Nov5final

November 5, 2014

Est. 1948

Volume 67 | Issue 3

the pace press pacepress.org

Lower Manhattan Reigns Supreme ERICK MANCEBO Editor The arrival of Conde Nast to Lower Manhattan’s glittering World Trade Center 1 is said to signal the rebirth of New York City’s long-scarred financial district. In the thirteen years since the Sept.

11 terrorist attacks devastated the area, the slow return of businesses and residential buildings has culminated with the area’s latest luxury residences and swanky commercial holdings. As downtown is reshaped, leaving behind a grittier past, we look towards the area’s much brighter and glass-paneled future.

1) WTC 1: The crown jewel of the formerly devastated World Trace Center complex is arguably the gleaming tower known as WTC 1. The mega tower’s sloping design, crowned with a sparkling

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Photo | Yogi Arora/Flickr

INSIDE @thepacepress

NEWS

ARTS

FEATURES

Women’s empowerment club offers self-defense class Page 4

Troublesome Gamergate scandal goes mainstream

University students rank their dorm experiences

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November 5, 2014

Giants’ Victor Cruz out for the season

NOAM SCHULDENREIN Contributor Recently, New York Giants’ receiver Victor Cruz ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Cruz injured his knee on a routine play in which Eli Manning was throwing a pass to the end zone on a fourth-down play that he could not catch.

That being bad enough for the Giants— especially in that game—Cruz grabbing his knee after the incomplete pass and lying in pain to the point where he could not get up made it even worse. Cruz was shrieking in pain, which put everyone on the Giants in utter despair. Eventually, Cruz was wheeled off the field with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. This made the Giants’ 27-0 loss to the Eagles even worse. With this injury, Cruz is definitely out for the whole rest of the season, if not longer.

A few minutes before the injury, Nick Foles of the Eagles threw his second interception of the game, giving the Giants potential for their first touchdown of the game. When a holding penalty on Will Beatty negated one of their attempts for a touchdown pass, they recovered for fourth and goal. After manager Tom Coughlin’s decision not to kick a field goal, the Giants decided to attempt one last desperate touchdown pass. After Manning threw to Cruz in the end zone, as he leaped in an effort to catch the pass, his knee buckled and he was clutching his injured limb just before he hit the turf.

The main question that lies now is how the Giants are going to do without Cruz.

Considering that they have a limited amount of instrumental players, this loss could quite possibly lead to the Giants’ season going downhill.

“Obviously he’s one of the most important parts of the offense. I’m hopeful the rest of the team can step up in his absence, but I have a feeling the Giants aren’t going to fare too well,” said sophomore Brian McLiverty.

A lot of fans seem to think the same thing.

Of course, the Giants still have Eli Manning, who is obviously also an integral part of the Giants’ roster. However, if the Giants do not have one of their top receivers, it could potentially lead to a lot of problems, especially on the offense.

“Victor Cruz is the NFL’s premier slot receiver. His absence provides a void the G-Men cannot replace,” said junior Daniel Sherwood, adding, “Their rookie first round pick looks to be a superstar in progress. Larry Donnell had elite numbers but has been inconsistent from week to week. Randle is a solid number two, but has too many miscommunications with Eli to be considered a true number one, and won’t command double coverage like Victor Cruz. Eli Manning is a big time quarterback, and [has] the ability to turn around with the current pieces in place, but it will require good ‘next man up’ teamwork from his supporting cast.”

While it is true that the Giants definitely have some good potential backups, this is a time where those backups will really have to step in and perform at their ultimate best. If they can accomplish that, the Giants absolutely have potential for a strong season, albeit the absence of Victor Cruz was a large blow. Although backups like Larry Donnell and Rueben Randle can certainly not match up to Victor Cruz’s performance, they certainly have that potential. Now it is all a matter of them exercising that potential.

Cruz makes a catch before his injury

Al Bello/Getty Images

Midterm elections shape new Congress KOBE Y. JACOBS Staff Writer A prominent highlight of this election cycle has been the battle regarding whom among data-journalism wonks has designed the most accurate eletion-forecasting model.

The most widely used models are that of Nate Silver, founder of fivethirtyeight.com, and Sam Wang, Princeton professor and founder of Princeton Election Consortium blog. Silver instigated a public brawl by writing an article criticizing Wang’s model.

Silver claims, “[Wang’s] model is wrong…because it substantially underestimates the uncertainty associated with polling averages and thereby overestimates the win probabilities for candidates with small leads in the polls.” Wang promptly responded with an equally scathing indictment of Silver’s model, noting that Silver’s critique “is at best misleading.” The exchange became popular topic among political bloggers. Though there has been much talk about the advent of data-journalism in politics recently Dr. David Caputo, professor in the Political Science Department of the university, said, “discussion of the various models to predict outcomes is nothing new… empirical research has always dominated the field of electoral behavior.” Dr. Caputo’s tone is somewhat critical of the political bloggers, though he adds that, “they have interesting observations and add to the much needed transparency.”

Despite discrepancies in specific races many prediction models indicate similar outcomes. The average prediction among forecasting models is a 52-48 majority for Republicans. Many consider it unlikely for Democrats to hold a majority because they have a lot working against them: First, there are 36 seats that are up for election this year, 21 of which are seats that Democrats have to defend. Of these 21 seats seven are in states that Mitt Romney won in 2012. Additionally, there is the phenomenon known as “the six-year itch.” This means that the party who occupies the White House almost invariably loses seats in Congress in the sixth year of a president’s term. (The only exception to this was in the sixth year of the Clinton administration, which was largely due to an unpopular impeachment process being carried out by Republicans against the president.) Finally, midterm elections usually have low voter turnout rates compared to presidential election years. Republicans are widely thought to be the beneficiaries of low

voter turnout. Dr. Caputo adds “President Obama’s low approval ratings [also] make it likely the Republicans will capture the Senate.”

The average prediction has the Republicans expanding their margin in the House of Representatives from 236 to 240 seats. This is due to many of the same reasons that Democrats will have trouble in the Senate: the six-year itch, low turnout, and President Obama’s approval ratings will hurt Democrats in the House races as well. Furthermore, Democrats are disadvantaged by the current drawing of the districts––which are redrawn every decade based on the census––because of a political phenowwmenon known as gerrymandering. (This happens when districts are often drawn by partisan officials who group the opposition party’s voters into a few oddly-shaped districts so a majority of districts favor their party.) Democrats also tend to live in more densely packed areas meaning they are crowded into a few districts by sheer geographical and demographic tendencies.

Several state’s ballot initiatives pertaining to the legalization of cannabis (otherwise known as marijuana) are getting a lot of attention as well. Alaska, Oregon, and Washington D.C. are all voting on the legalization of recreational marijuana. If these measures pass these states and Washington D.C would join Washington state and Colorado in being the only states where recreational marijuana is legal. Florida is voting on becoming the 21st state to allow medical marijuana. Many critics claim that putting it on the ballot is a tactic used to get young voters who ordinarily wouldn’t come to the polls turnout in the midterm elections.

Six years after the Obama candidacy drove young voters to vote in record numbers participation among this demographic is projected to be anemic. Harvard Institute of Politics conducted a poll in which only one in four young voters said they would definitely vote.

Freshman Curtis Robinson, who plans to vote, believes that young voters don’t turn out in midterms because, “they believe that the president can change everything so they don’t worry about supporting him with allies in Congress.” This continues to be a major flaw in the American voting public, which rarely exceeds 35% participation in midterms.

Even Pew Research Center dubbed this year’s election the “meh midterms.” One can only hope that the election exceeds its very low expectations.

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Bustling city reckons with Ebola’s arrival Americans become conserned with the spread of Ebola

SARAH HARTZELL Contributor Nearly seven months after the outbreak began in Guinea the Ebola epidemic continues to spread, now threatening countries outside of Africa with the first American case reported in Dallas, Texas last month.

Emory University Hospital and the Center for Disease Control have since cleared those who had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan, who has since succumbed to the disease.

The World Health Organization has reported that nearly ten thousand people have contracted the disease worldwide and nearly five thousand have died from it, but the numbers are likely vastly underestimated. Seventeen cases have been reported outside of Africa and four of them have been fatal. There have been eight cases in the United States since August. Duncan’s was the only case that has ended in death thus far.

In an effort to prevent new cases from entering the country, JFK International Airport began screening passengers on flights from Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia on Oct. 11. Starting Oct. 21, the Department of Homeland Security is requiring all flights from these countries to fly into JFK, Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Dulles International Airport in Virginia, and Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Passengers on these flights will undergo screenings for fever—one of the earliest symptoms of Ebola—and will have to fill out a questionnaire regarding possible contact with the disease.

However, these measures are far from foolproof in

preventing Ebola from entering the country. Ebola victims can be symptomless for up to three weeks, and the most common symptoms of fever, joint pains, and muscle weakness are similar to those of other, more common illnesses. Additionally, passengers can easily lie on their questionnaires, as Duncan did when returning from Liberia.

The Obama administration has come under fire recently for its handling of the situation. Many have criticized the airport screenings as not being thorough enough, while others see them as a waste of resources.

Critics have called for a complete ban on travelers entering the country from West Africa, but the White House has not been receptive to the idea. The unpreparedness of American hospitals for Ebola patients has fallen largely on the President’s shoulders. President Obama appointed an Ebola czar on Oct. 17 to coordinate the federal response to the outbreak.

President Obama has also criticized the media’s role in creating a frenzy over a very low-level threat to the United States. In typical fashion, the media has coined to refer to the disease’s presence: “Fearbola.”

“The media just makes people more worried,” says Amanda Montoni, senior. “It’s good they’re making us aware, [but] they make people hectic.”

The media’s portrayal of the outbreak has certainly been exaggerated, but many people are still largely uninformed about Ebola’s seriousness.

“I got a text update from CNN while I was in class and I read out loud that Ebola had come to America and Americans are so ignorant that people just responded, ‘Ebola’s been in America for years.’”said sophomore,

Rania Alrashoodi.

On the global level, the World Health Organization will meet to discuss screening procedures at borders and stricter travel restrictions. Early tests on an experimental Ebola vaccine are promising but continue to be bogged down by bureaucratic and logistical challenges. Senegal and Nigeria were recently declared eradicated of Ebola though the outbreak was far tamer there than in West Africa, were recently declared eradicated of Ebola.

Despite having cleared the disease in these countries and a potential vaccine in the works, the end to the outbreak is nowhere in sight. The strain of Ebola in the current outbreak is more dangerous than any strain in the past, and the rate of new cases worldwide continues to grow. The World Health Organization currently estimates that one thousand new cases develop per week. In the next two months, an estimated ten thousand cases could be diagnosed each week. The countries affected the worst are also ill prepared to care for current patients, let alone an influx of new cases.

While University students have little to worry about with the current state of the outbreak, preventative measures are similar to those for any other disease. Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, not through the air, so simply being in proximity to an infected person is not dangerous.

Medical officials have said that general health habits apply to warding off Ebola; Washing hands, avoiding the blood or fluids of an infected person, monitoring potential symptoms, and not traveling to West Africa, are enough to impeade the threat of Ebola.

Fracking threatens lives of U.S. citizens Controversial energy technology under fire from legislators

DIANA IZAZAGA Contributor Hydraulic fracking, otherwise known solely as fracking, is a controversial process to recover gas or oil from shale rock that is found is found inside the earth. According to the online web page “Dangers of Fracking,” there are more than 500,000 active natural gas wells in the United States to frack from. The dependence on foreign oils means vulnerability but with fracking, the U.S has found a new way to obtain these resources.

Due to low permeability, damage and clogging from drilling, geologic formations that contain large amounts of oil or gas will have a poor flow rate.

This is why during the process of fracking there is actually a special fluid that is being injected into the ground at a high pressure. This allows for the release of the gas to come out in greater quantities with fewer difficulties.

Websites like dangersoffracking.com show in detail how much goes into fracking. One to eight million gallons of water is used for each fracking job.

In order to make the fracking fluid 40 thousand gallons of chemicals, which contains 600 chemicals including Mercury, Uranium, Lead, and Formaldehyde, is obtained. This then causes great damage if in contact with water, soil, or air. Also, taking into consideration the 500,000 active wells, we would need about 72 trillion gallons of water and 360 billion gallons of chemicals to make full use of these wells. An average of 400 trucks is used to carry water and supplies to and from the fracking sites.

Hydraulic fracking produces approximately 300,000 barrels of natural gas. The source of energy

is transported through pressurized pipelines, which makes it easy and cheap. The United States has over 300,000 miles of natural gas pipelines. Over 85% of the energy used in the world is non-renewable.

Natural gas is usually not contaminated with sulfur making it the cleanest burning fossil fuel.

University junior, Riddhi Doshi focuses on alternatives rather than this method of obtaining energy. “We should step away from this method of obtaining oil since we know other forms of energy.

We need to focus on renewable energy to make it our primary source.”

Josh Fox, one of the producers and directors of the film Gasland, was one of many who received a letter to lease his land for $100,000 to be drilled for gas using the Fracking method. Unsure about his decision he travels around Wyoming, Colorado, Texas and Utah to talk to people who have already made their decision.

If under certain circumstances, freshman, Joseph Balbuena would take up the offer. “If I was in a bad enough financial situation I would take the offer but other than that I would think about the negatives [of fracking]. Why help them out?”

Since the hydraulic fracturing process began, people and their homes are affected greatly. This would include the contamination of their water supply causing great health problems for them, their animals and damage to the environment around them. There have been contaminated lakes and streams with visible dead animals in areas in and near where Fracking is taking place. Gas companies deny their fault in this, although there are findings of the same chemicals used in the fracking process as in the contaminated water.

None of the families who are affected by fracking

have been warned of any consequences in the future.

With such a big amount of water going into fracturing only 30-50% of the non-biodegradable fracturing fluid is recovered. Contaminated well water is used for drinking water for nearby cities and towns, these wells contain a 17x higher concentration of Methane when compared to normal wells. There have also been cases of sensory, respiratory, and neurological damage to local residents.

The Media outlet, Vice, took a trip to North Dakota to learn more about a new generation of young and wealthy directional drillers in their short video on YouTube, The Fracking Bros. Members of Vice follow, Colin Bennett, is one of many workers for a directional drilling company in the oil industry.

Last year, Bennett made well over a quarter million with about 20 thousand in savings as of then. When bringing up the environmental consequences of fracking Bennett states, “Couldn’t tell you much about it to be honest with you.” Working by himself in an office for 12 hours a day, Bennett describes the job as lonely. On a schedule of 20 on 10 off, meaning 20 straight days of working followed by a small vacation of 10 days off, he tends to spend his days off in Vegas essentially “blowing it off” as he states.

As of recently, no scientists who are not affiliated with the oil industry have confirmed that fracking is safe. Those who are saying there is no harm usually have heavy ties with oil companies. Many residents in fracking areas are pushing for the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act (FRAC Act). This act would require the energy industry to disclose all chemicals used in fracturing fluid.

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November 5, 2014

United States sends airstrikes to ISIS territory

businessinsider.com NOAM SCHULDENREIN Contributor Iraqi forces have recently formed the Peshmerga forces in an attempt to fight the Islamic State group militants. Inspite a fair amount of debate, the Peshmerga have made an executive decision to go into Syria’s border town of Kobani to try to battle ISIS. Furthermore, original reports seemed to believe that the Peshmerga was going to Kobani only to provide logistical support. This is not true. They are traveling to Kobani to fight ISIS militants.

The Kurdish population has been prohibited from getting in on the fight in Kobani.

This is despite their high affiliation with the Kurdish Democratic Union party.

The decision to send out Peshmerga initially started when ISIS released a video involving kidnapped British journalist John Cantlie “reporting” from Kobani. When he was “reporting,” he appeared to be reading from a script stating that ISIS was not in retreat from Kobani. Western media reports, however, stated otherwise.

In an attempt to fight back, combatants of ISIS have developed very sophisticated and advanced anti-aircraft missile systems. The purpose of these missiles is to threaten air operations led by the United States. In a few isolated cases, the antiaircraft missiles were accidentally used to shoot down Syrian helicopters and jets.

There is also some national fear of the ISIS situation leading to another potential costly war in Iraq. It will be costly in terms of ammunition and military weaponry. Some fear it could lead to a repetition of the Iraq war a decade ago. Not only are there U.S. missiles dropping on Iraq, but there is also a fair amount of dubious legality, lack of United Nations Security Council approval and an American public frightened about potentially over-hyped national security threats.

“The threat from ISIS should not be used as a justification for another costly war,” said sophomore, Brian Althen when asked to weigh in on the topic.

However, there is not that much need to worry about the ISIS airstrikes resulting in events similar to the Iraq war of 2003. This is because of a few fundamental differences between the two conflicts.

One of the differences is that the 2003 conflict primarily targeted an internationally recognized state government. On the contrary, the current conflict is generally targeting a non-state actor. This is an important difference mainly because states and non-states act in very different ways. They are governed by different international laws and demand different strategies from the U.S. military. In the 2003 conflict, the U.S attacked a clear state. The Islamic State, however, is composed of many foreign fighters and controls way more territory. Therefore, it cannot technically be classified as a state. There is generally no accurate way of predicting what a complete defeat of the Islamic State would look like as compared to the “defeat” of Baghdad back in 2003.

Another pivotal difference is that the 2003 conflict involved the use of ground troops whereas the current conflict involves the use of airstrikes. Although the 2003 conflict certainly involved some airstrikes, the vast majority of it was done by ground troops. This situation, however, involves solely airstrikes.

One last key difference involves the opinion of the public. In the current ISIS conflict, it has been said that around 73 percent of Americans are in complete support of airstrikes.

However, leading up to the 2003 Iraq war, the opinions of the public were substantially more divided. According to official polls, only about 52 to 59 percent supported the invasion of Iraq. Since the United States has more support now, this could possibly mean that there is less chance of another war similar to 2003.

Succesful Women at Pace offers self defense class COURTNEY MICHELLE JOHNSON Features Editor The Successful Women at Pace network is hosting a free self-defense class at the Church Street Gym on Saturday, Nov.15. This event is open to all University students who want to brush up on or learn some self-defense and safety techniques. Sophomore Alanna McCatty also reminds students that the physical aspect is not the only benefit of the self-defense class. “[Self-defense classes] can bring a lot of confidence and it can bring emotional ease,” said McCatty. “If you have that physical engagement where you are able to practice you are able to walk wherever you want with an emotional ease because you have these abilities, learned them and went to a class to see how to stick up for yourself.”

This event could not have come at a better time. On Sunday, Oct. 19 a University student was the victim of an alleged attempted sexual assault in the vicinity of Gold and Fulton streets.

The incident occurred near the popular University hangout, T.J Byrnes Bar. Thankfully the victim was able to fight off her alleged attacker, however, this incident continues to raises concern for women’s

safety on campus.The University campus is not the only campus battling sexual assault issues, with a recent case of a rape accusation at Columbia University gaining public attention when a female student who believes her case is being mishandled and pushed under the rug by the administration protested by “carrying the weight” around with her on campus in the form of a mattress from her dorm room.

Online, users have also voiced concerns on women’s safety in the form of a viral video, which shows a young woman walking through Manhattan for 10 hours and being harassed over 100 times.

Senior Rachel Segal feels that this is an example of the need to educate men on how they should regard women. “At this point with so many different things happening at so many different times of the day its not only evening anymore, its random assaults on the train and even that girl who just did a video of her walking down the street for 10 hours not even talking to anyone wearing a T shirt and jeans and she had over a hundred instances of people sexually verbally [harassing her],” said Segal.

McCatty feels that the class is important for women on campus to

attend in light of the recent incidents and concerns on campus.

“With different incidents that have happened on campus or in the surrounding area is a great time to use this class, because us as females we have to build that guard, because you never know what’s going to happen and as women we have to protect ourselves,” said McCatty.

Segal believes that women are not the ones with the problem. “I dont think it should be the women who should be taking more precautions,” said Segal. “I think it should be the men that should be taught that it’s not okay to claim a woman’s body and think that its okay to come up to her and compliment her.”

Segal does feel, however, that selfdefense classes, such as the one that SWAP is hosting, are important for women to take.

One other aspect of on campus security that Segal would like to see improved is the amount of cameras present on campus. Currently there are no cameras in the computer labs and hallways outside of them. The cameras outside of One Pace Plaza are also very ineffective as they are almost impossible to see anything out of. The lack of adequate cameras has affected Segal personally.

“I have actually had some instances of [theft],” said Segal. “In my second semester in the computer lab someone stole my purse and my wallet as I was sitting there and [the security guard] told me ‘we don’t have any camera’s we don’t know what to do about this, we will try to track someone down.’”

SWAP’s self defense classes are not the only women’s safety efforts on campus. This fall a new club, The PaceU End Rape Task Force has also been created and aims to prevent sexual assault of any kind and serve as a safe haven for rape survivors as well. One of their most recent events, the Carry That Weight event was inspired by the Columbia University student who decided to carry the weight of her alleged attack in the form of a mattress to class and around the campus.

McCatty believes that women’s safety education and efforts on campus are necessary to help show women as being less fragile and more well rounded.

“Sometimes people look at [women] as if we have no guard and by establishing that people won’t underestimate us,” said McCatty. “Having a strong intellect is one thing but being physically strong and knowing how to protect yourself is another thing.”

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NYC unemployment rate hits all time low College students worry about the near future

Butch Dill/Associated Press KOBE Y. JACOBS Staff Writer This Sept., New York City’s unemployment rate has hit a six year low at 6.8 percent.

This is the lowest number since the start of the recession in 2008. Much of the job growth was in the private sector ,where New York has added 95,000 jobs in the past year. Despite this positive trend, however NYC’s rate is still almost a full point above the national unemployment rate (5.9 percent).

There is, good news about where the local economy may be headed. In August, the NYC unemployment rate dropped .5 percent. This is the largest month-to-month drop in recorded history. It then dropped by same amount in September. The fact that NYC’s unemployment rate is dropping much faster than the national rate indicates that it is not merely a result of the national economic conditions, but that the local economy is experiencing positive gains.

Kilian Tep, an Economics major at the University, is optimistic about the recent improvements. He calls them ”reassuring,” and says, “it’s a good sign [that] we’re gaining economic confidence.”

College graduates are still having a hard time. Locally, about half of NYC’s 600,000 college graduates are unemployed or underemployed—working in a job they’re overqualified for— according to estimates by the New York Federal Reserve. This predicament is considered a major lasting side-effect of the recession. Coming out of tough times, businesses have been looking for more experienced, skilled workers, which is usually bad news for college graduates. Kurt R. Hines-Williams, a University junior who works full-time in New Jersey but would like to work in NYC says, “I still don’t feel there is enough opportunity.” He attributes this to higher competition now than before the recession. It is possible that Hine-Williams is correct about this assumption.

According to the New York Post, the percentage of people in the labor force who are

55 and older has increased from 16 percent pre-recession to 21 percent, post-recession.

This creates more competition for fewer jobs among graduates. The baby boomers are either nearing or hitting retirement age, but many aren’t retiring. They are staying in the labor force to rebound from tough times during the recession. When employers hiring for white-collar, high-skilled jobs have to decide between an experienced baby-boomer or a college graduate, they tend to choose the experienced worker. All this means that graduates get pushed out of good jobs and end up underemployed.

This is the larger problem associated with difficult employment situations for graduates. Graduates who spend long periods of time looking for employment without success are often forced to take jobs for which they are over qualified and underpaid.

Hines-Williams, who works in a check processing center, says a lot of the people he works with are underemployed. “Many people [I work with] have bachelors degrees [and] one person has a masters,” he says. A recent publication by economists from Duke University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill makes the case that the effects of underemployment on wages can last for more than a decade. In her summary of the paper for Vox.com Danielle Kurtzleben writes, “researchers found that while the wage effects of unemployment are larger than those of [underemployment], the wage effects of [underemployment] can be more persistent than those of unemployment.”

This doesn’t suggest that abandoning a degree is a good idea. Each level of educational attainment still correlates with higher pay, and better chances of employment. It simply means that internships are valuable because entering the labor force without enough experience is getting harder and harder. Moving forward, the best-case scenario is that these positive gains ripple through the entire economy and improve the employment prospects of graduates as well as experienced workers.

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ARTS

November 5, 2014

College Media Journal Festival overtakes NYC Music journalists enjoy number of area shows and panels

MAXIMILLIANO ONOFRE Editorial Assistant From Oct. 21 to 25, press, artist, and music fans alike, ventured to some of the citys best bars, clubs, lounges, and concert halls in support of CMJ Music Marathon.The Pace Press staff participated in one of the biggest music festivals in New York. The Pace Press editors were each able to enjoy a unique experience during the CMJ Music Marathon.

Max Onofre: before this summer, I was unaware of the CMJ Music Marathon.That did not deter me from diving headfirst into the experience.While the ‘Press was able to enjoy a variety of shows, the most entertaining for me was the Gerard Way concert at Webster Hall on Oct. 23.

As someone who had the opportunity to listen to his music when he was a part of a band, My Chemical Romance, there was plenty of anticipation that came with this show.

It was quite enjoyable and something I definitely felt fortunate to watch. Other shows I watched were also very interesting, with many bands definitely catching my eye.

Though school was still a priority, there were plenty of opportunities to go see many shows, and even attend the press party where press and bands could network. The music marathon was an astounding way to see many bands that are breaking ground into the music scene which makes it such a unique experience.

Shannon McMahon: The highlight of my CMJ experience was on Tuesday, Oct. 21 when popular indie rock band Cold War Kids graced the stage of the bowling alley-turned-music-venue, Brooklyn Bowl. The band also shared the stage that night with fellow rockers Aurora and Chief Scout. The event saw an incredible turnout, with a nearly thirty minute wait for fans to get inside of the building. Once admitted, fans were packed together in a way that only made the performance seem more personal, with the Brooklyn audience warmly

The band Cold War Kids, who preformed at CMJ

receiving Aurora and Chief Scout’s unique sounds.

Cold War Kids then sparked excitement throughout the crowd when they performed songs from their fourth indie rock album, “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts”, and hits from their former three albums, “Robbers & Cowards”, “Loyalty to Loyalty” and “Mine is Yours”, including their most popular single “Hang Me Out to Dry.” Fans were able to enjoy an intimate half-hour performance with an electric chemistry typically felt in larger rock arena shows.

At the end of their set, the Cold War Kids addressed the crowd with a humble “thank you,” and then promptly disappeared to the backstage area of the popular Brooklyn bowling alley, starting the CMJ festival off with a bang.

Ashley Spencer: I loved every minute of CMJ. This was my first time attending the festival and prior to attending I had no idea what CMJ was. I enjoyed how CMJ brings artists, press, and venues of all kinds together to create a truly unique music experience. Topaz Jones, an artist who performed as a part of the local talent showcase was actually a classmate of mine and has been making music since high school. It was great to see emerging artist showcased at CMJ. CMJ provides networking opportunities that are truly invaluable, getting to learn and connect with other writers, photographers, artists, and media outlets. In speaking with artist I got to learn more about CMJ and what it means to the artist involved. They all raved about how special it is that the festival has remained somewhat underground and showcases up and coming talent. As a college student I thought it was great that collegiate press outlets were included in the festival. I can’t wait to see and hear more about the artist I’ve discovered and participate again next year, and experience more great music.

Christian Gomez: Another October has come and gone and with that another CMJ and its army of artists, venues, and panels have come and gone from the city.

This year CMJ brought with it a few surprises with the last minute addition of Foster the People to the already enormous artist list, along with expanding farther into Brooklyn with more venues hosting the many artists that graced the stage. With many of the bands coming out of obscurity, CMJ to the uninitiated may seem a little daunting but with the CMJ 2014 app many of these problems of were attempted to be solved. But just as with last year’s CMJ app there were quite a few hiccups along the way.

Beginning with organization, many of the times listed in the app for shows and panels quickly became grossly inaccurate with some shows being an hour off from the planed start time. Some artist at venues such as Drom, owned and operated by HOT 97’s DJ Camilo, had artists not even registered in the app performing. Regardless of these mishaps CMJ continued devoid of any major complications.

Marc Saggese: For me, CMJ meant five days of running from venue to venue, going to outer boroughs, changing plans, waiting on lines, and music all through the night. I shelved most of my responsibilities for the week so I could see as much of CMJ as possible, and still I only managed to see a tiny fraction of the city-wide event.

I made a point to only see bands I had never heard of, and for the most part I managed to do that (the only time I slipped up was to see Cold War Kids at Brooklyn Bowl). A highlight was seeing Remix Artist Collective at Terminal 5. Abbreviated RAC, they’re an Oregon-based band whose sold out NYC show was the biggest of their career, and I was surprised to find that I already knew one of their songs despite never having heard of the band before.

Other CMJ festivities included seeing industry panels about music criticism and feminism in the music industry at NYU’s Kimmel Center, a rooftop press party, and almost getting a tattoo on the last night.

Needless to say, the festival was a success for all.

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November 5, 2014

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Books turned movies trend continues

elcineseguntfv.blogspot.com which is cancer in teenagers. Freshman and cancer survivor, Shannon Moley had a lot to say dangerously romanticizes the on the topic of the book-to-movie translation of “The Fault in Our Stars”, because she lived the terminal illness that the characters in the movie struggle with. story that the author was telling. She said: In the last few years, blockbusters have Another recent novel that “I think that the book itself accurately described the struggles of a child with cancer outside been targeting a large portion of their films swept the nation was the movie to readers of popular young adult fiction adaptation of the middle school novels. The trend has been focused on popular dystopian novel, “The Giver”. dystopian series, like “The Hunger Games”, The book was a common “Divergent”, and “The Giver”. This trend has classroom read for middle made it’s way to the movie screen, setting the school students, and has been a example for so many books to become the next very popular novel since it was big thing on the big screen. published in 1993. The novel’s The ever-popular “Hunger Games” recent movie adaptation did not trilogy has been dominating the market of live up to fans’ expectations, young adult consumers since about 2011. however. Sophomore Devin This thrilling dystopian trilogy has been a Owens said, “I loved the novel teen favorite for some time now, and that so much when I first read it, but popularity is coming back full force very soon the movie was too different from with the release of Mockingjay Part I, which is the book. There were things that to come to theaters Nov. 21 of this year. Fans happened in the movie that didn’t of the trilogy are on the edge of their seats in happen in the book, and it wasn’t anticipation for the first part of the on-screen anything like I expected. I didn’t finale of the book series. Freshman Allison hate it, but I didn’t love it as Serpico, a long time fan of “The Hunger much as I wanted to.” Making a Games” said, “I understand that the big thing film out of such a popular book, is to split the final movie into two parts these filmmakers are bound to have days, but I don’t know what the first movie is people complain, and there are going to entail. I’m really excited, though. I always going to be unhappy really love “the Hunger Games” and I think screencrush.com fans. For fans of a novel, there’s that so far, the movies for the books have done nothing more disappointing than a great job at representing the books without seeing a movie not live up to how of just the medicine—depression, overbearing parents, annoying nurses. Although the movie deviating from them too much.” great the book was.

A common concern for book fans who see became a thing because of the book’s popularity, the movie put a lot of focus on the love story As for other book to movie their favorites turned into movies is whether or and more importantly on the attractiveness of the actors, which made little girls watching the adaptations, some to look not the movie is going to do the novels justice. movie become more concerned with attractive actors rather than the fact that people were dying. foreword to in the coming year In particular, books that deal with heavy topics, I do like that the movie highlighted the mother’s emotions about losing a child, which was are “Fifty Shades of Grey,” such as John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”, almost overlooked in the book. Over all, I think the movie did a good job, but I don’t want the “Insurgent,” the second novel a wildly popular YA novel that recently made capitalization of terminal illnesses in children to become relevant.” in the “Divergent” series, an A common caveat in book to movie adaptations is the popularity of controversial topics it to cinemas over the summer. It had a lot of possibly even “Mockingjay Part controversy surrounding the topic of the novel, becoming popular. “The Fault in Our Stars” presents itself as a beautiful novel, but its popularity II.”

SABRINA BOYLE Contributor

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THE PACE PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD Erick Mancebo Editor Christian Gomez Executive Editor Marc Saggese Advertising Manager Shannon McMahon Copy Editor Melissa Vargas News Editor Ashley Spencer Arts Editor Courtney Michelle Johnson Features Editor Maximilliano Onofre Editorial Assistant Dr. Stephanie Hsu 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.

Move downtown signals changing New York continued from FRONT PAGE ERICK MANCEBO Editor opened on Nov. 3, with 60% of its office space leased.

2) 5 Beekman: The deceivingly derelictlooking Temple Court building on the corner of Beekman and Nassau Streets has been home to a few one-off events in past years, but has recently begun undergoing a deep gutting/renovation. The final result—a residential, hotel, commercial and restaurant mix—is set to open next fall. The best part: The atrium, with its spectacular view, will be open to the public.

3) Fulton Center: After a few false starts and near-ceremonies, the Fulton Street Transit Center—set to connect a number of subway lines in one central terminal, reveals itself years behind its projected date and nearly 100% over budget. But its pretty.

4) 33 Beekman: The University’s new dorm at 33 Beekman has almost nearly topped off, reaching its height of 22 stories that will serve as a residence for University students come 2015. With retail on the ground floor and a 3,000 square foot public plaza at the foot of the building, the building is set to add to the beautification of Beekman St., following 8 Spruce Street’s (The Gehry building) introduction of two public plazas.

The Pace Press 41 Park Row, Rm. 902 New York, NY 10038 www.pacepress.org editor@pacepress.org Copyright 2014

The University’s new dorm at 33 Beekman

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Outraged fans get gamergate trending

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MARC SAGGESE Advertising Manager

Several outspoken female professionals in the video game industry have been driven from their homes, bombarded with death and rape threats, and had their personal information leaked and published within the last few weeks. Their harassment is the result of several incongruous events that have sparked a malegamer-led Internet hate campaign coined Gamergate.

As is the case with most Internet hate-campaigns, Gamergate is unfocused, contradictory and terribly confusing with flimsy justification. The threepronged birth of Gamergate began in August with Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist pop culture and video game critic, releasing the latest instalment of her highly successful video series, “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games.” Sarkeesian has been a subject of harassment ever since she began her YouTube video series in 2012, and each of her videos is met with profane and threatening backlash from gamers who can not conceive of a world in which women have an equal voice in their chosen hobby. They try to silence her with each video released, and the latest one was no different.

Also in August was the Zoe Quinn scandal. Quinn is an independent video game developer whose forthright opinions on ending gender oppression in her career field paints her as a target for harassment by misogynist gamers on Twitter. In w she had been accused of having a relationship with Kotaku (the video game-centric sister site of Gawker) journalist Nathan Grayson. Amongst accusations of sex-for-press corruption, the community reacted with slutshaming, death and rape threats of such force that people outside the gaming culture took notice.

Most notably, conservative actor Adam Baldwin, known for his roles in Full Metal Jacket and Firefly, chimed in on all of the hate via Twitter, coining the war between video game hobbyists and professionals #Gamergate; a hashtag which has acted as the uniting force for everyone with negative opinions about video game professionals. People participating in the hate felt a sense of legitimacy in having a title, especially one with the -gate suffix, harkening back to the Watergate political scandal. It gave them a platform and an army of supporters, even if there were many contradicting narratives at play within it.

The Rebirth of a Stereotype At the base of each argument, however, are women, and they have been painted the enemy the enemy. Some #Gamergate supporters are attacking games journalism, some are attempting to preserve the sanctity of the “gamer” identity, some are fighting to keep a discourse of social justice and political correctness out of their hobby. Either way, #Gamergate is communicating that women are ruining games, and they should be silenced. Unfortunately, the aforementioned message is extremely regressive in terms of advancing the medium, gaining legitimacy for the video game industry, and for gender equality on any scale.

We have been verging on times where the stereotypical “gamer,” the overweight man-child who spends all of his time in a dark basement playing fantasy computer games, has become an outdated cultural reference and a gamer could simply be any person. The efforts of #Gamergate are working directly against that, and creating a brand new stereotype: a misogynist male who cares not for social justice, equality, and alternative voices in his chosen medium. This new gamer wants the oppressed to remain that way, and he revels in keeping them down. It’s making sensible people who could not condone such behavior slowly back away from video games in an attempt to not be associated with such a radical regressive collective mindset.

It makes sense. Over the past few weeks, #Gamergate has been covered by major news outlets, and has appeared on the front page of the New York Times.

People operating under #Gamergate have made terror threats on a university in which Anita Sarkeesian, one of the aforementioned game critics, planned to give a talk. It’s creating a link between the “gamer” identity and the horrible school shootings that have happened in the last few years. If the games industry was making a push to convince us that games don’t have anything to do with violent behavior in recent years, #Gamergate is proving us all wrong. #Gamergate is a sore spot on a medium that should be enjoyed by everyone regardless of who they are. The fact that this hate movement has gone this far is proof w some people love video games so much that they will reach these terrifying ends in order to “protect” them. It’s a medium that has the ability to be presented as art, interactive experiences, a means of catharsis and empathy; not solely violence and oppression. As soon as the #Gamergate collective conscience begins to understand that, as well as understand that the sanctity of their hobby will not suddenly fall away, then games could become one of the most inclusive and advanced industries today.

Anita Sarkeesian, video game critic

Tweets from Sarkeesian’s “Feminist Frequency” account

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Hydra leaks “Age Of Ultron” trailer SARAH HARTZELL Contributor During the Oct. 21 episode of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, the show announced that the first trailer for “Avengers: Age of Ultron” would debut during the following week’s episode.

However, this is the 21st century, so ABC’s struggling series never got the chance: a low-quality version of the trailer leaked online the day after the announcement.

Rather than attempt to remove the unofficial material from the Internet and the memories of everyone who watched it, Marvel released the official, high-definition trailer nearly a week before its scheduled premiere with a playful tweet blaming the breach on Hydra, the evil intelligence organization from the Marvel universe. The trailer has since been viewed a record-breaking 50 million times on YouTube.

The two minute and seventeen second preview shows Earth’s Mightiest Heroes waging war against Ultron, an artificially intelligent robot created by Tony Stark that has his sights set on human extinction. All the Avengers from the first film reprise their roles in Age of Ultron: Iron Man/Tony Stark, Captain America/Steve Rogers, The Incredible Hulk/Bruce Banner, Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, and Thor.

The trailer caused quite a stir among fans, who had been waiting for the footage since the trailer was screened at San Diego Comic Con in July.

“The trailer had me lifting myself out of my seat!” said sophomore Paul Gabbianelli.

“I haven’t been more excited to see a Marvel movie since the first Avengers movie! Ultron looks great, the Hulkbuster suit looks amazing and I can’t wait to see what happens to the rest of the cast.”

New to the sequel are the Maximoff twins Pietro and Wanda, aka Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. It is unclear from the trailer whether the twins are friends or foes to the Avengers, but their presence is certainly significant. The characters are typically considered part of the X-Men lineup, owned by 20th Century Fox. Since Marvel Studios does not own the rights to the X-Men, they have not been able to incorporate any of the mutant characters into past films. In fact, Marvel Studios has very carefully avoided the word “mutant” altogether, opting for the word “miracles” in reference to the Maximoffs

to prevent potential legal infringements.

The trailer is narrated by the menacing voice of Ultron (James Spader) outlining his intentions of world domination with a long-winded puppet metaphor, accompanied by an eerie version of the song “No Strings on Me” from Pinocchio. The violence level is equal to that of any other superhero film of the last few years, with the usual windows smashing, gun firing, and robots and/or aliens invading a major city.

“It’s very post-apocalyptic,” says junior Marine Alaberkian. “It doesn’t even look like a superhero movie.”

The most intriguing parts of the teaser are mere frames long and hint to possible scenes that fans have been speculating about for ages. A brief clip shows a line of ballerinas dancing in a studio; Black Widow’s origins as a KBG spy include being trained as a ballerina and an assassin. While not the stand-alone film that many have been clamoring for, it certainly implies some of her backstory will be in the film. The trailer also very briefly shows Captain America in what appears to be the 1940s. The time jump could come from any number of sources including flashbacks, time travel, or the mind-manipulating powers of Scarlet Witch or the Vision, who was not in the trailer but is confirmed to appear in the movie.

The trailer shows the evolution of the Avengers, individually and as a team, since we last saw them together. Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armor was revealed in a fight against the Hulk, even though the first Avengers showed Tony Stark and Bruce Banner forming a friendship. In one clip, Thor has a violent confrontation with Tony Stark, and in another Natasha Romanoff and the Hulk have a Tarzan and Jane-style bonding moment, a dramatic change from their relationship in the first film. Nearly all the Avengers are shown in a state of fear, defeat, or terror. Even Captain America’s indestructible shield is shown lying broken in half on the ground.

Ultron comes on the heels of some of Marvel’s most successful and critically acclaimed films to date: Iron Man 3, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy. After the success of these films and the first Avengers movie, expectations are incredibly high for Joss Whedon’s second Marvel adaptation. But if Whedon’s reputation is anything to go by, it is sure not to disappoint.

Shonda Rhimes’ new show diversifies television BRIANNA WILLIAMS Contributor The fall season may be the start of drinking pumpkin spice latte and wearing cozy sweaters, but it is also the season when networks premiere pilot episodes for new television shows. This fall, “How to Get Away with Murder” on ABC has gotten quite the buzz with the presence of a strong black female lead.

“How to Get Away with Murder” is about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor who become involved in a twisted murder plot. The lead character, Annalise Keating, played by Oscar-nominated actress, Viola Davis has changed the game on prime time television.

Executive producer Shonda Rhimes of “How to Get Away with Murder” has become a household name as one of the few people pushing for more diversity on television. She is known as the creator of the political drama, “Scandal” and the medical drama, “Grey’s Anatomy”. But most recently this fall, “How to Get Away with Murder” has shined a light on her work as she now has a three-hour block on Thursday, which includes “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder”, which both have a lead black female characters.

The ABC network is already known for its cross-racial casting from the political drama, Scandal with Olivia Pope, who is played by Kerry Washington who has an interracial affair with the President.

However, Washington’s character falls back into the ideal young, light skinned black female often seen on network television.

“How to Get Away with Murder” has broken all the conventional rules with a diverse, racial-crossing cast. Among the major cast, there are two lead black characters and a gay character. The lead character, Professor Annalise Keating is a strong, bold, sexual character that is noble yet flawed. Davis does not fit the “ideal” image of a black female, as she is a darkskinned, older woman.

The complexity and depth of Davis’s character is quite rare for a black female lead on primetime television. Annalise is highly respected in her career as a lawyer, and by her students at an elite university.

However, she is quite manipulative and is willing to break the rules.

“How to Get Away with Murder” took another leap with casting not only a lead black actress, but casting the second lead role to a black actor as well. West Gibbins, the second lead character, is played by biracial British actor, Alfred Enoch, known for his role in Harry Potter as Dean Thomas.

The gay character, Connor Walsh, played by Jack Falahee, is not the “ideal” depiction of a gay man typically seen on television either. Walsh is an ambitious college student that is seen as both saint and sinner. In the first episode, Walsh seduces a man to get a lead in Annalise’s case.

As Connor told Vanity Fair in a recent interview, “I always tell the directors, I don’t want to see two men mashing their faces together. It’s not a wrestling match. I want it to feel like real kissing, like they’re actually kissing…For me watching [other shows], especially when a straight actor is playing gay, you don’t believe the kissing.

Their lips are touching but it’s more like face mashing.”

Walsh’s sex life as a gay man is not hidden but openly shown in a natural, “no big deal” manner. Walsh is shown as a fully developed character that isn’t just viewed as the gay character on the show.

“How to Get Away with Murder” is revolutionary, as the diversity among the cast has not become the basis for the show.

The character’s identities and struggles are

not defined by their race or their sexuality.

The show has successfully become a colorblind show and is much more progressive in creating a new perspective on television,causing headlines over the past month with its twisted plot and diverse cast. This may be the push in the right direction to create a new perspective in primetime television and break the cultural norms that have defined television.

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Alt-J headed to the Beacon in support of U.S. tour The British rock trio set to perform songs of recent album TAYLOR GORRUSO Contributor Alt-J is an English indie rock trio consisting of Joe Newman (guitar/vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards) and Thom Green (drums). Their sound has influences from folk and indie rock to pop and trip-hop. Their second album, “This is All Yours”, was released Sept. 22 and went straight to Number 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.

Alt-J will be performing Nov. 16 along with Mikky Ekko at the Beacon Theater.The presale took place in early June and sold out within weeks. Ticket scalpers are charging remaining tickets for upwards of three hundred dollars, but the experience is well worth the money. It is a highly anticipated show that will surely electrify the audience.

Alt-J played a host of festival shows throughout 2013, including Reading and Leeds Festival, Bonnaroo Festival, Lollapalooza and Coachella to name a few. Many of alt-J’s shows have been sold out or have had a venue change due to high demand to see them live. Alt-J also completed a ten-date UK tour that kicked off on 5 May at O2 Academy Birmingham and ended on 17 May at Brixton Academy.

Their debut record “An Awesome Wave” won Britain’s prestigious Mercury Music Prize in 2012, and spurred on by the success of singles like “Breezeblocks” and “the Leon-inspired Matilda”, went on to sell over a million copies worldwide. With bassist Gwil Sainsbury having left the band just days before they were due to start recording their second album, Alt-J had to make some alterations in their game plan. Despite the loss, the resulting album This Is All Yours is as brilliantly crafted as anyone could have expected.

It takes off from the exact point where “An Awesome Wave” came to a close, with every aspect of the Alt-J still there. This is a far more introspective work, delving even further into the mysterious inner workings of the band’s minds.

“This is All Yours” builds from the mystic lulls of the first song “Intro.” Its Middle-

Eastern acoustics blended with the deep progression of bass sets the tone for their new found maturity. “Every Other Freckle” sees the band at their most lyrically provocative and intimate as Joe Newman sings of his lustful pining for the human touch. Their single “Left Hand Free” is a high point, which brings back some of their of old tricks with high energy vocals and drums, while the Miley Cyrus sampling “Hunger of the Pine” intrigues and captivates in its slow build. “Lovely Day” completes the album with a sense of unity and solace. The songs relaxing melody along with the descending harmonies provide the missing piece of the album. This is a band that does everything with the utmost precision giving every minuscule part of their music massive importance to the end result. This Is All Yours embodies Alt-J taking their distinct sound by adding and subtracting elements of sound to make something familiar yet beautifully innovative.

Alt-J’s new album is great if you like bands like The black Keys or Bombay Bicycle Club. They have such a great deep sound becausethey aren’t afraid to use dark elements in there music in terms of tone.

-Sharon Kim, Sophmore

Their attention to detail and love for their fans will guarantee a wonderful show experience. The show will most likely be centered on their new indie electronic flare with touches of some oldies for the loyal fans. Their sophomore album, This is All Yours, is out now and a great addition to any indie music lover’s collection.

The Serotones speak before their Bitter End show TAYLOR GORRUSO Contributor The Pace Press had the pleasure of interviewing The Serotones, an emerging band in NY, on Oct. 11 before their performance at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, NYC. The Serotones consist of April Rose Gabrielli (Vocals/ Keys), Jared Gabrielli (Drums), Kevin Eiserman (Vocals/Guitar), Matt Cusano (Bass), and James Humphreys (Lead Guitar). Together they fuse funk, jazz, and rock to create a high energy and feelgood sound for anyone to enjoy. Along will their solid harmonies, catchy hooks, and killer drum beats, The Serotones all have a fresh style and individual flare that shines on stage. Their songs incorporate the cycles of love, liberation, and rebellion in an exciting fashion that is significant to teenage self-discovery.

The Pace Press: Where did you all meet and how did this band form?

Kevin Eiserman: In high school.

(Laughter) Jared Gabrielli: Yea it was a long time project. Kevin and I met four years ago after a talent show one time and we were like ‘You play music and I play music.

Let’s play music together.’ So eventually it kept evolving and then we spotted Matt since we needed a bassist because it was only a guitar and drum act at the time. So he came in and added a lot of musicality to the band you know and we realized we needed another singer to add

harmonies, so April came in. And then we needed another guitar player so we found James and James is definitely the special one because we were altogether as a band for a while and to find someone with the personality and the musicality of James is very rare.

April Rose Gabrielli: Yea and we all graduated high school in 2011 and Jared is two years younger than all of us.

TPP: How did you guys come up with the name The Serotones?

KE: We were sitting down and thinking of names of older bands me and Jared were involved with since we were in a couple of other bands. I think I was taking psychology at the time and I heard serotonin and I was like ‘that’s kinda cool’. I thought I was going to be really clever and I decided ‘Serotones’ and I don’t think you guys really liked it that much.

Matt Cusano: No. KE: Matt hated it, uh and we kind of just went with it. Everybody likes it now so it just became a thing.

AG: We kind of worked it into the fact that people will say that the music is like “feel good.” Serotonin is that.

JG: It’s emotionally stimulating.

AG: Yes it’s emotionally stimulating. It fires off when you’re feeling good things including something musically so it kinda just worked.

TPP: What are some of your musical influences?

Jared: My major musical influence has to be Muse. They just kind of always struck the emotional chord in me. They would play the music and would pull the emotion out of me and that’s what I want to do with my music. That’s pretty much it, I always have roots of Jazz and Funk that’s really where we hear a lot of that stuff in our music. I always like the boogie rhythm and the backbeat so stuff like that and dance music. Dance music of the 70s and the 80s I like that stuff a lot.

AG: My musical influences are older.

I like Regina Spektor as like a singer/ song writer. I also love Muse. I like the Deer Hunters as well kind of more of like an Indie band, but I like a little bit of everything.

MC: My major influences are a lot of classic rock music and I’m into a lot of more new indie rock. The Deer Hunters obviously and lot of other new Indie music KE: I think a lot of my influences stem from bands that are like The Mars Volta, things that are pretty crazy like that, but then also I like to go back to bands like The Beatles that are standards as inspiration.

James Humphreys: I like Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon, and The Black Keys. I also really like The Deer Hunters.

The Serotones blew the roof of The Bitter End. Each band member fed off the other’s energy, which created an engaging and entertaining experience

for the audience. Front man, Kevin Eiserman, mesmerized the crowd with his charm and poise. He captured the true essence of rock and roll with his rendition of “Psycho Killer” by Queen.

The chorus was absolutely wicked and captivated the crowd lyric after lyric.

His chemistry with, front woman, April Gabrielli was easily seen throughout the performance. Together they delivered with such vibrancy and balanced each other completely. April enchanted the audience with her angelic harmonies and remarkable pitch control, especially in their song “Silver”. Her voice brought the bittersweet lyrics and heavy tone of the song to a beautiful calm. Jared Gabrielli was increasingly impressive on drums as he showed such notable skill being the youngest member. Matt Cusano and James Humphreys were the pieces that kept the vibe of the band intact providing stability and depth of sound.

Overall they delivered great music with a passion. The show was a success from start to end and they were given a much-deserved standing ovation. It’s commendable how enthusiastic they are about their music and the performances they put out. The Serotones are on the rise and are producing music that will continue to impress. Check out their EP coming out on Nov. 18 and their music video for “Silver” on Oct. 28. You will be seeing a lot more from this young and talented band.

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Nightlife review: Angel’s Share speakeasy NIK BHARAT Contributor Tucked behind an unmarked door in an Astor Place Chinese restaurant is a rare find named Angel’s Share. A no frills speakeasy bar (you wont be walking through a corny phone booth here), service is snappy and the Asian themed mixology bar will blow your mind. While the food selection is small, it’s clean and well executed. You’d do well to head early and sit by the window for the best experience.

But the real stars are the drinks—don’t let the word “cocktail” throw you off. This isn’t a place for glorified long island ice teas; these are serious people, and the drinks aren’t kidding around either. Most of them are a mixture of multiple hard spirits and bitters. What Angel’s Share lacks in frills it makes up with a bit of a dramatic flair when it comes to drinks.

The “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” for instance, is brought out in a glass that’s actually been “smoked” with some spices. The taste of whiskey with smoky apple and cinnamon aromas mingle well in this standout concoction.

For a little less drama, get the Vieux Carre, which will make you feel like you’re on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Groups of no bigger than four are welcome here, so maybe bring a date, as the light music and it’s properly-lit bar (I’m looking at you, Death and Co.) makes for an awesome ambience. Pro tip: If you want to avoid waiting to get in, head down early on a weekday.

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Apple continues to impress, minus Jobs

Former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, the current CEO of Apple

GEORGE-ANN RYAN Contributor When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he brought with him a sense of vision and perfection that spawned many devices from the first iMac all the way to the iPad. However, after his death, Apple found new direction with CEO Tim Cook. Having previously served as acting CEO of Apple when Jobs began medical leave in January 2011, Cook became CEO in August of that year.

Facing incredible shoes to fill, many argue that Cook has not risen to the occasion, but Apple was never going to keep the Steve Jobs essence after he was gone. It was impossible for the company.

With new leadership comes a breath of fresh air and new surroundings. However, some analysts and interested parties have concluded that ever since the iPhone revolutionized the smartphone market in 2007 and the iPad changed the market for portable computing in 2010, Apple has yet to innovate and bring forth a product that revolutionizes the technology market once more. They have been accused of failing to innovate and just updating existing phones, keeping the mantra of “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

They have been late to the “bigger screen” game, late in integrating NFC and have focused on the thinness of the phone rather than battery size (which is a common complaint iPhone users have). They have also been plagued by update bugs such as the iOS6 update’s “Maps-gate” and the iOS7 update divided the masses like marmite.

Despite the critiques, Apple shares have near doubled since 2011 and demand for the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have exceeded all records, pushing past four million pre-orders by September 15th.

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Apple has been able to garner a loyal fan base and pick up new consumers along the way. According to financial data releases, the post-Jobs Apple is more profitable than ever before with higher sales and stock values. Gross income is at $63.8 Billion in 2013 versus just $16.85 Billion in 2009. However, it has to fight for it’s market share as other operating systems such as Linux and Android users continue to grow. According to Forbes, the market share Apple held in 2013 with it’s cellular phones running iOS is at 43% and cellular phones running Android have eclipsed Apple’s market share now owning 51% of the market share.

It wasn’t always like this. Apple was once the underdog.

It’s first generation iPhone created the smartphone market with it’s touch screen technology and began to creep up on the then phone giant, Blackberry.

Year by year, Apple’s iOS increased market share until Android gave them a taste of their own medicine and went from less than 10% to 47% between 2008 to 2011. However in 2012 and 2013, Apple fought back with it’s iPhone 5 and 5s models despite having a lesser market share by operating system.

Apple has a new giant to fight in Android, but it is in no way backing off. Samsung is releasing bigger phones and new gimmicks and gizmos such as curved screens and heart rate monitors whereas Apple is still keeping it relatively simple and seems to be only integrating the features that are proved to have an established demand.

They each fill a specific demand and fulfill specific wants for every type of user. The post-Jobs Apple is in no danger of going bust.

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CBS and HBO offer standalone online streaming Shift to online may pose threat to cable giants

ARIZE LEE Contributor HBO and CBS will offer live streaming to customers over the Internet bypass cable and satellite providers and offer subscribers a specialized television experience for less. Richard Plepler, Chairman and CEO of HBO announced: “in 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, overthe-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners. All in, there are 80 million homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them.”

Jim Lanzone, President and CEO of CBS Interactive said, “Our focus is to develop the best cross-platform video experience possible. We want our audiences to be able to watch CBS’s industry-leading content live and on demand whenever and wherever they want.”

CBS All Access will cost $5.99 a month, while HBO’s subscription is expected to be about $15. These initiatives allow customers to pay only for channels they want to watch.Original HBO series, like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and True Blood, have huge fan bases so the service could be profitable.

Senior Stacy Lin is interested in the offer. “I don’t watch anything else besides Modern Family,” she said.

“I don’t have much time for television.”

If ABC were to offer an online subscription, Lin says she would prefer it over traditional TV. Unsurprisingly, the move is not readily accepted by cable-TV providers. CEO of Comcast NBCUniversal, Stephen Burked was “surprised” by both channel companies.

“I was surprised because they have been such a defender of retransmission consent in the traditional ecosystem and been so successful in the broadcast

business and HBO, because I think it’s going to be such a challenge for them to not cannibalize what is already a really good business,” he said. Burked’s concern about cannibalization refers to HBO watchers dropping the channel on their cable-TV plans to subscribe to it online.

The action would wound the providers, because premiere TV bundles that rely on channels like HBO to attract customers could lose subscribers and reduce company profits.However, some cable-TV providers also supply Internet access and they may spike Internet prices in reaction to the shift to online streaming. Amidst all the buzz, the actual success of the operation remains in question. Burke explained, “I don’t think distributing directly to consumers by the Internet is an easy thing to do and I think it’s a voyage that if you are successful like Netflix can be a way to create a lot of value but it’s not an easy thing to do.”

The move may not appeal to individuals with varied tastes in TV programs. People interested in Scandal, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who and American Horror Story would need four separate channels subscriptions, ranging from about $6-$20. In such a case, an $80 cable TV subscription could prove to be the best option.

Sophomore Maggie Vaughn is a regular Netflix user and accustomed to having “about 1,000 channels” at home.

“I rather have cable and all channels or nothing,” Vaughn said. Live streaming on individual channels is too problematic, compared to Netflix and cable surfing.

Yet Netflix users are disgruntled by their exclusion from social media hype during an intense episode. Their feeds become filled with spoilers and discussions they cannot engage in. HBO and CBS online subscriptions offer a solution to their problem. The initiative could hint at a future where television is completely computerized.

The Stats: • CBS All Access $5.99/Month • HBO’s Online Subscription $15/Month

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November 5, 2014

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University students share housing stories, preferences

Aerial view of Maria’s Tower

www.pace.edu ARIZE LEE Contributor

The new school year brings many new experiences to University freshmen. Amidst making friends, tackling challenging courses and navigating the confusing college halls, they must also adjust to dorm life.

Freshman Amber Shaw, resident of Maria Tower’s 8th floor, rates her dorm experience as a “seven to eight out of 10.” She especially likes the private bathrooms and gets along with her roommate. However, the WiFi displeases her. “You can only be on your laptop or your phone, [otherwise] something’s going to go out,” said Shaw.

Contrary to the norm, Shaw found her residence sufficiently spacious. In regards to the kitchen, “I haven’t used it but I know I’ll like it when I do,” she noted. In terms of the Brooklyn residence, Shaw believes that the social atmosphere at St. George appears fun and friendly. The lounge normally has “tons of people [enjoying] the huge couch, big screen TV and watching football games,” Shaw said.Shaw’s only preference was for “St. George to have more University freshman”. The upperclassmen living at St. George makes her feel slightly out of place.

Shaw also wondered “Why can’t my laundry be included with everything else?” The extra expense of laundry and transportation to Manhattan classes was particularly dissatisfactory to her. She has no plans to move elsewhere. “I visited a friend at Maria’s tower [and] the room felt a little clustered,” said Shaw. What Shaw loves most about St. George is the view; according to her, “it’s an amazing view from Brooklyn into Manhattan.”

On the opposite end of the Brooklyn Bridge, Freshman Alex Laughein dorms on the

The Hotel St. George, Brooklyn Heights

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13th floor of Maria’s Tower. “Seven out of 10” was Laughein’s rating for Maria’s Tower.

Laughein also said that her random roommate arrangement “worked out really well.”

On the other hand, she had to get accustom to the communal bathroom. “The showers are dirty a lot,” Laughein mentioned. Although they are cleaned every morning, she still wishes “they were cleaned a little better.”

“The air the first two weeks was awful,” said Laughein, recalling her discomfort of the initial humidity. The situation has improved however and Laughein found it “nice that you have your own controller” for heating. Laughein likes the kitchen but hopes that it’s venting is improved. She recalls that when, “someone sautéed onions and we had to evacuate the building for an hour. It was 10:30 at night and I was doing homework. It was annoying.”

In spite of these complaints, Laughein “loves” socializing at Maria’s Tower. “You can go [to the lounge] and hang out, everyone knows each other and about each other.”

Sometimes she wishes her Resident Assistant (RA) would better address the nosiness but only at late hours in the night. “[Overall] I like it a lot more than I thought I would,” Laughein remarked.

Laughein feels that the price “is very reasonable for where they are,” and the independence of dorm life is a distinctly appealing. University dorms need some improvements but are for the most part enjoyable. The freshmen have moved into their new homes comfortably and are ready to focus on achieving their degree.

Amber Shaw believes that, “If you don’t dorm, you’re not getting the full college experience. I live an hour away and I still dorm.”

Resident advisors give their perspective on the job ASIA LETLOW Contributor The position of an Resident Assistant is very demanding, but rewarding. RAs keep track of their floor, making sure that everything is running smoothly and without conflict. They hold meetings in effort to unify students and alert them of changes and their respective responsibilities as part of the school community.

“I love what I do, because I love helping people. It’s so much fun but you have to be very dedicated to your work,” stated RA Zaina Aitbenbella of floor 14 in John Street.

Some of their activities thus far included walks on the Brooklyn bridge, cereal socials, games, and intramural sports.

Being an RA isn’t like wearing a hat you can put on and then take off at a moment’s notice. It is an ongoing position that requires maturity, and levelheadedness. R.A’s are held to higher standards, therefore they cannot act like their peers. “Just because you leave the building, doesn’t mean you’re not still an RA,” said R.A. Saidi Burgos of floor 3.

Even before one applies for the position, they must be in the mindset, as it is a very difficult job that definitely isn’t always easy.

Many students, especially freshmen, rely on RAs to ensure that their first year at the University is fruitful, socially and academically. They are there to offer advice and resolve conflict between roommates, along with many other responsibilities.

Given the amount of care RAs take for the students of their floor, a close bond is

I love what I do, because I love helping people.

-ZAINA AITBENBELLA,

Resident Advisor, 14th Floor, John Street

formed. In some cases, this inspires students to consider applying for the position.

“There is a sense of becoming more assertive and not second guessing your actions,” said R.A. Nora Shvartsberg of floor 16.

It is very important that RAs uphold a clean image on social media, as it is a portrayal of how they act in a non-occupational light, which is very important even when they are not working.

Although there are no legitimate rules regarding what RAs can and cannot post, they use their best judgment to make sure they present themselves in a positive light. “Don’t post things you don’t want Housing to see, “ noted Tyler Burt, of floor 15. Befriending students on the floor on social media sites is an action taken at their own discretion; RAs don’t add students; generally, it is the other way around. Students follow the RAs, but the RAs don’t follow back, for safety and authoritative reasons; students cannot simply view them as equals.

All are looking forward to gaining leadership skills from their positions as RAs, and anticipating what will come for the future for both themselves and the students.

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November 5, 2014

University students gear up for the winter MELISSA VARGAS News Editor Winter allows for the excuse of getting a new wardrobe, but as a college student it can be hard to splurge on a new wardrobe. One very important thing to keep in mind is that many pieces of clothing from the summer can be transitioned into fall and winter wardrobes. One example is throwing a sweater over a summer dress.

Pairing it up with a nice pair of boots will instantly give for a fashionable winter outfit.

There are, however, some pieces that sometimes one just must invest in.

If your budget only allows you to indulge on one or two things, spending lavishly on a great pair of winter boots is definitely the way to go. Stores like Steve Madden, DSW and Macy’s will be a little on the pricier side, but the good news is that these stores are always having a sale here and there. Steve Madden has a great selection of very fashionable winter boots. The best boots for a winter in NYC are those that have a lining for warmth, and a rubber sole that keeps one from slipping in the snow.

Senior Marielle Torres said, “ My winter must haves are scarves and leather combat boots. I like to have a variety of scarves to choose from because they can add a pop of color to any outfit. They are fashionable but also keep me

LucielleRoberts.com

clairebrown.com

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warm. I find the best deals at TJ Maxx and Marshalls for my winter clothing.” These stores are also great when it comes to sales.

When purchasing items like long sleeve shirts, sweaters and cardigans, it is not necessary to spend lots.

Layering can be an easy and efficient way to keep warm. Sometimes lugging around a heavy jacket can be annoying and inconvenient, especially when commuting to and from the University. Many have felt the uncomfortable feeling of walking into the school with a heavy jacket only to start to sweat as soon as taking that first step into the school. When layering, starting off with a soft tank top to keep comfortable is best. Add a long sleeve shirt on top of that and then add a sweater and a scarf. This way when inside it is easy to strip away from these layers.

Given the strong winter NYC encountered last year some students are willing to pack on to stay warm. “After last winter here in the city, I am definitely more prepared to bundle up this winter, I used to hate wearing heavy jackets, scarves and hats but I learned that you can still be fashion I learned that you can forward while staying warm,” said Senior still be fashion forward Marisch Perrera.

Skin care routine change is often times while staying warm. something that is neglected. The same routine used in the summer won’t necessarily work -Marisch Perrera its best during the cold winter month. During the summer the skin tends to get a nice healthy Senior Communications Major glow from all of the Vitamin D coming from the sun. Winter tends to dull the skin since there aren’t many outside activities to enjoy.

Keeping a good moisturizer and using it up to two times a day is crucial to keep the skin nice and hydrated. A drugstore favorite is Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer that even has an SPF 15 to protect the skin from the sun. Tinted moisturizers are also a great way to keep the skin moisturized and even out the skin tone at the same time.

When it comes to make up, staying away from heavy and dry formulas is very important. Tinted moisturizers are also a great way to keep the skin moisturized and even out skin tone at the same time. They provide a light, comfortable coverage. For something with a heavier coverage the best alternative is Loreal’s True Match Healthy Luminous Make up.

This foundation also includes the SPF 15. The texture of this foundation is very liquidy and helps give the skin that healthy glow. Wearing blush in the winter is also a great way to stay away from dull looking skin. Carrying a good chapstick is a must during the colder days. Carmex Soothing Lip Balm has been a favorite for a long time and it is available at any drugstore.

Whether trying to stay fashionable and warm or keeping the skin looking its best throughout winter it is definitely important to take out time to acknowledge one’s needs. Winter catches University students right in the middle of the semester where things tend to be more hectic with midterm exams. Being prepared with a good winter wardrobe and efficient skin care routine will help one survive winter with ease.