April 20 by The Pace Press

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April 20, 2011 Volume lXV issue XV

Serving The Community Since 1948

The Pace Press Spring fashion is in bloom at the University craig held staff writer

After conquering multiple NYC snowstorms, we are finally ending the long, arduous trek to spring. As University students shed their heavy layers, we caught up with a few who are already flaunting their own spring collections. These ladies are serving us fantastic looks so don't be afraid to take risks before finals consume your entire existence!

Sophomore Tina Annino is serving us modern sophistication in true recessionista form.

Junior Arlinda Bucaj is channeling the refined bohemian look with her flowy scoop neck blouse from Urban Outfitters and her cropped Levi’s cargos. Bucaj updates the urban bohemian feel with a Michael Kors watch and accessories from Forever 21. Her cropped cargos are popping up everywhere this season as the perfect go-to pant as the city shakes off the chill of this rough winter.

She paired an Elie Tahari blouse and black

cropped

jodhpur pants from Senior Diana Cano is having an effortlessly chic moment in her unbelievably trendy faux-fur vest from American Rag layered over a basic black shirt she received as a gift. Cano paired her Guess jeggings, jeans that look like leggings, with a pair of beautifully edgy Dolce Vita boots. With such a fundamental color palate, she has chosen to add some color with her gold boyfriend watch from Marc Jacobs and a bright pink lip. The faux-fur vest or real fur if one is so inclined, is a fantastic wardrobe staple that can take you from winter to spring.

Strawberry under a Forever 21 blazer. The jodhpur pant, which was featured on a multitude of runways, is making a comeback and has found its way to the University. Her peep toe heels are also from

Elie

Tahari,

where she interns. She has mastered the edgy office look by wearing a nontraditional pant with a classic blazer.

all photos by craig held/ The Pace Press

greek life steps and strolls their talents on page 3 • Studio 501 performs “Our Town” on page 6

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NEWS

april 20, 2011

Former NYC Chancellor faces a “Black Out” and steps down from position Some are skeptical about Cathie Black’s new replacement despite his experience nazary neBeluk stAff writer

Cathie Black stepped down as Chancellor of NYC public schools after a controversial three-month tenure and was replaced by Dennis walcott. Black was hired by NYC mayor michael Bloomberg, to replace former Chancellor Joel Klein, despite having no educational experience except for her renowned business skills in the magazine industry. Black was known to be prominent in the world of magazine publishing and many hoped her business knowledge would trans-

late to the educational system. Her appointment was met with controversy as most people pointed out that she needed a special waiver from the mayor to be able to sit in the position. the controversy only increased over her tenure as many found her lack of experience a discouraging sign reflective of the NYC Administration’s commitment to educational reform and improvement. According to a study done by Quinnipiac university, her approval rating was only 17 percent at the time of her departure and nearly half of respondents called for her resignation. Her opponents are sat-

isfied with the news of her resignation there should be transition send. four generations of walcott’s family attended public school in NYC. He currently lives in Queens and is deputy mayor for educational policy, a position he has held for over nine years. Yet he requires the same waiver that Black did — that excuses him of having a certificate showing completion of graduate courses or having teacher requirements. walcott is still a big part of the Bloomberg Administration and will continue to push controversial issues such as “first in, first out policies” in private charter schools in

tion of schools. Certainly he [walcott] is more qualified than ms. Black, but is his main qualification that the mayor knows and trusts him?” it seems that Black’s departure couldn’t have come sooner, but many are still cautious of her replacement.

public buildings and the controversial school closures. “Cathie Black was in over her head,” university alumnus and current professor Jaclyn Kopel said. “Her experience in the private sector didn’t necessarily translate into the public sector. walcott is much more familiar with the public school system and the school bureaucracy.” “Cathie Black should never have been appointed Chancellor,” university Director of school partnerships professor Charles Bonnici was more skeptical and said. “she had no teaching credentials. she had no experience with the opera-

ONLiNe Have any thoughts about the new NYC Public schools Chancellor? send an Op-ed to: news@pacepress.org!

University President Stephen J. Friedman has been appointed to another five-year term What do you think about Pres. Friedman’s re-appointment to the University? “This could be good “at the town hall meeting he said he only attends alumni events and does what other presidents do… what does that mean?

because after all of the set backs, maybe now he will make more of a presence in the student body. -Valentina Veseli, junior

-emily O’Hara, freshman

“We have a president…? -allison tresselt, sophomore

“no president is as good as this one! -Katie James, freshman

“i am not heavily involved with things like this in the university, but i am looking forward to seeing what President Friedman will do next.

“i think that it is an absolute travesty and displays how disconnected the board of trustees are to Pace university students. -Colin seeberger, senior

-Nikki wood, freshman photo from pressroom.blogs.pace.edu all photos by abbey Beatson / The Pace Press

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NEWS

april 20, 2011

Greek life has campus face oﬀ at the “Step and Stroll” Competition BeTTy Fermin stAff writer

the university’s Greek life held the step & stroll Competition April 14 between the fraternities and sororities. the event was sponsored by sigma sigma rho sorority inc., (ΣΣΡ) Greek Council and programming and Campus entertainment (p.A.C.e.) Board with DJ spynfo providing music for the event. the hosts of the night were senior shannon smith of p.A.C.e. Board, junior rachana talati of ΣΣΡ and junior Yahdon israel of Zeta Beta tau (ZBt). students from the plV Campus came to support along with outside sororities and fraternities. there was high energy in the air as the Alpha Kappa Alphas (AKA) started the night off with their performance by the newest members of the ravishing rho theta Chapter about the history of stepping and strolling. the Distinguished sisters of ΣΣΡ sorority followed with their performance. they began giving some information about their sorority and then began to stroll with music that spiced up their performance. “it started off slow and ended strong,” sophomore Ariel martinez said.

performed to four up beat songs. the girls who strolled were from New York university (NYu) phi Chapter and the university’s Alpha Nu Chapter and gave an excellent performance.

following siA were the omega phi Betas (ΩΦΒ) with a different approach to their presentation. they began on the floor as a voice told the story of the sorority. the Betas have a chapter on the plV Campus and just began a chapter here at the NYC Campus. the NYC chapter were introducing themselves as a “new power.” they had a short performance but the crowd definitely grew restless after too much speaking. “feels like a play” and “too long of an intro,” students said. After their performance, there was another intermission during which the judges chose the semifinalists that were to battle for the prize, a $500 donation to a charity of the sorority or fraternity’s choice. During this intermission, ΣΛΒ introduced their new line to the university community in what is called a probate which are new members added to the fraternity. the Gamma Alpha line came in and greeted all the sororities and fraternities in assistances as well as the university community as a whole and were welcomed as Greeks after dedi[The probate] was cation to recently lost brother, marco interesting to watch ford. “[the probate] was interesting to because since many of watch because since many of us here us here at Pace had at pace had never seen a probate, so it never probate, so it was an eye opener to the hard work was an eye opener to that goes into becoming a Greek,” sophomore Adriana Gonzales said. the hard work that the semifinalists as chosen by goes into becoming a judges, Nanay mason from Bet and greek. university student theophilia Hanson, were ΣΛΒ and siA. the step -adriana Gonzales, student team came back with their high energy and sass with an extremely fun perthe only fraternity that performed formance during which they introwas sigma lambda Beta fraternity, duced themselves with funny inc. (ΣΛΒ) the performers are the nicknames such as “Asian sensation, step team for the Northeastern region Black Beta, Beyonce and rico suave” consisting of junior Zaccary Belliveau and showed off their dance skills. and three brothers from other schools, the siAs definitely had a strong Gregg lowe of florida A&m univer- act to follow. Alpha Nu Chapter junior sity, David rodriguez of rutgers uni- india Hall came on stage and introversity — New Brunswick and duced the ladies as the phi Chapter mauricio peña of Johnson & wales and then gave a little solo dance university. demonstration to show off her dance Belliveau told The Pace Press that skills. then the phi Chapter of the the current team has been stepping for siAs came on stage continuing the two years, but the team has been fast paced performance and showing around for 10 years and that they won that they were not backing down from the national step show last summer. the challenge. their performance was full of energy After some deliberation, the and their skill was evident. the broth- judges chose ΣΛΒ. it was definitely a ers performed in sync and with pas- night of many wonderful shows of sion during their performance. skill and dedication by all sororities At intermission there was a com- and fraternities at both campuses. petitive energy in the air, as sororities and fraternities alike showed off their strolling skills. After the intermission the lovely latin ladies of Hermandad de sigma iota Alpha (siA), inc.

“

1. The hosts and sisters of Sigma Sigma Rho, Inc. pose with their symbols and letters during intermission.

2. DJ Spynfo gets the crowd motivated by blasting the latest jams in Hip Hop and R&B during intermission. Spynfo also hosted P.A.C.E. Board’s Annual Spring Fest and had the University dancing all day.

3. Sisters of AKA do their signature lean and pose with their symbols to show off the sorority at the Step and Stroll competition. all photos by ivonna Thompson / The Pace Press

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NEWS

april 20, 2011

University professor preserves NYC wildlife in the concrete jungle amanda SchiavO stAff writer

university Director of environmental science Dr. melissa Grigione has begun to lead fellow environmentalists in a variety of research projects to help enrich and improve the habitats of some of NYC’s animal residents. Dr. Grigione is currently studying a variety of animals that are native to the NYC area that include minks, bobcats, weasels and muskrats. “i think it is cool what [Dr. Grigione] is doing, her research will inspire others to get involved,” senior Nicole matos said. one of the issues Dr. Grigione is studying is conservation. Human encroachment on wild animal habitats has been a debated issue for a number of years. By studying these animals in their na-

tive habitat, it teaches humans how to continue to live their lives in the city without causing harm to animals and their native environment. According to a university press release, Dr. Grigione explained her goals for this research project. “i studied the requirements they needed to live in a healthy fashion — the space they needed, spatial ecology, then i moved to their diets, and eventually i moved on to the parasites and diseases affecting these populations,” Dr. Grigione said. “i think [her research] is very important and that the world needs more people like [Dr. Grigione]. Animals are very important and helping them is something special. the professor is inspirational to what she is doing,” freshman pinky Jiteshkumar said. matos agreed. “i feel it is cool

tal science. Her research is not limited to the NYC area. this upcoming summer Dr. Grigione will be in south Dakota teaching a course at Seeing my the college located on the pine ridge indian reservation. students blossom is “i like the melding of the tratruly incredible. ditional and the scientific. there What’s unique about are elders on the reservation, and our graduate i think we have a lot to learn from environmental science one another. i’d eventually like to bring some of their faculty to program is that it’s pace; i think it would be a fruitful more than just science. experience for our students in New York,” Dr. Grigione said in -Dr. Melissa Grigione, the press release. “i think what this professor is professor doing is great,” university alumna Dr. Grigione is an animal lover Carolyn senatore said. “in the past and spent the early part of her col- only the students in her program lege career as a pre-veterinary stu- would know about her research dent at mcGill university in and have the opportunity to find montreal, Quebec, Canada before out more about it and possibly get making the switch to environmen- involved. Now the entire pace and is inspirational and students should get involved,” she said.

“

community can learn about what their teacher is doing.” Dr. Grigione hopes that her passion for learning about and improving the habitat of animals will be passed on to her students. in the press release she states, “seeing my students blossom is truly incredible. “what’s unique about our graduate environmental science program is that it’s more than just science — it’s policy, law, and environmental communication. this diversity means our students come out equipped with skills they need to share with the rest of the world that’s so hungry for solutions. “Animals enrich our lives and i feel i really need to do the right thing to affect change… i want to inspire students to do amazing things. i want to turn them on to the field that’s turned me on for so many years.”

P.A.C.E. Board holds annual Spring Fest and announces new E-Board Students enjoy outdoor festivities to celebrate the warm weather of the semester mel Bailey stAff writer

the university kicked off spring with programming and Campus entertainment (p.A.C.e.) Board’s annual spring fest. the event was held in the student union and Courtyard of one pace plaza. the event sponsored numerous free activities and food for students. the student union was filled with lines of students carrying stuffed bears, cotton candy cones, license plate key chains and music from DJ spynfo. freshman latifat oladele was standing in line for the hand-casting event where students dip their hands into wax and form their very own casts. “it’s good, i like the bears and the music, i think those are the best parts,” oladele said. “[i think it’s good], i get to eat food, i put my name in for a license plate, smoking a cigarette, what more could you want i guess, right?” junior Christopher Vedutis said. “i make license plate key chains that are customized by name or whatever the student wants. it’s a big deal; i’ve had over 125 students come by so far,” Bob, the head of the license plate key chain station, said. outside at the event there were bouncy obstacle courses, fighting rings with protective gear and a mechanical bull that were set up for students to use. four students held ropes around a bull-like apparatus, which was placed in the cen-

ter of a bouncy ring. students pulled the ropes to create a mechanical bull riding experience.

“

i never thought college would be like this. i knew there would be social events, but nothing like this. -Bobbi Knight, student

there were also caricature drawings, face painting and inside basketball offered as activities. freshman Bobbi Knight got a caricature of herself. “i never thought college would be like this,” she said. “i knew there would be social events, but, nothing like this. i’m having a great time though.” the event had a raffle give away of two pairs of Keds sneakers, a Border’s gift card and an ipod. it seemed to be somewhat bittersweet for the seniors who were in attendance knowing that this would be the last spring fest they could partake in before graduation. senior Jassmine pierce said she was enjoying her last spring fest. “Yes this is hilarious, but i’m not going to miss it much after graduation, i had my time, now it’s their’s,” she said of the underclassmen. “[the] hard work and dedica-

tion, followed by the promotion, paper work and a great pace community [made spring fest successful],” current p.A.C.e. Board president o’Niel Anderson said. p.A.C.e. Board has been working on creating a variety of events for students throughout the year. According to fall 2011 president-elect eleni efstratiades, in order to put together events, it’s all about planning. “when we have an event we make everyone come together and just plan it out,” efstratiades said. the last meeting of p.A.C.e. Board will be April 26. they will be advertising for more underclassmen to come and join their organization for the upcoming fall semester.

1. Students utilized the self-inﬂicted mechanical bull at their own risk.

2. Current P.A.C.E. Board E-Board and candidates pose together at Spring Fest. 3. Two students compete in a rubber ring and gear to enjoy the festivities of Spring Fest.

3 all photos by mel Bailey / The Pace Press

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april 20, 2011

OPINION AND EDITORIALS diSclaimer: these opinions are expressed by contributors (students, faculty, administration, and staff) to The Pace Press.these opinions are solely those of the individual writers and do not reflect the opinions of The Pace Press, the members of The Pace Press staff, or Pace University. The Pace Press is not responsible and expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising out of use or relevance to any information contained in this section.

MEL BAILEY

internships make me feel like a slave. America is the only country in the world where working for free is not only accepted but an expected occurrence which helps the youth to gain “experience.” that would be all well and good if i was expected to oversee how the corporation or industry of my choice operates and not be expected to do the work of a salaried employee — but no. i am expected to devote five days of my week, maybe more and do research, write articles, run errands, and be treated like a speck on the bottom of the food chain for a company that is not even paying me — and for what? for “experience” and “knowledge,” but in my opinion it’s a chance for my student loans to pile up and interest to accrue and for me to be without funds to pay for anything whilst i am in school.

RUVEENA VIRK

Now i know some people may question; why don’t you just get a part time job as well as have an internship? the answer: Because if i take my 18 credits per semester, have my 5-daya week internship and have a parttime job, when am i supposed to sleep? or eat? or live for that matter? Consensus: America is crazy, and i am sick of having to work for free, more yet, i am sick of having employers look at my resume and say, “oh, you have great experience, but this is an unpaid internship.” seriously? thus i look forward to moving away from this country until America can get it together. paying workers = a spike in economic spending, especially since college students are more prone to contributing to our consumer markets as they have less responsibility, and less money management skills, but it’s doubtful anyone will ever see it that way. typical.

Are you interested in journalism? Are you a writer, photographer or designer? Contribute to

The Pace Press! Come to our last meeting of the spring semester on

April 25th at 12:20 p.m. 41 Park Row, Room 902 or email editor@pacepress.org for more information

University Registration: Hit or Miss on your index finger because what happens after hitting the “submit changes” button is based on sheer luck. freshman and sophomores complain that the pace students’ hierarchy, at least when it comes to registration, is unfair. Not only do the honors students get an upper leg when it comes to registering early, the rest of us follow by our year — highest to lowest. As a freshman, this puts me at the bottom of the food chain. i can spend hours researching on ratemyprofessor.com and mapping out possible schedules on excel, but it still doesn’t guarantee that i’ll get into those classes, even if there’s 10 seats left. An upperclassman can get into a class that they’re taking to sim-

lynn rickert editor-in-Chief

kim Bui associate editor

STAFF WRITER

there’s nothing that strikes fear in the hearts of pace students more than registration. our advisers give us the heads up to log into mypace portal to browse for classes and assign us a date to when we can register. But instead of excitement over choosing our next semester’s classes, we feel stress — and sometimes fear. registering for classes is like shopping at the last day of a sale at your favorite store — you might get a good deal once in a while, but mostly it’s take what you can get. the upperclassman — especially the honors students — know that they can basically take any class that they want. But the little people? You might as well get a tattoo of a four leaf clover

editorial Board

natalie gavilanes executive editor

STAFF WRITER

America, get your internships together

The Pace Press

ply fill up credits, while an underclassman who really wants to take the class gets the boot. shouldn’t registration be the same for every grade level? if you’re a senior a semester away from graduating, you deserve to get into that credit-filling class over a freshman who has years to go — but that should be the exception, not the rule. if everyone registered at the same time, the classes would generally still fill up the same way. A good professor or class would fill up immediately, leaving a disappointing “closed” sign for everyone else. But if a senior really needed that class, they could simply be placed into it. it’s common knowledge that every class has a capacity slightly above the “number of seats” that’s

written on schedule explorer. You email the professor and beg, or if you already know them, simply request an open seat before registration begins. so it should be no problem for juniors and seniors to get into a much needed class, then, would it? if pace would change the registration to first come first serve and save the professor haggling for those who really need to take a class, the system would be better. it would make things fair for all students, not giving unfair advantages based on school year. And who knows, maybe getting the classes we want will not solely be factored on luck anymore!

kaitlynn Blyth Managing editor ivonna Thompson News editor katherine riley features editor Brian rentas arts editor kate hamzik Copy editor hilda adeniji Digital illustrator leucepe martinez Business & ads Manager dJ mcerlean-hopson web editor nazary nebeluk Distribution Manager mark mcSherry faculty Consultant

Staff Mel Bailey abbey Beatson Betty fermin stephanie Hansen Craig Held Bethany O’Grady alex rufino James ryder fotini sachpatzidis amanda schiavo ruveena Virk Quinn wasson Julia Yeung

The Pace Press is the student newspaper of Pace University’s New York City Campus. it is managed and operated entirely by members of the student body as it appears above. The Pace Press welcomes guest editorials and letters from students, faculty, administration and staff. The Pace Press reserves the right to not publish any submitted material, both solicited and unsolicited. all submissions must include the author’s full name and contact information. the Pace Press 41 Park row, rm. 902 NewYork, NY 10038 www.pacepress.org editor@pacepress.org Copyright 2011

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april 20, 2011

ARTS

Studio 501’s production of “Our Town” stays true to Wilder’s work nazary neBeluk stAff writer

the Department of performing Arts’ production of “our town” showcased the directing talent of sophomore lisa Klages as well as the star power of the cast, despite suffering from a few hiccups. studio 501 is a perfect setting for a rendition of the play that deals with the hardest subject matter of all: life and all that it entails. it is hard to adapt simply because of its metaphysical narrator and intimate setting. studio 501’s small space formed a great backdrop for the town of Grover’s Corner and allowed the crowd to interact with the actors in a very immediate fashion. the cast plays each role well as the first two acts build slowly to the emotional crescendo that is Act three — a haunting and emotionally disturbing portrait of grief. it’s clear that each member of the ensemble cared very much about the production. the lead actors, robyn frank and Drew paramore, excelled in their roles as emily webb and George Gibbs. there was a noticeable chemistry with the two and their portrayal of a couple in love is

strong and authentic. one would think they are a couple in their life outside of theater. A less stellar performance came from parke stevenson, who plays the stage manager, an omniscient narrator and occasional participant in the play that frames the proceedings. parts of his performance were marred with certain aloofness, as if he didn’t particularly care for the role and just wanted to read the lines as quickly in order to move on. this led to a few rushed moments, which could have used more rumination. His costume also left something to be desired, as the entire cast tried to go for historical costumes — the choice of Converse brand sneakers and a modern blazer give the impression less of an all knowing narrator and more of a student booked at the last minute. while a minor detail, it becomes almost glaring when moving into monologues with him, straight from a scene set in 1901. the directing was well done and the pace was quick, without being rushed. each moment had its impact and slowly eased into the next one. there was an odd use of sound effects, however, which con-

trasts sharply with the minimalism of the set. up until Act three, only six boxes are used to represent the whole town and the stage manager quips, “there’s some scenery for those who think they have to have scenery.” it’s hard to imagine why the audience would need the sound of milk bottles clanking or a cow mooing when we’ve been left to imagine so much already. these are minor criticisms, however as the play overall shines. it’s a smart and powerful adaption of thornton wilder’s classic that makes the most use of its actors’ talents. frank, in particular, steals the show in Act three — her emotions act as a powerful wave that hits the audience, her words carrying the most weight of any character. As Klages points out in the playbill, “our society is tending more and more towards a fast, action-packed Daily life that makes Grover’s Corners seem sadly obsolete” and this is even more reason that “our town” is such an important work. it is a play that explores life, marriage, love, happiness and death — in three acts. in the hands photo by ellise lesser of this ensemble, “our town” is Emily Webb (Robyn Frank) looking out her window at the moonlight. particularly stunning.

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ARTS

april 20, 2011

“The Comedy of Errors” has little error to begin with STePhanie hanSen stAff writer

shakespeare’s “the Comedy of errors” as performed by the Acting Company is funny, farcical and well performed. “the Comedy of errors” is a story about two sets of twins born on the same day in the same inn. the two wealthier twins each get one of the poor twins to be their servants. Years after the two sets of twins — Antipholus and Dromio of syracuse and Antipholus and Dromio of ephesus — end up on ephesus at the same time. the ensuing confusion between the four men, Antipholus of ephesus’s, her sister, the goldsmith, and others creates a campy humor with slapstick comedy. the confusion between the characters does not affect the audience’s understanding of the show — never once was there any uncertainty about the storyline. the actors were able to express their confusion while keeping the audience in the know about who was who and what was going on to confuse the characters. Both actors who play the servant twins Dromio steal the show

with their over-the-top farce and perfect comedic delivery of every line. their physical comedy is matched by their monologues, especially Dromio of syracuse’s monologue describing the “spherical, globe like” figure of Nell the kitchen wench. John skelley, who plays Dromio of syracuse, uses funny, overtly stereotypical accents when describing where he found each country on Nell. still, all the characters get laughs out of the audience with their antics, especially the bit characters like Dr. pinch and Nell. the play has a simple formula that the actors keep in mind while performing the farce. the campy humor is accompanied by cartoon sound effects used occasionally throughout the performance. there were moments when the rhyme of shakespeare’s language took over the meaning of the words being said but overall the actors did a fantastic job of making the language understandable to everyone. the lines were delivered with thoughtfulness and intention that even if an audience member had never heard shakespearean language, they could understand what was going on.

michal daniel/Theactingcompany.org

Jonathan C. Kaplan and John Skelley performing in “The Comedy of Errors.”

the actors are able to keep the audience captivated by using modern tone of voice and body language to convey each line clearly. the fourth wall was kept intact for the entire play except for the scene with Dr. pinch when the actors couldn’t contain their smiles. everyone in the audience

Artist recreates borough of Brooklyn using legos nazary neBeluk stAff writer

Brooklyn artist Jonathan lopes is using his living room as the stage of a very unusual piece of work — a small model of Brooklyn built entirely out of legos. He is using his 400 square foot living room to replicate all the scenes from his daily commute in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. lopes’ plastic Brooklyn contains the fairway in red Hook, the williamsburg savings Bank and even smaller features like a gardening shop he passes on Hoyt street. His current project was started about four year ago. His model of the williamsburg savings Bank took over 12,000 pieces and is on display at his local dry cleaner. He has tried to make the models look as real as possible and even tried adding grit to his models without using painted bricks “with hopes of creating what i consider a realistic vibe,” according to lopes‘s mocpages.com profile this is the latest project in what is now becoming his obsession as he has a lego last supper planned for the holiday months. this hobby began for lopes a little over 10 years ago when he reconnected to his childhood passion by purchasing a star wars lego set. He has been inspired ever since and after building more sets, started his own projects the first being a lego street cleaner. His goal for the space was, “to look like

what i see every day when i walk to the subway,” as he explained in a recent interview with Gothamist.com this project may soon however come to an end as lopes said he has plans for the bricks.

courtesy of Jonathan lopes/mocpages.com

could understand why though. the audience was always engaged in the slapstick antics and every joke got a laugh. the play is a simple but well thought out recipe — two sets of twins, a sassy wife, her right hand woman/sister, a hooker, officer, merchant and a doctor crazier than all of them. they all come

together to give a modern twist to this classic comedy.

ONLiNe Check out our website Pacepress.org for clips from “the Comedy of errors”

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ARTS

april 20, 2011

Comedy Below Canal delivers a taste of comedy nazary neBeluk stAff writer

the tribeca branch of 92Y played host to the last “Comedy Below Canal” of the series, in what turned out to be a varied, albeit uninspired, session of standup comedy. the setting was cozy and intimate, a classic small comedy club that’s lacking a brick wall. the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed with a general sense that all the people present are there to enjoy the show. Host Griffin Newman was lively and upbeat, with his routine was the highlight of the show. it wasn’t topical and at times slightly odd, but it kept the audience engaged and laughing. the show was then split into four parts. the first act, streeter seidell, is a writer for College Humor and his routine very much reflected

that particular collegiate sense of humor. He mostly made quips about life in the city as a student and had a very grandiose stage presence. seidell was able to draw the crowd into his act very well. following seidell was Allison Castillo whose routine focused on life in the city as an older woman. she seemed a bit disjointed on stage, as if unsure of which jokes she was trying to tell. the two stand-up acts were followed by two musical acts — comedic hip-hop duo snakes and comedic songwriter shayna ferm. the acoustics were solid although a lot of the snakes’ lyrics were mumbled. they did a full set, with songs explaining the origin of their group name, but it was hard to understand them, so many jokes were lost. shayna ferm was much

Host Griffin Newman

stAff writer

Yellowcard’s new album When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes celebrates the long-awaited return of the pop-punk band. the album starts off on a great note with “the sound of You and me.” the beat kicks in and it’s clear that their new member, sean o’Donnell, has improved their sound with his bass and vocals. the ending lyrics of this first song can be interpreted as talking about their return and how they will continue to have the love of their fans: “Bring walls down, hear all my sound/ let me back in, love me again.” the first single “for You, And Your Denial” begins with an ambitious violin solo and continues on with clear contempt — lead vocalist ryan Key perfectly expresses the anguish he feels from the young woman this song is about: “Hate me all you want, i’ll be okay/ i’m half the world away/ i’m letting you go now.” the second single “Hang You up” is a ballad that talks about a girl that Key wronged and misses. sean mackin illustrates his violin skills in the breakdown at the middle of the song, where the emotion is definitely felt. “it’s hard to see you, we are older now/ And when i find you, you just turn around.” the album takes a turn with “soundtrack” because it is about just living life and not letting the past get to us: “we seem to have the world/ Here in our hands/ its smaller than we thought it was/ But now i understand/ some of us survive/ some will get torn/ if i lose my confidence i’ll borrow your’s.” the song “sing for me” was writ-

Comedian Allison Castillo

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comedycaravan.com

clearer, using only a guitar to enhance her jokes in a style that seems to be more common among comedians lately. Her set was much clearer than the musical stuff before her but it was short, with only four songs.

“Comedy Below Canal” provides an eclectic mix of comedians that is sure to provide a little something for everyone. this is also its biggest weakness — each comedian gets a very short performance and each act

felt like a warm up to something bigger. the show is like a plate of hors d’oeuvres — leaving the viewer wanting more.

Yellowcard is back with an impressive new album BeTTy Fermin

College Humor’s Street Seidell facebook.com

ten from the perspective of Key’s terminally ill aunt, Aunt stephanie, and is just an empowering song about continuing on and that the future is full of possibilities. following this song is “see me smiling,” which lead guitarist ryan mendes wrote as an instrumental and sent it to the band. it seems to be about a girl that he let go 10 years ago and still thinks about but he does have an optimistic view on the relationship. the closing song “Be the Young” is sort of a somber but also positive view of the future, with the lyrics “Growing up has just begun/ But there’s a place we can find/ where this pain is useless/ we’ll forever be the young.” this song seems to resonate with any listener, but can especially be special for those who grew up with Yellowcard — it tells us to continue on, and because we are growing up, we will always have these memories to keep us young. this album is a great representation of the fight that Yellowcard still has in them. the three-year hiatus was what they needed to get their personal lives and any band issues sorted out and allowed the band to come back stronger. Yellowcard will be co-headlining a u.s. tour with Good Charlotte from June 6th til June 24, and if this album is any indication, the band is in prime condition for a tour.

ONLiNe Head to our website at Pacepress.org to listen to Yellowcard’s newest single

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FEATURES

april 20, 2011

Rio’s Starters

The Restaurant Management and Operations course at the University will be featuring its annual restaurant. Get the details here!

Rio Menu

$8.00 Feijoada A traditional Brazilian stew made from black bean stew with beef, pork and sausage. Served with white rice, fresh oranges, collard greens, spicy farofa and vinaigrette sauce Pao De Queijo $6.00 Basket of warm cheese rolls

5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Faculty Dining Room 1 Pace Plaza, NYC 1/2 price drinks and appetizers from 5:00 p.m -6:30 p.m.! All major credit cards, One Card and cash are accepted.

In honor of Autism Awareness Month, all donations, tips, and profit will go towards The Carnival of Love Foundation.

Bruschetta de Mango $7.00 Toasted pugliese toast topped with freshly diced mango, avocado, and corn Salada de Fruta da Paixão $8.00 Fruit Passion Salad Mixed greens, banana, and Brazil nuts tossed in Rio’s passion fruit dressing

Rio’s Main Dishes Salada Tropical Brasil $9.00 A tropical medley of mango, avocado, hearts of palm, dried pineapple, dried cranberries, and greens tossed in Rio’s passion fruit dressing and topped with coconut shavings Add chicken, beef, or shrimp $4.00 Manga e coco Frango Curry $13.00 Mango and Coconut Chicken Curry with cilantro & cashew nuts served over white rice Empanada de carne e lingüiça $12.00 Beef and Sausage Empanada With bell peppers, onions, and your choice of white rice or fried Yucca Saia bife grelhado $16.00 Grilled skirt steak , Seasoned skirt steak marinated in red wine vinaigrette and served with fried yucca

Carnival of Love is a local nonprofit organization that helps families with autistic children and family members.

Almond e Tilapi Coco* $13.00 Almond and coconut crusted tilapia, Fresh fillet of tilapia marinated and baked in pineapple juice, and sprinkled with shaved almonds and coconut

Sides French Fries - *Batatas fritas* $3.00 Add Cheese $1.00 Fried Yucca - *Mandioca Frita* $6.00

Lula Frita $11.00 Spicy Fried Calamari

Thursday, April 21 Thursday, April 28 Thursday, May 5

Churrasco de carne de porco puxada $11.50 Brazilian BBQ pulled pork Slow roasted pork simmered in Rio’s authentic BBQ sauce with fried yucca

Rice and Beans - *Arroz e feijão* $3.00 Sweet Plantains - *Sweet Plátanos* $4.00 Collard greens - *Couve $6.00 Sautéed in lemon, garlic and olive oil

Desserts Coconut pudding - *Pudim de coco* $5.00 Flan - *Pudim De Leite* $6.50 Traditional Brazilian flan Churros $6.00 With chocolate, caramel, and strawberry cream Fried bananas - *Banana frita* $5.50 With vanilla and chocolate ice cream

Beverages Sangria Fishbowl White or red $18.00 Also available in non-alcoholic punch $12.00 Beer $5.00 Corona, Heineken, Coors Lite, Skol Wine $7.00 Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel Non-alcoholic Beverages $2.25 Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Club Soda, Arnold Palmer, Lemonade, Iced Tea, Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Coffee (regular and decaf), Hot Tea

April 20_12pg 4/21/11 7:34 PM Page 10

FEATURES

april 20, 2011

A new pet may just be what the doctor ordered alex ruFinO stAff writer

many studies have been conducted to look at whether or not people who have pets feel healthier than people who do have pets. pets, above the fish and turtle level, provide companionship and unconditional love, both of which are key to happiness. in an article published by noted pet writer Heather Grimshaw, people were given stressful jobs in four diverse conditions: alone, with a spouse, with a pet or with both a spouse and a pet—and the results speak for themselves. people experienced the lowest stress and the fastest recovery in the condition where they were only with their pet. “well, i really want a puppy right now, but that’s not possible for the moment,” junior Christina Nguyen said. “i think it’s fun having a pet, they keep you company and most people do enjoy taking care of them.”

pets are a big obligation as they demand regular meals, a constant supply of fresh water, recurrent walks and frequently clean up after. Yet despite this tediousness, plenty of pets have managed their way into our households. According to the American pet products Association (AppA), in the united states, 63 percent of households have at least one pet. that means approximately 71.1 million homes have 382.2 million pets. they are not cheap, either: pet owners spent about $45.4 billion on pet expenses in 2009 alone, according to the AppA. research also shows that while we think that being taken care of is one way to happiness, providing care to another may be even more significant. pets are like children, you learn how to take care of them, you watch them grow up and they require continual attention and support. in another study by the univer-

sity of warwick’s psychology Department, a group of children was asked to list 10 of their closest relationships they would most likely turn to in a time of necessity. pets often scored higher than the children’s human relationships. in a study published by Harvard medical school a set of patients suffering from depression participated in water exercises with dolphins. they noticed significant improvements as compared to those who participated without the dolphins. “though my only pet was a gold fish, i do believe this to be true. that fish brought insurmountable joy to my life until he flopped belly up in his fish tank. pets make loyal friends, unlike some humans, and therefore add fulfilling relationships to people’s lives, which in turn, can lessen the amount of stress in a person’s life, and possibly lead to healthier life choices,” graduate student Charles Brice said. photo by lynn rickert / The Pace Press

The push for pure cosmetics craig held stAff writer

there was a time when we didn’t question what went into the things we bought. from food to household products, society has made a conscious push to become more aware of the ingredients we intake, but sometimes are we do not make the most informed decisions. while many companies are shilling products that claim to be healthier for the average consumer, we have seen an incredibly big transition toward organic in the cosmetic industry. But you shouldn’t believe everything you read. preservatives, specifically parabens, have gotten a terrible rep. these are the ingredients that keep your body wash smelling like apricot long after you’ve opened the bottle. Yet, many consumer groups have called for the banning of parabens in all cosmetics. while the food and Drug Administration (fDA isn’t authorized to approve ingredients within cosmetics, they have sanctioned independent studies on the effects of these preservatives. in 1984, the Cosmetic ingredient review (Cir) investigated the effects of parabens and discovered that they were safe up to levels of 25 percent, while most cosmetic products only use amounts from .01 percent to .03 percent. the campaign against parabens stemmed from a study conducted later that found trace amounts of the preservative in breast cancer tissue. the study however was incomprehensive and didn’t explain if consumption was linked to its appearance in the tissue. in 2006, parabens were again studied by the Cir. final reports echoed the findings of the initial study: parabens are safe in cos-

metics. in the past year, the fight against parabens has been put on the back burner for a new microscopic enemy: sulfates. sodium lauryl ether sulfate (sles), or sulfate, is a detergent found in toothpaste, soap and shampoo. its prevalence is due to its low cost and incredibly effective foaming abilities. As is the nature of a detergent, sles is a mild irritant which is completely apparent when one gets shampoo in his or her eyes. some products containing sles also happen to contain low levels of a carcinogen known as 1, 4-Dioxane. while reports are inconclusive, this hasn’t stopped consumer groups from placing sles in their crosshairs. Although this coincidence looks highly suspect, the American Cancer society has stated that sles is not a carcinogen. when looking to buy new beauty products, avoid products that simply list “fragrance” as an ingredient. A multitude of chemicals can hide behind the façade of the word, including those that can cause problems ranging from allergies to endocrine disruption and infertility. triclosan, which is found in most cleansers, is derived from a pesticide and can be found in our blood once applied topically to our skin. this ingredient has been linked to cancer and the environmental protection Agency (epA) has labeled it a probable carcinogen. Although it’s clichéd, knowledge is power. while it is important to be conscious of what we’re putting on our bodies, it is far more important to be fully informed on the subject.

April 20_12pg 4/21/11 7:34 PM Page 11

FEATURES

april 20, 2011

Mastermind Madoﬀ rumored to teach business ethics Ponzi scheme extraordinaire has allegedly been offered to teach at some Ivy Leagues BeTTy Fermin stAff writer

ponzi schemer Bernie madoff claims schools such as Harvard and Northwestern university have been contacting him to teach business ethics courses, according to an interview with The Financial Times. madoff is currently serving 150 years in prison for swindling $65 million from investors in 2008. According to The New York Daily News, “A spokesman for Harvard told The Daily News that ‘it seems unlikely’ madoff meant the institution had reached out to him. in an emailed statement to The Daily News, a Northwestern spokesperson also denied the university had contacted the schemer.” madoff has made it up in his

head that he is somehow capable of teaching students about business. technically, he believes that even with all that he did that he can redeem himself by teaching against it. madoff is known for pulling off the biggest ponzi scheme in history. A ponzi scheme is an operation that pays returns to separate investors, not from any actual profit earned by the organization, but from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors. ironically, if it was not for the 2008 economic crash, madoff would have never been caught. investors were warned to remove their money from his firm and he had to run around to try to get money from his other investors, but clearly got caught. it is true that in order to teach ethics you have to teach about

the bad side of business, like how to commit fraud at a company. And since it takes skills and smarts to pull off a ponzi scheme, he has that advantage. university students thought that madoff teaching business ethics was a joke. “isn’t he in jail? How’s he going to teach students? through skype? How are they going to let someone who stole millions of dollars from people teach about business ethics? it just sounds ridiculous,” sophomore lauren rogers said. sophomore Gloria mainz also was bewildered, “if he has not proven himself to be a changed man, i would not want my kids to be taught by him.” pace administration will not be signing on madoff as an adjunct professor anytime soon.

conspirazzi.com

Madoff was once on top of his finances, now he is imprisoned for life

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april 20, 2011

FEATURES

walk down the aisle,

The next

no pictures please !

naTalie gavilaneS eXeCutiVe eDitor

since the beginning of time, weddings have always been a huge event in a person’s life. Getting married to someone else is a declaration of your love and commitment and these days it comes with a slightly bigger tab than we might be used to. some wonder why and it could be because Americans are obsessed with celebrity weddings. As soon as the question is popped, camera bulbs are flashing to catch every moment—and of course sell them for a pretty penny. Yet, the question still re-

mains of what it is that Americans obsess about. whether it’s the million dollar dresses or the $100,000 flower arrangements coupled with the romantic getaway of a private island for two—we eat up every minute of it, mostly by watching e! According to forbes.com, Donald trump and melania Kauss hired flower designer preston Bailey, whose rates start at $100,000. for comparison, theweddingreport.com cites the average American wedding costs a total of $24,006. this $20,000 budget doesn’t seem like enough to stage a celeb-like wedding, yet we strive to achieve the impossible dream. when it comes to the dresses, the bar is set pretty high. Donald trump wed melania Knauss in 2005. the bride wore a strapless Christian Dior gown made of 300 feet of satin, which weighed an estimated 50 pounds and took approxi-

mately 1,000 hours to make. in 2009, playboy playmate Kendra wilkinson married football star Hank Basket in a $20,000 duchesse-silk gown with over 1,200 crystals. Not everyone focuses on the details however, as some look at the big picture. these days a wedding is only spectacular if every wedding dream comes true — no matter how large and over the top. And sometimes being over the top means a television special, Khloe Kardashian married los Angeles laker lamar odom and aired it to 3.2 million viewers. the lesson could very well be: you don’t have a wedding unless you have ratings. while some celebrities have a two-hour television special for all to see, others keep it private. forbes.com lists the top 20 most expensive celebrity weddings of all time. the top three on the list are estimated at a minimum of $2 million. in number three, elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar’s wedding cost $2.5 million and included a double ceremony spanning eight days. paul mcCartney and Heather mills’ wedding cost an easy $3 million while liza minnelli and David Gest’s wedding cost $3.5 million (interesting how those ended up). Celebrity weddings set the bar for what that special day should be like, and while many middle Americans can’t exactly replicate that, magazines such as InStyle and People offer ways for those brides-tobe to achieve the look for cheaper. Although it might seem like these wedding guides help, that actually tend to add more pressure to those brides and everyone. in the month until the big day, women are incessantly sifting through bridal magazines and wedding guides to get their perfect look. some may ask why they wouldn’t be happy with any beautiful dress and as london telegraph journalist has pointed out, “you cannot have hundreds of people staring at you while you make the most intimate public declaration of your life without some kind of body armor.”

additional reporting by ruveena virk digital illustration by hilda adeniji/ The Pace Press