October 24

Oct. 24, 2012

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Volume 64 | Issue 5

THE PACE PRESS SERVING PACE UNIVERSITY’S MANHATTAN CAMPUS SINCE 1948

SHYAM NOOREDEEN Staff Writer More than 80 university students joined forces with the university’s Center for Community Action and Research on Oct. 13 to take part in the 21st Annual New York Cares Paint-A-School Day. The event is one of New York Cares’ largest of the year, with more than 6,000 students across NY coming together to paint, plant, and sort books throughout public schools. New York Cares Day starts at 10 am and ends at 3 pm. There are about 1 million children in NY public schools.

University students spent the entire day painting murals at Public School 21, Crispus Attucks School in Brooklyn, which serves prekindegraten to 5th grade students. Some of the work included a jungle-themed room, welcome signs, motivational messages and smiling vegetables throughout the student cafeteria.

Hasin Ahmed, the student outreach coordinator from CCAR said that the goal of Paint-A-School day is to “give Pace students the opportunity to help their community and to realize that having fun can also mean helping others.”

“I painted the monkey scene in the jungle-theme room and as tiring as it was to wake up early, the end result was satisfying. It was fun painting the murals knowing it would make the kids happy,” said Guo Wei Wu, sophomore.

More significantly, events like this encourage the

Paint A School Day continued on PAGE 3

Photo by Shyam Nooredeen

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NEWS

Oct. 24, 2012

Microsoft to launch new Xbox music service on Oct. 26

Xbox Music to compete with popular music outlets like Pandora, Spotify and iTunes JULIA YEUNG Staff Writer Microsoft launched a rolling update on Oct. 16 to Xbox LIVE on the Xbox 360 gaming consoles of their new all-in-one music service, Xbox Music. Announced during the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft seems eager to enter into the music service business competing with popular streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora The corporation has also been pushing the Xbox 360 as not only a gaming console, but as an entertainment system as well.

During the week of the release, Microsoft announced that the streaming service will feature free streaming online radio, music subscription services, and music purchasing options. Microsoft launched these latest features to Xbox 360 users last week and will expand to all Microsoft devices on Oct. 26 on the release of the new company’s operating system, Windows 8. Xbox Music will be heavily dependent on Windows 8 as the operating system is designed to run on multiple devices – PCs, Microsoft’s new tablet, smartphones, and Xbox 360.

In a written press release from Microsoft, Yusuf Mehid, vice president of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment division, said, “There are a lot of individual services that do a good job, but today there isn’t a service which can pull together the benefits of downloadto-own, music subscription, or free streaming services. With Xbox Music, what we wanted to do is bring all of that value in one simple, easy-to-use service, then build some additional value on top — make it really beautiful, and have it work across all of your devices. We’ve been able to simplify the music experience in a really powerful way.”

Meghana Reddy, sophomore, said “I think it’s a good way for Microsoft to [grow] and profit, but the name gives the impression that it requires an Xbox system to play music when you first hear about it.”

The release of Xbox Music is not Microsoft’s first attempt at expanding into music servicing. Back in 2006, Microsoft released Zune, a brand of digital media store dedicated to providing music players, music software for Windows devices and a music subscription service. This service had also expanded to the Xbox 360 console and Windows Phone through Zune software.

Zune failed to capture the attention of the music listeners and was not able to compete with Apple’s iPod and iPhone. In 2011, Microsoft announced the discontinuation of all Zune products.

Although vague details were provided about Xbox Music, it was clear that Microsoft would replace the Zune brand with Xbox Music during the June 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo held in Los Angeles. It was also announced that the Zune brand would be discontinued on Oct. 26 coinceding with the release of Windows 8.

University students appear excited for the new release of Xbox music. Cozzie Horsfore, senior, said, “It’s a great plan to compete with Apple if you can listen to a full song, instead of just previews. I actually don’t use iTunes, but it does seem that Xbox Music will give a better feel of things than Apple and give Microsoft an edge to compete to make their music service more noticeable. I also think its great that it can transfer to all devices too.”

This new music service provides a library of over 30 million tracks, becoming the world’s largest music library, compared to Apple’s iTunes estimated 26 million tracks.

Xbox music is also currently the only all-in-one music provider that will allow users to listen to music in a number of different ways and on multiple devices.

Xbox Music allows users to be able to listen to individual songs or full albums for free through Windows 8, Windows tablets, and PCs. Users also can create their own music mixes and playlists through streaming or downloading songs along with being able to sync the downloads to multiple devices allowing offline listening during a plane ride or under the subway. Free online radio allows users to create artist-based Internet radio stations and Smart DJs to create playlists with unlimited skipping. Microsoft aims to use Xbox Music as a way to combine the functionality of Pandora radio with Spotify’s streaming service and iTunes marketplace.

Subscriptions to Xbox Music involves a free trial period allowing users free unlimited streaming to all devices for 6 months with advertisements. Afterwards, users would be limited to 10 hours a month, unless they are willing to pay a subscription fee of $9.99 a month to remove the restrictions.

Xbox Music is planned to also be available on devices running Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating system.

MTA to feature new advertisements on MetroCards

The Gap ads are now featured on MetroCards in 10 subway stations in NYC ROBERT PRINDLE Contributor The design of MetroCards has undergone their change since 1995 when on Oct. 9 they began featuring new advertisements. This may affect the 4,996 university students who commute to the school, accounting for 1/3 of the student body.

The Gap is the first company to advertise on the newly designed MetroCards, with hopes of boosting sales as they offer 20 percent off when you show the new and improved MetroCard at your time of purchase. The Gap hopes that this advertisement will serve as a great promotion for the flagship Gap store on 34th and Broadway, however; the discount is redeemable at any store.

These cards are no longer the classic yellow, and instead, they are now a shade of bright blue. The first design offered says in multicolored lettering “Stay Bright NYC.” MetroCards featuring the ads are currently being sold in only 10 subway stations.

Throughout the rest of this year, and the beginning of next year, the availability of the “advertisement MetroCards” will expand to more stations.

Chanda Daniels, freshman, said, “I think it’s a great idea and hopefully, some of the money that the MTA makes from the advertisements will go to improving the subway

native New Yorkers might be upset, because many enjoy the classic yellow exterior on the MetroCard.

According to The Huffington Post, the cards are available at stations around the city selected based on their proximity to the flagship store and their high ridership.

Approximately 10 percent of cards sold in a typical month will carry the ad. It is anticipated the next full-face advertising campaigns will appear in December and January.

Joseph J. Lhota, the authority’s chairman, said in a news release, “Opening up the front of MetroCards to advertising gives the MTA a new source of revenue. We will monitor public acceptance of ads going forward to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with use of the transit system.”

The hope of many New Yorkers is that advertisements on MetroCards will be beneficial to the MTA and keep the price of the fare down. As of now, there is no indication of whether or not the advertisements will affect the proposed fare hike expected for March 2013.

“Yes, most New Yorkers use MetroCards, but it’s just not worth any company paying a large sum of money to advertise on.”

-Andrew Crocitto, Freshman

systems,” adding, “Hopefully, this will keep MTA (sic.) from increasing the price of the fares .”

According to the New York Daily News, “The MTA charged 18 cents to 51 cents per card to advertise on the back of a MetroCard, depending on the volume. An official estimated over the summer the agency would charge an additional seven cents more per card to advertise on both sides, but declined to disclose the final markup.”

Not all students are convinced the new profits for the MTA will spur any change in pricing. Andrew Crocitto, freshman, said, “I don’t think it’s going to raise any money for the MTA system. It’s most likely not going to affect anything because it’s so small.

Yes, most New Yorkers use MetroCards, but it’s just not worth any company paying a large sum of money to advertise on.” Andrew also commented that many tourists and

First Gap advertisements on MetroCards inhabitat.com

Oct. 24, 2012

NEWS

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University students participate in Paint A School Day SHYAM NOOREDEEN Staff Writer continued from COVER university community to volunteer at future events.

CCAR wants to encourage students to be civically engaged in their local communities and the city.

Michelle Cheung, sophomore, said “I took part because I enjoy doing community service. I painted the papa gorilla and it was fun, enjoyable and a pleasant experience.”

According to CCAR, more than 240 participants – including students and staff – were interested in the event. Unfortunately, P.S. 21 was only able to accommodate 80 volunteers that day.

The response from the university students and staff to take part in Paint-A-School day surprised staff at CCAR. “I was astounded at how many students were interested in helping.

There was so much interest that it has me already looking at ways to increase the size of the event for next years, even if it means taking on two schools,” says Daniel Botting, assistant director at CCAR. Similarly, the New York Cares on site staff was so stunned at the work done by the university students that she snapped photos to show staff at the office.

Ms. McLeoud, a staff member at P.S. 21 sent an email to CCAR saying, “I can’t thank the team from [the university] enough. Everything looks fabulous! Your students are everything we hope our students will grow up to be – bright, eager and hardworking.”

The kids at P.S. 21 were amazed Monday morning when they saw how vibrant their school became.

A similar New York Cares Day follows in the spring where students revamp a city public park. Students will build benches, tables, and plant gardens; assemble flowerbeds, paint signs and murals, and more. Photos from last years spring event can be seen on the CCAR Facebook page.

If you are interested in future events, or would like to be added to the CCAR listserv, please send an email to ccarny@pace.edu.

CCAR is also on Facebook. Search “Civic Engagement at Pace” to keep up with events.

University students make a difference with CCAR All Photos by Shyam Nooredeen

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Redbull jump sets records

Oct. 24, 2012

NEWS

Skydiver breaks the sound barrier CHRISTIAN GOMEZ Contributor

Felix Baumgartner jumped from approximately 24 miles above ground level on Oct. 14 over Roswell, New Mexico. Baumgartner jumped from a space bound rocket back into the Earth’s atmosphere as part of a Red Bull sponsored event. Maximum speed during free fall was 833.9 miles per hour, breaking the sound barrier. Baumgartner is the first person to break the sound barrier without mechanical intervention. Baumgartner was in free fall for four minutes and thirty-eight seconds compared to typical sky dive free fall usually lasting 45 seconds.

Baumgartner is a professional base jumper and skydiver, born in Salzburg, Austria.

He is a former member of the Austrian military where he learned to sky dive and first gained attention in 1999 as he jumped from the Pertronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In his sky diving career he was the first person to skydive across the English Channel with the help of specially made carbon fiber wings.

The lowest base jump ever is also his record (95 feet) from the hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the height from which Baumgartner jumped, there is no atmosphere to slow him down allowing the speed of sound to be reached 40 seconds into the free fall. The lack of atmosphere was extremely dangerous and required Baumgartner to use all of his skills as a professional skydiver and base jumper. An uncontrollable spin would have been unstoppable with no air molecules to slow him to a halt and a loss of consciousness would have proved fatal. The technology in his suit, could prove to be a revolutionary improvement for air force pilots.

While falling from the edge of space into the troposphere where air molecules are more present, they began to slow Baumgartner down. This continued as he returned to a normal atmosphere and air pressure that slowed him down naturally, along with his suit. He needed to slow down to a key speed of 172 mph before opening his parachute.

The worst-case scenario could have been if Baumgartner’s reserve chute would open automatically and be immediately destroyed.

Baumgartner’s jump back into the Earth’s atmosphere went well. Aside from a slight hesitation before the jump Baumgartner’s 15-minute return to earth went perfectly. His only statement was, “I’m coming home now.”

The sentiment of university students who watched the incredible feat by Baumgartner was of genuine amazement. Kevin Montes, freshman, said “This is craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Baumgartner and the red bull Stratos team were not the first to attempt this amazing jump. In 1960 Joseph W. Kittinger, Colonel and air force fighter pilot jumped from a height greater than 19 miles, being the first man ever to sky dive from the stratosphere. During his fall, he reached a speed of 614 mph. In interviews, Kittinger said he did not feel or notice the speed due to the lack of atmosphere, “I could only hear myself breathing in the helmet. Kittinger was on the Red Bull Stratos team working as the capsule communicator directing Felix as he broke the world record and sound barrier.

Myles Rodrigues, freshman, said, “[It was] the sickest thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t think you can top that.”

Lubin hosts marketing event Kickstarter and indiegogo are featured ERICK MANCEBO Features Editor Wendy Felton, social media manager for the Lubin School of Business, led a presentation on social media for startups at the school’s Entrepreneurship Lab on Oct. 16.

Making use of the technology in the lab, Felton began the Power Point presentation with some basic questions that students thinking of starting startups should ask themselves. Asking, “Is this project interesting to anyone else?” said Felton, identifies a customer base for the startup. In rapid succession, other rhetorical questions filled the screen: ‘”Is my network large enough to fund this project?” and “Can I execute a social media campaign?”

Felton then made her way into the thick of her presentation: crowd-funding websites. These websites help startups get some financial support behind their ideas.

The Kickstarter.com and indiegogo. com logos appeared on the screen and Felton described the main differences between the crowd-funding websites.

While Kickstarter has an approval process for all startups, said Felton, indiegogo allows any startup the opportunity to pitch their idea. In addition, Kickstarter only follows through and releases the funds to those startups who meet their initial fundraising goal by their deadline.

Another small difference is that Kickstarter uses Amazon accounts for payment processing while indiegogo makes use of the contributors’ PayPal accounts for payment processing. With

these websites, however, those who help fund startups don’t get any stake or investment options with the companies; their contributions are simply a donation.

The startup raising funds, however, can choose to set rewards for contributors, anything from branded mugs and pens to gift cards.

Felton also mentioned other similar websites startups should be familiar with, chief among them Angel.co, otherwise known as AngelList, which connects startup founders with investors and talented coders and designers.

Felton stressed that the most important thing startups could do was have a network of professionals readily available before they needed it.

“As future business owners what you want to be doing is building your network... So in a few months when you’re ready to launch you’ve already got these people to be your test market... or customers,” said Felton.

When it comes to online communication—emailing or even messaging on social networking websites like Twitter is the best way to maintain a fun but professional demeanor at all times said Felton.

“The way you respond to an email, the way you talk to people,” said Felton, “If you’re trying to launch a business, those things go a long way.” Having fun, she finished, “…is vital if you’re going to have an online business… But don’t be obnoxious.”

NYPD busts dealers using craigslist to sell prescription meds New trends in drug dealing pose new threats for NYC anti-drug units COURTNEY JOHNSON Contributor

The NYPD arrested a total of 21 people on Oct. 11 in connection to a very conspicuous Craigslist ad offering black-market Percocets, Adderall, Xanax, Ambien, Vicodin, Valium, Cocaine, Heroin and a warning: “No LE please,” meaning, no law enforcement.

This craigslist drug dealing involved a very diverse array of people including a 40 year old man who originally posted the ad, drug dealers who were also peddling heroin and cocaine, a financial advisor and a 62-year-old woman. Some of the most shocking participants in this drug ring were an intern for the United Nations and U.S. Senate as well as a NYC teacher’s aide, a celebrity photographer, an NYU Graduate student and a Marymount Manhattan College student. The pills were being sold for up to 20 dollars each via the craigslist ads and they were obtained as part of the seller’s own prescriptions or from those of their friends, co-workers and relatives.

Cole Greene, freshman, was surprised by the arrests. “If I saw that ad on craigslist I probably would not take their drugs. It’s on craigslist. You only get animals or furniture on craigslist, usually not drugs,” Greene said.

Undercover narcotics teams with the NYPD answered the ads during the 11 months of this investigation, referred to as “Operation Dot Com,” and made a total of 63 separate drug purchases. These purchases totaled $29,400, including more than 1,000 pills ranging from common anxiety medications to painkillers. In addition to the prescription drugs, the officers were also able to purchase $10,000 in cocaine as well as some heroin and ecstasy.

Much like the craigslist ads, the settings in which these drug transactions took place were very conspicuous. Some of the “drop off” sites included: coffee shops, grocery stores and well-known landmarks such as Union Square, Penn Station, Washington Square Park and the MetLife building where an undercover officer was sold drugs by an employee.

Prescription drug use in NYC is on the rise. According to the Special Narcotics Prosecutors Office, Adderall prescriptions have more than doubled between 2007 and 2011.

The increase in prescription drugs use has also brought an increase of incidents similar to this one, such as the robbery of an East Harlem pharmacy in April, when two armed men demanded money, Oxycontin and Percocets. The men held two workers and six customers hostage inside of the pharmacy. A retired NYPD officer shot one of the suspects after trying to flee the scene. A similar incident occurred in East Harlem in April when a separate drugstore was robbed of $50,000 of prescription narcotics.

In 2011 according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information among 483 students prescribed a medication, 35.8 percent diverted a medication at least once in their lifetime. The NCBI also reported that the most commonly diverted medication classes were prescription attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder medication, such as Adderall and Ritalin, which have a 61.7 percent diversion rate and prescription analgesics, such as acetaminophen or NSAIDs, which have a 35.1 percent diversion rate.

One common method students are using to sell these prescription narcotics is sharing.

According to the NCIB, sharing was the most common method of diversion, with 33.6 percent of students sharing their medication(s) and 9.3 percent selling in their lifetime.

While the student’s motive is understandable, Greene still believes that the students should be held accountable. “I understand why they were selling drugs… [school’s] very expensive” said Greene. “They still should get arrested though. They still broke the law,” Greene said.

Oct. 24, 2012

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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.

Nazary Nebeluk Editor-in-Chief

EDITORIAL BOARD

New York may not be the best place on Earth SARAH AIRES News Editor I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to travel fairly extensively in my life. I’ve sipped tea at the first ever Starbucks in the historic Pike Place Market, etched my name into rocks at the Grand Canyon, ridden in the backs of pick up trucks in rural Ecuador and splashed in the Mediterranean Sea. Though each place I’ve visited has flaunted its own beautiful uniqueness, one thing I always counted on has been the “Ooohs” and “Aaahs” that would always be directed my way when I’d say, “I live in New York City.”

I was at a small restaurant blocks from the Sacre Couer in Paris last summer when the restaurateur asked where I was from. I told him I lived in New York City and he made a face that said, “I’m sorry about that.” I had never experienced that reaction. He told me he had visited the city a few times both on business and for pleasure – and couldn’t imagine why I’d choose to live there. He asked me what appealed to me about New York. This was simple: the buildings, the culture, the constant inspiration and beauty, the fast paced lifestyle, the genius in every day simple tasks and the individuality of every

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person I came across on the subway.

He agreed that yes, the city is beautiful, and yes, the lifestyle is not comparable to that of any other city but one thing he could not shake was the constant negativity and lack of real connection between the people who live here. I was in shock. My mother, brother and I made our way back to our hotel and I kept what he said with me for over a year. Now, at 20 years old, at a time when I crave connections to others and the creation of life experience before real life gets the best of me after graduation, I now understand what he said.

We, as New Yorkers, avoid one another. I sit on the F train and fix my gaze on the same Tropicana advertisements above the heads of all the passengers just to minimize the possibility of making direct eye contact with another person. Heaven forbid we smile at someone as they cross our path on the street.

We pride ourselves on being a safe haven for the unaccepted and yet we are some of the most judgmental, critical people in the country. We are a spoiled, entitled group that considers traveling from Brooklyn Heights to Midtown a long distance.

Fotini Sachpatzidis Associate Editor Katrina Abreu Ads Manager Nicole Morales Managing Editor Damien Morgan Creative Director Sarah Aires News Editor Olivia Beteta Arts Editor Erick Mancebo Features Editor Brian Rentas Web Editor Kathryn Bosch Circulation Manager Michael Oricchio Faculty Adviser

STAFF Julia Yeung

When we see people on the streets being overly Shannon McMahon nice every one of us assumes “they must not Shyam Nooredeen be from here.” We avoid entire neighborhoods because the people aren’t like us. We are so engrossed by our iPhones and Kindles we couldn’t describe the person sitting next to us on the subway for ten stops.We are living on top of one another, crowding into subway cars and pushing one another into elevators in The Pace Press is the student newspaper of Pace University’s New York City Campus. our own university and never take the time to It is managed and operated entirely by get to know one another. members of the student body as it appears This city thrives on above. the concept of “every man for himself.” We The Pace Press welcomes guest editorials do ourselves such a and letters from students, faculty, administradisservice by embracing tion and staff. this mentality. What keeps us from engaging friendly conversation The Pace Press reserves the right to not pubwith the baristas who lish any submitted material, both solicited make our coffee when and unsolicited. we succumb to the “2:30 feeling?” What keeps us All submissions must include the author’s full from complimenting name and contact information. one another? Most importantly, what keeps The Pace Press us from saying good 41 Park Row, Rm. 902 morning to our fellow New York, NY 10038 commuters or the people we call to complain www.pacepress.org about financial aid? Are editor@pacepress.org we that jaded? In my Copyright 2012 opinion the answer is, yes we are.

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Oct. 24, 2012

ARTS

NICOLE MORALES Managing Editor Synth-funk musician Com Truise headlined a show at the Gramercy Theatre on Oct. 20. A stop on his fall 2012 tour the show coincided with the closing night of the College Music Journal Festival. Com Truise is the brainchild of Seth Haley who describes his work on this project as computing produced “mid-fi synth-wave, slow-motion funk.” During live performances Haley is accompanied by a live drummer who provides the rhythm and bass beats to Haley’s slick blends of 80’s inspired electro-wave melodies. Together the two seamlessly blend their talents to create dance inducing instrumentals.

The opening acts included Brazilian electronic musicians, Bonde do Role, and electro-funk band, Poolside. Bonde do Role is signed to Diplo’s Mad Decent label and their latest album Tropicalbacanal has gotten rave reviews, even featuring a few collaborations with Das Racist. Technical difficulties kept the Californiabased Poolside from starting their set for 45 minutes.

When they finally began playing to an anxious crowd, the

band opened with the tropical “Do You Believe?” The crowd grooved to their lengthy mellow set, warming up for the main event of the night.

At nearly 1:45 am Com Truise finally took the stage, opening with “5891” from his first EP Cyanide Sisters.

Since his 2011 EP’s debut, Com Truise has released two full length albums. Feeding off the audience’s energy, he played improvised extended versions of songs from each album. Com Truise is truly a unique live experience in comparison to other electro-synth musicians because with the use of a live drummer the beats are truly able to come to life. At times some of the songs such as “Colorvision” resemble Drum and Bass style, which isn’t a stretch for Haley who was once a DJ for the dance genre.

As the night wore on in the stuffy sold out venue, it was clear Haley had intended on creating the perfect set list as he played hit songs such as “Controlpop” and “Brokendate” much to the crowd’s pleasure. After only a 40 minute set, Haley left the stage. Security and venue personnel tried to usher fans out before the venue’s strict 2:30 am curfew, but fans stood their ground as they demanded an encore. After a few minutes Haley returned

Com Truise performs “Brokendate” at Grammery Theatre Photo by Nicole Morales | The Pace Press

to the stage with a short teaser of his remix of Daft Punk’s “Encom Part 2” featured on the TRON: Legacy official remix soundtrack TRON: Legacy Reconfigured. As if he did not expect an encore, Haley looked out to the audience for suggestions before deciding on closing out with an extended version of “BASF Ace” from his debut EP. Although Haley’s Com Truise project is relatively new, it has garnered the attention of many, including friend and colleague Neon Indian who featured Com Truise’s music on his blog prior to the release of his first full length album. Com Truise’s fan base has grown significantly over the past year. At last year’s CMJ Festival Com Truise was added as an opening act at the last moment for Neon Indian’s sold out closing night showcase at Webster Hall. Few people knew the talented synth musician at the time, but in the course of a year Com Truise has managed to headline a tour sponsored by Scion, culminating in the headliner performance at the Gramercy Theatre.

Fans proudly looked on as they witnessed Com Truise’s progress over the course of just a year, a clear indication that this musician is showing no signs of slowing down.

Com Truise’s fall US tour featuring Poolside and Bonde do Role comtruise.com

Oct. 24, 2012

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ARTS

Knitting Factory’s CMJ showcase features promising acts Devin, Ki- Theory, and Unicorn Kid all take the stage during festival weekend NICOLE MORALES Managing Editor

Warming up the stage for at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory as part of the venue’s Oct. 19 CMJ showcase was rock crooner Devin. Formerly performing under his full name Devin Therriault, he now goes by Devin alone. His stage showmanship is comparable that of great classic rockers bygone. Clad in a printed bowling shirt of The Rolling Stone’s Some Girls album cover, it was clear that the young rocker is definitely inspired by classic rockers like The Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground and perhaps even contemporaries like The Strokes.

These comparisons can be seen in songs like “You’re Mine” which Devin opened with. This song was first released in an EP of the same name in 2011 and later rereleased in 2012 fulllength debut album titled Romancing.

Devin’s stage presence is high energy with rockabilly chorus lines and even features bluesy rhythm guitar. During guitar solos, Devin would frantically walk about the stage before falling to his knees and lying down as he shredded to the end of a solo. The gritty voiced singer easily captured the audience with his theatrical hand and facial gestures. It’s refreshing to see that artists like Devin continue to keep the spirit of good old rock and roll alive as do fellow new-old school contemporaries like Fitz and the Tantrums, which Devin opened for last year. Devin is showing no signs of slowing down as his album Romancing has garnered attention from Rolling Stone magazine, NME, and even featured in a fashion spread in the digital magazine Topman Generation. Devin is definitely an artist fans of true grit rock and roll should keep on their radars.

CAITLIN MCNAMARA Contributor

Richmond, VA’s own Ki: Theory performed at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on Oct. 19 as part of the venue’s CMJ festival showcase. Lead by Joel Burleson, Ki: Theory features the accompaniment of a drummer during his live performances. Burleson’s sound, his genre being of the indie/electronic family, is reminiscent of Radiohead. As a multi-instrumentalist, Burleson switched from keyboard synthesizers to guitar throughout his dynamic performance. Burleson is a high-energy artist, constantly moving around the stage, entertaining the audience as he performs. He automatically captured the audience’s interest when he opened the show with his remix of Daft Punk’s “The Son of Flynn”, which is featured on the official remix album Tron Legacy: Reconfigured. Burleson, who has done extensive touring throughout the U.S., Canada, Korea, and Japan is widely known for his remixes. Aside from the Daft Punk remix, Burleson’s collection includes songs by Ladytron, Queens of the Stone Age, UNKLE, and Kings of Leon.

A few songs into the set, the sweat was dripping and the crowd was loving it as Burleson performed his haunting hit single “I Wanna Run”, which features Maura Davis of Denali. He also performed “Truth is Ruthless” off the album Arms for Legs. The song’s beginning is eerily similar to King’s of Leon’s “Crawl”, a song Ki: Theory remixed on his Remix EP 1. A crowd that was slightly spread out in the small venue quickly relocated as close to the stage as possible. Burleson jumped about the stage, gripping the microphone with both hands in a deep lunge as he belted out song after song, giving every track his all. He jumped on top of speakers much to the audience’s pleasure, while his drummer beat a clean set pumping up the crowd even more.

Burleson’s performed several songs from the various albums and EPs he’s released since 2006, making his memorable hit performance at CMJ one audiences won’t soon forget.

CAITLIN MCNAMARA Contributor

Hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland is 20-year-old sensation, Unicorn Kid. Born as Oliver Sabin, the chip/electronic musician created his act at the age of 16. His CMJ performance took place at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory on Oct. 19 and was hailed by many blogs as one of the must see shows of CMJ 2012. Chiptune, a style of synthesized electronic music that uses sound bits of classic video game consoles, arcade machines, old computers and other techniques as well, began in the late 1970’s-early 80’s. Unicorn Kid has helped spark a sort of revival of this genre of music. His style could also be classified as bouncy techno, rave music, and he has toured with the likes of Owl City and Major Lazer.

Sabin has been on BBC Radio 1, performed live with Vic Galloway, Rob da Bank, and was featured in a BBC Scotland documentary during his return visit to SXSW. Oliver Sabin came onto the stage with a shy grin and bashful demeanor. Audience members can be quoted as calling the performer “cute” and “adorable.” As he was setting up his equipment, the crowd became electric. As he started his set, the audience was immediately in love and went insane when he played “True Love Fantasy” as the crowed yelled out the lyrics “we are the whisper of ecstasy dreams.” The motion of the room was non stop as the crowed danced wildly. Every once in a while Sabin would look out to the enthralled crowed and smirk.

This made the audience grow crazier, and Sabin loved every minute of it. After his last track, Sabin gave a “cheers” to the crowed and walked off to a venue of fans yelling “encore!” When he returned to the stage for his last tune, he debuted his latest track “Need U,” thanked his fans, and even took the time to take a few pictures.

On stage at Knitting Factory, Top: Devin, Middle: Ki- Theory, Bottom: Unicorn Kid

All photos by Nicole Morales | The Pace Press

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Oct. 24, 2012

Online comic helps fundraise to buy Tesla’s former lab CHRISTIAN GOMEZ Contributor

The Oatmeal is an online comic -- no make that obsession -- created, drawn and coded by Matthew Inman. As much as a comic, Inman uses Oatmeal’s proceeds to fund museum in honor of Nikola Tesla, in his old lab not far fronm New York.

In nine days the oatmeal has raised $1,370,511 and with the help of a non-profit organization has put in funds to buy the land of Tesla’s old lab, and has begun selling merchandise to help fund the creation of the museum.

All this effort for “the Greatest Geek who ever lived.”

Most however, are curious to why and how one post on a website achieved so much so quickly. Inman typically creates comics that at times will teach the viewer something pertaining to unknown facts about cats, or why coffee is awesome. There are other comics that just tell funny stories about printers or computer programing, all presented in Inman’s very distinct art style.

At times the oatmeal will present historical figures or random facts in extended comics and the most recent of which was entirely dedicated to Nikola Tesla. The comic was celebrating the man as the true inventor of almost all of modern technology and as a man beyond his time. It is impossible to do justice to what was written hence people should check out the full comic on theoatmeal.com.

Toward the end of the comic Inman proposes the idea of buying the recently for sale land that still holds Tesla’s former lab. A short time after the comics posting a campaign was created on indiegogo.com, a site similar to Kickstarter. The page is was made and is accepting donations and giving back rewards to those who donate, Inman heads most of which. It is all in an attempt to help a non-profit organization that intends to build a museum dedicated to Tesla.

The non-profit had its foot in the door with grant from

New York State for $850,000. The property however was listed at $1.6 million so Inman took it upon himself to raise $850,000 and help purchase the land. What happened next was surprised everyone, as over a million dollars were raised in nine days, mostly due to the oatmeal’s free publicity.

With the property now being bided on the next phases of restoration have begun. The creation of the museum itself that has found an “angel investor” in the form of a distant relative of Tesla who has said he will match all donations up to $33,333.

What began as a small idea for a museum dedicated to one of the greatest inventors of all time has moved at a break neck speed and is becoming a reality far faster than anyone could have guessed.

Inman is no stranger to charities and raising donations for the fun of it. A recent lawsuit filed against the oatmeal stated Inman defaming the creators of website Funnyjunk, when he posted on about the site using his comics without crediting him.

In return to his claims the website that was stealing his materials turned around and sued him. For the fun of it Inman made this issue public on his site and constantly made fun of those suing him for something that he clearly did not do and was the victim in the situation.

As a way to get back at them Inman drew a picture of the opposing attorney’s mother getting busy with a bear.

An indiegogo page was made by Matthew in the name of the lawyer suing him and all proceeds including the money won in court was donated to charity, but as is the oatmeal’s style pictures with the $211,223.04 were posted before donation insulting the lawyer, his mother, and the whole law suit.

Inman is no stranger to charity work, and using his following to raise money for good, but in the case of Tesla no one is the victim and Matthew is working toward hon-

The Rolling Stones gather no moss OLIVIA BETETA Arts Editor

The Rolling Stones are a band that needs no introduction. After being in the music industry for fifty years they have released more than twenty albums and won countless awards. This November the band is slated to release a new compilation album, “GRRR!” which will feature two new songs. The first, “Doom and Gloom,” has already been released.

“Doom and Gloom” is The Rolling Stones first new song is six years but it is reminiscent of a song from decades ago. With guitar riffs that are as familiar as a childhood friends, the song resonates for any Stones fan. It is a return to the sound that the band was originally known for. Similarity in tones to “Gimme Shelter” are impossible to miss and paired with Jagger’s iconic voice it sells the idea that much more.

The lyrics of the song are very true to the bands image. In an effort to discuss the current state of America countless references are made to the history of the last ten years. Lyrics about crashing planes, mounting garbage and losing treasure in an overseas war. It’s not hard to figure out why the song is called “Doom and Gloom.”

The track looks to be one of the last ever released by the band. In an interview with Billboard Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys said “The reality is this train is going to pull into the last station pretty soon—I don’t know how soon. I’ve been saying this since 1980,” he told Billboard. “But I feel like it’s kind of winding down. This may be sort of the ‘Sayonara, see you later, had a good time, keep in touch.”

With that thought looming over fans heads they can only hope the band plans on prolonging this upcoming tour. To the disbelief of thousands the band turned down a the opportunity to play at the new Barclays center and instead will be playing in Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center Dec. 13 and 15. Tickets go on sale Oct. 26 and start at 95$. For those who can’t afford to see the show fear not as the Stones are also premiering a new documentary on HBO this November. In addition MoMA will host a Rolling Stones film retrospective from November 15th to December 2nd. The exhibit will feature former documentaries and concert footage and of course a slue of music videos.

It’s hard to tell if this will be the last time fans will be able to see Jagger do his chicken walk across stage but chances are this band won’t stop rocking till they’re dead.

oring a great man and a genius who we owe a great deal too.

As of now the land will be bided on and it is possible that within the next year if all goes well construction will begin.

Inman’s caricature of Tesla. theoatmeal.com

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Oct. 24, 2012

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Pussy Riot during one of their performances in Moscow guardian.co.uk

Russian band “Pussy Riot” pushes freedom of speech limits STEPHANIE KEMPADO Contributor

Freedom of Speech in art can often be argued as mere illusions artist are made to believe. In most cases within the U.S. the creative mind is rarely challenged but in other countries the same cannot be said. Pussy Riot is the perfect example of free speech being suppressed by a government.

Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist punk-rock band that is known for pushing the envelope with their impromptu concerts in unusual and unauthorized locations, such as a trolleybus, scaffold in Moscow Metro, and the Yelokhovo Cathedral. Their songs are centered on the Russian political system and the overturning of the current president Vladimir Putin. There are 12 members of the group as well as a handful of crew members that film their performances and post them on the internet. Pussy Riot is known for wearing brightly colored balaclavas and using only nicknames during interviews. This group is all about protest art and getting their message out there with their songs filled with unorthodox lyrics. They lend their voices in protest of basic rights that are under threat in Russia as well as advocating for gender equality and freedom of expression.

Never afraid to up the ante, Pussy Riot in February staged a politically charged session in the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. This occurred during non-service hours and when there were minimal members of the public attending. The girls took out their guitars and balaclavas and continued to sing their song “Punk Prayer – Mother of God, Chase Putin Away”. In the song, they mentioned Virgin Mary and urged her to become a feminist. The main message of the song was to attack Putin and Kirill I, the Moscow Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill I is known for his continued support of Putin calling him a “miracle of God”. The five women from the group that participated were escorted out by police and let go for the moment.

On February 26th, about five days after their initial performance a criminal case was opened against the band members for their offense against the believers of the church. Two alleged members of the Pussy Riot were arrested and convicted of hooliganism. Hooliganism is defined as disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism. The two members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were held without bail and put in jail until their case came to trial in April. By March another member of the group that was repeatedly questioned by the police was arrested. Yekaterina Samutsevich was charged with the same crime as her two peers.

The three detained members are viewed as political prisoners by international agencies based on the severity of the response to their actions.

All three members have appealed to the Moscow City Court, based on the fact that the performance purely political and not an attack on religion. Prosecutors are saying that their acts of hooliganism were motivated by religious hatred and they could be sentenced to two years in prison.

This extreme response is believed to be influenced by Putin and Kirill. The members were offered a lesser sentence if they repented their words and actions but all refused.

According to the Washington Post, “The idea of the protest was political not religious.” Samutsevich said “In this and in previous protests we acted against the current government of the president and against the Russian Orthodox Church as an institution of the Russian government, against the political comments of the Russian patriarch.

Exactly because of this I don’t consider that I committed a crime”.

This past week one member of was released on probation of 2 years while the other two are facing a harsher punishment for their protest against the President. Samutsevich was released on the fact that before she wasn’t able to even take out her guitar before she was escorted out by the police. So she did not engage in the act of hooliganism like the other two. It is believed that the court was trying to create a rift between the members but Samutsevich is continuing to protest for the release of her companions.

The other two members will be sent to two separate penal colonies, a settlement used to exile prisoners from general public in a remote location. The punishment they are facing is receiving criticism from around the world, from people as famous as Madonna and President Obama, because of how unjust and extreme the sentence is for a political protest. These two members are mothers with very small children at home and are unable to stay in Moscow’s detention facility which they are saying is unfair and have appealed to the courts.

Pussy Riot is one of the core events happening that discusses the importance of freedom of speech in art.

Professor Guzzone of the music department believes that “Whether it’s a song, a painting, a film, a play... any expression of creativity is free speech. This right should be protected at any cost. If one doesn’t like a work of art one is free to criticize it or ignore it. One cannot deny the rights of other citizens to participate in listening, reading or viewing that work of art.” Now this is a common feeling for the citizens of the United States that have grown up with the idea that expression is protected by the government and can’t be taken away. But Pussy Riot is a Russian band, and Russia isn’t on the same level playing field as the United States they haven’t grown up with the same protection of rights. Professor Guzzone continues to say “I will say that the arrest of Pussy Riot shows us how far Russia has come but how far it still needs to go in terms of citizens’ rights”. Russian political figures (President and Patriarch) are looking forward to the end of the trial and

are continuously defending the courts decisions saying that “it is impermissible to undermine our moral foundations, moral values, to try to destroy the country”.

How far are artists allowed to push the boundaries?

Graduate student Marina Karmanova believes that “Since artists are in the spotlight they need to be careful of the impression they make, but they still have the freedom of speech so they need to create a balance between the two”.

But Professor Paul Guzzone believes “we can argue the quality or importance of the art but we should not stifle creative freedom”. The importance of freedom of speech is highly debated around the world but for the U.S. artists are protected for their views no matter how extreme they are. The government is put in a tough position when freedom of speech clashes with the extreme consequences for their artwork/ expressions. This is something the government still hasn’t found a peaceful balance between.

Over the years what can be said on television and in music has changed greatly. Ten years ago words like “bitch” and “asshole” couldn’t be said on public television, but now there are few words that actually are banded.

Most people remember the famous Johnny Carson sketch in which he said the seven words that could not be said on television. Currently more than half of these words have become commonplace in both music and television.

It wasn’t that long ago that music was held to a higher standard. In 1985 the Parents Music Resource Center was founded in 1985. Most people remember the PMRC for their famous attack on rock music. A Supreme Court trial was held where in numerous artists including Dee Snider, Frank Zappa and John Denver all came to defend their music against censorship. Then there was the famous case brought up against the Dead Kennedy’s for a poster released alongside their album that consisted of nine sex acts. In 1989 2 Live Crew’s “As Nasty as They Want to be” was the source of an obscenity case brought before the Supreme Court. In some over fifteen record stores throughout Florida sale of the album was ceased due to a ruling labeling the album as obscene. The ruling was later overturned. Only twenty-one years ago in 1991 rapper Ice-T’s album was halted by his label due to the negative attention his song “Cop Killer” garnered. The song was a narrative about a criminal seeking revenge on a racist cop who was guilty of brutality. Police advocacy groups around the board were up in arms over it and as such Time Warner Music and the rapper were forced to spilt. As seen in the U.S. freedom of speech isn’t just an illusion created to appease artists but is a right that holds merit. But in countries like Russia, freedom of speech has a long way to go to be on the same level playing field as America. But as Prof. Guzzone says “The genie is out of the bottle”. It is only a matter of time before reform occurs in Russia and a revolution against basic rights is ignited.

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Oct. 24, 2012

University continues to expand international relationships

Consulate General of India hosts university India Day honoring provost Sukhatme NAZARY NEBELUK Editor-In-Chief For a lot of university students the greatest attraction wasn’t academic programs or scholarships but merely location. New York continues to be a worldwide powerhouse in the arts, sciences and finances and students are always eager to tap into this dynamic energy. The attraction is so strong it brings in students from as far away as Hyderabad.

The university hopes to capitalize on this attraction by attracting more international students but also hopes to expose current university students to more travel abroad experiences. Mark Poisel, the associate provost of the division for student success, said that the University hopes to “enhance [student’s] experience through travel abroad” because travel abroad shows students the value of out-of-classroom experience.

The latest effort to cultivate better international relationships was a Pace University India Day celebration held at the Consulate General of India on Friday Oct. 22. The event included university professor of finance Surendra Kaushik, university provost Uday Sukhatme, the consul general of India Prabhu Dayal as well as many other university faculty whose work is closely related to scholarship in India. There were also more than 20 current university students in attendance.

The event began with a social mixer that allowed university faculty and administration to mix with consulate staff and notable members of the Indian-American community. It underlined the importance of interaction between the two parties and the close nature of the relationship. This was followed by a series of speeches to commemorate the day.

Consul general Dayal began the evening with a speech about the celebration of India Day by the university being a huge gesture of friendship that his government will reciprocate. He also named the provost as an exemplar of the Indian-American community and said his “achievements have done India proud”. Later in the night Mr. Dayal announced that provost Sukhatme is also a receiver of the Pravasi Medal, a highranking national honor for Indian expatriates who have achieved great successes in their lives.

Robina Schepp, university vice president of enrollment and placement, gave a short presentation about the university in which she laid out some facts about the school’s international students. She said that the university had 1100 international students who make up 11 percent of total enrollment. In particular there are 113 Indian students at Pace on temporary visas and 58 who are citizens or permanent residents.

Provost Sukhatme spoke about how he looked at education on a global perspective and that he believes that a “top-class education is not complete without international experience.” He discussed his previous experiences in getting students abroad and also suggested some unique opportunities such as a university student produced performance of an artistic piece in a major Indian city.

While the focus of the event was celebrating the achievements of the IndianAmerican community at the university, the bigger theme of the evening was cultivating international relationships for students. Rumit Mehta, an alumni and founder of Immersion Journeys, spoke at the evening and remarked that “living in New York does not make you international.”

While no events similar to the India Day celebration are on the calendar Mr.Poisel said that the university has been in talks with the Ministry of Education of Singapore,

the Irish consulate and other foreign representatives in the hopes of developing new programs and opportunities. He added that the school is always looking for partnership opportunities for faculty exchange, attracting international students or sending current university students abroad.

Asked whether there’s a particular emphasis for international programs, Mr. Poisel replied that the university has no particular focus but is instead looking to “create pathways to a better student experience” using travel abroad.

Shrideep Murthy, a graduate student studying investment management and of Indian descent himself, said this event came at a “good time to connect to the Indian-American community” especially as “India is opening up to foreign schools.” Murthy hopes that the university is able to attract a lot of Indian students as well as extend programs to the country.

While Pace-New Delhi may be far off it’s clear that the university is committed to providing students with plenty of foreign travel experience and positioning itself globally.

Pace provost Dr. Uday Sukhatme (left) with the consul general Prabhu Dayal (right) Photo by Rob Klein | Pace University Photos

Springsteen endorses Obama in deadlocked race to White House AMANDA PENA Contributor When Oprah endorses a product, whether it is Spanx or the newest perfume, the entire consumer body goes into a spending rampage, taking her advice into much consideration. The motivation to buy this product was simply created by a single force, Oprah. Many have tried to copy this method and strategically implement it into their own system.

Recently, Bruce Springsteen has decided to hit the campaign trail alongside President Obama in hopes of contributing some positivity to his campaign.

Emulating Oprah’s endorsement tactic, the Obama campaign is very excited to have Springsteen on board and is sure that his commitment to this election will help gain voters through his influence over his fans.

Although Springsteen initially refused to openly support Obama like he did during the 2008 election, he had a change of heart and performed Oct. 18, at a campaign rally in Parma, Ohio alongside former President Bill Clinton. That same day he was scheduled to perform in Ames, Iowa.

Springsteen is not the only high-time

musician that is supporting Obama. Jon Bon Jovi, Common, John Legend, Lady Gaga, Red Hot Chili Peppers and dozens of others have expressed their support for President Obama. These artists are fawned over by many supportive fans that may take their political thought into account when trying to decide who the better candidate is.

Jakob Audino said that although he was not particularly fond of President Obama, he was partially persuaded when he found out one of his favorite musicians, Buddy Guy, was voting for him. “Obama does not necessarily have my vote,” said Audino, “But to hear that someone I admire and listen to is voting for him kind of strengthens whatever support I do have for Obama.”

Leah Burgess, an english major, was a little unsure if musicians could define her political association. When asked if her political opinion would be swayed if her favorite musician was in favor of a particular candidate, Burgess said, “If they supported a different candidate than I did, it would probably affect my opinion of them. Maybe not enough to never buy their albums again but I would definitely

change my opinion on them.”

Over seventy well known musicians have voiced their support for Obama. Mitt Romney, however, has not exactly received much musical support from artists. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, Taylor Hicks and Kelly Clarkson make up the main body of musicians that openly support right-wing candidates.

Kid Rock has musically supported Romney, specifically in the state of Michigan where Romney asked him to get his vote out there. What many find strange, however, is that Kid Rock is a boozing womanizer with an arrest record­­—a far cry from Romney’s own squeakyclean image.

Regardless of who these singers may be and what fan bases they appeal to, it is evident that they will bring in a particular vote due to their endorsement. However, an endorsement can only be put into action if it is voiced and made very clear.

John Legend, for example, is active on his Twitter account, sending out tweets affirming his vote for Obama in the upcoming election. Legend has a following of over 3.9 million people. If only 10,000 of those people vote for

Obama due to the R&B singer’s support, that may be enough to possibly bring home the election for the left wing.

In addition, Miley Cyrus tweeted a picture of her with an Obama shirt asking her fans to “rock the vote.” Although she was asking them to simply vote, a political affiliation was clearly seen in this picture and fans of the singer who are eligible to vote will probably do so due to her support. Alicia Keys, a strong advocate for women’s rights, shot a video for the Obama campaign of her heading to Philadelphia trying to convince women there to get “fired up” for the President and encourage them to vote for him.

The difference between Romney and Obama’s musical endorsements appears to be that while Obama brings in muscicians who’s public images echoe his own, Romney’s attempt to appeal to a large number of voters leads to a motley crew of endorsements. There is certainly a difference for undecided voters between getting an endorsement from porn star Jenna Jameson and having Oprah Winfrey’s support.

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Lubin launches new initiatives for 2012-2013 school year Business school turns attention to new programs and majors within NYC campus RIDDHI DOSHI Contributor The Lubin School of Business is one of the biggest and most recognizable schools at the university. The NYC campus, situated in the world famous Financial District, is prime location for starry-eyed business hopefuls. Lubin is constantly evolving its programs to fit the needs of a newer business world with branches way past the standard finance, marketing, and accounting. These new programs are designed with the new market demands in mind to help students enter into specific business disciplined fully trained and prepared.

One of these programs is Lubin’s Masters of Science in customer intelligence and analytics. A study by McKinsey & Co. found that by 2018, the U.S. will face a shortage of 1.5 million managers who can use data to shape business decisions—the new degree helps to address this challenge. The curriculum for this program incorporates using interactive and digital strategies to analyze simple and complex marketing data for managing customer relationships. Barbara Rose Aglietti, the associate dean of the Lubin school said “Knowing how to analyze “Big Data” is just as important as gathering it. Successful companies use data to inform their market research to deliver products and services that are customized to end users’ preferences and experiences.”

On the marketing front, social media and mobile technology are transforming the way consumers and marketers interact. Marketing managers need to develop new skills sets to respond to these emerging realities.

Lubin recently launched a MS in social media and mobile marketing, which enables marketing managers, advertising executives, IT professionals and strategic managers to develop the integrated marketing and communications skills needed to create impactful conversations with clients.

Another new program launched this fall is the Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting/MS in taxation combined degree program. This degree is a full-time five year program that meets the 150-credit requirement for the CPA exam while simultaneously obtaining an in-depth understanding of tax law. The accounting program already has an extremely strong reputation so this new program will only build on the program’s reputation by giving students the opportunity to earn an extremely beneficial degree in taxation within the five years they are in the program. This combined degree will expose students and prepare them for a profession involving accounting and taxation and possibly even allow them to venture into law.

The newest, and one of the most talked about initiatives from Lubin is the new arts and entertainment management concentration. This program takes two of the university’s greatest programs: its business and arts, and combines them to create a lucrative degree. This will be a unique classroom experience for the business students and performing arts students who will be collaborating in this concentration through the business management degree.

This program offers the same comprehensive business management BBA all business students in this major receive and it will give students the knowledge and skills to succeed in any industry.

With this program, “Lubin is leveraging its New York City industry connections to bring award-winning directors, producers, and entertainment managers into the classroom. In addition, six celebrity guest lecturers have been confirmed so far including: ABC News special correspondent and syndicated talk show host Katie Couric; film director and Imagine Entertainment founder Ron Howard; Viacom Entertainment Group president Doug Herzog; American Ballet Theatre executive director Rachel Moore; New York City Center president and CEO Arlene Shuler; and The Shubert Organization co-CEO and president Robert E. Wankel,” said Dean Aglietti.

Caitlin Meuser, senior, said “It gives performers and artists to ability to have a degree that not only displays their creative talent, but supports it with a concrete business degree. In my opinion, this was one of the smartest degrees Lubin ever created.” This new concentration puts the university at the top of the list for all things performing arts.

Emily Jordan, freshman, is excited about this new concentration on the management degree. “I believe the benefits for being the ‘guinea pigs’ for the new arts and entertainment management concentration definitely overshadows the risks. I wanted to be one of the first to try it out right when I heard about it. When I spoke to advisor at orientation I became fully convinced that this was the best major for me,” said Jordon.

All these new enhancements being made by the Lubin school are sure to put students even more ahead of the curve and prepare them for a competitive job market.

University freshman gains student following with rapping skills An upstate New York transplant, Nksoi Echoes already popular among students IRENE SCHULTZ Contributor Nksoi Boulware, better known by his rap alter ego “Nkosi Echoes,” is a little known freshman rapper at the university. He can be found hosting rap battles with floor mates in the common room of Maria’s Tower. Other times, he can be heard loudly recording music from his room.

Boulware, an economics major from upstate New York, says he was exposed to rapping in the 10th grade. He started rapping regularly this past August, but as he remembers, his initial interest began when students were rapping on his bus and he started to rap with them. He didn’t know what to say because he had never done it before so he started listening to rap music. Every day after track, he and his friends would rap in the locker room.

“There were rappers at my school and I thought they were going to make it big, but that was irrational because they were obviously 10th graders just copying other people’s styles,” Boulware says.

While recording locker room raps, Boulware developed his own style of rapping. It’s described as a type of poetry where every word rhymes, as opposed to the last words of line or phrase. He describes his rapping style as similar to that of Asher Roth or Common.

Boulware said he looks up to these artists as inspiration because their style is more poetic rather than just rap.

“I hate any type of rap that has to do with drugs, money, and cars,” Boulware explained.

Boulware likes to express himself through rap by projecting bad or good situations he is currently facing in his life—whether it’s with parents, death, or just going down the street and seeing something cool. When Boulware raps with his friends he says he usually closes his eyes and the words just flow out, sometimes without him knowing why.

“I don’t like collaborating with other people because it’s annoying. They usually have been affected by mainstream media that refers back to drugs and money and I’m not about that,” said Boulware.

Boulware enjoys rapping in quiet places where the soothing sounds of water can inspire him. He explained how his new college environment has inspired him musically: “I’ve never been around such a diverse place and New York City opens me up to more music. I went to the seaport and saw samba, and you could play drums and stuff,” he recalled.

Boulware really likes art in general as a form of expressing himself. In addition to drawing, he plays multiple instruments, including the cello and guitar.

The rapper says he taught himself to play guitar in the 6th grade and writes his own guitar music as well as his own lyrics. He explained that his mother and father, both instrumentalists, encouraged him to start playing instruments.

“My mom pushed me to play multiple instruments and she was always playing jazz and classical music while we were playing chess. She never wanted me to listen to rap

because she thought it was trash.”

Boulware records his raps on his laptop. He doesn’t make his own beats and he uses beat instrumentals from YouTube with echoes in them. This is the reasoning behind his name, “Nkosi Echoes,” because he finds beats with echoes more interesting. He tries to stay away from mainstream instrumentals, and prefers old school beats. “If the song is sad and angry, I get a slow beat. If it’s happy, I get a fast beat,” he explains.

Boulware admits he doesn’t want a career out of rapping, but he hopes to maybe someday perform somewhere in front of a bunch of people. “I love people feeding off of my energy,” he exclaims. He would consider rapping for money, but his true goal is to become an architect. He knows the chance of making it big is one in a million and he describes his rap interest as more of a leisurely activity.

“I want to share my music with people because it’s interesting and they probably don’t know anything else besides mainstream rap like Waka Flaka Flame and 2 Chainz.”

Boulware only posts his recordings online if everything is absolutely perfect. He says, “It takes me like 200 tries to record it perfectly.”

Rapper “Nkosi Echoes” Nksoi Boulware

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Music industry proves fickle for digital and analog consumers As digital sales skyrocket, local record stores report slight revival of consumer base CHRISTIAN GOMEZ Contributor

&

ERICK MANCEBO Features Editor

When the last Virgin Megastore in New York City closed its doors in 2009, many New Yorkers despaired over the death of the dinosaur that was physical music retail. Three years later, however, some local independently owned mom and pop record stores are experiencing a revival of sorts, even as electronic music sales continue skyrocketing.

Independent music store owners say the reason for their continued survival in a digital music world comes from people wanting a master copy of their music that they can physically hold, outside of a “cloud” and is truly owned, not “rented,” by the purchaser—As is the case with Apple or Amazon and other download services who may “sell” music but legally can only “rent” it to customers, acting only as the middleman between customers and record labels. CDs are becoming the new vinyl records, and the rise of vintage is keeping the independent store that is ready to cash in on this interest afloat.

Interestingly, independent record stores aren’t exactly stealing customers from digital music outlets. As digital sales numbers grow, the ease and convenience of downloading music electronically is still cited for the online boom in music sales. In the past month, music blog torrentfreak.com reported 124.3 million legal music downloads via bit torrent. Though some see music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora as a threat to downloads, and sales, the iTunes Music Store continues to rule the record sales world.

For instance, Mumford and Sons’ most recent album Babel topped the iTunes sales charts while also setting records for being the most played and most playlisted album on Spotify. This has shown that music download services and music streaming services are able to co-exist on different planes of consumption by customers. In fact, they compliment one another. Spotify is seen by a vast majority as a music sampling service while iTunes is the official jump to owning the music that was liked on Spotify.

Myles Rodriguez, freshman, said, “I usually listen to music on Spotify when I don’t have an artist’s whole discography. I like Pandora more, though, ‘cause it plays [a] lot of different kinds of music similar to the artists and I get to find new bands that way, but in the end when I really like an album I download [it].”

And freshman Kevin Montes said, “I use Pandora the most for music ‘cause I don’t really have a lot of music and I just like how it’s always a different but similar artist and it never ends and is always music new to me.” For some people, one service will dominate the other, but the customer continues to use services such as iTunes because having a cellphone or other music-playing device perpetuates the novelty of having a track stores in that device’s flash or disc memory, able to be accessed on a whim throughout the day.

Independent music store owners will have to try to continue to entice collectors of physical music. They may try to create a sense of community and environment within the record store— something that online services, like Apple’s failed Ping venture, have thus far failed to recreate. As they fight to stay afloat, music sales will continue to rise on all fronts.

Left: A phonogram, above: a jukebox, top: an iMac with Spotify’s logo Graphic by Erick Mancebo | The Pace Press