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February 15, 2018
Emergency protocols updated amidst safety concerns KATRINA ALONSO Executive Editor University students returned to the New York City campus after winter break to find new emergency procedure posters in the classrooms in One Pace Plaza and 163 William Street. The informational posters are the latest and most obvious development in the University administration’s new security plan. According to Nicole Thompson, the associate vice president for administration and technology and the architect behind the new security plans, the emergency procedure posters were crafted “around the major emergencies that we experience every day.” Designed by University Director of Emergency Management and Environmental Safety Brian Anderson, the posters first began to be rolled out in November 2017 in a collaborative effort between Document Services, Buildings and Grounds, and the Safety Advisory Committee. They contain information about protocol to follow during several different types of emergencies, including earthquakes, fires, and active shooters. They also contain phone numbers for the Safety and Security and Facilities Management departments at the University, as well as instructions on how to register to receive emergency alerts. The posters were placed in classrooms, residence halls, common areas, and administrative buildings across all University campuses. Despite this wide spread, some students report not having read the content. University junior Belinda Ung noted, “I have noticed these posters but honestly I haven’t bothered to read them.” The informational posters are part of a much larger security overhaul, known as the Emergency Response Plan, which was initiated as a reaction to the active shooter scare on campus on Sep. 14, 2017. The administration of the University faced backlash from the community, which felt that the lack of security protocol and communication on the administration’s part were the reason behind the panic that students felt during the incident, which turned out to be a false alarm. What followed was a quick change in the security department of the administration: Tom Tresselt stepped down as director of safety and security, and Associate Vice President for Administration and Technology Nicole Thompson was tapped to lead a restructuring of the security program at the University. In an email sent to University students two weeks after the incident, Thompson outlined the areas in
which she planned to change the security systems in place. Communications was the biggest area targeted comprehensive changes: according to the email, the University would be acquiring new mobile apps and tools to assist in implementing a “a multi-layered communication approach to mitigate the potential for single points of
failure.” Thompson also wrote that enhanced security training would be provided for staff, a crisis management team would be assembled, and the Safety and Security website would be updated so that information could be accessed more easily. In addition to the posters, the University has been working to improve its Safety and Security website to make it easier to find emergency procedures for a variety of crises
and to allow the community to see what types of initiatives the Safety Advisory Committee has been working on. The site has also been updated with information about the Emergency Response Plan, including who makes up the crisis management team, what kind of emergency equipment is available at the campus security office, and how students will be notified and evacuated in case of emergency. Some students are still apprehensive about the state of security on campus. “Unfortunately, I do not believe security on campus has improved since the shooting,” said University senior Savannah Apple. “I think the construction puts our campus at risk and security is much easier to be breached as no one really knows— security included—at any time how many entrances exist in One Pace Plaza.” Other students are more concerned about how the new information will be delivered to students. “If they want to implement new strategies, they need to make sure everyone knows what they are,” said University junior Nicki Kern. University senior and tour guide Tanner Johnson suggested a different approach: “I think drills would be the most effective way to ensure everyone knows the new protocols.” As the Emergency Response Plan further develops, students may not immediately see its results. Thompson said, “You may not physically see what’s changing, but you will see the effects of it on the front end in how we manage moving forward.” Instead, updates will be made behind the scenes with regard to communication technology, security facilities, and security personnel. Thompson stressed that she and her staff are focused on bringing security in higher education up to par with the more comprehensive security efforts present in other fields globally. She added that at the top of their agenda is keeping the students, staff, and faculty of the University in the loop as these changes to protocol are made. “The goal here,” Thompson said, “is that operations overall and the interface that we have with the community will change. I am very interested in making sure that Safety and Security is a partner with the entire community. I think it’s important for us to cultivate a culture of safety across the entire institution.”
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Safety and Security: New York: (212) 346-1800 | Pleasantville: (914) 773-3400 | White Plains: (914) 422-4300 Security can also be reached by Dialing 777 or pressing the SECURITY button on campus phones. Facilities Management: New York: (212) 346-1521 | Westchester: (914) 923-2842 RECEIVE EMERGENCY ALERTS: TO REGISTER, VISIT HTTP://ALERT.PACE.EDU. PaceAlert is the Pace University emergency notification system that delivers time-sensitive emergency notifications via telephone (cellular or landline), e-mail, and text messaging to all members of the Pace University community who have signed up and provided their information.
February 15, 2018
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Arizona man sentenced for hacking 100+ Pace emails Hacker breached student accounts in search of explicit content AUSTIN SANDERSON Staff Writer Last month Jonathan Powell developments that Powell has be was sentenced to prison for hacking sentenced to prison. into over 1,000 University e-mail This is not the only cyber accounts during 2016 in search of security scare that the University lewd pictures and videos. National has faced recently. In early 2017, a news outlet Reuters reported that phishing email scam was circulating Powell pled guilty to accessing around Univeristy email accounts. private computers without overt The fraudulent emails were permission. The 30-year-old Arizona impersonating former University man will serve six months in prison, President Stephen Friedman as well as pay around $279,000 in asking recipients to open a PDF restitution. Powell not only targeted attachment in attempt to steal private the University, but he also attempted information. The administration to hack into the emails of seventyresponded quickly to that incident five colleges and institutions around by sending alerts to everyone at the the country. In Powell’s guilty plea University with screenshots of the he only mentioned the University. fraudulent email. The method Powell used in While there are many attempt to break into the e-mails dangerous situations on the internet, was a password reset tool. As The McGee said, “There are many ways Pace Press reported in 2016, Powell to protect yourself from online attempted to gain access to social predators.” He said that many media accounts such as Facebook, common and well-known methods LinkedIn, and Google though can be very effective ,such as, University emails. He searched “always changing your password through users information using on a periodic basis; don’t open any keywords such as “naked” and A man from Arizona hacked the University email server through the unkown portal of the web links you weren’t expecting; don’t “horny” in search of explicit photos. pxhere / unknown open any attachments that you were When the University became aware not expecting.” of the situation, they immediately He also said there are many other attended the University when the hack happened. Others notified the FBI, who conducted a ways that you can secure your accounts, though think the University had acted appropriately, “I “If offered, turn on two-factor authentication and login-in investigation. While an email was sent out when the incident was thought Pace handled it well, there [was] nothing else notification so you can see if anyone is trying to get into first reported last fall, many students around the University Pace can really do,” said Connor McGee, who runs the your account.” cyber security club at Seidenburg School of Computer were unaware of this situation. For those interested in learning more about cyber “I had no idea. […] It was very concerning” Science and Information Systems. Administration also security, the University Cyber Security club meets on said Carly Shafiroff, a former University student who has not updated the University community about the new Fridays at 163 Williams Street.
Editorial: Larry Nassar’s trial in the era of #MeToo BROOKE SUFRIN Arts Intern In 2018, women and men everywhere are coming forward telling their stories, in the hopes that justice is served in reference to sexual violence. With movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp in the Hollywood industry, a newly-fostered culture of support and empowerment has facilitated the speaking out of numerous women and girls against their allgeed abusers. In some cases, however, social norms regarding sexuality have hindered the recognition of victims and their assault. As high-profile legal cases against abusers proliferate, the lack of recognition for sexual crimes is increasingly mitigated. After the Larry Nassar trial, his verdict, and sentencing by Judge Aquilina, justice seems to be prevailing in the long battle of sexual assault, and University students agree, that time is up. Nassar is a former US gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor, specializing in the treatment of athletes, specifically young gymnasts. For over a decade, he hid his sexual abuse and molestation of young girls in the guise of medical treatment. When gymnasts tried to report the abuse to sources of authority, such as their coaches, the girls were rejected and made to feel guilty for such accusations. This went on until Rachael Denhollander, the first gymnast, came forward and publically accused Nassar of abuse. Denhollander was 15 when molested by Nassar and coming forward 16 years later, she was the last of 156 women and girls to speak at Nassar’s trial. “I can speak the truth about my abuse without minimization or mitigation, and I can call it evil because I know what goodness is. And this is why I pity you,” the young woman spoke against Nassar.
Judge Acquilina allowed these 156 women and girls to each speak out against Nassar and tell their stories. The trial, which lasted for over a week, ended with Nassar being sentenced to 40-175 years in prison and Judge Acquilina saying, “I’ve just signed your death warrant.” Peer Advocates Against Sexual Assault (PAASA) ambassador, Amelia Gilliam, feels grateful to Judge Acquilina for being a “platform for change” and “setting a new standard.” “The way Judge Aquilina handled the Larry Nassar abuse case speaks volumes,” said Gilliam, “I think a compelling result of this case will come in the form of more survivors coming forward and feeling empowered to report and be supported by their community.” Gilliam and PAASA work to build community at the University and empower men and women of the University to stand up to the threat of sexual abuse. The Nassar case appears to be another painful step in the progression to the end of sexual violence. The US Olympic committee called on the rest of the US Gymnastics board to step down and the president of Michigan State University retired as well, after both organizations were accused of turning a blind eye to Nassar’s abuse. The University as well can continue to be progressive by continuing to put its students first and foremost. In a case like this, inches mean miles and every step counts. Advocates of #MeToo and #TimesUp are hopeful recognizing assault in a public manner will effectuate positive change.
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February 15, 2018
LGBTQ Center reflects on protester crackdown LAURIANNE GUTIERREZ News Intern It has been more than a year since President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated. Some may look back at Jan. 20, 2017 fondly, while others may recall feeling sorrow and fear. For 59 of the 234 protesters, who were arrested during inauguration day protests, that day in Jan. evokes particularly harrowing memories. On Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, the number of people facing charges dropped from 188 to 59. Charged with six felonies, a looming possibility for the 59 people is to spend decades in prison. Despite this, the prospect of the charges being dropped remains plausible, as six people who took their cases to trial in Dec. 2017 were found not guilty. What many have found to be most problematic about this case is the fact that protestors were arrested in groups, regardless of whether they directly participated in the protest and incited violence or not. The two central arguments offered forth by lawyers surrounding the actions of the protestors during the 2017 US Presidential inauguration are that the protesters as a whole, notwithstanding the means through which they protested, were exercising their right to free speech. This notion fundamentally calls into question, as it is claimed, the sentiment that any person who was in the vicinity of the protest should automatically be considered complicit. Some prosecutors have argued that simply choosing to remain present at the site of the protest renders protesters complicit in contributing to what some may describe as violence. Assistant US Attorney
Jennifer Kerkhoff claimed, “They helped this path of destruction, and it’s for those choices that they made that they need to be held accountable.” Judge Lynn Leibovitz has been instrumental in illustrating how our country views activism. Since a considerable number of people have been arrested, the protestors are being tried in small groups. The first group that was tried dodged the most serious felony charge of inciting a riot thanks to Judge Leibovitz, who dismissed the charge on the grounds of there being a lack of evidence. The Pace Press spoke with Leonardo La Liveres, Student Assistant at the LGBTQA Center, who shared his opinions regarding activism and its profound impact in our country. During the inauguration, police reportedly grouped and arrested protesters in a seemingly arbitrary manner, to which La Liveres responded, “I think that especially in these times – the postTrump era, the post-Trump election – I feel like it’s really telling because I feel like the country’s using more measures to silence people than it has before and I think we’ve seen how in dictatorships in other countries that’s worked out. I feel like more and more activists are paying the cost that they shouldn’t have to pay for voicing their opinions. I feel like, especially with the Trump presidency, there’s more of a want and more of a fervor to quiet people who you don’t want to hear.” Considering that six people who took their cases to trial in Dec. 2017 have been found not guilty, this could be indicative of what the future of protest
in our generation, and more specifically in New York City, may look like. La Liveres thoughtfully surmised, “I think that in New York we’re gonna be loud – this is not gonna stop. But I feel like especially because there have been so many acquittals, it kind of shows that there was a bias to begin with. It would make sense if they were half and half, but they’re a majority acquittals it shows you that it wasn’t because they’re really breaking a law or doing anything wrong … it’s because people didn’t like what they were saying. So I feel like it would discourage some who wouldn’t participate in activism if – I feel like some people don’t want to participate in activism because of the costs it can lead to, which is understandable and it’s valid, but I feel like it could impassion more people who are activists and … drive them to the other side more.” The potentially harmful implications of protesting, as evinced in various demonstrations in history and in the present day, have led many question the efficacy of this mode of activism. La Liveres conjectured, “Yes – I mean, it’s important in a capitalist society. People with money always have the power because that’s just how our system works. And I feel like activists are usually grassroots people – people from the middle class, the lower class, are saying this isn’t good enough, we need to change it so it’s working for all of us. And I feel like that’s what America’s premise was founded on and I feel like if it weren’t for protest, our country wouldn’t have made any of the progress that it had. It’s very easy to keep people in the lower-class – like sharecropping, that’s profitable and
it helps the economy or something – but we wouldn’t see the same social growth that we’ve been having. America tries to pride itself on being diverse, but without protest we wouldn’t have that because there’s always been a fight to keep the status quo.” La Liveres posited, “I feel that one of the most important things is just everyday activism in your everyday life. I feel like some people are like, ‘Well, you know, this is just how things are in the Trump era,’ and I think the most powerful thing someone can say is ‘No, it’s not normal, it shouldn’t be happening, we shouldn’t just be brushing it off.’ I feel like people like Jake Tapper from CNN are really doing a great job at that. Sometimes he’ll have a person on – a correspondent – and they’ll say that’s just how things are and he’s like actually no that’s breaking every single rule there is that has existed and these rules are in place for a certain reason and I feel like if you don’t give it that context, you’ll lose the real point. For instance, all these scandals, like when the whole pornstar thing came out people were like who the hell cares he’s done so much worse. But if another person had had a scandal where he paid off a pornstar, it would’ve been massive like it would be incredible the outrage. Because of the Trump era and how he’s controlling the news media, it shifts how we view normal because what we see every day is just not normal.” The University community is teeming with individuals who seek to effect change. It is imperative that students recognize that the ways in which they can get involved are manifold.
NYC sues oil companies over climate change ADRIANA CHIVIL News Intern The City of New York is suing five oil companies--ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, and Conoco Phillips--for $189 billion for their alledged contributions to climate change and its impact on New York City through Hurricane Sandy in 2012.. The Huffington Post stated that Mayor de Blasio announced the lawsuit a week after he was inaugurated for a second term to address global warming and its associated sealevel rise, which devastated the city with massive flooding during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. In addition, NYC intends to withold the approximately $5 billion the city’s funds have invested in 190+ fossil fuel companies. The move comes more than two years after de Blasio announced plans to divest $33 million from coal, one of the dirtiest fossil fuels. The Washington Post also mentions how de Blasio’s unveiling of new mandates to cut emissions from big buildings faced criticism from the New York City Council. The Council, which accused the mayor of acting unilaterally and failing to go far enough with the proposed rules. The New York Times mentioned that de Blasio had made other pledges to combat climate change. For instance, in September 2017, he announced that the city would force the owners of large buildings, including apartments and offices, to add an extra component not added during construction to save energy. What was revealed later was an indefinite idea that needed to be fleshed out and then enacted by the City Council, which quickly distanced itself from the announcement. According to The Washington Post, in 2017, Marin County, San Mateo County and Imperial Beach in California took similar action in litigation against a group of fossil fuel companies over climate change related damage. Aforementioned districts cited a theory called “public nuisance,” which holds that companies are causing injury to the localities under common law. The cities of San Francisco and Oakland, as well as the city and county of Santa Cruz, have filed similar claims. A recent investigation by the Washington-based Center for International Environmental Law uncovered documents showing that the oil industry, including Exxon, was aware of
the probable connection between fossil fuels and carbon emissions no later than 1957, more than six decades ago. Curtis Smith, a spokesman for Royal Dutch Shell (popularly known as Shell) told The Associated Press that the company believes that climate change is a societal challenge with its own complexities that shouldn’t be addressed in court, but by cultural change and government policy. According to Inside Climate News, on Jan 8, Exxon petitioned a Texas court for permission to unseat government officials and a lawyer involved in the California lawsuits. The Verge states that ExxonMobil planted doubt about human-caused climate change, even as its own scientific papers and internal documents acknowledged the problem. In response to NYC’s lawsuit, ExxonMobil spokesman Scott Silvestri said the company has “made good faith attempts to address climate changes,” AP News reports. Exxon’s Vice President of Public and Government Affairs Suzanne McCarron wrote, “ExxonMobil welcomes any well-meaning and good faith attempt to address the risks of climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global issue and requires global participation and actions. Lawsuits of this kind — filed by trial attorneys against an industry that provides products we all rely upon to power the economy and enable our domestic life — simply do not do that.” The University’s Environmental Studies and Science Department Chair Melanie DuPuis believes that, through political discourse, cities have to succumb to legal action to convey justice in the environmental system. “Cities have been left on their own to take action, and the only institutional recourse available to them, at the national level, is the courts. Previously, states would sue the federal government for not following rules, but the Justice Department is less than open to pursuing that option nowadays. What is left? Cities directly suing private companies. In other words, the de Blaisio administration is working with the shreds of what is left of our government institutions to try to create positive action in regards to climate.”
NEWS
February 15, 2018
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University welcomes new provost
Vanya Quiñones embodies President Krislov’s new administrative vision ADRIANA CHIVIL News Intern The University has announced its new provost, Vanya Quiñones, PhD., neurobiologist and bio-psychologist who currently is the Associate Provost for Student Success and Retention at CUNY Hunter College. Quiñones will assume the role of Provost of the University this summer on July 1, 2018. She will succeed Interim Provost Nira Herrmann, PhD., who will return to her position as Dyson College of Arts and Sciences dean after having served as Interim Provost since July of 2017. “We were looking for a creative and inspiring provost,” said President Marvin Krislov in a statement sent to the Univeristy community on Feb. 7, “...we found [one] in Dr. Quiñones. She’s an impressive academic, an inspirational leader, a passionate champion of student access, diversity, and success, and a dedicated supporter of faculty.” “Quiñones brings to Pace decades of experience in scientific research, academic administration, programand research-focused fundraising, and a long record of working to improve diversity in science and the arts. As a young researcher at The Rockefeller University, Quiñones realized that she saw few who looked like her. This led to her career-long focus on creating opportunities for underrepresented students across scientific disciplines and within the arts. Quiñones holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s in cell biology from the University of Puerto Rico and a doctorate in neurobiology and physiology from
Vanya Quiñones, PhD will become the Provost for Pace University
Photo provided by Pace University
Rutgers University.” Quiñones’ began her aforementioned position as Assistant Provost was given
During her six years as chair of psychology, Quiñones increased funding by $3.4 million. In addition, Quiñones published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and had given more than 200 presentations, monographs, or invited papers. Quiñones fundraised over $25 million in funding for Hunter from the NIH, private foundations, and the Department of Education, among many others. These numerous grants’ goals were to support underrepresented minorities, including the NIH’s Career Opportunities in Research and Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Education Experiences (ENDURE) programs. Quiñones spoke to The Pace Press directly. “I’m thrilled to be part of the Pace community and serve as your new Provost. President Krislov is setting a high bar for engagement and enthusiasm for Pace and his excitement is contagious. What brought me into higher education was a commitment to help students achieve in fields where they weren’t in the majority. One of my main goals will be to help all students at Pace maximize their potential through our strong academics, mentoring and experiential education. I have always believed that strong academics come through collaboration across departments and schools and I plan to champion that at Pace.” The University broadly anticipates the best from the new provost, Vanya Quiñones.
after her journey at the Hunter college community, beginning as an assistant professor in the department of psychology.
University stops funding WSJ and NYT subscriptions BROOKE SUFRIN Arts Intern This academic year, the University discontinued free student subscriptions to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Coming into the spring semester, the student body is still reeling in its effects. Online access and the availability of paper copies on campus were funded through the Student Activities Fee overseen by Student Development and Campus Activities. A reworking of the budget led to a decision to drop funding for this resource. SDACA could not be reached for a comment. No official announcement was made about the change. Some student tour guides were told it’s no longer a service. “I used to read The Wall Street Journal everyday, it helped with my classes,” said Marina Testani, Junior at the university and co-captain of The Federal Reserve Challenge Team. She continued, “Our work for Fed Team heavily relies on us being able to keep up with the news, and it’s much harder when that news is not easily accessible at our university.” “I think we should have these resources because, as a Lubin student, having access to the news is important,” said Colleen McGovern, first-year Lubin School of Business student, “We should be kept up to date, especially living in the Financial District.” “It is unfortunate to see these publications removed from the campus,” said Communications Studies Professor
Seong Jae Min, “Having the hard copies on campus was these perks were advertised when I applied to Pace and a good incentive to encourage newspaper reading, which now I don’t have access to essential subscriptions in the is in decline for the younger generation. I sometimes took business world,” Laaguno continued, “I was really into the the hard copies myself to the classroom and shared news crossword!” stories with students. I think I will be missing them.” As students were unaware of the initial removal of the papers, many are concerned that they are being kept out of the loop regarding their own student budget. “I feel like its partly the student body’s fault for being silent about it and not saying what they want their money to go towards but I wish I was more involved,” said first-year film studies student Jason Laaguno, “I’m disappointed that Empty newspaper stacks around campus.
Photo by Tsun-Chueh Huang
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THE PACE PRESS
February 15, 2018
OPINION AND EDITORIALS
EDITORIAL BOARD Chase Ballas Editor in Chief Katrina Alonso Executive Editor Amoreena Crispino Executive Editor Christian Halstead News Editor Madelyn Dilley Arts Editor Kelsey Nicholson Features Editor Justin Knoepfel Graphic Design Tsun-Chueh Huang Photo Editor Nathan Siegel Social Media Editor
Dr. Kelley Kreitz Faculty Consultant 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. 906 New York, NY 10038 www.thepacepress.org editor@thepacepress.org Copyright 2018
To the Pace Community, I would like to welcome you all back for another prosperous semester. I would also like to thank you for picking up a copy of our first print issue of the Spring 2018. We are excited for another great semester of writing, coverage, and excitement on campus. I am also pleased to announce two new staff members Madelyn Dilley as our new Arts Editor, and Duke Huang as our first-ever Photo Editor. I hope you enjoy their contributions to our paper as much as me and the rest of staff has. For our first issue, we stuck with the recurring theme of safety on campus. Whether it be new improvements to existing codes, new staff personell, or better handling of security issues, thew University administration has seemingly taken a vow to better adapt to the ever-threatening risks on campus, and we felt that it deserved to me acknowledged. Please refer to pages 2, 3, 5, and 12 for more information. Thank you for your readership, and I look forward to a great semester. Please feel free to drop by our office, 906 in Park Row, for our Monday commonhour meetings, or visit us on web (thepacepress.org), Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@thepacepress), or contact me at editor@thepacepress.org for additional comments. Pace Yourself, Chase Ballas Editor in Chief editor@thepacepress.org 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 of arising out of use or relevance to any information contained in this section.
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ARTS
Editor Picks: The Best Picture Nominees On March 4, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science will host the 90th Academy Awards. In the spirit of the awards season, The Pace Press is offering exclusive reviews of the nominated Best Pictures. Please continue to our website thepacepress.org to read our reviews of the other nomimated films.
Phantom Thread
Lady Bird
GABE CROUCH Contributor
Public Domain Pictures
Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a renowned dressmaker in 1950s England, who lives a fashion designer’s dream. Being an artist at the disposal of the upper-class and elite, Woodcock has gained massive wealth, a bolstered clientele, and a true mastery of his craft. Woodcock has obtained such a status as an artist in the public scene that he has become a sort of recluse in his own regard, spending countless hours in the mornings brainstorming new designs in order to be at the top of his game. He is a man of great talent, yet under the public façade lives a compulsive man, obsessed with every one of life’s details, scrupulous in his attempt to perfect every aspect of his life. In many cases, he does this at the expense of those around him. On a spur of the moment holiday to the countryside, Woodcock meets a young waitress, Alma (Vicky Krieps), he proceeds to court for some time before becoming quite infatuated with her. He eventually decides to invite her into his home (moving her in a room right next to his). Woodcock is a womanizer through and through, often courting the most beautiful of England’s elite, using them as muses for his work, then promptly setting them aside for the next exciting fling. However, with Alma, this is not the case. She proves to be a sort of an antidote against Day-Lewis’s cold-blooded character, making Paul Thomas Anderson’s drama a sort of complicated romance. Anderson’s writing and direction of this film challenges the norms of romance films as a whole. Woodcock is a brooding and uncaring artist, with enough wealth and influence in his elite social circles to amass immense power. Yet, in this uncomfortable and toxic relationship with his new muse, he is held in check by a commoner, with little to no wealth and no family name. Over the course of a year, Day-Lewis and Krieps’ characters embark on a year-long power struggle between them, leaving the audience in a state of suspense until the very end of the film. Their dynamic is seductive, galvanizing, and almost hard to watch as the two mentally bear down on each other until the one breaks (or in Woodcock’s case, at least, become more caring and humanistic). Besides the already well planned script and direction, Anderson’s cinematographic production design-oriented vision for this film was a key factor in this film’s beauty. The production design of this film was perhaps its best feature besides its casting, as Anderson truly grasped a breathtaking angle on 1950s English architecture; with help from the film’s production designer Mark Tildeley. The Woodcock house itself is a massive, five story building, with each room as neatly put together as its owner’s art. This house alone provided a plethora of steady establishing shots that pan the open spaces of the main rooms and within many of the home’s extensive stairways. Through the use of many vibrant colors against the creamy, earthy tones of the city of London, Anderson creates a world which is extremely cohesive with the attitudes and personalities of his characters: elegant, yet with strong undertones of emotional strife and flaring displays. Anderson is known to use everything he has at his fingertips, and he upholds this theory in “Phantom Thread.” Already graced with the methodical Day-Lewis, Anderson was able to absorb and show every ounce of his lead’s magic for the entirety of the film. Unfortunately for Anderson, his chances of using such a paramount acting specimen again are dwindled, as this is reported to be Day-Lewis’s final film, as he pursues a well-deserved retirement. Overall, this film is a very intriguing piece of art, almost as meticulously edited as the main character would have wanted. Although the feature does present some hard-to-watch scenes showing the overbearing tension between the film’s lovers and the confusion of the film’s ending, viewers will find it to be worth the initial discomfort. The audience is provided with many positive notions to keep in mind, as well as an invitation to really understand the complexity and the newer-feeling dramatic-romance subgenre Anderson tries to make within this piece.
MADELYN DILLEY Arts Editor The film “Lady Bird” has been heralded as an incredible film, garnering five Oscar nominations and massive fanfare. The consensus on “Lady Bird” is that it feels grounded in reality, making it relatable. The film’s teenage protagionist, Lady Bird ( Saoirse Ronan), doesn’t try to sink a three pointer at the basketball game or reign supreme as prom queen; her goals aren’t trivial hallmarks of a carbon-copied high school experience. She strives to be free from the dredge of suburban Sacramento and find a calling at a liberal arts college in the northeast. She does ordinary teenage activities like goofing off with her best friend (Beanie Feldstein), trying pot for the first time, fighting with her mother, falling in love, fighting with her mother again, and so on. Lady Bird is a paradoxical character because she is so ordinary and so uniquely her own person at the same time. She is flawed like all of the characters in the film, which is what makes the film feel so real. The character with one of the best treatments is Kyle ( Timothée Chalamet), a love interest of Lady Bird’s in the film. In any other coming of age film, Kyle could be either a bad boy with a heart of gold or the villainous rich boyfriend. Delightfully defying expectations, however, Kyle is portrayed as stupid teenage boy. At one point in the film, he mentions how he thinks spending money is evil and hasn’t done so for quite some time. He says this sitting on top of a car his parents most defiantly bought for him while hanging out with his private school friends completely unaware of his own privilege. Kyle isn’t the villain; he just lacks the self-awareness most teenage boys think they have. And when their relationship comes to an end, there is no final goodbye or tearful regret. Kyle is just a guy Lady Bird dates in high school, not the end all be all of her life. Undoubtedly, the most realistic relationship in the film belongs to Lady Bird and her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf). The film opens with the two enjoying a book on tape while driving from a college tour. Lady Bird, always wanting more, is desperate to put the next chapter in the player immediately. Her mother, always trying to save and conserve, wants to sit with the chapter they just heard. The two characters are perfect foils for each other: a grandiose teenager and a conservative mother. This of course isn’t an uncommon relationship in film, but the writer/ director Greta Gerwig gives each character the space to be justified and totally out of bounds all at once. Gerwig also doesn’t use the camera to cast a judging eye on any of the characters. There are no lowangles or high-angle shots in the film, which is smart. Any one of these camera angles can invoke a certain emotion or allude to a character’s position of power. By staying away from these camera angles, she has given the audience a blank canvas to make up their minds about the characters and their actions. Gerwig also does have a keen eye for the landscapes of Sacramento, California. Some of the films most beautiful moments are the tracking shots of Sacramento as Marion commutes to and from work. A key component to “Lady Bird” feeling real is its editing. The film cuts from scene to scene sometimes with an establishing shot or a p.o.v shot (point of view). Sometimes these cuts aren’t straight to a pivotal moment, but they cut to a party scene from New Year’s Eve. This could come off as jumpy, but it doesn’t; it feels like one’s memory. Memory isn’t a clean line; it’s a bunch of dashes in varying lengths. Rather than remembering one’s senior year of high school in a steady uninterrupted stream, memory comes out in fragments of the time spent in the special purgatory in between adolescence and adulthood. If one’s memories could play out like “Lady Bird,” audiences would be calling to thank Greta Gerwig for a beautiful experience.
Editors Picks continued on PAGE 9
ARTS
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February 15, 2018
University senior JayT: a ‘pleasant surprise’ SAM UNGER Arts Intern
&
The music streaming service Spotify is known for making popular albums and charttopping singles accessible to listeners. However, there remains a great deal of worthwhile music that takes a few searches to reach. Independent musicians often have a difficult time finding an audience for their music. The Spotify-curated Discover Weekly playlist is the golden ticket for independent and emerging artists: it gives those musicians the exposure and support to drive their passions to higher levels. University senior JayT is one of those independent artists who have been featured on the Discover Weekly playlist. His songs have made the list not once, but four times in 2017. Hailing from Potomac, Maryland, JayT was born James Theodore Russell. His stage name is a combination of his first and middle name, though some assume it’s an homage to musician Jay-Z. ”A lot of people expect something like Jaquavius or something, but I like to give them a pleasant surprise,” he said. As the youngest child of a preacher, JayT began singing in church choir at three years old and has remained passionate about music and singing ever since. His E.P “ Rise” is JayT’s first major project, though he has previously released three singles. “‘Rise’ was very special for me because it was my first project. It was my first time really listening to my own voice and not what others said I should be or sing. I said to myself, ‘Rise above the negativity, hate, and uncertainty to become your best self.’” Many artists feel overwhelmed by the influx of styles and voices being pushed upon them and can lose their individuality; however the name “Rise” emerged from those same doubts and negativity. The name is a testament to his journey in becoming his best, most authentic self.
You can listen to JayT on all streaming platforms and Spotify and Apple Music
University artist JayT
Kayla Marie (Intsagram _baaylaa_)
MADELYN DILLEY Arts Editor
This transparency of self is immediately recognizable in the personal nature of his lyrics, which he writes himself. JayT gets honest about his depression, fear, and anxieties. For example, the track “You Belong to the World” is about his “first bad experience with the police.” Despite growing up in a loving Christian household and being a good student, JayT was still made hyperaware of the prejudice he faced as a young black man, especially in the eyes of the police. He sings about the space in the world in which he belongs, and he reassures himself and the listener that they have a seat at the table. The song is a slow and moving ballad about validation of black youth. “Begin” is the first track off of “Rise” starting the E.P. with a slow introduction into the universe that surrounds him. It starts with a steady base. As the song continues, more instruments and rhythms are introduced into the song. JayT explained that the song is about new beginnings in love and in life. The sounds and textures of “Begin” mirror the rise in confidence and the growth in optimism that he feels on his journey of starting something new. At the first rhythmic beats of “Thinking Bout You,” one is immediately hooked. It is a crisp sound that reminds listeners of the kind of unique talent you rarely find, and it remains innovative and unique. “Rise” is not only an indication that perseverance can transform the most difficult things to speak out about into art, but it is possible to create inspirational and relatable content that reaches people on a global scale; the only determinant is passion.
ARTS
February 15, 2018
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The Post
Dunkirk
There is an interesting ‘Easter egg’ of sorts in “The Post,” Steven Spielberg’s latest film about the Nixon administration’s attempt to limit the First Amendment to free speech by censuring both the New York Times and the Washington Post. In the background of one of the opening scenes is a poster for “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” the 1969 western-crime film starring Robert Redford. Redford would later star in the 1976 film “All the President’s Men,” which, similar to “The Post,” is about the Nixon administration, but in its case the Watergate scandal. While this may be a stretched connection, this little reminder in the film makes one realize that “The Post” is, in retrospect, not the best of films about Nixon or the Vietnam era. Its main fault lies in Liz Hannah and Josh Singer’s screenplay. Its emphasis on conventional big dialogue, big motion, and big expression is perfectly matched with Spielberg’s large direction choices reminiscent of his biggest blockbusters, but yet it loses a sense of intimacy that connects the audience to its most basic plot: the President of the United States is trying to take away your most basic of Constitutional rights. This is not helped by the almost-caricature performances of the ensemble, led that a perfectly credible but lacking Tom Hanks as Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee, that makes use of every cliché about the newsroom, from the excessive smoking to their overexaggerated drive to their close status elitist, that further drives a disconnect between the viewer and the picture since there is nothing relatable to these characters. But the character that does the most damage to the credibility of “The Post” is the one without any screen time. It is obvious that Former President Richard Nixon is a stand in for the current leader of the United States, and is incorporated into the script in such a hawkeyed manner that it brings absolutely nothing insightful or powerful. If anything, the attempt to incorporate the two hot topics of modern Hollywood, President Donald Trump and women empowerment, feels tedious and often times unbelievable. However, what must be praised is the return of Meryl Streep. Yes, she never left us, but has been in relatively uninspired in the 2010s. Capped off by her last Oscar win for “The Iron Lady,” Streep’s film modern career has been marked by acclaimed yet unfulfilling performances of poorly written characters in middle-brow films, like “Into the Woods,” “Ricki and the Flash,” and “Florence Foster Jenkins.” But as the semidepressed, semi-strong Post owner Katharine Graham, Streep gets to give not just a “Meryl Streep caliber” performance, but one that is in a “Meryl Streep caliber” role. With ease, she displays all the trademarks that made her the most accomplished actress of her or any generation: the world-weary eyes, the ever dynamic emotional range, the juxtaposition of being largerthan-life and being stripped down and raw. Overall, “The Post” is not one of Spielberg’s crowning achievements, and ranks as a middle-drawer want-to-be thriller,
“Dunkirk” follows the story of the heart-wrenching event during World War II that left the Allied soldiers completely surrounded by Nazi forces. Instead of allowing the navy to take their boat, Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance) and his son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney), accompanied by Peter’s friend George (Barry Keoghan), take their boat out to sea in order to save some of the endangered soldiers. The story is told from three perspectives --land, water, and air-- bringing numerous helpful views to the situation, and allowing an audience to truly grasp each level of the war battle. The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, contains very little dialogue, in order to truly capture the emotion and fear that came from the situation. This creative choice by Nolan makes the events of the movie truly realistic and allows for each conversed moment to have a clear and definite purpose. Along with a miniamal use of dialogue, the film’s score serves also conveys the sense of emotion. Starting off with uneasy, minimal ticks, the score of “Dunkirk” creates suspense with a slow cresendo of music from start to finish. The absence of music also helps the film to capture it’s truly realistic background. Visually, “Dunkirk” starts with extremely balanced, and carefully executed shots. As the movie progresses, composition becomes less organized, less balanced, and more chaotic. This creates an equilibrium out of the unexpected, suspenseful events of the story itself that were certainly impressive. At the same time, the acting certainly captured the numb yet achingly terrifying emotions that the soldiers and civilians experienced during the war. Harry Styles, singer and former member of famous British pop-band One Direction, makes his film debut in “Dunkirk” as Alex, a British soldier. Though his performance is not the most notable in the movie, many audience members were shocked by his incredibly realistic performance, especially coming from a regular pop-singer styled life. Overall, the performances shined, but not enough to overshadow of the visual and artistic beauty of the film. University students saw the movie in two different lights. Mike Ekelburg, a sound design major, expressed his immediate dislike for the film, stating, “It was anticlimactic, a bunch of events happening that didn’t really lead up to a climax.” Though Ekelburg was disappointed with the plot, he concluded with a compliment,“The score was amazing. Hans Zimmer’s use of the shepard’s tone and the ticking clock was phenomenal.” The plot might have not made its way into the hearts of some viewers, but an element of the movie certainly did. On the other hand, “Dunkirk” enthusiast Taylor Fagliarone, a sophomore, held an intense passion for the film. “This story hasn’t been told enough,” she began, “and the way Nolan interpreted it was intriguing.” Fagliarone and Ekelburg’s differing views on the plot are certainly both supportable, proving “Dunkirk” is a piece that strikes a different chord in each viewer. Overall, “Dunkirk” swept a feeling of community and heartache into the souls of many viewers across the globe. Nolan’s adaption of the historical event was one of absolute credibility; however, the film has no realistic chance of winning best picture at the Oscars this year. Though it will not win this award, it had certainly deserves the nomination, between the intrinsic composition style, and the incredible dialogue-minimal script.
Public Domain Pictures
OLIVIA HANEWALD Contributor
Wikimedia Commons / Rayukk
CHASE BALLAS Editor in Chief
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February 15, 2018
Editorial: Anzari, a clown, and male denial OLIVIA HANEWALD Contributor It doesn’t take much to notice just how frequently a new accusation of sexual harrassment or assualt is made, and just how frequently another big Hollywood star is diminished to nothing. Women have gained the strength to finally get the justice that they hope for. However, one burning question remains: how do we separate the honest offenders from the dishonest? Just weeks ago, Aziz Ansari, established actor and producer of “Master of None,” stood on the Golden Globes stage and accepted his award for “Best Actor in a Comedy.” The Golden Globes night was one filled with resilient black outfits to showcase strength in numbers of those who support the Time’s Up movement. Sure enough, as Ansari accepted his award, the movement’s signature pin shone on the lapel of his suit. No one believed this choice would be as controversial as it turned out to be. Only a few days after the award, Ansari was accused anonymously of sexual assault. At once, Ansari claimed his actions were “consensual” and hid from the spotlight, remaining absent from his next string of award shows. Unlike Ansari, Barry Lubin, also known as “Grandma the Clown” in the Big Apple Circus, stepped down from his position. Sixteen year old aerialist, Zoey Dunne, accused him of pressuring her to pose for pornographic photos years after the actual incident. Though he was not
first to come forward about his wrong doings, Lubin made the decision afterwards to step away from his position and apologize, stating “The allegations are true. What I did was wrong, and I take full responsibility for my actions.” The two situations, Ansari’s and Lubin’s, are driven by the same animalistic and primitive tendencies that are looked down upon by modern society. Though both men allegedy committed obscene acts, they handled it in two completely separate manners. While Lubin chose to come forward and admit his guilt, Ansari chose not to clarify his actions or make a public apology. That being said, society must wonder if it is truly possible to identify all of the offenders, and consider how to treat those who confess as opposed to those who do not. Not all who are accused will step forward and take responsibility like Lubin. Some of these figures are indeed going to hide in the shadows, and more specifically, behind a shining movement’s pin. To start, is there a way to identify offenders before they have struck? University English professor Ondree Israel holds a keen interest in the study of men and women’s relationships in literature, and remarked that for thousands of years certain men have sexually abused women. “Men can’t compliment women today,” Israel stated. The remark, repeated by many individuals in the American society today, holds a very important question: must movements go to an extreme before they can truly level out and be understood? “This is a good thing that is happening,” Israel concluded, “and I absolutely do believe it will need to get worse before it gets better.”
Though the actions of these wrong-doers will be hard to spot and harder to diminish, modern society is still left with a moral question: Do we express more forgiveness to those who have admitted to their mistakes, such as Barry Lubin? Liz Hines, a University student extremely fascinated with the film industry, presented a rather insightful vision of the solution. “We should completely crimilize them, and drop them from the face of society,” she started, “but they should get credit for stepping up, because it’s hard to do.” Many would agree with Hines and say that a criminal is a criminal, no matter if they repented or not. “We shouldn’t just push them off, because that will just discourage people to not come out with it and admit to it,” Hines said, “but we also can’t just say it’s fine.” The general population would agree that a criminal act should not be given space because of an apology. Certainly, any apology for such matters does not need to mean total separation from the problem all together. However, in light of such changes that are needed in our society it is important to ask how exactly a movement can weed out those who have done the unspeakable to others. Is there a way for our society to change, and not only find those who deserve cells, but teach those who are young to respect each other in ways that will bring peace and safety? Once we do find the criminals who have affected lives for the worse, how do we treat those who come clean? At the end of the day, society has to decide if those who repent are any better than those who choose to deny.
Editorial: Eating Tide Pods. Really Internet? MEGANN MARTINEZ Features Intern
What may never know when exactly the Internet became a platform for social dares and challenges of courage. Everyone has heard of the cinnamon challenge or the eraser challenge, where someone out in cyber space decides to test the world’s stupidity by capitalizing on mass millennial boredom. Some of these “challenges” have been used for good, like the ice-bucket challenge, which raised money for charity. Now we are faced with a new level of dare, consuming laundry detergent. Tide Pods are miniature, one-inch capsules, used to wash clothing. To most, this seems like a sensible and inocuous invention. Well, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently issued a warning to parents about the liquid packets. Colorful, with an interesting feel, and a pleasant smell, they can easily attract children, and the Commission made it clear that the packets are “highly concentrated and toxic.” What Tide did not anticipate was the appeal these small packages would appeal to teens and young adults as well. Last year, U.S. Poison Control estimated reports of more than 10,500 children younger than five years old, and 220 teens were exposed to the Tide Pod’s harms. 25 percent of the teens exposed were from intentional consumption, according to data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers. So far, the count has already increased to 37 (it’s only been a month, come on, 2018). Half of these cases were intentional. University students were surprised by these statistics. Freshman Kailee Heller stated, “It just shows how the media can influence the youth and make them think of these ideas as normal, even though it’s stupid.” And stupid it is. Immediately after the consumption of a Tide Pod, a person will experience nausea and a large inhalation that could cause the pod to get caught in the throat. If the pod breaks while inside the mouth, a stinging sensation will become apparent as the mucus membrane cells die; this is the mouth experiencing a chemical burn. Swallowing the liquid could cause the throat to swell. While eating one pod may not kill a person, eating several could because the liquid could perforate a person’s esophagus. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, there have been eight fatalities amongst children five and younger since 2012. The University Health Center has a clear stance on the challenge, “While Pace doesn’t frequent injuries caused by dares online, we can never know what happens outside the heath center. It’s obviously dangerous, so it’s surprising to me how social media can lessen your concern about health,” stated University employee Kevin Cherry. While the challenge has been expanding throughout
social media, corporations are doing their best to discourage the reckless activity. YouTube is flagging videos of teens taking on the Tide Pod, but because of the sheer amount, it’s not hard to find them. In fact, you can see families taking on the challenge together. What a great Sunday activity: eating detergent. Stores across the nation are locking up the capsules like overpriced razors in attempts to protect local youth. Tide released a very clear statement, “What should Tide Pods be used for? DOING LAUNDRY. Nothing else,” the company said on Twitter. “Eating a Tide Pod is a BAD IDEA, and we asked our friend @robgronkowski to help explain.” They visualized their message with a sponsorship with New England Patriots team member, Rob Gronkowski, hoping to convince the internet that eating their product is not a choice they approve of. On Wednesday, Feb. 7, New York assemblywoman Aravella Simotas and state Sen. Brad Hoylman proposed a bill to make Tide Pods look less appetizing. “We’re asking for all laundry detergent pods to be uniform in color. We don’t need them to look like Gummy Bears in order for consumers to use them,” Holyman noted. They also called for Tide parent company Procter & Gamble to make the pods taste more bitter and feel firmer, as well as smell less pleasant (which is not something you’d want from your laundry detergent; it helps if it smells nice!). Another measure suggested by Holyman and Simotas was to make the plastic encasing the Tide Pods firmer and harder to bite through. So however bored you may be, or however much a tide-pod appeals to you, don’t eat it. We know Café 101 can get tiresome over-time, but that shouldn’t mean resorting to laundry detergent.
To report exposure to laundry detergent pods, call the national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222 or text POISON to 797979 to save the number on your phone.
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February 15, 2018
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Olympics score bronze in helping host cities NATHAN SIEGEL Social Media Editor
As the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea takes place, the country is brimming with tourists from every corner of world. On TV sets worldwide, PyeongChang is becoming a familiar city. What a great investment for South Korea, right? It would appear to anyone watching that South Korea was wise to put in a bid and host this winter’s Olympic games. The truth, however, is that hosting the Olympics is a double-sided coin, yielding both positive and negative results for its host city. In order to host the Olympics, a city must place a bid and be selected by the International Olympics Committee. The bidding races are often an economic gamble for these cities; Chicago lost $100 million in hopes of hosting the 2016 summer games. Once chosen, the winning city must spend billions on improving and adapting their transportation systems, transit, and housing. On top of this, the proper athletic facilities must be built and maintained, which can range between five billion and fifteen billion dollars. With this considered, it is not surprising that host
nations often do not bring as much revenue as expected; the Vancouver 2010 games produced about $1.5 billion in total, and the London 2012 games grossed about $3.3 billion. In Brazil, which hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics, funds were funneled into athletic infrastructure and tourist accommodations. Many argued that instead of hosting a $10 billion event, the government should have focused on national problems of sanitation, healthcare, and education. In 2004, the Athens games sent Greece into an economic crisis after the city spent $9 billion over their budget. Although the economics of the Olympics are risky, hosting the games is not always a catalyst for disaster. A major source of Olympic revenue is assumed to be tourism, but in some cases, like the recent Beijing and London Olympics, there was less tourism than expectyed while the games took place. Although Rio experienced a financial loss, tourism rose at a higher rate during the games than any other host cities in history, according to an article published on DW.com, proving that the Olympics do have potential to increase tourism.
Publicity and media attention have a pivotal role in the effect on the host city. While coverage can increase tourism and raise awareness, it can also be harmful to the reputations of the cities. During games such as Beijing, the poor environmental conditions, such as pollution, were brought to light. The media suggested that the high smog levels were unsafe for athletes and spectators, which brought about negative press about the games. In Munich, Germany’s 1972 games, eleven Isreali athletes were murdered by a pro-Palestinian terror group. However, many host cities are seen by the media in a positive light, and the effects are notable. The 1992 Barcelona games thrust the city into the spotlight and created a steady boom in tourism. Like the games themselves, hosting the Olympics is a challenge. While the Olympics will continue lighting up televisions screen and entertaining the world for years to come, hosting them will continue to be an uncertain endeavor.
Eagles beat Patriots, but ads still reign as champs MEGANN MARTINEZ Features Intern There are three things typically discussed the night of the Super Bowl: the score, and the like. The strategy was to get viewers to keep Tide in their minds for every the halftime show, and the commercials. The Super Bowl sets the platform for the commercial; any ad with clean clothes could be a Tide ad. “Is every commercial a Tide media to produce their best when it comes to product advertisement. Almost a battle commercial?” Harbour asked viewers. to the death, companies spend millions of dollars to promote their products and teams. Whether the majority enjoyed a commercial for the musical artist, the hilarious Normal commercials are a nuisance, but during the Super Bowl, they provide part of the concept, or the fact that it signaled mainstream ideals, commercials can easily reflect the entertainment, especially for those who don’t enjoy the football. With over 103.4 million society they are selling products to. Olivia Hanewald, University freshman, said, “The people watching, what makes the most popular Super Bowl commercials so appealing? one common pattern in the commercials was that they were rich in celebrities. I think that Looking at 2018’s top commercials alone, there are quite a few trends that can be right now, we like to be distracted by the lives of Hollywood.” This clear pattern does easily noticed. In almost all of the commercials, celebrities endorsed the product. This suggest that society values the opinions and endorsements of Hollywood, as well as the choice has obvious motivations. Celebrities are easily recognizable, and they give the music industry. In having a connection with their very public lives, viewers can have a product credibility when it comes to usefulness and popularity. One of the most praised more personal connection with the products they are endorsing. commercials of the 2018 Super Bowl was for the Amazon Echo, featuring numerous While commercials are a tradition on Super Bowl Sundays, there is a possibility celebrities like Gordon Ramsay, of a decline in their audience. Cardi B, and Rebel Wilson. While With streaming services like it is clear that audiences value Netflix and Hulu, viewers are familiar faces from the television unbothered by interruptive screen, the appeal to humor is commercials when watching also strong among Super Bowl daytime cable. How will commercials. No one could have products be endorsed if imagined a rap battle between cable is completely overrun Peter Dinklage and Morgan by these services? With Freeman, but nonetheless, it made modern technology, ads its way into a Dorito and Mountain may be incorporated more Dew commercial. into streaming services, Pop culture references often invading the commercial-free find their way into commercials, space viewers once knew. and Super Bowl advertisements are Societal traditions like the no exception. NFL’s endorsement Super Bowl force production video spotlights players imitating companies to produce the the final scene from “Dirty best advertisements, spending Dancing,” the famous 1980s millions of dollars in the classic. Audiences can admire process. These efforts are the willingness and teamwork based on profit, thanks to the that went into the production, enormous number of viewers. and that goes into the sport as Without the spectators well. One of the newer concepts watching from home, what introduced this year was a sense will become of the future of “meta” realism, or commercials rap battles, dance montages, acknowledging the fact that they celebrity cameos, or every are, indeed commercials. David In the highschool football field, no ads are displayed, so people can focus on the game. commercial that could possibly Harbour, known as Police Chief Jim Hopper on “Stranger Things,” does it all in this year’s Tide commercial, comically dramatizing commercials for beer, cars, jewelry,
be a Tide commercial? We will
have to wait and see. Football Landscape #12 (Alice vs. W.B. Ray, Corpus Christi, TX) © Catherine Opie, Courtesy Regen Projects, Los Angeles
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February 15, 2018
Kit Lee-Demery assumes position of Fires Safety Dir. KELSEY NICHOLSON Features Editor
The University is in the middle of a complete overhaul, with the Master Plan picking up speed, orientation leader and resident assistant selections going on, and a new face for the school’s security team. The Pace Press sat down with Kit Lee-Demery, the new assistant director of fire safety and emergency management at the University. The Pace Press: What does your new position of assistant director of fire safety and emergency management entail? Kit Lee-Demery: As the Assistant Director for Emergency Management and Fire Safety, I am responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures related to emergency preparedness and management across the New York City and Westchester campuses to ensure the safety of the Pace community, and minimize damage to facilities and disruption to operations during an emergency. I develop and administer trainings, and evaluate our emergency and disaster response protocols. I am also responsible for managing fire protection and life safety activities, such as scheduling fire drills and revamping our fire warden program. TPP: How is this current position different from being community coordinator of the residence halls? Would you say it’s more difficult, more rewarding, etc. KLD: As a community coordinator, I was responsible for overseeing a residence hall, supervised resident assistants and a graduate assistant, and had daily interactions with students. I planned events to foster community and was involved in daily crisis management activities to ensure the health and safety of the students. With this new position, my focus is on the University as a whole and I interact with the Pace community at all levels ranging from students to the President’s office. I find both positions to be rewarding in their own way and definitely have their own challenges. TPP: The other day the Beekman residence hall had a fire alarm at 6 a.m. There was a message at the end saying “We determined it was a false alarm. We regret any inconvenience.” Is this part of a new protocol? KLD: The announcement is standard protocol and is required by the NYC Fire Code to notify all occupants about the status of a fire alarm. TPP: Are there any other new protocols or rules being put into place since you’ve assumed your position? KLD: We are currently conducting an University-wide risk assessment on our protocols and responses. Our division recently partnered with an assessment firm to provide recommendations for future improvements.
TPP: How has security had to change since the bullet belt scare earlier this year? Is it still an issue that the security team talks about? KLD: The Pace Security team strives to incorporate industry-wide best practices when it comes to active-shooter type scenarios. Faculty, staff, and students are all encouraged to attend one of the emergency preparedness and active shooter training sessions, which are offered monthly. We have also established a Safety Advisory Committee to assess and improve protocols, emergency education, and communications in the area of Safety and Security on all campus locations. The Committee has representation from various stake holders (students, staff and faculty) across all campuses. In addition, the Pace Security office works side-by-side with the NYPD to ensure an integrated response to any incident taking place on campus. The security team regularly discusses and prepares for a wide range of potential incidents, including active shooter. TPP: What are the most important things that residents need to know about fire safety in the buildings? Are there mistakes that students and staff continually make? KLD: There are many important fire safety guidelines residents need to know and follow. The first is to know your exits, pay attention to all fire alarms, follow the instructions that are given by the Fire Safety Director, and follow evacuation protocols. While evacuating, it is important that residents do not use the elevators or be on their cell phones. This is not the time to be taking selfies or putting their evacuation process on social media as this will increase their chances of injury to themselves or others. Residents must also follow the University’s policies regarding not bringing personal furniture or non-approved appliances into their room, tampering with the fire alarm/sprinkler system, and creating daisy chains of electrical cords. These rules are set forth by the New York City fire department and are there to prevent fires. All of our University furniture is fire resistant. Outside furniture may not be. The most common mistake that I see students and staff make is not taking a fire alarm seriously and not following evacuation instructions. You never know when there is an actual fire and if you do not follow instructions, this could be detrimental to your life and safety. TPP: What is your favorite part of this new job? KLD: I love every facet of my job, even parts that seem most challenging. Some of my favorite aspects include meeting and interacting with students, faculty, and staff members in my new role, creating educational materials, conducting trainings, and being a resource to the Pace community. I am excited to have the opportunity to utilize my emergency management background with my position. I am one of the few people that can say they found their dream job.
The trivia epidemic sweeping 1 Pace Plaza RUMIYA MALIK Features Intern
If you’ve ever been in the University’s cafeteria at 3p.m. or 9p.m. Eastern Standard Time, you can see students get ready to play highly addictive and intense game of HQ Trivia. How it works is that it is essentially a live trivia game you play to win money. Every week day, there is a live game at 3p.m. ET and 9p.m ET and just 9p.m. on the weekends. There are 12 questions you must answer correctly, and the prize currently is $1,500 per game (except on Sundays where they typically give a much larger cash prize). Once an HQ Trivia game starts, you’ll be presented with a series of multiple choice questions. You’ll only have 10 seconds to answer each one, which essentially rules out the possibility of cheating with search engines like Google. The question creators even phrase their questions in a format that makes using a search engine almost impossible. If you answer a question incorrectly or are unable to answer, you’re eliminated from the game. That is, unless you have an Extra Life, which allows you to keep playing after you’ve been disqualified. (To get an extra life, someone has to use your promotion code when they join the app.) After the time runs out for each question, you’ll be able to see the correct answer and how your fellow contestants fared. HQ Trivia is free to download and play, but you can win real money if you make it to the end. The total prize is split between every player that answers all of the questions correctly. The current prize is set at $1,500, but it’s been as high as $18,000, and winners cash out using PayPal. If all players get eliminated, the game’s prize rolls over to the next day. The prize money is sponsored by Intermedia Labs, the company behind the app, along with Technology can isolate us from others some affiliates, marketers, and partners. That may leave © Eric Pickersgill / from the series you wondering exactly how “Removed” / Intermedia Labs plans to
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make money from HQ Trivia’s success; co-creator Rus Yusupov told Variety that the company isn’t focusing on monetization at the moment, but it’s seeing interest from various brands and agencies. Television game shows have existed for decades, but there’s never been anything quite like HQ Live Trivia. In the few months since its release, HQ Trivia, as it’s called for short, has become one of the most popular iPhone games in the world. It comfortably sits among the App Store’s top 50 games and more and more people are downloading it everyday. University freshman Siana Patel said, “I find the game incredibly addicting, first, because I personally love trivia. It is also very competitive which is fun because you only have 10 seconds to answer each question and you can see how many people are playing and how many people get each question correct. My favorite part about it, though, was how it became like a bonding experience.” She also said that “Typically, I would play with or against friends or family and it brought us together or fostered some friendly competition and we would have a lot of fun with it.” One the reasons HQ Trivia can be so addicting is because it is something new, and people are always attracted to new things. Especially because the game is played in real time, it becomes super intense and is more exciting with every question you answer correctly. What’s so great about it, is that people can try to win money without having to put up any of their own. When Patel was asked if she had anything to say about the phenomenon she said, “Like with most addicting games, I think the fad will eventually fade out. I started playing very early on, when the cash prize was only $100 and there were only about 20,000 people playing, which was so much more exciting for me. It has exploded since then with the cash prize becoming much greater to keep the appeal up for the nearly million people who now play, which in itself has lessened the hype for me. Overall, the concept is awesome and the game is a lot of fun, especially for trivia buffs.” Patel did wonder about how HQ Trivia gets its money for its prizes and how long they will be able to keep giving out multiple thousands of dollars a day, especially since the app is completely free and there are no ads to make up for it. Yusupov, one of the app’s co-founders, who told Variety that he’s seen “a ton of interest from brands and agencies who want to collaborate,” but they’ve never had any sponsored content or questions. Instead, the company is backed by venture capital, a rep for HQ Trivia told Money, and is not currently focused on profitability. That means those jackpots are being paid out by deep-pocketed Silicon Valley investors who are betting the game will get big enough that, eventually, companies will pay to be associated with it. We don’t know for how long this game will be around, but right now it appears to be here to stay. It has also recently launched on Android so it is reaching an even larger audience. There is a video of a girl who won $13 went viral on Twitter, and that is a testament to how people have gone absolutely crazy for this game.