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New York Un versity Welcome to

Class of 2020

COVER BY ANNA LETSON, EASTON SELF, AND WENXUAN NI

Anna Letson

Meet the Editors

Alex Bazeley

Editor-in-Chief

Grace Paola

Bobby Wagner

Managing Editor

Bobby is in his second semester as the Managing Editor at WSN. Having upgraded from his previous position as Sports Editor, he defies all logic that WSN and NYU in general hate sports. Outside of the newspaper, he thinks about the newspaper. Follow him on Twitter @bwags1121.

Deputy Managing Editor

Assistant Managing Editor

Digital Director

Creative Director

Nina Jang is the Digital Director at WSN. Nina likes all things spicy and finds joy in cooking for herself and others. From sea to shining sea is truly emblematic of the move from the sunshine state of California but with no regrets. With a healthy dose of wanderlust, Nina sees backpacking across the Silk Road in the impending horizon. As for now, catch her at the park, nose in a book and brows furrowed or gallery hopping around the city.

Easton Self

Wenxuan Ni Wenxuan Ni is a sophomore studying liberally in GLS. Besides reminding Easton that she’s essentially forced to be his friend, Wenxuan enjoys petting cats, looking at cats, taking pictures of cats, googling cats, thinking about cats, and researching how to sneak a cat past her landlord. On the off chance that Wenxuan doesn’t have cats on the mind, you can find her listening to K-Pop and/or learning about Korean culture. Oh, and she likes design too.

Grace is a junior studying journalism (and a handful of other things that she hasn’t entirely decided on) in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She spent her past semester studying abroad in Florence, Italy and would hop on a plane back to the motherland in a minute. To see how she spends her minimal amount of free time, follow her on Instagram at @colorsandcutouts.

Nina Jang

Abbey Wilson Abbey Wilson is a History major in CAS. She hails from Asbury Park, New Jersey and her hair color changes depending solely on whim. Whatever your favorite movie is, she probably hasn’t seen it.

Alex Bazeley is the editor-in-chief of the Washington Square News. Hailing from Oakland, he is a junior studying journalism and metropolitan studies. In his spare time, you can catch him drinking coffee, getting coffee or talking about how he needs coffee.

Linger too long and he’ll probably try to play you something by his band. Or he’ll tell you to follow him on Twitter at @abazeley.

“Oops.”

Creative Director (see more #art on my #insta @eastoned)

Anna Letson Multimedia Editor

Anna is a sophomore in Gallatin, studying whatever it is you do at Gallatin. She is from Seattle, which is not as rainy as everyone believes and takes pride in her Birkenstocks. She enjoys petting strangers’ dogs, spending her minimum wage on maximum coffee and avoiding color in her wardrobe. When she is not at the office or shooting photos, you’ll probably find her finishing a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, concert-going, or eating her way through the city. Her favorite past time is power-napping because nothing is sweeter than a two hour wink.

Diamond Naga Siu

News Editor

Hailey Nuthals

Arts Editor

Hailey Nuthals is Arts Editor after joining WSN by accident a year ago. (The Arts Editor thing is on purpose, though.) She’s studying Music Business in Steinhardt even though she’s been told many times by other people’s parents that being a lawyer would be a better life choice. You can find her in real life at the Union Square Farmers’ Market with a pair of bulky headphones on and on any social media outlet at @rainspourshails (probably also with a pair of bulky headphones on, even if you can’t see them).

Abigail Weinberg

Features Editor

Sports Editor

Abigail Weinberg is a CAS sophomore studying Journalism and Spanish. She’s from the suburbs of Boston and subsists entirely off of bagels, ice cream and iced coffee. She really only relocated to New York to increase her chances of running into and subsequently marrying Sufjan Stevens, but she’s had a lot of fun working at WSN in the meantime.

Emily Fong

Rachel Ruecker Rachel is a Drama major in Tisch by day, Sports Editor for WSN by night (she doesn’t really get it either). In the limited time she has between those two engagements you can find her spreading Canadian propaganda throughout NYU and the greater Manhattan area, waiting for her life to become a romantic comedy set in New York, watching Gilmore Girls (again), and/or crying about hockey. Follow her on Twitter @rachel_ruecker for subpar content about all of the above.

Diamond Naga Siu is a sophomore studying Journalism and Educational Human Rights in Gallatin.

When she isn’t telling bad puns or eating everything in sight, you can find her volunteering with children, meandering the streets or talking too much. Diamond Naga jumped coasts from Los Angeles to New York City, so she stubbornly still flips and flops through the coldest winter days. But no matter where she goes, she always follows her life motto to just keep cheesin’: you either keep smiling or keep eating cheese.

Emily is the WSN opinion editor for the Fall 2016 semester. She loves kebabs, trying to pet people’s dogs, and reminding people that she’s from California.

Opinion Editor

Letter from the Editor Welcome, class of 2020. You’re in college now. Feels weird, right? You’ve survived the trials and tribulations of high school, and now you’re off to go and discover where the path in front of you will lead. And that’s the coolest thing: You get to decide where you go next.

If you’re like me, I’m sure that by now you’ve had many family members, friends, loved ones and internet pals giving you advice on how to handle the next few years. Now I have a piece of advice for you: Don’t listen to them. Well, do listen to them, but understand that you get to pave the road from here. You now have the opportunity to make your own decisions, take responsibility for them, make mistakes and learn from them.

This idea that things are suddenly in your hands now might seem a little daunting. But fear not. You’ll make right steps and wrong steps, acknowledging you might not know exactly what you doing, until one day you’ll look around and realize you’re right where you belong.

That’s how I ended up at the Washington Square News. I wandered into an open house, assuming I would find some kind of college newspaper and not quite knowing what to expect. Now, two years later, I realize I had found so much more. Here, I made some of my best friends, hit highs and lows and ultimately discovered so much about myself and the world around me.

What follows is a collection of our favorite stories from the past year to give you a sense of why we do what we do and to show you why we love this place. If something catches your eye in here, I invite you to come by our offices in the basement of Third North to see if WSN could be the place for you.

Really, you’ve already made it. Trust your gut, go with your instinct and know that only you can decide where you go from here. All you have to do is take the next step. From all of us here at WSN, congratulations, and best of luck!

Alex Bazeley Editor-in-Chief

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM

Applicant’s Tweets Spur Policy Review

STAFF PHOTO BY ANNA LETSON

Signs from NYU Divest’s occupation of Bobst Library. The university announced it had decided against divestment on Thursday afternoon.

NYU Decides Against Fossil Fuel Divestment

By ANNE CRUZ News Editor The NYU Board of Trustees announced today that it had decided not to divest from fossil fuel investments, despite a 2015 University Senate resolution recommending that the university not make any future investments in fossil fuel companies.

In an email to the university community, NYU President Andrew Hamilton and Board of Trustees Chair William Berkley stated that divestment from fossil fuels companies would be more of a political statement than an impactful measure against climate change.

Instead, Hamilton and Berkley said NYU would better address the issue of climate change through institutional initiatives to reduce the university’s greenhouse gas emissions and increase sustainability.

“We applaud the efforts of faculty, students, and staff to advocate for addressing climate change and in proposing divestment, but do not support NYU using its endowment as a tool for simply making statements,” the email reads. “We understand that some proponents of divestment argue that divestment in and of itself can help to advance the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

However, we are not persuaded by this argument.”

The Board of Trustees’ response to the University Senate comes after student protests in Bobst Library by NYU Divest in April and subsequent meetings between NYU Divest members and Board members in May. CAS senior and NYU Divest member Olivia Rich said Divest was “disheartened” by the Board’s decision and that Divest will continue to advocate for divestment.

“NYU Divest will not end its campaign until NYU honors the wishes of its University Senate and broader community by divesting from fossil fuels,” Rich said. “Additionally, we continue to object to the Board’s lack

of transparency and democracy in making this decision, which occurred presumably in a closed meeting without participation from students or faculty members.”

At the center of the Board’s controversial announcement is the University Senate resolution to cease future investments in the fossil industry. In March 2015, the Financial Affairs Committee of the University Senate presented a report saying NYU’s greatest impact on climate change would be through “direct action” and sustainability measures, not divestment.

Despite the report recommending that the university maintain its fossil fuel investments, the University Senate still passed the resolution, and members of NYU Divest were able to present their findings to the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees in May of this year.

In addition, Divest gained the support of more than 200 faculty members who signed an open letter throughout the Spring semester of this year, pledging their solidarity with the movement and urging Hamilton to take action on divestment.

NYU spokesman John Beckman said the Board of Trustees seriously considered the arguments of those in favor of divestment in making their decision.

“In weighing these considerations, the principle role of the endowment (to support NYU’s research and educational missions) and their responsibility as fiduciaries, the Board ultimately concluded — as have a number of other universities (Harvard, Cornell, Tufts, Amherst, Brown, etc.) — that divestment was not the proper action to take,” Beckman said in an email.

Members of the University Senate did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

WSN will update the story with new information as necessary.

Email Anne Cruz at acruz@nyunews.com.

By JESSICA MARTINEZ Social Media Editor NYU received received massive national backlash last month when a potential applicant posted a screenshot on Twitter of a discussion he had about waiving application fees with Tisch Director of Graduate Admissions Dan Sandford. Now, NYU is clarifying the policy that got it into hot water.

The prospective applicant, Brown University senior Joshua Jackson, generated thousands of retweets within hours in response to his string of tweets in mid-December. NYU alumni and strangers alike were sharing their thoughts with the hashtag #ShameonNYU, a few even offering to pay the fee for him.

NYU spokesman John Beckman said the university does allow fee waivers for students applying to the graduate program at the Tisch School of the Arts. However, Beckman said this policy was not as clear or transparent as it could have been.

“Tisch School wants a diverse class, and having a stated policy that doesn’t allow the application fee to be waived for those with financial need is at odds with that important goal and our values,” Beckman said.

Jackson tweeted he was planning to apply to the Tisch Arts

Politics MA program. After emailing Sandford to ask about a fee waiver for the application, Jackson posted a screenshot showing Sandford’s reply.

“We don’t really have those, Joshua, no,” Sandford said.

“Sorry!”

Jackson then asked about other alternatives for low-income students.

“Please do not take this the wrong way but if $65 is a hardship for you how will you be able to pay the tuition of $60,000?”

Sandford said. “Of course we do provide scholarships but the most we usually offer is $15,000$20,000. Maybe you should give yourself a year off looking at ways to fund your graduate education.”

Beckman said Tisch Dean Allyson Green and President Andrew Hamilton have made it clear to faculty and administrators that fees can be waived for those with need and the language on the university’s website now reflects that. Following the incident, NYU issued an apology to Jackson.

Graduate admissions are handled differently from undergraduate admissions. They are seen on a school-to-school — or even a program-to-program — basis, Beckman said. In addition, Beckman said most programs already had a fee waiver process in place but the administration’s sense is

relatively few graduate programs didn’t. Hamilton has since sent a note to deans to ensure a process is in place to provide fee waivers, or to create one.

CAS freshman Gregory Woltman said he thinks there is a newfound spotlight on such fees.

“I think an application fee dissuades students from applying to schools they’d like to go to, or at least want to try out,” Woltman said. “I don’t think it’s the most sound idea. I have a friend I’m encouraging to apply, and her first question was, ‘What’s the application fee?’ That just struck a chord with me.”

Tisch sophomore Hunter Whaley said regardless of the national attention the university received because of the incident, what happened has not made him think negatively of NYU as a whole.

“I would just chalk it up to negligence and incompetence,” Whaley said. “It seems they did the right thing after the fact. If that kind of incompetence was indicative of the entire faculty, maybe I’d think differently.”

Washington Square News reached out to Jackson but he did not return a request for comment.

Email Jessica Martinez at jmartinez@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

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IEC Sits-In At Kimmel Over Common App

By ANNE CRUZ AND LEXI FAUNCE News Editors More than 20 Incarceration to Education Coalition organizers and supporters have occupied the Kimmel Center for Student Life since Friday afternoon and are in the process of negotiating with NYU to disband their sit-in if their demands are met.

IEC has pledged to remain in the staircase area of Kimmel until NYU takes concrete action to abolish the box, which they say targets individuals from marginalized communities. NYU has previously responded by sending a letter to the Common App encouraging further research on the box’s effects, but IEC has remained unsatisfied and is demanding that NYU become completely box blind — and disregard information that comes with Common App’s asking applicants if they’ve been convicted of a crime or faced disciplinary action in school. NYU currently has a two tiered system that involves committees to discuss an applicant’s disciplinary record in the latter stages of the application process.

IEC organizers said Marc Wais, senior vice president of student affairs, told the IEC it would be guaranteed a meeting with NYU administrators and the Common App next Tuesday, March 29, if students vacate Kimmel by 4 p.m.

In addition, the organizers have

PHOTO BY ANNE CRUZ

The Incarceration to Education Coalition met with NYU President Hamilton Monday following the IEC’s 33-hour sit-in. said Wais threatened to pursue disciplinary action on the remaining occupants if they do not comply with this deadline.

Gallatin junior and IEC Organizer Sumathy Kumar said she found it very coincidental how the administration’s deadline of 4 p.m. was the same as IEC’s planned 4 p.m. teach in event and that IEC organizers want their overnight stay (among other things) to be worth their while.

“We need an explanation for why they refused our demands,” Kumar said “We haven’t gotten one of those.

We’ve been here 24 hours now and I think it’s time for Andrew Hamilton to come down to talk to us.”

Kumar added that those who stayed in Kimmel overnight risked disciplinary action and possibly arrest, but also showed a great power in protesting to abolish the box.

“I think that if you look at the power that was shown last night right around midnight that was some serious power that we had,” Kumar said. “We stayed overnight, did we really stay overnight for just a meeting with the Common App which wasn’t in any of our demands. I think that we can’t take just that meeting the way they’ve given it to us, that’s not what we just risked disciplinary action for.”

CAS freshman Mallika Lakshman spent the entire night at the Kimmel Center, sleeping on the grand staircase until NYU public safety officers woke the protestors up as the building was opening to the public. Lakshman said the NYU personnel have been very accommodating and respectful of the IEC’s cause, however, Lakshman feels having the organizers roped off has weakened their impact on the student body.

“We have a strong presence here, and the support this movement has had from the NYU community since this occupation started has been tremendous,” Lakshman said. “But we must

continue educating our peers on this cause and withdrawing from this central location on campus will only make us appear vulnerable.”

Despite push-back from administration, the IEC has gone ahead with their teach-in, starting shortly after 3:40 pm. Members of the Student Labor Action Movement as well as the IEC spoke to a crowd of students in an attempt to educate their peers on how banning the box can have a positive effect on the NYU student body at large.

Email Anne Cruz and Lexi Faunce at news@nyunews.com.

Hayden Hall to Be Renamed to Lipton Hall

By ANNE CRUZ News Editor Hayden Residence Hall, best known for its dining hall cookies, will soon be renamed to Lipton Hall according to the NYU website.

The dorm on 33 Washington Square West was closed last year for renovations that included a new commuter lounge, and now houses approximately 700 first year students.

Though still unconfirmed, it is likely that the new name refers to chairman of the Board of Trustees, Martin Lipton — although the possibility remains that the name refers to another person by the name of Lipton.

While the reasons for the name change and when it will take place are unknown, some students have already begun sipping their tea in response to the second name change of an NYU institution this academic year.

CAS freshman Nina Demirjian, a resident of Hayden Hall, said changing the name of the dorm felt weird since Hayden is a name already established on campus.

“It’s been Hayden all year and it just feels like Hayden, not Lipton,”

Demirjian said. “Hayden Hall has a better ring to it than Lipton Hall.”

LS sophomore Victoria Porada agreed and said that dorm names are a part of the history and culture of the university.

“When you change its name, it’s like rewriting its history because the name Hayden is associated with stories and celebrities that once resided in those halls,” Porada said.

CAS senior Sydney Kobil said she felt that renaming Hayden would erase the last remnants of the dorm she lived in during her freshman year.

“Hayden brought me the roommates that I’ve lived with for four years,” Kobil said. “My best friends are the people that lived with me on my freshman floor.

It wasn’t the cleanest place as it was old and hadn’t been renovated maybe ever, but it had such great character.”

While many things about the name change are uncertain, the real question is whether the rest of Hayden’s legacy will be altered by the name change. “Lipton cookies” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

At the time of publication, the university had not responded with com-

ment on this story. We will update the story as it continues to develop.

Email Anne Cruz at acruz@nyunews.com.

STAFF PHOTO BY JAKE QUAN

Hayden Hall was officially renamed to Litpon Hall this past June.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM

ARTS

EDITED BY ZACH MARTIN ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

5 Artists From SXSW Who Are About to Blow Up

By Zach Martin

Arts Editor One of the reasons musicians, fans and record labels venture to Austin, Texas for South by Southwest every year is to discover that up-and-coming artist on the cusp of greatness and worldwide recognition. WSN went to SXSW this year and of all the acts we saw, here are the five you should keep an eye on:

Anderson .Paak R&B artist Anderson .Paak has been moving around the L.A. hip hop scene since 2011 but rose to prominence in 2015 when he appeared on six songs on Dr. Dre’s album, “Compton.” This past January, he released his second studio album, “Malibu,” a funky fusion of genres that showcases his stunning vocal talents and star potential. His confidence and charisma were on full display when he opened for Vince Staples, singing, rapping and even playing live drums during some songs.

Future Enchants NYU at Terminal 5

By Hailey Nuthals Highlighter Editor

Future @ Terminal 5, Feb. 24 NYU students have worked hard to get to this point in the year. We’ve survived Storm Jonas, construction around Washington Square and we’re on our way to having survived midterms. Violet 100 Week has come just in time to give the student body a well-deserved party.

Future was just the one to give it to them. The Wednesday of NYU’s spirit week, the prolific rapper graced the stage of Terminal 5 for a night of hip hop and vibes. The evening began with three opening sets, starting with rapper BPE. CAS student Thandiwe Young and Tisch student Niambi Sala followed as OSHUN. The set was a beautiful reminder that rap should never be an exclusively male-dominated scene.

The girls were the perfect representation of NYU spirit — unapologetic, powerful and original. Topaz Jones primed the crowd a final time with a set of positive vibes and love for life, and then Future took the stage.

The room was filled with fog, or possibly smoke, and the lighting on the stage went well with Future’s trippy drugged-out music. Wednesday night be damned; it was time to party.

Future did not disappoint. With three huge LED screens behind him displaying a carefully curated B-roll of city scenery, purple ocean waves and the occasional Matrix-esque gun

Car Seat Headrest Originally a lo-fi bedroom Bandcamp project with a significant online cult following, Car Seat Headrest signed with Matador Records last year and started their reinvention. In 2015, they released “Teens of Style,” a compilation of previously released songs, and now frontman Will Toledo has moved into a harder, more epic sound for their next album of all-new material, “Teens of Denial.” The first single, “Vincent,” sounds heavier, darker and more distorted than anything they’ve done before, but with cleaner, professional studio production.

Declan McKenna This 17-year-old from London, England has only released four songs so far but has still generated buzz for his complex lyricism about heavy subjects. Acclaimed single “Brazil” tackles corruption in FIFA and economic inequality, all over an ear-

PHOTO BY ALEX BAZELEY

Anderson .Paak tops our list of artists from SXSW who you need to pay attention to this year. worm melody. He was without his band for his sets at the festival but the songs were full and vibrant, only created from his synths, guitar and loop pedal. You can expect McKenna to blow up once he releases a proper debut album.

write songs about anything other than death.” To see Baker perform is to be bludgeoned by emotional devastation and witness a songwriting prodigy discovering the depth of her talents.

Julien Baker

Probably the most recognizable name on our list, Staples received immense critical and popular praise for his 2015 album, “Summertime ‘06,” an ambitious album with moody, sparse beats and brutal lyrics

Baker has already developed a reputation for the pummeling sadness of her debut album, “Sprained Ankle,” even openly acknowledging it with the lyrics “Wish I could

Vince Staples

focused on street violence and police oppression. His energetic live show at the NPR Music showcase confirmed his status as one of the most promising young stars in hip hop.

Staples is capable of crafting complex, nuanced songs and simultaneously putting on an insane, banging performance. His audience will only grow larger as he continues to create unforgettable music.

Email Zach Martin at zmartin@nyunews.com

Tisch Theater Grooves With ‘Hairspray’

STAFF PHOTO BY ANNA LETSON

Future graced the stage of Terminal 5 for a night of hip hop on Wednesday during NYU’s spirit week. scopes and scrolling numbers, he brought a full experience. Rotating strobe lights lit the air above the crowd’s heads, and the whole place pulsed as students lived in the beat.

If it was a music video, it would be something like Beyoncé’s “Flawless,” complete with the always welldressed NYU students dancing along and gritty bars being spit on stage.

The atmosphere never let up for a moment. Future kept the love coming all night long, throwing multiple shout-outs to the students and lending bits of encouragement between songs. The crowd was so hyped up that one student particularly full of the entrepreneurial spirit managed to crowd surf for a glorious moment before he was made to come back to the ground.

If one could find focus through the energetic dancing and the glowing wrists throwing their two’s up in the air, they could have heard the sincerity in Future’s singing. It was a party, to be sure, but one that went beyond that. It was a night of pride and accomplishment for all, and who better to celebrate Violet 100 with than the man with the Purple Reign?

Email Hailey Nuthals at hnuthals@nyunews.com.

By Laura Casado Staff Writer Tisch New Theatre’s production of “Hairspray” was a conglomerate of passion and talent, filled from start to finish with magical moments.

The musical, set in 1960s Baltimore, follows the journey of Tracy Turnblad (Casey Whyland), a full-figured teen who longs to join the picture-perfect “Nice Kids” dance crew on a local television program, “The Corny Collins Show.” Throughout the show, Tracy endures taunts and judgements regarding her size, and fights alongside black “Negro Day” dancers to combat the discrimination they face, an example being that they are only allowed on-air performance once a month. The show is bubbly and upbeat while also sending a powerful message regarding sizeism and racism that, unfortunately, is still relevant today.

The entire cast, from ensemble to lead, was phenomenal.

Casey Whyland, a Liberal Studies sophomore, starred as Tracy Turnblad. Her voice beautifully carried numbers like “Good Morning, Baltimore,” and “I Can Hear the Bells,” accompanied by phenomenal acting. Whyland mixed aspects from “Girls’” Lena Dunham and “Pitch Perfect’s” Rebel Wilson, creating a hilariously brash and dynamic Tracy. Sarah Musicant, a Tisch freshman, displayed wildly impressive vocals as the adorably gawky Penny Pingleton, alongside junior Haley Callahan Fish as the flouncy Amber Von Tussle, whose combined prowess

of dance, voice, and spot-on comedic timing was unparalleled. Clive Davis student Austin Crute swept the stage as Seaweed, giving a high-energy performance of dancing and singing that had every audience member jamming along. The show’s most tender moments were dominated by powerhouse Ada Obieshi as Motormouth Maybelle, especially in “I Know Where I’ve Been.”

Lighting design by NYU senior Kelley Shih was gorgeously fresh. The stage was alternately washed in magentas and midnight purples, with hazy reds for scenes like “The Legend of Miss Baltimore Crabs,” and ocean turquoise blues for “Timeless to Me.” Select scenes, however, such as jail in “The Big Dollhouse,” lacked enough front lights, leaving many actors’ faces in shadows. The sound was intermittently problematic as well, from Little Inez’s mic being dead during her “Run and Tell That” solo, which as a result was inaudible, to the “It Takes Two” duet where the vocal volume of Whyland’s Tracy and Link Larkin (Steinhardt graduate student Colten Blair) was unequally balanced. Several other solos that were unfortunately drowned out by the magnificent 16-piece orchestra.

The show’s most outstanding aspect were the ensemble dance numbers. Director/Choreographer Marc Anthony Ferre, a recent Tisch graduate, could not have done a more stellar job, incorporating classic ‘60s moves in stunningly high-speed sequences which were executed

flawlessly by every ensemble member. The second song, “Nicest Kids in Town,” deserved a standing ovation of its own for its choreography.

A stand-out in the cast was Steinhardt senior Drew Carr in a dual role. His portrayal of Mr. Pinky was uproariously flamboyant and he far outshined his counterparts as Corny Collins dancer Brad. Carr emits contagious energy with every step he executes, creating a performance that is pure joy to watch.

TNT’s “Hairspray,” regarding every facet that makes musical theatre great, is one that future generations of NYU performers will find difficult to trump.

“Hairspray” played at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts this past weekend.

Email Laura Casado at theater@nyunews.com.

VIA TISCH NEW THEATRE

Tisch New Theatre put on a production of Hairspray at Skirball, starring a phenomenal cast from all corners of NYU.

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

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ARTS

EDITED BY ZACH MARTIN ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Alum’s Road From Tisch to Cannes

By ETHAN SAPIENZA Film Editor Tisch alum Jeremy Saulnier made waves at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival with the revenge thriller “Blue Ruin.” On April 15, Saulnier’s follow up “Green Room” will release, where a punk rocker (Anton Yelchin) witnesses a murder at a bar run by Neo-Nazis, whose leader (Patrick Stewart) intends to cover up the mess. WSN sat down with Saulnier to discuss violence in film and how Tisch impacted his filmmaking career.

WSN: What attracted you to the story of “Green Room”?

Jeremy Saulnier: I had the momentum from “Blue Ruin.” I had this deep well of experience in the punk rock world, and I wanted to tell a story that would blend everything together and offer me a little bit of a break.

“Blue Ruin” was an emotional journey for everyone involved. It was amazing to have it premiere at Cannes. It was a very personal story. It had a little dark comedy there but it was very tragic. It was also atmospheric, and with “Green Room” I was like, “let’s take that.” There were moments in “Blue Ruin” that were most

effective for the audience, and that was the tension. There’s a night invasion scene, and the audience would go crazy — that’s what people would talk about. I thought, “let’s build on that.” I don’t want to replicate “Blue Ruin” but I wanted to extract that amazing physical response that I’m getting from people, that I can feel in these darkened theaters.

WSN: Violence places such a big part in both of your films. Why do you think that’s the case?

JS: My movies come across as hyper-violent but the thing is, the body counts are minimal compared to a lot of other films.

What I do is that I make sure when there is a loss of life on screen it hurts real bad for the audience too. I think it’s more responsible to show full frontal blood letting if there’s a purpose to it. There’s a turning point in “Green Room” where — it’s the most brutal point in the movie when the audience gasps aloud invariably, might get a walkout or two — to watch it [the violence] with [the band mates] where we see them transition from innocent kids into killers.

WSN: What it was like working with Patrick Stewart?

JS: His first day, we were shooting his big intro and it was my worst day on set. We had last minute changes to the schedule and budget. I was kind of reeling from that and I nearly botched his intro completely. We had a nice talk the next morning and he was really kind and made me feel so much safer about everything. The whole production turned for me there. I didn’t feel intimidated, or that I had to impress, or that I had to pretend I was this fearless leader when I was vulnerable. He gave me the power to just tell the story.

WSN: How do you feel Tisch prepared you for your professional career?

Was anything lacking?

JS: I felt I wanted a little more on set observation time, that’s the only thing I felt was lacking. You’re with students, but shit, I can learn as an observer.

If I was allowed access to bigger movie sets I could really rapidly increase my learning curve to do what I had to do on my sets.

I have a lot of classmates from Tisch and they are my collaborators today. They weren’t the peo-

VIA FACEBOOK.COM

Tisch alumnus Jeremy Saulnier’s film “Green Room” has been received positively upon its release. ple I was hanging out with when I was at film school, but there’s definitely a community there.

Email Ethan Sapienza at esapienza@nyunews.com.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM

FEATURES

EDITED BY KENDALL LEVISON FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

NYU Startup Makes Tattoos Commitment-Free

By KENDALL LEVISON Features Editor For one team of NYU students and grads, tattoos are more than a symbol of rebellion — they are a business.

The company, called Ephemeral, developed a tattoo ink that won’t last forever — just for a year or two. And if you change your mind before the art fades, there’s also a quick and easy way to remove your tattoo.

The original idea came to Seung Shin, Ephemeral’s CEO, while he was still studying Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Tandon School of Engineering. Although he’s always been interested in tattoos, he’d been apprehensive about getting one himself.

“I come from a traditional Asian family, so my parents despise tattoos,” Shin said. But in 2014, he took the plunge.

“I thought, ‘I’m a college guy, I’m an adult,’ so I decided to get a tattoo anyway,” he said. When he went home, his parents weren’t happy with the new decoration on their son’s bicep, and convinced him to get it removed.

As Shin discovered, laser tattoo removal can be painful, expensive and also has no guarantee of completely getting rid of the design.

Complete tattoo removal can take up to ten sessions. Shin only went to one, returning to school with his tattoo and a new business concept.

He pitched the idea to some of his fellow chemical and biomolecular engineering students at Tandon

— Jason Candreva, Brennal Pierre, Vandan Shah and Anthony Lam — and started work on creating a new kind of tattoo.

Traditional tattoos last forever because the ink is made of very large molecules. Macrophages, the cells your immune system uses to get rid of stuff like bacteria, just can’t break down the huge dye molecules.

Ephemeral uses a different approach. Lam, another of Ephemeral’s co-founders and the company’s Senior R&D Researcher, said that each dye molecule in their ink is small but it’s encased in a special capsule.

“The reason it’s encapsulated is so that it stays in the skin, so the macrophages can’t eat it up,” Lam said.

These capsules protect the ink

of last year’s W. R. Berkley Innovation Lab $200K Entrepreneurs Challenge. Just last month, the company was also awarded the title of “Coolest College Startup” by Inc.com.

Sakhai has high hopes for Ephemeral’s future.

“Five years down the road, I hope we’ve substantially dented the tattoo industry, its culture and its future,” he said. “I hope to see a lot more people with ink.”

Shin, Ephemeral’s CEO, is planning to be one of those people despite his negative experience with his first tattoo.

“I already have plans for two full sleeves,” he said. “I’m gonna be decked out.”

Email Kendall Levison at features@nyunews.com.

Five-Step Makeup Routine for Busy Students

What’s All the Hype About Raindrop Cake?

By ANGELINA LAN XU Contributing Writer Raindrop Cake, which debuted during the fourth week of Williamsburg’s Smorgasburg, is the focal point of online buzz right now, attracting New Yorkers and out-ofstate foodies alike.

This translucent jelly-like dessert made from mineral water and agar first came out in Japan in 2014 under the name mizu shingen mochi, which translates to water cake.

Darren Wong, a New York chef, popularized it in the U.S. and gave it its unique name.

Wong’s version, sold at $8, is served with black cane syrup and roasted soy powder on a birch wood boat plate. He took the existing idea of the cake from Japan and wanted to bring it to America.

“I read about it on the Internet,” Wong said. “I couldn’t go to Japan to try it so I wanna figure out how to make it right here, in the U.S.” Wong said that he finally figured out the recipe and technique in January. Fans of the dessert are often surprised to learn that the 36-year-old vendor has never set foot in Japan and is not of Japanese heritage — he is, in fact, the son of first-generation immigrant parents from Hong Kong.

“It’s interesting that we are not actually the one who invented it. We simply popularized it in New York City,” he said.

So what does Raindrop Cake taste like, exactly?

from your immune system, but they also can easily be dissolved by a removal solution that Ephemeral has developed. If you decided you no longer want an Ephemeral tattoo, an artist would simply retrace the design with a tattoo gun loaded with the removal solution.

Even if you don’t decide to use the removal solution, the capsules protecting the ink will eventually break, and your tattoo will disappear. Unlike traditional inks which are often made of heavy metals, Ephemeral’s formula is made up organic compounds that can safely be absorbed by your body.

With the help of Josh Sakhai, the company’s CFO and a sophomore studying in both Stern and CAS, the Ephemeral team won first place in the Technology Venture category

PHOTO BY ANGELINA LAN XU

The translucent jelly-like dessert was popularized it in the U.S. and given its unique name by Darren Wong, a New York chef.

Even Kyle Cheung, Wong’s cousin and partner in business, had a hard time pinpointing exactly what the cake tasted like.

“It’s been difficult to explain the flavor to American palate,” Cheung said. “The cake itself does not have too much of a taste and mainly provides texture. The black sugar cane syrup and the soy powder give it a nice kick of flavor.”

The preparation process every week can be arduous, according to Cheung. The cake involves just a few ingredients, but the combining of the ingredients to get the texture just right can take a long time.

“Kitchen time is two full days, if not more — we are still exploring the best way to make it and pack it,” Cheung said.

“We use agar instead of gelatin. Agar is used in many Asian food preparations and unlike gelatin, it’s also vegan. Agar also creates a delicate texture that gelatin cannot.”

“We’ve been getting better and more efficient at the production process,” Wong said.

“Last week, we had a lot of casualties and ended up throwing out a lot of them, but this week we got the agar-water ratio correct so we were able to finish them a little faster.”

Food lovers from around the U.S. lined up at Smorgasborg to be the first to taste this unique food creation. They had mixed reactions to the taste.

Huizhen Zhang, a Philadelphia resident and a Beijing native, said the taste of the cake reminded her of street food she got back home.

“The soy powder is so good,” Zhang said. “It’s very satiating and kind of tastes like ‘liangfen’ [starch jelly noodles].”

Raindrop Cake will be sold at Smorgasborg throughout the rest of April and May, after which Wong has plans to expand the locations where the cake is sold. As of right now, he’ll be bringing the Raindrop Cake to Los Angeles, after which it might extend to cities across the country.

Email Angelina Lan Xu at features@nyunews.com

By CATALINA GONELLA Contributing Writer Between 8 a.m. classes and internships, most NYU students have jam-packed schedules that don’t exactly lend themselves to hour-long morning beauty routines. In a city as fabulous as New York, we always want to look and feel our best. Here is a budget friendly five minute makeup routine that is guaranteed to make you feel beautiful, confident and ready to face the day: Step 1: First things first — wash and moisturize your skin. Use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanse ($10.39) to wash your skin and leave it feeling smooth and refreshed. After patting it dry, use CeraVe Am Facial Moisturizer ($12.99) to hydrate your skin and protect it from the sun.

Step 2: Foundation. When choosing foundation, everybody is different depending on their skin. For a quick application, the trick is finding one that is lightweight enough so that it blends in without too much effort. A good bet might be Loreal Paris Infallible ProMatte Foundation ($12.99), as it provides great coverage and is still light enough to quickly swipe on using your favorite brush or sponge.

You could also use a powder foundation if you’re really in a time pinch, since they’re usually a little bit faster to put on and even out. Neutrogena’s SkinClearing Mineral Powder ($13.49) does a great job at covering up blemishes and evening out skin without clogging up pores.

Step 3: Eyebrows. The fastest and easiest way to do your eyebrows is to use Loreal

Paris’ Brow Stylist Designer ($8.99) to dot your eyebrow with color, making sure to pay attention to areas with less hair, and then use the brush to blend in the color. Remember, they don’t have to be absolutely symmetrical — eyebrows are sisters, not twins!

Step 4: Eyes. When in a rush, it’s important to not pick colors that require time or precision. Natural, warm colors will always be your best bet.

NYX’s Natural Shadow Palette ($7.50) offers some great colors to work with. First cover your entire lid with one of the middle tones, then apply one of the darker ones to the outer corners of your lids and blend together using the tip of your finger. For eyeliner, use Sephora Collection Long Lasting Eyeliner ($12.00), as the precision brush allows for quick application. Start off drawing a really thin line along the top eyelid. You want to be sure to start off thin and then build up a little if needed. If you start off too thick it will take twice as long to take it off and start over! For your eyelashes, use Sephora Collection Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara ($12.00). Because it provides thickness, you’ll only need to apply it once, again saving you a bit of time.

Step 5: Lips. Again you want to choose a color that doesn’t require a lot of time, nothing too dark and definitely not red! Pick one of the Sephora Collection Rouge Cream Lipsticks ($12.00) in a natural, toned down shade and swipe it on.

Email Catalina Gonella at bstyle@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

FEATURES

EDITED BY KENDALL LEVISON FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

The Quiet Life of NYU’s Trump Fans

By TAYLOR NICOLE ROGERS Staff Writer Despite its hallmark diversity, NYU is predominantly liberal on the political spectrum. This leaves one group uncharacteristically quiet in the political conversation on campus: supporters of Donald Trump.

However, this does not mean Trump supporters do not exist on campus. According to Tandon junior Jillian Spataro, who plans to vote for Donald Trump, the negative attitude toward Trump makes them reluctant to speak their minds.

“I know what the spirit of the campus is so I keep quiet about my views just because it makes the day go easier,” Spataro said. “I do hear the side comments and see the Facebook pages. As a registered Republican, it’s just easier for me to turn a blind eye instead of getting involved.”

Stern freshman Daniel Hyun recounted receiving looks from NYU students and staff alike while wearing his “Make America Great Again” hat.

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“When I tell people I’m a Trump supporter, they just laugh it off,” Hyun said. “They don’t like to believe that there are non-white Trump supporters. But once you wear the hat, you accept the fact that people aren’t going to like you, but it feels pretty weird to hide my political beliefs in a place that is so diverse.“ Tandon junior Dylan Perera said that in the few times he has divulged his political standpoint, NYU students have not reacted well.

“People usually react very negatively, sometimes even violently,” Perera said. “One time someone started screaming in my face. I forgot exactly how it came out, but I ended up saying that I do support Trump, and then everything went south right away.”

Although Hyun knows several other Trump supporters on campus, he suspects that incidents like these contribute to their lack of organization.

“There are definitely a decent number of Trump supporters at NYU that are hiding in the

closet,” Hyun said. “Like me, most of them don’t even support absolutely everything Trump says, like building a wall and deporting all 11 million illegal immigrants.”

The students who support Trump felt that it was hypocritical for the student body to be so hostile toward Trump supporters.

“This campus can be inclusive, but only to a point,” Spataro said. “Just like the world in general, they claim they’re inclusive, but up to a point.”

“A lot of students preach tolerance and open-mindedness,” Perera said. “But when someone comes that goes against their viewpoint, they automatically disregard all of that open-mindedness and tolerance. I think it hurts the dialogue. I always try to understand every side. You can’t demonize the people that hold a viewpoint; you have to try to understand them and where they are coming from.

That’s when you can have a constructive dialogue.”

Email Taylor Nicole Rogers at features@nyunews.com.

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM

OPINION

EDITED BY RICHARD SHU OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

CULTURE

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms and General Common Sense

By PARIS MARTINEAU Contributing Writer A controversial North Carolina law has brought the hotly contested topic of gender-neutral bathrooms to the forefront of the political sphere once again.

The unreasonable culture of fear regarding the implementation of these spaces often essentially boils down to two issues: safety and feasibility. Both of these concerns seem simple to address in the abstract, but are often hard selling points without verifiable proof. However, The Cooper Union’s recent pledge to change all of its on-campus restrooms to gender-neutral facilities will hopefully finally provide opponents of unisex restrooms with

the satisfactory evidence they so desire.

The Cooper Union’s plan is a viable model for the rest of the country; it has replaced all restroom gender signs with descriptive identifiers such as, “Restroom with Urinals and Stalls” and “Restroom with Only Stalls.” This move is a smart one; it doesn’t single out transgender individuals through the addition of a separate facility, and it has numerous benefits for cisgendered individuals who use public restrooms.

The added convenience of this setup seems obvious — the number of restrooms available to all people will double. This will mean shorter lines and less time search-

ing for the correct facility for your identified gender. Additionally, those with children will no longer have to consider the feasibility of using a public restroom with their young ones. Mothers can accompany their sons into the restroom without a second thought, and fathers with young infants will not have to worry about whether or not a changing table will be available in the men’s room.

With the numerous benefits associated with their implementation, it seems difficult to understand the widespread opposition towards gender-neutral facilities. The most common claim is that they will essentially sanction violent activity in restroom areas through the mixing of men and women in one facility. But not only have studies repeatedly proven this claim false, it also seems to completely defy common sense, as men and women exist in the world without segregation everyday.

These sort of statements are based solely on thinly-veiled discrimination. The umbrage that many take with gender-neutral restrooms is not one rooted in

feasibility, cost, or safety, but in a specific bias against the LGBTQ community members who would benefit from this much needed change. It is a bias so strong that it is impeding the implementation of facilities that would benefit not only LGBTQ students, but also the country as a whole. Lawmakers cannot continue to obstruct nationwide progress like this for the sake of their discriminatory beliefs. Gender-neutral bathrooms cannot and should not be allowed to become yet another casualty in the seemingly never-ending battle many are waging against LGBTQ equality.

Email Paris Martineau at opinion@nyunews.com

POLITICS

A New Course of Empathy in Refugee Politics

By EMILY FONG Deputy Opinion Editor Across Europe, an exodus is taking place. The inflow of refugees from the Middle East has created social tension across the continent, fueled the rise of nativism and contributed to paranoia and racism. National governments and the European Union are racing against time to find an effective and humane solution for their citizens and the people trying desperately to join them.

Times like these are a reminder of how even international events can touch our lives. Though not all of us have personally have met refugees, a nation’s treatment of them sets the precedent for how individ-

uals think and respond empathetically or otherwise. The rise of anti-refugee rhetoric in Germany, for example, has contributed to chaos on both sides of the debate. Pro-refugee officials are suddenly swamped with complaints, controversies and logistical nightmares.

Meanwhile, anti-refugee protests swell and overrun cities, determined to intimidate and force their agenda into the issue.

The most alarming part of this type of movement is how infectious it is. Consider the number of seemingly well-adjusted people who have seized onto xenophobia as a defense against a nation’s ills — it is a pattern that occurs over and over again

in history because finding a scapegoat is easier than having the necessarily complicated conversation about what is really going wrong. It is essential for any nation, including the United States, to be cognizant of this trend if that nation is going to combat it.

The Norwegian government works with nonprofit groups to stage refugee camp reenactments, for instance, as part

of a mandatory civics lesson.

European nations sometimes have what is called a “civic confirmation,” where young people participate in workshops to prepare them for the adult world. This way, Norwegian students are taught to seriously consider their position relative to the dangerous world that awaits those who are trapped in international limbo like refugees are. Norway’s government, and others like it, is taking an active role in trying to educate and ensure that the future of their nation takes a clear-headed and compassionate path.

This kind of civics training would not be applicable in every country, but that doesn’t

mean there is nothing we can do to educate ourselves and the people around us. Even taking a few seconds to stop and think about what it would be like to be in someone else’s shoes goes a long way towards learning to be more empathetic.

Especially for people who have resources, who aren’t struggling, there really is little excuse for scapegoating. As we’ve seen in this election cycle and ones like it around the world, it is far too easy to succumb to predatory feelings and anger. The optimist in me wants to believe that people are better than that.

Email Emily Fong at efong@nyunews.com.

GOVERNMENT

Keep Warren in the Senate — She Can Do More There

By MATTHEW PERRY Staff Writer With a string of crucial primary victories positioning Hillary Clinton as the presumptive Democratic nominee, pundits and casual politicos alike have shifted their attention to possible selections for the role of Vice President. Several names are being thrown around — Sherrod Brown, Julian Castro, even Bernie Sanders — but one candidate has excited the party base more than any other: Elizabeth Warren.

Long a darling of the progressive wing, Warren’s well-documented stances against corporate greed and excess assuage the very voters that Clinton’s cozy relationships with the financial sector aggravated.

Also, her experience as a Special Ad-

visor to the Secretary of Treasury, as well as her tenure in the Senate, preempt the “lack of executive experience” arguments that would plague other possible candidates. However, the most exciting option is not always the best one for the party. Elizabeth Warren is an influential, galvanizing politician who has the proper combination of policy expertise and personal charisma to spearhead national political movements. That power would languish if confined to the vice presidency.

Vice presidents do not shape legislation as much as advise presidents and conduct backdoor political bargaining. This is not to say that vice presidents cannot be powerful — vice presidents such as Dan Quayle

and Dick Cheney were infamous for how much influence they exerted on federal policy. Rather, their influence doesn’t extend beyond closed-door activities. This would waste Warren’s exceptional ability to generate headlines about her pet political causes — google “Elizabeth Warren Wall Street” if you have doubts — and her ability to champion progressive legislation.

As Senator, she can both shape

political narratives and actively craft congressional bills — actions that could result in more tangible progress than the somewhat empty back and forth that characterizes most vice presidential roles. Vice presidents can only advise those who shape political narratives, and are largely removed from directly impacting legislation — they can neither author nor vote on bills. Simply put, the vice presidency would seriously curtail Warren’s power.

Lastly, the argument that Warren would appease Bernie supporters, and thus boost Clinton’s electoral odds, misunderstands the impact of a vice president. It is unprecedented for a vice president to increase the electability

of the president who nominated them — their role is to be largely inoffensive, and have enough executive experience to make voters feel comfortable with them serving as president in an emergency. Warren meets these criteria, but so do other candidates who are much less vital to the Democrats’ congressional power. Tim Kaine, for example, is about as risk-free as a potential vice president could be.

Warren would not increase Clinton’s likelihood of being elected, but would certainly diminish the power of the Democratic Party to implement their policy goals via Congress.

Email Matthew Perry at opinion@nyunews.com.

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

OPINION

EDITED BY RICHARD SHU OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM

POLITICS

STAFF EDITORIAL

Sanders Campaign Lacks Coherency, Compass

By ABRAHAM GROSS Deputy Opinion Editor On Tuesday, the New York Daily News endorsed Hillary Clinton for President. The editorial seemed as much a rebuff of Bernie Sanders as an endorsement for Clinton, and for good reason. The Daily News’ interview with Sanders just a few days earlier rang alarm bells for many. Sanders has long been criticized for his weak foreign policy, but the interview poked holes in what has long been considered the candidate’s strong suit: his economic policy. Sanders’ platform is a populist facade, crumbling under the weight of a reality Sanders knows too little about.

It would be forgivable if Sanders did not know a simple statistic or disputed a projected outcome of a policy. But the interview exposed glaring holes in Sanders’s essential pitch to voters. When asked to describe exactly how he would break up the “big banks,” a prominent component of Sanders’s anti-Wall Street posture, the candidate caved. Sanders revealed that he was unsure which agencies even had the proper authority to regulate the banks, and in what capacity.

The candidate said he suspected that Wall Street executives could be prosecuted for the 2008 recession, but pled ignorance on what laws they violated.

The nucleus of Sanders’ campaign is a fury against an unjust system and a fundamental rebalancing of the economy — Sanders cannot justify his ignorance and lack of clear policy for core platform issues by saying he hasn’t “thought about it a whole lot.”

Sanders’s dithering performance, compared to Clinton’s detail-laden responses in an interview on Monday, reveals an essential truth: Sanders is in the business of peddling fantasy, not policy. An effective policy maker accompanies goals with the means to achieve them. Sanders promises free education, universal healthcare and minimum wage increases, but shirks at explaining how he’ll muster the bipartisan support to achieve

even a fragment of his proposals. His record, or lack thereof, does not help his cause: in 2015, Sanders wrote exactly zero bipartisan bills and has a poor record of gaining cosponsors.

Perhaps this is why Sanders has only mustered humble legislative victories in the past. These small achievements are achievements all the same, but they hardly cast a shadow on the grandiose reforms he now peddles.

Sanders has amplified his stump speech into a rallying cry for a more equitable society. His call to break up the “big banks” and fight the influence of “Wall Street” and the “billionaire class” harkens back to the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. And like the Occupy movement, Sanders has shown to be just as aimless. Much has been said about Donald Trump’s demagoguery, but Sanders is also guilty of plucking the discordant chords of rage rather than tuning his instrument and putting it to use. He has no melody, no harmony, no coherence at all — only the unlistenable din of a man with passion but without technique.

Email Abraham Gross at agross@nyunews.com.

UNIVERSITY LIFE

College Admissions Are Not Your Self-Worth

By RICHARD SHU Opinion Editor College admissions are unfair. This is the simple sentiment that prompted Megan Howard’s “A Letter of Protest to NYU,” which airs her grievances about her rejected application to the Stern School of Business, and which spoke to the frustrations of the admissions process as a whole. Admittedly, there is a lot of laughable material in the letter. Her throwaway invocation of trace Native American heritage, her overwrought reference to buying confetti cannons with her own credit card and her tendency to remark on the ethnicity of strangers’ take-away, to name a few. In a rapid-fire series of disconnected paragraphs she rattles off the reasons why she thinks she’s special, why she thinks she deserves to be admitted, why rejecting her was a terrible mistake. Her tone does her no favors. The whole letter carries with it the overt whiff of entitlement.

But with entitlement comes wounded pride, and wounded pride has been an unfortunate feature of the college admissions process for years.

Even now, settled at NYU and doing well academically, I can remember the trauma of my senior year at a magnet

SUBMITTING TO

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public high school. There was triumph and joy, sure, but also resentment and bad blood between friends, bloodshot and baggy eyes, frantic-turned-teary phone calls every time a top 20 school released its results.

All across America, teenagers report similar feelings of stress. For the most ambitious students, high school and adolescence have devolved into a fervent pursuit of academic and extracurricular perfection. In a well-to-do community near Silicon Valley, suicide clusters among high-performing students stand as a reminder that schools, parents and even universities have a lot to lose from the overwhelming pressure of college admissions. Stress can kill. It can precipitate dangerous mental health problems and leave developing adolescents shells of their former selves.

If the goal of a university admissions

department is to find intelligent, wellrounded and passionate students, the universities across the country would do well to reconsider the stress behemoth that their expectations have created. In order to combat this, there needs to be a major change in the way high schools view the path to higher education. Colleges should not be an end in and of themselves, nor an affirmation of one’s self-worth — only a stepping stone, as are all life experiences. The real end is the cultivation of a well-rounded, robust and passionate individual. College is an important part of that, but the agency and empowerment of the student should not be up for sacrifice.

However misguided Howard’s letter may have been, it speaks to an increasingly frustrated contingent of students who recognize, throughout the admissions process and even after they’ve enrolled, that their childhoods have been shortchanged. For all her conceit and self-centeredness, it’s at least encouraging to see that Howard’s spirit was not defeated. If only more of her peers could say the same.

Email Richard Shu at opinion@nyunews.com.

Judgment Day Looms for Hamilton Promises

In the five months he’s been president, Andrew Hamilton’s short tenure here at NYU has resulted in plenty of responses from us at the Washington Square News Editorial Board. Certain choice actions have received plenty of praise, such as the formation of the Affordability Steering Committee, the freezing of tuition increases and the creation of “How might we…?” events. Yet, many in the student community are concerned with the lack of actual implementation that has occurred. Hamilton has certainly proposed many idealistically sound plans, but it is still too soon to tell whether this is merely talk. Now that Hamilton is at the end of his grace period, the university expects to see some real change soon.

Over the last six months, Hamilton has made affordability the cornerstone of his administration. Several town hall meetings and the ASC’s public forum demonstrate Hamilton’s efforts to keep his ear to the ground concerning NYU’s rising cost of attendance. On the policy side, Hamilton has capped tuition growth at 2.9 percent and frozen costs of housing and meal plans for the 2016-2017 academic year. But Hamilton himself has noted that these are merely stopgap measures — the university’s financial woes are rooted in our dismal endowment. Commitment to affordability is a step in the right direction, but the total impact of these measures have yet to be realized.

Hamilton has thrown olive branches aplenty in the form of town halls and public discussions. Interacting with the student body is a valuable sign of engagement and may win popularity points, but it is not a substitute for direct involvement in the policy process. Instead, student leaders need to directly collaborate with the administration whilst regularly informing the student body about the details of policies under consideration.

Public discussions make for good PR, but the administration needs to institutionalize student involvement in order to further progress.

In a way, this first semester has been Hamilton’s learning period. He studied the particularities of our university, put in a few stopgap measures and defined his priorities as president.

Between the numerous public forums, the meet-and-greets, the regular emails and the ASC’s online idea forum, Hamilton’s attentiveness to the community has been a far cry from Sexton’s rather curt town halls. But as the new semester looms, the time to just learn is over. Now is the time to start doing. And with the release of the ASC report in the fall, Hamilton will have a plan that we’ll be able to hold him accountable for. Ultimately, this upcoming semester will demonstrate whether this administration has become the standard-bearer for the students or the new face of an old regime.

Email the WSN Editorial Board at opinion@nyunews.com.

EDITORIAL BOARD: Richard Shu (Chair), Emily Fong (Co-chair), Abraham Gross (Co-chair) STAFF PHOTO BY SAM BEARZI

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, JULY 14, 2016 | NYUNEWS.COM

SPORTS

EDITED BY MICHAEL THOMPSON SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Inside the Numbers: Diana King

By MICHAEL THOMPSON Sports Editor Although the NYU softball team is currently under .500 and dealing with the struggles every young team faces at some point or another, freshman hitting and pitching dual threat Diana King has made an immediate impact for the Violets.

In just several short months, King has sprung to the top of the Violets’ lineup, leading the team at the plate in addition to doing well on the mound.

24. King hasn’t been affected by any injuries in her freshman campaign, starting all 24 of the Violets’ games so far this season. .452. King has been inhuman with the bat this year, batting just a bit under .500. Interestingly enough, teammates senior captain Kahala Bonsignore and sophomore captain

Sage Scheiwiller both finished with higher averages last season — Bonsignore finished the season hitting at a remarkable .491 clip in 36 games. However, King has outhit them so far in 2016.

38. The freshman has been far and away this season’s hit leader, 16 hits ahead of second place Dakota Damiani.

7. King leads the Violets with seven home runs, four better than freshman utility player Claire Stefanelli and Molly Webber. In fact, King has nearly the same amount of homers as all of her teammates combined. Her homer tally is already the best in the team’s two-year history.

14. King leads the team with 13 multiple hit games, including four games in which she tallied at least three hits.

10. She’s also had the best

hitting streak for the Violets this season, notching a hit in 10 consecutive games earlier in the year.

20.

Even more impressively, King reached base in 20 straight games this season, though the streak was recently broken. .798. With easily the best slugging percentage on the team, King racks up the bases every game. Though Stefanelli currently has a .787 slugging percentage, she’s had 47 at bats compared to King’s 84.

20. King is also the team’s best in RBIs, though several players are in contention for the lead. Stefanelli has 18, while Cassi Parulis has batted in 14.

3.04. On the mound, King has been a steady member of the rotation. Her 3.04 ERA is the second best for qualifying NYU

Commute Places Strain on Baseball Team

By MICHAEL THOMPSON Sports Editor For freshman Eli Edwards, balancing NYU’s rigorous academic schedule with his love for baseball is always a challenge. However, the difficulties are magnified when the logistics of traveling from Point A to Point B are taken into consideration.

Frequently a bus or train ride away from his second job as a pitcher for the NYU baseball team, everything is a trip.

“I have to schedule all of my classes before 12 because our games usually start at one,” Edwards said. “It is really hard sometimes.”

Located in the middle of Manhattan, NYU’s athletic programs are constantly plagued by a lack of nearby real estate for practice and competition, and the team’s recently revived baseball team is a shining example of these difficulties. After being absorbed last year as a part of NYU’s deal to take over Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, the team found its home at the Brooklyn Cyclones’ MCU Park in Coney Island, approximately 14 miles southeast of Washington Square Park.

On a good day, a subway ride to the home of the New York Mets’ single-A affiliate for practice or a game takes about 60 minutes, and around 40 minutes via car. Edwards takes a team bus, and says it regularly takes about an hour each way.

“Right now the commuting on a bus to Coney Island is pretty annoying,” Edwards said. “But honestly our whole team has gotten used to it.”

VIA GONYUATHLETICS.COM

Freshman softball player Diana King led the Violets both on the mound and at the plate this season. starters. She’s even pitched a complete game this season. .484. With six walks in addition to her many hits, King’s on base percentage is also close to .500 this season. Facing the freshman is truly a 50/50 situation.

5. Speed hasn’t been an issue for King either. Though the team doesn’t attempt to steal much, King leads the way with five on the season.

Email Michael Thompson at mthompson@nyunews.com.

Is It Crazy to Predict a Subway World Series?

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The distance between campus and NYU baseball’s home field in Coney Island has proven to be a difficult factor for the team to manage.

This reluctant acceptance appears to be common among the university’s student athletes. The recent closure of the Coles Sports and Recreation Center has only further exacerbated the situation, putting the basketball and volleyball programs in a state of logistical limbo — both of those teams now practice and compete in Brooklyn.

Edwards, currently a relief pitcher for the Violets, has had to deal with going from having a field just a few steps away from class at Campbell Hall High School in Los Angeles to having to schedule his classes around his estimated commute. Before the season started, the situation was even worse. Due to the lack of fields in the city, Edwards and his team were forced to travel to New Jersey for night practices at the Professional Baseball Instruction center in Upper Saddle River, about an hour’s drive.

Frequently returning deep into the night, he admits the strain was beginning to wear on him.

“We had practices that ended at 1 a.m. in New Jersey, and I got back at 2 a.m., then [have] to go to class at 8,” he said.

Though the regular season allows him to have a semblance of normalcy in his schedule, Edwards doesn’t have the routine of the normal NYU student. Thankfully, he was able to set himself up

with a doable day-to-day plan, but it means early mornings and the occasional late night. Edwards is up early on Tuesdays and Thursdays for classes, but gets a bit of relief on Mondays and Wednesdays, where an extra hour of sleep allows him to arrive for his 9:30 a.m. class with a bit more energy.

Even with the workable schedule though, games that start at 1 p.m. on weekdays require Edwards to rush over to the field, just in time to get warmed up. If it’s not game day, Edwards has to take advantage of his relatively small timeframe to tend to his schoolwork.

“I get back around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. if I don’t have a game, which makes me do homework right after,” he said about his practice schedule. “But it hasn’t made me stay up that late now.”

Couple his school and sport schedule with his extracurricular activities, which include contributing to the university’s radio station, and every minute counts. But it’s a life that Edwards respects and has come to terms with.

“I’m focused on getting [my work] done as early as possible in the evening so I have time to sleep,” he said.

Email Michael Thompson at mthompson@nyunews.com.

By BRANDON HERRERA Staff Writer After a great run by the New York Mets, the squad is back for another shot at a World Series championship. In New York, they are now the kings of baseball.

With the addition of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, last year’s National League Champion gained some extra offensive help, but mostly kept last year’s NL Championship team intact. In the 2015 season, Cabrera owned a respectable batting average at .265. His nine seasons in the league should make the transition to the Mets a smooth one, and fans should expect to feel his presence early on in the season.

Another key to this season will be seeing if the can keep their ace, Matt Harvey, dominant on the hill. Now two years out of his Tommy John surgery, Harvey has the potential to have a career year. Last season, Harvey ranked sixth among qualified starters in ERA and seventh in WHIP. Harvey could be a key piece for the Mets this season on their road to redemption.

Over in the Bronx, the Yankees have also made some key additions to their roster as they prepare to compete in the American League East. After a disappointing end to the season, the Yankees seem to

have started working on replacing their once elite middle infield duo of Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano by picking up Starlin Castro and moving him over to second base. With Castro and Didi Gregorius now manning the four and six positions, the Yankees have a solid, young pair of great combo players. Both Gregorious and Starlin ended the year with batting averages of .265, and there is a lot of room for improvement for the two 26-year-olds in a top organization like the Yankees.

New York also added some firepower to their bullpen by acquiring closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman looks to be the finishing touch for the Yankees’ already strong pitching. The 100+ mph hurler and his fastball don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and once he comes out of a 40 game suspension, he will be a huge key to winning games for the Yankees.

Both the Mets and the Yankees will make some noise this season as they’re batting lineups are among some of the best in baseball. Pitching does not seem to be a problem for the two, either. As long as the teams can stay healthy, New York will continue to own baseball this season.

Email Brandon Herrera at sports@nyunews.com.

INFORMING YOU FIRST

NYUNEWS.COM

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

17

SPORTS

EDITED BY MICHAEL THOMPSON SPORTS@NYUNEWS.COM

Why NYU Sports Matter

By RACHEL RUECKER Deputy Sports Editor I, along with the small populace of this desk, am living living proof to discredit the oft-propagated notion that sports culture doesn’t exist at NYU. Just because we don’t have a top-tier athletic program full of Division I teams and all the ensuing tropes — football, cheerleaders, beer kegs and tailgating — doesn’t mean we don’t still have a sizeable contingent of students who live and breathe any given sport. Just ask our resident Sports Kid. If people don’t come to NYU for sports, fine. They come for name brand schools like Tisch and Stern, but most of all, they come for the one, the only, New York City. New York is a hotbed for sports culture, saturated by the presence of professional teams like the Mets, Giants, Knicks and Yankees. And they, amidst many more, all have avid followers. Walk just about anywhere in Manhattan on Rangers game day and you’re sure to see a myriad of jerseys and hats.

The thing about NYU students is that those who come here to play sports aren’t likely to move on with their athletic careers upon graduation. They’ll be par-

ents who tell their kids how they played college ball while driving them to their first practice at the local diamond. Whereas sports-crazed state schools are built to send players to the pros — and are often criticized for the emphasis placed on athletic accomplishments and talent during the admissions process — NYU athletes are scholars first, enriched by their athletic experience.

That said, the artists-only narrative that seems to permeate NYU’s landscape is an unfair one. I made my collegiate decision independent of the school’s sports culture because I am not an athlete. That doesn’t mean I don’t like sports.

Why else would I be here writing beneath a byline that says Deputy Sports Editor? NYU students like sports; they just don’t seem to like NYU sports. The real problem is that most of them don’t even stop to give them a chance, which is unfair to the program, the coaches, the administrators and of course, the athletes.

At the beginning of freshman year, I gave NYU sports a chance. I saw the WSN open house in my little NYU Guide app and nervously asked my roommate if she wanted to go.

She did.

And for some reason I stuck around. And I stuck around at the sports desk, of all places. Last semester, I let it be known at WSN that I was Canadian, and so when NYU’s hockey team hit the ice to start their season, guess who was desperate to cover it? But somewhere along the way, the fact that it was NYU sports that I was covering washed away, and it became about the team and the game, as it should with sports. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and you could catch me crying at the WSN office while watching what turned out to be the Violet hockey team’s last game of the season. Sports matter, no matter how small. And maybe NYU sports should matter just a little more to the students who aren’t suiting up to play them.

I love hockey, if that wasn’t already apparent. But as it happened, this year was not my team’s year. The Vancouver Canucks tried — you wouldn’t have thought so at some points this season — but in the end, the playoffs were not in the Hockey Gods’ divine plan this season. Did it break my heart? Absolutely. But the Violets, though not quite the National Hockey League, sort of helped bridge the hockey void in my heart. Add in the fact that

STAFF PHOTO BY MILES WEINRIB

NYU sports doesn’t have to change to be great — it already matters to so many people. most Canucks games don’t begin until 10 p.m. EST because of the three-hour time difference and the Violets became my go-to team.

But if either Sedin twin ever asks, I deny that last comment.

The point is, I became not just a follower, but a fan of an NYU team.

I went to a few games, and then a few more, and then before I knew it I was so invested that the aforementioned crying scene ensued.

NYU sports aren’t ESPN fodder.

There are no politics, no Gary Bettmans, no sexual assault scandals, just the good ol’ hockey game, or

whatever your sport-poison is. I watched the Violets without having to be distracted thinking of the billion-dollar industry behind it all. I just watched a little team that could.

So next year, if your team fails to clinch the season’s crown, or even play in the postseason, no matter what sport it is, consider exploring the NYU alternative, because you might just be ever-so-pleasantly surprised with what you find.

Email Rachel Ruecker at rruecker@nyunews.com.