Oct23

October 23, 2013

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Volume 65 | Issue 5

THE PACE PRESS Homecoming ‘13 SERVING PACE UNIVERSITY’S MANHATTAN CAMPUS SINCE 1948

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@PaceBoardNYC #PaceHC2013 All photos by Joanna Franco

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NEWS Sophomore defending woman from attack thrown onto subway tracks Page 2

ARTS Cartoon and music fans geek up for Comic Con and CMJ Pages 10, 16

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FEATURES Film marketers eye “Prankvertisements” as viable tool Page 13

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

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October 23, 2013

University student rescues woman being assaulted ASHLEY SPENCER Contributor On Thursday, Sept. 19 sophomore Jered Harvey finished his night class and headed over to the Fulton street subway stop to wait for the train to his dorm. Harvey quickly found himself in the presence of an immensely alarming situation, however, when he witnessed a man brutally beating a woman on the train platform.

According to Harvey, at least twenty other commuters were on the platform ignoring the attack. Harvey, however, could not. He approached the man and calmly asked him to stop harming the woman. The man, who according to Harvey was quite obviously under the influence, became enraged and attacked him, picking up the 5’8 135 pound Business Economics major and throwing him down onto the subway tracks. Once on the tracks Harvey, recalls thinking, “if a train comes I could hide in the gutters and be alright.” The man then blocked Harvey from climbing up, keeping him on the tracks. Eventually he gave up and Harvey was able to climb to safety; the whole time onlookers did nothing.

“No one ever offered to help me, honestly I’m not surprised.” Once safe, Harvey went back to consoling the injured woman while a classmate who had appeared on the platform went upstairs to inform the MTA and call the police. Police arrived soon after arresting the man and coming to the aid of Harvey and the injured women.

Harvey, who says he “never really feared for his safety” is now almost one hundred percent better. He had injured his knee but due to all the adrenaline, did not actually realize it until the following day.

Many have asked why Harvey felt the need to act when no one else did. “ I reacted simply because no one else did.

I am not a hero. What I did was ‘neutral’.

I don’t see doing nothing as being neutral.

Doing nothing is bad,” he said.

When asked, a majority of students were unaware of the incident. Even fewer students could believe that no one helped the women or Harvey. Some, such as sophomore, Brendon Batterson said he would have intervened, had he been in the same situation as Harvey. Others said they would have run upstairs for help, but none said they would just stand by idly and watch. “ Not many people would do what he did. He was brave and courageous,” a student remarked.

Since the incident, many have applauded Harvey for his ability to rise above the typical jaded New Yorker attitude of simply being a bystander in most situations. Individuals view Harvey’s actions as “heroic”, simply because he possessed the courage to act and stand up for someone purely because it was the right thing to do, not for any personal gain.

When asked if he credited anyone in his life for influencing his actions, the comic book enthusiast gave a smile and responded, “Batman”.

Sophomore Jered Harvey, who was thrown onto subway tracks defending a woman being assaulted New York Daily News

University appoints Assistant Dean for Grants and Strategic Initiatives Dean Kaufman to discover financial solutions

ANASTASIYA SHELEST Contributor Sophie Kaufaman, recently promoted to assistant dean for grants and strategic initiatives at the college of health professions, is truly living by her motto of “Carpe Diem.”

During her time at the University, Kaufman has worked tirelessly on the acquisition of millions of dollars worth of scholarships and grants for both students and faculty—a commitment that she is looking to continue.

Kaufman began at the University as an Administrative Director. Originally from France, her studies were mainly based in finance and international management.

When asked about her vastly different position, Kaufman replied, “This was a complete change of career for me. Before Pace I was a banker and I was hired for my expertise in business and finance, I knew nothing about nursing. The center evolved over the past 11 years. During my time here what I’ve tried to build is resources for faculty and students.”

Adjustments for Kaufman’s new position are still being made, and with these adjustments come a great shift in responsibilities.

“We are still trying to figure out what is going to change. Hopefully this will give me the opportunity to spend more time on

global initiative, to expand global awareness with faculty and staff, as well as continue to strengthen the grant resources for faculty and students, through new programs, grants and scholarships,” said Kaufman.

Kaufman noted that her greatest achievement is the grant she won last year from the Jewish Foundation for the Education of Women, because it was the first grant that extended to all students in the College of Health Professions. Kaufman’s biggest hope is to gain more grants that extend to the entire college.

Kaufman said she considers her proudest moments at University to be moments when she can help her students achieve success. Nursing students in particular hold a special place in her heart, because she knows the expense that goes into their educations and she is trying to reduce the financial stress on the students once they leave college.

Kaufman has seen the University from every angle, having worked in administration, studied here for her PhD, and having began his semester as an adjunct professor at the Pleasantville campus teaching International Management. Her ability to relate to students on a personal level and her desire to better the Univeristy community is what gives her such an edge

amongst others.

“I was thrilled to be a student, it was an extremely enriching experience. I learned a lot, not just from the program, I obviously learned a lot from the program, but also about the little things that Pace students experience. Having to be good with Blackboard, navigating OSA, getting to know the library and varies computer centers,” said Kaufman, who added, “Understanding the student resources of the university better, which isn’t an insignificant part of college. I’m very fortunate; it’s a great privilege to be a student again. I felt lucky to have the professors that I had at Lubin.”

When asked on what advice she has for current students, Kaufman replied “Take advantage of all the wonderful things that not just the University, but also the professors and peers have to offer. Be open minded, get to know other students and learn from their culture.”

Kaufman plans to continue her work on providing resources for both students and faculty at the Universirt and is looking forward to her new role as a professor. Her enthusiasm to help others and commitment to the improvement is sure to continue to bring nothing but future success to the university.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

October 23, 2013

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Junior Diana Mendez, University Oxfam club seek “Change” Oxfam at Pace members inform the public of corporations’ misconduct with demonstrations like the one pictured.

Image: Oxfam Pace/Facebook

OMNIA KHAMIS Ads Manager University junior and student leader Diana Mendez is a prominent Change Leader at the University. One of 50 Change Leaders across the country, Mendez went through a very competitive process in order to be chosen. Oxfam is a famed international notfor-profit organization with a mission to end global poverty and empower women to be leaders in their community. Mendez sat down with The Pace Press for an interview about the organization, and her role.

The Pace Press: What is Oxfam? Can you briefly tell us about it?

Mendez: Oxfam America is a non-profit international organization that helps end poverty, social injustice and give everyone their basic human rights.

TPP: So you are an Oxfam Change Leader here at the University, can you tell us what that means and what you do on campus?

M: I am an Oxfam Change Leader. Being a Change Leader means that we have been recognized by Oxfam America [for] our leadership strengths and our passion for social justice. The Change Initiative Program has given Change Leaders throughout the nation training, knowledge on global issues, and resources to implement Oxfam’s mission to communities in or around campus. What I am doing here is at Pace is giving the community access to global information, specifically global issues and show students what they can do to help solve these issues. I also work side by side with the Oxfam America NYC Action Corps. They set up events that are open to anyone.

aid communities in need, improving ways to live life, and overall make a social change.

TPP: Where can we find the latest updates? Meetings (places and times), are you recruiting any student leaders to help you with this movement?

M: You can find the latest updates on our Facebook page! Also there will always be flyers around Pace and on the Homer screens for awesome events. Next week, we re co-hosting a Land Grabs film at Fordham Lincoln Center, which of course, the Pace community is more than welcome to come! We are recruiting student leaders who are as passionate as we are about the values that we try to implement. I have implemented this Oxfam Organization at Pace, but I am not president. No member in the Oxfam America at Pace University is titled President or VP, but we all call ourselves Leaders. I am the Change Leader, Jacqueline Kelleher is the Vigorous Leader, and Charley Yaipen is the Peace Leader. The names for the leadership correspond with who we are; students who want to be a part of this organization in terms of planning and implementing, need to be as passionate as we are then they will create a leadership name. In terms of people attending events; anyone can attend all events or just one and we will refer to them as Change Agents, which represents the willingness for social change no matter how small.

TPP: What inspired you about applying for this position?

M: This is a hard question. I am inspired in general by a lot of people and actions.

However for this position in specifically, I was inspired by Dr. Susan Maxam. I met Dr. Maxam during a Leadership Conference and we immediately connected with ideas and aspirations for student engagement and social change. After meeting her one or two more times she officially became one of my heroes. Her energy, compassion and positivity for life made me fall in love with her! Then she emailed me and a few others to apply to the Oxfam America Change Initiative Program. She encouraged the few of us because of our passion for social justice and the well-rounded students we are. Meeting Sue has inspired me and I wanted to make her proud and pursue what I love to do. I love to inspire people to do good things and do good things myself. The position seemed perfect for me.

TPP: You talk about “Oxfam-ifying Pace,” what do you mean?

M: Oxfam-ifying Pace means that I want Oxfam to be known all over the Pace community, departments, offices, and in every corner. Although I call it “Oxfam-ifying,” what it really entails is spreading the awareness, support, and knowledge of global issues.

It is Oxfam’s values and mission that I want to spread, not necessarily the name Oxfam.

Their values are filled with colorful positivity and unlimited empowerment for those who need it the most. Their mission is based on eliminated social injustice, and that’s what I want for others to want.

TPP: You seem to be super passionate about the not-for-profit space, what are your career aspirations?

M: I am very passionate about the non-profit industry, human rights, and international development. Coming into Pace, I was set to be a successful, in terms of money, business woman. However, experiencing certain business settings and exposure to courses likes Sociology, having mentors guiding me; It hit me, that my future will not consist of business corporations, and I will not be making millions. I would like my future to consist of being happy, and I learned that I am happy when I am able to change people’s lives for the better or inspire others to make better decisions. I love making others happy because that makes me happy. Although it is a simple cliche concept, it was a hard journey to get to feel this way about my future. So, I hope that my career path consist of traveling to

Junior Diana Mendez

Pace Pulse

VISIT Oxfam at Pace’s Facebook page: facebook.com/oxfamamericaatpaceuniversity To learn more about the Oxfam movement, email: oxfamamericapaceu@gmail.com

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NATIONAL NEWS

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October 23, 2013

Government shutdown comes to an end after 14 days Republicans, Democrats reach deal to reopen government, avoid default NOAM SCHULDENREIN Contributor

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EVAN STRAUSS Contributor

After approximately two weeks of the government being shut down due to the inability of Republicans and Democrats to agree on a way to manage the budget and spending plans of our country, government officials finally reached an agreement on ending the shutdown on Thursday, Oct. 16.

“The bickering within our government has really affected the livelihood of the American people,” said a University student. The shutdown has led to the closing of many consumer safety organizations, including national parks, numerous government offices, the federal court only performing the absolutely essential tasks. Now that all of that has come to an end, Americans can perhaps breathe a sigh of relief.

Obama officially signed a bill approved by both the Democrat and Republican parties on Oct. 16 that will end the shutdown and stop our country from going into default. “This bill could begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty and unease from our businesses and from the American people,” said President Obama at the White House on Wednesday evening.

Because this solution is only temporary, however, Americans face the possibility of another government shutdown early next year. Therefore, government officials are still in the process of trying to reach a more permanent solution. This is being achieved by working on various new bills, such as a farm bill, reforming the “broken” immigration system, and creating a more “sensible” budget.

There is also the issue of House Speaker John Boehner and the Republicans trying to block Obama’s healthcare plan, also known as Obamacare. John Boehner announced recently that the Republicans “drive to stop the train wreck that is Obama’s health care law will continue.”Many arguments are arguing against Obamacare due to its costs and its complexity. Republicans claim that ObamaCare has been “destroying the country.”

Many republicans have argued that Obamacare can potentially destroy the economy.

This is primarily because Obamacare will force businesses to do more spending on health care costs, which could stop the government from spending on other things. However, most companies have been compliant thus far.

In light of the shutdown and the newly implemented Affordable Care Act, Americans are hoping that Democrats and Republicans will be able to reach a more permanent agreement that will avoid such drastic actions taken by the government in the future.

In one of the most widely-circulated shutdown images, a child stands outside the gates of a government-funded (and shut down) zoo parade.com

Undercover NYPD officers suspected in SUV attack

huffingtonpost.com MICHAEL TJ WILLIAMS Social Media Manger On Thursday, Oct. 10 seven arrests were made in the case of a brutal motor vehicle attack on SUV driver Alexian Lien in Manhattan. The incident, in which Lien was chased and assaulted after hitting a motorcyclist, occurred Sept.

29th on the West Side Highway in Manhattan.

On the highway, several bikers who were reluctant to move out of Lien’s way surrounded him. The motorcyclists were taking part in an annual ride known as “Hollywood’s Block Party.” Accompanying the SUV driver in the vehicle were his wife and their two-year-old daughter. Lien feared for his safety and took matters into his own hands, running over a motorcyclist. He was then followed by the other motorcyclists in a risky car chase. In Washington Heights, the motorcyclists caught up to Lien. The motorcyclists then proceeded to slash his SUV’s tires, smash windows with their helmets, and pull him out to attack him. The SUV diver suffered lacerations to his face.

Edwin Mieses, who was run over, suffered a crushed spine, two broken legs and is paralyzed. Doctors believe

that Mieses may never walk again. Additionally, at least three members of the NYPD were confirmed to be involved in the attack, with one arrested police officer being Wojeich Braszczok, a ten year veteran of the New York City police force. Braszczok was charged with riot and criminal mischief. He was seen throwing kicks and punches at the SUV and failed to report the incident for three days. Prosecutors decided that Braszczok was an active participant in the incident, and charged him further with gang assault, assault and criminal mischief.

Braszczok then proceeded to post bail for $150,000 and was released.

Twenty-eight-year-old Matthew Rodriguez, also admitted to his involvement in the event. Rodriguez is a five year veteran of the police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Rodriguez is an undercover cop in the intelligence division, involved in deep investigations in terrorist cases and organized crime groups. His lawyer announced that his client has not been charged in the Sept.

29th incident.

Other than Brazczok and Rodriguez another officer, Craig Wright was also involved. Wright is a twenty-

nine year old seven year veteran of the New York Police Department. In a video of the incident that went viral captured by one of the bikers, Wright can be seen throwing punches through the shattered driver’s side window. Wright is also seen kicking the thirty three year old Manhattan dad outside of his SUV. Wright posted bail for $100,000.

Senior Shantal Santisteban voiced her opinion on the police involvement in the incident, saying, “I don’t agree with the undercover police officers getting off on bail.

Just because they are undercover cops doesn’t mean they couldn’t have helped to prevent this event, which could of lead to death. Regardless of their undercover police status they should be found guilty in this crime because they did not help to prevent it.”

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the motorcyclists were part of a loosely organized group who planned to drive into the heart of the city as they had done last year, effectively paralyzing Times Square, the New York Times reported. Kelly said his department was on alert this year and stopped motorcyclists throughout the city before they could grow into a larger group. Though the police officers involved have gotten off on bail, the riders charged face felonies that include first degree assault and rioting.

Junior Stephanie Garcia spoke out about the incident after watching the viral video that sparked nationwide attention, saying, “If you’re going to have an unorganized gathering violence is bound to happen. The motorcyclists should not have been on a public highway. Since there were only three undercover police officers they cannot be held accountable for not stopping a whole gang but should not have contributed to the incident either. Also in the video it looks as if one of the motorcyclists intentionally stopped in front of the car, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered the consequences as a result.”

Lien has not been charged with any criminal activity, and has yet to speak publicly about the case.

NATIONAL NEWS

October 23, 2013

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Young student’s death questioned as parents call for action JAMILLA VAN DYKE—BAILEY Contributor On Friday, Jan. 11 Mr. and Mrs. Johnson of Valdosta, GA received life-altering news announcing that their son, Kendrick Johnson, who had been missing for the last twenty-four hours, was found dead. The seventeen-year-old athlete’s body was found rolled inside of a gymnastics mat found inside the corner of the Lowndes County High School Gym. Due to an abundance of confusion and contradiction in association of the case of Johnson’s death, the small community in Georgia is torn between the side of The Johnson’s and the local authorities.

After Johnson’s parents became aware of the death of their son they expected the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office to launch a full criminal investigation into exactly what happened in the course of those twenty-four hours. Instead of the detailed investigation that they wanted and expected, the case was quickly closed after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation concluded that Johnson died due to positional asphyxia and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deducted that Johnson’s death was an accident. Both the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office also believe that Johnson died after becoming entrapped within the gymnastics mat as he was reaching through the center of the mat for his sneaker on the other side of the opening. Local police officers also claim that students from Lowndes County High School reinforced their deduction of the nature of Kendrick’s death once the students enlightened officials to the fact that some students would hide their sneakers around the gym, behind gym mats and inside gym mats because there were not enough lockers in the school to accommodate the students. Within two weeks time, law enforcement officials closed the case of Kendrick Johnson a supported a probably accidental death explanation.

Kendrick Johnson poses with a basketball ebony.com

After law enforcements gave him and his wife more information about the death of their son he began to doubt that his son accidentally died worming through a gymnastics mat.

Johnson’s mother, Jacquelyn Johnson, heard the news in the front office of Lowndes County High School, only one level above the gym, where she arrived early on Jan. 11 to see if her missing son had turned up at school. Ms. Johnson said that she felt something was wrong after her son failed to come home the night before; she told a reporter that, “Kendrick would always give us [his parents] a call, and always let us [them] know where he would be.” Ms. Johnson recalled that other than being informed that he was dead, authorities gave her little to no information about the death of her son.

Kenneth Johnson, Kendrick’s father, said that after law enforcements gave him and his wife more information about the death of their son, he began to doubt that his son accidentally died worming through a gymnastics mat. Mr. Johnson openly recalled that when law enforcement officials initially described how they found their son, they said that he was wrapped inside of a gymnastics mat foot-first; then they released another statement within twenty-four hours, where they said that Kendrick was wrapped inside of a gymnastics mat head-first. Mr. Johnson already believed that there was something off in the official conclusion of death in accordance with his late son, but once the Lowndes County Police Department made two contradicting statements on how they found Johnson, Mr. Johnson said he lost all hope and trust in the Police Department and their ability to preside over the death of their son.

Once the Johnson’s began questioning the ability of the Police Department and the thoroughness of their investigation into Johnson’s death, the Johnson’s asked the officials to take a second look into the case to see if there were points or clues that might have missed the first time around. When the officials refused to revisit their closed case the Johnson’s took matters into their own hands by hiring a Florida coroner named Bill Anderson to re-investigate.

Anderson’s investigation revealed that Johnson’s body showed signs of blunt force trauma, or a blow, to the neck; and with this new information, the independent coroner concluded that seventeen-year-old Johnson was murdered.

Months after the case of his death, information in regards to surveillance video tapes inside of the gym have come to light. The high school’s surveillance tapes are momentary stills instead of continuous video feed but even with the fractioned recording of time, the clips that were given to the Johnson family only show Kendrick running into the gym.

Lowndes County High School declared that they are legally unable to release the video tape recordings before and after Kendrick ran into the gym because they are considered to be educational records. The only reason why the video of Johnson is circulating online and at various news stations currently is because the Johnson family has released the rights to publicize the brief video of their son.

As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Johnson felt that they had too many questions that we not being answered by the authorities, they hired a family attorney, Chevene “CB” King, in hopes that he would guide them towards legally challenging the death of their son.

King sent the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the US Attorney of Georgia’s Middle District and the Lowndes County Coroner Bill Anderson’s second autopsy report on Kendrick’s death. To date the Lowndes County Coroner and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation stick by their initial and official

report and findings, but the U.S. District Attorney’s Office is refraining from making a public statement while they continue to review the new findings in the case.

Currently, the Johnson’s are awaiting the U.S. District Attorney’s Office’s statement, in hopes that they will be granted a coroner’s inquest, an inquiry into the manner and cause of an individual’s death conducted by a Deputy Coroner, court reporter and six jurors. If the Johnson’s are granted a coroner’s inquest then the death of their son will be publicly questioned, scrutinized and evaluated through the legal system, thus creating an answer that neither the local law enforcement nor the Johnson’s can dispute easily. The death of Johnson, who would have turned eighteen by the end of October, leaves a giant question mark hanging over the Valdosta community as everyone struggles to discover what really happened to Kendrick Johnson Jan. 10 and 11.

While legally, the case is currently in suspension, many individuals are taking sides.

Most news related outlets portray Kendrick’s case as a victim of a school cover up. Junior Emma Himmelhoch believes there is more to the story and said that it really bothers her that “the school is willing to cover something like that up.” Other news related outlets portray Johnson’s case as a victim of a troubled law enforcement system. In agreement, Sierra Chandler, a Senior at the University said, “his murder needs to be solved, but more importantly, the terrible system in place in the Georgia investigations department needs to be overhauled because the incompetence shown in Kendrick Johnson’s case is ridiculous, tragic and laughable.”

As the Johnsons wait to have their questions answered and the case of their son reopened, the majority of American’s have sided with the Johnsons whether they fault the school or the local authorities; both the Johnsons and the rest of the America are patiently awaiting to resolve the ambiguous death of Kendrick Johnson.

The Johnson family and their attorney

valdostadailytimes.com

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October 23, 2013

OPINION AND EDITORIALS

THE PACE PRESS

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.

Olivia Beteta Editor-in-Chief

12 Years a Slave resonates with audiences ADAM WELLS Contributor 12 years a Slave is based on the titular autobiography written by Solomon Northup in 1853. Northup – a freeman living with his family in Saratoga Springs, New York – was drugged and sold into slavery while he was performed as a violinist with two white men in 1841. It is unclear exactly who drugged Solomon (in his book, he does not explicitly blame the two men but believes they had a hand in it) but awakes from his drugged state, chained and beaten to forget about his former life.

When telling everyone that I keep close contact with to go see this movie (and yes, I strongly recommend reading the book and watching the movie as well) 12 Years a Slave, these were the words I used to describe the film: uncomfortable, unapologetic, devastating, raw, realistic and necessary.

To actual read the words of the Solomon Northup is a hard feat to accomplish. It is a different experience to go and witness Solomon’s words coming to life for people who are unable to fathom the atrocity that occurred.

The acting in the film from Chiwetel Ejiofor who plays Solomon Northup, Michael Fassbender who plays the sadistic slave owner Edwin Epps to the brilliant Lupita Nyong’o playing Patsey, who is constantly raped and beaten by Epps, are superb.

The directing by Steve McQueen left me speechless.

Whether it was the way he allowed the sound of the river and chirping of crickets mixed with the face of Solomon and other slaves working under a blazing sun. Whether it was the cracking of whips against tender flesh or the screams of a mother whose children were ripped from her. Whether it was the fixation on the face of Solomon when after burying a slave, the other slaves begin to sing “Roll, Jordan, Roll”.

It is this scene where Solomon realizes that this is where he may die, that this hell he’s living in and he must do what he

can to survive. Or whether it was the rotation of the camera, capturing every angle of a whipping scene, McQueen creates a visually stunning atmosphere that puts the audience through the horror of the slaves.

The brutal beatings were tough to swallow but it was the despair of the slaves that were heartbreaking. That was the source of emotion for me watching this film. I imagined my ancestors going through pure hell hoping to see the light knowing it was not going to come. Some wishing to be killed than spend another day living in fear. Solomon was lucky but there were many who weren’t.

The autobiography just like the film allows the audience to experience the many facets during slavery. It goes beyond the simple explanation of the slavery is evil. The story touches upon the hypocrisies of slave owners, the sadistic nature of other owners, how female slaves were lusted after while being scorned by envious wives, the harsh reality that a free black man/woman could at any time, be sold into slavery without the prospects of ever getting out. In a cynical outlook, one may look at this film and say this slave narrative would work for a larger audience because Solomon was free and forced into slavery instead of being born into it like so many others, which brings up an important fact.

Though the movie stays close to the book, do not confuse this film with a documentary. Nonetheless, it is a story that needed to be told.

This is not a revenge fantasy like Django Unchained, this is not a morality struggle witnessed in Lincoln, 12 years a Slave is bare. It gives you the brutal truth from the view point of someone living through it.

The ending wasn’t one for smiles, wasn’t one of joy.

Words cannot accurately describe the scene but I’ll leave you with my reaction to it and my feelings minutes after going through Solomon’s journey again: I felt as if I was being punched repeatedly but I was not able to feel the physical pain, I could only imagine how the pain felt.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Erick Mancebo Associate Editor Nicole Morales Copy Editor Damien Morgan Creative Director Shannon McMahon News Editor Irene Schultz Arts Editor Thatiana Diaz Features Editor Omnia Khamis Advertising Manager Sarah Aires Web Editor Michael TJ Williams Social Media Manager 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.

The Pace Press 41 Park Row, Rm. 902 New York, NY 10038 www.pacepress.org editor@pacepress.org Copyright 2013

October 23, 2013

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ARTS

Johnny Knoxville is back with Bad Grandpa

All images courtesy of Paramount Pictures OLIVIA BETETA Editor-in-Chief Johnny Knoxville comes back to the silver screen “badder” than ever with his newest film Bad Grandpa.

Knoxville took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to colleges around the country about the newest film in the Jackass family. For those who don’t know, a Bad Grandpa marks a departure from the other films under the Jackass label. Unlike the previous movies that relied on individual pranks and stunts, however, Bad Grandpa has a storyline that will keep viewers invested.

The film is based on a character many Jackass fans will remember, the 86-yearold Irving. At this point Irving is part of Knoxville and he no longer has difficulty slipping into character. Knoxville said, “I don’t think it was difficult to stay in character, you know, that you—I mean, shit, there’s a couple of times, more than a few times in the film where I’m—my voice is Irving and then, hey, my voice is Knoxville. But yes it wasn’t that—I wasn’t doing a hyper method thing. I was just finding to keep the energy up and, you know, have it be funny. So that was more important for me than staying in character.”

Knoxville continued, “The voice, I just like (the old) for my voice and not so well, you know. The physicality, you know, I work, I’m trying to get the right walk in everything down and, you know, trying to imagine what it would be like to, you know, be 86 but my body is so banged up that I was almost walk like

Irving anywhere. ...But I do [feel] like lot of just the character comes from myself and mannerisms and, you know, I love the old comedians growing up and it’s really a more of a version of myself.

Knoxville explained in the interview, “I think you’ll be surprised at how much you’re going to be invested in the relationship between me and my grandson. There’s a loose narrative in the movie, you know take my grandson across country, deliver him to his father and across the way, we prank people.”

He continued, “And the reactions we get in the pranks are really surprising but I think the most surprising will be how much you like our relationship. And Billy [the character in the film]...Jackson is his real name, is unbelievable.”

But the idea of following a plot was definitely difficult for Knoxville, in this case he wasn’t only getting laughs from the crowd, he was inciting an emotional response. Knoxville said, “… we’re trying to service a story as well. But with this, we have a story and we’re doing pranks on people but sometimes we’ll try to work story points into the pranks.

And everything has to connect and makes sense. So that was—it was very unique to this film.”

The young actor who plays Knoxville’s grandson Billy, Jackson Nicoll, will definitely be stealing a few scenes. Knoxville gushed about the young actor saying, “we could not have found any kid more gifted than Jackson.

He is eight years old and completely fearless. You know, we’ve done pranks with kids in the past and sometimes they

just freeze up and they just – and when they’re trying to prank an adult, they cannot – it’s just too much. But never do we enter a situation where he was intimidated or frightened. He just looked forward to it.”

“And sometimes,” Knoxville continued, “if we were pranking someone and we didn’t get the desired result, he would yell an insult at them and they walk away. [We’d say] ‘All right, Jackson, you can’t do that. You know, we can’t yell at people like that, so they don’t know—if doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.’

[And he’d say] ‘Oh, OK. I’m sorry.’

But he [was] just fearless and he’s—I mean, in the little kids beauty pageant, where he’s in drag and had [to] learn [for] whole weeks and weeks for a dance routine. And I—he’s unbelievable. He’s unbelievable. I can’t wait for you guys to see Jackson.”

Bad Grandpa has been in the works for over nine years. Knoxville went on to explain, “Well, we—Paramount wanted us years ago to do a whole movie with Irving Zisman. And eight, nine years ago, I didn’t see it. But in 2008, he was just trying to develop films and we thought, ‘Well, if we were going to do a whole movie with him, what would we do?’

We’d had to have a loose type narrative.”

“The inspiration to the narrative we came up with was Paper Moon. You know, Peter Bogdanovich classic with Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal and he did this—where he didn’t know it was about her but he has actually [to] drive her to a cousin or something. He has to drive to her two states over. And so

that’s how we—that was the inspiration for Irving having to drive his grandson across country, it was Paper Moon.”

It wasn’t all work for Knoxville.

Yes, he did spend three hours everyday getting his Irving makeup done, but he, along with the rest of the crew enjoyed the process.

“I mean we had a [ball] making this film. And it’s—it pertains the, you know, there’s a couple of stunts and a lot of pranks a la Jackass but it’s own unique thing because of the story. So it’s a natural progression. But one we managed the pull off—so I’m very proud of that and I’m just happy to be shooting again. I like doing pranks and stunts,” Knoxville said.

Bad Grandpa serves as a homecoming of sorts for Knoxville. In the years since the release of Jackass 3-D Knoxville has been in a slue of major Hollywood movies that have been unable to reach the Jackass level of success. It seems he just can’t shake his Jackass persona and at this point he doesn’t seem to mind.

Knoxville and his cohorts can’t resist coming together for their rowdy brand of fun and fans keep coming back.

Knoxville said, “Yes, after the first and second movie or after the TV show are like well—after the fist movie, we said we we going to do another one, we did another one. So, now we’re not going to say, ‘No we’re not doing anything else but then we just look like asshole the third time.’ And what brings us back, I know we—I love it, we love it and it’s, you know, we enjoy what we do and I that’s what keeps bringing it back.”

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October 23, 2013

New York Film Festival premeries Walter Mitty film MICHAEL TJ WILLIAMS Social Media Manager

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty premiered on Oct. 5 at the 51st New York Film Festival. Ben Stiller, of Zoolander and Tropic Thunder, directed and starred in the feel-good film of the year as Walter Mitty, a man who goes from constant daydreming about a life of adventure to actually living these adventures, after the threat of losing his job becomes a reality and he is forced to find a missing negative for the final cover of LIFE Magazine.

The term “Walter Mitty” has become a common phrase, and refers to an ordinary person given to adventurous daydreams far grander than real life. SNL alum and Bridesmaids star Kristen Wiig co-stars in the movie as Cheryl, Walter Mitty’s romantic interest throughout the film and his primary motive for actually pursuing the adventures. Cheryl lists on her E-Harmony profile that she wants her man to be “adventurous, brave and courageous.”

The Twentieth Century Fox release also stars Shirley MacLaine, Sean Penn, Adam Scott and Kathryn Hahn. Penn is usually seen in more dramatic films, but he is able to branch out in this multi-genre film as the mysterious LIFE Magazine photographer Sean O’Connell, who shows his understanding of living life to its fullest.

Sophomore Greg Mooradian, exclaimed, “I am so excited for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty! Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig are comedic geniuses. Together they are a dream team and I know they the film will be a smash hit in theaters.”

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is based off a short story of the same name, which was written by James Thurber in 1939.

Ironically enough, this film has been a part of the Goldwyn family for years. The film is produced by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., John Goldwyn, Stuart Cornfeld and Ben Stiller.

Samuel Goldwyn, the first family member in the film industry, actually produced The Secret Life of Walter Mitty in 1947. To see this film come back into the Goldwyn family years later is quite astonishing.

“I read the short story when I was younger and I think the previews give it an interesting modern twist and justify his day dreams,” said Christopher Harral, a sophomore at the University. “It looks super visually inviting. I think I was a little worried when I heard that Ben Stiller was playing the part, but from the previews it looks like he doesn’t overdo it. That

Stiller and Wiig

excites me!”

The movie was also written by screenwriter Steven Conrad, known best for The Pursuit of Happyness.

Conrad explained that he wanted “to reconceptualize the classic idea of Walter Mitty as a guy with all the kaleidoscopic colors of modern life.” One of the ways Conrad does this is through Walter Mitty’s occupation of working as a “Negative Assets Manager” at LIFE Magazine, which is symbolic to the overall underlying theme of the movie: living life to its fullest.

Additional themes throughout the film include the search for love through online dating sites like eHarmony, the unfortunate truth of large companies converting to online methods resulting in the loss of numerous jobs, and finally, the concept of reality versus illusion. One of the most memorable lines from the film is one when

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the LIFE Magazine photographer Sean O’Connell says, “Beautiful things don’t need attention.”

The music further highlights the overall mood of the movie. Theodore Shapiro wrote the score for the film and also worked on Tropic Thunder with Stiller. Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez and recording artists Ryan Adams contributed to the movie’s soundtrack, but it was ultimately David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” that brought the film together in a musical sense. Wiig even sings the beginning of this song in one of Walter Mitty’s fantasies, only to be overpowered by the actual voice of David Bowie continuing the melody.

The film’s setting ranges from Iceland to Greenland to New York City, but it was very important that the story was New York City-based. Cornfeld, one of the film’s producers, states, “Shooting in New York was essential because that was the only way to deliver the strong sense of place that Ben envisioned. He really wanted to capture the energy and intensity of the city.”

Ben Stiller said, “What I love about this story is that it can’t be categorized. It has comedy, it has drama, it’s an adventure story, it’s real and it’s fantastically hyperreal. Yet at the heart of it all is a character who I think everyone can connect to— someone who appears to be just going through the motions of modern life but is living a whole different life inside his head.

To me, he embodies all those things we imagine about ourselves and the world but that we never say.”

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty hits theatres on Christmas Day.

Guerilla Girls exhibit questions misogyny at NYC’s musems guerrillagirls.com

VICTORIA KARATZA Contributor Not many people have heard of the Guerrilla Girls. These ladies are anonymous Gorilla mask-wearing female artists, feminists and activists that formed in 1985 as a result of protesting an exhibition at the Musem of Modern Art that featured 169 artists, only 13 of wich were female.

They are devoted to fighting sexism and racism within the art world through art, exhibitions and publications. Slogans and campaigns like, “Reinventing the ‘f’ word—Feminism” and “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?” are attributed to the works of the Guerrilla Girls. The now iconic group had a show at the University, which took a look at the Guerrilla Girls from 1985 through 2000.

Located in the Peter Fingesten Gallery, on the B-Level of One Pace Plaza, the exhibit was filled with posters that have been displayed throughout New York City in the past. “Guerrilla Girls 1985-2000” started on Sept. 17 and ran through Oct. 12. Students who attended were informed of the statistics behind racism and sexism throughout the art world and culture in general.

Over the past few years, the Guerrilla Girls have been traveling around universities and museums all over the world. They have made around 90 appearances, not including being featured in numerous well-

known texts and publications. These girls know how to artistically complain, which is probably why their work is effective. Between large-scale installations and critiques on major art institutions, their work has been passed around endlessly.

Highlight pieces on display at the exhibit at the University included a poster of the nude female body with the head of a gorilla on it (with the gorilla head hiding the identity of the nude female) exemplifies the work of the Guerrilla Girls and how they are anonymous in their activist work. This poster was the most colorful of the projects, with other posters displaying information about female roles in politics and racism in the modern world.

When the Guerrilla Girls asked, “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?” back in 1985, their research proved that less than five percent of the artists in the Modern Art Sections are women, but 89 percent of nudes are female. The show at the University not only entertained with humorous and outrageous visuals, but also informed the audience of the true corruption in art, politics, film and pop culture. The Guerrilla Girls know their information and stop at nothing to inform the general public. They have at times referred to themselves as the superheroes of the art world, and that is what they do: Provide justice for females and minorities that do not have the chance to do so for themselves. The history of discrimination is revealed due to the efforts of the Guerrilla Girls.

October 23, 2013

Cooking with Costa: A cooking introspective The Season of Simple Indulgence MARIA COSTA Contributor Autumn is my favorite time to cook. This is the season just before the first frost where everything in the farmer’s market is root vegetables, squash, and apples galore, and where—if you’re lucky—you’ll score some cider donuts to nibble on as you wander the farm stands in Union Square. I’m lucky enough to have ample opportunity to take full advantage of the season’s abundance through my job on a rooftop farm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Presently, the farm is groaning under the weight of the harvest.

There are crates of peppers and kale stacked precariously in the rooftop shed, waiting to be delivered to various restaurants in the area, and rows of roundbottomed radishes bursting from their beds, ready to be sold at the Sunday market. But the changing weather and slowly waning sunlight are gentle reminders that this too shall pass. It seems hard to imagine that in a little over a month, the sun-drenched hues of burnished red and yellow that define this season will cede to the muted grays of frosty nights. In the meantime, our task is to preserve what we can for the winter and sell the rest. So it is imperative to find ways to indulge in the simple pleasures of this season while it lasts.

Indulgence is my specialty in the kitchen. If I have learned one thing from my mother, it is that anything can be made indulgent with a swirl of olive oil and a pinch of herbs. This seems to fundamentally go against the prevailing belief that indulgence is based on lots of butter and sugar.

Don’t get me wrong, I indulge in butter and sugar quite often (and am all the better for it), but with fall produce you need nothing more to bring out its sweetness than good quality olive oil and a little patience. You will be surprised, for example, by how the sugars in this butternut squash recipe melt into a natural glaze when subjected to a bit of heat in the oven. When you take a bite, this glaze crackles and gives way to a creamy center. The effect is incredibly indulgent, and it is practically effortless. Below is the full recipe for roasted fall vegetables, crafted the way fall was meant to be enjoyed:

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LGBT History month celebrations underway

JUAN PABLO CASTIBLANCO Contributor The month of October celebrates LGBT history month, which includes National Coming Out Day, a day where LGBT people across the country embrace their coming out experience and support others as they go through the coming out process.

On Oct. 11, 2013, the LGBTQA and Social Justice Center, along with Stonewall Coalition, hosted the National Coming Out Day Fair on the C-Level Gym of One Pace Plaza, presenting LGBT Speakers and guest and student performers. Students were invited to watch performances, hear speeches and participate in an arts and crafts table where they were encouraged to create art that encouraged LGBT pride.

Kelly Herbert, Asst. Director of the LGBTQA and Social Justice Center, said of the program, “The LGBTQA Center works year round to educate communities and create spaces in our campuses, in our homes and in our hearts for people to just be themselves comfortably. We recognize National Coming Out Day with the understanding that there are still so many individuals who are unable to be out as queer or as an ally due to fear of real and lived consequences. We use this day to be visible, and work across and with our differences to validate the courage of those who came before us, and to create a path for those who keep coming.”

The National Coming Out Day Fair also demonstrated the various resources offered to the LGBT Community at New York City campus, including tables from Civilian Complain Review Board, which handed out information about ways to report police misconduct, and a speech from Reverend Pat Bumgardner from the Metropolitan Community Church of New York.

University Alumnus Roberto Chavez said, “It seemed appropriate that there were spiritual leaders, poets and civic leaders showing their support to the Pace LGBTQA community. Stonewall Coalition and the LGBTQA and Social Justice Center once again showed Pace University that when we come out of the closet there are resources and people there for us.”

The performances and crafting stations symbolized the struggle that the LGBT community faces while coming out, and they showed the support in which this

community is built upon. As demonstrated by the words of one of the poet performers at the fair, Sam LaRoche, “Coming Out Day is important for those coming out to know that there are places where they can live their lives openly and fully with acceptance and without fear. Everyone ‘comes out’ in his or her own time, and it is not done without strength, persistence and courage.

Coming Out Day at Pace allows for us speakers to tell our stories, to reflect on our journey and reassure those in the community that living a happy and loved life is possible. This also speaks to non-LGBTQ members, helping them to understand the struggles that we face.

I am grateful for where I am at now, but I didn’t come this far without tears that were shed along the way. I encourage all members of the community to find when it is right for them to Come Out and Stay Out. Some times I catch myself and I think ‘Oh yeah, I’m gay,’ and it fills me with joy because this is who I am and I get to be who I am openly, that is the greatest freedom I am blessed with.”

The LGBTQA and Social Justice center, Stonewall Coalition and the Lavender Ladies—a new organization for women who love women—have hosted a variety of events through out the month focused on celebrating LGBT pride and history, but also educating people and leading discussions about the various current issues for LGBTQA identified people. Events hosted include the Women Who Love Women Mixer, a Rocky Horror Picture Show Movie Outing and a dynamic workshop with Award Winning Activist and writer, Robyn Ochs, who’s book is called “Challenging Biphobia: What You Can Do.” A discussion group, taking place in Oct. 25th, will discuss the various ways oppression, such as “racism, sexism, classism, and other ‘isms’” affect people in the LGBTQA who identify with various minority groups in race, gender and class. This is part of the Weekly Discussion Group Series of the LGBTQA and Social Justice Center, and takes place each Friday at 12 p.m. in 41 Park Row, Room 903.

Stonewall Coalition will be hosting the Halloween Ball filled with music, food and costunes. Stonewall Coalition will also be hosting a costume competition through out the night, along with a vogue competition.

The ball will be taking place on Oct. 31st from 8p.m.2a.m. at the Student Union of One Pace Plaza.

Crisp and Tender Roasted Fall Vegetables

(Adapted from a recipe by Merrill Stubbs at Food52) Serves 4

Ingredients:

1.5 cup chopped Yukon gold potatoes (3/4 inch) 1.5 cup peeled and chopped butternut squash (3/4 inch) . 5 cup chopped radishes (3/4 inch) . 5 cup chopped carrots or parsnips (3/4 inch) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme (or other woodsy herb of your choice)

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment 2. Using your fingers, toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and thyme.

3. Put the vegetables in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip them gently with a spatula and continue to roast until the vegetables are crisp and tender, another 10 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature (but they are best plucked straight from the baking dish!)

All images courtesy of Maria Costa

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NEW YORK COMIC CON

October 23, 2013

Students dress the part for NYCC MAX ONOFRE Contributor

One of the biggest events in New York has come and gone and left us with an amazing array of costumes. New York Comic Con, the annual culture convention was around for the four customary days in Oct., giving fans of comics, graphic novels, anime, video games, toys, and movies a chance to display their love. Like many other conventions built around fan bases, NYCC did not disappoint, and brought many great costumes to the table.

Some of the more popular costumes this year were based on superheroes such as Batman, Superman, Thor, Iron Man and the likes. Classic costumes, like Sailor Moon and the Doctor Who were also displayed, with many people donning their favorite Doctor or Magical Girl outfit.

Of course, for many University students, NYCC was a nice break from classes and grades, as they let their inner geeks out and ran from panel to panel.

Freshman Brianna Kish was very elated about having finished her costume in time: “This year, because I was so busy with school and trying to do other things, I didn’t have as much time to work on my costume.” She decided at the beginning of the year to dress up as Lady Loki, a gender bent version of the villain in Thor. “I had worked so hard on the costume itself,” Kish said, “but I had completely forgotten to go back and work on the helmet. ...It was an absolute disaster. However, I got it done just in time. I went with my friend who decided to be ‘Lady’ Hawkeye and we had tons of fun.” Kish said the most interesting costume she saw was Ant Man: “He wasn’t the weirdest dressed, but he had a miniature Ant Man he made and he kept ‘disappearing’ and then he’d leave the toy there. It was just hilarious.”

Freshman Erik Small, a self described Game of Thrones fan, was dressed up as Jon Snow, a well-known character of the series. Small was actually prepped way before the weekend. He recalled getting a friend from home who used to work in theater costume design to help him make his outfit. “She is an amazing tailor, suit-making person and she was as excited as I was about me getting to come to New York and do Comic Con here. We worked most of the summer on the costume because she said that if her work was going out of state, it better look good.” Small cheerfully discussed the time it took for the two to go shopping and trying to get his friend to not poke him with the needles.

“At the end though, my costume looked badass so I am forever in her debt.” Small said he didn’t actually get to see Ant Man but he had gotten a chance to see a “crossover of a steam punk, zombie, Batman.”

He recalled seeing lots of steam punk costumes and zombie costumes, but never both and with a superhero. “It was cool but it was also kinda weird, you know.”

NYCC recap OLIVIA BETETA Editor-in-Chief

Cosplayers show off their costuming skills All Photos by Olivia Beteta

Comic Con is the jam-packed weekend when super heroes, zombies and every other pop culture icon imaginable collide for a glorious convention in New York.

Annually, NYCC comes to the Jacob K. Javitis Convention Center and every year the convention sees thousands of people enter its glass structure.

As expected, fans came out in their usual costumed grab, paying homage to their favorite characters from video games, cartoons, movies, TV shows and more. But NYCC is not just for the cosplaying fan. There are a slue of panels, celebrity signings and sneak previews of the trends in media.

Following the theme of last year, NYCC was fully decked out in Walking Dead deco. Everything from the badges to the signage gave way to the Walking Dead theme. Additionally, the majority of the cast was there for a special panel celebrating the start of season 4. There were even some Game of Thrones spoilers, thanks to Jerome Flynn, better known as Bronn. Fans can look forward to a season full of surprises, because it is going to have some interesting deviations from the book.

Actors from True Blood, Tourchwood, The Office, Kick Ass and even the X-Files made appearances at NYCC13. Not to mention the casual will.i.am and Whoopie Goldberg sightings.

A special competition this year at NYCC was brought to fans by Secret walls and Kidrobot.

Secret walls is live action art competition similar to Fight Club except that it is only spread through word of mouth and social media. The two came together for a 90 minute black and white drawing competition. This year, L’amour Supreme and MAD went head to head, with L’amour taking the win in the end. Both artists, however, created an original masterpiece.

NEW YORK COMIC CON

October 23, 2013

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Image: Google

Arthur: Aardvark for the ages

Comic Con features second longest running animated television series IRENE SCHULTZ Arts Editor “Hey, what a wonderful kind of day!” greeted the creative Emmy-nominated team behind the famous animated character Arthur the Aardvark at this year’s New York Comic Con. The Pace Press had the opportunity to attend a panel exploring the ages of the aardvark celebrity and why it is such a hit with many viewers of various ages.

Arthur creator Marc Brown started the phenomenon as a book in 1976, which he claimed to be “the worst year of my life.” Brown explained how on this day he was fired from his teaching job and returned home to where his son wanted a bedtime story, thus how the character of an aardvark with a very long nose was born. During this tough time, Brown struggled with unemployment, not having health insurance and having to buy diapers. What he truly enjoyed was writing, drawing and kids, but he wasn’t making any money.

Then, he realized he could make money if he turned the aardvark’s story into a series.

Brown was forced to go back to third grade and remember all of his friends and teachers he had which in order to inspire the popular Arthur books. Not long after, PBS came to Brown and suggested combining Arthur and television in order to make kids want to read.

Among the panelists at NYCC was Greg Bailey, who translated Brown’s drawings into T.V. characters. At first it was hard for Brown to share with others and accept drawings others did of his own characters, because he admitted to being a “control freak.” Greg explained the challenge of keeping the style of Brown’s original book series. Brown’s constantly fluctuating characters had to be standardized in T.V. drawings because there was never just one exact image of Arthur to produce from 2D to 3D. Another difficulty with transitioning Arthur from a book to the screen was defining Arthur’s world. Brown created a specific map of Elwood City and a floor plan of Arthur’s house, all of which were based off of Hingham, MA, where Brown lives.

When asked what character is easiest for him to write for, scriptwriter Peter K. Hirsch explained how the character of George, the awkward shy Moose who talks through a wooden puppet, is his biggest joy to write. This is because George has many problems.

The character of Muffy, on the other hand, is the most difficult for Hirsch to write because she can be nasty, but he also has to find ways to make her clueless.

This is one concept that the creative team emphasized regarding the dynamics of the show. The characters of Arthur aren’t perfect. The awkward quiet child is a genius, the rich child is genuine, and the nice well-behaved child gets in trouble for hitting his little sister. Arthur portrays real life situations and people to audiences. There is a natural quality to the show that explores real kids going through real events.

The artists also answered the huge question that every devoted Arthur fan has been wondering: Why do the characters’ voices keep changing? The reason why the T.V. characters’ voices have changed over the years is because they pride themselves on using real kids to do the voice recordings. Because of this, young boys voices are constantly changing pitches and it is difficult to find a new actor on short notice that sounds exactly similar to the previous actor’s voice. A surprise fun fact for Arthur fans; Arthur’s little

sister D.W. is actually played by a boy.

One of the biggest topics on the discussion of the popularity of the kids television show is the timeless music. Arthur has one of the best theme songs in television history.

The memorable theme song “Believe in Yourself” was recorded in Jamaica by Ziggy Marley and features the voices of Bob Marley’s many family members, including his grandkids. Another interesting bit of truth; the fun and catchy tune was recorded while these artists were under the influence of marijuana, truly a “wonderful kind of day.”

The music featured on the show exposes kids to a wide range of real music. No other show is bolder about using music in animation. It does not just include silly children’s tunes, but real songs with melodies and meaningful lyrics. Some of the most popular songs include “Library Card,” “Sad Bunny,” and “Jackal High.” Past musical artists featured on Arthur include Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Redman. Arthur introduces artists to children and makes music cool to them. This is one huge reason for the wide demographic of the show.

Another factor that makes Arthur unique is it doesn’t shy away from serious topics, portraying the most dire of human circumstances. Audiences can find themselves both weeping and laughing while watching a cartoon. Past episodes have touched upon the topics of cancer, Asperger’s and dyslexia. In addition to being fun and entertaining, each episode takes on another issue at the same time, making it both entertaining and educational to viewers. The shows plots come from life experiences and deal with real things the writers’ own kids are going through.

The panelists expressed one of the biggest things they learned in producing a show for children television is to not talk down to kids by including big words and adult concepts and references because they will eventually gain knowledge of it. The show doesn’t specifically aim for adults as their target audience, but they often do understand certain humor and react and a different way.

Many parents and family members offered thanks to Marc Brown and his team for creating such an educational show for their young children. One audience member personally thanked Brown, explaining how his son didn’t like to read but now is the number one reader in his class. He also adds that his son now knows how to behave well and treat his younger sister. Another college-aged audience member expressed, “Arthur has been a great teacher to all of us on life circumstances. There is always something to learn…so good with young and old.”

Arthur will be entering its 17th season next month as the second longest running animated series on T.V., behind The Simpsons. Although “half of the Arthur audience goes to the bathroom in their clothing,” as Brown admits, the demographic includes a wide range of college students and parents alike. Either way, the show depicts timeless situations everyone faces as both an adult and a child. Arthur now has over 1 million Facebook fans, most of them being older. There is a prominent population of kids who now get together to watch Arthur. The unique and timeless qualities of the long-beloved cartoon and his world are here to stay.

The transformation of the brainstormed bedtime story into an award-winning famous animated series just goes to show that little pink slip can be a ticket to great adventures and success.

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FEATURES

October 23, 2013

University students volunteer to “Paint a School”

ELIZABETH POORAN Contributor

On Saturday, Oct. 19, University students from both the NYC and Pleasantville campuses spent their weekends observing “NY Cares Day” with a “Paint a School” event, making a difference painting cafeterias and sorting out books, among other activities.

The Center for Community Action and Research has hosted this event for the past few years, but for the first time this year, Pleasantville students were able to join in.

The experience was in collaboration with New York Cares, a non-profit organization dedicated to taking action against social issues all over New York City. Participants were split into two different locations in Brooklyn and in the Bronx. Those who were visiting from Pleasantville were transported to the Bronx location while others volunteered over at P.S. 139, just a few minutes away from the University.

Students worked together to fill up to 150 boxes with old, out-of-date textbooks that had to be recycled. They were able to get rid of most of the textbooks, while working under a strict time limit, as they formed an assembly line from the book room itself to the door leading outside.

Not only were they able to move all of the textbooks, but they also saved the school over thousands of dollars as well, which could now be used to purchase new books for the students.

Another project that took place was painting the cafeteria. Volunteers were able to sketch and paint images and words of wisdom that would promote a better school environment such as “respect” and “safety.” The staff of the school who were present that day, including the principal, were also a great help to University students by getting involved in the projects and providing the resources they had available to get the job done.

Luckily for the volunteers, the weather permitted them to work outside as well.

The garden was tended to and flowers were planted along the fence. Other projects included sorting through children’s books and identifying what level they were as well as putting up bulletin boards. Those who volunteered in the Bronx were able to paint murals and work outside as well.

For many students, this was a first time experience. Katrina Portagallo, freshman, gave her thoughts on this being her first NY Cares event, saying, “I’m a dance major and I haven’t had the time to get involved in any of the school’s activities and this particular event stuck out to me because I really like art and community service.

It was a good day and this is definitely something I would want to do again. This is something that I would recommend to my friends as well.”

For some students, this event was merely to give back to our community and to make a difference, even if it meant carrying loads of heavy books or dealing with piles of dust, while for others, it was also a socializing and networking experience. On top of that, it’s something that students can include in résumés or job applications. The event brought everyone together, to not only support a good cause, but to have fun and to develop new friendships and interact with other University students.

University students paint positive phrases

A student tackles a secondary coat of color

University students work together to paint a portion of a wall

Students tend to a garden, watering freshly planted flowers

All photos by Elizabeth Pooran

October 23, 2013

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Prankvertisements scare Americans, excite marketers

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JESSICA OWENS Contributor

A New York City coffee shop gave its customers more than a dose of caffeine after an enraged woman levitated a frightened man up a wall. The stupefied customers seemed to have entered a fictional universe, quickly becoming witnesses to what they thought was a Telekenetic woman.

In reality, however, they were simply victims of a prankvertisement for the upcoming remake of the movie “Carrie.”

The supernatural incident was a hoax, created by Thinkmodo, the marketing firm behind the viral YouTube hits such as the “iPad Head Girl,” “the Shaving Helmet,” and “the Times Square TV Hack.” Thinkmodo is notorious for prankvertising, the new term used for brands that pull pranks to advertise products. The firm added one more prankvertisement to the list when coffee drinkers (or in this case, coffee spillers) scattered around the shop, unknowingly helping advertise the remake.

The stunt occurred in late August: Thinkmodo had crews build a fake wall and set up remote-control tracks at sNice Cafe in the West Village. The prank included about half a dozen actors. Actress Andrea Morales played Stephen King’s tortured herione, Carrie, while stuntman Travis Graves played her victim. Graves was tethered to a pulley system, and the tables were on remote-control tracks while the books were rigged to tumble at the push of a button.

A witness reacts to the telekenesis prank

With everything set up, the co-founder of Thinkmodo, James Parcelay got the cameras ready. The action started with Morales flipping out after Graves spilled coffee on her laptop. The actress then pushed the stuntman against the wall. The paranormal acts continued as Morales sent books soaring through the air before she forced tables to skid across the floor. The actress then capped the display off with a menacing scream that even Sissy Spacek would have to applaud.

The video immediately went viral, hitting YouTube on Oct. 8 and amassing 3 million views by noon on Oct. 9. If people were not talking about “Carrie” before, they certainly were now, inspiring marketers to rethink their advertising strategies.

Two years ago, Parcelay explained the effective use of prankvertising, saying, “For us, it’s key to have fascinating, entertaining content, and that’s what makes something go viral. ...We end our videos with a question mark so we can engage the viewer and make them… connect more with the brand.”

“Carrie” is not the first film to use a viral video to drum up hype, but the film has gotten people talking about the increasingly popular marketing style. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” scored millions of views of its own with a video of a chimp firing an AK-47. “The Last Exorcism” gave teenage boys a sexorcism on Chatroulette by having a girl’s eyes fly into the back of her head while screaming and unbuttoning her blouse at the same time. “District 9”

slate.com

made people think twice before sitting on a bus bench by having a “Bus Stop for Humans Only” sign posted on its side.

Although “District 9” did not use a viral video to get audiences buzzing, it still used a prank to generate excitement.

Some critics have a problem with prankvertising because it consists of scenarios that thrive off of fear, death and danger, testing the limits of personal privacy and social acceptability. Michael Solomon, industry consultant and professor of marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA, talked about the negative aspects of the marketing genre. According to Solomon, these recorded pranks are “the dark side of the constant drumbeat to enhance consumer engagement.” Parcelay, however, defended this strategy while discussing the firm’s “Dead Man Down” elevator prank: “We engaged people by putting that strangulation into a real-life setting and challenging folks to examine their own reactions when coming upon such a scene.”

Whether they’re too invasive or increase popularity, prankvertisements, like the “Carrie” video, are a reminder that films are brands, too, and film marketers would be wise to hop aboard the sailing vessel that has launched several of the most viral videos over the last couple years.

The “Carrie” hoax may make people think twice before believing that the woman in the coffee shop has real powers, but more importantly, it is a part of a booming and increasingly viable marketing tool.

Another witness reacts to the telekenesis prank

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October 23, 2013

A handy guide to selecting the best Halloween costume Because the Miley Cyrus two-piece with licked-up sledgehammer look isn’t it DANIQUE PEDLEY Contributor It’s again that time of year when people of all ages embrace their inner creativity, love of celebrities, and, for some, their bad judgement, as they flaunt their best Halloween costume attempts for all the world to see.

In order to support creativity and prevent disaters, The Pace Press has assembled some simple guidelines for a successful Halloween costume: In general, one’s costume should be the right size, and be age/weather/ event appropriate.

When selecting a costume from a store, always check the size first and make sure the costume is your size.

Sometimes just checking the size is not enough. To avoid any costume malfunctions, try on the costume before leaving the store. This will make sure that a few inches above the knee doesn’t turn into a mini skirt that’s way too small for the person who is wearing it. After you have chosen the right size costume, make sure your costume is age appropriate. It’s time to leave the ironic Dora the

Singer Miguel

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Miley and her sledgehammer entertainmentwise.com

Explorer, Tinker Bell, and SpongeBob costumes alone.

Super heroes are okay, but absolutely no capes.

Now that your costume is also age appropriate in addition to being the right size, you need to make sure it is weather appropriate. If Halloween is going to be windy, wear stockings with that bathng suit, or a panty hose that matches your skin tone with your costume. For a chilly night, stop trying to be cute and instead try to protect your health by accessorizing your costume with a scarf, cardigan, or knit open front sweater. One way to keep warm is by throwing on a blazer over your Superman costume. Suddenly, you transform into Clark Kent and are well dressed for the weather. If it is raining on Halloween, then choose a costume with material that will not stick to you when wet--although it might help get some postHalloween dates. Lightweight polyester and cotton are good fabrics for wet weather. On the other hand bad fabrics for wet weather include spandex and vinyl.

Finally, the last thing you need to add to a costume that fits is age appropriate as well as weather appropriate is to make sure it is event appropriate. Regular costumes are good for costume parties but for a masquerade ball add some finesse to your costume.

The best Halloween costumes this year are the most creative ones. Mandy Flores, a senior at the University, said, “What’s good on Halloween is creativity [while] what’s bad is over-promiscuity.” If you’re aiming to stand out, then being someone else just won’t cut it. Dressing as someone else does not have the same glamour it did years ago when everyone wanted to be famous. Sorry boys, the Miguel costume isn’t it this year. And, ladies, don’t even think about the Miley Cyrus two piece—It was bad enough the first time. Spare yourself the label of bad taste, and pick a more original costume.

Creative and original costumes show thought and ingenuity, as opposed to dressing up as your favorite celebrity. Instead of doing the usual red carpet faux pas for Halloween, let the celebrities handle the outrageous costumes. Fresh costume ideas this year include characters from your favorite movies and television shows. This works best if you’re dressing up with friends. Try the cast of The Hunger Games or “Pretty Little Liars,” As junior Rebecca Conkling said, “Halloween costumes are all about self-expression and being able to live out your dreams for a day.”

Rappers B.o.B., French Montana take to Homecoming stage SARAH AIRES Web Editor

The University’s annual Homecoming Concert took place Oct. 17th in the basement gymnasium at One Pace Plaza. The venue was transformed into a hip-hop haven with University-event staple DJ Spynfo and guests of honor DJ Earworm, and rappers French Montana and B.O.B. in attendance.

The event began with DJ Spynfo on the turntables mixing classic Tupac and Biggie tunes as well as more recent club hits to warm up the, at times, unruly crowd.

University mascot T-bone the Setter also joined the DJ to hype up the crowd for the main acts.

Nearly two hours after doors opened for the event, DJ Earworm, a San Francisco based DJ most famous for his yearly mashups of the top 25 songs from Billboard’s Year End Hot 100 took to the stage. Despite his mashups’ international acclaim, he only played his 2009 mix, “Don’t Stop the Pop,” his most commercially successful, which includes such groundbreaking chart toppers as Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” and Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance.” DJ Earworm’s set warmed up the crowd, but after about a half hour of his DJ-ing skills, the impatient crowd began to chant for French Montana, who was set to perform next.

An hour after DJ Earworm left the stage, Bronx-raised rapper French Montana stormed the stage decked out in gold chains and wearing oddly inappropriate sunglasses.

Montana performed crowd favorites “Freaks” and “Ain’t

Worried ‘bout Nothin,” before enthralling the crowd with his most recent breakout hit, “Pop That” which also features hip-hop heavyweight Rick Ross. Despite the obvious excitement for Montana’s appearance at the University, his lyrical content, which features lines like, “Shot him four times with the gun I was concealing,” has raised some questions about the appropriateness of the rapper’s appearance at the University. Despite the hushed criticisms, Rachel Wildner, P.A.C.E. Board Co-President said, “We chose the artists by student survery, cost and availability.”

B.o.B took the stage after French Montana. Despite his headlining status, a significant percentage of the crowd left after French Montana’s set. Despite the dwindling crowd, though, B.o.B. put on quite the show, performing his smash hits “Airplanes,” “Headbandz” and “We In This Bitch,” during which he crowd surfed over unexpecting students’ heads. The lively show also raised some eyebrows when an enthusiastic dancer began to dance provactively with the rapper.

Senior Steve Nolte said, “B.o.B.’s performance was pretty good, but I just felt it was a little inappropriate to see him gyrating with a teenaged girl on him. Just felt wrong for a University-level standard.”

Barring all criticisms, the concert was a huge success.

Student tickets were sold out days before the concert, and “Non-University Student” priced tickets waned as the event’s opening night approached. The homecoming concert tradition is slated to continue next year.

Rapper French Montana

Joanna Franco

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October 23, 2013

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Student emails transitioning to Microsoft Outlook COURTNEY JOHNSON Contributor

Student emails are now getting a make-over as the current Google student email accounts are being migrated to Microsoft Exchange Outlook accounts.

While freshmen students are already using Outlook accounts, upperclassmen students received emails this month informing them of the incoming migration from Gmail to Microsoft.

This migration will include contacts, calendars and emails. Any Google Drive documents that students have will not be migrated, however­—those documents can still be accessed as students will still be able to use their Google Drive accounts as usual after the migration.

“It was pretty new to me because as a freshman I was used to Aol and Yahoo email and the storage was very low,” said Lovell. “I was very happy when they initially switched to Google.” Laurie Witham, Director of Technical Service, confirms that the university used Outlook before.

“Yes, approximately four years ago we moved student email from Microsoft Exchange to Google,” said Witham. Witham cited various issues with both Google and Outlook as the cause for both merges. “There were a number of reasons for the [first] move, most notably the larger mailboxes that Google could provide,” said Witham.

“However, we have experienced a number of issues with Google that have caused us to make the decision to move student email back to Microsoft Exchange.”

Lovell does not favor this switch.

“You receive way less storage space,” said Lovell. “I have over 1000 emails, maybe this will be an incentive to clear it out.” Information Technology Services cites some of the benefits of migrating to Microsoft Exchange Outlook, including easier email configuration for mobile devices—a huge plus­— as well as better integration between faculty and staff emails and student emails (especially helpful) for calendar sharing between professors and their students, allowing tech support from Microsoft to be readily available, fixing the issue with student mail being marked as spam and allowing students to take advantage of the new Microsoft Lync instant messaging feature that accompanies Microsoft Outlook Accounts.

Lovell, however, feels that the Gmail accounts have a lot more features that would be useful to students. “Google email is awesome, it has a lot of storage space, and to say that we have a Pace Google email was pretty awesome in itself,” said Lovell. “Not to mention the different apps for it like [Instant Messaging] chat and video chat and being able to call people from the Google account just seemed more useful to me than just the regular Outlook and it even looks better.”

Lovell was not sure why the University has decided to switch back to Outlook: “To be honest I am not sure why they are switching again,” said Lovell. “I really prefer Google, the only thing I can think of is that Google was possibly a temporary change until ITS could switch back to

Outlook.” Witham, however, favors the Outlook Exchange program to Google and believes that other students will as well: “I personally prefer Exchange, I find the interface to be much more feature-rich and intuitive,” said Witham. “But, more importantly, I believe the students will like it; we’ve received some excellent feedback from students.”

Witham recalls that the students received Outlook Exchange very positively the first time it was used. “In terms of features, students had no complaints,” said Witham. To make this transition as smooth as possible, the ITS department has created the option of Opting-In to the migration.

Students can visit the ITS department page on the University website to access the Early Migration Opt-In tool. Once the process is started, however, there is no turning back and the amount of time that this journey from Google Apps to Microsoft Outlook will take is dependent upon the amount of data one has stored in their email account and the amount of email accounts that are currently being migrated at the given time.

Witham reassures students that the ITS department is adamant on making this transition as easy as possible. “We are working to make the transition as smooth as possible. We have a utility available to migrate email, calendar and contacts from Google to Exchange and we have an FAQ page,” said Witham. “We will also continue to send announcements to students regarding the email migration.”

Those who do not choose to optin to their pending migration will be forcibly migrated during the January 2014

Intersession. Lovell received the overall transition with a bit of skepticism: “[ITS] usually switches the way we connect at Pace a lot. ...When I first got here the Internet was extremely easy to access, and they switched it and it was super-hard to access and then they switched it again, so I don’t know if I’m too keen on thinking that this change will be ‘the best thing ever,’ I’m just not too sure.”

After the migration there will be a waiting period of 180 days where students can still access their Google accounts to make sure that their information has been migrated properly. After the 180 day mark, the Google accounts will be no more. The Outlook migration, however, is not the only thing the ITS department has accomplished and certainly not the only thing that the department has up its sleeve.

“No doubt, you’ve seen the wonderful renovations to our Computer Resource Centers in 1 Pace Plaza and Willcox Hall and we’ll be working on renovating the electronic classrooms in both Mortola and Birnbaum Libraries this winter,” said Witham. “We will also be upgrading Microsoft Lync to the latest version, which will bring new features to web conferencing, including multiparty HD video, streamlined web plugin, and new mobile clients.”

The wireless network is also currently being worked on. “ITS is constantly reviewing our services and strives to deliver innovative solutions for the Pace Community,” said Witham. “We’re continuing to upgrade the wireless network and expect that we will be fully upgraded to robust high-speed wireless on all campuses by the end of this academic year.”

300sandwiches.com MAX ONOFRE Contributor Sandwiches are commonly known as the staple lunch bag meal. However, one couple has made the sandwich the future of their relationship. Stephanie Smith, a New York Post gossip reporter, started a sandwich blog during June of 2012. The point of her blog was to share her recipes of the sandwiches she made, each becoming more elaborate than the next. However, the reason she has so many different recipes is because she is woman with a goal; a goal to make 300 sandwiches for her engagement ring.

Smith’s blog focuses on the mission she has, which started with a simple statement her longtime boyfriend made, “You’re like, 300 sandwiches away from an engagement ring.” With this twisty and odd proposal, Smith set out to face the challenge. Though both she and her boyfriend Eric Schulte have received many critiques over this unusual courting towards engagement, Smith is very open and light hearted about their situation.

She states that “To him, sandwiches are like kisses or hugs. Or sex,” while he declares that “Sandwiches are love.”

From everywhere around her, Smith has received many encouraging and discouraging words. On her blog, she recalls a friend’s words, “How ‘Stepford Wives’ of you!” referencing the satirical novel and film by Ira Levin about submissive housewives who, according to the main character, may be robots created by their husbands. Her own mother, not a critic of the idea, but instead of her daughter, asked “Honey, can you even cook?” Smith does not retell her “proposal” story as a fairy tale gone wrong, but instead proudly claims on her blog that this is just a way to learn how to cook amazing food, give them time to learn about each other, and hopefully at the end, her boyfriend will

make good on his promise.

University students, however, seemed to think that this gesture was a cleverly disguised rouse for the ever prominent and chauvinistic phrase of “make me a sandwich woman.” They believed that it was a sexist request, and that Stephanie should not have gone along with this deal.

“Why would she do that?” was the first question sophomore Elliot Reese asked.

“Doesn’t she see that he’s being sexist and huge jerk? I mean, come on, he’s making her work for a proposal even though they live together and they dated for so long. This is just wrong.” Many of the following commentaries I had after talking to Reese were similar, with majority of the students agreeing with her opinion of the sexist argument.

Natalie Arriago, a junior, was enraged at the idea of having someone ask for “such a ridiculous request.” She said, “This girl should know better than that. If a guy is being this demanding, how is he going to be when you’re married?” She didn’t believe, like many others, that Smith’s way of thinking about the proposal was cute. They believed it to be a marred image of what could have been.

Smith’s boyfriend, simplified this idea of food and proposal in an interview. “You women read all these magazines to get advice on how to keep a man, and it’s so easy,” he said. “We’re not complex. Just do something nice for us. Like make a sandwich.”

Marshall Clark, a freshman, said, “Dude, if she’s willing to make a sandwich, that’s great but this guy is whack. He can’t ask her to marry him if she does this. That’s just wrong.”

Never the less, the blog continues, successfully posting new recipes a few times a week, and never failing to have a story with the sandwich and maybe, after a few more sandwiches, there will be happy ending to this story.

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October 23, 2013

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CMJ Marathon 2013 draws in artists from all over the world OLIVIA BETETA Editor-in-Chief

Photos by Olivia Beteta

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The second week of October marks a multitude of events, notably the start of CMJ music marathon. In addition to brisk air and pumpkin spiced lattes, autumn brings nearly a weeklong of music festivities. Over 1,400 bands in over 80 venues come together with music industry professionals for shows, panels and the occasional open bar.

CMJ has ended, but the mark it has made will follow for years to come.

In the past year, numerous bands that later became best selling artists have had their start at CMJ, and this year should be no different. Critics and industry professionals are already placing bets on who will be the next rising star in indie music.

Artists, in turn, book as many shows in as many venues as possible to increase their chances of being seen. Fans reap the benefits of all this work when they buy a badge. For badge holders almost every show is free.

Non-badge holders need not fear, though, as most shows are fewer than ten dollars and they are held at some of the hottest bars and clubs in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

CMJ caters to acetic music aficionados with their extensive line-up of mostly emerging artists from around the globe. Live performances covering variety of genres including, but not limited to, indie, rap and EDM. However, there is that oh so sweet rare occasion when a more established artist will come out of hiding and steal the spotlight, because when Arcade Fire has a secret show, as they did this year, people have and will drop everything to go. This year there were a number of secret shows, with one of the most notable being Counting Crows. The California natives played to a packed crowd at the Bowery Electric on Oct. 17.

This year, a number of artists have already started generating some attention. SISU is the solo project of Susan Vu, better known as the drummer of Dum Dum Girls. Vu was already known as an accomplished musician before beginning her own project. While SISU’s sound is very different from that of the DUM DUM Girls, the talent is apparent.

Rathborne is the brainchild of Maine musician Luke Rathborne. This year at CMJ, Rathborne drew crowds when the band played under their new label under French Kiss called “True Believer.” WET has long time been a band to watch and this year was no different. The Brooklyn boys packed Santos Party House so much so that bouncers had to turn away fans at the door. Other bands to keep an eye out for include Total Slacker, Drowners, Kid Karate and Claire.

CMJ is not just about live music, though, it’s also about the industry that supports it. This is the time current industry professionals share their knowledge with anyone who will listen. It also presents a great opportunity for aspiring musicians, music lawyers, future publicists, etc. to meet and network with some of the most influential individuals in the music business today. Some of the panels included: Music Journalism in the New Media World, How to Survive as a Musician in 2013, EDM: The last Dance? And Bootstrapped: Indie Label Challenges.

All these panels were manned by some of the best known people in the business including Bill Werde, editorial director of Billboard, David Adams, music content manager at SoundCloud, John Noris, supervising producer at Fuse News and Natasha Bent of The Agency Group, just to name a few. In addition to all the panels, this year also featured career counseling. Badge Holders could sign up for one on one meetings with producers, song writers, producers, agents, touring managers and more.

This year also marked an important milestone for CMJ. Although the music marathon is well over thirty years old, the company itself is facing some serious finical issues. According to the New York Times, the company owes more than $600,000 in unpaid loans and faces a suit from concert promoter John Scher for approximately $1 million. Some speculators are already saying this could very well mark the death of CMJ. It is unclear whether the festival will make it to next year, but fans can only hope.

CMJ just brings together people who love music and opens up conversation while listening to bands like Bear Mountain and Ghost Wave.

The festival packs NYC’s already vibrant music scene into a neat little box for five days and best part is that all of this happens in a little bar with music industry professionals littered throughout the crowd and the occasional free drink. Five years from now hipsters will be laughing about their delightful sense of musical pretension, “Oh, Neon Gold? Yeah I saw them in this little hole in the wall before they were even a thing.”