September 18th Issue

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September 18, 2013

Volume 65 | Issue 1

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

University teams up with alumnus, wins $100,000 grant

Photo provided by Vital Care Services SHANNON MCMAHON News Editor A recent graduate of the University has found success in a unique health technology startup. 2012 graduate Chris Gaur’s company, which remotely monitors vital health information of older adults, recently partnered with Pace University to win the 2013 Pilot Health Tech NYC Grant Competition funded by the City of New York, winning a $100,000 grant. Gaur, a member of the class of 2012 with a degree in Marketing, began his telehealth company, Vital Care Services shortly after graduation. While Pace has many grants, this is one of the first for telehealth at the university.

Vital Care Services, however, is not Gaur’s first successful business venture. Gaur founded the Pace Perks cafe—a late night cafe for TELEHEALTH PROGRAM continued on PAGE 2

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NEWS Find out how NSA surveillance impacts you Page 4

ARTS Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts hosts Pace Presents Page 5

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FEATURES New York Fashion Week’s Best Beauty Trends Page 15

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NEWS

September 18, 2013

University graduate secures $100,000 grant for telehealth program Student partners with University to win extensive funding for business venture SHANNON MCMAHON News Editor continued from PAGE 1 students who wanted to enjoy food after normal cafeteria hours—when he was just a freshman. It is from this experience that he learned the benefits of networking with fellow classmates and his professors at Pace.

After his success with Pace Perks (which is still up and running today,) and a background in EMT volunteering, Chris formed the idea of Vital Care Services. He credited his service learning CIS class with building a successful network to jump start the business. Gaur notes that Dr. Jean Coppola, an associate I.T. professor at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science was instrumental in the formation of the telehealth program. Her class, Intergenerational Computing was the launching pad for Gaur’s idea. Guar and Coppola met last January to discuss the idea, and both were extremely enthusiastic about the potential program. They then began a ten week pilot program with 18 geriatric patients.

In the program, nursing students and student technicians help elderly patients take their vitals. The hope is that these individuals will build relationships and lessen the anxiety around technology, with patients eventually being able to use technology on their own after approximately six months to take their vitals independently.

Gaur’s program works with a number of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds around the city, including many non-English speaking patients. Vital Care Services has three locations currently in Brooklyn, Harlem and lower Manhattan, with plans of opening a fourth soon. With the newly awarded grant, the patient database has grown extensively from 18 to 100. Some patients are over 100 years old, and others are as young as 65.

Currently, there are four student technicians, and two graduate nursing students from the College of Health Professions working in the program. Students engage by visiting patients at their homes and taking vitals like blood oxygen, blood pressure and weight. The program also provides daily questions, medication reminders, glucose levels and temperatures and pain levels, which can be accessed on common technological devices, such as tablets and smartphones. Gaur says the process takes around five minutes, and patients are visited twice a week.

Kyle Kravette, a junior majoring in technical theater and computer science on the New York City campus works as a student technician for Vital Care Services. Kyle began working for the program through Dr. Coppola’s intergenerational computing class.

“We usually go to the assisted living center and set up the equipment at lounges.

We have appointments for residents to meet us there, and we introduce them to the technology,” Kravette said. After these initial steps are completed, the nurse then monitors the patient’s vitals, blood oxygen level and blood pressure and weight.

“The idea behind the technology is that it’s designed to be quick and effective, just monitoring things people can’t physically feel, like blood pressure and oxygen,” Kravette said. Kravette has been on board since the beginning, but says that the grant was instrumental in allowing the program to continue. He gives the program high praise because it is low cost compared to regular doctors visits, and is easy to learn and use, with most everyone having the software to check their vitals on their smartphone or tablet devices. Being part of the startup has allowed Kyle to learn not only technical job skills, but important interpersonal skills as well.

Vital Care Services is already making major changes in individual’s lives. In one instance, the Vital Care Services software check up program led a woman to discover that she was on a type of medication dangerous to her blood pressure levels.

“She was part of the program—she felt awful. She was fatigued and dizzy, and her blood pressure was high. She eventually went to the doctor because her blood pressure kept going up and we were telling her that. She was able to switch medications because of that,” said Kravette.

Gaur said telehealth is becoming more helpful because of its ability to lessen the number of people trying to access doctors, especially with Obamacare that will go into effect later this year. 40 million Americans will need insurance, and there will be a severe shortage of doctors. “We try to triage it,” he said.

Gaur’s biggest advice to current students pursuing new ventures is to take advantage of networking opportunities. “The biggest recommendation is networking and going out and taking an idea and getting people’s opinions and building connections. A huge part of my success stemmed from college,” said Guar. He credits his application of what he was learning in the classroom to the outside world with his success both inside and outside of higher education.

Chris Guar will be speaking on a panel at the Pleasantville campus on October 17, as part of the campus’ 50th anniversary celebration. He hopes to continue to develop his program, and eventually expand it outside of New York State.

Alumnus Chris Gaur and Dr. Jean Coppola Photo provided by Chris Gaur

Vital Care Services’ logo Photo provided by Chris Gaur

VISIT For more information on Vital Care Services’ TeleHealth program, visit: www.myvicscom

NEWS

September 18, 2013

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International community responds to attacks in Syria United Nations discusses next steps in responding to Syrian war

A Syrian man assesses damage of alleged chemical attack

PATRICK DE HAHN Staff Writer In the ongoing debate on Syria’s reported use of chemical weapons in their country’s civil war, nations across the globe are working with the United Nations to look for ways to best respond.

Syria has reportedly signed the international chemical weapons treaty and agreed to a diplomatic solution with Russia to send all its chemical warfare to international control in order to be dismantled.

This comes after President Barack Obama called for what he deemed a “limited military strike” to send a message on chemical weapons. In a national address Tuesday Sept. 10, he stated the nation should act but pursue the diplomatic solution by Russia.

University political science professor George Picoulas added, “President Obama wanted a diplomatic solution or at least a postponement of military action after he realized the public wasn’t behind him.”

Amanda Pena, senior, said the United States should strike but drew a line in not supporting military intervention. She stated, “I don’t think a strike is ideal, due to the innocent lives that may be lost. …We’re opening Pandora’s box either way.”

A panel in the U.S. Senate approved Obama’s plan to strike Syria on Sept. 4 as the entire Senate was set to vote on the plan before Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delayed the vote. The rest of the Congress, the House, was to vote on Thursday Sept. 12, before Obama delayed a such vote.

The conflicting reports of the Aug. 21 chemical weapons event in Syria don’t make the situation any easier to navigate. The United States claimed 1,429 were killed in the chemical attack by who they claim to be the Syrian government. Russia, meanwhile, claims the opposite— that the opposition put on the attack.

The United Nations had expert inspectors go to the location of the chemical attack just outside the nation’s capital Damascus and is releasing an official report with their findings.

Throughout the international community, there is a level of distrust in regard to the ongoing situation.

Pena added, “In terms of Russia’s proposal, I’m not sure if such

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a plan will work. Idealistically, it’d obviously be great if Syria fully agreed to hand over their chemical weapons. But realistically, they are in a state of war. To hand those weapons over, would be to throw up a white flag.”

It has been reported by the Wall Street Journal that Assad’s regime is scattering the nation’s chemical arms into sites across the country.

Syria’s opposition, General Salim Idriss claimed to tell CNN that the Syrian government is moving chemical weapons to Iraq and Lebanon.

Picoulas stated on the low level of trust in this conflict, “No one is to be trusted in this game of poker. They’re all bluffing and will act if it’s [in] their interest. They’ll find plenty of ways to justify such action.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the U.S. realized a strike is a no-win situation, asked the Russians to tell the Syrians to allow inspections and give up their chemical weapons,” Picoulas continued. “Syrians avoid a strike, the Russians appear as deal makers, and the US saves face and still keeps the strike option alive.”

In terms of keeping the military strike option open along with pursuing the diplomatic solution at hand, Pena comments, “If Syria agrees to hand over their weapons and are bound to this agreement, then no, a strike is not necessary. However, if they give us any complications or break this agreement, then yes.”

“For such a serious action, we have to weigh the benefit v. cost, and especially ask what are we specifically trying to achieve? In concrete and measurable terms, not longitudes and platitudes as Obama’s speech was full of last Tuesday,” continued Picoulas, finally asking, “So, can we achieve that—we can’t even agree what it is—by dropping bombs on Syria?”

As political talks involving United States Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov take place in Geneva, The Washington Post reports that the CIA is sending American weapons to vetted Syrian rebels. This move comes after the Obama administration promised to arm rebels back in June.

Meanwhile, the civil war has raged on in Syria. There have been reports that the Syria air force bombed a hospital in rebel-held territory in northern Syria. More than 100,000 have been killed over the course of the two and half year conflict.

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NEWS

September 18, 2013

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NSA revelations show expanding government surveillance Reports of undisclosed NSA observation of public continue to surface PATRICK DE HAHN Staff Writer Months of revelations on the National Security Agency surveillance programs show the United States government has drastically expanded its ability to watch or follow any persons domestically and internationally.

The NSA revelations over the summer share that the United States government has access to telephone, smartphone, email, social media and Internet data all around the world.

It started back in June 5, with The Guardian publishing classified documents on the wiretapping of millions of Verizon customers each day. The Guardian and The Washington Post went on to reveal an international cyber-attack list and NSA programs PRISM and Boundless Informant in June.

“It was not a surprise. We’ve known about this. We’ve known we’ve been watched, but to what extent was unknown,” Pace University senior Caitlin Richardson states. “It was merely a confirmation. However, that does not make the NSA’s actions justifiable.”

Fellow Uiversuty senior Jon Hand adds, “This is an egregious attack on our freedom and liberty, and a blatant invasion of privacy. We are clearly protected from unlawful search and seizure under the 4th Amendment, yet we are told this is for our “protection” and “national security” and so we should just watch another episode of the Kardashians and forget all about the NSA.” It was found that the NSA PRISM program has had access to information of Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, AOL, Apple, PalTalk users. The program lets the agency work closely with these companies in order to get information the government wants the ability to get.

Hand states, “To those people who say, ‘well, Facebook and Google read your private messages all the time,’ I will say this, Facebook and Google are private companies that we use voluntarily and whose terms and conditions we agree to; the government an entity with guns, jails, and armies, which is taking my information without my consent.”

“What happens if Google gets my personal information? They use it to sell me something,” Hand continues. “What happens if the government gets my private information? Well, that’s the scary part... we don’t know.”

In terms of the government on Capitol Hill, the U.S. House voted down a new amendment to limit the NSA’s collection of phone data over the summer. July was the first time when renewal of authority to collect surveillance data was

declassified and the White House renewed it.

The information released in the continuous NSA revelations also showed that, even with the secret United States oversight FISA courts assigned to overlook NSA and governmental doings, the agency broke their own rules of surveillance.

“While I wouldn’t mind some company as I spend my night watching porn, researching global protests, and doing my oceanography homework, NSA is one company that I do not extend my invitation to,” Richardson shares. “What about my typical weekday night says I am danger to national security? There are other means of providing security, but being invasive into the lives of US citizens to the extent that the NSA is, is not acceptable.”

Richardson continues, “The government shouldn’t have these rights. It is an institution; a thing, an object. And the moment we give this thing human traits and capabilities, is the moment it has power to control our lives.”

The latest revelation came last week showing that the National Security Agency shares its data with Israel. The one before that was September 7th release on how the NSA can find emails, contacts, notes and physical locations of people by gaining access into smartphone data.

Another recent and prominent one in September entailed the NSA being able to crack most of the Internet’s encryption and security settings or programs. This includes anything from things as simple as passwords to as complex as PGP keys. It was found that the United States works with companies in the technology industry to weaken encryption standards.

It was also shared that the GCHQ, a British spy agency, had agents in tech companies.

The person behind all of this was an ex-NSA contractor, Edward Snowden, who is now in Russia under an asylum deal with the country after fleeing to Hong Kong from the United States.

The Guardian, including now famed journalist and highly debated activist Glenn Greenwald, has charged on to continue publishing classified NSA information with the intel they receive from Snowden. Snowden has also worked with The Washington Post, who has published a few pieces on his information in addition to a few slides of the NSA presentations on the programs they’ve started.

June 5- Verizon phone records handed to U.S. Gov’t June 6- Gov’t acces to user data on Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, etc.

June 7- International cyber-attack list created by the U.S. Gov’t June 19- Skype surveillance sent to the NSA June 21- British spy agency has access to worldwide Internet/phone traffic data June 27- Online metadata collected from trillions of records June 28- One billion daily mobile phone call data collected by the NSA July 8- Austrailia helps the NSA in collecting surveillance data July 10- NSA has access to fiber optic cables that carry most internet and phone traffic July 18- Germany joins in effort to help NSA with surveillance July 31- Name, email, IP address, region and language data stored in 500 servers accross the globe Aug 2- Phone companies in Verizon shares data with British spy agancey Aug 21- Thousands of emails collected by the NSA Sept 5- NSA bypasses all kinds of passwords and encryption programs Sep 7- Email, contacts, notes and locations stored on smartphones, NSA targets Sep 11- Surveillance data collected by the NSA shared with Israel Graphic by Damien Morgan

NEWS

September 18, 2013

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Congress, President Obama join to give students a break Members vote to lower loan rates, affecting millions of students SHANNON MCMAHON News Editor On Wednesday, July 31, members of Congress voted 392 to 31 to lower rates for undergraduates taking out government loans this academic year. The cost was lowered to 3.86 percent, a rate far less expensive than the 6.8 percent interest rate that was put into place July 1, after congress failed to reach an agreement. An estimated 7.4 million students were brutally impacted by the inaction. With the latest deal, however, the new rates would be retroactive and apply to loans taken out past July 1. That said, the deal is, still an increase from last year’s rates.

The bill was passed in the Senate last week, and will now be sent along to President Obama for his signature, allowing the new practice to be put into law.

Obama pressured Congress on the issue just months earlier, saying, “Higher education cannot be a luxury for a privileged few.”

Obama also noted that he and First Lady Michelle Obama had just finished paying off their own student loans nine years ago, and only recently began saving for the college funds of their daughters.

Having already voiced his support of the new bill, Obama expected to sign shortly.

While there has also been significant praise for the bipartisan efforts that went into passing the bill, there are still a few remaining disagreements. House Republican leaders have agreed that this is a long-term solution, while many Democrats have said this plan will likely need to be tweaked in the near future.

The adjusted student loan rates would be attached to the interest rate on money borrowed by the federal government, which is predicted to rise as the economy is

revitalized.

Additionally, as a condition of signing their support in favor of the bill, democrats demanded a set of caps that would ensure that the rate does not exceed 8.25 percent for undergraduates, 9.5 percent for graduate students, and 10.5 percent for parents.

All is not entirely smooth-sailing going forward, however, as rates are expected to rise in the coming years. Under the new legislation, a high school senior who takes out college loans in 2017 would experience interest rates as high as 7 percent, which exceeds current law. Additionally, graduate students would pay more in interest than is set by existing law in 2015.

Nevertheless, senators from both political parties said the new deal would help all students this year—which includes those receiving both subsidized unsubsidized Stafford loans.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, unsubsidized loans—which are awarded to students based on financial need—make up approximately 26 percent of all college loans made by the government.

Many more government loans, however, are unsubsidized and were lent to graduate students already paying 6.8 percent interest rates, whose rates were unchanged on July 1.

The White House and its partners stated the new loan structure would offer less costly rates to 11 million borrowers immediately and save the average undergraduate student $1,500 in interest charges.

According to Forbes, the average graduate’s student loan debt was $27,253 in 2012–a 58 percent increase since 2005 when it was $17,233.

ARTS

Ariana Grande performs unreleased album at “Listening Sessions” ERICK MANCEBO Associate Editor Earlier this summer, against all odds, a teenage Nickelodeon star’s pop song found itself climbing the Billboard Hot 100. Ariana Grande’s “The Way,” a teeny-bopper anthem with a late ‘90’s R&B heart, managed to reach Top 10 status on the charts before eventually losing ground to the summer super-hits “Blurred Lines” and “Get Lucky.”

But the success of the single proved extremely beneficial to Grande: Critics, new fans and tween Nickelodeon viewers alike had all set their sights on Grande, and were clamoring for the release of another single from her debut “Yours Truly.”

Seemingly in response to the demand, and perhaps as a way to get the young starlet into the touring routine, Grande and her team of choreographers and managers assembled a series of pre-album-release one-off shows, aptly named “The Listening Sessions,” as they allowed fans to hear selections from Grande’s upcoming LP. While sitting in the audience at her Aug. 18 show, it became apparent that while Grande generally flew under the radar in the mainstream, she boasted a number of die-hard young fans. Half an hour before the show was to start, a single scream multiplied throughout the slightly cavernous auditorium—Grande was standing behind the stage’s curtains, waving a singular hand through the divide, to massive yells from her fans.

A few minutes later, kicking up a highheeled foot through the divide proved to drive the audience into yet another frenzy.

As such, by the time the curtains opened to reveal a (surprisingly intricate) stage and lighting setup, the audience was at a fever pitch. Roars filled the room as Grande climbed the steps onto her raised platform and began belting out the notes to “Baby I,” the fun follow-up to “The Way.” She reached the end of the track and unleashed a few high notes that seemed to take some of the parents in the audience by surprise—they seemed to have remained skeptical of Grande, who turns out can really sing those Mariah Carey-esque whistle-register notes heard on the radio.

As Grande moved on to another bouncy and unapologetically bubblegum pop song—“Lovin’ It”—she began to show off some choreography. A crew of dancers flanked the star as she teased the audience with a few flirtatiously sexy dance moves; Grande, now 20, manages to carefully toe the line between Nickelodeon-friendly and sexually appealing. A few missteps, most notably the unveiling of a slightly too-suggestive album cover, were handled quickly and efficiently—the cover was swapped for a more toned down version and Grande addressed the controversy by pointedly tweeting the reminder, “But it’s about the music.”

Back on stage, Grande addressed her audience, announcing, “I’m gonna slow it down a bit if you guys don’t mind.”

Moving on to the doo-wop flavored “Honeymoon Avenue,” Grande’s full voice filled the room again as roses cascaded from the screens behind her.

Her next song, a moody blues piece with a soulful Mary J. Blige twist was introduced as “Tattooed Heart.” The

piece grew, building with a lot of full, sustained notes that really showed off Grande’s vocal strength.

“Better Left Unsaid” masqueraded as a ballad until tom drums began the build-up to a fantastic electro-synth banger chorus. A male voice supplied a catchy “If you wanna party put your hands up” refrain, a small touch the audience went absolutely crazy for. But just as the audience got comfortable with the direction of the show, Grande veered wildly, taking the audience from the figurative center of a New York City dance club to a small London pub gig as she sank her teeth into a ballad called “Daydreamin.” An absolute dream of a song, the blues piece’s bouncy piano was ripped from 1955 in the best way possible. As the song winds down, Grande—a 21st century Susie Q in a shimmery pink above-the-knee dress—tells the audience, “That audio snippet at the end was my grandparents talking about how they fell in love,” to a collective and earnest “aww” from the audience.

Although Grande’s level of training and talent throughout the show was obvious, her rapport with her fans was also endearing: Between songs, an overzealous fan tossed a phone on stage to Grande, who giggled and passed the phone back, shaking her head but clearly amused. At the conclusion of her set, once the stage lights had been put out, light laughter again filled the room as Grande was seen not so sneakily crawling her way back to the raised platform for her encore.

The encore, arguably one of the best parts of the show, started off with

“Right There,” a track which features rapper Big Sean. Almost a continuation of “The Way,” the melodies in the track are derived or inversed from Grande’s Top 10 hit. The reference seems deliberate, because once “Right There” was wrapped, Grande sang an acappella intro to “The Way” which literally drew deafening screams from her fans. The acappella intro leads into the full instrumentally backed track, and with that, Grande’s hour-long show is wrapped (To tremendous applause, of course).

Although only a small sample of the work Grande and her producers have put into the album, the show seems to display a burgeoning talent. Grande shines through as a talented and well-trained artist with a defined taste and sense of direction. While her other singles have failed to become as successful as “The Way,” it will be interesting to watch Grande’s career, especially once “Yours Truly” is released in the U.S. on Sept. 3.

Ariana Grande’s album, Yours Truly digitalspy.com

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September 18, 2013

OPINION AND EDITORIALS

A Letter from the Editor-in-Chief Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is O or Olivia. I’m the editor-in-chief for the 2013-2014 academic year. This is the point in the letter where I’m suppose to say something prolific and profound to ring in the start of the school year. Unfortunate for us all I don’t have any flowery words to offer you.

I do however have a story for that I think may resonate with a few of you and really isn’t that all anyone could ask for? Before we start it should be noted that I didn’t come into Pace with the ambition of becoming editor-in-chief of the newspaper. I was a biochemistry major with dreams of working for a big pharmaceutical company. It basically ensured I would always have a job and a steady paycheck, to someone who grew up in a house were money was never a sure thing, this was and still is an alluring fantasy. Yet, when sophomore year came I knew I didn’t want that dream anymore.

It was a hard pill to swallow but I knew I needed to make a change.

A few days into sophomore year I was suddenly an English major and white knuckle gripping my notebook in the first Pace Press meeting of the 2011-2012 school year. By May I had secured myself a place on the e-board as Arts Editor. The next May I was Editor-in-chief. The reason I’m writing this to you all is not to brag of my accomplishments but to encourage you to push yourselves to ask yourselves what you really want and to maybe try something new, whether or not that is the Pace Press is up to you.

Let us move into the new academic year with high hopes and big dreams and with any luck I’ll see you at a few Pace Press meetings.

Best Regards, Olivia Beteta

myjoyofliving.com We do in fact send Corgi pictures because why not.

September 18, 2013

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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.

Olivia Beteta Editor-in-Chief

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Erick Mancebo Associate Editor Nicole Morales Copy Editor Damien Morgan Creative Director Shannon McMahon News Editor

University graduate runs for UNICEF I graduated last may, class of 2012, from Pace in NYC. It has literally been an entire year now and since graduating I have a steady and regular job while transitioning into graduate school.

Running for me became something of a hobby after a straight two years of partying in college (and studying, of course). I realized how unhealthy I was, and I needed something to change all that. Living in the greatest city in the world, and having the brooklyn bridge in my backyard, I first began to understand running could not only be an exhilarating exercise, but a way to see life as in was happening in motion. Anyone who has run the brooklyn bridge can tell you it is as much of a visual experience as it is physical. So slowly I built up running 10 mins straight, to 15, to a half hour, to all the way to and hour. I have a 5k and 10k under my belt, and now running is a bit of an obsession.

I am an art history major, now with my degree and planning ahead with my life to continue my education in graduate school.

I am relocating to London for grad school with an eagerness to conquer another international city. Attending Pace taught me to have an international and current perspective in the world and with that insight, all the devastating current events must be recognized. As New Yorkers, we have faced hardships, but what is happening in Syria is brutal. I wanted a way to contribute, and Unicef was the answer. I found a way to join running and fundraising for something truly important, and I can only hope to inspire others.

I want to just stay that I am an average 22 year old, with an average body, and somewhat below average height (shorty). You don’t have to be an all star athlete to do this. I am raising money to have a place in this half marathon, I hope you can help me get there.

Chelsea Fritz To support Chelsea visit unicef.org

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

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ARTS

September 18, 2013

Dyson Program Offerings Grow

Brand new majors offered at the university’s NYC campus IRENE SCHULTZ Arts Editor This fall begins an exciting new year for the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences here at the University’s New York City campus. Starting this semester, two new majors are available: a BA in global Asia studies and a BFA in production and design for stage and screen. In addition, new minors in nonprofit studies and translation are now being offered. The Master of public administration degrees, originally offered at the University’s Pleasantville campus, can now be completed entirely at the New York City campus. Dyson’s program offerings have truly grown.

In the new BA in global Asia studies major, students follow either an Asian languages and cultures track or a comparative Asian studies track. The degree program is geared toward developing competent bilingual area specialists and professionals for graduate school, for government and international organizations, or for employment in a globalized economy. “In addition to enriching the learning experience, undergraduates participating in these activities gain bilingual knowledge, work experience and skills, and the professional networks needed to succeed in today’s competitive job market,” as explained on Dyson’s website. Unlike other Asian studies undergraduate majors in the city, the University’s specific degree is unique because of its emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, global literacy and career preparation. It focuses on the core cultures in east Asia, south Asia and inner Asia. Another signature specialty of this program includes many film-centered courses that provide an opportunity to view and study rare Asian feature films and documentaries.

The performing arts department at the University is constantly expanding and it is no doubt that our programs are becoming a dominant source of professional artists in NYC. To keep up with the growing demand for performing arts in lower Manhattan, Dyson launched its new BFA in production and design for stage and screen this fall. The degree program is geared toward training young designers and craftspeople for the entertainment industry. It prepares students for the fields of scenery, costumes, stage management, lighting, sound and media. According to the Dyson website, “The production and design major allows the young artist to hone his or her craft in an extensive array of courses devoted to technique.”

The Dyson College is also breaking grounds on the Pleasantville campus.

The philosophy department is now offering the university’s first ever Doctor of philosophy degree. The Ph.D. will be in mental health counseling, the first such degree in New York State. The degree program aims to produce highly-skilled therapeutic practitioners, researchers, supervisors, mental health counseling professors/educators, or professional representatives of the discipline. It is distinct from disciplines such as psychiatry, psychology and social work because it focuses on preventive therapies, marriage and family counseling and career counseling.

Rostyslaw Robak, Ph.D., chair and professor of psychology on the Pleasantville campus says “The program will enrich our graduates’ ability to work successfully with clients and to develop new ways to treat mental health conditions that have the potential to significantly advance the field of mental health counseling.”

The Master of public administration degree is now offered at NYC Campus.

This is a more relevant location, as it is located across from New York’s city hall. The University offers master’s degrees in public administration with tracks in environmental management, government, health care and not-for-profit management, as well as combined degree programs with undergraduate programs and other graduate and professional programs, such as law, business, computer and information sciences, education and nursing. “We are pleased by the expansion of the program and for students to take advantage of the strong connections to the city’s leaders, policy makers, and non-profit organizations,” says Farrokh Hormozi, program chair.

The University certainly has a history in establishing groundbreaking degree programs. In the early 90’s, the University began offering degrees that were considered edgy, such as a Master of science degree in substance abuse counseling, only the second degree of its kind offered in New York State at the time. The University continues to advance as a leading edge in higher education to this day even with it’s brand new BFA in commercial dance major, the only program of this sort offered in the entire country. “Dyson College strives to be responsive to student and employer demands and to build high-quality, distinctive programs. We recognized here the tremendous opportunity to do both,” Dr. Nira Herrmann, dean of Dyson College of Arts and Sciences explained. As Dyson continues to grow and improve, the University can expect a fresh and enthusing year ahead.

Wavves frontman releases comicbook “Negative Dad #1” Nathan Williams keeps busy in between tours with latest project

NICOLE MORALES Copy Editor

Beach punk duo Wavves is at it again. Wasting no time after their third studio album Afraid of Heights dropped in March, frontman Nathan Williams has released his comic book, Negative Dad #1. The comic is the first in a series and is written by Williams and friend Matt Barajas and illustrated by Rudolfo. The unconventional series follows Daniel and Serjio, two mutant boys living in a world full of other mutants. The comic opens with Mr. Reynolds, a teacher at Verlaine High School singing TLC’s “Waterfalls” as he uses the bathroom.

The lead characters are then introduced as Daniel passes Mr. Reynolds a joint with his extremely long snake-like arms. The characters lifestyles bear similarities to Williams’ infamous persona as a Seinfeld-loving, weed smoking California punk. The Mishka NYC snapback Serjio sports throughout the comic is an uncanny coincidence.

In the past Mishka NYC has partnered with Wavves to create infamously fast selling band merchandise.

Another coincidence is Walter Pope, “the negative world dweller,” whose last name is sure to be borrowed from Wavves bassist Stephen Pope Jr.

Throughout the comic Daniel and Serjio uncover the secret behind the mutant traits of their beloved town. The fictional town of Verlaine, CA was the epicenter of scientific research testing.

The boys uncover that Walter Pope, their father, was behind the S.T.E.M project involving human genome experimentation. Because of this, the entire town is plagued with mutant traits. The issue ends with a bit of a cliffhanger which is fitting since it keeps Negative Dad audiences anticipating the next issue. Although some may try to dismiss this as a stoner comic, it’s clear from just the first issue that there are some dark themes within that will likely be explored in future issues.

Overall, the comic is definitely well-illustrated and features a welldeveloped foundation. It’s very easy to imagine it transformed into an Adult Swim series, which is not too far fetched since the band has performed for Adult Swim series in the past and the network has a history of collaborating with indie circuit musicians like Odd Future, Neon Indian, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra in support of TV segments, videos, and singles. Only time will tell if the comics will make it that far, but fans can rest assured that this comic is definitely a fantastically imaginative and funny literary addition to their Wavves collection.

Cover of “Negative Dad #1” Image courtesy of Life or Death PR & Management

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September 18, 2013

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South Street Seaport’s Last Hoorah Downtown attraction to make way for new mall

HEATHER BROWN Contributor The South Street Seaport has been a popular hangout spot for many University students to do homework alongside the Atlantic Ocean, grab something to eat, shop in Pier 17’s mall and just hangout on weekends and during breaks from a rigorous class schedule.

Over the summer, the South Street Seaport has had plenty of activities to keep residents entertained. They rolled out a faux lawn and played movies every weekend from May to the beginning of Sept., including movies such as Up and the Back to the Future series. Food and retail containers have been added with short term leases to provide patrons with food, adult beverages, lemonade and clothing. The Smorgasbar has been providing people with great tasting beer, wine, spirits and food in their outdoor grills featuring local food options.

The “See Change NY” movement that is responsible for allowing the

Seaport to go out with a bang, has a calendar full of free events for all ages to enjoy before the historic site is transformed forever. A weekend of family fun is offered each Sunday with the “KidAround!” events. This includes fun activities for children including performances, arts and crafts and storytelling. For adults, this weekend will be the last free yoga session at 9:00 am Saturday morning.

Now, our beloved Seaport is getting a makeover. Since Hurricane Sandy hit Manhattan last fall, the downtown NYC area has been one of the most affected by the treacherous storm. The Seaport hasn’t quite been the same since.

Although a handful of stores have been renovated and reopened, a great deal are still destroyed, including SuperDry and Brookstone, and we aren’t sure when we will see them up and running again.

There is a new plan in place, voted on by Community Board 1 last Feb., for Pier 17 to be completely rebuilt starting in Oct. The two level glass structure will allow for a lot of natural light and

will be filled with high-end stores and restaurants, leaving no room for momand-pop stores. Retailers are hoping to bring in enough money to relieve the burden of lost profits from Sandy and the time that the mall will be closed during renovations.

The current vendors inside the mall have been offering their products at extremely discounted prices to get rid of inventory before they are pushed out. The rooftop of the new mall will provide the same spectacular view of the skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Heights. It will also feature a green roof that will have a 40 percent larger lawn for public use and seating

for concerts and other events. It is expected to be complete by 2015. There is also talk of possibly including highend apartment buildings in the future.

The brand in charge of the renovations, SeeChangeNY, says their mission is “...to provide a new product that includes the top two activities of the international traveler, shopping and dining. Packaged with the rich history that each project brings to the brand, the traveler will be able to see and do everything they desire in one main attraction in each city.” The new structure is important to the continuing growth of downtown Manhattan and the neighborhood us students call home.

VISIT The Howard Hughes Corporation South Street Seaport Monday — Saturday 10am — 9pm Sunday 11am — 9pm 212.732.8257 To learn about the seaport restoration project visit: www.seechangeny.com

Rendition of Seaport’s future shopping setup. nytimes.com

The Rubens brought the thunder from down under to the states OLIVIA BETA Editor-in-Chief

The Rubens are a chart topping four-piece alternative-rock band from Australia.

Their blues rock riffs accompanied by the sultry voice of lead singer Sam Margin have helped introduce them to American listeners and even landed them a spot opening for Grouplove this fall. Margin momentarily put his guitar down before embarking on his tour fof an interview with the Pace Press. The result below is more than enough to get anyone excited for this invasion from down under.

The Pace Press: Before we begin I have to ask, where did the name The Rubens come from?

Sam Margin: Will the people in the band are three brothers and a friends. The three of us [Margin brothers] have another younger brother his name is Jethro, and his nickname at the time, this was probably two years ago, his nickname at the time when we first started the group was Ruben. He’s a drummer but wasn’t able to be in the band because he was too young. In a kinda teasing way we named the band after him.

TPP: How did you get started as a band?

SM: Well we’ve always been into music. We went to music school my parents used to play instruments. It’s always been part of our life as kind of a hobby but I think we all wanted to do something a bit abnormal with out lives, other than a nine to five job but we weren’t exactly sure how we were going to achieve that and music was one way to achieve it. So somehow we got lucky and now we are doing [it].

TPP: How would you describe your sound?

SM:…I’d say there is definitely a soul to it, so I’d label it soul rock something along those lines.

TPP: Your Album has just been released in the U.S. [Sept. 10] and you are on a tour of the states how does it all feel?

SM: It’s really exciting. It’s actually almost to the day a year since we released it in Austrilla so it’s kinda werid for us but also fantastic that it’s actually being released in the states. The biggest thing is the next step for our band.

TPP: Who were your influences on The Rubens album? Were you listening to anyone specificly?

SM: I don’t think we listened to anything while we were writing. I can’t remember any of us sitting down and listing any other artist while we were writing. When we were writing… at that point I wasn’t listening to anyone else music because I think I was just so so involved with being The Rubens and writing our own songs. I didn’t have time and I didn’t want to, I didn’t really want any outside influence I guess.

TPP: How do you feel about touring with another rising star Grouplove?

SM: It’s good to be with a band that have a been a bit underground and now they are becoming quiet a big band in the states and over here [Australia] as well. So it’s good for us to…I think it will be good for us to meet the guys in Grouplove and get to know them and sort of hang out and also learn from them and talk about how they sort of got to be where they are in the states. I’ve also heard that they are really lovely people so it should be a lot of fun I think.

TPP: The Rubens began recording in 2011 and you’ve already won awards in Austrillia and have played major festivals here, what’s been the most difficult part of your quickly rising popularity?

SM: …The hardest part has been learning, learning all the intricate parts of being in a band. When we started we really didn’t know what we were doing when we started.

WE had to learn really really quickly where as some bands, work hard for many years and then they break so they have some experience under their belt but we didn’t because it happened so quickly. So we had to work very very hard on our live show and had to learn how to record and we basically had to learn tour. It’s been pretty cool. That’s been the hardest part everything else has been really fun, there’s nothing else that’s been hard during this. Recording and writing has been good so we’re not worried.

The Rubens will be appearing in New York with Grouplove for two sold-out shows on Sept 25 and 26. After that The boys will head back to Austrilla where they will continue to write for their next album. For a taste of their soulful sound check out “Lay it Down.”

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This is... Icona Pop

September 18, 2013

and fans are loving it

Icona Pop wants you to know they are more than “I Love It” and plan to prove it OLIVIA BETETA Editor-in-Chief Icona Pop is probably best known for “I Love It,” their double platinum single that became one of the most prolific songs of the summer.Yet the Swedish duo, that is Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo, is more than just a couple girls with Keyboards. Icona Pop has rocketed to the top of music charts around the world with their particular brand of party ballads and “bitter-sweet melodies.”Hjelt took a moment out of her globe trotting schedule to talk to the Pace Press about everything from little bars in London to the Billboard Awards.

Somewhere in the distance “I Love It” can be heard blaring out of a car stereo. It is just past noon and Hjelt answers the phone with what sound like a smile. After a few minutes of exchanging pleasantries Hjelt begins to tell the history of Icona Pop and their long journey to where they are now.

Hjelt and Jawo met back in 2009 at a party. The less than conventional meeting is the perfect beginning to a less than conventional duo.. Jawo was singing and playing cowbell in a band with six men. Hjelt was involved in a number of projects but both were unsatisfied with what they were doing.

“We were both searching for… and Aino was producing a lot, she got frustrated that no one really got what she wanted to do and I was also very frustrated, I was working with different people but it just didn’t feel 100% right and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was,” Hjelt said. “So then when I met Aino I was like ahh this is how it is supposed to feel because it was just pure creative freedom and I got so inspired. “ The day after meeting the two began writing together. The day after that they booked their first show and a month later they performed on stage together. Hjelt says that this is just their relationship. The two became fast friends and together they are able to create. “…If we get inspired, if we feel for something, we don’t sleep we just defiy it. We just sit there and we are creating.”

Yet it hasn’t always been easy for the two.

Before they were perfroming on the same stage as Prince and Justin Bieber they were sharing a mattress in a little apartment in London with barely enough money to buy food and rats as their only companions. It was that time in London that the two decided to take control of their own music.

Hjelt explained, ”we first moved to London for a year and we were there and we were really like trying to find people to listen to our music and to get DJ gigs at some shitty bars and we didn’t have any money and we were like shit what are we gonna do and we were working with people that didn’t really listen so we decided we didn’t want to work with them anymore.”

Since that bleak time a lot has changed in the lives of Hjelt and Jawo.”… Now we have the best crew. We have our Sweedish crew and our music group Ten, which is like a big family and atlantic records and it’s just like we’ve traded this crew with tens of people that we love so now everything feels just right. But this last year everything has been going very fast and very good. We’re very happy,” said Hjelt.

The biggest turning point in their career can be arguably pinpointed to a show at The Glasslands in Brookyln.The show was the duo’s first headlining gig

Swedish duo Aino Jawo (left) and Caroline Hjelt (right)

and for the first time they played to a crowd of about 200 fans who sang along to every song. “That gig was so important for us because to come to New York to play was like a dream. And we were there and people were actually signing along to our songs and it was like what did people actually come to see us? And you know then we saw the girls episode, that was huge for us, and then playing the Billboard Awards, we didn’t even realize what we were doing till we got down in the audience next to all the other artists, like did we just perform her on the same stage as Justin Bieber and Prince?” Four months after the show and the astonishment could still be heard in Hjelt’s voice.

Hjelt describes her life now with such an enthusiasm and excitement but the tones of wonder are still audible. “I guess we just do what we did a year ago but now people come to our shows, people go to our gigs, if we ask a question on to our fans on twitter there’s so much people answering and you know it feels like we, that is the biggest difference, that we can actually go somewhere and play and people will come to our show and they are you know singing along to the songs, even songs we haven’t released in their country.”

Hjelt continued, “It’s just been weird, a crazy feeling. And then I mean this tour, we are gonna go on a headlining tour of the US and then we are gonna go to Asia, Australia then Europe. So I said to my mom now when I left Sweden, well I’ll see you in maybe six seven months time she was like what? … I don’t really think you can understand, I mean we can’t even understand how big “I Love It” got you know? But being with your best friend keeps you on the ground.”

Now Icona pop is supported, not only by hordes of fans but a team that has become their family.

Hjelt continues, “I think we have each other and we’re best friends and so we just we just have the best little team and the thing to know is that we are having so much fun and we are actually able to do what we love and do want we want to do and people like that, no one is trying to change anything.”

It was with their makeshift family that the “control freaks” that make up Icona Pop were able to create their debut album “This is …ICONA POP” to be released Sept. 24th. Hjelt could barely contain herself when talk turned to the soon to be released album. “This is our baby and we are so proud and so glad that it’s finally coming out.

It’s just you know we’ve been working on it for such a long time, it’s kinda like, it’s time for people to get to know us a little bit more.”

Hjelt continued, “I think people will get surprised over all the sounds we have on the album, it shows new sides of us that people haven’t seen before. They’ve been there but maybe now they are there even more maybe a bit more of our vulnerable sides and different expressions in some songs. But it’s still gonna be the bittersweat melodies and the campy choirs and of course some really good fucking party songs.”

Icona Pop will soon be back in NYC for a sold-out show at Webster Hall on Sept 20th.

Fans should get ready for a never seen before show from the twosome. Hjelt said, “ I mean, It’s [the live show] really so unique and no show, even though we play the same songs, will ever be the same show because it’s a collaboration with the audience. It’s that chemistry, all of that electricity you can feel it, that.. we want people to feel what we feel when we sing the … that is the coolest feeling when you feel like you have a.. connection with the audience and you get so much in it.

Even though you give and you may be tired when you get up on stage that just disappears because you get so much back from everyone in the audience.”

Every performance, every song, every fan means the world to Icona Pop and they want to share their musical joy with the world.

iconapop.com

September 18, 2013

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Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts hosts Pace Presents Series MICHAEL “TJ” WILLIAMS Social Media Manager The Michael Schimmel Center of the Arts boasts exclusive interviews with tradition presented by Gelsey Kirkland Ballet and Michael Chernov. The Nutcracker is Hollywood’s most famed actors, beautifully choreographed dances of every genre, a holiday favorite that is bound to impress audiences of all ages. Tickets for this event inspiring singers from different musical backgrounds and numerous other forms of range from $30-$55.

Abe Tomo, a senior at the University, explained, “I remember seeing The Nutcracker entertainment each year.

The theatre is located at 3 Spruce Street, and is a part of the University’s campus. when I was younger, but am now happy to be able to relive the experience. Now that I am However, the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts is open to the public and has become older, I will be able to appreciate it more and it will surely help get me into the holiday spirit.” an established performance venue in New York City.

Hollinger adds, “It will be very festive.”

James Lipton’s Inside the Actor’s Studio is filmed in the Schimmel Theater. During Acoustic Underground, Recuerdo Tango, Deep Roots of Rock and Roll: Black the previous academic year, appearances were made by Liam Neeson, Tina Fey and Rock Coalition, Maria T. Balanescu Quartet, Brian Sanders’ Junk and even a tribute Bradley Cooper who also brought Robert De Niro along as a special guest. to the legendary singer Edith Piaf are all listed on the scheduled Before students began moving back onto campus for the performances for the Schimmel Center. academic year, James Lipton interviewed the Oscar-nominated “I remember seeing The There is even a lecture series on Art History, focusing on Jake Gyllenhaal on the show. Gyllenhaal opened up about Nutcracker when I was France’s most fascinating art from great medieval cathedrals to his relationship with Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, post-impressionism. The lectures will be led by Dr. Janetta Rebold addressed the gay rumors that speculated from this role and younger, but am now Benton and will be held each Wednesday from Oct. 9 through Oct. even discussed how it was to work with Anne Hathaway again happy to be able to re30. Individual tickets can be purchased for $25 or people can pay in Love & Other Drugs. He further discussed his upcoming a flat rate of $80 for all the lectures. crime-thriller film, Prisoners, which premieres on Sept. 20. live the experience.”

Tomo continues, “There is a large art program at the Julian Hollinger, a sophomore at the University, said, “I University, so I am hopeful the students will find value in this and am very excited to see who James Lipton invites to Inside the -Abe Tomo, that the lecture series will stand a chance compared to the other Actor’s Studio. It is my favorite part of what the Schimmel Theater has to offer. I am hopeful to see Sandra Bullock, Viola University senior entertainment-driven events at the Schimmel Theater. If professors incorporate it into the curriculum, it will do very well.”

Davis or James Franco at the Actor’s Studio this year.”

The Schimmel Theater is also home to the University’s own The first event to showcase at the Michael Schimmel plays and musicals. Last year, Spring Awakening was well-received Center for the Arts this year is Sonorama: The Lost Space Age Music of Esquivel. On Sept. 21 at 7:30pm, Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica will perform Juan by audiences who are hopeful for a similar experience this upcoming year. The calendar Garcia Esquivel’s lost space-age music. The band consists of four singers, a B3 organ, for the University’s own plays and musicals is still being comprised, but will be updated three percussionists and a slide guitar, all of which contributes to an experimental group to the website upon completion. of musicians. All tickets are $35 for this event.

Django’s Dream will also be held at the Schimmel Theater during the month of September. This will be a 1930s gypsy swing festival featuring a multitude of talented VISIT guitarists. Stephane Wrembel, Kamlo and Alfonso Ponticelli are among these guitarists and have very distinguished musical careers. Wrembel has been exclaimed “a revelation”

by Rolling Stone in addition to composing the film score for Woody Allen’s most recent For the complete calendar, ticket prices or more information: films. This show will take place on Sept. 28 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $35 for this event as www.schimmel.pace.edu well.

One of the most anticipated events this upcoming season is The Nutcracker. From Dec. 12 through Dec. 15, audiences will have the opportunity to experience this holiday

A sneak-peak of the 2013-2014 season of Pace Presents.

schimmelblog.com

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FEATURES

September 18, 2013

Fifty Shades of Disappointment

Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson casted for lead roles ASHLEY SPENCER Contributor The moment most women have been waiting more than a year for has finally arrived and surprisingly they’re not too happy about it. Earlier this month, director Sam Taylor-Johnson announced that Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson nabbed the coveted roles of Christian grey and Anastasia Steele. Hunnam’s most recognized for his roles in FX’s Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim and Johnson is the daughter of Melanie Griffith.

The fans have been very vocal in letting them know just how disappointed they are, some fans even starting a petition. Hunnam and Johnson beat out names like Ryan Gosling, Ian Somerholder, Shailene Woodley and Alexis Bledel for the coveted roles. To some it seems like these two came out of the woodwork.

Everyone has an opinion. When asked what she thought of the Fifty Shades casting, sophomore Anna Glazer said, “ Personally, I think there were so many better options. And I get that they were trying to pick “new actors” but they just did a poor job and I’m not satisfied.” Satisfaction is a big part of why the casting news has been met with so much adversity. The books, while having an extremely sexual nature are the product of passion. Author E.L James, wrote “Fifty Shades” in response to the “Twilight” Saga. Basing some elements of her story loosely off of Bella and Edward. James took to twitter in response to the backlash saying, “ To all the supporters, lovers, and haters thank you so much for the passion that you have for this project. You rock. All of you”.

“Fifty Shades” is not the first book turned film to receive such negativity in response to there casting choices. Looking back on the early “Twilight” days many were against Robert Pattinson playing Edward Cullen.

Often the problem with literature is that the reader’s imagination conjures up a face and an image for a character based on their description and once that is brought to film, the actor can become disappointing in comparison. Making it hard for anyone to ever be truly satisfied with the directors choices. Producer Dan Brunetti also responded to the backlash saying “ There is a lot that goes into casting that isn’t just looks. Talent, availability, their desire to do it, chemistry with other actors, etc.”

In reality, actors do have to be willing. With the movie likely to receive an NC-17 rating, the actors have to be prepared to have everything on display. Following the announcement of his casting, Hunnam when questioned in an interview with the Guardian about his comfort with playing the part of Grey said “I starred in the British Channel Four miniseries Queer as Folk, where I played a young, gay character, and there were some incredible, explicit sex scenes on that show. ... Now I am 16 years older and more mature so I don’t anticipate them being too much of a problem. It’s like anything else, just an exciting challenge.”

And with a film as graphic and passionate as “Fifty Shades,” chemistry is everything. Anyone can dye their hair or wear contacts to physically be more like the main characters, Christian and Ana, but if the actors lacked believable chemistry the movie adaptation would be finished before it started.

Maybe if Hunnam and Johnson have undeniable chemistry there’s hope. When asked if chemistry or looks was more important, sophomore Katie Horan said, “I mean he’s no Christian Bale, but if he can at least act like Christen Grey I can deal.” I think all Charlie Hunnam (top) and Dakota Johnson (bottom) fans can agree, if the actors can at least make you wearemoviegeeks.com and scoopcharlotte.com feel what the book does then it should be fine.

Pop Stars & Movies: Do it for the money, Do it for the fame MAX ONOFRE Contributor Pop stars Hannah Montana, The Jonas Brothers, Justin Beiber, The Glee Cast, Katy Perry and One Direction all have been the stars of feature films documenting their tours. It’s been years since pop stars began coming out with their own movies and even then it was only big name stars such as Elvis, Madonna and Elton John.

However, they all lacked the support that a group as big as Disney gave Hannah Montana. When Disney decided to take a shot at filming their own movies surrounding their teen idol, the idea paid off well for them. Once Hannah Montana was out with her movie and the success was fairly monumental, Disney followed their own footsteps by pitching a movie with the Jonas’ Brothers. The trend was followed by other pop stars who took an interest in getting their own stories documented. Still, for a long time, Disney has been a big money making machine, coming out with one thing after the other and calling it the next big thing.

University’s student body held pretty similar opinions. Most do not believe that any of these recent pop stars needed a movie. “They’re already big musicians... why do they need a movie?” Freshman Rosie Esquilin stated. There seems to be speculation that these pop stars aren’t doing documentaries so that their fans can have another way to connect to them, but are in fact making them to just create a wider spectrum for them to make money. Freshmen Colleen Fox, when asked if she thought there were other pop stars that deserved a movie more than these pop stars said, “Yes, however they’re [One Direction] gonna make the most money ‘cause they’re teenage heartthrobs.” It seems that there is a consensus in the idea that these movies aren’t just any old documentary, but that they are in fact just another

money consuming product that has been laid out for the fans so that the pop stars can make money. Maybe Disney and the marketing teams were onto something.

If that’s the case though, is it the pop stars themselves who are taking the decision to make these movies or is it their marketing teams, which seems to be the case in the Disney Corporation. After all, if we pay attention to the video that One Direction came out with recently, “Best Song Ever” we see them portraying their marketing people as the ones who wanted to make the movie and not them necessarily. Most of these celebrities also have YouTube channels where they keep videos of their lives on a day to day basis as a way to connect with the fans.

Amelia Marchiani thinks that the ones who are truly trying to make money here are, “the people that manage the bands because if they [the pop stars] already have video blogs, then what’s the point.” It seems as though these movies are coming out one of two reasons: if the pop stars are young, then it seems they follow what their marketing teams find best and then the older they are then it’s more of their choice. After all, the younger pop stars have a “backstage” type of film while the older stars have a distinct “documentary” feel to them.

Nevertheless, the opinions can vary based on the artist and the person’s taste in music. Some students believe that no bands should be making movies, others think that there are certain groups that are not recent who deserved a movie. Others like Senior Joyreen Quarcoo had varied opinions when asked about the two most recent movies. “I don’t think One Direction should have made a movie” Joyreen Quarcoo responded, yet when asked if Lady Gaga should continue down this path and make her move, she simply said “I’d watch it.” In general, it seems like no matter what the opinion over the pop stars are, they are going to continue in this fashion if not for the fans, then for the money.

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September 18, 2013

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Miley makes history as she twerks to the top at VMA’s

Miley Cyrus & Robin Thicke performing at 2013 VMAs MARCEL PAWLAS Contributor

Pop culture has not been the same after the MTV’s 2013 Video Music Awards. Media and its audience continue to obsess over Miley Cyrus, the “We Can’t Stop” songstress.

Miley can be found all over social media in a pair of pale flesh skin-tight latex underwear. While some think she had hit rock bottom that some other young starlets have once hit, including Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears; however, that is not the case with the Hannah Montana star. In fact, she has created such a buzz about her name and who she is as an artist that we continue to talk about her a month after the VMAs and her newest video broke record making numbers.

No sleep til 8.25.13 LIVE in BROOKLYN was the slogan conspicuously placed at every corner of the city prior to the MTA VMAS at the Barclay’s Center right here in Brooklyn, where Miley Cyrus made MTV history and “twerked” to the top of social media, receiving 4.5 million mentions in tweets sent out during the two hour airing.

The night of the VMAS, the two-bun blonde seemed a bit normal on the red carpet, except for sticking out her tongue

hollywoodreporter.com

at the press. Everyone thought Lady Gaga performing her new song would be the talk of the town but the show completely revolved around Miley’s stage performance.

Miley’s performance began with her coming out of a large robotic teddy-bear followed by her controversial dancing and twerking, across the globe but the show did not finish there. Robin Thicke then stepped out on stage, but eyes stayed on Miley as she ripped off her top layer revealing nude colored latex underwear. The two began the popular summer hit, ”Blurred Lines”. To everyone’s surprise, Cyrus grinded and twerked on Thicke during most of the performance. The camera shots of the celebrities in the audience were some of the best captured VMA’s shots, as most celebrities appeared to be shocked or unimpressed with Cyrus’s comeback performance.

The backlash and the publicity began to rake in as the performance ended. As the publicity towards Miley’s performance grew and became the most talked about performance of the night, Miley did not let down her fans as she recently released her video for ‘Wrecking Ball’.

The video is directed by renowned photographer, Terry Richardson, who always captures celebrities in unordinary ways. Unlike her last hit “We Can’t Stop,” Cyrus pursues

a slower paced ballad that seems to be more emotionally attached to the singer than her other hits.

As of recently, due to her VMA performance, Miley was stripped of her Vogue cover by the editor-in-chief, herself, Anna Wintour. This is no big deal as there is no doubt that Miley and her PR team are all extremely happy with the turn out of the VMAs. Miley has gained much attention in the press these last couple of weeks that it will for sure rocket her career to a higher level. Miley’s brand as a pop star is that she does not care what others think and that is what she expressed on that Barclay’s Center Stage. She danced the way she wanted, she wore what she wanted, and she sang how she wanted to sing. Miley is a young girl who danced a bit dirty on stage but she needed to find a way to be memorable just as former performers used other tactics to tackle the post VMA coverage.

The performance was part of her whole new image. To reinsure, it was the VMAs not the Grammys. To gain the most publicity post VMAs and beat out the biggest names in the current music industry: Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, is more than a big deal for any musician.

The audience reacted and is still reacting. Mostconsider that a success in any business entertainment book.

Fall TV brings new shows and old favorites “Glee” returns after death of Corey Monteith

STEPHANIE PITERA Contributor The return of fall comes will the return of a whole new T.V. lineup. After a long summer of hit reality shows, fans of scripted T.V. have been eagerly anticipating the return of some of their favorite shows, as well as the addition of several new ones.

New shows on Fox this fall include futuristic cop drama “Almost Human,” “Brooklyn Ninety-Nine,” starring SNL’s Andy Samberg, and “Dads,” a comedy about two successful men whose fathers decide to move in with them. “Dads” was created by funnyman Seth MacFarlane, who was the mastermind behind hits such as “Family Guy” and the box office hit “Ted.” NBC’s new lineup includes the highly anticipated drama “Blacklist,” about a criminal who teams up with the FBI to fight terrorism and other crime. Another of NBC’s new shows, vampire thriller “Dracula,” has already been picked up for a full season. NBC also brings the television

return of actor Michael J. Fox with the new series, “The Michael J. Fox Show,” which has also been picked up for a 22-episode season.

New shows on ABC include “Betrayal,” a drama revolving around lies, cheating and a murder trial, 80’s comedy “The Goldbergs,” and “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” a spin-off of the network’s popular fantasy series “Once Upon a Time.”

With so many promising new shows, many viewers are eager to see the return of a few familiar ones. FX’s thriller “American Horror Story” returns in October with the new season titled “Coven.” The new season deals with the concept of witches that have survived over 300 years after the Salem Witch Trials.

“I [think] the premise of Coven is ingenious. After all, even though witches are one of the few things that have diminished fear-wise, they are still one of the scariest paranormal creatures. I [also] love the fact they are staying with the history of The Salem Witch Trials,” university student Jessica Puccio said.

“American Horror Story” is interesting in the fact that each season deals with an entirely new story line. Last year’s season, “Asylum,” left viewers hungry for more of creator Ryan’s Murphy’s original storylines.

The return of HBO’s award-winning series “Boardwalk Empire” is also one that fans have been eagerly awaiting. Despite entering its fourth season, the period drama is still one that is consistently watched by its loyal views. “Boardwalk Empire is the best mob drama since the Sopranos. The fact that it’s set in prohibion-era Atlantic City adds to the glamour of the show,” University student Amanda Perez said. The new season, which premiered on September 8, has so far received mixed reviews from critics.

Of course, the much-anticipated season five premiere of Fox’s hit show “Glee” will be bittersweet for many of the show’s fans. The premiere comes just two short months after the death of one of the show’s lead actors, Cory Monteith. Monteith, who played the role of glee-clubbing quarterback Finn Hudson, was pronounced dead in

his Vancouver hotel room on July 13 after overdosing on a deadly mixture of heroin and alcohol. Monteith, who had struggled with addiction since he was a teenager, had previously checked himself into a rehab facility earlier this year.

“I don’t think the show will ever be the same,” university student Gabrielle Garcia said. “Cory was such a big part of the show’s storyline and was loved by the fans.” Creators of the show plan to write Finn off in the third episode of the new season. The episode is expected to be a tribute to Monteith and his finest moments on the show.

The season will also introduce new cast members, including pop star Demi Lovato, who is slated to play Santana’s new love interest. Lovato released a statement to Access Hollywood expressing her excitement about joining the cast: “[I hope to] inspire people with my character to love who they are and accept who they are, and not give a crap what other people think.”

Glee returns to Fox Sept. 26 with a Beatles tribute episode entitled “Love, Love Love.”

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FEATURES

September 18, 2013

NYC Events Round Up

Randall’s Island

EZoo cancelled after deaths from drug use CHRISTIAN VELEZ Contributor As a society, we all associate people with events in time. Just think about what you currently think of Miley Cyrus. As people, especially the American youth, we identify ourselves with the on goings of our time. Think back to the 60s, and the era of the flower child comes to mind. Flash back to the 80s, and you recall brightly colored clothing, high waist pants and the pre op king of pop Michael Jackson and his revolutionary music. In 20 years what will this decade be known for? As we bury our heads in our smart phones and stay plugged into the Internet, it is safe to say we are of the electronic generation.

Connection to our electronic devices, online social media, and electronic music are uniting factors of this generation. “Cause you are the piece of me, I wish I didn’t need.” If you can read that sentence without somewhat singing it, I applaud you. The phenomenon of electronic dance music, E.D.M., (including house, techno, trance, hardstyle, and dubstep) has taken this generation by storm. Heading to music festivals with your best friends, singing and dancing with other ravers and losing yourself in the music has become very popular.

Music festivals sell out quickly and bring together thousands to enjoy hard drops, insane bass and an environment in which everybody is in good spirits. Once the wristband is scanned one enters limited inhibition and unite under the music. This is what E.D.M is about. Good times, good vibes, good people. Yet like everything else there is a dark side to counter the positives. In recent times E.D.M. goers have had a drug of choice and it’s called Molly. The drug has also become popular talk after the famous Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance. Molly-also known as MDMA or ecstasyhas almost become synonymous with big festivals, and unfortunately has given the

E.D.M. music scene a stigma that diverts focus from the music.

EZOO, the most recent music festival with a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, was held on Randall’s Island this past Labor Day weekend. This was a three-day music fest featuring some of the best DJ’s of the genre. Nearly 100,000 individuals gathered to end summer 2013 with a bang. Day 1 and 2 were enjoyed, yet the 3rd day was not held from an interruption caused by the drug. Although many believe Molly enhances the music, it should not be mistaken to be about drugs.

Unfortunately, during these performances there were numerous casualties due to Molly’s overbearing presence. The responsible reaction by the city of New York and event planners to shut down the 3rd day of the zoo immediately drew the attention of the media. As we are all “plugged in,” word instantly got around to further the stigma of E.D.M music festivals. Although it is a reality that people use drugs at raves, it is most definitely not all it is about. When listening to a good DJ live, one experiences a natural ecstasy. This is a concept that some ravers have seem to forgotten. Drug misuse by a few should not ruin the party for the masses.

These instances do little to gain a positive view of these events, yet festivals are a new market opportunity grossing $4.5 billion and rising. For many investors, this is not a number to overlook. Businesses looking to use these festivals to further their brands will utilize funds to ensure the safety of all those who partake in the events.

Better security, free water tents and multiple first aid stations are becoming the focus of the event planners. Drug misuse will not hinder the profitability, although it may prevent certain companies to contribute just yet. Despite potential profit and the drug use, these festivals will always be about the music and the people who appreciate it.

FEATURES

September 18, 2013

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Lincoln Center

New York Fashion Week Spring 2014 The best beauty trends to hit the runway

THATIANA DIAZ Features Editor Inspired by the unveiling of fashion designer’s latest creations at New York Fashion Week, come fashion forward beauty trends to accompany this season’s looks.

You don’t have to wait until the spring season rolls around to start trying some of the looks from the runway. While braids and light makeup will always be in style, you’ll be surprised at some of the more shocking trends to come out of spring 2014 New York Fashion Week. Low ponytails, slicked-down hair, bright orange lips and glitter were all spotted walking down the runways. It’s also safe to assume nail art is far from dead.

Be ahead of the game and step up your beauty game with these trends:

Wet Hair

Gather up your hair gel and get ready to saturate your hair, because wet locks are in for the spring season. Matted hair was all over the runways, ranging from grungy to glamorous as seen on Kim Kardashian. While this may not be one of the more wearable trends to come from the shows, it’s definitely something to play around with.

Low Ponytails

Gone are the days of super high ponytails. For Spring, it’s time to bring them down. Ponytails were kept low and fuss-free on the Spring 2014 runways, and the top of the hair was mostly slick.

Colorful Eye Makeup

Your favorite colors for spring showed up all over the runway in the form of brightly hued eye makeup. Designers like Marc Jacobs and Badgley Mischka were inspired by vibrant colors this season. From bright blue to lime green, the eye makeup shades ran the full scale of the color spectrum.

Orange Lips

According to the spring 2014 runways, orange will be the go-to shade next season.

The orange shades we spotted at NYFW were more electric than muted. So when

you’re shopping for bold lip colors come spring, bypass the salmon and melon and move toward the neon tangerine. It just might replace your favorite red lip color.

No Makeup

Every girl’s dream! A flock of shows showed models wearing little to no makeup on the runways. Whether it was just a swipe of blush, or just a touch of liner, or just moisturizer and concealer, makeup artists were taking it easy this season. Great way to give your face a little air too.

Metallic Eyes

If the runways are any indication, you don’t have to be a young teenager to play with glitter or metallic hues on your lids. From chunky flecks to shimmering eye shadows, there were plenty of ways to play with metallic finishes for spring.

White Nails

Spring and summer is when the white clothing comes out, but you’ll also want to stock up on white nail polish. Whether it’s matte or glossy, a chalk-colored manicure is fashionable for next season. Plus, it makes an ideal base for nail art designs if you want to get creative.

Moon Manicures

Nail art was living and breathing backstage at NYFW, and one particular look reigned supreme: the moon manicure. The classic design took on many forms and colors from show to show, but that just proves how versatile a style it is.

Braids

Braids have been a runway and red carpet staple for years, so it’s no surprise they were spotted all over the runways. But what is surprising is how hairstylists continually found the most creative ways to update the trend. Though you can choose to keep it clean and classic, don’t be afraid to embrace accessories in your plaits.

Everything from feathers to colorful strips of fabric can make their way into braids too. Whether twisted, turned, or teased, spring 2014’s braids are anything but those rocked by Dorothy.

deviantart.com

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September 18, 2013

FEATURES

Apple unveils new iPhones THATIANA DIAZ Features Editor A week after Samsung unveiled their new tablet and smart watch, Apple revealed two new versions of its iPhone, including a lower-cost smartphone aimed at price-conscious customers.

Six years after it entered the smartphone market, Apple is shifting strategies to appeal to a more fragmented audience as a result of threats from low-cost competitors. With the introduction of the cheaper phone, the iPhone 5C, Apple is targeting a younger, frugal audience.

It is also offering a traditional upgrade, the high-end iPhone 5S, for its core audience of gadget lovers.

The entire smartphone industry is grasping at ways to lure buyers for their most expensive and most profitable models as U.S. and Western European markets become saturated with established smartphone owners. “It’s not the same market it was five years ago,” says senior Deliana Acosta. In key markets Apple, which traditionally releases one smartphone model per year, has been losing market share to low-cost smartphone makers such as ZTE, Lenovo and Xiaomi. In the most recent quarter, Samsung picked up 31.7 percent of the global market, compared with Apple’s 14.2 percent.

The iPhone 5C will come in several new colors, including yellow, blue and pink, which should appeal to younger buyers. It will start at $99 on a two-year contract, the same price point that Apple used to offer for its older phones. But Apple’s downmarket strategy comes with risks. By offering a lower-cost version of the iPhone, Apple could cheapen its brand or cannibalize demand for its more expensive model, analysts have said. In this case, the iPhone 5C may not be cheap enough to attract true bargain hunters. In many overseas markets,

Newly introduced iPhone 5S (left) and iPhone 5C (right).

wireless providers do not subsidize the cost of the phone, which will retail at $549. Still, because the phone, which is made of plastic rather than glass and aluminum, is cheaper to make, Apple should be able to boost its profit margin.

As for the iPhone 5S, which will start at a contract price of $199, Apple is offering several upgrades from its previous model, including new gold and silver colors. This phone comes with a chip that measures motion and environmental information, which Apple is using for health and fitness apps. It also includes a new fingerprint sensor known as “Touch ID.” Users will be able to teach the iPhone to recognize fingerprints and even use that information to authenticate App Store purchases. Apple is marketing the fingerprint technology as a step forward in security, an attribute that could help it appeal to business consumers.

It’s unclear whether the fingerprint sensor is any more secure than a four-digit PIN number, however, the new technology could also raise privacy concerns. Apple has said that it won’t store fingerprint data on its servers, only on the devices themselves. But consumers may still want to think carefully before allowing their phone, and Apple’s App Store, to gain access to such unique identifying information, said Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy. “When I heard about the fingerprint sensor button, I was impressed but more scared because we have been dealing with so many privacy issues including the ones with our emails not being as private as we thought,” says freshman Rose Saldana.

The new phones were announced Sept. 10 at an Apple event in California. They will be available for pre-order after Sept. 13 and available Sept. 20 in more than 100 countries and on 270 carriers.

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