WSN040313

Vol. 41, No. 32 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 nyunews.com

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWSNYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

‘RKives’ recaptures band’s past glory

Sexton answers student concerns at final town hallStudents asked NYU President John Sexton to explain the need for the university’s rapid expansion as well as a lack of student involvement in the no-confidence vote. STORY ON PAGE 3

By JOSH JOHNSON

When L.A. indie-rock group Rilo Kiley officially an-nounced in 2011 that they had broken up, the possi-bility of any new material effectively vanished. When combined with lead singer Jenny Lewis’ burgeoning solo career and guitarist Blake Sennett’s report of the band’s inner toxicity, Rilo Kiley seemed deader than dead.

Therefore, the release of the cleverly titled “RKives,” a compilation of Rilo Kiley rarities and previously unre-

leased songs, feels more significant than other albums of this nature. Though not a new album in the more tradi-tional sense, “RKives” brings listeners back into the world of one of the past decade’s best and most significant bands.

The album opens with “Let Me Back In,” which serves ably in satiating the desires of long-suffering Rilo Kiley fans and also as a great introductory track for new lis-teners. Though the track travels down the well-worn “I Love L.A.” path, Jenny Lewis gracefully treats the city as an accepting hometown — a nice change of pace from the usual celebration of skeez and debauchery.

Tracks like “I Remember You” illustrate the band’s sonic diversity. Taking the only salvageable parts of the ’80s aesthetic, the song is a beautiful duet be-tween Lewis and songwriter Benji Hughes. Hughes’ Elvis Costello-like vocals recall Lewis’ duet with the actual Elvis Costello on her frantic solo track “Carpet-baggers.” Despite not having the real thing in studio, “I Remember You” is a superior song on all accounts.

“RKives” does hit a rough patch toward the middle, especially with the Zondo remix of “Dejalo,” a track off Rilo Kiley’s last official record, the hit-or-miss “Under the Blacklight.” “Dejalo” is one of the band’s weaker tracks, and the club-jam remix goes from mildly intriguing to ridiculously irritating very quickly. Rapper Too $hort also makes a cameo, but, frankly, his verse is too long.

Immediately following the remixed “Dejalo” is “A

RILO continued on PG. 5

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ID on PG. 3

NEW DRIVER IDS MAY ELIMI-NATE FAKE ID INDUSTRY:New laser-engraved driver licenses could make replication and the illegal use of fake IDs much less prevalent in New York City.

COURTESY OF NYU

HOUSE on PG. 7

SEXTON FAILS TO ENGAGE NYU STUDENTS:The WSN editorial board argues that NYU President John Sexton did not address real concerns at last night’s town hall meeting.

TOP SPOTS FOR OUTDOOR DINING EXPERIENCE:Spring is coming and restaurants are opening sidewalk tables once again. Check out the top cafes that offer great outdoor dining.

OUTDOOR on PG. 4VIA YELP.COM

COURTESY OF LITTLE RECORD COMPANY

RACHEL KAPLAN/WSN

STAFFRECOMMENDATIONS

TAKING IN THE VIEW FROM 1 WORLD OBSERVATORYOn Tuesday, city officials unveiled the view from the top of

the newly built 1 World Trade Center. It features a breathtaking panoramic view of the New York City skyline. It will open to the public in 2015.

— NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

RED HOOK LIBRARY REOPENS POST-SANDYBrooklyn’s Red Hook Public Library has finally reopened after

months of renovation in efforts to recover from Superstorm Sandy. Sandy left 18 inches of water in the library, which damaged more than 2,500 books and cost an estimated $750,000 in damages.

— THE BROOKLYN PAPER

A BLUE STATEYoko Ono flipped the

switch to light the Empire State Building up blue on Tuesday afternoon. She did so in honor of World Autism Awareness Month. Blue is the official color of the Autism Awareness campaign because boys are four times more likely to have autism.

— CBS LOCAL

HUFFINGTON PARTIESInternet-news mogul Arianna

Huffington of the Huffington Post has been accused of trash-ing her $32,000-per-month Chel-sea loft apartment. Landlord Eric Steel is claiming that Huffing-ton caused $275,000 in dam-ages to the apartment.

— NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

SEN. SMITH ARRESTED IN MAYOR RIGGING PLOTNew York State Senator Malcom Smith was arrested Tuesday

for allegedly plotting to rig the New York City mayoral race.— CBS LOCAL

“DIRTY DANCING”“Nobody puts baby in a corner.”

Not much else needs to be said about this movie except, of course, the fabulous dancing, especially by Patrick Swayze. Even though the infamous lift was copied in “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” no version can beat the original. Check out this classic dance flick for a great love story about class tensions as expressed through dance. Ignore the sequel.

“CENTER STAGE”This movie includes a 20-minute

long contemporary ballet, a sur-prisingly complex story line, in-volving eating disorders, parental issues and young love. The cast, led by real-life dancer Ethan Stiefel, is mostly comprised of actual danc-ers. They cross genres seamlessly from classical ballet to Broadway jazz, and the story lines actually seem somewhat plausible for real dance students.

“STEP UP” Channing Tatum circa 2006 dancing as a troubled teen who falls in

love with a girl and a dance school. Enough said. The merging of dance styles between street and ballet is done wonderfully in one of the best examples of on-screen partnering. The music is entrancing, and, what’s more, Tatum and leading lady Jenna Dewan married in real life.

“WHITE KNIGHTS”This more obscure 1985 film tells the story of a Soviet expatriate-cum-

dancer’s unintentional return to the Soviet Union. Starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and the late Gregory Hines, these two dance giants prove that two is better than one. Their duet is a perfect merging of tap and bal-let as well as a historic moment in dance. While the plot may be a little muddled, this is a movie that is all about the dance — and rightfully so.

“FOOTLOOSE” The original “Footloose” teaches the importance of perseverance

and friendship. Not only is Kevin Bacon’s speech about “a time to dance” Oscar-worthy, but his dance in the warehouse is how every internal monologue should be expressed. Of special note: Sarah Jes-sica Parker’s appearance as both the best friend and sidekick.

ON THE SIDE COMPILED BY THE WSN STAFF

2 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

Light from Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque glistens in the reflecting pool outside.

PHOTO BY NICOLA PRING

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About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published Monday through Thursday during NYU’s academic year, except for university holidays, vacations and exam periods.

Corrections: WSN is committed to accurate reporting. When we make errors, we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you believe we have erred, contact managing editor Amy Zhang at [email protected] or at 212.998.4302.

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New identification card designed to deter forgery

By TANAY HUDSON

Vendors of fake New York state IDs will soon have a much more difficult time.

In July, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles will begin distributing re-designed licenses with 30 new visible and concealed security features. Drivers seek-ing new licenses will be issued hard, laser-engraved polycarbonate cards with photos printed in grayscale.

This design change is an effort to combat the counterfeit market that produces fake ID cards used by underage drinkers and criminals. Owen McShane, the director of investigations for the DMV, reported that last year 100 inves-tigators had collected 1,450 counterfeit driver’s licenses in underage drinking busts alone, ac-cording to a report by The New York Times.

This specific design was first implemented in Virginia in 2009, and the state has yet to see a successful forgery of the license. But beyond the purchase of alcohol, fake IDs have also been used for criminal activities like fraud and terror-ism. With engraved personal data and a visible photo on the front and back, the new ID cards will make forgery extremely difficult.

According to the DMV, this design will cost one dollar more for each new ID, but the ad-ditional cost will not burden the public.

“The new card incorporates the latest in technology and addresses many of the con-cerns about the current card voiced by our officers who deal with them in the field every day,” Peter Kehoe, executive direc-tor of the New York State Sheriffs’ Asso-ciation, said in a November 2012 letter to DMV Commissioner Barbara Fiala.

McShane told The New York Times that he hopes that the cost of producing these new licenses would discourage counterfeiters.

“It’s hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars for an inscriber,” McShane said. “It’s not something a college student is going to be able to go out and get.”

McShane added that the grayscale will make physical features more prominent on the ID, which will make it harder for people to use cards that are passed on from one per-son to another. Additionally, drivers under 21 will be issued a different card design so they will be easier to identify.

CAS junior Aneline Amalathas thinks that the security features will help, but that forg-ers will still prevail in the long run.

“I think people may still find a way around it. With [security] features like that, [forgery] would probably be really far down the line,” Amalathas said.

Other states are considering revamping security for their driver’s licenses as well. North Carolina is also expected to follow the trend by the end of 2013.

Tanay Hudson is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].

First instated in Virginia in 2009, these IDs have yet to be successfully replicated.

COURTESY OF NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES

Steinhardt Music Educators club holds open mixerBy SU SIE PARK

Steinhardt Music Educators of NYU, a club dedicated to music and music education advocacy through professional development, network-ing and community outreach, will hold their second annual music edu-cators’ mixer next Friday.

The mixer will be a chance for music educators from around the city to network and talk about the direction of music education in New York City.

Steinhardt junior and SMENYU Community Outreach Coordinator Jamie Ehrenfeld said that the event drew over 100 students and educa-tors last year. This year, Ehrenfeld said SMENYU is trying to reach out to the greater New York community.

She said the club’s mission is to promote music education within NYU. Ehrenfeld also said this is the first year the club and its events are open to non-music education majors.

“Our programs are aimed to help not only the people who are going to be music teachers, but people who have music education as a part of their life and want to do more with it,” Ehrenfeld said.

Carla Jenny Friend, the club’s pro-gram coordinator, has a master’s degree in music education from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Educa-

tion and Human Development. She said SMENYU offers students oppor-tunities they may not have in class.

“We have the power to offer what students feel like they might not be getting enough of, some-thing that they are interested in or something that might not be included in the program,” Friend said. “We can provide them with those experiences, workshops and opportunities to network with oth-er music education students and music teachers from the area.”

SMENYU has put on an event called Concert for Cause every se-mester since it started two years ago.

The event started as a small con-cert in a classroom at NYU to raise awareness for the organization Au-tism Speaks. Since then, the club has raised money and awareness with three full-scale concerts for several other causes like the Amer-ican Cancer Society and the Juve-nile Diabetes Research Foundation.

While the club’s activity in the fall semesters concentrates on these benefit concerts, SME-NYU focuses more strongly on music in the spring.

The club has a diverse member-ship, including teachers from music schools, public schools and private schools in addition to students from different colleges who are looking to become music teachers.

Despite the diversity in back-grounds, Friend said the mem-bers have shared goals and advo-cate for identical causes.

“The group consists of all different

types of music educators trying to come together for networking rea-sons and to get to know each other,” Friend said. “It’s important that we all know who we are working with

and that we are working for the same cause.”

Su Sie Park is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].

Members of SMENYU participate in an East African drumming and dance workshop.COURTESY OF SMENYU

Final town hall addresses NYU 2031, tuition

By NICOLE BROWN

In the last Student Senate Council Town Hall meeting with NYU Presi-dent John Sexton this year, held in the Grand Hall at the Global Cen-ter for Academic and Spiritual Life, students raised questions about the governance of NYU and how the student voice can be heard.

Students were invited to write down questions for the president and place them into one of three jars representing distinct categories: academics, the Glo-bal Network University and student life.

The questions were randomly selected out of the jars but most related to the GNU and NYU’s expansion plans.

Many of Sexton’s responses empha-sized the increasingly positive reputation NYU has around the world, the educatio-nal advancements at the portal sites, spe-cifically NYU Abu Dhabi, and the ongoing improvements of the global network.

One student received much ap-plause when she asked Sexton to ex-plain the reasoning behind the mon-ey spent on the university expansion instead of financial aid to help more students afford NYU’s tuition.

Sexton responded by asking the au-dience not to focus so intently on the word “expansion” and instead think about the necessities of space, explain-ing that the university needs to spend money on maintaining its facilities and creating new ones to continue to attract students and faculty.

“All you have to do is try to get an el-evator at noon in Silver,” Sexton said. “Anybody that’s had that experience understands that we need space.”

He also cited the need to renovate

Coles Sports Center and the lack of nec-essary seating at Bobst Library, which currently has 3,000 seats.

“A university of our size, on best prac-tices, should have 9,000 seats for students to study in the library,” Sexton said.

He concluded by acknowledging that financial aid is still a priority, though it cannot come at the expense of uni-versity development. He added that financial aid has increased more than tuition since he has been president.

Another question that received ap-plause concerned the lack of the stu-dent voice in ongoing university gover-nance controversy among faculty and university administrators.

The president said he does not think the students should be involved in these discussions or have their own vote, claiming that the students do not know enough about him to have a valid vote.

“Probably 90 percent of the stuff you’ve heard [about me] is untrue,” he said.

Some students who attended the meet-ing said they were pleased with how Sex-ton answered the students’ questions and supported his plans for the university.

NYUAD junior Abhishek Mehra com-plimented the president for his honesty.

“If he actually didn’t have an answer, he didn’t make up something,” Mehra said.

CAS junior Davis Martin commented that Sexton could have been more con-cise with his responses, but overall, he said Sexton is a well-spoken individual who has good intentions for NYU.

“I think, by and large, I’m happy with what I’ve seen him do thus far,” Martin said.

Nicole Brown is investigative editor. Email her at [email protected].

4 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 | NYUNEWS.COM

DINING EDITED BY ANGEL [email protected]

Great outdoor dining locations for spring weather By JONATHAN KESHISHOGLOU

With spring finally upon us, going out-

side is becoming something to look for-ward to instead of something to dread. For those who plan to celebrate spring outdoors, here are the top five local res-taurants with outdoor seating.

CHOP SHOP I 254 10TH AVE.

Chop Shop is an affordable, positiv-ely reviewed Chelsea Asian fusion res-taurant with plenty of outdoor seating. The menu offers a blend of Chinese and Thai dishes, such as the green pa-paya and watercress salad ($10) and the spicy drunken noodle with shrimp, bok choy and chilies ($14). This option may be a bit of a trek from campus, but the convenient pricing and loca-tion by the Chelsea Piers make it ideal for sitting outside on a nice day.

SOFIA’S OF LITTLE ITALY I 143 MULBERRY ST.For those who want to venture past

SoHo into Little Italy, Sofia’s of Little Italy, a popular restaurant on Mulbe-rry Street with tables out in the fresh air, is a great option. The meals are a little pricier here, but they’re not un-affordable and include many Italian entrees, pizzas and a wide variety of pasta, which is why the restaurant is well known. Pasta dishes include the pappardelle Bolognese, hand-cut wide pasta in a Bolognese sauce. For vegetari-

ans, options such as the bruschetta and various mushroom dishes are available.

JACK’S BISTRO I 80 UNIVERSITY PLACE

Perhaps an ideal location for anyone who lives close to Washington Square Park, Jack’s Bistro, located only a few blocks from campus, is described as “French-influenced American cuisine.” The restaurant offers a variety of sandwiches ($10) and steak frites for lunch, as well as dishes like the grilled brook trout ($17.95) or roasted organic chicken ($16.95) for dinner. Jack’s Bistro also has the distinction of being the only sidewalk cafe on University Place.

PÃO I 322 SPRING ST.

Even though it is named after the Portuguese word for “bread,” and while it does serve plenty of its namesake, Pão is better known for its seafood and Iberian cuisine. While people-watching from this restaurant’s sidewalk tables, try the wild striped bass ($19.95), tiger shrimp ($21.95) or warm squid and turnip greens salad ($8.98).

THE COFFEE SHOP I 29 UNION SQUARE WEST

Whether you find yourself in the mood for sandwiches ($12.95), pasta ($14.95), chic-

ken or even one of the Brazilian specials (such as shrimp Baiano, $17.95), The Cof-fee Shop on Union Square West has it all. Open 23 hours a day, anyone who stops by can expect to sit in the open air, whether it’s noon or midnight. The Coffee Shop also offers a variety of breakfast options all day, such as omelettes ($10.95). And, of course, the restaurant has a large assort-ment of coffee drinks.

Jonathan Keshishoglou is a staff writer. Email him at [email protected]. Sophia’s offers delicious al fresco dining.

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By DANIEL YEOM

Upon stepping into Heart ‘n Soul, chef David Conn’s new Southern restaurant, one leaves the East Village and en-ters the real, old South.

Heart ‘n Soul is the result of Conn’s quest to find the African root of Southern soul food. The restaurant, which opened last month, offers a fine selection of soul food in its most authen-tic form along with a hip atmo-sphere and uplifting music.

Conn’s fascination with the cuisine developed when he moved to Tennessee in his teenage years, and his love for the region ultimately propelled him to leave Cornell Univers-ity, where he worked as a mu-sic professor and conductor for 10 years. After serving as a chef at several restaurants across the country for nine years and perfecting his Southern cook-ing techniques, Conn finally settled down in Manhattan to open Heart ‘n Soul.

“The food we serve at Heart ‘n Soul is not authentic African — we are just bringing soul food

back to its roots,” Conn said. “It’s real Southern food with an educated and fun twist.”

Conn said he uses spices from Northern and Western Africa to revive the original recipes Africans brought to the United States during the colonial pe-riod. African-Americans cre-ated the unique cuisine within their secluded communities, notably along the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia. Conn believes that the authen-ticity of this original soul food has been lost over time.

“Soul food has been dumbed down significantly,” Conn said, referring to popularized and simplified soul food items such as fried chicken. Heart ‘n Soul focuses on a more traditional version of soul food, which includes dishes that are not commercially prominent but essential nonetheless.

A fine example of a typical dish from Heart ‘n Soul is the crab cake with spiced tomato jam ($11). Although the jam looks like a typical cocktail sauce, it has a much deeper flavor and bite thanks to the

Moroccan spices the chef uses.When asked about his favor-

ite dish at Heart ‘n Soul, the chef mentioned the peppered oxtail, served with his choice of starch, collards and mer-guez (mutton) gravy ($17).

The bourbon-braised short ribs ($21), served with sautéed greens, grits and Andouille demi-glace, is a customer fa-vorite. Don’t forget to ask the chef about the dessert of the day ($5 to $6) — the banana cream pie is to die for.

Steinhardt freshman Suzanne Kim adores the restaurant.

“The chef is really eager to tell you all about the history of Southern cuisine,” she said.

Currently, Heart ‘n Soul is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., from Tuesday to Sunday. Conn has plans to extend the hours of operation during warmer seasons and to feature out-door seating.

Heart ‘n Soul is located at 200 E. Third St. between avenues A and B.

Daniel Yeom is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].

Heart ‘n soul brings Southern food back to its roots

NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS 5

ARTSEDITED BY JOSH [email protected]

Ramaa Mosley’s ‘Brass Teapot’ creates mature fairy tale

Town Called Luckey” — a title that suggests a long-lost Britney Spears track. Despite a fantasti-cally random death-metal scream from Lewis, the otherwise melo-dramatic “Luckey” doesn’t make much of an impact.

The back half of the album, however, does feature its best mo-ment: a demo version of the Blake Sennett-sung “Rest of My Life.” The track, originally off Rilo Kiley’s de-but “Takeoffs and Landings,” gets the stripped-down acoustic treat-ment on “RKives,” courtesy of the guitarist. Sennett has always been an expressive singer, but his emot-ing always feels sincere rather than self-indulgent.

“Rest of My Life” is an affect-ing song on its own, but in hindsight, this demo version be-comes much more haunting. In the chorus of the song, Sennett sings, “For the rest of my life/I’m

gonna search for someone just like you.” Given the rest of the band’s history, “you” could eas-ily refer to Lewis. Unfortunately, it seems Sennett may never find someone who could replicate the musical chemistry he shared with Lewis — the chemistry that made Rilo Kiley so special.

Rilo Kiley were a band in the tru-est sense — each of the four mem-bers brought a style and flavor that couldn’t be reproduced with any other combination. While Lewis’ solo career has had its moments — “Rise Up with Fists!!” comes to mind — she hasn’t made anything close to Rilo Kiley’s finest achieve-ments, and “RKives” gives fans the opportunity to relive some of those achievements in a new light.

Josh Johnson is arts editor. Email him at [email protected].

Rilo Kiley’s ‘RKives’ features unreleased tracks, rarities

RILO continued from PG. 1

By NORA BLAKE

Based on a timeless fantasy, “The Brass Teapot” is a fairy tale for adults with mature con-sequences and morals to boot. Playing upon themes of greed, waning values and materialism, first-time director Ramaa Mos-ley introduces a film that not only entertains but also relates to the harsh realities faced by countless young Americans.

Set in an ideal Midwest com-munity, the film follows the day-to-day struggles of young newlyweds John (Michael Anga-rano) and Alice (Juno Temple). Educated but professionally un-successful, they struggle to get by with the small amount of money that they have saved.

Though John and Alice never re-alize their potential outside of the security of a full-time job, they quickly abandon the status quo when Alice discovers a decorative teapot inside an antique shop. She then steals the teapot, hoping to put it to good use. John does not exactly approve of the idea, until they both learn that their new an-tique dispenses money whenever they experience pain.

Extreme and dark antics en-sue as John and Alice resort to extremes to get out of debt and live the glamorous lifestyle they desire. Though the teapot

seems to be the couple’s way out of destitution, reality sets in as their family and friends begin to notice their sudden touch of wealth.

The film delivers its core mes-sage as John and Alice attempt to balance their new lifestyle. Mosley portrays the couple’s turbulent efforts to maintain extravagance in creative and often crude ways. Ultimately, Mosley succeeds in highlight-ing our current generation’s repulsive yearning for excess and material happiness.

Regardless of Mosley’s often unappealing portrait of the young couple, the takeaway moral of the film only becomes apparent because of their faults. The director does not feature any character with flawless qualities or completely ethical motiva-tions. And while John and Alice might not be the shining exam-ples of morality in our society, their characters are relatable. Their eccentric handling of a se-rious and omnipresent issue is entertaining, and it is difficult not to crack up at their attempts toward achieving their desires.

The supporting characters, played by Alia Shawkat and Bob-by Moynihan, are perhaps the only ethical characters, as their understated performances show-case the unseen morality inher-

ent in all people.Although “The Brass Teapot”

deals with heavy topics, it han-dles them with quirky grace and comedy. Angarano and Temple are especially impres-sive in their roles, and the sup-porting cast is equally notable. Mosley presents a film that not only charms the audience on a comedic level but on a perso-nal one as well.

Nora Blake is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].

Juno Temple uses a magic teapot to solve her finances.

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Strong songs, acting bolster ‘Five’By LUIZA MONETTI

To call Jason Robert Brown’s

contemporary musical “The Last Five Years” an emotional roller coaster would be an understate-ment. Ele-ven years after the show’s original opening, Second Stage Theatre’s revival brings the show back to New York in a new production starring Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe.

Brown’s semi-autobiographical work recounts the powerful rela-tionship of Cathy and Jamie, two 20-something New Yorkers who dive into a marriage driven by the

optimism of finding “the one.” The story is not for the faint of

heart. It delves into the painful de-tails of Cathy and Jamie’s marriage and divorce. The great idiosyncr-asy of “The Last Five Years” is that one character moves chronologi-cally forward in the story while the other goes backward, evoking hysterical laughter one moment and sobbing the next.

The musical begins with Cathy’s grief-stricken number, “Still Hurting,” a reflection on the end of her marriage to Jamie. The act is followed by Jamie’s comical “Shiksa Goddess,” which tells the story of him falling in love with Cathy five years earlier.

The marriage scene and their beautiful duet, “The Next Ten Min-utes,” are the only instances in which Cathy and Jamie directly in-teract and are, figuratively speaking, in the same place at the same time.

True to real-life relationships, “The Last Five Years” explores Cathy and Jamie’s failing mar-riage without blaming either one. Of course, this does not stop the audience from rooting for Team Cathy or Team Jamie.

The musical’s unique concept admittedly may not work for ev-eryone. Those who find the story-

telling style to be confusing can still sit back and enjoy the back-ground music, but audience mem-bers who know what to expect are in for a poignant experience.

While both Kantor and Wolfe are nothing short of wonderful, the former’s wide emotional range and strong vocals are what make the musical so unforgettable. Kantor’s moving, genuine and heartbreak-ing rendition of “If I Didn’t Believe In You” is the highlight of the show.

In addition to the actors’ out-standing performances, the set is one-of-a-kind. Minimalistic yet innovative, the set uses windows to reflect the characters’ imagi-nary locations, including the Central Park lake, the sky, the road. The band members, who take a prominent place on stage, also add to the scenery.

Ingeniously funny and pas-sionately honest, “The Last Five Years” boldly challenges our as-sumptions about love, commit-ment and forgiveness.

“The Last Five Years” is playing April 4 through May 12 at the Second Stage Theatre on 43rd Street.

Luiza Monetti is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].

Adam Kantor and Betsy Wolfe star in “The Last Five Years.”

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THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU

Across  1 Sing the 

praises of  6 Online party 

reminder11 Josh14 “The Family 

Circus” cartoonist

15 Corral16 Surgeon’s org.17 Yellow-eyed 

birds of prey20 Apple products 

since 199821 Solemn column22 Part of a 

fraternity ritual, perhaps

28 energystar.gov grp.

29 Sound of delight

30 Spectrum start31 Traces of 

smoke34 Dr. Seuss’s 

surname

37 Decision reversal … or, literally, what can be found inside 17-, 22-, 49- and 58-Across

41 Church laws42 Model’s asset44 Counselors’ 

org.47 It’s hot, then 

it’s not48 Web video gear49 Cybermenaces56 Pants, slangily57 Hunter in the 

night sky58 How children 

should be, in a saying

65 Eye, to a bard66 Apple products 

since 200167 Blast from the 

past68 Code-cracking 

org.69 Guitar 

accessories

70 Place to schuss

Down  1 Hosp. readout  2 Gen ___  3 ___ Bo 

(exercise system)

  4 How elated people walk

  5 “I want to try!”  6 Geologic span  7 Vice ___  8 Room offerer  9 Homophone of 

3-Down10 Maze’s goal11 Where to order 

oysters12 “My answer 

was …,” in teen-speak

13 Whacked good18 Magician’s prop19 Sound of 

delight22 Embroider, e.g.23 Movie that 

might have a cast of thousands

24 Transaction option

25 Unworldly ones26 Gauge site, for 

short27 Docile sorts32 Pre-election ad 

buyer, maybe33 Chaotic 

situation34 Crystal-filled 

rock35 Seemingly 

forever36 Southeast 

Asian tongue38 Swarming 

annoyance

39 Major Thai export

40 Late 19th-century anarchist’s foe

43 Ambulance letters

44 Pursues, as a tip

45 Wood-damaging insects

46 Simple creature50 Wordplay from 

Groucho51 Sonata finale, 

often52 ___ Perot53 River islet54 Some Pacific 

salmon55 Belfry sound59 Razor brand

60 ___ creek

61 Blouse, e.g.

62 Hoo-ha

63 Letters on Halloween decorations

64 Near-failing mark

puzzle by Daniel kantor

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Sexton fails to address concerns at town hall

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UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS

NYU is symbol of corporate attack on education

Government must protect youth from tobacco

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

NYUNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS 7

EDITORIAL BOARD: Sameer Jaywant (Chair), Raquel Woodruff (Co–Chair),

Edward Radzivilovskiy (Co–Chair), Nickhil Sethi, Matt Luo, Nina Golshan, Ian Mark, Jess Littman, Marcelo Cicconet, Kirk Berson

By ERIN MCCARRON

Tobacco companies spend $1 million daily in New York state to get youths to use tobacco. They need thousands of “replacement” smokers every day, since numer-ous smokers either quit or die.

Although cigarette advertis-ing in mass media has been lim-ited, the tobacco companies have adapted to this and changed their approach to take full advantage of one of their last outlets to

lure youths into smoking: conve-nience stores are effective places for exposing young people to to-bacco products and advertising. The majority of youths in New York City shop at convenience stores at least once a month.

By occupying stores with color-ful advertisements placed at kids’ eye-level, as well as placing tobac-co products next to candy, gum and toys, they continue to focus on our youth as their next genera-tion of customers. In the United

States, tobacco kills more people each day than AIDS, alcohol, sui-cide, car accidents, firearms and illegal drugs combined.

We must demand that the federal government continue to provide edu-cation around the dangers of smok-ing and de-normalize the aggressive advertising of tobacco products.

Erin McCarron, LMSWSmokeFree Project CoordinatorLesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

By EDWARD RADZIVILOVSKIY

In light of the Faculty of Arts and Science’s recent vote of no confi-dence against NYU President John Sexton, the debate over university governance has intensified at NYU and other universities. I recently interviewed world-renowned scho-lar and professor Noam Chomsky about the effects of the corporatiza-tion of the American university.

I asked Chomsky about the provoc-ative comparison Green Party presi-dential nominee Jill Stein made dur-ing her campaign between student debt and indentured servitude. Stein argued that student debt is just a modern form of indenture. Although Chomsky didn’t quite use the same phrasing as Stein, he seemed to agree with her point, arguing that student indebtedness is a technique of indoctrination and control.

Chomsky raised the question of whether there is an economic justi-fication for this debt. He explained, “We happen to be right next door to a poor country, Mexico. It has quite a good university system. It doesn’t have all the things we have since it’s a poor country. But it has a very high quality, high level of instruction. I’ve taught there, been there. It’s free … There are rich countries that have a very high level of educational systems, among the highest are Fin-land and Germany, both free.”

Thus, the correlation between receiv-ing a quality education and the over-whelming burden of tuition is tenuous at best, a fallacy at worst. What are the consequences of taking on this finan-cial burden? First, there are some very practical, real effects on society — peo-ple will lose the power to choose. They have to take whichever job is offered and lose employment freedom.

But the problem of student debt is just one part of a much more general

process. Chomsky argued that in the last 30 years there has been a major assault on the population — wages have stagnated and the levels of in-equality are among the highest in history. Admittedly, these years have seen some level of economic growth, but on the other hand, this growth has been met with an unprecedented shift in income disparity.

Since economic justification is non-existent, Chomsky contended that the way cost is measured is just ideo-logical. He said, “So if costs are trans-ferred to individuals, they are not considered costs. If it’s a business, then it’s a cost. If you can find a way to transfer costs to individuals, that’s called savings.” Indeed, most of the university administrators at schools like NYU come from business schools and have a business school mental-ity. Treating the university just like they would a business, they treasure the bottom line, seeking efficiency at any cost, especially if that cost is car-ried on the backs of students. Howe-ver, should efficiency in the business world be the measure of efficiency for academic institutions?

According to the corporate model of efficiency, if the costs are less for the institution, it’s considered more efficient. As a result, administrators are reducing the proportion of fac-ulty teaching by hiring temporary, low-paid worker, such as graduate students. According to this type of market logic, if low-paid teachers

can take over the work of highly paid faculty, that is more efficient. But Chomsky underscored, “It’s not ef-ficient for the students. They’re not getting the same level of education, surely. It’s not good for the gradu-ate students either. But that’s called efficiency. All of this is going on in parallel as part of a whole neoliberal onslaught, which is very harmful to the population but very beneficial to the masters, the superrich.”

Chomsky’s grim yet powerful analy-sis of the effects of corporatization might make it seem that any action to effect change will be futile. Anticipat-ing this, I wanted to know what kind of specific tactics Chomsky, a veteran activist, might suggest so students can go beyond merely communicat-ing the message about debt as a form of entrapment and indoctrination and move to demanding substantive change of some sort. He responded by citing examples of sweeping pro-gressive change originating from stu-dent initiatives during the civil rights movements, the women’s movement and the environmental movement. In the face of significant challenges, he offered these words of encourage-ment: “The students can become a galvanizing force, and not just for their own personal concerns, but because it is part of a general social problem. It should be possible to link up with ot-her sectors that are suffering under the same attack in different ways.”

The challenge may seem insur-mountable, especially in an institution where the administration has purpose-fully rendered the student body pow-erless. We students must nevertheless meet Chomsky’s challenge by organiz-ing effectively and becoming that his-torical, galvanizing force.

Edward Radzivilovskiy is adeputy opinion editor. Email him at [email protected].

NYU President John Sexton held a town hall meeting yesterday, inviting students to express any concerns about their university. He faced questions about finan-cial aid, the global expansion plans and the vote of no confidence. In most instances, Sexton provided shallow answers with few details, steering instead toward non-controversial initiatives.

In response to a question about NYU’s continued ex-pansion abroad, and the seemingly stagnant percentage of students receiving financial aid, Sexton skirted the is-sue. He cited the outpacing of tuition increases vis-a-vis financial aid growth. Considering NYU’s notoriously low financial aid offerings, Sexton can spin even minor in-creases to look like impressive growth percentages. With tuition as high as it is, seemingly inconsequential per-centage increases will substantially raise revenue for the university. No number of staged town hall meetings will change the simple fact that if NYU has money to spare right now, then they should use this money to help cur-rent students. In short, there is a real concern about this president’s priorities.

When asked about unversitywide concerns over his leadership, Sexton acknowledged the recent vote of no confidence but asserted that the Faculty of Arts and Sci-ence only represents part of the university. Despite his misplaced confidence, the Tisch School of the Arts and the Gallatin School of Individualized Study have taken steps toward assessing their trust in Sexton.

He opposed the notion that NYU students could hold their own vote of no confidence, claiming that they do not know him well enough. At best, this shows Sexton’s inability to connect with the student body and at worst, reveals a plot to shut out students from a critical period in NYU’s history. The vote of no confidence debacle has certainly taken a toll on Sexton’s reputation and may spill over into the student body’s opinion.

This town hall meeting did not bring us closer to Sex-ton or to finding solutions to NYU’s financial aid issue. Although Sexton took questions from students, he must make a greater effort to regain our trust. The WSN edito-rial board expects more, Mr. Sexton.