Volume 67, Issue 5

November 20, 2015

Est. 1948

Volume 67 | Issue 1

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INSIDE @thepacepress

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NEWS

ARTS

FEATURES

Snowden

Poets@Pace share their inspiring works

PopTV screens their first feature film for the masses.

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NEWS

November 20, 2015

Exxon Mobil and Volkswagen investigated

The damage caused by the Exxon Valdez oil spill

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Government cracks down on oil and car companies for environmental crimes CHASE BALLAS News Editor The Attorney General of New York, Eric Schneiderman, has officially begun an investigation regarding the climate research and investments conducted by Exxon Mobil.

The claim against the oil company regards them funding groups performing research to deny climate change, while their own, in-house team of scientists contradicted their beliefs.

More importantly, if this investigation proves true, it has the possibility of weakening, or completely destroying, the anti-climate change lobbyist coalition in the federal government.

Before the investigation, Exxon Mobil inadvertently kick started a new era of environmental protection and reform. In 1989, its Exxon Valdez oil tanker gained notoriety after spilling 11 to 38 million gallons of crude oil into Bligh Reef in Alaska, influencing new legislation and movements to limit or ban offshore drilling and water pollution, notably the Oil Pollution Act, which Exxon unsuccessfully protested against. The current investigation includes a subpoena that orders the company to release financial information and internal communication within the heads of the company from as far back as 1977. These records could hold the company liable with withholding information to shareholders, and risking public safety and racketeering and fraud, if proven that their manipulated records has influenced public opinion on the matter of climate change. The Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, which is aligned with the Roman Catholic Church and owns important shares of Exxon Mobil stock, has urged the company to take action against their greenhouse emission and morally contribute to the stop of climate change, influenced by Laudato si’, the encyclical by Pope Francis that calls for action to stop environmental degradation.

The investigation has found support in many prominent political figures.

Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders, a longtime supporter of sustainable government, criticized Exxon Mobil’s action. “It appears that Exxon knew its product was causing harm to the public, and spent millions of dollars to obfuscate the facts in the public discourse,” Sanders commented. “The information that has come to light about Exxon’s past activities raises potentially serious concerns that should be investigated.” Sanders is supported by other Democratic figures, including his presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton, and iconic environmental figure, Al Gore. Current chief Exxon executive, Rex Tillerson, has been on record saying at a stockholders meeting, “What good is it to save the planet if humanity suffers?”

However, Exxon Mobil is not the only company in mist of scandal. Since mid-September,

the Volkswagen Group has been involved in a major investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency for violating the Clean Air Act. The manufacturer programed their vehicles only to pass nitrogen oxide emission tests during evaluation, not during actual driving by everyday people, causing 10 to 40 times more pollution than permitted. The company later admitted to cheating on emission tests, and is stated to be cooperating in the EPA investigation, offering a Nov. 30 deadline for non-managerial workers to come forward with information regarding the scandal without the possibility of being fired.

The Exxon Mobil and Volkswagen cases could potentially lead to federal investigation of all oil and car companies that had funded anti-environmental actions, depending on what is discovered. Lobbyist organizations, such as the now-defunct Global Climate Coalition and the omnipresent American Legislative Exchange Council, have been known to protest against federal environmental mandates. Prosecutors could decide to investigate these groups to see if there are any discrepancies between claims made by these groups and the companies that support them. It has also become clear that it is American oil companies who still protest better emission testing. Dr. Melanie DuPuis, chair of the Environmental Studies and Science Department at the University, noted that, “Governments have put a lot of effort and resources into negotiating lower global trade barriers. I wish they made the same spirit of cooperation when they negotiated global environmental problems. “ She was also critcal of lobbyist influence, saying that, “...We will need to depend on government. But with Citizen’s United [another lobbyist organization] in place, it will be hard to get an elected government that will protect the environment, rather than handing it to business on a silver platter.”

In October, ten of the major oil companies, all European, joined in the United Nations’ goals of limiting emissions and prevent climate change, wlcoming new emission standards and policies. Dr. DuPuis, however, is skepticalof the companies’s involvement, “I cannot think of an example of a company that went from being a major polluter of the environment to becoming its main protector.

The closest might be the lumber companies, whose owners eventually realized they would run out of trees if they did not implement reforestation policies.”

Dr. DuPuis ended with a very important, yet understated, fact that is not commonplace enough in neither American, nor global, society, “We cannot afford any more to let these companies complete their scorching of the Earth before we step in. There is too much to lose.”

NEWS

November 20, 2015

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Bernie’s new “cash crop” JESSICA KOVAC Contributor To legalize, or not to legalize. That is the question. of money that could be used for programs such as education, Bernie Sanders has his answer. On Nov. 5 the senator environmental protection and healthcare. Amani introduced legislation that would lift the federal Owusu, a junior at the University, agrees, “If ban on marijuana. As of now, 23 states and the the government implemented a tax, it would District of Columbia have voted to legalize the do wonders for our economy.” Sanders use of the drug. Sanders’s bill would not supports this as well, emphasizing the interfere with these rulings. The purpose importance of utilizing the banking of enacting the law would be to make system to work with marijuana sure no other states would face hurdles related business. Even though in authorizing the same legislation. some states have moved forward Marijuana is currently listed and legalized the drug, banks as a Schedule I drug, meaning are still hesitant to work with it is considered one of the most these businesses. This prevents dangerous substances, has no states from receiving the accepted medical use and has a full benefits of legalization. high potential for personal abuse, Many still continue to according to the Drug Enforcement hesitate when it comes to Agency. Other drugs in this category Sanders’ proposal.

He has are heroin, LSD and ecstasy. come out with a bold declaration Listing the drug as Schedule on the issue, while his opponent, I has made this an issue of criminal Hillary Clinton, insists more reform. Prisons are overcrowded for research is needed before making nonviolent offenses, and 48% of all a final decision. Melanie Guptar, a federal inmates are in jail for drug related junior at the University feels, “He’s offenses. These statistics are so high that just trying to appeal to young voters. most of our tax money ends up funding prisons I think he knows nobody over the age of versus treatment and education. Sanders argues 25 will vote for him so he continues to talk that his proposal would steer the money towards about free college and legalizing drugs.” The more productive uses such as health based approaches. large millennial backing behind Sanders is no secret. mycariboonow.com Sanders also points out the proven health benefits of He is a staunch Democratic Socialist who is not afraid to medical marijuana. In 2001, he co-sponsored the States’ Right to speak his mind, regardless of the “political way.” His platform is Medical Marijuana Act, which would have changed the status to a Schedule II drug thriving on the fact that he is moving forward regardless of the “right” way to for its medical advantages. The drug treats disorders such as epileptic seizures, do things in Washington. People like Sanders because he is the voice of the people. His and aids in relieving pain for diseases such as lupus, and can alleviate anxiety. policies are easy to understand and seem to move beyond the back doors of politics.

Lifting the federal ban on marijuana would mean that states would have control The topic of marijuana legalization, then, is center to his campaign. It is something for over the decision. Marijuana would be regulated the same way as tobacco and alcohol. a lot of people, particularly millennials, feel is crucial to the success of our economy.

Advocates of legalization argue that a state tax on the drug would bring in a large amount

Doctors Without Borders v. the federal government SARAH HARTZELL Arts Editor After a Doctors without Borders hospital was bombed in Kunduz, Afghanistan, in October, the nonprofi, also called Médecins Sans Frontières, is challenging the Pentagon’s report that the attack was accidental. The hours-long airstrike conducted by the United States killed 30 patients and hospital staff. Hospitals are protected from military attacks under the rules of war established by the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations General Assembly.

Several days after the Oct. 3 attack, President Obama issued an apology to MSF, while the Pentagon and the military released reports calling the incident “a mistake” and claiming that “several innocent civilians were accidentally struck” during the airstrike. MSF released its own report on Nov. 5, giving an in depth description of events before, during, and immediately after the night of the attack.

“Patients burned in their beds, medical staff were decapitated and lost limbs, and others were shot by the circling AC-130 gunship while fleeing the burning building,” the document states. “What we know is that we were running a hospital treating patients, including wounded combatants from both sides – this was not a ‘Taliban base.’”

At the time of the airstrike, there were 105 patients in the hospital, including 20 wounded Taliban and several wounded Afghan soldiers. The Intensive Care Unit was the first wing to be struck, killing staff and the immobile patients, who were burned in their beds. Doctors and staff report being shot at while trying to flee the building.

MSF implies in its report that this was not an accident.

“A series of multiple, precise and sustained airstrikes targeted the main hospital building, leaving the rest of the buildings in the MSF compound comparatively untouched,” the report says. “This specific building of the hospital correlates exactly with the GPS coordinates provided to the parties to the conflict (GPS coordinates were taken directly in front of the main hospital building that was hit in the airstrikes).”

Two days before the strike, MSF reaffirmed its GPS coordinates with US and Afghan departments of defense, after a conflict between Taliban soldiers and Afghan forces brought an influx of patients to the hospital. A US government official later asked MSF if there were Taliban soldiers “holed up” in the hospital, to which MSF replied that Taliban combatants had been among the casualties. Two MSF flags were placed on top of the main building that evening.

The attack lasted approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, from 2:00 am to 3:15 am local time. An MSF phone log shows 18 entries of staff attempting to make phone calls and send text messages to contact US and Afghan security forces in regards to the attack between 2:19 am and 3:18 am.

The MSF report says that an investigation into the military forces involved is necessary to determine if the strikes were intentional and if the rules of war regarding hospitals are being upheld. “What we demand is simple: a functioning hospital caring for patients, such as the one in Kunduz, cannot simply lose its protection and be attacked; wounded combatants are patients and must be free from attack and treated without discrimination; medical staff should never be punished or attacked for providing treatment to wounded combatants,” the report says.

On Oct. 7, MSF requested an official investigation by the International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission. IHFFC has made itself available for the investigation, but US and Afghan governments have not yet consented to an investigation. MSF says that cooperating with an investigation is “a critical step in demonstrating a commitment to the Geneva Conventions.”

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NEWS

November 20, 2015

European Union seeks protection for Snowden Whistleblower lays low as Americans still debate over his actions BRIANA BIRKS Contributor

The Edward Snowden story is one of the most intriguing of recent history. It is great competition to any John le Carre novel. But unlike a novel in which the characters fates are sealed by the author, the question of what Snowden is or is not is left for you decide.

Whatever your viewpoint, there is no question that Snowden has had a major impact on modern political discourse. It is hard to be neutral.

Snowden was a junior employee of Booz Allen, a National Security Agency contractor, and was based in Hawaii. In June of 2013, he abruptly quit his job, and leaked thousands of highly secret documents to reporters from the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper.

These documents were detailed records of the NSA’s spying program that monitored both American and non-American citizens, and had records of domestic and international conversations. At the time of the initial leak, most Americans were vaguely aware of the agency’s monitoring programs, but few knew how deep and extensive they were.

After the initial leak, which comprises only a tiny fraction of what Snowden was allegedly able to obtain, Snowden flew to Hong Kong, China, where continuing media interviews took place. The United States, at the time, pressured the government of China to turn Snowden over, but they refused, saying that sufficient grounds for extradition has not been established.

Snowden flew to Moscow, Russia, with intent of flying to one of the Latin American countries who had granted him asylum (Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua or Bolivia), or possibly even to Cuba.

But, those were all unrealized plans. Snowden spent a month in the transit area of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, at a transit hotel outfitted with little more than a bed, sink and shower. Eventually, the Russian Federation agreed to give Snowden temporary asylum for up to three years, where he remains to this day. None of the four countries who agreed to give Snowden asylum have direct flights from Moscow, so Snowden would have to change planes in the United States or Canada, where he would, no doubt, be arrested. For the right reasons or the wrong ones, he is literally a man without a country.

Snowden’s fight for freedom continues, as the European Parliament has urged the European Union to grant him asylum, recognizing his role as a whistleblower with the ultimate intent to protect international human rights. Recently, the European Parliament voted 285281 to express their support for asylum for Snowden.

However, it has no force of law and is only a symbolic expression of support. The close vote reflects the concerns over the relationship with the United States.

Defending him from prosecution is currently a long and involved process of negotiations among each of the European governments, who

have yet to come to an agreement. The struggle stems from the uncertainty of future relations with the United States.

Still, the National Security Council has not changed their decision in regards to the actions that will be taken against him if he ever sets foot on American soil again.

Despite that, on Oct. 29, Snowden optimistically expressed on his Twitter account that, “This is not a blow against the US Government, but an open hand extended by friends. It is a chance to move forward.” Perhaps with a little more cooperation from the EU, he could finally steer clear of the troubles that await him in the United States.

Wolfgang Kaleck, Snowden’s lawyer in Berlin, Germany, is strongly urging the EU to take action on the matter and grant him asylum, recognizing him as a human rights defender.

The Snowden incident has been very divisive.

Some think that Snowden is a spy and traitor who should be prosecuted as such. Maybe his motives were noble but his actions were clearly illegal and should be prosecuted as such. Vigilante justice has no place in the United States, especially in the federal government.

We cannot tell other countries, like China, that we object to their hacking when we do it ourselves.

-David P. Benjamin,

Computer Sciences Professor But others think that Snowden is a true hero. The NSA was spying on its own citizens, gathering and compiling data. Snowden was not spying on anyone and he was not a spy for anyone.

He clearly believed a greater good required the wrongdoing he committed.

After all is said and done, we as a people are going to have to decide if there is, or not, a right. “Even though Edward Snowden is responsible for the security breach in the United States, Mr. Snowden is also responsible for opening up American citizens’ perception of their own privacy and the lack of freedom in the United States today,” said Amna Khawaja, a 2014 graduate of the University. “He is a symbolic figure who stood up for the civil liberties of Americans. You can call him a traitor if want, but the proper term would be an informative traitor.”

We all still get to decide if Snowden was a patriot or a traitor or both. There can be no denying that he was brave.

But, the proverbial Pandora’s Box has been opened. Perhaps we should stop deciding if Snowden was right or wrong, and start focusing on what we now know and what we want to do about it by having a very public debate on what kind of society we want to live in. Because if we don’t figure this out among ourselves and form a consensus and communicate it to our leaders, it is clear they will always decide for us. Unchecked, we may not recognize the world we wake up to in the years to come.

After all, technology is only going to soon do so much more. “I’m one of many people who are unwilling to sacrifice my privacy for increased security. The NSA is gathering massive amounts of data that are not relevant to known terrorists or their associates, and there is no good use for this data,”

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NEWS

November 20, 2015

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Paul Ryan assumes position of House Speaker JESSICA KOVAC Contributor We have a winner, and it is Paul Ryan, the 62nd Speaker of the House. After John Boehner publicly resigned from his seat last month, the Republican Party frantically started looking for a replacement. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader was the natural choice. His announcement to drop out of the race was thus met with a shocking response. Yet, he feels he made the smartest choice for the party. He said in an interview with CNN, “If we’re going to unite the party and be strong, we need a new face to do that.”

Indeed a new face is exactly what they got. Ryan is an idealistic, energetic man from Janesville, Wisconsin. He has been a Representative for the state since 1999, became the chairman in the House Ways and Means Committee in January 2015, and was the chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2011 to 2015. There were two key factors that went into this decision. First Ryan is a family man, having been married to Janna Ryan for 15 years and has three children, daughter Liza and sons Sam and Charlie. Kelly Venable, a senior from New York University vouches, “I don’t agree with his politics, but I have met him before. When he was in high school he worked on a family farm in the summers. He, as a person, seems nice enough.”

These “down home,” traditional values have earned him points amongst the conservative party. He is known as a man who puts family above all else and “has his priorities in order.” Consequently, this has made the right feel more trusting towards him. Ryan is known as a “policy nerd,” differing from Boehner’s past approach. On the Ways and Means Committee and as a Party Representative, he has gone further than most lawmakers in pushing through noteworthy legislation. One of his most well-known policies is a major tax break he pushed through for employer-provided health plans, making it harder for the wealthy to claim the hugely popular mortgage interest deduction.

Now, as Speaker, Ryan has even more authority to work with these issues he is so motivated about. People see this passion and see him as the man who could potentially unite a disconnected Republican Party. Marc Rinosa, a junior at the University, thinks that, “…him [Ryan] being speaker is a derivative of the position of the Republican Party right now, attempting to adjust to a lot of curveballs thrown at it.

It’s the best for the party in such a short period of time.” Initially, Ryan was hesitant about taking the job. He spoke out publicly in interviews about how this was a job he did not want, and in turn, took substantial time to think it over with his family.

When he finally did commit, he made it clear that this was going to be on his terms. He asked for various factions inside the House to back him, a blatant attempt to establish bipartisanship within a broken party. He said in an interview with CNN, “We have an obligation here in the people’s house to do the people’s business. We are going to respect the people by representing the people.”

Just one week has passed since Ryan has been named in his new role, and he is already hard at work. He has named tax reform as one his top priorities, not a surprise considering his past work as a Representative. Details include cutting individual and corporate tax rates in exchange for junking credits, deductions and other special provisions. He said in an interview with Politico, “Voters look at Washington and all they see is chaos— what a relief to them it would be if we finally would get our acts together. How reassuring it would be if we actually filed the tax code, put patients in charge of their health care, grew our economy, strengthen our military, lifted people out of poverty and paid down our

Paul Ryan being sworn in as Speaker of the House

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debt.” Yet the tax policy is bound to be met with controversy from special interest groups, as well as from Democrats, who have complained this plan is a giveaway to the wealthy.

Fortunately, negotiating a way through a deal is just another day on the job now for Ryan.

The immediate issue Ryan has been confronted with in his new role is the budget bill for government spending. Republicans are proposing a series of omnibus riders to include in the bill with a specific focus on Planned Parenthood.

This list of demands could result in a government shutdown.

Balancing Republicans, Democrats, and the budget seems like enough to handle right now. A piece of advice to the Speaker: you probably have enough on your plate.

China changes notorious one-child policy NOAM SCHULDENREIN Contributor After notoriously limiting couples to having only one child, China has finally made the decision to make some slight alterations.

The Chinese government announced a major change last Thursday, they are allowing couples to have two children. This decision was made partly due to China’s rapidly aging population and partly to help support the economy.

The one-child policy was introduced to China in 1979 to limit the national population growth, which was approaching a population size of one billion. The policy meant that many Chinese citizens, around a third, could not have a second child without it resulting in a fine. It has been estimated that the policy has prevented about 400 million births since its inception, but is highly debated. In time, more exceptions to the policy had been implemented. One of the exceptions was that in rural areas, parents were allowed to have two children on the condition that the first child born was a girl.

Other exceptions to this policy included being of an ethnic minority group, and couples that were both single children growing up. In 2013, the rules were further loosened so that couples where only one parent is a single

child can qualify for a second child. By 2007, China had claimed that only 36% of its citizens were limited to one child due to different changes in the policy.

Campaigners have said that the policy has had its repercussions, such as forced abortions, female infanticide, and the under-reporting of female births, since Chinese tradition favors having sons over daughters. This has led to a great gender imbalance.

Socioeconomically, the policy was enforced by providing different employment and financial incentives to the people who complied with the policy and fining those who violated it. Wealth placed a strong factor in the policy, as richer families that could afford paying fines were easily able to get around the restrictions imposed by the policy.

This policy is now being abandoned largely because experts have warned that China will be the first economy to grow old before it gets wealthy largely due to the one-child policy. It is predicted that by 2050, more than a quarter of the population will be over 65, which will slow down the economy as the pool of workers decreases and the ratio between taxpayers and pensioners continues to drop, since there are less young people to substitute those retiring.

“I don’t blame China for implementing the one child rule. You can see the effects of overpopulation

in India and it is one of the leading reasons why it is difficult for India to become a first world country.

The lifting of the rule is also understandable, but this is solely based on a rational view,” thought University junior Manan Raval, “Morally, I think it’s wrong for them to implement a one child rule, but you have to think of the country as a whole and what’s best for the country. That can lead to tough decisions, but China did what they had to do and I hope the one child policy never comes back.” This shows that, although the one-child policy might have been very suitable for the country at one point, conditions have changed and the government needs to adjust to the changing conditions. Sometimes, that involves altering policies, just like how they are altering the one-child policy.

“It is great to see countries in general, and China in this particular issue, start loosening their strict policies which probably made sense in the past but are not relevant in the modern world and give their citizens more civil rights,” said University junior Gleb Volkov. However, this change will not be implemented until March of 2016. Therefore, Chinese citizens are still required to abide by the original one-child policy until the law is officially changed.

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THE PACE PRESS

November 20, 2015

OPINION AND EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL BOARD Christian Gomez Editor Maximilliano Onofre Executive Editor Ashley Spencer Advertising Manager Chase Ballas News Editor Sarah Hartzell Arts Editor Natalie Carolina Condrillo Features Editor Deniah Cagara Graphic Design Traci Thomas Social Media

Words of solidarity

I wish to offer my condolences and deepest sympathy to the people of Paris and France during this dark time.

Dr. Stephanie Hsu Faculty Consultant

I feel for the victims. I feel for the world. I feel for everyone.

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.

Coming from a French Canadian heritage, my heart bleeds for Paris. It’s a city very close to my family’s hearts. The French are proud, brave people. The terror [Daesh] inflicted on them will not only make them stronger as a nation, and motivate all of us to stand together against these extremists.

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 New York, NY 10038 www.thepacepress.org editor@pacepress.org Copyright 2014

My heart and prayers go to those who were affected by what happened. Together we are strong and can get through this. Priéres pour Paris.

My sincere, heartfelt prayers to those who perished, their family and friends and anyone affected.

Unity is power.

Dealing with terrorism and disaster of this kind will continue to be an issue that affects us globally. My heart goes out to all the victims.

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

November 20, 2015

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World mourns lives lost over terrorist attacks Paris and Beirut fight to recover BRIANA BIRKS Contributor Paris, the city of light and one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions, suffered its worst attack since World War II last week, when terrorists made their way into six separate locations of the city, unfolding a plan that took the lives of many innocent people enjoying their Friday night out. These unfortunate incidents occurred on “Friday the Thirteenth”, a day associated with dire thoughts. Perhaps that is the reason why they chose this day, to create an unfortunate memory that will forever be etched in the history of Paris.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly referred to as ISIS, the well-known terrorist group, staged and planned carefully to execute these attacks. Planning took place behind the scenes, as they were able to use encrypted apps to plan their agenda, which made it more problematic for security experts to determine their motives.

The terrorists killed about 129 people, and left 352 injured and 99 in critical condition. Most, about 80 people, died in the well-known Bataclan Theater. The other killings took place in a few restaurants, and the famous Stade de France. The President of France, Francois Hollande, declared a state of emergency, the first since 1944. Hollande requested parliament to enact this for the next 3 months and increase funding for police.

President Hollande addressed “We are at war”, letting ISIS know that they will not tolerate their actions. “The terrorists want to erase everything: culture, youth, life, and also history and memory,” he said. It is apparent that France will not allow these attacks to bring its country in an influx of unwanted views.

Airstrikes were carried out on Sunday, as the French military dropped 20 bombs in the capital of Raqqa, Syria. The airstrikes will continue until the ISIS territory is annihilated. So far, seven of the attackers have been killed, but three are at large. The hunt will continue until they are captured.

The strong bond between the United States and France is enabling for precise actions that will hopefully lead to a resolution of this crisis. President Hollande and the Secretary of State, John Kerry, are working closely together in the fight against ISIS. France is also encouraging western allies to join in and assist in any way they can to defeat the terrorists.

Thousands of mourners around the world paid tribute to the victims who lost their lives. In France, a huge outpouring of support near the locations of the attacks offered a time of reflection and unity, bringing the French community together as a whole. A beautiful moment was shared by pianist Davide Martello at one of the locations of the attacks where he played a moving tribute of John Lennon’s “Imagine” to the victims.

The event serves as a reminder that it can happen anywhere and that we must be very vigilant in our surroundings. Dr. Joseph Ryan, chairperson of the Criminal Justice and Security Department at the University, encourages students to remain vigilant following this crisis, “I caution my students to think clearly about the complexities of living in a free world, and this is never more important than at moments like these. People are too quick to forget the need to preserve and honor our Constitution and the need to respect international human rights,” he commented.

“We all need to be critical thinkers when facing the complexities of the issues that spurred these horrific attacks, and unfortunately there are no easy answers. One simple goal that I give my students is to collect as much information as possible, analyze this data, and then hopefully arrive at a reasonable decision. Our students are the future policy makers who will help ensure that our liberties are preserved.”

Solidarity remains strong in France and its citizens will not allow this event to ruin the “joie de vivre” of Paris. French military are doing the best they can to ensure top safety and to assure those that they are safe and to keep living life to the fullest. Parisians are already expression their devotion to their country by hitting the local bars and restaurants in large numbers as a strong expression of their solidarity. France encourages tourists to keep visiting and to not allow this incident to brainwash them otherwise.

In addition to this unfortunate event, it is important to note another, equally tragic event that happened concurrently. Lebanon suffered a similar attack by terrorists, which killed 44 people and injured more than 200. It is the worst attack Beirut, the capital city, has seen in years. The media has overshadowed this incident, which is unjustifiable.

Dr. Emily Welty, a professor of Peace and Justice Studies at the University, speaks on this matter, encouraging us that we need to focus on the violence that is happening worldwide. “The horrifying terrorist attacks in both Lebanon and France this past week are a reminder of the need to concentrate our attention on the roots of violence worldwide. It is critical that we do not associate these attacks with Islam or use them as a justification for further violence against Muslims or any other faith,” she speaks out. “Religious extremism is never the way to understand people of faith. It is also critically important that further repressive measures should not be taken against refugees fleeing violence in their home countries. This is a moment for us to collectively pause, mourn and discern together what happens next. We must demonstrate our solidarity for all victims of violence while also rejecting violence in all its forms.”

As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” Perhaps through these tragic incidents we can learn to be supportive of others and understand that we all need each other in order to survive on this planet. It is important to put race and religion out of the collective consciousness and respect one another without using violence as a tool of solution.

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ARTS

November 20, 2015

Poets@Pace welcomes award-winning poets Aisha Sasha John and Lewis Warsh share their work with University students ASIA LETLOW Staff Writer On Monday, Nov. 2, the University held its Poets@Pace event, with an audience of approximately fifty attendees. Poets Aisha Sasha John and Lewis Warsh shared their latest pieces with the audience. University Poet In-Residence Charles North emceed the event, which was sponsored by the Office of the Provost. Of John’s poetry, he noted that she possessed a style that “struck me immediately as original,” citing that her work was similar in nature to that of a more seasoned artist.

John was the first poet to perform. She shared from her latest book “Thou,” starting with a poem titled “Rat Verses,” which she was inspired to write while on a residency in Morocco.

Subsequently read pieces included “Blood,” and “Strong Basic Love,” about her grandmother, who passed away in the previous year.

Prior to her performance, John expelled a droplet of water from her bottle to the carpet as a commemoration of her ancestors.

S u b s e q u e n t l y, Warsh shared pieces from his previous works, which centered mainly on places he has been and his multitude of experiences travelling worldwide. Warsh was also a former adjunct professor of English at the University, as noted by North.

John was born in Montreal and resides in Toronto. In addition to being a poet, she is also a dancer. Her most recent book, “Thou,” was nominated as a finalist for the Trillium Poetry Prize.

Founded in 1987 by Wilfried Vanderlest and known also as the Prix Trillium, the award is a book prize sponsored by the Government of Ontario and is administered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation. John has performed in a wide range of venues and countries; among them are Montreal, New York, Oakland, and in a few countries in Africa. Additionally, in 2013 John was a UNESCO-Aschberg laureate artist, which entailed her travelling to Morocco.

Warsh has published over 30 books of various genres, including fiction and autobiographical works. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fund for Poetry, and myriad other sources. He was a member of the Poetry Project since its fruition, and has co-edited for influential works such as Angel Hair, where he collaborated with Anne Waldman, a member of the Outrider poetry community. Currently, Warsh instructs Long Island University’s MFA creative writing program. He resides in and is a native of New York.

North, the moderator of the event,

has published over ten books of poetry. He graduated from Columbia University in 1964, receiving his MA in English and Comparative Literature. His primary work appeared in the New York Post. He has received two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts in Creative Writing, and the Individual Artist’s Grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, among several other notable awards.

The event concluded with a Q&A session with the poets, who were asked about common difficulties they experienced, and sources of Jacqueline Val encia inspiration for their writings. “My sense of ambition has always been a confusion,” John stated, when asked about her motivations for writing. A book signing followed the event, in conjunction with light refreshments.

The University community has benefitted from the inclusion of events like Poets@Pace because they provide a sense of inspiration and expose students and faculty alike to a multitude of creative media. “I think different people can get exposed to different types of poetry, and different types of people,” noted sophomore Erin Dilorio.

She continued, “I normally wouldn’t have gone to something like that if it hadn’t been available at [the University].” Dilorio is also enrolled in a creative writing course, and cites the event as an inspiration, acknowledging the difference in the form of both artists’ work. She also enjoyed the intimacy between the audience and the poets.

Sophomore Asanté Simons made note of John’s raw, contrasting narrative in comparison to other work she has been exposed to, which she deemed as “flowery, romantic language.” “[It’s] kind of abrasive in a certain way. People don’t really want to hear about [the nature of John’s experiences],” Simons said.

She also made note of the scarcity of writing-related events at the University. “You have all this stuff for arts and entertainment, but not enough for people who write,” she said.

With the inclusion of such events, the University certainly pays heed to all works of art and catering to several forms of artistic expression, Zack Garlitos inspiring its students.

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November 20, 2015

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Designer meets discount in Balmain x HM OLIVIA CLARK Contributor It is an exciting time in the fashion world.

Balmain x H&M was finally released on Nov. 5, after fans of the designer had been anxiously waiting since its announcement in May. H&M’s collaboration with Balmain offered the famous French designs to the public at a more affordable price. Items in the line range from $17.99 upwards to $649, depending on styles and items.

Balmain’s partnership on this collection with H&M is interesting in today’s fashion world since these brands come from very different ends of the fashion spectrum. Balmain is a luxury fashion house from Paris, currently headed by Olivier Rousteing, that has been dominating the fashion scene since the mid 1900s. Beloved by many of the best-dressed celebrities, Balmain is the epitome of high fashion, with prices at well over $1,000 for most of their items. This is why their collaboration with H&M is so significant to fashion lovers. H&M, a “fast fashion” brand, has prices ranging from $1.99 for a necklace to a pair of leather overalls at $399, their most expensive item. For many men and women, H&M is the place to shop for style staples.

“It’s just a good place to buy cheap, basic clothes,” says freshman Devin Bettis, an avid H&M shopper.

With stores at practically every corner in New York City, H&M is easily accessible and their low prices bring in plenty of customers. However, Balmain is a designer many people dream about owning. “Balmain x H&M is great because Balmain makes beautiful clothing that normal people can’t usually afford, so I’m sure this collection will do great,” explains fashion lover Chelsey Selamy, a freshman at the University.

H&M’s collection with Balmain is not the store’s first collaborative effort. The Swedish brand has been doing guest designer collaborations since 2004 when they released a limited edition collection with Karl Lagerfeld, the mastermind behind Chanel since 1983.

Over the last ten years, H&M has worked with the

Above: Crowds gather at H&M Paris Below: Shoppers camp out in London

Glamour

likes of Stella McCartney, Jimmy Choo and Lanvin, to bring high fashion at an affordable price. Last November, H&M teamed up with Alexander Wang to release a neoprene, athletic inspired line priced from $14.95 to $349. The day of the release, H&M’s website crashed within the first ten minutes of the sale due to eager fans trying to score designer deals.

Fashion lovers also camped out overnight outside H&M stores in order to be the first to get their hands on the collection. Alexander Wang x H&M sold out immediately, with several items ending up on eBay for double or triple their original price.

The demand for H&M’s collaboration with Balmain is equally as high. On eBay, people started selling items from the collection before it was even released, guaranteeing their customers would receive authentic Balmain clothing once the collection was available to the public. This is due to the high profile name of Balmain itself, but also because of this collaboration’s marketing. Items from the line were worn by celebrities as a preview leading up to the release. Everyone from Kylie Jenner to Alexa Chung wore the iconic Balmainstyle dresses to red carpet events to generate buzz.

The morning of Nov. 5, fans lined up at H&M stores all over the world with hopes of scoring a piece of the collection. “My dad got to the H&M in Seattle at 3am,” said freshman Juliana Martins. “He was at the front of the line.”

And just like last year’s Alexander Wang collection, fans again crashed H&M’s website but still managed to sell out the entire collection by 10:30am. Unfortunately, if you did not score any Balmain the day of the release, chances are that you are out of luck, unless you have an extra $1000 to spend on eBay. But fear not: due to the success of Balmain x H&M, and all their previous collections, it is highly likely H&M will collaborate with another high fashion designer for a new collection next fall. The only question is, who will it be?

ARTS

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November 20, 2015

Battle of the Heartthrobs

Justin Bieber’s comeback and One Direction’s valediction duke it out OLIVIA CLARK Contributor

Pho

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The past two years were pretty rough for Justin Bieber. He went from a tween idol to a teen delinquent before America’s eyes. However, with last week’s release of his fourth album, “Purpose,” 2015 is shaping into the year of the Biebs.

After a rocky 2013 and 2014, Bieber and his management team have put in a lot of effort to revamp his image in the hopes of promoting his new album, “Purpose,” which dropped Nov. 13. But there is stiff competition for the number one spot from One Direction, whose album, “Made in the A.M.” came out the same day. While Billboard’s official report of who snagged number one will be out later this week, many fans have been speculating Bieber will top the charts due to the marketing techniques leading up to the release of “Purpose.”

Let’s recap Bieber’s year, leading up to his latest album.

In February, Skrillex and Diplo released the song “Where Are Ü Now” under the name Jack Ü, which featured Bieber on vocals. The song reached #8 on the billboard charts, bringing Bieber back into the media in a positive light. The following month, Bieber appeared on Comedy Central for his roast, where he openly made fun of himself n b i e b er ) justi and apologized for his actions from the previous years. (@ r e As “Where Are Ü Now” continued to dominate itt w the radio, Bieber geared up to release his first single from his new album by having other artists and celebrities, including Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran, tease the title of the song, “What Do You Mean?” all over social media. The single was released on Aug. 28 and immediately topped the charts, becoming Bieber’s first song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It even earned him a Guinness World Record as the youngest male artist to score a #1 hit. On Sept. 3, during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Bieber announced his album would be released on Nov. 13. A month later, Bieber revealed the name of his upcoming album would be “Purpose,” which became available for preorder on iTunes on Oct. 22, along with the second single, “Sorry.” On Oct. 28, Bieber released the

tracklist for “Purpose” by Instagramming photographs of graffiti all over the world displaying titles of the songs, encouraging fans to find the murals in each city. New York City’s mural advertises “No Pressure”, which features Big Sean, and is located in East Williamsburg on Meadow Street. On Nov. 1, Bieber released the third single from “Purpose” called “I’ll Show You,” a toned down, personal ballad that features his new electronic sound.

“Purpose” boasts collabs with some of the biggest names in pop, including Ed Sheeran, Halsey, Big Sean, Skrillex and Diplo. “I’m so excited for the new album,” says freshman Claudia De La Cruz, who’s a fan of Bieber’s new music and collaborations with Diplo and Skrillex.

“His sound has evolved so much since ‘Baby.’”

University music professor Paul Guzzone agrees. “I think his fans who grew up with him will follow him and he will gain some new fans who appreciate mature artists,” explains Prof. Guzzone, indicating the possibility for even greater success than his previous albums.

However, Bieber still has some tough competition from the new One Direction album, “Made in the A.M.” The UK boyband has dominated the pop charts over the last few years, with all four of their previous records reaching #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Both Bieber and One Direction’s new albums are packed with 19 songs each, adding to the competition. The albums also came out just in time for the holiday season, which is, as Guzzone notes, a “prime time for pop music releases, for obvious reasons.” Additionally, like Bieber, One Direction released a few singles leading up to the release of the album, along with accompanying music videos, making for an interesting duel between the reigning pop stars.

While these two albums battle it out for the number one spot, British superstar Adele is dropping her new album, “25,” on Nov. 20. “25” is Adele’s first album in over four years.

Her last release was the record breaking and Grammy-winning “21.” If “25” is anything like Adele’s last album, then maybe Bieber and One Direction have someone else to worry about.

Quentin Tarantino clashes with police unions SARAH HARTZELL Arts Editor Director Quentin Tarantino is butting heads with America’s police officers over his criticism of police brutality. Police unions from New York to Los Angeles are boycotting Tarantino’s new film “The Hateful Eight” over his perceived hatred of police.

Tarantino attended a police brutality rally in New York in late October. Speaking to the crowd, he said, “When I see murder, I cannot stand by...I have to call a murder a murder and I have to call the murderers the murderers.”

The director’s strong language was not received well by police officers. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, NYC Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association Patrick Lynch said, ”It’s time for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino’s films.

It’s no surprise that someone who makes a living glorifying crime and violence is a cop-hater, too.”

Lynch is referring to the notoriously violent and gory nature of Tarantino’s acclaimed films such as “Kill Bill” and “Django Unchained.”

Police unions from New York, Philadelphia,

Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles have decided to boycott “The Hateful Eight” when it hits theaters this Christmas in an attempt to hurt Tarantino economically. Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, also said to The Hollywood Reporter, “Tarantino has made a good living out of violence and surprise.Our offices make a living trying to stop violence, but surprise is not out of the question.” The FOP includes more than 330,000 police officers nationwide.

Word on what Pasco’s “surprise” entails has not yet been announced, but Pasco’s comments have widely been interpreted as veiled threats of violence against Tarantino. As the boycott has already been announced and heavily publicized, it is implied that the FOP has something else up its sleeve, none of which is doing much to rehabilitate the image of America’s cops.

Issues of police brutality have been at the forefront of American politics recently, in light of cases like the deaths of Eric Garner and Sandra Bland, and the recent video out of South Carolina in which an officer slammed a student to the ground, none of which anyone was held accountable for. Rallies

have been held in cities across the country, gaining in notoriety and attendance since the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, last summer.

Police forces have never handled these protests well, especially in the time after Brown’s death. The Ferguson demonstrations made headlines for the disproportionate response of officers in response to peaceful protesters. Now, the exceptionally strong reaction of police unions to an nonviolent rally and the honest comments of a Hollywood director are threatening to escalate the conflict.

For many, it is police departments showing their true colors and undermining the argument that it is only a select few cops who are excessively violent or discriminatory. The head of a union of officers essentially throwing a temper tantrum when someone criticizes the actions of a few is not an effective way of persuading the public that there is not an issue in the way police forces are managed. Responding to allegations of Constitutional violations by punishing or threatening someone exercising free speech is not a good way to gain public sympathy or prove your innocence. It only reinforces how tone deaf and shortsighted cops really are.

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November 20, 2015

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Poland will not extradite Roman Polanski CHASE BALLAS News Editor In 1977, film director Roman Polanski, then 43 years old, was formally arrested on various rape charges against 13-year-old Samantha Gailey, including drugging her with Quaaludes and alcohol. However, after pleading guilty to lesser charges, he fled the country to avoid sentencing, imprisonment and possible deportation.

The acclaimed director has since been living in between his native France and Poland, two nations notorious for refusing to extradite to the United States. Thus, not surprisingly, on Oct. 30, 2015, Polish judges declined an American petition to extradite Polanski.

This is not the first instance of Polanski escaping justice.

In 2009, he was arrested while entering Switzerland.

However, the Swiss government ruled against the American extradition, because of technicalities that were not included in the application.

Hollywood also has seemed to support Polanski. During the 2009 incident, hundreds of supporters, notably Woody Allen—who has also faced allegations of sexual assault against a minor— and Martin Scorsese, signed a petition to release Polanski, while then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to grant him a pardon. Most symbolically, Polanski was awarded an Academy Award for Best Director—his only Oscar win—in 2003 for his film “The Pianist.” He received a standing ovation from the crowd in the theater, despite not attending the ceremony

as he would have been arrested if he reentered the United States.

In response to an incident on “The View” in 2009, in which cohost Whoopi Goldberg said the incident was, “not ‘raperape,’” Gailey published a memoir on the incident, The Girl: A Life in the Shadow of Roman Polanski. In response to Poland’s recent decision, she said that, “There’s absolutely no way to not call it rape because that’s what it was. But, I recovered from what happened that night a long time ago… Bad stuff happens to people.

Worse stuff happens to people.” She also went on to explain what she wants to come from the incident. “If they’re going to waste time and money they should be spending it on helping people right now, today, that need help,” she says.

“Not going for a publicity grab at everybody else’s expense.”

Polanski commented on the Polish decision, saying that, “I’m obviously very happy that this case is coming to an end. It cost me a lot of energy, health… I’m glad I put faith in the Polish justice system.”

However, many say the Polanski case exemplifies the injustices involved in the preferential treatment that is given to celebrities in matters of the law.

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THE AGE OF AMBIGUITY LEE EVANS Professor My parents, Eastern European immigrants who arrived in the United States in the 1920’s, came to this great country from an ethnic culture that placed high value on both education and music. Consequently, they required that my brother, who is older than I am by six years, and my sister, older than I by five, take formal music lessons on the violin and piano respectively from their age of approximately six. So, starting when I was a mere infant, I grew up hearing classical music being played by my siblings in our small Bronx apartment at least two hours a day. At age five I too began taking piano lessons from the same excellent neighborhood teacher who instructed my sister; and I kept up my weekly lessons with

this loving and dedicated teacher for the next ten years, she having imparted to me a firm grounding in the fundamentals of music and of classical piano playing.

My mother insisted that I practice the piano after school for an hour each day, without exception; However, when I became an adult she confided to me, with a grin on her face, that she had secretly moved the clock, which sat atop our kitchen ice box (in those pre-refrigerator days), back by almost an hour every session. Thus I practiced closer to two hours daily rather than the prescribed hour. As a result, I soon became an accomplished pianist, but now I can’t tell time!

Do, Re, Mi Among my piano assignment rituals was the extremely boring daily practicing of scales in all major and minor

keys – do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do, ti, la, sol, fa mi, re, do – for the purpose of developing finger independence and dexterity. Not until many years later, however, did I come to the realization that the raison d’etre of scales was not to torture early-level music students, but rather that virtually all composed and improvised music is based to some extent on these successions of tones known as scales.

Tonality The distance (interval) between any two adjacent pitches on a piano keyboard is referred to as a half-step (also called semitone.) An interesting facet of scales is that when the intervals between the pitches vary, some being a whole-step (also called whole-tone) apart, others being a half-step apart, the music based on these scales often offers the

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feeling of centrality of one note, the “do” or first note of the scale (known as the tonic tone.) When this happens, it means that the music possesses tonality. Another way of saying this is that the music is in a particular key.

Various scales of ancient Greek origin, known as modes, were adopted by Roman Catholics as the basis of Christian church music from about the 6th century on, and for several centuries formed the basis of their religious music (often referred to as Gregorian plainchant or plainsong, named after 6th century Pope Gregory, who had a keen interest in the liturgical music of his era and is even believed by many to have composed some of it himself.

This musical genre was heard all the way through the Medieval period, an era also known as the

Middle Ages (a period usually defined as running from roughly 400 to 1450 AD.) However, the music of this period for the most part did not feature a strong sense of tonal centrality of one pitch, discussed earlier.

Incidentally, the world knows a good deal about the religious music of the Middle Ages, but not very much about the era’s secular (non-religious) music; because the only ones who knew how to notate music in earlier times, after music notation was first invented, were monks, and the only music they composed and notated, and/or wrote about, was sacred music, the only kind of music in which they were presumably interested.

Major and Minor Scales At the conclusion of the Middle Ages began the next historical period known as the

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November 20, 2015

Morbid discoveries made in Washington Square Park Ancient human artifacts found buried under park monuments

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BRIANA BIRKS Contibutor Washington Square Park, one of New York’s best public parks, has recently become the highlight of an ancient discovery found deep below its surface. Recent construction in the area led to fascinating discoveries of a burial vaults dating back to the 19th century containing skeletal remains. The departments of Design and Construction contractors were working in the area, installing a new water main, replacing an existing one dating back 100 years. Through this replacement, constructors discovered vaults made of stone and arched ceilings, measuring about 15 feet by 20 feet deep. The first vault discovered contained skeletal remains of about 10 people and another vault containing at least 20 more coffins, confirmed by DDC commissioner Ferniosky PeñaMora. Anthropologists and archaeologists relate these findings to people who were either merchants or artisans.

Surprisingly this was a rediscovery, the first dating back to 1965, where workers found 25 skeletons from the first vault. But due to a poor record keeping, archaeologists

were unable to locate the exact location of the tombs successfully. The discovery of the second vault is what surprised them, as it has not been discovered before.

The second vault contained nearly 20 wooden coffins, some containing plates intact, which offered insight into the names of these unknown corpses. Archeologists are cautious in the handling of these findings and are respectable in the nature of its placement. “We don’t want to do any more disturbing than we need to” says DDC commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. The policy of the city requires that these remains stay in place out of respect for the dead.

These recent findings are related to two congregational churches, which had members buried there. Luckily, archeologists are able to use high-resolution photography to uncover the names of these ancient corpses. The technology being used to help uncover information in this process range from cameras, telescope lenses and a boom stick. Amazingly, through the use of this technology, researchers can uncover a range of biological information.

So far, researchers are able to identify a date starting with “18” which tells us the corpses were laid in the 1800’s.

Perhaps these recent findings could uncover information that can give us insight on the physical information of

these remains. Professor of History at the University, Maria Antoniou, gives insight into these findings; “The two burial vaults discovered underneath Washington Square Park could shed light on people’s practices of burying and honoring the dead as well as the architecture of their tombs during the 19th century. The skeletal remains have been preserved quite well and their scientific analysis could provide us with vital information about their age and gender, their diet, possible diseases and cause of death”.

Researchers are able to tell us that the original Washington Square Park served as a potters field in the early 19th century, serving as a burial place for the poor as well as the criminals of New York. It also served as a resting place for victims of the yellow fever epidemic. Burial placements of this kind were changed when city officials declared no churches allowed to bury its dead below. Without the official records to prove so, we cannot determine which church is responsible for the placements of these corpses. However, this will not stop archeologists from finding more information that can uncover more of New York’s hidden history.

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November 20, 2015

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Spirialing into your screen MAXAMILLIANO ONOFRE Executive Editor On Friday, Nov. 6, PopTV debuted their first feature film, “Spiral.” The film starred Cody Alvord, Brianne Morse, and Peter Cirelli and was written by the actor, Cody Alvord.

The Pace Press was able to get an interview with, Cirelli (Director), Alvord (Writer), and Matt, PopTV treasurer.

1) What was production like? How much time did it take for you to make the film?

Production went relatively smoothly, especially since we had a small cast to work with. It took about a month to film everything over the course of about four weekends.

Because of the nature of the movie and its plot, the cast was small so we didn’t have to worry about working in ten different student’s schedules.

2) Was casting a big project or were you able to find actors rapidly? And were there specific reasons to reuse the same main character?

Casting was easy as again we had a small cast. There was definitely a reason to keeping the same people throughout the roles, aside from saving time and adding to the feeling of non-reality. It told a story itself by having the same actors play different roles. There’s definitely an underlying story connecting all the roles to each other.

“Telling a story of addiction was also important as it’s something a member of the cast struggled with and he was happy to jump at the chance to put that on the screen and show just how deep addictions and illness can go.”

3) Is this film a note to fight club?

Funny enough we never thought of that before this question. It wasn’t supposed to be even though you can draw some parallels, but it’s definitely one of our favorite movies so we welcome that comparison.

4) What was your inspiration for making this film?

A lot of the dialog was based on little moments of our own lives. The events are mainly fictional, but there is some truth to the story. Telling a story of addiction was also important as it’s something a member of the cast struggled with and he was happy to jump at the chance to put that on the screen and show just how deep addictions and illness can go.

5) Seeing as this was a large project, how much did this film take out of you or was this a smoothly made project?

Because we had such a wonderful cast to work with the project went smoothly, but the actors definitely felt an impact from the characters. Brianne Morse kept mentioning throughout the filming how she felt physically dirty after portraying her character, Molly, and doing the things she did.

Peter Cirelli, who played the protagonist, delved headfirst into the role. His character was meant to be an exhausted, drug addled man and we noticed he wasn’t sleeping while

Cody Alvord, writer, Brianne Morse, and Peter Cirelli, director, pose for the camera at the red carpet.

Photo: Matt Fontanez the production went on. Mat Fontanez, treasurer of PopTV, mentioned that, “it was terrifying to see Peter’s lack of sleep throughout the duration of the filming but it showed his passion for the role and for the project.” Cody Alvord, the third main character and writer of the film, also took on aspects of his character and became visibly agitated by things that never bothered him, but would bother his character. But this all showed a commitment to the project.

6) What was your favorite part about making the movie and what was the least favorite part?

Our favorite part was definitely working with our some of our closest friends to bring this production to life. All in all we had fun and, despite some of the darker moments of the film, we were laughing and became better friends for it. Our least favorite part was probably getting up so early. We all like to sleep in and rest but in order to finish the production quickly we were up at the crack of dawn on filming days. But it was all worth it.

We have another movie, a noire detective film called Towards the Dark, coming out late next semester! Bringing back some of the actors and writers that took part in this film and our unfortunately canceled TV Series, Cost. ​

FEATURES

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November 20, 2015

A look inside The Merchant’s House Museum KATRINA ALONSO Staff Writer Halloween may have come and gone, but Manhattan’s most haunted house is forever. Built in 1835, the Merchant’s House Museum on E 4th Street is a perfectlypreserved glimpse into the city’s past: every inch of the house, from the elegant parlours to the small, simple servants’ quarters have been on display, undisturbed, since it opened as a museum in 1936. The house was owned by the Tredwells, a family of well-to-do hardware merchants, from 1838 until the death of the final living member of the family in 1933. Since then, it changed hands from distant members of the Tredwells’ line to the Decorators’ Club of New York City, who restored the aging house to its former glory.

By day, the Merchant’s House Museum proudly exhibits relics of the past to its visitors: on display are the handmade pieces of furniture owned and used by the Tredwells themselves, along with authentic light fixtures like oil lamps and glass chandeliers from the 1890’s and even the garments and accessories worn by the Tredwell ladies. At one in the afternoon, you would find the parlour rooms and bedrooms bathed with light and feel right at home among the personal effects of the merchant family that once occupied the house. However, demeanour of the house drastically changes at night. There is a reason the house is usually only open until 5 PM; the Merchant’s House Museum is considered the most haunted house in Manhattan.

The Tredwells, who lived in the house for over 100 years, are rumoured still to be there. The youngest of the eight Tredwell children, Gertrude, was the last member of the family to occupy the house and was the last to die there. Some say that her ghost is still around, keeping an eye on her family home. According to the Museum’s website, “Since the 1930s, when the house opened to the public as a museum, strange and inexplicable happenings have been reported – sounds, sightings, smells – by staff, volunteers, visitors, neighbours, even passers-by.” The Merchant’s House Museum has certainly taken advantage of these spooky phenomena and offers Candlelight Ghost Tours once a month from January to June and for several weeks in October, leading up to Halloween.

In order to go on a Candlelight Ghost Tour, purchasing tickets should be well in advance; these tours are so popular around Halloween that they often sell out quickly.

The tours are only offered at night, by candlelight—as you might have guessed—and give guests a look into the house’s darker history. On the tour, guests are led into dimly lit rooms and shown photographs of paranormal activity taken in those rooms. You are also treated to recorded testimonials by visitors of the house, staff members, and even a team of paranormal investigators about their experiences in the house. In the dark, with

the somber voice of the tour guide telling you about the funerals held in the parlour and the lonely deaths of the house’s occupants in their beds, a certain sense of unease will, without a doubt, fall over you and follow you out the door when the tour is over.

Though the tours are somewhat pricier than regular admission at $30 per person, the money is well-spent; you pay for an hour of the Merchant’s House’s dark history being revealed to you with an atmosphere to match. If you choose to visit the Museum during regular hours, admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information,

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One small step for woman, one giant leap for womankind SARAH HARTZELL Arts Editor A crew of Russian cosmonauts has just completed an eight day long mock spaceflight. What would be an unnoteworthy training exercise among most flight crews is a monumental feat for this team thanks to its unique composition: six women and not a single male. The Russian Federal Space Agency is planning to send Dariya Komissarova, Tatyana Shuguyeva, Polina Kuznetsova, Inna Nosikova, Anna Kussmaul and Elena Luchitskaya to the moon in 2029, a mission dubbed Moon-2015. The exercise was meant to test how the crewmates would interact in the isolation of a space mission, but after a disastrous press conference before the test, it took on a much more significant role. The women passed the test with flying colors, but questions from the media centered largely around how the cosmonauts would do their hair in zero gravity and how they would survive without makeup. “We are doing work. When you’re doing your work, you don’t think about men and women,” said Anna Kussmaul. Not taking the questions too kindly, she added sarcastically, “I don’t know how we’ll survive without shampoo. Because even in this situation, we really want to stay looking pretty.” “We are very beautiful without makeup,” Darya Komissarova chimed in.

Yelena Serova, who became the fourth Russian woman in space last year, was not as placating in her retort to the press. “Can I ask a question, too: aren’t you interested in the hairstyles of my [male] colleagues?” she said. Even the (mostly male) directors running the operation seem to be rather tone deaf to their comments about the all-female crew. Sergei Ponomarev, scientific director of the experiment, said that “It will be interesting to see how well they get on with each other, and how

well they are able to perform tasks. We believe women might not only be no worse than men at performing certain tasks in space, but actually better.” That’s right, in the year 2015 it is still a groundbreaking statement to say that women might be “no worse than men.”

And it only gets worse from there. Igor Ushakov, the director of Moscow’s Institute of Biomedical Problems, told the cosmonauts, “I’d like to wish you a lack of conflicts, even though they say that in one kitchen, two housewives find it hard to live together.” Because women at the top of their fields, in their intellectual and physical prime, about to make history, are comparable to two housewives in a kitchen—a cliche that is problematic enough on its own. The overall insensitive approach to such a historic mission is representative of the greater conversation surrounding women in scientific fields today.

In May, NPR aired an interview with Shrinivas Kulkarni, a prolific astronomer and professor at the California Institute of Technology. During the interview, Kulkarni referred to scientists as “boys with toys,” sparking public outrage over the erasure of women in an already male-dominated subjects. The hashtag #GirlsWithToys quickly took over the internet, with women in STEM fields posting their photos of them and their “toys” and sharing their experiences of sexism in the workplace.

The benignly unwelcoming comments of respected and powerful men like Kulkarni and Ushakov are part of a larger problem of women being underrepresented in STEM and girls being pushed out before they even get the chance. The percentage of women in computer science has actually declined since 1991. According the the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, women make up only 39 percent of chemists and material scientists, 28 percent of environmental scientists and geoscientists, 16 percent of chemical engineers and 12 percent of civil

engineers, even though women are nearly on par with men in terms of bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields.

Many women report feeling unwelcome in their STEM jobs and even being driven out of them as a result of pregnancy, sexual harassment, and gender bias in hiring and competition for funding. A BBC report shows that high school girls have a higher dropout rate for physics classes by 10% than boys do, despite outperforming their male classmates by an average of a quarter of a grade. In the United States, female high school students take upperlevel mathematics classes at higher rates than males, but receive less than half of mathematics and statistics bachelor’s degrees, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project. The lack of female scientists in the public sphere, from under representation in pop culture to the erasure of the achievements of real-life women, imposes implicit gender rules that tell young women and girls that there is no place for them in this realm.

With this is mind, the women of Moon-2015 should be applauded for making it as far as they have, but even they are still faced with misogyny from the public and their superiors. For a country that was the first to put a woman in space, the first to send a woman on a spacewalk, and now the first to form a team of women cosmonauts, Russia has hardly progressed in its treatment of these remarkable women. Truthfully, no country really has; American “journalists” still seem obsessed with actresses’ diet regimens and fashion advice, and we are all too quick to comment on female politicians’ appearances. So let the world take notice and remember the names Dariya Komissarova, Tatyana Shuguyeva, Polina Kuznetsova, Inna Nosikova, Anna Kussmaul and Elena Luchitskaya not for their looks or zero-gravity hairstyling tips, but for the giant leaps they have made and that the rest of us still have to make.

FEATURES

November 20, 2015

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Thanksgiving in New York City NATALIE CAROLINA CONDRILLO Features Editor

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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Before the rest of the country turn their attention to football and comfort food, mostly everyone, starts their Thanksgiving morning with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Whether they watch from the crowd itself, their uptown apartment, or on television states away, adults and children alike enjoy the parade as well as being engulfed into the holiday season. The parade begins its journey at Central Park West, located at W 75th Street. Although the park will be officially closed for those of us who are lucky enough to have invitation-only grandstand seating. The parade will start at approximately 9 am and will run through this area until 10:30 am. Avid parade fans should arrive no later than 6:00 am, as this prime viewing spot will fill up quickly.

Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle will open its doors at 9 am for those of us who seek a warmer spot to see the parade fun. From the second and third floors, viewers can see an areal view continuing down Central Park. The mall will be also be open and available for shopping, as an added bonus. Another spot for perfect parade viewing is 6th Avenue.The 21-block stretch will be filling up with spectators by 7 am.

Prospect Park Turkey Trot Race If you’re looking to start the gluttonous celebration in a healthier way, consider running, walking, or supporting the annual Turkey Trot in Prospect Park located in central Brooklyn. The tradition has been going on for years, hosted by the Prospect Park Track Club, Brooklyn’s largest and most active running club. The five-mile challenge is presented every Thanksgiving participated by not only casual walkers, but also competitive runners. The early race time is convenient to have everyone home in time for celebrating and eating. Medals will be given out to all those who finish the race. For the fast and furious top three runners, they will receive a holiday pie. Race swag will be sold after the race is complete; some articles include beanies, t-shirts, accessories, among others. At least half of the proceeds from the 2015 Turkey Trot will benefit a brand-new program, the Prospect Park Track Club Grants Program. This will provide assistance to organizations that advance the running club’s mission of promoting the sport in Brooklyn.

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Winter Village at Bryant Park Bryant Park is notably one of the most frequently visited parks in mid-town Manhattan, besides Central Park. Bryant Park always has something new and exciting to see whether it be a concert, event, or a Shakespeare-in-the-park, this area knows no seasons. During the autumn and winter months, the Winter Village at Bryant Park comes alive. It features New York City’s only free public outdoor skating rink, where guests can host parties and receive ice-skating lessons.

Shopping at the Winter Village is plentiful, having jewel boxstyle kiosks for guests to enjoy. Over one hundred twenty-five artisan boutiques spread openly throughout the space. From food to handcrafted jewelry, decorative gifts to custom pet supplies; this European-style shopping center has something for everybody. All of the ice-skating and shopping are bound

to make a person hungry, which is exactly why the Winter Village offers many diverse dining options. Near the skating pavilion and throughout the park there are kiosks for quite food items like pastries and hot chocolate. There are also a few other dining options, such as two sit-down eaterys, Celsius and the Bryant Park Grill. Celsius is a rinkside glass enclosed twostory restaurant, with panoramic views of the park and skating rink. Bryant Park Grill is located on the upper terrace along West 40th Street. It offers a more formal setting, appropriate for a business lunch or a Friday night with friends and family.

This holiday staple in New York City is always crowded with the joyful season-obsessed tourists and New Yorkers.

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FEATURES

November 20, 2015

YouTube now offering ad-free subscriptions NATALIE CAROLINA CONDRILLO Features Editor The 10-year-old video content site with seemingly infinite media is now announcing a new subscription plan: YouTube Red. This new and improved YouTube site would introduce more complex options, and zero advertisements. Viewers questioned if they would have to pay to access the content they want, while companies wondered if they would be losing money without their ads circulating throughout the site. In the event that YouTube Red will be successful, it will be a much better site for all of its users. For just 10$ a month, YouTube Red will be ad-free and become a more advanced video viewing content platform, such as Netflix and Hulu. Users will have more control over their

content, and have Spotifylike streaming benefits.

YouTube Red will also have a number of webshow series, also similar to Netflix original shows and movies. YouTube has recently been investing in original programming, using various YouTube-famous individuals to star in them.

However, they expect a small percentage of YouTube users to sign up for Red. Paid programming and membership streaming sites is a tough business to be involved in, especially since the convenience of YouTube was the fact streaming was always completely free of charge. The free, ad-cluttered version will continue to be available, but users will be frequently encouraged to upgrade to YouTube Red.

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THE AGE OF AMBIGUITY Continued From Page 11 Renaissance, which lasted approximately 150 years until about 1600. Pitch centrality in music composed during this period in history was still not firmly established.

Then came the Baroque era (1600-1750) and the music written during this period was based mostly on major and minor scales, two scales that evolved from those earlier scales known as modes (the major scale having evolved from the Ionian Mode, and the minor scale from the Aeolian Mode.) These scales offered strong centrality of one pitch in the music based upon them, which was virtually all of the music written during this period in history by such composer giants as Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and many others. This tonal centrality in music continued all throughout the next historical period, known as the Classical era (roughly 1750-1827), featuring the music of such incredibly creative luminaries as Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven.

The Chromatic Scale When the next era, the Romantic era (roughly 1827-1890), began, the chromatic scale – a scale of exclusively half-step intervals – quickly became a widely employed scale as the basis of a good deal of the period’s music, sometimes resulting in a weakening of the sense of tonal centrality, or key. Respected musicologists maintain that composer Richard Wagner brought chromaticism and the weakening of tonality to the breaking point in the opening of his opera Tristan and Isolde, composed in the late 1850’s.

The Whole Tone Scale A further marked weakening of tonality occurred during the Impressionist period (roughly 1890-1918), as a result of the employment by several composers of still another scale of equal intervals between its pitches: the whole tone scale, a scale employed especially by the period’s greatest French musical giant, Claude Debussy. For an excellent example of music featuring pitches derived from the whole tone scale, listen to Debussy’s Voiles, from his Preludes for Piano, Book 1.

Bitonality and Polytonality A further step towards the ultimate dissolution of tonality occurred in the early 20th century via the composition of music in two keys simultaneously (known as bitonality) and of three or more keys simultaneously (known as polytonality.) Russian composer Igor Stravinsky was famous for this, as well as for his extensive use of polyrhythms two or more different rhythms occurring simultaneously - in some of his music, another

revolutionary musical development. Stravinsky’s ballet Petruchka provides excellent examples of bitonality, and his ballet The Rite of Spring is rife with examples of polytonality and polyrhythms.

Atonality The final break with any semblance of tonality was achieved around 1920, by composer Arnold Schoenberg and two of his genius composer students, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. They composed a substantial amount of influential music that was atonal, in other words music entirely lacking tonality, or tonal centrality (sense of key.) That is to say, the twelve tones of one octave of the chromatic scale were each treated as being equal to one another, the composer deliberately avoiding giving prominence to any one pitch.

The general principle applied in achieving atonality was the composer’s avoidance of sounding any one pitch a second time until all the other eleven had been played. Among my own personal favorite atonal compositions are the opera Wozzeck by Berg and the only Piano Concerto ever written by Schoenberg.

20th and 21st Century Music By what name shall the world refer to 20th and 21st century music? All the earlier eras in music history have been assigned a rubric: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Impressionism, but 20th and 21st century music lacks one.

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), about whom I wrote an article titled Lenny, published

by The Pace Press on April 8, 2015, came up with the brilliant idea of calling this most recent period The Age Of Ambiguity, an entirely appropriate reference to the relentless weakening and increasing ambiguity of tonality in music from the Romantic era right up to this very day.

End Note My course in Music Appreciation (MUS 141) every spring semester at NYC’s Pace University is pegged to the above historical evolution, and features many exciting and beautiful representative musical examples that illuminate this musical timeline. An understanding of this evolutionary process provides students with a revealing context for all the music they hear or are likely to hear in the near future.