying back in New York. I am living in a different neighborhood, trading the thirteenth arrondissement for the tenth. I’m trading the RER B for the metro line four. I am living with a host family, no longer surrounded by my classmates throughout the day. After learning my new route to NYU
ANNA LETSON | WSN
The Seine River in Paris.
Paris’s academic center, I took my seat at orientation. I met other juniors from NYU and students from other universities. Some familiar faces mixed with unknown ones. Returning to Paris brings me back to my first year, so accepting my place as a junior abroad felt strange. One of the student life leaders asked all of the first-years to raise their hands. My hand moved a bit from my side before I realized I
was no longer a part of that group. Around 60 people raised their hands, some proudly, some tentatively. They looked older than I thought they would, or at least more mature than I was back then. I wanted to tell them everything they needed to know, but the joy is in the discovery. Email Hannah Benson at culture@nyunews.com.
Light Up the Bat Signal, Gotham Pizza Has Fallen By JEMIMA MCEVOY Editor-in-Chief Lights off and tables gone, the once bustling Gotham Pizza storefront on Third Avenue has now gone dark. As of this week, the pizza parlor — a staple for Third North residents seeking a quick bite of hot pizza — has gone out of business. “They closed down,” an employee from the chain’s 19th Street location confirmed. “I don’t really know what happened. There’s not too much business over there.” But don’t worry, he said, there’s always the 19th Street location, which is only 1.4 miles away. Gotham’s sudden exit stands as a great loss to the many students who considered the $2.75 cheese slices and generous no-credit-card minimum as a convenient staple in their busy, expensive lives. “It was good for Third North [firstyears],” said Nicki Nanwani, a CAS Junior, “very NYU.”
JEMIMA MCEVOY | WSN
Gotham Pizza on East 12th Street and Third Avenue has gone out of business.
And it wasn’t just accessible to Third Northers. Residents of the nearby Founders Residence Hall, like Stern junior Michael Ding, also cherished the convenience of Gotham’s pies. “I went there all the time freshman year. It was right across from Founders where I dormed and it was really good.” As a result, he’s sad to hear of its closing: “It’s one of my top three places to grab pizza.” But while some mourn the eatery’s death, others are celebrating its neighbor — and long-time rival— Joe’s Pizza. Joe’s is long known as a New York City icon and was even featured in a Spiderman Movie, leading many to laud its slices as superior to Gotham’s, despite a slightly higher price tag. “I don’t see it as a tragedy,” said SPS junior Sy Elyakim. “Joe’s is two blocks over and it’s open late.” CAS junior Thomas Price, who tried to stomach Gotham three times before giving into his preference for Joe’s, was
ecstatic at the pizzeria’s closing. “I am overjoyed,” he said. “The city has rid itself of a great evil and finally, we can feel safe walking the streets knowing that the worst pizza place in New York has closed its doors for good.” Though Price’s opinion may be slightly extreme (he said if given the choice between eating Gotham Pizza and starving, he would rather go hungry), Gotham has long divided impassioned members of the NYU community. Now that it’s gone, students will be forced to explore substitutes — of which there are, fortunately, many. “There are a lot of good alternatives pretty close by,” said CAS senior David Behrens, who went to Gotham a few times a month. “I’m not really upset.” Note: Thomas Price is a former Opinion Editor for WSN. Email Jemima McEvoy at jmcevoy@ nyunews.com.
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Where to Dine on Your Parents’ Dime By NATALIE CHINN, Culture Editor When your parents are in town, finding a place to eat out becomes a game of scoping restaurants that will impress them with your sophistication and maturity. The task, usually approached with great enthusiasm (you’re getting a free meal after all), is often made daunting by the sheer number of options for food in New York City. That’s why we’ve done the research for you — here are five delicious spots, at varying price points, that you and your parents will enjoy.
Tsurutontan Udon Noodle Brasserie $$ 21 E. 16th St.
TONY WU | WSN
If your parents are craving Asian food, take them to Tsurutontan, located around the corner from Carlyle Court. This Japanese chain — also found in Midtown and Hawaii — is famous for their giant bowls of udon, which can be ordered cold or hot. Popular dishes include the cold Mentaiko Caviar Udon and the Wagyu and Mushroom Sukiyaki. Tsurutontan is on the fancier side for a noodle house, with a trendy, sleek interior and waiters dressed in black. There is often a long wait during dinnertime, but you can avoid the line by going for a late lunch.
Union Square Cafe $$$$ 101 E. 19th St. If your parents are looking to splurge, try Union Square Cafe. This modern-chic restaurant elevates classic dishes like pasta, grilled pork chops and burgers. Guests recommend the gnocchi and the tuna burger. If you choose the ricotta gnocchi, $2 of the price will go toward City Harvest’s campaign to end hunger in New York City — it’s not every day you see a fundraiser on a menu. Parents will love this trendy cafe and you’ll love your parents for footing the bill. Although just spending time with your parents is fun in itself, it’s always fun to try something new with the people you love. ALANA BEYER | WSN
Giano $$ 123 E. Seventh St. This cozy Italian restaurant isn’t just parent-friendly, it’s also conveniently located right next to Tompkins Square Park. While Giano offers a typical Italian menu — caprese, pasta, tiramisu — its attention to flavor combinations and guests’ overall dining experiences will definitely impress your parents. Giano’s service is quick and inviting, and the wait to get in is usually short. Popular dishes include the Spaghetti Alla Gricia Con Tartufo with its tangy wine sauce and the Tagliatelle Tirolesi, a pasta dish made with mushrooms and cream. As always, don’t forget to save room for dessert because Giano’s tiramisu is arguably one of the best in New York City.
Samwon Garden $$$ 37 W. 32nd St. Grill your own meat at one of South Korea’s most famous Korean barbecue restaurants. Located in Koreatown, Samwon Garden is known for its delicious meats and banchan (small dishes). Try the house-marinated fried chicken for an appetizer and Galbi ribs for the barbecue — you won’t be disappointed by the rich flavors. Plus, the attentive staff makes sure the meat is cooked to perfection. These smaller details distinguish Samwon from the many Korean barbecue restaurants peppering the city.
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Spring Admission Program Expands By KAITLYN WANG Editor-at-Large As NYU welcomed the class of 2022 this past week, first-year students could be spotted on every block of Greenwich Village donning purple lanyards and bonding, semi-awkwardly, with new friends. But not all first-year students will begin their undergraduate experiences just yet. For the class of 2022 spring admits, the fall semester will be spent on other endeavors: from internships and jobs to taking classes at local colleges. These students will begin their studies at NYU in January 2019, and their first full academic year will end in August after a rigorous summer course load, setting them on track to complete their degrees on time. NYU’s spring admission program debuted last year with 83 Liberal Studies students forming the inaugural class. According to Associate Dean and Director of Admissions Jonathan Williams, 341 students were admitted for spring entry in the first year, with the university expecting 75 to matriculate. This year, the program will expand — the Tandon School of Engineering, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and LS will all have spring admits in January 2019. In the past few years, NYU has seen an increase in applicants, with more than 75,000 hoping to join the class of 2022. That’s up 12 percent from the class of 2021, which saw around 67,000 NYU hopefuls. The university has an 11-year streak of record-breaking application numbers. And according to Williams, with the rise in applications came a shift in the strength of applicants. “The introduction of spring admission allows us to select more of these outstanding students to be part of the NYU community,” Williams said. There is no separate application for the spring admission program. Williams noted that any student who applies to NYU could be considered. Students accepted for spring entry can defer admission to the next spring semester but not to the following fall. When LS sophomore Lin Ye first applied to NYU, she was placed on the waitlist. Ye was surprised when she was eventually accepted, but there was a catch: she’d be starting as a spring admit. “When I first found out I was confused,” Ye said. “There were not a lot of us and they didn’t really give us much information — a few emails here and there over the gap semester.” LS sophomore Lauren Roche also received notice that she was admitted for the spring semester after being placed on the waitlist. She was ambivalent toward the late start, but ultimately decided to accept the offer. “I was extremely happy to have gotten into my dream school, but a little let down I had to wait a whole semester before I
experienced it,” Roche said. “I vividly remember showing my friends the email the second I got it and when my friend brought it to my attention that it said January, a part of me was upset, but still grateful nonetheless.” Though the spring admits will graduate with the rest of the class of 2022, they often feel set apart because of the unique circumstances. “A lot of my spring admit friends have said they felt like the fall kids were kind of aloof when it came to the spring admits — there was some sort of superiority they ended up feeling entitled to because they started before us,” Roche said. Williams hopes to posit a solution, citing that with the addition of Tandon and Steinhardt to the program, all three schools will be coordinating orientation programming — including community service and a presidential welcome reception — before the spring semester. Another road bump was the demanding summer semester. The students took three LS Core classes — Writing II, Cultural Foundations II, and Social Foundations II — in 10 weeks. Roche added in one more to her load, a six-week Intro to Microeconomics course. “My summer semester was by far the most academically challenging endeavor I have ever faced,” Roche said, continuing, “the workload was intense seeing as the semester was drastically condensed, and adding a fourth class on top of that was a rather bold decision on my part. It ended up being manageable, but stressful.” Despite the rigor of the summer and other hardships that included a period of adjustment to the city and university, Roche and Ye both believe that the spring admission program facilitated positive experiences, from the gap semester to a tightknit community. Roche worked two jobs in her fall gap semester to save money for her move to New York. She also spent time with friends and family because she knew that when she returned home, things wouldn’t be the same. In her gap semester, Ye moved to Los Angeles to intern at a real estate brokerage firm for four months. “I absolutely loved it,” Ye said. “At first being a spring admit was extremely scary and nerve-wracking, but I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity because I was able to work an internship that I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.” The other benefit was that the small cohort of 83 found in each other, after sharing everything from courses to residences. “The transition was stressful but we all had each other — over time we became a small little family,” Ye said. Email Kaitlyn Wang at kwang@nyunews.com.
Kiin Thai Eatery $ 36 E. Eighth St. Take your parents to something cheap and close to school like Kiin Thai. This restaurant is great for groups and has efficient, friendly staff. Some of its most popular dishes are the Pad See Ew and pineapple fried rice. Don’t forget to order a Thai-style iced tea and maybe even help your parents with the bill by using your NYU ID to get a student discount.
Email Natalie Chinn at nchinn@nyunews.com.
SAM KLEIN | WSN
ALANA BEYER | WSN
Liberal Studies admitted its inaugural spring class of 83 students in 2018 and is expanding this year.
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
ARTS
ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM
Edited by RYAN MIKEL and DANIELLA NICHINSON
This Gallatin Junior Sings and Studies Love By NICOLE ROSENTHAL Music Editor Amid twinkling multi-colored lights and the endearing atmosphere that only a NoHo dive bar could offer, singer-songwriter and New York native Michael Manzi took to the stage at campus hotspot The Bitter End. He spent the Friday night sharing meditations on love and its various manifestations — a theme which also underpins his academic studies at NYU. The Gallatin junior has declared a concentration on “Love: Creating a Culture of Self Transcendence,” rejecting love as an unattainable possession and instead valuing it as a state of mind that can be applied to every type of relationship.
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began toe-tapping and head-bopping to Manzi’s whimsical, catchy hooks. Further into the set, Manzi performed “Somebody’s Body,” a slower folk ballad leading with a whisper of guitar and vocals. The tune quickly picked up into a groove-driven riff in the later verses as Manzi’s vocals waxed, this time bellowing the chorus. But perhaps his most forward rumination on the ties between love and art is “Hastings,” a fast, rock-driven tune that shone during the set. It was clear how emotionally tied Manzi was to the song itself as he pondered through carefully written depictions of love and what accompanies them. “There is a sort of overarching story
As surrealist as some of my songs are, they’re all autobiographical, so in a sense, even the ones that appear to be sad are expressions of love and gratitude and what I’m capable of feeling.” MICHAEL MANZI
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Manzi blends a variety of mediums into his studies, including physics, psychology and art, yet his music seems to most effectively portray his core beliefs. “My major involves the relationship between the feelings of love and transcendence and how the arts can play a role in that interaction,” Manzi told WSN. “I’ve found that the things I’m studying are the sort of operating principles behind the process of creating a piece of art, from the moment of having an experience to the moment I represent that experience.” At the famed hot spot for emerging local musicians, Manzi played a full acoustic set of original songs, including a song for a new musical, “The Process,” which he is in the process of writing. The reflective and chaotic “Tornado Song” started the set, single-handedly displaying the emotional range Manzi proudly incorporates in all his songs. The dynamics of his instrumentation on the guitar — and keys when he is in the studio — successfully won the crowd over, and soon the entire venue
within the universe of my songs, one that depicts a positive world view,” Manzi said. “As surrealist as some of my songs are, they’re all autobiographical, so in a sense, even the ones that appear to be sad are expressions of love and gratitude and what I’m capable of feeling.” Yet, the most enjoyable piece of the night was Manzi’s final ballad: “Copper.” The layered acoustic tune was reminiscent of early indie-rock in all its simple yet compelling glory. His first single released in October of last year, the track brings back visions of Modest Mouse and The National, complete with modest indie-rock snares and a live cellist. Earnest lyricism coupled with quaint yet powerful instrumentation driven by the emotion in Manzi’s voice, brought the show to a an anthemic crescendo. Minimalistic yet captivating, Michael Manzi illustrated his outstanding potential at The Bitter End. Email Nicole Rosenthal at nrosenthal@nyunews.com.
John McEnroe and the Sport of Cinema
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The movie opened at the Film Forum on Aug. 22.
By DANIELLA NICHINSON Arts Editor “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection” is not a documentary about the tennis extraordinaire. Instead, it is a meticulous exploration of the game of tennis through the eyes of a filmmaker. McEnroe, whose notorious short-tempered personality led him to triumph numerous times at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, was never able to raise the trophy at Roland Garros. But in 1984, he came as close as he ever would. With mastery, writer and director Julien Faraut crafts a picture that surpasses typical sports documentaries by postulating how McEnroe’s tennis, and the overall game, is an art form parallel to cinema itself. The majority of the documentary is composed of archival footage from McEnroe’s run at the 1984 French Open, shot on 16mm film by Gil de
“Cinema
Watching McEnroe becomes like watching an auteur of a film. He dictates everything, from the length of the rallies to the direction of the ball. His style and match play also lends itself to a theatrical performance; yet, unlike an actor who takes on a fabricated role, McEnroe depicts nothing but the truth. “Cinema lies, sport doesn’t.” This quote by Jean-Luc Godard opens the film and is revisited by Faraut throughout the narrative. Sport is black and white — you can only win or lose. There is no room for deception because success and failure are distinctly separated. From Faraut’s perspective as a filmmaker, the analysis of McEnroe’s game allows him to produce a documentary that portrays cinema in its purest form. All that is presented on the footage is the story unadulterated by fiction. In the history of tennis, John McEnroe is an anomaly. He is filled with a rage that would consume and devastate other players, but spurs him on to play at the zenith of his ability. The
documentary shows many instances of McEnroe combating with the chair umpires over questionable line calls. These serve not to highlight McEnroe’s short temper, but to display his drive for a perfect game. This drive, Faraut argues, is found in cinema and is the backbone to an artist utterly devoted to their craft. Tennis falls outside the usual realm of athletics; it is a solitary game, and Faraut concludes that it is most often a battle against one’s self rather than against one’s opponent. With “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection,” Faraut offers a compelling and rare thesis that McEnroe is an auteur of the court whose quest for perfection mimics the diligent process of cinema. “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection” plays at the Film Forum through Sept. 4. Email Daniella Nichinson at dnichinson@nyunews.com.
lies, sport doesn’t. JEAN-LUC GODARD
” NICOLE ROSENTHAL | WSN
Michael Manzi plays a show at campus music venue The Bitter End.
Kermadec. Before choosing to document professional players in a series of portraits, de Kermadec was a creator of instructional tennis films. In his final project Faraut reproduces de Kermadec’s fascination and seamlessly weaves these clips into artistic movements. Doing so, he demonstrates an appreciation for both the sport of tennis and for McEnroe’s own dedication to perfection. The original footage bears an intimacy that grounds the viewer only in the tennis — it is as if time stands still and the audience is forced to shift its energy to the game in front of them.
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A still from Julien Faraut’s “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection.”
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Washington Square News | Arts
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Sidelined on Screen, Glenn Close Shines as ‘The Wife’ By ALEX CULLINA Film Editor In the opening scene of Björn Runge’s new film “The Wife,” based on the novel of the same name by Meg Wolitzer, writer Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) can’t sleep. Waiting apprehensively for an important call, he nervously snacks on candy, waking his wife, Joan (Glenn Close), who chides him for eating sugar so late at night. Antsy and in need of distraction, he presses her for sex, and after some half-hearted and good-humored objection, she obliges. Not long after, they’re woken by the phone. The man on the other end of the line has some news for Joan and Joe: Joe has been selected to receive this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature. He warns Joan that her husband will be bombarded by inquiries from the press, and that she should screen his calls. “I’ll take good care of him,” she responds. Soon, they’re off to Stockholm for the awards ceremony. The bulk of the film takes place here, at the receptions and rehearsals, in an opulent hotel suite filled with gifts from Joe’s well-wishers. Joe does well at home in this milieu of ecstatic praise and adoration; you get the sense that he’s so used to being the center of attention that he doesn’t even notice it anymore. Joan is always at his side, reminding him to bring his glasses and take his pills, chastising him for eating sweets and fatty foods like he’s an overgrown child. But trouble brews. Joe’s stalker fan and eventual biographer, Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater), has
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Glenn Close as Joan Castleman in “The Wife.”
followed Joe and Joan to Stockholm, even somehow weaseling his way onto their flight. Later, Joan, without her husband’s knowledge, agrees to a drink with Nathaniel. Ostensibly there to assuage hurt feelings caused by her husband, Joan’s true
motives are inscrutable. The scene is gripping, as Nathaniel digs for information about Joe’s past and Joan subtly fends him off. Close’s performance, here and throughout the film, is virtuosic, projecting the steady
grace of a woman who has willingly spent her entire adult life in a supporting role. Joan’s expansive intelligence goes unnoticed, outshone by her husband at every step, and the stillness of Close’s face in these scenes says everything. The depth of Joe’s blindness to both his wife’s unceasing burden of caring for him and his effect on those around him is stunning, and at the same time totally believable. When his son, an aspiring writer who’s tagged along for the ceremony, storms off after Joe won’t give him feedback on a story at a press event, Joe is mystified. “He shouldn’t need my approval to write,” he tells Joan. “Everyone needs approval, Joe,” she responds. Unfortunately, the film beyond Close’s performance — and those of Pryce and Slater, who also avail themselves well — is distinctly lacking in subtlety, and the other performers — Max Irons as the son, Annie Starke and Harry Lloyd as young Joan and Joe in flashback — are noticeably weak. The running commentary on the boy’s club that is writing, and the world at large, verges on cartoonish at times, and while the truth of the matter may not be far off at all, it’s still glaring. When Joe does eventually sit down and give his son an honest appraisal on his story, he’s harsh, but fair: “It’s not bad,” he says, “it’s compelling, all the ideas are there.” If only the film had taken its own advice. Email Alex Cullina at acullina@nyunews.com.
‘Boyhood’ Director Emulates Indie Legend By DANIELLA NICHINSON Arts Editor
NATALIE BREUER | WSN
Kelela performing at the 2016 Mystery Concert.
Mystery Concert Headliners Revealed By NICOLE ROSENTHAL Music Editor The mystery behind NYU’s annual Mystery Concert has finally been unveiled. A long-standing NYU tradition, the Mystery Concert serves as a platform for first-years and the entire student body to engage in a night of exhilarating music. This year, the acts that take the stage at NoHo staple (Le) Poisson Rouge are Sheck Wes, Japanese Breakfast and Venus X. With a star studded list of alumni such as Animal Collective, Vic Mensa, SOPHIE, D.R.A.M., Broken Social Scene, Kamaiyah, How to Dress Well and Kelela, the Mystery Concert is a promising way to ring in the new semester and highlight up and coming artists. Sheck Wes, a 19-year old native New Yorker, will be headlining this year’s event, surely bringing his signature explosive energy. With hits like “Mo Bamba,” which has garnered more than 32 million listens on Spotify alone, the crowd will undoubtedly be singing and dancing along with the young entertainer. Second on the lineup is Japanese Breakfast, the solo music project of Philadelphia native Michelle Zauner. The lo-fi pop project has received critical praise from Consequence of Sound and the A.V. Club and is known for hits like “Everyone Wants to Love You” and new hits like “Boyish.” Brooklyn-based DJ and club promoter Venus X is the opening act for the Mystery Concert but while she is the first and possibly least known act on the roster, her performance is not to be missed. Incorporating a unique blend of house, trance and hip-hop elements, this upand-coming genre bender has the potential to electrify the listening experience.
Yet, while the lineup of artists may already be well-known to music fans, students without much musical background have noted their obliviousness to the musicians playing the event. Tisch sophomore Samantha Joia stated that she is still going even though she doesn’t know any of the artists. “I feel like I don’t know a lot of bands and I’m trying to expose myself to more music,” Joia said. “I also just really like going out and meeting new people.” The consensus among all students, from first-years to seniors, was that though the artists selected for the Mystery Concert are largely unknown to a music novice, the event is nonetheless a great way to meet new people and listen to new music. “I think [the Mystery Concert] makes a difference in terms of fostering a sense of community at NYU,” Steinhardt sophomore Maria Wolf said. “It’s a program that seems to have everyone interested.” Regardless of if you’re beginning your NYU journey or having it come to an end, the Mystery Concert is for all. Collegiate music lovers wrap around (Le) Poisson Rouge for what seems like hours on end in line, conversing and exchanging music reviews and recommendations. It is a Welcome Week tradition that is evolving and growing each year, thanks to new genres of acts and students.
Since he began his career in 1985 with “Explorers,” Ethan Hawke has committed himself to choosing projects he profoundly believes in, from the “Before” trilogy to “Boyhood.” Successes and failures have donned on him, as with any artist, but he stands out in his unwavering devotion to his convictions. In 2014, he directed a documentary titled “Seymour: An Introduction,” about relatively unknown pianist Seymour Bernstein, after recognizing the beauty of his music. Instead of taking typical leading-man roles in big-budget pictures, Hawke chose to be part of films like “Tape” and “Before Sunset” to work with close friend Richard Linklater and experience filmmaking filled with passion. Undoubtedly, Hawke has had the privilege that others do not to meticulously select his projects, but he consistently takes and runs with every opportunity that this privilege grants him. In a tremendous career cut short, John Cassavetes took the decades-long art form of filmmaking by the horns and steered it to suit his own creative path — pioneering the now-flourishing genre of independent cinema. Cassavetes made films to express emotion and delve into the boundless human psyche. He made art for the sole purpose of art, and now, Hawke, an unsung king of independent films, is following in Cassavetes’ footsteps and doing the same. Hawke’s new film “Blaze” — an intimate portrait of musician Blaze Foley — is a reflection of his own integral beliefs. Foley wrote songs so that they would be listened to, not sold; the creation of music for the simple purpose of creating it was his ambition, regardless of fame. As Hawke noted of “Blaze,” it is
unlike other music biopics because it never shows the titular musician’s rise to stardom. Foley never did rise to prominent celebrity, but his great achievement lies in the pursuit of unadulterated artistry. In 2018, Hawke directed and co-wrote “Blaze” and starred in “First Reformed” and “Juliet Naked,” the former of which has catapulted Hawke’s name into the Oscars pool. In Tarkovsky-like style, “First Reformed” grapples with the constant conflict between good and bad, the uncertainty of morality and the nature of God. It is a film that harks back to an era of filmmaking that used the medium as a platform to ask unanswerable questions and invite the audience to join its stream of consciousness. It is as fitting a film as any for Hawke because it rejects the mold of Hollywood and aims only to exist as itself — a form of art. Art may not end world hunger or prevent nuclear war, but a life without it is a wasted and empty one. Whether it be music, painting or film, art is a passage to a meditative mind — a mind that contemplates and struggles with emotion and is capable of reaching the limitless breadth of feeling. This sort of art is making itself known again in independent films, which free themselves from the pressure of commercial triumph and allow creativity to flourish. Ethan Hawke, like Cassavetes did, has dedicated his entire career to making these films and has labored through decades of societal indifference and dismissal. What his slew of releases this year prove is that wholly surrendering oneself to the arts yields creative work that is challenging, provocative and earns its place on the silver screen. Email Daniella Nichinson at dnichinson@nyunews.com.
The 2018 NYU Mystery Concert will take place on Sept. 4 at (Le) Poisson Rouge at 158 Bleecker St. The event is closed to the public, and all NYU students can get in for free with their NYU ID. Email Nicole Rosenthal at nrosenthal@nyunews.com.
VIA YOUTUBE.COM
Ethan Hawke as Tucker Crowe in “Juliet, Naked.”
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
OPINION
OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
Edited by JANICE LEE
CITY
Returning to New York for the First Time
By HANNA KHOSRAVI Deputy Opinion Editor There is a strange sense of ease being back in New York for the start of the school year. As I observe the illuminated cast of first-years clothed in their ill-fitting, white “Class of 2022” T-shirts, I’m reminded of my own Welcome Week moments from last year. There is, of course, the time my roommate and I were hauled into a subway station with a stampede of
other students and deposited in moblike fashion at the Barclays Center for the Presidential Welcome — a Welcome Week rite of passage. I remember feeling acutely embarrassed that the first impression I was making on the great city of New York was as part of a throng of hungry-eyed students blocking foot traffic from Washington Square Park to Atlantic Avenue. And just as I’d started to feel a little homesick (or was it just a combination of the claustrophobia and crippling humidity?), an overly-excited upperclassman, who more resembled one of those inflatable flailing balloon men outside of a car dealership than an actual NYU student, glared in our direction and hollered at us, “Are you having fun?! Make sure you’re having fun!” When we giggled unenthusiastically, he raised his pom-poms and declared slightly more aggressively than before, “You’re paying too much not
to be having fun!” He might have been right, but his proclamation encapsulated exactly what had been troubling me about Welcome Week all along: having to make a conscious effort and force myself to have fun. Not that the Presidential Welcome wasn’t crowded with good energy or that it wasn’t wonderful to meet new peers, but I endured orientation with the notion that if I wasn’t having fun, it was my own fault. When I think of Welcome Week, I don’t even remember many events unless I actively try to. The whole week consisted of being spliced into haphazard groups and playing name games. It did less to make me feel welcomed and more to make me feel like another N number in a sea of other N numbers. What I instead recall is being wideeyed, maneuvering through my new
neighborhood. I went to Big Gay Ice Cream with my parents, and I endeavored to communicate with my suitemates over any shared interest we could find (“Do you want to watch the season finale of Game of Thrones together?”). But coming back to New York this time around for my sophomore year of college, I felt a stark contrast to the immensity of last year’s ominous welcome. I spent this last week roaming through the East Village rather comfortably, and my feet easily fell back into step on my routes to the closest Trader Joe’s and my preferred neighborhood restaurants. I assemble my apartment with friends I know and love, and slowly we’ve begun to build a home. It’s intriguing to consider how much agency one gains from feeling at harmony with their environment. It’s not just familiarity — it’s also a sense
of assertion. Living in a place like New York can be all-consuming, but it can start to feel pretty incredible when you realize the city belongs to you as much as you belong to it. And New York has not stopped being New York — it’s still as unbelievably stimulating every moment of every day. But despite the fact that I came back to New York with no time period specifically devoted to welcoming me back into the city, I sure do feel a lot more at home than I did before. The first week of of my first year was so jarring I could not stop wondering whether my return would feel the same time and time again, but I can guarantee it does not. The true welcome comes along when you can embrace the place you’re returning to, just as it embraces you. Email Hanna Khosravi at hkhosravi@nyunews.com.
RACHEL BUIGAS-LOPEZ | WSN
POLITICS
Challenging the Liberal Bubble as a Liberal
By JANICE LEE Opinion Editor As I wrote articles for my internship this past summer, I frequently perused Twitter to keep up with the political discourse on the topics I pitched. Ranging from environmental sustainability to menstrual equity, my curiosity led me to filter through heaps of replies in hopes of finding inspiration, but sometimes I would so adamantly disagree with a com-
ment, typically conservative, that I would just close the window and shut my laptop. One memorable instance was when one user, opposing the abolition of the tampon tax, tweeted along the lines of “I’m not trying to subsidize women’s groceries.” I immediately felt so much anger out of confusion towardf this stranger, because from my perspective, menstrual hygiene products are a necessity and therefore shouldn’t be taxed. I was so flustered that I even brought this up at length to multiple friends, searching for whatever justice I could find without getting into a petty internet argument. It was in this tirade that I realized that even though I believed I was entirely right, my desire to take away all authority and credibility from a random Twitter user was an example of intolerance. With entertaining but slanted media, like John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, functioning as news outlets for many, the
cutthroat bubble of the liberal community feels incredibly real. And though I’m a registered Democrat and a longtime liberal, I respect this criticism. We shouldn’t willfully reject it because there’s merit in political diversity. When done correctly, political diversity can sow healthy and thoughtful tension that challenges us and elevates our thinking. Discussing your opinions, especially with those you don’t agree with, should only help you become more informed when determining your own stance. Political diversity also has the potential to unravel pervasive stereotypes through personal interaction with unfamiliar people and belief systems. A monoculture in any sense is limiting because it deprives us of opportunities leading to growth. Yet while it’s easy to justify the principle of political diversity, it’s infinitely harder to confront. We each have our own notions of what justice entails and how to
ultimately get there, and our political beliefs reflect that logic. And when someone ardently disagrees with those beliefs, to many, it seems as if they’re violating the basic morals and ethics by which they live, making it nearly impossible to tolerate and accept the other person. Perhaps a significant reason why liberals specifically struggle with tolerance is that we have a relatively wide definition of harm. To many of us, harsh immigration policies like the Muslim ban, white supremacist beliefs and economic policies that maintain income inequality all qualify as harmful. Invalidating the beliefs that we believe bring harm to marginalized groups and making assumptions about a person’s moral character is an honest, natural reaction to a perceived moral failing. The lack of desire to understand and the jump to immediate accusation are attributes of the liberal monoculture with which many conservatives find fault.
The swift condemnation of others is a pitfall that I and many others often come across. The NYU community is subject to these problems as well because it can be broadly defined as a liberal monoculture. Yet this tension doesn’t mean that we should stop advocating for what we believe is justice. Instead, we must first acknowledge that we’re a part of the problem. No one is exempt from the impulse to discredit one another. We must keep in mind that growth should always be our utmost priority, and then work towards cultivating empathy and thoughtfully challenging ideas instead of condemning people. It’s difficult but we can’t pride ourselves in being accepting of diversity when we fail to include political diversity. Email Janice Lee at jlee@nyunews.com.
Washington Square News | Opinion
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
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UNIVERSITY LIFE
How Service Became My Community
By MAREN NAEGELE Contributing Writer I don’t think I’ve ever considered somewhere home until I came to New York City two weeks ago. During my childhood, I was consistently moving from city to city, school to school. Although I was able to find community in each place and while I love my current friends and high school back in Minnesota, I remained uninspired by the people around me. I felt that I was missing the motivation and passion to challenge the mainstream. And as has been said countless times before me, I arrived in the city and immediately felt what I had been searching for — the energy radiating from the sense of purpose that people in New York City posess. Just as I had fallen in love with the city, I was able to fall in love with NYU and its community in the week prior to Welcome Week. I participated in Project OutReach, a leadership and service program for first-year students to volunteer at various organizations and discuss social issues afflicting New York City. Throughout high school, I had worked with an organization focused on single mothers with open child protection service cases, so when I heard about Project OutReach, I decided to apply to continue serving in what would be my new community. I went into the program not knowing what to expect. We broke into groups of 10 to form subgroups with whom we would be spending most of our time. Each day, we began the morning with a briefing on what our service was going to be focused on, including topics like race, gentrification and environmental
preservation. Then we went to different areas within the five boroughs to volunteer with organizations, all of which would introduce us to the work they do and provide us with avenues to continue volunteering with them even after Project OutReach ended. We learned that we should approach community service without a savior complex because, at the end of the day, service should never be selfish but rather selfless. Finally, we had time for reflection to revisit our morning conversations. Prior to Project OutReach, I had never had the opportunity to have conversations about my privileges and disadvantages as a white woman or the numerous social injustices that exist. Project OutReach provided a space for me to feel vulnerable with my peers as I explored these topics and their implications. Each person in my group challenged themselves to be vulnerable, and that gave me a glimpse of what most, if not all, NYU students possess — the ability to use learning and discussion to further justice. To be able to meet my peers in this capacity, as opposed to the hour-long Welcome Week events, has positively influenced my college experience thus far. I now have an open, honest and lasting community, and aside from the normal first-year anxieties, I feel a sense of belonging at NYU. At such a large and overwhelming university, pre-Welcome Week programs like Project OutReach are necessary. To have more opportunities to tackle specific injustices but also to form bonds with peers also drawn to New York City seems like a panacea for the lack of community here that I’m often told about. More than 100 people need to be involved in this kind of experience. These past two weeks are only the start of building a home at NYU, and I’m already taken aback by everything this school has to offer. By giving students the opportunities to serve and build community, NYU can be composed of awestruck and inspired students ready to enter their first year at this university. Email Maren Naegele at opinion@nyunews.com.
STAFF EDITORIAL
More Welcome, Less Weak Welcome Week is a fixture of NYU. It’s a time when over 6,000 first-years are introduced to the university all at once, and are together for likely the only time other than their graduation years later. Although created as an event to ease students into the intimidating world that is New York City, Welcome Week’s summer camp-like feel and lack of genuine community events make orientation feel like a forced, awkward, drawn-out initiation that ultimately leaves the youngest class on campus with more questions than they came in with. There’s an unrealistic expectation that life-long friendships will be made through each Welcome Week event, while the reality is quite the opposite. Instead of attending individually, most people travel in the same groups to different events. You meet people in line, but it’s the same five minute conversations about where you’re from and what you’re studying. And the ultimate kiss of death to these potential friendships is the fact that you’re probably never going to see these people again. At random events you meet random people. There’s no singular interest in these huge marquee events, at least no one common interest specific enough to connect on. Yes, everyone loves comedy, but as an audience member at a comedy show, you’re watching a performance. There is no conversation between you and the person sitting next to you. The only thread holding everyone in the room together is that you all saw a comedian make a joke about the real estate major in the 1950s shirt. The most advertised events function like this, and there aren’t opportunities to chat up peers and actually connect with them. Lasting connections are better made on smaller levels. You connect with people who share your interests or culture and fortunately, NYU has a myriad of clubs and organizations for every and any passion. Highlighting smaller
clubs and organizations who want first-years to join their communities would provide the opportunities necessary to build friendships. Yet all that was advertised were the big marquee events like the Broadway Cabaret, the Professional Comedy Show and Drag Bingo. While clubs use Welcome Week to reach new students, first years aren’t even told which clubs exist at NYU because Club Fest is held after Welcome Week. Had first-years been aware of the clubs they’re interested in and their events, then perhaps real friendships and communities could have been formed, as was envisioned. To feel community during the first week is vital. It’s the week during which NYU will feel the most unfamiliar and firstyears will feel the most insecure. Without the right resources, it can be all too easy for newcomers to feel intensely preoccupied with whether they’ll ever find their place within the university. NYU Mobile would have been a great solution to further the reach of these club events, if it were an intuitive and efficient app. On the app, all of the events appear as one large column, usually consisting of up to 150 options per day. There’s no search bar and while filters do exist, they somehow only complicate matters further by breaking down the innumerable events into categories, some being as vague as “Getting Involved” or simply “Welcome Week.” Many of the events were informative, thoughtfully planned and genuinely fun, but attendance was limited because of a poorly designed app. Welcome Week happens every year, and for over 6,000 first-years, it is expected to be an overwhelming and confusing event. NYU, however, has the ability to implement changes to these issues that go consistently unsolved. Perhaps next year, we can rely on NYU to improve this week-long event so that first-years may finally have the chance to connect and create community — a rarity at this university, and the city.
Email the Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. JANICE LEE Chair HANNA KHOSRAVI Co-chair MELANIE PINEDA Co-chair
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