November 24

November 24, 2010

Serving The Community Since 1948

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The Pace Press Pravia family finds closure as murderer is convicted with potential 25 year sentence

Cultural Affairs Director charged with possession of child pornography ivonna thompson neWS eDitor

nydailynews.com

kate hamzik copY eDitor

Jeromie cancel was convicted of murder in the second degree nov. 18 for the August 2008 death of 19-year-old university student Kevin pravia. He will be sentenced Dec. 10 and faces 25 years to life in prison.

According to The Boston Herald, cancel’s defense lawyer Michael Alperstein “urged jurors to consider finding that cancel acted of extreme emotional disturbance.”

Alperstein was also quoted on Dailymail.co.uk, saying that cancel was “fighting his own demons” that day. in new York State (nYS), emotional disturbance is tried as manslaughter, which can have a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. on Aug. 30, 2008, cancel allegedly met at union Square around 5 a.m. and both men went back to pravia’s apartment in chelsea to drink and share the cocaine, according to cancel’s video confession. pravia’s autopsy, however, showed no signs of cocaine in his system.

After pravia fell asleep, cancel stole his

laptop computer and other electronics. He then proceeded to strangle pravia with an electric cord and put a plastic garbage bag in his mouth. After killing pravia, cancel watched what he thought was the movie Saw, however was actually the movie Hostel. three days after killing pravia, cancel was arrested after his father turned him in to authorities on a theft complaint. After getting arrested, he then admitted to killing pravia because he was bored.

According to a press release from the new York county District Attorney’s (DA’s) office, cancel “committed a cold-blooded and senseless murder of a young man.”

Sophomore nick Lannacone agreed with cancel’s conviction. “i don’t care whether or not you are sane or insane, you still took the life of another person unlawfully, and therefore should be punished the same way,” Lannacone said. “i think it’s absolutely horrendous,” sophomore Jenna noe said of pravia’s murder.

After the conviction, pravia’s mother paula thanked the prosecutors and detectives for all the work they had done.

the Westchester county District Attorney (DA) Janet DiFiore arraigned the university's Director of cultural Affairs David G. Watson on two felony counts involving child pornography nov.

17. university president Stephen J. Friedman issued a university wide statement regarding Watson the same day.

"Mr. Watson has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the legal proceedings," pres. Friedman said. the Michael Schimmel center for the Arts and special events staff will fill in for Watson while he is on academic leave, according to the university’s Director of public relations christopher cory.

Watson is being charged with one count of promoting a sexual performance by a child and one count of possessing an obscene

sexual performance by a child.

According to the Westchester county DA's press release, Watson's next court appearance will be Dec. 8. His bail was set at a $10,000 bond, $5,000 cash. if convicted, possible sentencing will be a maximum of two and one third to seven years in state prison. the release stated that starting in February 2010, Watson “who was posting personal ads looking for the ‘nubile girl next door’ on craigslist.com. His interactions eventually led him to come in online contact with the undercover investigator from the DA’s office. the undercover investigator and Watson agreed to meet at a hotel in elmsford, nY on nov.

16, when Watson was taken into custody after he showed up with images of minors in sexually suggestive poses, according to the DA’s press release.

When asked why pres. Friedman issued a statement prior to

the outcome of Watson's case, cory said, "it is transparency and open communication. We try to do that with anything [at the university] when serious matters are at stake."

westchesterda.net

ONLINE For updates on this story please visit us online at: pacepress.org

MTA issues “grace period” for MetroCards briana greenidge contributor

the Metropolitan transit Authority (MtA) decided to give Metrocard users a grace period, meaning any Metrocard purchased before Dec. 30 can be activated and used up until a certain time.

According to The New York Daily News, the grace periods for each type of Metrocard will range from as short as one day to as long as a month and a half. once the grace period is over, all bus and train turnstiles will deny

the Metrocards. the MtA board held a meeting in which they voted on whether or not subway and bus fares should be raised oct. 7, with the board voting to increase fares. this decision was obviously one that would stir up major controversy in nYc, especially among commuters. the rundown on how much more new Yorkers will have to pay come Jan. 2011 is as follows: the price for 30day unlimited Metrocards will raise from $89 to $104.

Single ride fares that were

$2.25 will now be $2.50.

Seven-day unlimited Metrocards that used to cost $27 will be $29. those who buy the oneday fun pass before Dec. 30 can use it until Jan. 10. and those with the seven-day Metrocard have until Jan. 16 to activate it. the 14-day Metrocard can be used until Jan. 23 and the 30-day Metrocard can be used until Feb. 8.

According to MtA chairman Jay Walder, if comContinued on Page 4

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November 24, 2010

Appointment of Cathie Black as NYC public school chancellor causes backlash amanda sChiavo StAFF Writer

Former Hearst Magazines editor cathie black was appointed as the new chancellor of nYc’s public schools by nYc Mayor Michael bloomberg nov. 9. black was the former editor of Hearst Magazines for 15 years, but has no experience in education as a teacher or school administrator. black will be taking over for former nYc chancellor Joel Klein.

Klein spent nine years as chancellor, closing over 100 schools and putting a stop to social promotion. Although he gave teachers raises, he passed onto black a growing conflict with the teachers’ union regarding teachers’ rights.

Mayor bloomberg has been getting negative feedback for choosing black for this position. At a protest against black as chancellor, Michael Myers of the new York civil rights coalition said, “this unlimited claim [by bloomberg] that cathie black is the best is unsupported and untested in any school setting, in any class room [or] by any experience on her part as a teacher or a supervisor of teachers.”

Mayor bloomberg is standing behind his choice and defended himself on John Gam-

amny.com

bling’s radio show nov. 12. “it just goes to show they have no understanding whatsoever of what the job is. this is a management job,” Mayor bloomberg said. “the real problem is how do you take all this money and all these people and all the needs and get them all together? And cathie black has all the experience necessary. people that we’ve talked to…think it’s a great choice out of the box,” he continued.

Students and teachers alike are not happy

Governor elect Cuomo will fight to keep 9/11 Trials outside of NYS Fotini saChpatzidis contributor

Governor elect Andrew cuomo stated nov.11 that he opposes trying the 9/11 terrorist attack mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in new York State (nYS).

Mohammed was captured in pakistan in 2003 and has been incarcerated at the u.S. military base in Guantanamo bay, cuba. there has been little discussion about transferring him to another venue due to the many security risks that it may cause.

it would be weird if the trial wasn’t held in manhattan even after everything that happened. i mean imagine it being held in texas.

-Samantha Braga, student u.S. Attorney General eric Holder announced nov. 12 that he will release a venue location for the trial of Mohammed soon. cuomo said “no” about holding Mohammed’s trial in nYS in an interview with radio host John Gambling. He also responded “Yes” when asked if he would fight to make sure the trial would not be held in nYS. Holder initially suggested the federal courts in Lower Manhattan for the trial’s location. After much uproar by locals, Mayor Michael bloomberg and Senators chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, however, Holder’s idea crumbled.

At a press conference nov. 12, cuomo said he would “advocate forcefully” to make sure the trial would be held very far from nYS. Staten island entre-

preneur and opponent of the trial Vincent robert Whiteaker said that the trial “will not be fair” and “new York city just isn’t the place to do it at.”

According to The Associated Press, a reporter asked Gov. elect cuomo if Guantanamo bay, cuba would serve as a better alternative to nYS. cuomo responded, “that’s their decision. that’s Attorney General eric Holder’s decision.” one supporter of the trail being held in Lower Manhattan is sophomore Samantha braga. “it would be weird if the trial wasn’t held in Manhattan even after everything that happened...i mean imagine it being held in texas,” braga said. the obama Administration has already decided that Mohammed will not face a judge in a federal court due to the immense objection from congress and everyone from officials to nYS residents. in addition to the high levels of tension, the trials will require a great deal of money from the city for security and safety purposes.

Although Holder said that a decision will be made shortly, The Washington Post reported that some officials believe the trial will not occur until after the next presidential election in 2012. one obstacle that may stop the obama Administration’s efforts is the republican majority in the House of representatives. republican opposition will delay and may even stop terrorists from being prosecuted at regular criminal courts.

While many opinions from across the board are present, there is still more development in the works. Sophomore emily clement said, “if it happened here, the trial should be held here.”

about Mayor bloomberg’s decision. David Ferrilli, a middle school teacher on Staten island said, “Hiring someone with no educational background whatsoever is a bad idea. Students benefit from those in charge who know the value of education. the way bloomberg runs the educational department, the majority of the people in the home office, probably have never set foot in a classroom their entire career.”

Along with Ferrilli, another Staten island middle school teacher Lynn Wiegelmann also thinks black is the wrong choice. “i’m disappointed [with this decision], i don’t think it’s a very good idea, i’m concerned with what she is going to do.

“What experience does she have? She is not right for the job, she doesn’t have an education background and i think minimally she should have a Masters in education,” she explained.

Although some teachers and students do not support this decision, black has found support elsewhere. besides Mayor bloomberg, black is supported by former chancellor of schools Harold Levy. Levy does not know black personally, but as a friend of the mayor, Levy said he trusts his judgment on education.

black has also gained support from three former nYc mayors, rudy Giuliani, ed Koch and David Dinkins. the former mayors worked together and sent a letter to nYS education commissioner David M. Steiner who will make the final decision of whether or not to appoint black. in the letter the former mayors unanimously supported both black and Mayor bloomberg. Steiner must grant black a waiver to be chancellor since she does not have the requirements for the job.

At the press conference in which black was introduced as chancellor, she said, “i have no illusions about this being an easy next three years, quite the opposite. but what i ask for is patience, as i get up to speed on all of the issues facing K-12 education today. What i can promise is that i will listen to your concerns, your interests and your expectations. in turn, i ask the same of you.” “i don’t think it’s a good idea, it’s the same thing as a teacher who can’t teach. i wouldn’t want to sit in a class where no one has any background [of what they are teaching],” junior bhavika patel said. “She wouldn’t understand what the students are going through.” pending the commissioner’s decision, black will begin her chancellorship in December.

NEWS

November 24, 2010

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University’s Legend Yearbook works to “Renew” its image James rYder StAFF Writer

this year’s Legend Yearbook staff, headed by editor-in-chief Andrew Davis and Director of public relations eleni Simos, is working hard to “Renew” their prominence at the university.

“Renew” is also the theme of this year’s yearbook. throughout the course of the fall semester, seniors and faculty have the opportunity to take photos on c-Level of one pace plaza in order to be included in the final yearbook for the 2011 graduates.

The Legend Yearbook staff wants to host two more weeks of pictures to ensure that as many graduating 2011 seniors and faculty are featured. the staff is also

brainstorming ways to pay tribute to underclassmen in each year’s edition. two more events hosted by The Legend Yearbook will be held nov. 29 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and nov. 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the first floor entrance to one pace plaza. these events will allow students to gain information on how to order their 2010-11 yearbooks and how to customize the book with their own personal photos and an inscription of their name on the cover. the events will have free raffles that students can enter to win any number of prizes and the staff will serve free food and desserts. “this year we have a 10 person staff wholly dedicated to

making this the best yearbook that pace has seen. The Legend has an amazing marketing team this year that has been putting the yearbook in everyone’s face and creating awareness. the yearbook has made itself known on Facebook as well,” Davis said. on the 8th floor of 41 park row, students can visit the yearbook staff room and see the collection of books from when the university was established and see how the institution has grown over the years. “it’s fascinating,” Davis said.

Simos added, “We cover all major university events, clubs and organizations and try to include as many people as possible in spreads. the theme of the book this year is ‘Renew’... almost a re-

birth. We are trying to get the students aware that there is a yearbook and get them excited about buying one, especially since it is only $25.”

She continued, “The Legend Yearbook staff has vowed to involve the student body more than

[we have] has ever before, allowing more personal feedback from students about how [we] can improve and spread awareness and even incorporate things students want to see in the yearbook.” digital illustration by Legend Yearbook

Financial Aid makes response presentation at OrgCouncil Meeting Potential changes and additions were announced and are pending to occur stephanie boUvia StAFF Writer

representatives from the university’s Financial Aid Department and the office of Student Assistance (oSA) met with students and faculty members nov. 16 to discuss their response to a presentation made by the Student Government Association (SGA) oct. 19. the presentation given by Judicial council chair and sophomore breanna romaine in october confronted the Financial Aid Department with students’ stories, complaints and suggestions about the lack of communication, honesty, organization, knowledge, responsibility and professionalism in the department.

Vice president of enrollment Management robina Schepp began the presentation by telling students that “we [the department representatives] took your issues and your concerns very seriously.”

She continued to explain why so many students’ financial aid packages had changed this past year.

For the Fall 2009 semester, the university had distributed a lot of financial aid to

i do have the confidence that this will get fixed and the cultural change we have cultivated will follow through.

-Breanna Romaine, Judicial Counsel Chair students because of the failing economy, but the amount of money that students received put the university into a $2 million debt. “this was unsustainable,” Schepp said.

When the Fall 2010 semester came around, the school needed to change some of the financial aid packages so that they were not overextending themselves for a second year in a row. university Director of Financial Aid

Mark Stephens then took the floor to explain how the Financial Aid Department plans on improving, thanks to suggestions from the previous SGA presentation. “We [the Financial Aid Department] have initiated a number of enhancements,” Stephens said.

Stephens explained that the Financial Aid Department would be re-vamping every form that goes out to students. there were complaints that the forms were previously unclear, that the language was confusing and diluted and that the important information on the form was hidden near the bottom.

Stephens said that the Department plans on changing the forms so that the language is clear and easy to understand and the most important information is at the top of the form. this way, Stephens explained, students and Financial Aid could “get it right the first time.” the employees of the Financial Aid Department will undergo enhanced crosstraining as well, according to Stephens. this will hopefully minimize confusion among employees and allow them to provide the same basic information to students.

Stephens also informed students that he had taken a close look at romaine’s presentation, which included stories from 11 different students. “We did reach out to nine out of the 11 students,” Stephens said.

Sophomore Michael boyle disagrees, however, as he shared his frustrating experience regarding the department with romaine, so that she could cite him in her presentation. After the presentation, boyle said it was he who contacted Financial Aid, not the other way around. “i emailed [Stephens] a few days later [after romaine’s presentation], asking him if we could set up a meeting and he said yes,” boyle said, “but i wouldn’t consider it them reaching out to me, i had to contact him.”

Acting Director of oSA and Student Accounts Jim curry, then spoke about the lack of organization, knowledge and pro-

photo illustration by hiLda adeniJi

fessionalism students had expressed concern with. He explained that he felt very disconcerted when he heard that the employees of these departments were not acting in a manner that was appropriate or professional. curry explained that the departments would be working with organizational Learning and Development on “extensive” customer service training. the departments would also be working with information technology Services (itS) on a tool that would allow oSA and Financial Aid to track requests.

Students would be able to track their requests or inquiries online. this way, departments could stop “bouncing students from one office to the next.”

Although the student turn-out was much lower than it was at the last organizational council community Meeting, students still appreciated the effort that the departments made to reach out to them. “i

am impressed with how serious they took the complaints,” romaine said. “i look forward to working with the offices for the next few months, but this fight is not over until we see the results in the spring. i do have confidence that this will get fixed and the cultural change we have cultivated will follow through,”she added.

ONLINE Do you have any opinions on Financial Aid and the Org Council Meetings?

If so email your thoughts to: news@pacepress.org

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November 24, 2010

Seidenberg School hosts Indaba Music event LUke bergstedt StAFF Writer

the Seidenberg School of computer Science and information Systems hosted the indaba Music event nov. 17. Students heard from indaba Music co-founders Matthew Siegel and Jesse chan-norris who discussed the modern music industry. indaba Music is a web-based company that allows musicians and people to collaborate and make music online. those who sign up are provided with numerous tools and connections for a virtual band. using their program Mantis, musicians are able to share, create and record music online for free.

Mantis is a high-quality recording program that enables musicians to record their music right in their home. though the program is limited to single tracks and cannot record drums, it is a highly useful tool for musicians.

Musicians can use this tool to share their music, comment on other people’s music and use other people’s music for themselves. those who permit and submit their work publicly enable others to use their work so long as credit is given. those who wish to keep their work private are also allowed to do so. upon questioning,

chan-norris stated that the rights of musicians are protected as best possible, though upon a musician submitting his or work publicly; other musicians may be influenced by it.

Mantis users are recommended to other musicians based on a technology called echonest. using the musicians’ listed skill levels, influences, locations, instruments and recorded content; musicians are paired up and listed together.

Siegel spoke about what he and others expect the music industry to become. He mentioned how since 2004, record sales have dropped. He also stated that since 2004, music equipment and instrument sales have gone up which means people are making more music than they are selling. today, music being sold over the internet has increased as compared to 15 years ago when major record companies such as Warner, universal, eMi and Sony controlled the music industry, filling stores with cDs. Music is more often sold via the internet cutting out the record store and the middle man, which saves money.

Siegel mentioned the growing need for a musical outlet that is not based on a record label. indaba Music is providing the world with such an outlet.

today, virtually anyone can start a band, make a MySpace, generate a following and share their music. eventually, they can pay a small fee and get their music sold on itunes, where they receive all the royalties to their music. “before the introduction of the internet the music scene was heavily dominated by typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus bands. When the internet became accessible to artists it allowed for more obscure and often overlooked bands get their sound out

there,� sophomore brandon Leblanc said.

MTA fare increase comes with MetroCard grace period From Page 1 muters refuse to pay the higher fare now, service cuts in the future are going to be four times worse than they were in 2010 in order to preserve money. certain university faculty and students have mixed feelings on the MtA grace period. english professor ellease oseye said, “i would like to see the fare reduced, not increased.� She also wanted to see the students get a discount on Metrocards. “the city should run the MtA and force super low fares which would make everyone’s life easier or at least increase the services we receive while riding. if they were to hypothetically triple the fare tomorrow, new Yorkers would have no choice but to pay because we have no other option and that is the problem, we as a city are given no alternative method of travel but with good reason,� junior Alexander Aqel said.

indabamusic.com

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November 24, 2010

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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.

CRAIG HELD STAFF WRITER

The trouble with leggings and Uggs i love winter with all my heart. i can wear huge shapeless sweaters and eat whatever i please so nobody can see my true figure. in fact, i think most people thrive with winter fashions. You can never go wrong with a nice coat and straight pant.

Yet, every year i am taken aback at our student body's inability to properly dress themselves. i'm all for individual expression but there is a definitive line that is consistently crossed every day at one pace plaza. uggs. Why, oh, why are people wearing these monstrosities? this is new York city, heart of the urban world, not rural Alaska. i'm sure if you even dare wear them in Alaska, someone will push you into a glacier.

Many women who wear uggs then decide to accessorize with leggings. i'm sure you think you have fantastic legs but under no circumstances should these cheap excuses for clothing be worn as pants. i have no desire to see very nook and cranny of your lower body.

Finally, if you are under the impression that having any kind of slogan printed across your rear is "cute," please resort to wearing a potato sack for the rest of your life. Juicy couture can pretend to be a legitimate fashion brand as hard as they want but they will never be forgiven for popularizing the concept of using your derrière as a billboard.

Ladies, i implore you to read a fashion magazine or look at pictures of a runway show. When you make an effort to look good, the world becomes a better place.

BETHANY O’GRADY

King turkey and the milky mounds of pumpkin pie that are prominent on everyone else’s plate. that all probably sounds scrumptious to those without special dietary restrictions; but that just screams “holiday horror” to me since vegans do not consume any animal flesh or by-products.

364 days of the year, vegans, like every other self-sufficient human, are expected to adequately nourish their bodies with food and indulge their appetites; so why should thanksgiving be any different?! over time, vegans with a playful vengeance against our neglectful puritanical pals have pieced together an impressive repertoire of thanksgiving recipes. in any case, on thanksgiving, vegans sit down to break bread with their nearest and dearest; some of which may eat meat. personally, dining next to someone with a dead bird on top of his or her plate of veggies does not offend me in the slightest but somehow i still find myself unable to escape judgment when the food is served on this most thankful of thursdays. i know i’m not the only vegan for whom this issue arises. the conflict lies in the fact that at most thanksgiving gatherings,

editorial board Lynn rickert Editor-In-Chief natalie gavilanes Executive Editor

STAFF WRITER

Thanksgiving is tough for a vegan the pilgrims pioneered the American tradition of expressing gratefulness amidst gorging on hearty fodder as a celebratory response to the fact that at least half of the group that sailed across the Atlantic ocean on the Mayflower in 1620 survived their first year in the new Land. thanksgiving and the art of feasting are synonymous; every year Americans stuff their cornucopatic stomachs with heaps of comfort cuisine sending themselves into turkey induced food comas. this embodies my personal problem with puritans: they blatantly forgot to accommodate the vegan population of the 21st century when they set the holiday banquet standard! the varieties of dishes served at gatherings across the country typically emulate the sort of meals pilgrims ate at the first thanksgiving in the fall of 1621. every fourth thursday of november, i am united with the vegans of America in our efforts to combat the pilgrims of the past and the meat-masticating, dairy-devouring habits they implemented in their feasts.

Vegans (myself included) must pass on the chicken-broth soaked stuffing, the mashed potatoes drowning in butter, the Almighty

the pace press

someone in attendance always ends up vocalizing their unwarranted opinion towards Veganism — turkey-shootin’ guns blazing and all. My guess is that the looming presence of the Almighty King turkey calls attention to the fact that there is someone at the dinner table who won’t be sharing in the joy of the giblet.

Why anyone’s reaction to what i decide to eat on thanksgiving (and every other day of the year, really) is to fire off reasons why being vegan is absurd and unhealthy is an absurd and unhealthy action in and of itself. i don’t have a problem with them eating meat, so there is no justifiable reason why they should have a problem with me not eating it. regardless, vegans can and will continue to feast on their own taste-bud tantalizing takes on traditional thanksgiving dishes-- many of which are certain to implement fresh vegetables as a main ingredient. thus, this year i am most thankful for the Wampanoag indians who taught those pesky pilgrims at plymouth how to cultivate the land and grow the vegetables that will adorn the tofurky on my dinner plate this thanksgiving!

What The Pace Press is thankful for this Thanksgiving... dJ hopson, Web editor: I'm grateful for my sonic toothbrush because I just had my first dentist visit without a cavity.

kim bui Associate Editor 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 rachel menth Distribution Manager mark mcsherry Faculty Consultant

staff Mel Bailey Anneliese Blommestein Stephanie Bouvia Cristina Cerbelli Kimberly Cung Joanna Gonzalez Stephanie Hansen Craig Held Erica Kelly Jessica LaRosa Nazary Nelebuk Bethany O’Grady Jessica Owens James Ryder Amanda Schiavo Vibha Solanki Christa Tandana Ruveena Virk Quinn Wasson Julia Yeung

Jenni ruiz, Contributor: I'm thankful for such amazing opportunities with The Pace Press and my first published article and incredibly thankful that I'm graduating at the end of next month!

Julia Yeung, staff Writer: Not only is Thanksgiving a break from school, but it is also time that is given to us to forget about our worries of exams, classes, work and to realize that there is more to life that we should be grateful to have. This includes our education to a better future, which some people in the world are struggling to possess, the amount of opportunities we are given just by living in NYC and the fact that we have enough food to stuff ourselves silly with.

Lynn rickert, editor-in-Chief: I am thankful for Panera Bread, the internet, my awesome neighborhood, cats, sidehugs and really terrible television shows like “The Hills.” kim bui, associate editor: I am thankful for nail files, smartphones, blueberry coffee and just barely making trains. hilda adeniji, digital illustrator: I am thankful for the supportive people in my life. rachel menth, distribution manager: I am thankful for 24-hour Dunkin Donuts, Netflix Instant Watch, sidehugs, pumpkin muffins and graduating in less than a month. brian rentas, arts editor: I am thankful for good friends, awesome family, the semester being almost over and, of course, my boss at the call center, Rachel Menth. kaitlynn blyth, managing editor: I am thankful that Dominos is in existence because I would not only be a poor college student, but an anorexic looking college student because I don't eat anything else. THANK YOU DOMINOS!

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 2010

November 24, 2010

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ARTS november album reviews kick off your holidays with a little something for everyone

Cannibal EP - Ke$ha qUinn Wasson StAFF Writer

Kesha rose Sebert grew up in nashville, tenn. loving

country music, taking history classes for fun and getting a nearly perfect SAt score. but in this day and age, those are not things that get you

a mainstream music career. So, being the smart girl that she apparently is, Kesha dropped her last name, stuck a dollar-sign in her first name and re-fashioned herself as a Jack Daniels-swilling party girl who spews rhymes about, well, spewing.

Ke$ha’s platinum-selling debut Animal came out this past January. to stretch out her longevity, Ke$ha’s follow-up ep Cannibal, was released nov. 19. Ke$ha has promised that her second album will have a different sound from Animal, but since Cannibal is essentially a continuation of her debut album, there is not a lot of ground broken here.

“We r Who We r,” the slightly derivative first single and a supposed anti-bullying anthem, is a standard Ke$ha track — lots of rapping, a little singing, glitter, boys and, of

course, booze. only in the last minute does it really click into a good pop song, with an autotuned yell in the background as the beat gets progressively frantic. Surprisingly, for a first single, it is Cannibal’s weakest song.

With the rest of the ep, Ke$ha improves her songwriting, singing and overall material. cohesively, Cannibal has a much stronger batch of songs than Animal had. the title track kicks off the disc and it is so insane, dirty and epic-sounding that one immediately takes listen. “i eat boys up/You better run/i am cannibal,” Ke$ha warns as the huge chorus kicks in. the production is a perfect complement to the nutty lyrics, as she takes man-eating to a literal level. it would be a great single,

but the lyrics are a little too gross and offensive. At one point, she sings, “be too sweet and you’ll be a goner/Yup, i’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer.” Anyone familiar with the nature of Dahmer’s crimes cannot help but shudder a little — and that is probably the point.

“We’re pretty and sick/We’re young and we’re bored,” she sings on “blow,” an enormously catchy ditty that would fit right in on britney Spears’ Blackout album. As one of Cannibal’s standouts, the song’s stuttering chorus and shuffling beat take hold immediately and do not let up.

As shown on “blind” and “Hungover” from Animal, Ke$ha can be a real downer when she sets her mind to it.

She drops the vocoder and obvious autotune on “the Harold Song,” a lament of lost love.

“You were the love of my life and it kills me…i still say your name when i’m talking in my sleep,” she sings. the album’s last track is an alternately vulgar and vulnerable kiss-off, “c u next tuesday.” it bips and bops along with an electro sweetness that is actually enhanced by her omnipresent vocoder. it could easily be considered one of the best songs Ke$ha has released in her short career.

A lot of credit for Cannibal goes to executive producer Dr. Luke, who engineers pop hits with assembly-line accuracy as every song on here could be a single. Ke$ha is not a deep musician, but as a damn near perfect guilty pleasure with the intention of providing brainless fun, it is hard to beat her.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West ivonna thompson neWS eDitor

everyone’s favorite “scumbag” also known as Kanye West has returned to release a new album entitled My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

West’s new album has already generated controversy before its release due to the graphic nature of the original album cover illustration. it is now more toned down yet violent depiction of a crowned beheaded West. there is also the second album cover with an illustration of a ballet dancer in a pose. the album features summer hit “power” featuring Dwele and the controversial closing song from the MtV Video Music Awards, “runaway.” the 13-track album was inspired by poets Maya Angelou, Gil Scott-Heron and singer/songwriter, pianist nina Simone. the first track “Dark Fantasy (intro)” has opening vocals from female rapper

nicki Minaj and transitions into West rapping and the chorus, which sings, “can we get much higher?” the raw guitar of “Gorgeous” featuring Kid cudi and raekwon gives the listener a badass feeling in which achieving a goal is a challenge, however, the persistence of overcoming obstacles, no matter what is on the line. this summer’s hit single “power” featuring Dwele did not have any major alterations like the single “runaway.” With strong clapping and cries of “oh hey” paired with the build up of snare and bass drums, the song may give the listener goosebumps. West ends the song saying, “now this will be a beautiful death” with Dwele following, “Jumping out the window, letting everything go.”

Following “power,” there is an interlude and song both entitled, “All of the Lights.” the interlude starts off with instrumentals of a violin and piano combination that

lasts for approximately one minute and two seconds. the song portion features a collaboration with John Legend, elton John and elly Jackson including other artists. the variety of the artists on this track portray their ability to blend their talents together perfectly. the third single, “Monster” featuring Jay-Z, rick ross and Minaj, is a raw hip hop song with original, tight and thorough rhymes and verses. Minaj proved that she could rap along side of some of the top hip hop artists.

“Lost in the World” featuring bon iver is the closing song that gives a good finished feel leaving the listener on a high and wanting more from West. With fast paced drum tempos combined with modern synthesized drums surrounding West’s autotuned vocals. the opening verse is sampled from bon iver’s song “Woods” apparent in the lines, “i’m up in the woods, i’m down on my mind/ i’m building a still to slow down the

time.” the lyrics in the main verse show that West is describing a woman who he’s in love with.

West cites, “You’re my devil, you’re my angel/ You’re my Heaven, you’re my hell/ You’re my now, you’re now my forever...”

Continued on Page 7

Ø Disambiguation - Underoath

LUke bergstedt StAFF Writer

post-hardcore band underoath released their latest and highly anticipated album Ø Disambiguation nov. 9. this is the band’s first album without founding singer and drummer Aaron Gillespie. While Gillespie left the band this past April, underoath remained on good terms with him. Without Aaron, however, underoath was left with a massive void in the band — while lead vocalist Spencer chamberlain is known

for his growls and screams, Gillespie was known for his clean vocals. chamberlain’s strong bellows and growls are evident in the new album. immediately into the first track “in Division,” chamberlain opens the album with a low growl of lyrical angst. He blends this line to a yell, stating wishes that cannot be fulfilled with the line, “i really wish we could reset, rewind.”

other tracks of the album bring the thematic lyrical anguish, which combines well with underoath’s heavy guitar chords. the song, “A Divine eradication,” opens with a heavy set of screams at the same rhythm of the drums set by new drummer Daniel Davidson, formerly of post-hardcore metal band, norma Jean. the track blends into a state of passive, calm drifts that are thematic in both the song and the

album. the track “paper Lung,” where after three minutes of calm, melodic progression with clean vocals by guitarist timothy Mctague, chamberlain joins in to end the song with screams and rhythmic clashes. Ø Disambiguation is a great product of the post-hardcore music scene. Despite one of the vital sounds of the band leaving, underoath has produced a great piece of work. all images courtesy of amazon.com

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November 24, 2010

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Versaemerge plays NYC, turns out a lukewarm performance

victoria morse

brian rentas ArtS eDitor

Versaemerge, the pop-punk band from port Saint Lucie, Fla., recently embarked on their first headlining tour, which stopped at nYc’s Highline ballroom. though Versaemerge has been garnering a lot of attention — a portion of the band’s recent Warped tour excursion was captured on the popular MtV show “World of

Jenks” — their headlining show was not as impressive as their growing popularity would suggest. Versaemerge has definitely seen better days as a band, and the show at Highline ballroom exemplifies that. the main problem with the set was the lack of interest in the band as well as with the members of the crowd. over the past few years, Versaemerge has always been a band to look out for — their dark and semi-

atmospheric brand of pop punk seemed to be a few steps ahead of those in their genre and their performance were always lively and fairly impressive. this show, however, didn’t seem up to par.

Lead vocalist Sierra Kusterbeck’s vocals were erring to the side of screeching and squealing rather than being at their usual boisterous levels. this was one of the biggest disappointments of the night, as Kusterbeck definitely has a powerful voice. it just seemed it was not in its best condition. this became very apparent during some of the band’s more vocally intense songs, like the chorus of “Mind reader” — Kusterbeck’s voice just could not sustain the fierce high notes of the song. the meager crowd seemed to be divided, with a portion of the crowd going absolutely insane for the band as they tried to work the stage and the majority standing in place throughout the night, barely reacting to anything that was going on. the band’s set list consisted mostly songs from their most recent release, their debut album Fixed At Zero, but they also performed a handful of songs from their earlier eps. the active members of the audience reacted to the band’s song selection, but the lifeless section of the crowd did not give the reaction that the band was looking

for.

Guitarist blake Harnage and bassist Devin ingelido kept bouncing from stage to riser while hammering out their respective pieces in an attempt to pump up the crowd a little more — this worked for the batch of young girls who overpowered the front of the audience, but did not work for those standing in the back of the small venue. being a big fan of Versaemerge, this show was a disappointment, especially after seeing what the band could do in a live show. though this performance could simply be written off as an off-night, it is upsetting to think that this may be the first impression that new fans were greeted with. the band can definitely bounce back, however, and hopefully the next time they take the stage of a nYc venue, Versaemerge absolutely pummels all expectations in many of their other live shows.

LISTEN Want to listen to a couple of Versaemerge’s songs for yourself?

Check out their Myspace! http://www.myspace.com/versaemerge

West’s latest CD Deathly Hollows marks the beginning of the end for Potter trio shifts this standard. they are still kids and some- friends with the mission to lena bonham carter) stole kerrY mCbroome features many What has really changed times kids just need to dance. find and destroy the seven each scene in which she apis the tone — whereas before cinematically, Deathly bits of Voldemort’s soul in peared. but the eye was most Harry Potter and the collaborations the three schoolchildren bat- Hallows is a finely crafted order to finally defeat him. frequently drawn to Dobby, StAFF Writer

From Page 6 “Lost in the World” transitions into Scott-Heron’s poem “comment #1,” which touches on the generations and time periods of the u.S. it segues so smoothly that it is hard to realize they are two separate songs. “comment #1” is featured on the outro, “Who Will Survive in America?” unlike West’s previous album, 808’s and Heartbreak that was based on his singing with autotune.

He raps throughout most of his latest album. occasionally, West uses autotune and synthesizes his voice but does it strategically, to enhance a song. He even took risks in this album to work with many artists with whom he has not worked before.

West’s album is sure to make long time fans happy and will even make new fans out of those who were not interested in him before.

WATCH Make sure you check out Kanye West’s video for the song Runaway, which hits the 30 minute mark!

Visit our website at Pacepress.org to watch the video

Deathly Hallows Part 1 opened nov. 19 to packed theaters across the nation as fans waited for the midnight showing of the film.

A reverent hush was spontaneously burst by shouts of “We want Harry” and “Dumbledore’s Army,” bringing a ripple of cheers through the audience at one nYc theater. Snitches in yellow and Harrys in black were dotted throughout the crowd.

Almost all in attendance came in costume. the liting melody of John William’s musical score brought out cheers from the eager audience who would soon be reunited with Harry potter (Daniel radcliffe), ron Weasley (rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (emma Watson) Director David Yates has taken Deathly Hallows to a much darker place than any previous film in the series had ventured.

Audiences seemed wary as the seventh installment was clearly the blackest and most terrifying yet. When the Harry Potter series is compared with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it usually finishes second in spectacle and scare. but Deathly Hallows

tled with a smile and a cheerful jest, now the happy resolutions of their childhoods crash to a stop. the saga has come all this way in order to reach a climactic moment, pitting Harry against Lord Voldemort (ralph Fiennes). thankfully, Yates occasionally pricks the tension with happy, tender moments between Harry, ron and Hermione, which were met with grateful applause. even in the midst of a wizard war,

masterpiece. the book asks much of any special effects team, and the Harry Potter film crew has outdone themselves. their work is worthy of every college kid who remembers crying when their Hogwarts acceptance letter never came, many of whom were in the audience that night.

Like any good fantasy novel, J.K. rowling’s seventh book is a quest story. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, left Harry and

When Hermione, ron and Harry leave school in order to begin this journey, they leave behind much of the supporting cast, and so it is up to these three to carry the film. this is definitely achieved — and brilliantly at that.

Yates gave particular attention to Hermione and her family, who are finally shown in a sharp, emotional moment early in the film that is frequently referenced later.

As per usual, the murderous bellatrix Lestrange (He-

voiced by toby Jones. the loving and loyal house elf, a magical creature who bucks his duty to serve his master, is heartwarming in his unswerving devotion to Harry potter. the tearful audience who slowly filled out of the theater will have to wait until July 2011 for the next and final segment. to those of you who have followed this book from the very beginning, remember to never poke a sleeping dragon and also bring tissues.

allmoviephoto.com

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November 24, 2010

Barney’s Version is a sincere look into marriage and love danieL Lee hUe contributor

Barney’s Version is a film about an ordinary man who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. originally based on the comic novel by Mordecai richler, the movie made its debut at the 2010 Venice Film Festival. the canadian author’s story is brought to life on the big screen

by Director richard J. Lewis, along with a brilliant cast. With its lead role of barney panofsky (paul Giamatti) and supporting roles of Mrs. p (Minnie Driver), izzy (Dustin Hoffman) and Miriam (rosamund pike) there is little talent wasted. this dynamite cast does the story justice in an authentic portrayal commenting on the struggles of an ordinary life.

At first glance, the film seems impossibly boring and mundane, but it is how the story is told that gives the film a breath of fresh air. the film progresses in three stages, each stage attributed to barney’s respective marriage and the feelings and attitudes that come with that relationship.

the film begins in rome with barney as a young man in what seems to be the late 1970s. He marries clara (rachelle Lefevre); a fiery psychotic redhead to whom he is fooled into thinking is the mother of his unborn child, later proving to be the offspring of his best friend. Despite this tragic scam, his relationship ends with clara’s suicide and his move into television production helped along by his Jewish uncle in Montreal. enter wife number two, wealthy Jewish girl Mrs. p, who is unbendingly self-centered and annoying. Fortunately for barney, this marriage too ends in deceit, death and divorce. this leads to barney’s final marriage to Miriam. this final relationship in barney’s life, which began on the wedding night of his second marriage, is by far the most heart wrenching. barney finally end this fairy tale when deceit, death and divorce, not necessarily in that order, plague his life yet again. this story ends with a life altering disease and barney’s inevitable devolution. With each

empireonlinne.com

stage of his life, the film highlights the characters evolution and sheds a melancholy light on the joys and pains of a monotonous, normal life. if there is one word to attrib-

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ute to this film it is sincerity, Barney’s Version is the portrayal of life as real as it gets — no apologies, it strays from the fairy tale endings which most often trivialize the better part of life. there is

a true appreciation for the normalcy in love and raw emotion that is truly refreshing. With oscar buzz in the air, any talk of a nomination is well deserved.

“The Vision of A Genius” brings Dali’s work to Columbus Circle LUke bergstedt StAFF Writer

the art exhibition “the Vision of A Genius,” featuring some of famed surrealist Salvador Dali’s sculptures and paintings, has opened at the Shops at columbus circle, located at the time Warner center in nYc. the exhibit features a collection of 16 bronze sculptures and over 40 drawings, watercolors and other examples of the late Dali’s work. the front entrance has multiple artworks directly in front of any individual who walks in. on the side entrances, individuals are greeted by giant sculptures. the entrance that faces north has a giant copper statue of a woman, one of Dali’s famous sculptures.

A pair of sculptures, one of a woman and one of a man sit at the entrance that faces the south. the roundish figures of these sculptures greet new Yorkers in a friendly fashion. though they are massive, they do not impose any threatening omen from an artistic perspective, as they are very gentile. in the main entrance also stand two of Dali’s most famous works — “Woman Aflame,” standing 11.5 feet tall and “the persistence of Memory,” which is 16.5 feet tall. these pieces reflect the obscurity of Dali and are the highlight of the entire exhibit. to the left of the main entrance sits one of Dali’s iconic emblems, the melting ana-

log clock. this icon comes from Dali’s “persistence of Memory” painting and is known throughout the world. both stunning in size and design, the sculpture brings it to a three dimensional life. on the second floor of the luxurious shopping mall are tassels that close off an area for smaller sculptures. these artworks span from one to three feet tall and are made from precious fine stone and metal work as the other larger ones are. interestingly, these pieces are for sale. priced rather high, these high-end statues and sculptures are being sold for prices ranging from $20,000 to $70,000. Surrounded by expensive shops such as William Sonoma and cartier, the location is perfectly picked for the wealthy. each of these pieces have the signature style and technique of Dali. the works of the master of surrealism are also easily available for all who are interested in simply having a look.

Although it has been over 20 years since Dali’s death, surrealist fans still honor his work. Dali was truly a visionary of the surrealism art movement, and the exhibit depicts some of his greatest works in an excellent way.

View “The Vision of A Genius” will be open until April 30, 2011 To view pictures from the exhibit, visit our website at pacepress.org

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November 24, 2010

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“Hardware Dreams” gives hope to Nutcracker 3D fails to deliver aspiring performers everywhere the whimsical Christmas charm rUveena virk StAFF Writer

Actress Sunilda caraballo stars in “Hardware Dreams,” a one-woman show about growing up in an unconventional family in 1988 Santurce, puerto rico and achieving her performance dreams while being a mother. this inspirational story is caraballo’s own, part of the fifth annual of borimix: puerto rico Fest 2010, a festival honoring puerto rican culture and heritage.

Courtesy of kampfire pr

caraballo tells a tale of a girl growing up with two hard working parents, three loving siblings and four dogs.

She works, along with her three siblings, in the family business — a hardware store. After going to a ballet program for lowincome students, the young actress’ dreams take flight. caraballo plays the role of her mother, father, aunt and her three siblings with the ease of someone who has grown up with sensitivity towards the eccentricities of her family.

She describes her parents as being a perfect couple. “My father had the ideas and my mother made it happen,” she says, causing the audience to burst into laughter.

Her parent’s are summarized with anecdotes about the family business, money and putting all four kids through a private catholic school. caraballo’s mother is often portrayed throughout the show yelling at her children in Spanish in the loving, motherly way that only Hispanic women can. other stories from caraballo’s days in the private school are sprinkled into the play to show how it shaped her love for the

arts.

She recalls being teased by the other children who came from wealthier families for her homebrought lunches and her father’s solo protests outside of school about various school fees. the audience loved the pieces about the “multiplication rap” and dance contest that the actress took part in.

She brings her schoolteacher to life by mimicking her comedic tone and shaking hand, rousing the audience with laughter once again. the play’s last half delves into the opportunities that led caraballo to consider performance as a career.

She re-enacts the performances she held in her school that give life to her love for dancing, while the ballet classes she goes to inspire her to learn. the actress says that if she had to do it again, she would choose her father’s weekly art competitions against her siblings over art camps in the summer.

While in the beginning of the play she shows her struggle with auditions due to her thick accent, the play ends with hope that you can make it big in the city.

LUke bergstedt StAFF Writer

The Nutcracker in 3D, directed

by Andrey Konchalovskiy, will open in limited release nov. 24. A modern film with limited expression, The Nutcracker in 3D was too different from the original story to fully capture the hearts of viewers. “the nutcracker” was originally a story written by e.t.A Hoffman and inspired pyotr tchaikovsky to compose the legendary ballet. over the years, multiple adaptations have been made of this work and eventually, the music of tchaikovsky’s ballet became the theme of the story itself.

Staring nathan Lane, John turturro and elle Fanning, this version was very different from the ballet itself there were multiple elements missing from this newer version and the essence of “the nutcracker” ballet was stripped and replaced by the primary storyline elements.

Audiences in the past have been drawn to “nutcracker” productions due to the music and theatrics of the ballet. Filled with beautiful dancing, astonishing sets and authentic russian classical music, “the nutcracker’s” storyline and tchaikovsky’s music are inseparable. the story of Hoffman’s “nutcracker” involves a young girl named

Mary (Fanning) who is in the middle of a conflict between the evil rat King (turturro) and a nutcracker (Shirley Henderson). the artistry in the dancing and music display the emotions of these characters and the storyline in most adaptions.

Most people are not aware that the story of “the nutcracker” existed before the ballet was written, Konchalovskiy took a daring move by almost killing the ballet’s influence entirely. by doing this, Konchalovskiy left a gap in the storyline. He then filled this gap with special effects, which took away from the film. With a slight amount of ballet dancing done by a few fairies and a few segments of the main theme music, the film itself was lacking the elements that made the original work amazing. if it were not for the reputation of “the nutcracker” itself, the film would merely have a small storyline that was dragged on for an hour and a half. the ballet is normally about two hours, with dancing music and character development filling out the production.

Without the music and dancing, the storyline does not hold up. rated pG, the film’s artistic elements have been stripped, leaving cheesy lines and the hinting of underlying messages within the too-long movie.

Love and Other Drugs explores medical and emotional issues nataLie gaviLanes executiVe eDitor

Love and Other Drugs is a stark look at love, medicine and sex. What may seem like an odd combination is actually an all-tooreal trifecta.

Set in 1996, the film revolves around Jamie randall (Jake Gyllenhaal), the son of a rich family in the medical field who becomes a pharmaceutical representative for pfizer.

He works his way up to ladder using his charm — which never fails him with the ladies — on doctors and soon enough encounters Maddie Murdock (Anne Hathaway). playing a little close to the cliché, Maddie doesn’t take to Jamie’s tricks as he expected and then he becomes entranced by her, eventually falling in love.

When asked about his character being a salesman, Gyllenhaal related it closely to acting. “theres a struggle and there’s a way of seeing struggle in a personality that offers a great opportunity for an actor because i think there’s are a lot of similarities between an actor and a salesman,” he said. “i was interested in the fact that there are three groups that are

responsible for our relationship with medicine. there are consumers, there doctors who probably prescribe more than they should and then there are pharmaceutical companies who push the drugs onto us. So it’s kind of a perfect storm, all three of us come together, and we end up doing things that are not the healthiest for us,” co-writer charles randolph said. to offset the depth of doctor/patient/representative confidentiality, there’s nudity and a lot of it. Hathaway is naked, Gyllenhaal is naked and most of the extras are naked. Yet, don’t think of this film as soft-core porn, but as a representation of the truth that sex is the parallel to the drugs — people need it as much as they need prozac or Zoloft. the many sexual scenes are not at all cinematic with candles lit in the background, but brutal and messy as they should be.

Gyllenhaal’s character, however, is only smitten with one lady and the experiences Jamie goes through with Maddie are worth more than any one night stand, late night call or 15 minutes of flirting. “there’s this notion of what it means to commit to an-

other human being in your life, and how there’s a form of success there that’s so much better than corporate success,” randolph said.

Although Maddie is victim to the degenerative disease, what makes her character alive is that she does not play the victim. Her aggressiveness with Jamie is just a sample of how she takes on her life — dependent on drugs to keep her in tremor-less form. “[the disease is] not hidden. it’s not like she develops it at the end of the movie, he finds out when he meets her. but it’s not really about the fact that she has a disease, it’s much more universal. it’s about how scary it is for two people to commit to each other, and how easy it is to run away. i think there is something that they face up to that is universal and it has nothing to do with the disease,” co-writer Marshall Herskovitz said.

Drugs and sex aside, this movie is an honest look at what happens when two people’s lives mesh into one and when issues — medical or emotional — collide and what it takes to commit to one person fully. impawards.com

FEATURES

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November 24, 2010

Tween stores take over NYC in time for the holidays

Happy Thanksgiving from The Pace Press! digital illustration by hiLda adeniJi

Craig heLd StAFF Writer

even though we might make it out of this bed bug debacle alive, nYc is still victim to a greater epidemic — tween stores.

Within the last year, nYc has seen an influx of stores like Forever 21, American eagle outfitters (Aeo) and Aeropostale spring up. times Square is at the epicenter of this trend, with all three brands opening flagship stores at the crossroads of the World. the sudden surge of these stores presents an interesting dilemma for nYc. At a time when most consumers are focusing on value, new Yorkers are torn between high-end designers and more affordable brands like Aeo. Another example of the tween impact on retail can be seen on 34th Street. “A majority of the retail growth on 34th Street during the recession has been junior-oriented, including the first Aeropostale store to open out of a mall at 34th and Fifth [Avenue], and the addition of a p.S.

by Aeropostale next to their Aeropostale location in [the] Manhattan Mall,” Director of retail Services for the 34th Street partnership tricia Lewis said. “our other junior stores on 34th Street, including American eagle and Forever 21, are obvious strong performers in our district,” she added.

Forever 21 continues to garner incredible amounts of popularity among consumers, but the fashion industry loathes to accept the major company as one of their own. While the brand has almost revolutionized the concept of fast fashion for juniors, Forever 21 has come under fire for their blatant plagiarism of designs

by Diane von Furstenberg, Gwen Stefani and Anna Sui. All three designers have lawsuits pending against the fast fashion giant. once at the top of its game, Aeo has stumbled recently as the company has reported profit losses in the last year. in the past, the store struggled to find its core audience as it tried to cater to juniors who could not afford Abercrombie and Fitch, but also try to maintain its consumers who had aged out of the brand.

Aeo introduced Martin & osa, a lifestyle brand focused more on older consumers than the younger Aeo consumers. While the brand was popular among Aeo loyalists, Martin & osa failed to make a wide impact with operations ending this past March. today, Aeo has placed itself somewhere between Abercrombie and ralph Lauren. Although profits are down, the pittsburgh based company’s earnings show that sales have actually increased in the last year. it is Aeropostale, however, that has made the largest shift in its core audience since its inception in 1986. originally meant to be a clothing retailer with an aviation theme, the brand has moved to the forefront of the tween clothing movement. today, it directly competes with Abercrombie and Fitch and within recent years, has come out on top. Aeropostale’s price points and promotion have allowed the company to expand internationally and became one of most recognized brands in the u.S. today. the fashion industry is fast moving and unforgiving. What was popular yesterday will, most certainly, not be popular tomorrow. As for new Yorkers, we will continue to fight the age-old battle of price versus value.

Camel cigarette brand becomes “hip” with Williamsburg-themed packaging stephanie hansen StAFF Writer

camel cigarettes have announced the launch of a new Williamsburg, brooklyn-themed cigarette pack. the pack features Joe camel standing in a crosswalk next to a subway station with a food cart and the Williamsburg bridge in purple in the background. the pack is part of camel cigarettes’ break Free campaign. Williamsburg has become an iconic neighborhood not only brooklyn, but in all of nYc. other “hip” cities camel is paying homage to include Austin, texas; Seattle, Wash.; San Francisco, calif. and Las Vegas, nev.

Just like the Williamsburg pack, each city will have its own blurb about it on the back of the customized packs. the promotional cigarettes are going to be around for 10 weeks and the company plans to create 10 packs. the other cities that will be featured have not yet been revealed.

“Some call it the most famous hipster neighborhood. but it’s not about hip. it’s about breaking free. it’s about last call, a sloppy kiss goodbye and a solo saunter to rock show in an abandoned building. it’s where a tree grows. it’s camel in the Williamsburg corner of brooklyn,” the text found on the back of the pack of cigarettes states.

“[Smoking is] an expensive and toxic habit that is presently and too often picked up by young and impressionable new Yorkers. i know we can’t censor anything but the more attractive and youthful we make these products the younger the clients become,” sophomore tori ratermanis said. this is not the first time a company has launched a product with brooklyn as its inspiration. this past summer, Absolut Vodka collaborated with Spike Lee to create a special bottle for brooklyn. “in terms of the cigarettes, brooklyn — [and] especially Williamsburg — has become an icon for the trendy and youthful population. it’s a new wave of Andy Warhol-esque cliques. Although it’s entertaining with its brooklyn Absolut Vodka merchandise, i feel as though associating such objects as cigarettes and alcohol to a specific area can present a pressured idea that to be an artist, to be cool and to be a hipster you have to smoke and drink,” ratermanis said. it is no secret that new Yorkers are very proud of not only the city they come from, but also the borough and neighborhood, so the launch of the cigarette pack comes as no surprise. “i think that camel’s customer base, especially the one in Williamsburg, is very unique and it is great that they are doing something to recognize that and show it is appreciated,” junior Anthony Viscotti said. image from camel.com

FEATURES

November 24, 2010

If you have been harassed, use the Hollaback! phone app

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New smartphone application brings victims together to report street harassment vibha soLanki StAFF Writer

the Hollaback! application for the iphone and Droid was released nov. 8. the application is growing in popularity as it creates a safe and quick response to street harassment with its reporting feature that allows people to immediately report harassment and assault.

Despite the concerns raised about the legitimacy of the application, Hollaback! is the first international organization to address street harassment and assault, according to Kickstarter.com. it is the only documented social project, which has become a global issue, starting in nYc and is estimated to expand nationally and globally. Anti-harassment movements have already sparked interest in india, London and egypt. in nYc, some examples of harassment include verbal abuse, flashing and groping. this application is a means of empowerment for women as it hopes to create safer commutes by allowing an easy method of censoring and uploading harassment experiences.

According to its official website, iHollaback.org, the Hollaback! application allows people to submit experiences of harassment through

their phone by typing information and uploading it to the Hollaback! website. once the information is submitted it is mapped on the website, analyzed and broadcasted to the public and police. “i have personally never used it,

i think it’s a great idea, many people [not just women] get harassed every day. it’s another way to help decrease harassment.

-Bhavika Patel, student but i think it’s a good thing to have. it needs to be used in regulation, [however], because it can be easily abused if somebody’s phone gets used by a friend as a joke. i think it can be useful, but the ability to use someone else’s phone and potentially submitting a harassment charge as a joke could lead to serious legal problems,” senior ron Gulati said.

According to the women’s safety organization rightrides, their website says Hollaback! has two goals: to give participants a safe and

quick response to track harassment and to collect valid data on street harassment to help enforce policies and reduce the number of harassed victims. “i think it’s a great idea, many people [not just women] get harassed every day. it’s another way to help decrease harassment,” junior bhavika patel said.

Hollaback! is supposed to increase public awareness from the data that is distributed from the “State of the Streets” annual report. these reports according to rightrides, will be used by local groups to advocate tougher laws to protect women as they travel through a public area.

According to Gothamist.com, executive director of Hollaback! emily May spoke with 150 young women at barnard college, who experienced street harassment. May encouraged women to speak out and she hopes that with the release of the Hollaback! application, street harassment will end. “i think it’s just like every other application. it’s made for entertainment purposes. there are some individuals that always take a joke a bit too far, so an app like Hollaback! may cause serious problems,” alumnus Guillermo Gmo said.

itunes.apple.com

Coney Island vendors make way for big business nazarY nebeLUk StAFF Writer

big changes are coming to coney island as nine businesses have lost their leases for next year along the boardwalk including ruby’s bar and Grill, Shoot the Freak, coney island Souvenirs, Gyro corner, beer Garden and four others. the changes came earlier this month as part of the renovation going on in the historic brooklyn neighborhood. Long known as a place for relaxation in the early 1900s, coney island hosted some of the most popular amusement park attractions in the nation.

After World War ii (WWii), new modes of entertainment were featured, attendance declined and businesses slowly began leaving the area. eventually, two parks remained — Deno’s and Astroland. now only Deno’s and

their famous Wonder Wheel are left, but no one is sure for how long. carol Albert, owner of brooklyn’s beloved bumpy roller coaster the cyclone, finally gave up the coaster’s lease. Albert stated that with the rising costs of operation she could not see how she could keep it open. the lease is expected to be given to the central Amusement international, an italian company, who were also given a 10 year lease by the city to open a 3.1 acre amusement park in the area. “[coney island] is one of those things they should try to preserve,” freshman Sierra chandler said. central Amusement international is responsible for the recent opening of Luna park, a new amusement park on the site of the former Astroland amusement park, which was a hit this summer.

According to The Wall Street Journal, coney island had its highest

traffic in 46 years — 14 million people when Luna park opened in this past May. this comes as good news for nYc Mayor Michael bloomberg who, since 2003, has been embroiled in fights over the leasing, development and future of coney island and its amusement industry. nYc sold much of the land to develop Joseph Sitt and his company thor equities. thor equities never came up with distinct plans for future amusement park plans on the site but instead seemed to want the land to convert it into condominiums. After seeing thor equities plans, nYc bought back most of Sitt’s property for $96 million and hired central Amusement international to develop the land.

While the company has made a lot of changes that seem to resonate with nYc, not everyone is pleased. “it sucks, they’re trying to ‘Disney-fy’

the place and many residents share this view. others are afraid that developers will cause property prices to rise and push longtime residents out,” coney island resident Alan Kruchin said. this seems to be the case with the business that lost their leases this year.

Many said they were willing to work with nYc to change anything they could to make their business fit in better, but got no response. “i love coney island, but i wouldn’t want to be there at night,” sophomore Spencer cammarano said. “As long as they keep the general [atmosphere] then there’s no problem with renovation,” she added. it seems that while people recognize the need to restore coney island, many lament the loss of what currently is there. in an area long neglected, few are responsive to major changes from the nYc’s government.

November 24, 2010

12

FEATURES

FourLoko says “ciao” to colleges and universities statewide aLex rUFino contributor

the time has come for the sweet-tasting but highly potent beverage known nationwide as FourLoko to come to an end. Starting Dec. 4, bodegas and stores in new York State (nYS) will not be allowed to order or supply themselves with the drink, which has become wildly-admired among college students. nYS is the fifth state to prohibit the drink following Michigan, oklahoma, Washington, and utah.

Federal officials tried and succeeded in making the obama Administration and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ban FourLoko and other caffeinated, alcoholic drinks on the basis that cocktails containing both alcohol and caffeine are highly dangerous. the name "Four" is derived from the drink's four main ingredients: alcohol, caffeine, taurine and guarana. the drink became popular at colleges and universities across the nation where students also experienced injuries and blackouts associated with the drink.

A 20-year-old college student from Florida State university committed suicide after binge drinking FourLoko. His family is suing the

kim bUi

drink's manufacturer, phusion projects for wrongful death.

Washington State banned FourLoko after nine university students’ ages 17 to 19 from central Washington university in ellensburg, Wash. became ill at a house party in roslyn, Wash.

“All of my friends have already stocked up on it; they’re in love

with it. i don’t care [be]cause i’ve never had one and i heard it’s disgusting,” senior Kristyn Sorria said. opinions on FourLoko, however, vary among the population.

Some bodega owners think some of their profit might go down once the drink is banned, while others want to see the drink go due to its

dangers, and some have pulled the drink off shelves voluntarily. on Facebook and twitter, both high school and college students alike have made a startling number of distressed status updates regarding the ban. Ambiguous cries of despair have broken out and hoards of young partiers have been jumbling to snap up cans of FourLoko

after the news came out. in its current form, a 23.5ounce can of FourLoko can contains the alcohol of four beers blended with the caffeine of three cups of coffee or the equivalent of a shot of espresso.

Junior calvin Avalos who has experienced the high potency of FourLoko said, “it tastes like medicine, 12 percent alcohol and caffeine is not a good idea. the last time i did it i had two and it felt pretty good, but as far as them [authorities] banning it, [it] makes perfect sense because it’s too strong.” the makers of FourLoko, in response to all the raging commotion, are trying to make a comeback by removing the caffeine, taurine and guarana from the product — leaving it with just alcohol — to make it less dangerous.

Love it or hate it, the caffeine and alcohol-blended drink and its equivalents are on the fast track towards extinction. “if something is not good for you, then there’s no use in stocking up on it. it’s like a drug, it’s like doing something that you know it’s harmful; it’s going to affect you in the long run,” birnbaum Library circulation coordinator Alica Joseph said.

Deals and steals to keep an eye out for on Black Friday meL baiLeY StAFF Writer

For retailers and shoppers alike, this shopping season will kick off with a bang on black Friday, nov. 26, which is known notoriously for its 3 a.m. door buster deals, camped out shoppers and mobs of people racing for the last copy of the latest technological invention.

Junior Abigail Kochersberger is scheduled to work on black Friday at the target store in Medford, Long island. “i’m supposed to work from 3:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., i feel like i’m going to fall

asleep. it’s so early, target always has great sales though and it’ll probably be really busy only because it’s busy every day, even when it’s not black Friday.”

Stores like best buy, Walmart, the Apple Store, target, bloomingdales, radio Shack, circuit city, Foot Locker, H&M, Macy’s, Steve Madden and many more offer sales ranging from 10 to 50 percent off of merchandise throughout their stores.

Many retailers however, keep their markdowns under wraps until thanksgiving Day, but sneak peeks are available on websites like

blackfriday.com, blackfriday2010.com and black-friday.net. best buy is featuring their iphone 4 cases for a discounted $9.99 in a large variation of colors and cellular devices such as Samsung phones and blackberries ranging from $49.99 to $89.99 with no activation fee. Also, any Samsung computer is $150 off the price. target stores offer discounts on their DVD players ranging from $45 to $85 and digital cameras starting at $75. old navy is offering 60 percent off their entire online clearance section, a sure

solution for some to avoid the multitude of other shoppers.

Freshman christiana Sanders says running around in crowds and standing in long lines are not for her so she sticks to online shopping. “on black Friday i’m probably shopping online for about five to seven hours. i usually start with Macy’s because you can get everything for anyone. i’ve been shopping online for about five years, but being a college student decreases my shopping and my time because i have work or class,” Sanders said.

For some, the hype of black

Friday is lost. “i don’t shop on black Friday because i don’t like to shop when other people tell me to shop. personally, i only shop when i feel like i need to shop for something; i don’t shop for the holiday season,” senior Julian epstein said. “if they were to do away with black Friday i think everyone would shop a lot more during the year, but it would definitely affect the economy. i think about 90 percent of sales happen during black Friday and that’s where most retail corporations generate their revenue,” he continued.

digital illustration by hiLda adeniJi