Our Town Downtown March 29, 2012

THE MANDATE Learn the rules of modern dating (P11)

DISPATCH FROM THE CAPITOL School districts grapple with long term austerity (P4)

DOWNTOWN SOCIAL Hunger Games premiere lights up Chelsea (P2)

PUNJABI DELIGHT A secret hole in the wall serves curries and more to the cabbies of NYC (P10)

MARCH 29, 20 12 | W W W.NYP R E S S.COM

PLAYING THE

LONG CON ILLUSTRATION BY SAHAR VAHIDI

Simon Lovell, a former “alleged” grifter, takes his tale of redemption to the stage (P 6)

SATURDAY, MAR 31, 2012 Upper East Side St. Jean Baptiste School 173 E. 75th St. 12PM - 3PM

SUNDAY, APR 1, 2012 Upper West Side Congregation Rodeph Sholom 7 W. 83rd St. 12PM - 3PM

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS DOING THIS SUMMER? NewYorkFamilyCamps.com

DISPATCHES FROM AVENUE INSIDER

Fighting to make Lower Manhattan the greatest place to live, work, and raise a family.

Cinema Society’s Hunger Games premiere

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ordes of screaming fans lined 23rd Street in Chelsea recently for the Cinema Society’s screening of the highly anticipated Hunger Games. When asked what it was like organizing such a large-scale event, founder Andrew Saffir lauded, “I took a deep breath and braced myself for potential pandemonium, but all worked out in the end!”

The blockbuster premiere was chock-full of bold-face names. The film’s stars, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci and Isabelle Fuhrman, kept their cool as they crossed the packed red carpet, taking time to hand out autographs and pose for fans and paparazzi alike. Francisco Costa, creative director of co-sponsor Calvin Klein Collection, dressed some of the film’s stars in gorgeous pieces from the most recent collections. Lawrence left us speechless in an emerald green number featuring a dare-to-bare plunging neckline that defied the laws of gravity.

MORE PHOTOS AT AVENUEINSIDER.COM

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TEXT BY AMY MICHELLE SMITH

Assemblyman Shelly Silver If you need assistance, please contact my office at (212) 312-1420 or email silver@ assembly.state.ny.us.

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OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | MARCH 29, 2012

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School Daze: Dispatch from the Capitol As Cuomo pushes competitive grants, school districts come to terms with a permanent recession

| By Andrew J. HAwkins As budget negotiations entered their final stages recently, teachers and students crammed the halls of the Capitol, carrying signs and shouting slogans for increased school aid.

Given that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal this year raises education spending by 4 percent, an $805 million bump over last year, all of the activity seemed a bit superfluous.

But a brief glance at the fiscal woes of school districts across the state suggests otherwise.

Take the Haverstraw–Stony Point school district in northern Rockland County. It has lost $10 million in state aid over the last three years. It has laid off 118 staff members and will lose another 17 teachers this year.

Two of the five elementary schools have closed, as well as one middle school. Ninth graders are being pushed from middle school into high school to save money. And $11.6 million of the district’s annual budget is tied up in an ongoing court settlement with a local utility company.

Students there can expect fewer sports programs, advanced placement classes and music classes—and ongoing struggles to educate high-needs children.

“We have, in a year’s time, undergone an entire transformation,” said Deborah Gatti, president of the North Rockland Central School District. “We’re operating under an austerity system.”

And North Rockland isn’t alone. Dick Weisz, president of the Guilderland school board in Albany County, said his district has eliminated 40 teachers and 40 staff positions over the last two years and they are still looking at a $2.6 million budget deficit.

“It’s a sobering time,” he said. “Fewer adults means less education.”

Many school districts are chafing at the 2 percent property tax cap Cuomo signed into law last year, as well as a host of mandates they say drive up costs for localities and force layoffs and other cutbacks.

Much of that anger boiled over during a meeting between school board representatives and Budget Director Robert Megna in early March. Board members complained it would be “political suicide” to submit budgets that exceeded the 2 percent cap. Megna encouraged them to negotiate concessions with their local unions.

Tim Kremer, executive director of the New York School Boards Association, said he apologized to Megna after the meeting.

“I just don’t think he was in his element,” Kremer said. “They were not appreciating his responses.”

The message, though, was loud and clear, Kremer said: “Now we’re in deep, and it does not appear anything will change for us in the near future. In fact, a lot of districts talk as if this is a permanent feeling, this particular recession. It feels like we’re not going to recover from it. As some of these smaller, poorer, rural school districts say, ‘There’s just no way out of this hole.’ ” In a statement, Megna acknowledged that times were tough for schools around the state.

“The last few fiscal years have been difficult for all levels of government and we are pleased to have offered a long-term sustainable solu-

Budget Director Robert Megna. PHOTO COuRTesy Of Nys GOveRNOR’s OffiCe

tion to school finance by pegging aid increases to personal income growth,” Megna said. “This will result in a school aid increase of $805 million next year and more than $1.5 billion over the next two years, in addition to significant relief through pension reform. Working together, we can direct more resources to where they are most needed: the classroom.”

Cuomo is pushing a $250 million competitive grant program as a way to spur cash-strapped school districts to explore cost savings and shared services as a way to reduce expenditures.

School boards are urging the Legislature to scale back the performance grants, arguing many of the hardest hit school districts lack the skills and staffers—like grant writers—to compete for that pot of money.

But other groups say the grants are the only way to encourage districts to take the necessary steps to consolidate back-office

Cuomo’s ‘Intimate’ $15,000-a-Head Fundraiser | By Andrew J. HAwkins

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is not one to publicize his high-dollar campaign fundraisers, so it didn’t come as a complete shock that when a reader forwarded this invite to a recent fundraiser for Cuomo’s 2014 re-election campaign, I hadn’t seen it reported anywhere else.

The event was $15,000 a head and was held at Casa Leandrew cuomo ver restaurant on Park Avenue on Wednesday, March 7. The New York Times describes the restaurant like this: “Here now is a new Italian restaurant of

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the Manhattan old school, built for socialites and those who finance them, staffed by handsome, rakish men with huge wristwatches. It’s the sort of place where, in the movie based on a novel as yet unwritten by Dana Vachon, you might cast Anne Hathaway as the lead and Diane Keaton as her mom. You’re welcome, too. For all this, Casa Lever is a deeply likable restaurant. It’s very New York.”

The restaurant can hold a total of 160 people, so if the event was at capacity, Cuomo may have raked in $240,000. But that’s just an estimate. One fundraiser not involved with Cuomo’s campaign told me that donors are more likely to empty their wallets when invited to a small-room fundraiser like this one.

After all, who doesn’t like an intimate one-onone with the popular governor of New York?

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | MARCH 29, 2012

On March 7, the governor was in Albany with no public schedule. Same for the following day. Looks like he managed to slip down to New York City for the fundraiser and make it back to Albany with no one the wiser.

Interestingly enough, Casa Lever is based on the ground floor of Lever House, one of the first curtain-wall buildings in New York.

The building is owned by Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs, both big Cuomo donors.

Rosen, who along with his wife has donated $105,900 to the governor’s campaign, was quietly appointed by Cuomo last year as chair of the Council of the Arts. Fuchs has donated $45,000 to Cuomo.

And even more interestingly , a source tells me that several labor folk were in attendance at the event, including Hotel Trades

operations and save real money.

“There’s a status quo out there that’s done things traditionally, the old way. This is a more innovative and newer program that, quite frankly, awards school districts based on merit,” said Elizabeth Ling, New York State director of Democrats for Education Reform.

“That can be threatening to the status quo,” she said. “Even though the amount is relatively small, it’s easy to focus on that rather than making the system better.”

Both the Senate and the Assembly stripped the grant program from their one-house budget bills. But Ling said she is confident that the governor can convince lawmakers to restore the funding.

“There’s a lot of moving parts right now,” she said. “We’ll look to see how it works out.”

This article originally appeared in City & State. To read more, visit cityandstate.com.

Council President Peter Ward. Cuomo isn’t the most popular person in the labor community these days—several of the public sector unions have suspended their political activities in protest of the Legislature’s approval of Cuomo’s Tier VI pension reforms— but private sector unions and the building trades are still in the governor’s good graces.

Ward in particular has been working with the governor’s office on the legalization of casino gambling in New York, in the hopes of securing living wage jobs for future casino employees.

Back in January, Cuomo’s campaign reported having over $14 million cash on hand.

This piece originally appeared on the City & State website at cityandstateny.com.

� N E I G H BO R H O O D C HAT TE R LOWER MANHATTAN DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE UNVEILS WEB PROMOTION fOR LOCAL RETAILERS With more than 1,100 retailers and restaurants and 18 hotels based in Lower Manhattan, it’s hard to keep up with all the diverse merchants—new and old—below Chambers Street. The Downtown Alliance announced its new web-based promotional initiative, “Downtown Deals,” which spotlights deals and special offers available from Lower Manhattan’s growing retail and cultural communities.

Downtown Deals is a free place for Lower Manhattan businesses and organizations to promote offers, discounts or free services.

Business owners, museums and other organizations—as long as they are south of Chambers Street—can submit deals directly online.

“A global model for a 21st-century central business district, Lower Manhattan truly has something for everyone, and the Downtown Alliance is excited to support our retailers and museums and showcase the fabulous deals our growing neighborhood has to offer,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, president of the Downtown Alliance. “Through supporting our local businesses, we are creating a ‘must-see’ and ‘must-do’ venue for Lower Manhattan’s 309,000 workers, 57,000 residents and 9.8 million annual visitors.”

Some exciting deals that are already available include introductory weekend rates at the Conrad Hotel, two-for-one general admission at the South Street Seaport Museum and a free six-piece maki roll at Koodo Sushi with a purchase of $25 or more, among many others. To see the Downtown Deals, go to www. downtownny.com/downtown-deals.

a public conference call to discuss its plans and to accept public comment.

The World Trade Center Health Program, headed by Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), provides medical monitoring and treatment for those who became ill as a result of the 9/11 attacks and conducts research into emerging 9/11-related health conditions.

The STAC was created under the Zadroga Act to advise Howard on the implications of 9/11-related medical research and to issue recommendations on adding coverage for new conditions under the bill.

GREENWICH VILLAGE NYU fACULTY, STUDENTS, TENANTS AND ALUMNI URgE STRINgER TO VOTE “NO” Leaders of community groups throughout Lower Manhattan and representatives of NYU faculty, students, alumni and tenants gathered on the steps of City Hall last week to call upon Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to hold a public hearing and to vote “no” on the NYU 2031 Village Expansion Plan, according to a release distributed by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP). Stringer has until April 11 to issue his recommendation on the plan.

While the borough president is not required to hold a public hearing, he has done so with similar land use applications, such as the Columbia expansion plan and the Solow development in the East 30s. The GVSHP delivered more than 2,500 petition signatures to Stringer urging him to reject the plan following the press conference.

NYU is seeking to build 2.5 million square feet of new space on the blocks south of Washington Square Park. However, the university is currently prohibited from adding any new buildings to these blocks due to zoning restrictions and urban renewal deed restrictions.

9/11 HEALTH BILL AUTHORS HAIL PROgRESS TOWARD ADDINg COVERAgE fOR CANCERS Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Peter King, authors of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, issued the following joint statement in response to the recent publication of email communications by members of the World Trade Center Science/Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) that show that the Committee is making progress toward advocating that cancers be covered under the Zadroga Act: “The materials posted today on the NIOSH website show that we are making real progress in adding coverage for cancers under the Zadroga Act, and that the process created under the bill to evaluate emerging 9/11-related conditions is working. We are grateful to the members of the Science Advisory Committee for their hard work on this issue and their dedication to the health of those who fell ill because of their service to America in the aftermath of 9/11.

“Once the Committee’s recommendations are finalized later this month, we are sure that [Program Administrator Dr. John] Howard will render quickly a final decision on adding coverage for 9/11-related cancers.”

This Wednesday, March 28, the STAC held march 29, 2012 | nypr e ss.com

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The F r i e n d ly Con Man

Alleged ex-con Simon Lovell, who performs his life story every Saturday at The Huron Club in Soho. PHOTO BY PATRiCiA VOulgARis, sTAge PHOTO COuRTesY Of sOHO PlAYHOuse

Inside the life of a grifter | By Leonora Desar “For this, you have to be prepared to come along for the ride, my friends. Are you prepared to come along for the ride?”

Simon Lovell steps on stage into a muted patch of light and squints out at The Huron Club in Soho. He’s mid-fiftiesish, with gray-glazed hair casting a strange halo over his aged, baby-faced features. A too-large worn brown sports coat billows and creases over his rail-thin frame.

“It’s basically just the story of my life,” he drawls, his English accent dripping from every syllable. “The story of how, as a small child, I fell in love with doing card tricks then fell out of love with doing card tricks, allegedly became a career con man and criminal, maybe did a bit of jail time and then, not surprisingly, fell in love with doing magic tricks again.”

Lovell is doing now what he has done so well almost every Saturday night stretching back over the past seven years—he’s giving us a show. It’s the performance of his one-man piece, Simon Lovell’s Strange and Unusual Hobbies, to be exact, of which he is both star and writer, offering a glimpse into his life as an alleged former grifter.

Did you catch that word in there— “alleged?” As he later tells me, “Could be true, but might not be!”

“All of this”—everything he will say about his life—“comes with ‘allegedly’ in front of every statement.”

Little do I know it, but I am about to hear stories about illegal high-stakes card games, scores gone wrong and how to spot the perfect victim (“rich people wear good shoes,” Lovell observes). I will learn about how he got his start as an alleged con man and about how it all came to an unexpected end.

But with everything couched in his elusive disclaimer, what can I possibly believe?

“You have to live out of two suitcases,” he told me over a drink the night of his show.

“Be ready to leave the moment someone rats, the moment it all goes bust. You can’t have friends. You can’t feel guilt. You have to have 10 driver’s licenses. Twelve passports. You’re completely invisible. You’re like a ghost.”

Sipping his drink, he said, “A great con man is like a great salesman. I’ve done a lot of talks with salespeople, I’ve even written manuals for some rather large companies, and one of the things I stress to them completely is that you don’t ever try to sell something to

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somebody. The higher the price, the less you try to sell it. What you do is you try to create an emotional hole in them, where they think that object will fill that emotional hole.”

OK, so how does a great con man get his start?

From another great con man, no doubt—Lovell’s grandfather.

“My grandfather, he was this shady guy who would go away for a few weeks and come back and have pockets full of cash. And I think he just saw something in me…he saw this little look in my eye. He took great delight in me beating people coming into the bar at pool standing on my little box and then, later on, he started teaching me an awful lot more.”

One of those later lessons was in the dip— that’s con-speak for pickpocketing—which Lovell claims he pulled off for the first time at the age of 9 or 10. By 14 or 15, he upped his game to art fraud and high-stakes cards. Soon enough, it became his living.Allegedly.

“When you get involved in that business, it’s like getting on a roller coaster, because you start meeting people, they start asking you to do something and you do something for them, and it’s a ride that’s very difficult to get off. But it’s such a great life, it’s such an easy life.”

But in spite of what you might think, it wasn’t about the money. No, it was about the rush.

“It’s about knowing you can manipulate people and take their little heart and go, gotcha.”

South Africa. Zambia. Australia. Chile.

Argentina. Belize. Wales. He’s been to them all and played in them all.

Until one day, when he was about 35 years old and, suddenly, he no longer could.

“I just had a complete meltdown at one point. I just apparently took a guy for a not inconsiderable sum of money—he started weeping. And I just couldn’t stand it anymore; I gave him some of the money back. Now, I didn’t give him all of the money back—I’m not an idiot. But at that point, I couldn’t help myself, I gave him 25 grand back.

“I went back to my hotel room and I thought, OK, you can’t do it anymore, because once you start to care, you’ve lost your edge…”

So how much did he make before he quit the game?

“I wouldn’t say what I made but I will tell you, a good proposition guy would make half a million a year, a good art fraud guy can make two million a year.”

What about jail?

OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | MARCH 29, 2012

“Ohhhhh,” he cooed. “Let’s just say I’ve been in trouble from time to time, but there are no records. Records have a way of vanishing.”

Two weeks later, I’m on a subway then a bus to Forest Hills, Queens, to meet Lovell at his “local watering hole.” Lovell ambled in, disheveled, in his familiar brown sports jacket. And just like that, it all starts up again.

“First of all,” he said, sipping a beer, “Most people don’t want to report a con if they realize they’ve been conned because they feel like idiots. And they think the police will laugh at them—which, by the way, they will, behind their back; ‘You fell for that?’ They’ll do their due diligence, they’ll try to do their job, but by then the con man is long gone and they don’t even remember what he looks like.

“I told you: You have to be invisible. See, I’m gone. No, I’m back again—you’ll blur the issue, you’ll confuse everything. You know those film shots where you put Vaseline on the lens? That’s what you do to that person; you Vaseline their eyes so they can’t quite remember the significant timeline or what actually happened.”

It was a feeling I was beginning to know

all too well. I throw it out there: Which part of his story is real and which is just alleged, I had begun to wonder?

“I’m not answering that, I’m sorry,” he said. “Just say that everything is alleged… allegedly. You won’t find a police record on me anywhere in the world.

“It’s all about being nice to people,” he said with something like a smile, “and letting them trust you, even though they shouldn’t.

And studying people. Study their weaknesses. Study their strengths. Exploit both.”

Both?

“You can push a little bit. See where they’re going to get a little frisky on you.

Play any role—any role that they want you to play. Let them almost con you, if you like. But you’re in control.”

But how do you know what role to play?

“Well, what role do you want me to play?” he asked, locking eyes. “The friendly con man you’re interviewing…It doesn’t mean I can’t still take your college fund or your job or your house. But that’s the person you wanted me to play.

“Oh, I’m being very open with you, honestly, I really am. I know that’s good, coming from a con man, but honestly I am. But that’s just an example of—what did you expect of me? A professional con man who’s reformed, who’s friendly. And what did you meet? A professional con man who’s reformed, who’s friendly…

“That’s the answer to your question.

You give people what they want to see.”

Simon Lovell’s Strange and Unusual Hobbies, Saturdays at 7p.m. at The Huron Club at The SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam St. (betw. Sixth Ave. & Varick St.), www.sohoplayhouse.com.

THE 7-DAY PLAN THURSDAY

29 30 31 01 02 03 04

BEST PICK

FREE

Let There Be Light: A LowLine Exhibit [4/1]

Mark Miller Gallery, 92 Orchard St. (betw. Broome & Delancey Sts.), delanceyunderground.org; 12 p.m.

If you haven’t gotten on board with the LowLine park project yet, now is your chance. Meet Dan Barasch and James Ramsey, the co-founders of The Delancey Underground, as they open a monthlong exhibition showcasing their unique vision for the Lower East Side. Besides the opportunity to ask questions and discover the park, visitors will be able to become a part of the park by pledging donations as small as $1 to its development.

Play:List Presented by Tubefilter and YouTube 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St.(betw. Desbrosses & Vestry Sts.), 92y.org; 7 p.m., $12.

Come watch a showcase of some of online video’s finest content curated by Internet and Hollywood superstars and entertainment industry notables. This month’s installment of Play:List features guest curator Grace Helbig from MyDamnChannel’s Daily Grace and hosts Josh Cohen of Tubefilter and Sofia Sheth of YouTube.

FRIDAY

❮

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

FREE Roll to Proceed

DJ Johnny Dynell Bubble Lounge, 228 W. Broadway (betw. Moore & Franklin Sts.); 10 p.m. $25.

With a nostalgic playlist that features some of the greatest tunes from the ’80s and ’90s and the newest house music from Ibiza and London, DJ Johnny Dynell will give you a reason to get up and dance. Plus, with no cover at the door, the only difficult decision of this sure-fire classic night will involve the champagne menu.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Chapel, 209 Broadway (at Fulton St.), trinitywallst.org; 3 p.m.

An homage to Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Passion According to St. John, often considered the “leaner, more intensely dramatic cousin” of St. Matthew’s Passion.

Presented in its original liturgical context for a modern audience, this presentation will be accompanied by hymns, prayer and a sermon by the Rev. Canon John Andrew.

The Red Room, 85 E. 4th St. (betw. Bowery & 2nd Ave.), horsetrade.info; 10:30 p.m.

It’s a game of chance when the audience sits down for a performance of Roll to Proceed. The play’s core function is to highlight the element of chance. Audience members will roll the dice to determine the play’s direction at several key stages. With 72 possible outcomes, Roll to Proceed is sure to remain an interesting, fresh production throughout its run.

FREE UNCENSORED: Queer Art and the Church

Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, 26 Wooster St. (betw. Grand & Canal Sts.), leslielohman.org.

In response to the local Catholic Church’s recent call to censor the exhibit Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture at the Brooklyn Museum, the LeslieLohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art is hosting Uncensored: Queer Art and the Church, a weeklong exhibition to which anyone may submit artwork. All submitted artwork will be shown.

Faceboyz Folliez Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery (betw. Bleecker & Houston Sts.), bowerypoetry.com; 10 p.m., $10.

With a show that can only be defined as no-holds-barred, this April Fool’s Day edition of Faceboyz Folliez features staples that have made it a guilty pleasure for so many.

Acts include burlesque, live music and twisted cinema. And of course, what would Faceboyz Folliez do to us if we didn’t mention the “booty dance” contest they’re going to hold?

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TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

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Clemente Soto Velez Center in Teatro LATEA, 107 Suffolk St., Rm. 201 (betw. Delancey & Rivington Sts.), earthcelebrations.com; 12 p.m.

Try on your own costume with help from Lucrecia Novoa, who has been crafting masks, puppets and costumes for over a decade. Her pursuit of knowledge and experience has sent her to the University of Chile, the Massachusetts College of Arts and various locations throughout the Northeast, where she has been influenced by several cultures and styles of costume.

MONDAY

Submissions can be sent to otdowntown@manhattanmedia.com.

4:44 Last Day on Earth IFC Center, 323 6th Ave. (at W. 3rd St.), ifccenter.com; $13.

Faced with the impending apocalypse, William Dafoe and Shanyn Leigh portray a NYC couple who, when faced with death, retreat into the simple pleasures of humanity, sex and art. With a riveting farewell, they become a microcosm of New York City’s last small miracle.

FREE Hudson River Pageant Costume Workshop

FREE Palm Sunday Passion Service

Visit nypress.com for the latest updates on local events.

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FREE Heroes, Saints and the Righteous: The

Case of Giovanni Palatucci Casa Italiana at NYU, 24 W. 12th St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), www.casaitaliananyu.org; 6:30 p.m.

A panel of notables, from the Hon. Natalia Quintavalle, consul general of Italy, to Marco Coslovich, author of Giovanni Palatucci: A Righteous Memory, will present their findings on this enigmatic figure, an Italian police officer who saved thousands of Jews from deportation to Nazi concentration camps.

News Paper Spires Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Pl. (at 1st Pl. ); 12 p.m., $5.

With a display of “Newspaper Row” along the east side of City Hall Park, iconic papers like the Times, Tribune, Post and World broke the news on the streets, sent it in the heavens at the top of their buildings and printed it in the bowels of city skyscrapers.

FREE Spoken Mischief

(Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St. (betw. Sullivan & Thompson Sts.), lepoissonrouge.com; 6:30 p.m.

Writers, poets and spoken word artists strut their literary stuff and snuff the corporate establishments that have censored or rejected their work because it falls outside of the lines.

Citizen Cope: An Intimate Solo Performance City Winery, 155 Varick St. (betw. Spring & Vandam Sts.), citywinery.com; 8 p.m., $42.

Citizen Cope’s artistic talents have landed him feature spots alongside stars like Dido and Santana, yet his talent has never led him astray. Rather, he’s been guided by his soothing lyrics and Maroon 5 vocal qualities.

Recognizing the Animal 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St. (betw. Desbrosses & Vestry Sts.), 92y.org; 7:30 p.m., $12.

Rather than walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, filmmaker Sam Easterson asks his viewers to take their shoes off entirely and experience the world on all fours as he displays a first-“person” perspective on the world through an animal’s eyes. And when Isabella Rossellini forces us to “peek through the bedroom door,” you will be astonished at how similar—and how different—the experience of mating is for other animals.

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MARCH 29, 2012 | NYPR E SS.COM

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PennileSS ePicure

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| By Josh Perilo

i

n an issue of Saveur magazine, the cover story posed the question “what was the greatest meal you ever had?” to 25 notable writers and personalities.

When I read that query, I immediately started scanning through the volumes of my own amazing food memories, some recent and some from long ago. To avoid being influenced by the responses inside, I ran home and began delving into my foodie past.

I knew that there had to be one meal that was some kind of epicure lynchpin.

My mind immediately raced to the last “amazing” meal I had, which was at a restaurant. The night I proposed to my wife, I took us to La Grenouille (3 E. 52nd St., 212752-1495), the old-school French bastion of mid-20th-century haute cuisine. I had toiled over the choice of restaurant for months beforehand. This had to be the meal to end all meals. The cuisine was important, but I knew that this night had to be about more than just a plate of good grub.

That is exactly what we got. The food was

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satisfyingly indulgent in a way that modern high cuisine just doesn’t get. Instead of blowing the diner’s mind with food combinations that had never been thought of before, the attention was put on the handful of rich, high-quality ingredients that were used to construct plates with serious intensity of flavor. But the food wasn’t the sum total of the experience, as I had hoped it wouldn’t be.

For anyone that has visited La Grenouille, they know that the room itself is reason enough to go. Old-school down to its extremely formal butler service, this is a place that crosses its Ts and dots its Is when, it seems, few restaurants even know how to write their own name.

While probably the ultimate restaurant experience of my life, I knew there was an even greater meal from much farther back.

All the way back, in fact, to a quiet evening at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Kansas City in the late ’80s. Every summer, each grandchild would spend a week hosted by Grandma and Grandpa Hatfield; it was like a mini private vacation for us all.

I received my passion for cooking from

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Grandma Hatfield, and my week every summer in KC was when I indulged my culinary fantasies.

Chocolate cheesecake, chicken gumbo, wiener schnitzel… I experienced all of the great recipes of the world with her. One summer night, however, she had a surprise waiting for me.

“One of grandpa’s friends is a hunter,” she explained, pulling a frosty bag from the freezer, “and he gave us several pheasant that he shot a couple of weeks ago.”

Pheasant. Just the arcane notion of eating the flesh of a bird that wasn’t from the breast of a chicken made me start to salivate.

“I saved them until you came because I knew that you would appreciate them.”

This was a handpicked, specially designed meal, just for me. My grandmother braised the pheasants in sauerkraut, cider and caraway seeds, and served the mixture over white rice. And it remains the single greatest taste I have ever experienced to this day.

And yet, it was so simple. I thought the same thing as I took the first bite of veal kidneys in cognac and mustard sauce at La Grenouille. The waiter bent in to ask: “How is it?”

I paused, then said, “It’s perfect. It’s so simple.”

“Ah yes,” he chuckled, straightening himself back up. “It is like how grand-mère would make, no?”

Yes. Exactly like how she would make.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshperilo.

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OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | MARCH 29, 2012

� SE E

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‘Hunger’ plays TV games

| By Armond WHiTe On the most superficial level, The Hunger Games is about a futuristic post-war society called Panem sacrificing its young people in a gladiatorial survival tournament. Each district in Panem sends a female and male Tribute, chosen by blood-type lottery, to fend for themselves in the wild as part of a lethal game overseen by surveillance cameras and assorted holographic traps and menaces. In all, a typical video game premise.

But at its only interesting level, The Hunger Games represents the latest bread and circuses. Modern desperation is embedded in its simplistic tale of Tributes Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), teenagers from the impoverished District 12 (formerly Appalachia). Their lack of political sophistication—worse than naïveté—matches that of the filmmakers.

To look at The Hunger Games only in plot terms avoids its dread significance: The smarter society thinks it becomes, the more gullible and dupable it is by the commercial

and political forces that control it.

The oddest thing about The Hunger Games, given its cynical plot, is the absence of cautionary irony. Despite Lawrence’s Southern-girl warmth (well used in The Beaver), bow-and-arrow huntress Katniss shows as few intellectual resources as the mainstream media’s depiction of Sarah Palin. Gary Ross’ admittedly peculiar directorial style reduces Katniss and Peeta to post-Internet Neanderthals. Their extended battle royale is what movie shills routinely call “breath-bating adventure.” We are indeed through the looking glass if movies are designed to have no meaning beyond their immediate storylines or marketing points.

Based on novels by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is another demi-phenomenon like the Harry Potter, Twilight and Toy Story franchises. These movies are second-phase commercial exchanges whose only purpose is to confirm the first phase. Each is a paradigm of how perfectly badly the system works: substandard product relying on hype, not insight into the human soul.

If The Hunger Games was any good at all, it would have discussable themes—ambition,

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The Hunger Games hits bottom when Katniss and Peeta kiss; the applauding audience becomes suckers for the exact same tricks played on Katniss and Peeta—Ross dulls their perception and lowers their responses. As with Stanley Tucci’s ludicrous exaggeration of an Oprah Winfrey-style TV host, breadand-circuses ringmaster Ross offers a tent pole blockbuster that is essentially a television show. Its lack of satire invites the public’s dumb gullibility.

patriotism, faith, desire, disillusionment. Ross’ superficiality leaves only a time-killing preoccupation with “action,” a dulling substitute for narrative. This derives from the mobius strip quality of TV shows like 24 and Lost, superficial, never-ending stories. Look how blandly Ross depicts the dinner table conflict between contestants and their mentors (Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson); Ross can’t even make beauty out of Katniss finding a blue butterfly in the woods. With no philosophy to think about, The Hunger Games’ aesthetic

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OU R TOWN DOWNTOWN | MARCH 29, 2012

� EAT Follow That Cab Punjabi Deli is a local spot for one of New York’s many kinds of locals | BY RegaN HofmaNN

When you travel, the first thing you’re told is to eat where the locals eat. Skip the tourist traps and the corporate cafeterias and look for the unassuming place packed with people all speaking the same language—preferably not the one you speak.

A New York local, however, is a different kind of animal. We’ll tell you how to ride the subway without eliciting snickers from your fellow travelers and what you should never order from a bodega deli counter, but we don’t have a common food culture and you’d be hard-pressed to get a unanimous recommendation for the best...anything.

That’s because this city is home to a thousand different kinds of locals, each with a three-square-block hometown to call their own. Japanese students congregate on St. Mark’s Place, while their salaryman counterparts can be found in the East 50s.

Steinway Street in Astoria is, at various points, Little Egypt, Little Morocco and Little Jordan. Yorkville, on the Upper East Side, has an annual German-American Steuben parade.

But there’s an even smaller New York subset: cab drivers. In large part of South Asian origin, these locals look not only for food that tastes the way it’s supposed to but for a quick, no-nonsense experience that, preferably, offers more than just food to make the pit stop worthwhile. These are not necessarily found in the same ethnic enclaves; taxi drivers’ neighborhoods are the busiest through streets of the city, the routes they travel most often to get fares wherever they’re going. Roti Boti in Queens, for example, is on 21st Street, the primary approach to the Queensboro Bridge. The large cafeteria-style restaurant also offers phone cards and money orders.

The apotheosis of these is Punjabi Deli & Grocery, on East Houston where it collides with 1st Street (114 E. 1st St., betw. Ave. A & 1st Ave.). The slightly subterranean entrance is faintly unsavory, another LES storefront that looks better suited for homeless naps than luring in passersby. From the sidewalk, all you can see is a narrow space with refrigerated cases on one side and a rickety counter running the length of the other. A cashier at the front is surrounded by what look like the usual bodega sundries: cigarettes, questionable herbal supplements, candy bars and Advil. The green awning gives nothing away but for the red starburst in the upper right corner: “100% vegetarian.”

Punjabi Deli & Grocery serves homemade Indian food, cheap. JASON LAM | MigHtySweet.COM pHOtO

That starburst, far from being a beacon to the area’s gluten-free power vegans, is a secret handshake for the city’s Hindu, Muslim and otherwise religiously restricted cabbies. Those refrigerated cases hold, rather than questionable tuna salad and some forlorn black-and-white cookies from a factory in Bay Ridge, an array of curries to rival any Lahori mother’s. Chickpeas to eggplant, saag to dal; the offerings rotate but tend to cycle through a dozen or so favorites. To make it easier (or to speed up the process for those who left the meter running), the trays are numbered, so if you haven’t a clue what any of it is and the line forming behind you is getting impatient, just call out your lucky numbers and see what you get.

A small is two items over rice—if you’re a small army looking to refuel, large gets you three. There is no reason you will need more food than this, but if you don’t get the samosa chaat, a potato samosa split and topped with curried chickpeas, onions and yogurt, you may have trouble hailing a cab again in this town. Word gets around. You can also have your meal with roti either in place of or in addition to the rice—sometimes this is a fantastic idea, but the bread occasionally suffers from having lingered too long and being reheated in the microwave.

Right, did we mention the microwaves?

When you’ve decided on the lucky numbers of the day, your selections are ladled into a styrofoam bowl and nuked in one of the many machines lined up for duty. At busy hours their hum and intermittent beeping never lets up, an industrial lullaby to your impending food coma. It ain’t pretty, but that’s not why you’re here.

Oh, and that bodega detritus up front?

Tucked among the gum and foil packets of painkillers are a chai station and Bollywood DVDs and CDs, sure to be the soundtrack to your next ride home from this local’s spot to your own.

the mandate

The man with all the answers Dear Mandate, Have I been living under a rock for the past 10 years? I am completely incapable of playing “The Game.”What are the rules? When do they apply? Help!

Disclaimer: The following is in no way a statement that men are the sex that should be pursued. In my total and utter belief, the old renaissance idea of courtship is ideal, complete with white powdered faces, pocket watches and line dancing. However, given the nature of this question, I will be focusing on the ways to pursue a man based on the kind of relationship you seek.

Given this disclaimer, the following is not a He’s Just Not That Into You sort of self-help post. If he’s not into you, drop him. He’s not worth wasting your time.

One-Nighter Men aren’t the only ones who need sex.

Fact. It’s not talked about as much, and the old double standard of “player” to “slut” is a sad presence in our (somewhat) evolved present.

Women should enjoy their sexual appetites to the fullest of their capabilities. We only live once, right?

Even so, if you’re really looking for a quick hit and run, best not to talk about it with your friends. They will try to discourage you, which will in no way help loosen your inhibitions.

It’s a common misconception that in the

pursuit of the male species, women should go out and group up. We men are children—very sensitive children. It’s hard to move past the cowardice of breaking the ice with one woman, much less seven of them. By all means, go out with your girlfriends and be on the hunt, but I recommend you split off from the group as quickly as possible.

Plant yourself in densely populated area (i.e., by the bar, on the dance floor). Ingrain yourself as at once part of the crowd and removed from it. When the right guy asks to buy you a drink, think about it for a second. Do not immediately nod your head. Think it over, shrug your shoulders as if to say, “Why not?” and head to the bar. Play the mysterious one.

You’re most likely in a bar or a nightclub; there are too many aural and visual stimulants for us to comprehend long, drawn-out statements, so make physical contact. If it’s a younger guy you’re looking for, play with his hair. He’s still vulnerable to mommy syndrome, and this coddling will have him cooing in your hands. If it’s an older man, go for the forearm or upper arm. It’ll give him a chance to feel muscular and at ease.

If you get this far, you’re in. Take him home and kick him out. If he wants to take you out and you’re into it, go for it. If you don’t ever want to see the dude again, tell him you have a boyfriend. It gives him a story and lets him down easy.

Sex Buddies Ahhh, doom of the doomed. That fickle, two-backed beast of mischief: sex buddies.

Friends with benefits. No strings attached. The tango of the tempest.

If you really want to give this a shot (and I highly recommend that you do not), you will need guile. You should already have someone in mind, most likely a new male friend. There should be an obvious mutual attraction, but the way you two can hang should be right on the line between romantic and platonic. “Grab dinner, then grab a beer?” Perfect.

Eventually, the topic of sex will come up—this is where the tricks begin. Personally, I’ve found that the women I’ve had casual sex relationships with tend to start off by saying that they don’t get emotionally connected to most of the men they sleep with. They say this as if to put me at ease.

I’ve talked to other guys about this and they all agree: We don’t believe you. It only freaks us out more. Immediately, our mind races to the thought what if I’m the first one she likes? We get scared and wait for the inevitable.

Even if it’s true, why talk about it? What good does it do? None. Prove it through action. Once the relationship begins, be ready for drama on either side. One of you guys is going to try to turn this into a booty call, and there is a definite difference between the two.

You need to be mature about it.

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Remember that you started as friends and have now integrated sex into the great relationship you had before. Don‘t let things get weird, making it solely about the sex; it will dwindle into rage and hurt feelings. Always have a backup, whether it’s someone you’re casually dating or just someone to boost your ego on the nights when your buddy is being an idiot.

This goes for men as well. Feelings will get hurt if all energy is focused on one individual when something as personal as sex is handled immaturely.

Relationship This is probably the simplest of all. Weird, right? There’s just one major factor to it: Wait. Dear God, wait! If you seriously want a relationship with the guy you’re seeing (and be sure you do), wait as long as you possibly can to have sex with him. When men sleep with someone on the first date, they lose interest in the personality. Their brains kickstart from getting to know you to getting laid by you.

The getting-to-know-you part is when you find out about compatibility. I’m not saying pull a Sister Mary—foreplay is more than welcome.

I’m just saying no sex for the first few weeks, the longer you can hold back , the better off you’ll be. Do not get possessive or needy—think about how big of a turn-off that is when guys do it to you. What goes around comes around.

To read more of The Mandate, visit nypress.com.

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continuing education

To Tutor Or Not to Tutor When all the other kids have one, it is hard not to want to give your child the same advantage.

But before you hire a tutor, there are issues to consider.

By Rebecca Tucker and Irene Daria The Reasons To ConsideR a TuToR

1. Your kid is falling behind in class. In private schools and competitive public schools, the academics are often accelerated, so naturally there are children who have a tough time keeping up in certain subjects. A good tutor should be able to give you an informed sense of how your child is doing, whether he can rebound on his own or could use some help, and if the school seems to be falling short in some way. A child may be struggling because she has a learning issue, she’s rebelling, she has a poor teacher or poor learning habits. Often, a child won’t swallow help from the people she’s unhappy with, which is why an objective third party who is not a teacher or a parent can be a good idea.

2. Your kid is applying to a competitive school. At almost every level, from nursery school to college, there are common tests used to help judge a prospective applicant. Specialized tutors typically can help boost your kid’s score.

3. You want enrichment for your kid. Parents (and students) can be so focused on performance and admissions issues that they never stop to consider a tutor for pure educational interest.

A child may want to nurture his or her interest in a particular subject, feel more challenged or get more individualized attention than they’re getting at school.

The Reasons To QuesTion iT 1. The work may be too advanced.

Some schools and some parents expect children to perform at academic levels for which they are not ready. We want children to know more and more at earlier ages, but knowing more doesn’t make them smarter. Cramming a kid’s head too full of information and not taking age-appropriate development into account could push him too far too fast and potentially turn him off to learning.

get a tutor, a child still has to have enough downtime to do the things he finds fun, like sports, video games or playing with his friends.

3. A child’s homework performance can be misleading. Trouble in one school subject might only be a piece of an underlying learning difficulty. Before going the tutoring route, parents should chat with teachers about a child’s performance.

A teacher may recommend testing for a child to see if there is underlying learning issue; if that turns out to be the case, you can hire a tutor specially trained to address that particular problem. But if your child’s teacher says your child is doing fine in most areas, then look for a tutor in the specific trouble subject. how do i find The RighT TuToR? 1.

Ask around for recommendations. They should come from other parents, your child’s school or volunteer organizations like the Parents League of New York. Interview a prospective tutor. Don’t be afraid of being thorough. A tutor should be able to summarize his or her background, experience and successes. You might want to meet the tutor before introducing him to your child, but make sure your kid is there before sealing the deal, so he feels like he has taken part in the decision.

2. Confirm the tutor’s expertise.

Why do you want the tutor? Homework help for an elementary schooler might only require a college student. A high schooler who needs to catch up in a specific subject or a child prepping for a test might need someone who has either taught or tutored that subject or test for a few years. In the case of test help, you will want someone who is familiar with recent changes, such as the longer writing sample in the SAT. But lining up a biochemist to teach your child 7th grade science is not necessary. While a tutor should have a strong academic background in the subject in which the child is having trouble, the ultimate question is whether they can teach it, not whether they have a doctorate.

2. You could be inviting burnout.

Even if there seems to be a good reason to

 52

O•U ROUR TOW N : D OW | MA29, R C H2012 29, 2012 TOW N N•TOWN March

3. Know the plan. Prior to selecting

a tutor or learning center, a parent should speak with his or her child and come to a shared understanding of the goals they would like to achieve and then be prepared to discuss them in detail with the tutor. The efficacy of tutoring is significantly higher when parents and students are on the same page with regard to expectations.

4. Observe a mini-lesson before signing on for a set of lessons. You want a person who connects with your child. Check if the tutor is professional, patient and gives your child enough time to digest material. Also, if they’re meeting at your home or any other location that’s not the tutoring center, there needs to be an adult present.

5. Discuss the whole price. You should get a detailed pricing plan that

includes the number of sessions, the cost per session and miscellaneous fees for testing and materials.

6. Ask the tutor whether she can guarantee your kid’s improvement.

If she says yes, don’t hire her, because she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, says Sandi Ayaz of the National Tutoring Association. A tutor can guarantee that she will set forth a reasonable plan and work to achieve your goals, but “nobody can guarantee you can raise scores.”

7. Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, look for somebody else. A strong child-tutor connection is essential to making the relationship work. Having that good rapport can really help take the learning where it needs to go.

N EW S YO U LIV E B Y

NYT Award-Winners_ManhattanMedia 1/13/12 3:47 PM Page 1

More CUNY Award Winners Than Ever!

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UJAJA TAUQEER, CUNY’S 2011 RHODES SCHOLAR, is exceptional but not the exception. CUNY students are winning more highly competitive awards and scholarships than at any time in our history. The City University of New York is attracting an ever-growing number of outstanding students. Our Macaulay

Honors College is home to many of this year’s winners. Assisted by a world-class faculty, they achieved their success studying at the nation’s leading urban public university. They are exceptional but not the exception.

Matthew Goldstein Chancellor

ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: Zujaja Tauqeer, Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College, Rhodes 2011; David L.V. Bauer, Macaulay Honors College at CCNY, Rhodes 2009, Truman 2008, Goldwater 2007; Eugene Shenderov, Brooklyn College, Rhodes 2005; Lev Sviridov, CCNY, Rhodes 2005, Goldwater 2004; Ayodele Oti, Macaulay Honors College at CCNY, Truman 2011; Gareth Rhodes, CUNY Baccalaureate at CCNY, Truman 2011; Anthony Pang, CCNY, NSF Fellow 2011; Jamar Whaley, Queens College, Goldwater 2009; Christine Curella, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, Truman 2007; Celine Joiris, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, Goldwater 2011; Claudio Simpkins, Macaulay Honors College at CCNY, Truman 2005; Ryan Merola, Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College, Truman 2006; Don Gomez, CCNY, Truman 2009; Lina Mercedes Gonzalez, Hunter College, NSF Fellow 2011.

Visit cuny.edu/awardwinners M AR CH 2 9 , 2 0 1 2 | nyp r e s s. c o m



continuing education

The Middle School Moment

How one educator helps to foster trust, passion and independence in students during adolescence

By Noah Reinhardt Seriously, middle school?

This is a question I’ve gotten a lot, having now worked for almost 15 years with middle school students.

I think the horror most adults experience imagining what it must be like working with middle school kids is because we remember the worst parts of middle school. We remember our awkward, anxious, ugly selves that looked back at us in the mirror every morning (whether we avoided them at all costs or were obsessed by them). We remember friends (if we had them) as mean, selfish and preoccupied with things that felt so important at the time, even if those things seem trivial, maybe even destructive, now. We remember middle school as unsafe, uninspiring, unfair—if we even remember that much.

When we picture what it must be like to work with middle school students we imagine being trapped in a room with unpredictable, narcissistic, socially obsessed, lonely misfits caught in that terrible place between the sweetness and wonder of childhood and the power and possibility of adolescence. Why would anyone want to throw oneself into a classroom with these creatures?

The truth is, we forget how wonderful and special this time can be. We forget how exciting it is to literally explode— undergoing in a few short years a kind of life-changing physical, cognitive, emo-

tional transformation that we never again experience (with some rare exceptions).

We forget how miraculous it is to have new independence, an opportunity to develop friendships, interests, passions and beliefs that are separate from our family’s. And we forget how earth-shattering tiny moments are—the gut-wrenching excitement and terror of the first kiss, heartbreak, failure or victory—that make us feel simultaneously all-powerful and powerless, brave and terrified.

We also forget how important it is to have adults around us who notice and care about these things, too. People who give us the space to try new things and the structure to moderate our experiences, to help temper our sudden swings from high to low and to see beyond the exact instant in time in which we’re living. One of our main jobs as adults, as we usher the next generation into adolescence, is to acknowledge that their feelings, thoughts, actions and decisions actually do matter and to help them make sense of that within a much larger context than they may at first be able to see.

At school, students have the opportunity to practice the skills, develop the habits and learn the truths that will underpin the adults they will become. As educators, we are charged with creating schools that shape these experiences. It is impossible to get this right all of the time. There are too many variables that impact a student’s

experience at school to imagine that even the very best, most thoughtful, wellresourced and compassionate schools could assure that every student is nurtured, supported, challenged and engaged every day. We can, of course, hope this for our children. As parents, we can try to do everything within our capacity and means to find schools that have the best chance of making this happen for our own kids.

And we can and should commit whatever resources we have (finances, time, expertise, influence) to support all schools to do their best work in the best way they know how.

I have chosen to work in schools and spend my days with students, teachers and families because I deeply believe in this work and in our responsibility—individually and collectively—to support chil-

dren at this critical time in their lives. It is the very moments when they push hardest against the adults in their lives and most fiercely claim their independence when they actually need us most. Not to hold them so tightly as to crush their spirit, but consistently and securely, so when they feel least tethered, most angry, desolate and confused, they know that they can depend on us to get them to a better place.

I work to help create a school that serves our students as well as it possibly can. The most important piece of what I do, however, is working with students, teachers and families at those times when what all of us are doing, despite our best intentions, isn’t working. What happens when things go wrong? When kids make mistakes, when they feel hopeless or terrible or when they make other people feel that way? What do we do to support the students who seem like they don’t want to be helped or have given up on the possibility of making things better?

The answers (if there are answers) may not always be clear. But one thing is for certain: it is in these moments that we define who we are as adults and who we want to be in our children’s eyes. This is hard but important work.

Noah Reinhardt is the head of the Middle School at the Packer Collegiate Institute. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and three small children.

New School: A Continuing Education Leader Parsons offers one of the oldest con-ed programs in the city

By Sean Creamer With the economy in the doldrums, many people have enrolled in continuing education courses to keep themselves up to date, attain a higher degree in their field of study or simply expand their pool of knowledge.

The Parsons New School for PreCollege and Continuing Studies is one of the oldest hubs of higher education in the city. Founded in 1919, it has provided many different avenues of education for New York residents. It currently offers more than 1,500 classes either for credit or not for credit.

“The New School was established nearly a century ago to provide education for the educated,” said Sam Biederman, the New School’s senior press officer.

“Even as the university has expanded into

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other areas, it has always remained at the forefront of adult and continuing education and now provides a wide range of CE courses both on-campus and online.”

Besides accredited classes, students can enroll in non-degree classes in such subjects as studio, history and businessoriented courses in art and design. These classes prepare people out of touch with their industry or who have not attended school in several years.

Their programs are popular because they cater to practitioners who need to keep up to date in their studies. They are also designed to work around the schedule of a working adult.

Continuing education classes are held on campus at three of the eight schools that are part of The New School. Many of the classes are also offered online

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for people who have children or a work schedule that does not allow regular access to a classroom setting. Classes take place at The New School for Public Engagement, Parsons The New School for Design and Mannes College The New School for Music. Tuition at The New School is moderate, about $700 a class, according to Biederman.

“Those seeking graduate education can enroll in The New School’s MA, MS, MFA and PhD programs, which run the gamut from urban policy to creative writing to fashion design,” said Biederman.

“In addition, Parsons The New School for Design offers a pre-college academy for high schoolers interested in art and design.”

The New School for Public Engagement offers classes in the fields of

social sciences, humanities, media studies and film, writing, foreign languages, English language studies, visual and performing arts, management and business and food studies.

For students who yearn for careers in the study of architecture or the creative side of education, Parsons offers majors such as digital design, fashion design, fashion business, fine arts, graphic design, and interior and architectural design.

Finally, the Mannes College tends to musically inclined clientele who can enroll in classes in the fields of instrumental and vocal performance, composition, theory, music history, early music, opera, music technology and career development.

For more information, visit newschool.edu.

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New York Institute of Technology U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently said: “If we want to strengthen the American workforce, we must continue to invest in education. These investments are absolutely critical, not just for our nation’s students, teachers, and schools, but for our country’s economy.”

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Relax, Fat Can Help Reduce Stress Complex carbohydrates and some fats in moderation ease stress

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By Paulette Safdieh tress manifests itself in physical ways.

People dealing with stress may see it reflected in weight gain or high blood pressure, while others see it in exhaustion or decreased productivity.

While a midday nap or yoga class can help in the moment, a proper diet can be the solid foundation to maintain positive changes and stress management.

“Stress in the No. 1 issue a lot of my clients have,” said nutritionist Ginnie Hill. “We don’t have control over stresses in our lives, like the kids or the job, but we can control what we eat.”

According to Hill, the goal is not to eliminate stress but to learn to manage it effectively by being mindful of what we put into our bodies. Refined sugars and packaged foods trigger our adrenal glands and stress hormones, like cortisol, the same way a bad relationship or a long day at work does.

A natural reaction is to try to boost the body’s levels of serotonin, a hormone that regulates the central nervous system.

“The fastest way to boost serotonin is with the consumption of sugar,” said nutrition therapist Barbara Mendez, 46. “So you see people selfmedicating with bad foods and then come crashing down—but you want to feel balanced, not erratic.”

Like Hill, Mendez works with clients to establish healthy diets and achieve overall well-being, weight loss and better stress management. While diets should be individualized—long-distance runners should stock up on carbohydrates and people with diabetes should steer clear of them—certain foods tend to ease stress all around.

Upper West Sider Alex Dolan, a client of Hill’s, said incorporating fattier foods into his diet helped.

“I was exercising six times a week and wasn’t feeling as healthy as I should, and my doctor recommended going to a nutritionist,” said Dolan, 40, who now eats more red meat, coconut butter and organic foods. “Stress [relief] was never the primary goal, but changing my diet certainly contributed to it.”

Eating proteins like grass-fed meat and free-range poultry and eggs help avoid toxins and chemicals.

They boost energy levels and increase focus and concentration through the release of hormones like norepinephrine and dopamine. Mendez suggests a serving size of 3-4 ounces per meal.

According to Hill, people hoping to manage stress should incorporate carbohydrates high in fiber, like

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Eating Your Way to Feeling Better Nutrition therapist Barbara Mendez recommends this sample menu to reduce your stress levels: BreakfaSt

Oatmeal with cinnamon, chopped nuts and berries. lunch

Mixed green salad with chicken, roasted vegetables and pumpkin seeds with oil and vinegar dressing. Small lentil soup. root vegetables, into their diet. Hearty, complex carbohydrates like brown rice, yams and beans also boost serotonin levels. Fats should include avocado, olive oil and some nuts and cheese. Alternative ways to add good fats to a diet include eating more salmon, replacing peanut butter with almond butter and sprinkling ground flax seeds over oatmeal.

Both Mendez and Hill agree that a commitment of four to six weeks to such a diet will yield some positive results.

“We live in a society where, when we don’t feel well, we run to the doctor and get medication but it doesn’t necessarily make us feel better,” said Mendez, who used to work as a pharmacist. “People are shocked by how much food can really affect how they feel.”

Eating foods rich in natural nutrients helps maintain the body’s energy reserve, which comes in handy managing pressure and anxiety. A body under stress uses a lot of glucose, and having nutrients on hand ensures it won’t deplete. The reverse is true when eating bad foods.

“Anytime you eat something devoid of nutrients, it takes more energy for your body to break it down than it actually gives you energy,” said Hill. “If your digestive system isn’t getting enough nutrients, it will go to other areas of your body, like your hair, nails and bones, and take it from there.”

Most people know to avoid high fructose corn

Mid-afternoon Snack

Handful of baby carrots and individual hummus pack. for dinner

Half a baked yam, salmon and broccoli.

syrup, refined sugars and packaged foods, but certain foods on Hill’s no-no list might surprise some. Cereals marked with “low-fat” or “healthy” labels often don’t have any natural nutrients, and the skim milk in your coffee can hurt more than that shot of cream will.

“Skim milk is highly processed; therefore its sugar content is higher than whole milk,” said Hill. “If you were breastfeeding a baby, would you skim the milk?

No, it’s 55 percent fat for a reason. You need it for brain function.”

The protein and fat in whole milk slows down the absorption rate of coffee, which spikes cortisol levels and adds stress on the body. One cup in the morning is OK, but Hill warns against sugary lattes and adding packets of Splenda. She said opting for the fattier version also provides much-needed Vitamin D. “We usually don’t get a lot of sun in the northeast,” said Hill. “The only foods that have Vitamin D are fattier ones like butter, liver and egg yolks. They’re probably the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet.”

Elinor Spielberg, a client of Mendez’s, saw success with that approach.

“One of the important things I’ve learned is that the more good fats we eat, the less we have on our bodies,” said Spielberg. “The good fats keep us from craving the refined stuff, the stress-inducing foods. I felt a big difference.”

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