Vol. 40, No. 11 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012 nyunews.com

wASHiNgToN SqUARE NEwSNYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

Hawk cam soars into educational role

New law to raise minimum wage

Professor recognizes Gay novelists

New Yorkers rally to save TibetChants and song filled Union Square as 500 protesters gathered in solidarity of the Free Tibet movement yesterday. Dubbed the #tsamparevolution, the movement advocates against China’s controversial occupation of Tibet. The latest stage of the protests ignited when a young Tibetan monk set himself on fire yesterday in China. Word spread quickly on Twitter, and activists gathered in support of Tibet’s large-scale demonstrations.

— Hanqing Chen

Liam Cotter for WSN

By Emily Smith

NYU plans to reinstate the Hawk Cam, according to the university spokesman John Beckman.

A camera called the Hawk Cam began streaming the activity of two red-tailed hawks outside Bobst Library last spring. To monitor the birds and their eggs, the camera was placed near the nest of Violet, named after NYU’s school color, and Bobby, named after Bobst. The live feed from the Cam was available on livestream.com. However, it shut down in August because the birds were no longer living in the nest.

Beckman said the university would like to take this opportunity to learn more about the red-tailed hawks.

“We’ve actually been talking with prominent wildlife and bird orga-nizations about coming in as part-ners,” Beckman said. “Experts [can] do Q and As on-site and do feature pieces or blog posts about behaviors that you expect to see from red-tailed

R hAWKS continued on PG. 3

By JuStinA lEE

New York State Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver proposed a new bill to raise the state mini-mum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour last week.

The 17 percent increase would make New York’s minimum wage the third highest in the country, after Washington and Oregon. The bill would also raise the mini-mum cash wage for tipped servers from $4.60 to $5.86 an hour.

“Corporate profits of low-wage employers are soaring while the wages of working people re-main stagnant or are eroding in value,” the Manhattan Demo-crat said in a press release, cit-ing the latest Census data that almost one in two Americans have fallen into poverty.

For CAS sophomore Dylan Ian-nitelli, who makes $7.25 an hour as a lab assistant at the Biology Department, his part-time job is

R WAGE continued on PG. 3

By JEREmy GRoSSmAn

“In Darkness,” Poland’s submis-sion for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards, is undeniably reminiscent of “Schindler’s List.” Both are Holocaust-centric films about men who grow out of their selfishness in order to rescue a persecuted group. Despite the similarities in plot, “Darkness” is boldly directed with style that feels less like a retread and more like a tribute to films that chal-lenge the norm.

Director Agnieszka Holland takes her audience deep into the sewers of Poland, where sewage worker Leopold Socha (Robert Wieckiewicz) risks his life to pro-tect a group of Jewish runaways.

‘In Darkness’ respects its characters with styleBy nicolA PRinG

Gallatin professor Christopher Bram describes his new book, “Eminent Outlaws: The Gay Writ-ers Who Changed America,” as a happy accident.

With nine fictional novels under his belt, Bram said beginning his first non-fiction book was quite different. He didn’t known where to start.

“One day, a friend of a friend called me, asking for some infor-mation on the literary history of gay writing in the 1950s and ’60s,” Bram said. “I gave him a kind of Gay Lit 101 talk, and he said, ‘This is great stuff. Where can I read it?’ I realized no such book existed.”

Bram began to research and write about some of the most prominent gay writers from the World War II era through the end

of the 20th century. Among the featured writers are James Bald-win, Truman Capote, Allen Gins-berg and several other novelists, playwrights and poets.

“It’s interesting how many of them knew each other,” Bram said. “Some were friends and some were enemies, but their paths would cross.”

Bram’s publisher at Twelve Pub-lishers, Cary Goldstein said, “What distinguished this book for us was Chris’ ingenious decision not to write a work of literary criticism, but to use his skills as a novelist to weave these disparate lives into one dramatic, unfolding narrative that utterly reframes the way we think about gay writers and writing.”

Bram began work on the book just after he joined the faculty part-time at NYU’s Gallatin School of In-dividualized Study in 2008. He con-

ducted most of his research at Bobst Library, where he read the work of the writers he was studying, as well as biographies, magazine articles and book reviews.

He taught a Gallatin advanced writing course called Lives in Brief for the first time just be-fore he started his research. The class teaches students the art of writing short biographies in different forms.

“[The class] was almost like prepa-ration for this book,” Bram said.

In addition to Lives in Brief, Bram teaches a class called Writing About Film.

“I like Gallatin because the stu-dents are really interesting,” Bram said. “They write well. [My students] are self-starters. They have their own ideas and drive, and they’re

R BRAm continued on PG. 8 R DARKnESS continued on PG. 4

‘In Darkness’ moves audiences around the world.

via SoNyCLaSSiCS.Com

oN THE SiDE CompiLed By the WSn StAff

2 WaShiNgtoN Square NeWS | thurSday, feBruary 9, 2012 | NyuNeWS.Com

The silhouette of the Statue of Liberty is seen in the distance from the High Line.

PHOTO BY Lauren STrauSSer

CoRRECTioN

In the article titled “Violets on best start in 19 years” from Feb. 8, WSN incorrectly reported that the men’s basketball

game against Emory University will take place at Coles Sports Center. In fact, the game will take place in Atlanta.

WSN regrets these errors.

goT AN EVENT? EMAiL US AT AgENDA@NYUNEwS.CoM oR TwEET US @NYUNEwS goT SoMETHiNg To SHARE? EMAiL US AT TiPS@NYUNEwS.CoM

BoSToN CoLLEgE

BC compelled to offer contraceptive services —The heighTs

NorTHWESTErN UNIVErSITy

northwestern continues to add more e-book titles

— The Daily NorThwesTerN

ToDAY

7 p.m. | Thursday, Feb. 9 | 154 W. 18th St. LazzOni

Stop by Lazzoni for a pop-up art event celebrating beauty, art and fashion.

Score tips from celebrity makeup artists D’angelo Thompson and Juliet Silva-yee as they try to revive the energetic style of downtown New york that has been absent

in the past decade.

Friday, Feb. 10 | 75 9th Ave.CHeLSea MarkeT

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, the Chelsea Market is featur-

ing Harvest, Sustenance and Survival: A Photography Exhibit of Women and Food from Around the World. The exhibit also previews the upcoming education center

Mercy Corps Action Center to End World Hunger, which focuses on global issues.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 11th David Zwirner gallery | 525 W. 19th St.

DOug WHeeLer’S “infiniTY rOOM”

Stop by the David Zwirner gallery to wit-ness a mind-blowing art installation called

“Infinity Room.” Painted a super-clean white, this exhibit plays with light and

color and even features a night-into-day lighting cycle with colors changing from

dark blue to white.

2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 12 Joyce Theatre | 175 8th Ave.

CLOuD gaTe 2

For $10, attend a dance show by theater company Cloud gate 2 that fuses dance

from Eastern and Western cultures. Making its debut at the Joyce Theatre, the performance will feature famous

international choreographers.

wEEDKEND AgENDA

SNAPSHoT

wASHiNgToN SqUARE NEwSEditor-in-Chief AMANDA RANDONE

Managing EditorJAEWON kANG

Deputy Managing Editor

AMY zHANG

Assistant Managing Editor

JAMES LANNING

Creative DirectorSELENA CHEN

SENioR STAFFuniversity JULIE DEVITOcity/state EMILY YANGinvestigative HANQING CHENarts JONATHON DORNBUSHfeatures JESSICA LITTMANsports DANIEL HINTONmultimedia DAVID LINcopy MAxIMILíANO DURóNsenior editor JACk BROOkS, BRIDGETTE DORAN

DEPUTY STAFFuniversity ERIC BENSON, ELIzA-BETH MAGUIREcity/state TONY CHAU, kRISTINE ITLIONG, JESSICA SCHULTzinvestigative FEIYE WANGmusic JOSH JOHNSONfilm STEFAN MELNYkentertainment JEREMY GROSSMANbooks/theater CLIO MCCONNELLdining HANNAH BORENSTEINbeauty & style SHANNON LOUGHRANsports JOHN AxELROD, COLE RILEYspecial issues kRISTINA BOGOSmultimedia JAMES kELLEHERcopy JORDAN MELENDREzsocial media agent NICOLE GARTSIDE

oPiNioN PAgEopinion editor OLIVIA GONzALEzdeputy opinion editor ATTICUS BRIGHAM

ADVERTiSiNgBUSINESS MANAGERREBECCA RIBEIRO

CIRCULATION MANAGERCHLOE COFFMAN

UNIVERSITY SALES COORDINATOREMILIA MIRONOVICI

SALES REPRESENTATIVES kAITLYN O’BRIEN, MICHAEL RYAN, MELISSA YNEGAS

ADViSiNg

EDITORIAL ADVISER

kEITH LEIGHTY

EDITORS-AT-LARGE

JAYWON CHOEkELSEY DESIDERIORUSSELL STEINBERGkIRSTEN CHANGFRANCIS POONTERkA CICELOVA

About WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student news-paper 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 ac-curate 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 Jaewon kang at managing@nyunews.com or at 212.998.4302.

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NYU to reinstate Hawk Cam hAWKS continued from PG. 1 NYU Dentistry provides new

tool kit to help smokers quitBy ElizABEth mAGuiRE

Smokers who have escaped the clutches of their physicians will now face pressure from their dentists to quit smoking.

The NYU College of Dentistry an-nounced last week the release of an online tool kit designed to help dentists council their patients en route to quit-ting smoking.

According to Donna Shelley, a clini-cal associate professor at the NYU Den-tistry, dentists are in a surprisingly good place to provide health care assistance to smokers.

Shelley said people might not expect their dentists to be a resource to help them quit smoking. But the fact is, den-tists can deduce a lot about overall health by looking in a patients’s mouth.

Dentists at NYU began this project intent on increasing access to smoking cessation resources for patients who may not regularly visit a physician.

The tool kit, which includes slides, pamphlets, print-outs and resources, helps equip dental professionals with the resources to refer and assist their patients who are smokers. It also gives examples on how to talk to patients about tobacco use, how to treat nicotine addiction and how to increase motiva-tion to quit smoking.

Researchers at NYU Dentistry have been testing the kit since 2007. In one study, they found a 9 percent decrease in smoking rates.

Mark Wolff, chair of the Department of Cardiology and Comprehensive Care at NYU Dentistry, highlighted another benefit of the tool kit. Because people

are more likely to see the same dentist on a regular basis than the same doctor, a dentist is able to keep track of their patients over a greater period of time.

According to a 2008 study that Shelley participated in, 23 percent of Americans who did not visit a doctor in 2008 did pay a visit to the dentist.

“Few people think of a dentist in terms of how they can assist patients in things other than dentistry,” Wolff said. “We are looking to do similar things with diabetes, general health and nutrition. There are many diseases where [the symptoms] are central to the mouth.”

Diana zraik, program coordinator for the Manhattan Tobacco Cessation Pro-gram, also talked about the importance of dentists in health care.

“Dental providers tend to spend more time with their patients during their ap-pointments [than] medical providers,” zraik said. “This time can provide an opportunity to discuss quitting options and even refer out to external smoking cessation programs if need be.”

However, not everyone thinks den-tists should judge their patients’ over-all health.

“A dentist doesn’t know anything about my physical being,” MTA service worker Martin Caldwell said. “It would bother me to have a dentist tell me to stop smoking if I don’t want help.”

Nevertheless, dentists say the tool kit is useful.

According to Nora Odingo, a certified tobacco treatment specialist and profes-sor at SUNY Stony Brook’s department of general dentistry, there is already a smoking cessation protocol in place. Still, Odingo found the NYU Dentistry

tool kit both comprehensive and well-presented.

“[I] found that it contains additional resources that I would be interested in using,” Odingo said. “I would also recommend it to our part-time clini-cal faculty for use with their private practice patients.”

This tool kit is currently being released to dental students and dentists across New York state and the rest of the coun-try. It will also be developed along with changes in health and dental care.

“I have never considered going to a dentist to quit smoking,” GSAS masters student Yunke Li said. “Maybe it would be helpful, but quitting smoking is very hard. It might be something I will try in the future.”

Elizabeth Maguire is a deputy university editor. Email her at emaguire@nyunews.com.

quite critical to his daily fi-nances. Iannitelli said the raise would be helpful and enable him to save more for future loan repayments.

“Based on the fact that the yearly salary under the [cur-rent] minimum wage is less than $15,000, it is complete-ly unlivable, at least in New York City,” he said. “I think $8.50 is a good start.”

Dean Skelos, State Sen-ate majority leader and a Republican, said the raise could be a “job killer.”

His concerns are shared by small business owners like Anatasi Hairatidis, who owns a deli, dry cleaner and restaurant in the West Vil-lage. Although very few of his employees are paid the minimum wage, he will have to adjust all wages ac-cordingly to maintain the pay structure.

“I’m not going to bear more costs. [So] you do the job with two people instead of three,” he said. “To have labor costs increase during a recession — that’s the weird-

est thing I’ve ever heard.”But NYU economics pro-

fessor Christopher Flinn, who specializes in labor economics, said the small increase will have minimal effects on the state econo-my or income distribution.

“Some of these jobs are lost, some of them are bumped up to minimum wage,” he said. “[There are] lots of outcomes, but the main thing is that it’s not a lot of additional income.”

For students like Tisch junior Max Mellman, who is paid $7.85 an hour as a theater usher, the bill is a step closer to a dream.

“I think that it would def-initely improve how much money I’m making by a considerable amount,” Mellman said. “I’m think-ing of making my own movie. I’m trying to save for that, but I only have $300 saved right now.”

Justina Lee is a contributing writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

By SARAh SKiRmont

Soon with just a tap, click and slide of your finger, voters in New York City may be able to become more politically active by simply sending a text message loaded with a financial donation.

Last week, a new bill was intro-duced into legislation by New York City Council member Gale Brewer, which would allow for political con-tributions up to $100 by text mes-sage to citywide office candidates.

According to Brewer, who is con-sidering running for Manhattan bor-ough president in 2013, the bill aims to facilitate engagement with aver-age citizens. A donor would text a given code to the candidate’s contri-bution phone number and would be automatically charged the amount on the next cell phone bill.

“New York City needs to explore new ways to involve average citizens in electoral politics,” Brewer said.

Bills about text messaging dona-tions to campaigns have also been passed in Maryland and California. Currently donors can also text money to organizations including the United Nations Children’s Fund and the American Red Cross.

According to Tara Stock, the legis-lative coordinator at the California Fair Political Practices Commission, their text messaging regulation “gives the green light for committees and these private entities to develop text message contribution programs if they choose to.”

Brewer’s proposal has yet to pass the hearing, which is scheduled for next week.

zachary Taylor, president of the NYU College Democrats, said he believes that if passed the bill would produce increased participation in elections.

“The intent seems to be to increase citizenship participation in cam-paign financing,” Taylor said.

Another possible factor of this pro-posed bill is the effect it could have on a younger demographic of voters, particularly students.

“I’d imagine that younger people would be more likely to use this meth-od of endorsement,” Taylor said.

However, other students are re-luctant to participate.

“[It] is just like texting for ‘Ameri-can Idol,’” LSP freshman Nicole Enu-wa said. “Just because it is available doesn’t mean I am going to use it.”

“Personally I don’t have money to donate for things like that,” Stein-

hardt freshman Elaine Jen said. “They already get a lot of money from big corporations.”

Brewer said candidates are con-stantly looking for small donations to their campaigns. She said she be-lieves more politically involved citi-zens could result in more donations.

“With this [legislation] on texting, only a $100 can be sent,” she said. “That is a good way to get small do-nations for candidates not taking in large amounts of money.”

However, Steinhardt associate pro-fessor of communication Ted Magder put more emphasis on the amount of money donated than the method of donation.

“The legislative issue concerning campaign financing should focus on how much, not how,” Magder said, “We should care about the limitless volume of money pouring into the electoral process, not whether it’s better or worse to transfer funds by check, credit card or PayPal.”

Further questions on payments, billings and whether phone carri-ers would comply will be discussed at the hearing next week.

Sarah Skirmont is a staff writer. Email her at cstate@nyunews.com.

New law to allow supporters to text political contributions

Silver proposes bill to raise minimum wage

NyuNeWS.Com | thurSday, feBruary 9, 2012 | WaShiNgtoN Square NeWS 3

hawk at certain points in the nesting and hatching and fledging,”

In late December, Vio-let died due to complica-tions from surgery at a Long Island wildlife re-habilitation center. On Christmas Eve, shortly after Violet was cap-tured, the Bobst nest saw the arrival of a new female named Rosie. Ac-cording to The New York Times’ City Room blog, Bobby has been bringing Rosie to the nest, but they do not currently live there.

Emily Rueb, who covers the hawks on City Room, said that ornithologists and the scientific community had unique opportunities to watch the birds at rest and at night through the Hawk Cam.

“New Yorkers and people

around the world became interested in wildlife and were able to watch this ur-ban hawk family trying to make it in New York City,” Rueb said. “The New York Times is committed to turning on the camera.”

CAS sophomore Jane Chen said she was excited to hear that the university is reinstating the camera.

“The Hawk Cam built a lot of community as peo-ple bonded over waiting in anticipation for the hawks to hatch,” Chen said. “They have become almost like mascots for us, and I’m sure a lot of people would still be in-terested in seeing what they’re up to and follow-ing their actions.”

Emily Smith is a contributing writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

WAGE continued from PG. 1

NYU’s Hawk Cam was shut down last August. fiLe photo By amy zhaNg

Test found a 9 percent decrease in smoking rates.

fiLe photo By KeLSey LedgerWood

4 WaShiNgtoN Square NeWS | thurSday, feBruary 9, 2012 | NyuNeWS.Com

By DAniEl fuchS

February is an awkward time in the scheduling of movie-releases. It is two months too late for Oscar candidacy, yet two months too early to rank among sum-mer blockbusterss. As a re-sult, studios generally release an odd assortment of family, horror and action films.

“Safe House,” directed by Daniel Espinosa, is part of that nebulous February pool as a thriller chock-full of car chases, shoot-outs and espionage. Sadly, none of these elements redeems the movie from being uneven and uninteresting.

The film follows a relatively standard action plot. Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is a CIA agent in charge of a South African safe house meant for Tobin Frost (Denzel Wash-ington), a CIA agent turned traitor. When the house is at-tacked, it is Weston’s job to prevent Frost from escaping, even as mysterious assailants and shadowy villains chase them down. It is a predictable, cookie-cutter story arc, and the eventual twists and revela-tions feel overly trite.

The mundane tale aggra-vates even further with the exhausting action sequences, which feature such shaky and frantic camerawork that the film becomes physically tiring to watch.

The dull, often hackneyed script heightens this exas-peration. The film is strictly plot-driven, and the audience

is never given an opportunity to connect with the uneven character work onscreen. Reynolds’ character is osten-sibly hesitant about killing though he nonetheless mows down countless rogue agents without a second thought.

We are similarly intro-duced to Reynolds’ girl-friend, Ana (Nora Arnezed-er), whose interactions with Reynolds are limited to the occasional clichéd exchange. When the relationship inev-itably hits a breaking point, the audience is left with no reason to feel sympathetic.

The CIA powers-that-be, played by Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson and Sam Shepard, come off as stiff and unoriginal. Not even Washington can make us care about Tobin Frost. In one moment, the character is a crafty, joking rogue; yet in another, he attempts to be a mentor to Reynolds.

What is truly frustrating about “Safe House” is the ultra-serious tone that the film takes toward its subject matter, desperately trying to be relevant in the era of the War on Terror. Whereas films like “Crank” or “Drive” revel in being delightfully over-the-top, “Safe House” feels so self-important that it be-comes almost laughable. In one scene, Tobin tries to wax poetic on the significance of duty in the CIA, but we care so little about neither him nor Weston at this point, that any kind of meaning is lost to the audience.

Perhaps it was wise to re-lease “Safe House” at a time of year when there is little else to see, but that does not make this uninspired film worth watching.

Daniel Fuchs is a staff writer. Email him at film@nyunews.com.

Reynolds, Washington can’t save ‘Safe House’

ARTS edited By JonAthon DoRnBuShartS@NyuNeWS.Com

Holland transforms a setting so dreary and morbid into a place of humanity. “Darkness” certainly looks and feels like a horror movie, and in many ways it is — danger lurks around every corner, and the characters’ worst fears are brought to life. Because of these characters, the film transcends any simplistic label.

The Jewish characters are authentic and lik-able, as Holland portrays them as people ca-pable of reflecting the best or succumbing to the worst of mankind. This motley group of individuals has been bound together despite devastating odds. Characters shout and hiss; some become so overwhelmed by the claustro-phobia that they abandon the group, and one man even cheats on his wife.

With such believable characters, it is all the more effective that the audience feels that they, too, are trapped in the sewers with everybody else. “Darkness” lays on the claustrophobia and forces the viewers to abandon their com-fort zone.

And yet, in all the ways that “Darkness” takes on a spooky, unique personality of

its own, it shares one brilliant aspect with Spielberg’s 1993 masterpiece — a respect for color. “Schindler’s List,” filmed almost entirely in black and white, emphasizes color when it is used. “Darkness” is not filmed in black and white, but it might as well be, as the majority occurs in a bleak, shadowy environment. So when Holland pulls back the restraints and allows for color to shine through, it hits the audi-ence with a lush grandeur.

While “A Separation” seems to be the frontrunner as this year’s Best Foreign Film winner, “Darkness” deserves the same appreciation. It is one of the rare films where all of its elements work har-moniously, both in its style and its atten-tion to character. In the end, however, what makes “In Darkness” so inspiring is how the good of man can come to light in even the darkest of times.

Jeremy Grossman is entertainment editor. Email him at jgrossman@nyunews.com.

DARKnESS continued from PG. 1

‘In Darkness’ deserves Oscar consideration

Play denounces Apple integrityBy oliviA GEoRGE

In his Public Theater monologue, “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” Mike Daisey exposes the morally compro-mising practices of Apple Inc. In the wake of the passing of the company’s beloved co-founder and CEO, Daisey’s tirade takes on even more significance.

The play lasts just under two hours and Daisey delivers a fiery and impassioned account of his own experiences in Shen-zhen, China, a city he says manufactures over half of the world’s electronics.

Daisey’s speech follows a very engaging path. His performance begins comically with relatable lines concerning the obso-leteness of Apple products almost imme-diately after their groundbreaking releas-es, promptly outdone by newer versions. But the show soon takes a more serious turn, as his jokes become commentaries on the dangerous amount of power that the late Jobs had — and that his company still possesses.

Daisey often refers to Apple product consumers as users. He suggests that our addiction to iAnything is no better than an addiction to cocaine. For Daisey, Jobs is essentially a drug lord. In Shen-zhen, China, there is a factory owned by a major technology corporation called Foxxcon where, according to Daisey, la-borers as young as 12 are making our iPhones and iPads, working shifts that can extend up to 36 hours.

Daisey frequently calls to the audience, “You, out there in the darkness.” While on a literal level he is addressing the au-dience members who are physically sit-ting in a darkened area, the call takes on a new meaning by the end of the show. There is so much we don’t know, so much we don’t bother to ask questions about. Daisey strives to enlighten his au-dience members.

“The Agony and the Ecstasy” is an ex-tremely introspective show. While so many people use Apple products every day, those who bear witness to Daisey’s performance will no longer be able to live in blissful ignorance. They may very well find the incentive to do their own investi-gating of Daisey’s claims.

“The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” is playing now through March 4 at the Public Theater, located at 425 Lafay-ette St. Student Rush tickets are avail-able for $25. For more information, visit publictheater.org.

Olivia George is a contributing writer. Email her at theater@nyunews.com.

Alluring tale of ‘Amalur’By KAi zhEnG

The cornerstone of any great role-playing game developed in the West has always been a gripping story with endearing and diverse characters. Games like “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” and “Mass Effect 2” exemplify this design philosophy’s strengths and its primary weakness — gameplay is often aver-age at best. “kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning” seeks to remedy this weakness by delivering an experi-ence immensely satisfying both in its narrative and in its combat.

Fighting in “Reckoning” initially appears simple, with a weapon or spell mapped to a particular button much like the well-received, albeit elementary “Fable II.” “Reckoning” el-evates its seemingly basic mechanics with a smart combo system. Melee at-tacks, ranged attacks and spells flow smoothly into one another, making the player feel as powerful as the appearance of the character’s actions. This engagement in combat is crucial, as how the player

fights will alter the char-acter’s destiny within the game world.

Yet this impressive combat would not jus-tify purchasing “Reckon-ing” if that world and its story fell flat. Big Huge Games and 38 Studios enlisted New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore to craft the lore of Amalur. To be exact, he helped cre-ate 10,000 years of fic-tion for the world, and “Reckoning” takes place in a mere slice of that expansive history. Story-telling not only contains the same scope as devel-oper Bioware’s titles, but it also employs a similar branching conversation system, allowing the player to choose how their character responds during conversations.

“Reckoning” puts players in control of a recently re-vived individual devoid of a fate or destiny. This is a major concern because the concept of fate is intricate-ly woven into the culture of Amalur’s citizens. Every-one in the world of Amalur knows his or her fate and must make peace with it.

Without fate, the player can change the outcome of the predestined events in others’ lives. One of the most drastic examples is when the hero is tasked with helping a general re-trieve a spear that could shift the tide of a major war. Before the player’s intervention, the general was predestined to fail in her quest for the spear, but players can prevent the general’s death and grant the general the power to win the war.

With countless opportu-nities to alter the destinies of others, “Reckoning” combines engaging sto-rytelling with active and satisfying combat options. “Reckoning” shines even among the glut of qual-ity Western role-playing games. Despite small issues like lip syncing, occasion-ally imprecise collision de-tection with objects in the world and some freezing, “Reckoning” is a welcome start for a franchise that will hopefully continue for years to come.

Kai Zheng is a contributing writer. Email him at entertain-ment@nyunews.com.

“Safe House” fails to excite in a dull month for movies.via NooNeiSSafe.Com

Public Theater production questions morality of Apple Inc.’s practices.

via BroadWay.Com

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edited By JESSicA littmAnfeatureS@NyuNeWS.Com

Insider tips to top showsRacing comes first for NYU studentBy mAtthEW noviAn

Most NYU students get their driver’s licenses at 16 or older. Even then, new drivers sit behind the wheel anxiously abiding traf-fic laws and trying to find their driving groove. Gallatin freshman John Edwards, however, won the Red Bull Driver Search at age 13, the Star Mazda Championship at age 17 and several races spon-sored by the Grand American Road Racing Association.

After winning the Red Bull Driv-er Search in 2004, he moved to It-aly. A few months later, he caught another big break.

“Red Bull fired a driver, so I got the call to move up to Formula Renualt,” Edwards said.

At 14, Edwards was gunning down the racetrack at 140 miles per hour, competing against older drivers — some of the most tal-ented racers in the world. The dif-ficult move from Louisville, ky., to Italy involved making sacrifices that most people face much later in life like leaving his family for up to eight months at a time.

“I wouldn’t trade that experience for high school,” Edwards said.

Edwards was able to complete his high school curriculum while racing by taking online classes. He

is continuing his academic pur-suits in sociology and business at NYU. While most university stu-dents come to NYU to focus solely on their studies, Edwards’ mind is primarily geared toward racing.

“School comes second to racing,” Edwards said. “I want to race as long as I can. I want to continue making a living in this.”

After taking the regular 16 credit course load in the fall, Ed-wards is taking only eight credits in the spring due to an intense racing schedule.

Edwards also focuses attention and determination his focus and determination to his DNA. His father Michael also races in his spare time. The younger Edwards credits much of his inspiration and success to the guidance his father provided. However, the paternal relationship is not all business — the two manage to have some fun along the way.

“Every now and then I’ll hop in and race against him just for fun,” Edwards said of spending time with his father.

His teammates also see Ed-wards as having a mature men-tality that combines drive and a love of the sport.

“John is a huge asset to any team,” said Matt Bell, one of Ed-

wards’ racing teammates. “He has an excellent balance to his person-ality. He likes having fun and when we’re both kind of goofing around we usually do the best.”

Edwards has gained some fame for doing what he loves.

“It’s a cool feeling when you go to the autograph sessions and you have people wanting your signa-ture,” Edwards said.

But his commitment to racing has very little to do with the fame that comes along with success. Be-tween schoolwork, physical train-ing and races, Edwards’ eyes are on one prize.

“I don’t dream of being famous,” he said. “I just want to win races.”

Matthew Novian is a contributing writer. Email him at features@nyunews.com.

By KAtyA BARAnniK

Jealous when you hear your friends talking about how they went to a taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart or Jimmy kim-mel Live last weekend? Why not go yourself? Here are three tips to snag tickets to your favorite show:

Camp out and wait in line :Your best bet is standby tickets.

Check online to find out times tick-ets will be given out — usually the day before or the morning of the taping. Get there early. Then, come back the night of the taping and wait in line again.

Camping out can be a hit or miss. Sometimes, simply charm and style can get you far. Parsons sophomore Ginny McNulty scored front row seats at Saturday Night Live.

“[My friend] told me to get there at least an hour early,” McNulty said. “He told me if you want floor seats you should dress nice, bring a small bag and act excited...We did exactly what he advised and ended up sitting in the front row.”

But Steinhardt freshman Sam-mie Singhal and CAS freshman Sarah Branch were not as lucky. After camping out for 12 hours in 35 degree weather, both were quite miserable. However their night was not a complete disappointment.

“My friends and I went back to the entrance of NBC studios at around 1 a.m. once the show was over,” Singhal said. “At that time,

all of the SNL cast comes out to greet fans.”

Check online:For CAS freshman Tessa Gaffney,

getting tickets to The Colbert Re-port was much easier.

“I just went on the website and clicked on the Tickets tab,” Gaff-ney said. “Sometimes they’re avail-able immediately, and sometimes you’ll have to enter your email address for notification when they become available. You can reserve up to four at a time under one name every six months.”

Tickets for the Anderson Coo-per show are equally as easy to snag online. Check for posters in your dorm

and your NYU email:keep a lookout for emails from

your RA and fliers hanging around your dorm, which may have emails or phone numbers to call for tick-et inquiries. Singhal said she had been to the David Letterman Show twice with the help of her RA. Also, join your dorm’s Facebook group. If someone has tickets but can’t go for some reason, they will most likely try to give them away through Facebook.

Although getting tickets for live tapings is mostly a game of luck, it can be well worth the effort. Be-sides, if you are successful in get-ting them, they’re usually free.

Katya Barannik is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

John Edwards has been racing competitively since age 13.

CourteSy of Juha LievoNeN

THE NEw YoRK TiMES CRoSSwoRD & DAiLY SUDoKU

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by AmerigoVespucci

4 Business cardabbr.

7 Top of a ladder,maybe

12 Resident ofMayberry

14 “That wasfunny!”

17 Results of somecuts

18 Turkey’s home19 ___ B. Parker,

TheodoreRoosevelt’s1904 opponentfor president

20 What you mightbreak into

22 Medical drips23 Ending24 Captivates27 Biddy28 Figure of a

Spanish count?

29 White30 “The ___ of

March are come”32 Gut reaction?33 Grammy winner

Elliott34 With 21-Down,

catchphrase thatprovides a hintto eight answersin this puzzle

37 Org. featured in1983’s“WarGames”

39 Actor Stephen40 Marshal ___,

cold war leader44 French city near

the Belgianborder

45 Swedishmanufacturer ofthe 90, 900 and9000

46 Early gangstarap groupfeaturing Dr. Dre

47 Crowns49 Zenith product

51 Quagmire52 Minuscule

lengths53 Quick snacks54 Like some movie

versions57 Stupefied59 Jane who wrote

“In the Shadowof Man”

60 Much of northernIsrael

61 It’s nice to beout of them

62 Blues org.63 Acid

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Zechariah2 Fought à la the

ThreeMusketeers

3 Set up, assoftware

4 Schoolyardgame

5 Time o’ day6 ___ two evils7 00s, e.g.8 “Deal with it!”9 Rocky peak10 Suffragist ___ B.

Wells11 Shells of shells13 Spanish uncles15 Spirited16 It may be thrown

in a ring21 See 34-Across25 Picnic spoiler

26 Opening28 Ratted31 Singer/songwriter

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ancient Jordan35 Retreat36 Move to a new

position

37 “You’re doing itcompletelywrong!”

38 Get too big for41 Fixed42 Plucks, in a way43 Cereal grain44 Clean up, as a

program

45 Some junglegym exits

48 Alter49 Certain steak50 Part of a

Caesarean trio55 Trouble56 As well58 “Prob’ly not”

Puzzle by Dan Schmiedeler

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a creditcard, 1-800-814-5554.Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sundaycrosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS.AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visitnytimes.com/mobilexword for more information.Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 pastpuzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

17 18

19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26

27 28 29

30 31 32 33

34 35 36

37 38 39 40 41 42 43

44 45 46

47 48 49 50

51 52 53

54 55 56 57 58

59 60

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O B S S L O M O S P I N SN E A W O V E N M A R I NE L L I S A W A N O T I C ED U A R T E C I G S H EO S R I C F S I X J E E ZW H I C H S A I D B O S S YN I E E L M I R A

D R I N K C A N A D AE A T A M C L O X

B E H A N D R Y A N D I V EA N A L Z E D S E D G E RN O S P I N J E T H R OJ U S T S T A R T E D T U XO G L E S D O W E L E S ES H E E T A D O R E D E S

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For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550For Release Thursday, February 09, 2012

Edited by Will Shortz No. 0105

oPiNioNedited By oliviA GonzAlEzopiNioN@NyuNeWS.Com

Wage proposal will spark debate in Senate

StAff EDitoRiAl

Super Bowl fanaticism exemplifies group dynamicsBy mARc Simon

In the last five minutes of Super Bowl xLVI, Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker flubbed a catch that could have clinched a win for his team. In the final minute as the Patriots were down by four points, Deion Branch goofed a crisp pass from Tom Brady putting New Eng-land in a rough position. Then Aar-on Hernandez goofed another, and New England was hosed.

I hope Welker, Branch and Her-nandez were spared bad dreams that night. I also hope they’ve been spared threats on their lives, a hope demonstrating that sports have fallen subject to the human’s penchant for taking decent things and besmirching them.

I’m serious about my hope for Welker, Branch and Hernandez. The intersection of sports and death has its history. Earlier this season, the San Francisco 49ers receiver kyle Williams was threatened after two critical fumbles in the NFC Cham-pionship. After Sunday’s game, a SWAT team patrolled Northeastern University because a college stu-dent died in a riot in Boston follow-ing the 2004 World Series.

Okay, perhaps this talk of death is a little exceptional. Nonethe-less, it sparks an argument for the less than kosher intermingling of sports and the human psyche. Sports provide catharsis for some

primal human instincts — the first of which is the tribalist desire to join groups and to exhibit solidar-ity with your own group — and hostility for others. Sports symbol-ize and showcase this hostility so entertainingly, that it is rare for one to reflect upon the possibility that sports are more indoctrinat-ing than they are entertaining.

If I were to have gambled through the streets of the Village this past Super Bowl Sunday, clad in britches, stockings and a Patri-ots jersey, there’s a good chance I would have been harshly wedged or at the very least pelted with various food items. In New York, people like their Giants. It seems simple until you really delve into the question of why. The initial an-swer is, well, because they’re New Yorkers. Follow that up by asking why that matters, and things start to get tricky.

Identification with a team be-cause the identifier and team share a particular location is arbitrary, as arbitrary as assuming that all resi-dents of a poor neighborhood are a bunch of drug addicts. This sort of phenomenon relies on the ability to automatically support and con-clude without considering merit or otherwise thoroughly investigat-ing. The definition of a good sports fan is one who sticks by his team through the glorious wins, embar-rassing losses and team members’

shenanigans, right? We live in a world littered with

malignancies: religious strife, rac-ism, homophobia and unproduc-tive butting of political heads. All of these demonstrate a remarkable ability to subscribe to a certain group or ideology and fuss, rather than cooperate. If sports aren’t largely responsible for develop-ing this talent, they sure exacer-bate it deeply. If you tune into the rhetoric on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you’ll hear about the hu-manistic oil and water that char-acterizes the fanaticism on both sides of the issue. Note as well, we call sports enthusiasts fans, which is just an attenuation of fanatic. A tad fishy if you ask me.

Like mayonnaise milk shakes and deep-fried butter at an anti-obesity convention, sports celebrate the things that make us miserable, the things that make us shake our heads while reading the morning paper and jazz our coffee with splashes of certain pungent beverages. Never-theless, we’ve been rendered impo-tent in questioning them, as those indoctrinated typically are.

Even now, you probably have an impulse to call this article a crock, me a disgruntled kook always picked last in gym class. Can you feel it?

Marc Simon is a contributing columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com

SPoRtS

NyuNeWS.Com | thurSday, feBruary 9, 2012 | WaShiNgtoN Square NeWS 7

Email the WSN Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com.

editorial Board: olivia gonzalez (Chair), atticus Brigham (Co-Chair), emily franklin, Nicolette harris, matt Kao,

Ben miller, and peter murphy.

Necessity of overcoming religious intoleranceBy mARiA michAloS

When malevolent acts of violence are carried out, we come to feel in-capable of identifying inhumanity. We seek answers that seldom ex-ist. Our minds cannot contrive ad-equate explanations for irrational, horrifying behavior. Our innate in-stinct is to wish the world free of hate and destruction, hoping for a day when injustice ceases to sub-sist. But when our police depart-ment, the guardian of our safety and security, becomes entangled in a plot of racial profiling, is it enough to just hope?

At a time when relations between the New York Police Department and the Muslim community are already overwrought, nearly 1,500 officers were shown “The Third Jihad,” a de-testable and hate-ridden anti-Muslim film. While the Village Voice un-earthed and reported on the screen-ing a year ago, the NYPD has refuted its participation in the film’s produc-tion. Untruths will all eventually be exposed for their utter deception, and the police department’s testimony of its involvement — particularly of Po-lice Commissioner Ray kelly’s appear-ance in the film — is no outlier.

If the rights of a group of people come under siege, that communi-ty will band together and see that justice is served. Representatives from the New York City Muslim community have done just that, gathering at City Hall joined in solidarity with local ethnic and interfaith groups to call for kelly’s resignation. Together they have demonstrated their unwillingness to allow their fundamental rights to be violated and repressed.

Instilling fear and heightening a sense of xenophobia only acts to further divide Americans. We be-come a terrorist target when our communities are not cohesive, when our neighbors are strangers and when we do nothing to repu-diate intolerant ideologies. The Clarion Fund, best known for its film, “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West,” is the cul-prit of the documentary’s distribu-tion. Describing itself as a “non-profit organization that produces and distributes documentaries on the threats of Radical Islam,” the organization has created a bastion of delusion and malice.

If we are to be protected from the ills of terrorism, New Yorkers — as

well as our beloved nation — need to garner an unwavering sense of community. That will never exist with the dissemination of such heinous footage as seen in “The Third Jihad.” Inculcating trepida-tion is the surest way to destroy a people, to dissolve them of their strongest asset, solidarity.

By branding Islam as radical, pro-ponents of the film have conscious-ly chosen to fuel the flame that gives credence to hate crimes. In-doctrinating our security force that Islam is the greatest threat to the U.S. and to New York is fundamen-tally radical. Essential to our liveli-hood is a peaceful coexistence, ac-ceptance of our fellow man and an ability to depend on one another. If we continue to be bombarded by propagandist images of people we pass on the streets and ride along-side on our daily commutes, the structure of our community will derail and its vitality will be indefi-nitely lost. As one protestor sug-gested, “At the end of the day, we are all people, just people trying to get by, trying to live.”

Maria Michalos is a columnist. Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.

iDEoloGy

The plunging national debt has small business owners and indebted students feeling the squeeze. But in an unlikely economic move, New York State Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver proposed a bill to raise the minimum wage by $1.25. Even if this sounds like the pocket change you use to buy your coffee every morning, this increase in wages could be just as helpful to laborers as it could be stressful to employers. In addition, the difficulty of the current economic situation makes this issue emotionally charged.

The student perspective is obvious — the crushing weight of tuition-loan debts coupled with the imminent prospect of working several summer odd jobs makes this bill particularly attractive to the student population. The helpful boost of minimum wage could make all the difference in ensuring financial stability for today’s students, who will comprise tomorrow’s work force.

Herein lies a potential cure to our recession. But despite its obvious benefits to the student community, it may be detrimental to employers if it passes because it would make labor more expensive to acquire. When the proposal hits the Senate’s desk, its members will find themselves at a crossroads. Either reduce the amount of jobs with this pay raise — since employers will have to lay off workers in order to afford labor — or keep the minimum wage low and keep growth at a standstill. This particular question promises to be divisive in the Senate, where Democrats and Republicans may battle it out over this partisan issue.

8 WaShiNgtoN Square NeWS | thurSday, feBruary 9, 2012 | NyuNeWS.Com

SPoRTS edited By DAniEl hinton SPoRtS@nyunEWS.com

BRAm continued from PG. 1

Bram explores works of gay novelists

Tune in to weekend’s biggest matchesBy SEBAStiEn vAn hEyninGEn

Although the 2011-12 NFL season is over, week-ends are still busy for sports fans. Weekend watch returns as WSN picks the top three events of the next three days.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York KnicksFriday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN3/MSGkobe Bryant, currently the league’s scoring leader,

passed former teammate Shaquille O’Neal on the all-time points list on Monday night during a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Bryant will have an opportu-nity to beat his 61 point point at the Garden without having to worry about fellow high-scoring all-star Carmelo Anthony, who is out one to two weeks with a strained groin. The Lakers will have to figure out how to guard Jeremy Lin, the knicks’ newest starter at point guard. Lin most recently put up a double-double with 23 points and 10 assists against the lowly Wash-ington Wizards and has scored over 20 points in three straight games.

Manchester United F.C. vs. Liverpool F.C.Saturday, 7:45 p.m. ETWith recent failures in the Champions League and

the Football Association Club Cup, United can now turn all of its attention toward the English Premier League and the final stretch of the season. Man. U has a chance to avenge their late-January loss to Liv-erpool, when the Red Devils were sent home after a

heart-breaking goal by midfielder Dirk kuyt in the 88th minute. Liverpool, Manchester’s fiercest rivals, is traveling to Old Trafford for a battle of two Euro-pean titans. Any die-hard soccer fans that don’t have trouble waking up for the early start on Saturday will be treated to an excellent match as Man. U continues its quest to pull ahead of cross-town rivals.

Chicago Bulls vs. Boston CelticsSunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABCBoston is in for a tough stretch of games, as reigning

M.V.P. Derrick Rose’s Chicago Bulls visit the TD Gar-den. Chicago is a young, fierce team looking to estab-lish itself as a leader in the Eastern Conference. Tom Thibodeau, who received the coach of the year award last season, will make his fifth return to the stadium he once called home to coach against his former boss Doc Rivers, another former coach of the year. This game will be brutal, as neither team will let up until the final buzzer. Boston fans should watch how point guard Rajon Rondo performs against a top-tier Bulls opponent. Chicago fans should watch center Joakim Noah’s play in the post against aging power forward kevin Garnett. Both big men have a tense history, and Noah has even taken a few public shots at Garnett to make up for the beating he gets on the floor. Neither team will escape without bruises from this slug-fest.

Sebastien Van Heyningen is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

Fencing falters in final meet By mARy JAnE DumAnKAyA

The NYU men’s and women’s fencing teams both went 1-2 against Sacred Heart University, Vassar College and Columbia Uni-versity at the final meet of the regular season last night.

“There were a lot of early close bouts that could have gone for us that would have ended up for a much more impressive day,” team captain Phil Jamesson said.

In the first match of the night, men’s foil won 6-3 against the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Freshman Andrew Ark and junior Jamesson added two winning bouts each, as sophomore Christian Vastola and junior ken Sin added one victory each.

Men’s sabre lost to Sacred Heart 9-0. The Violets had a very close match in men’s epee but ulti-mately lost 5-4. Junior epee captain Ricky Woodward won two of NYU’s four victories.

Women’s foil won 6-3 as senior Becca Baird-Remba won all three of her bouts. In women’s sabre, NYU earned a win with a score of 7-2. Junior Jackie Leval won all three of her bouts in sabre. A 9-0 loss in epee ended the Violets’ winning streak.

NYU’s sole victory of the night came against Vassar College, the only non-Division I team present.

The Violets dominated in wom-en’s sabre, winning all nine bouts. NYU also won foil 7-2, as both Baird-Remba and freshman Audra Fox won all three of their bouts. Women’s epee didn’t complete the sweep, losing 7-2 with both victories coming from junior Christiana Lai.

Men’s epee was up by one bout but dropped the last two, losing 5-4, while the foil squad shut out Vassar, winning all nine bouts. Jamesson, Vastola and Ark won three bouts

each. NYU men’s sabre defeated Vassar 5-4.

NYU faced the Columbia Lions for the final match. Men’s foil won 5-4 with Jamesson winning all three of his bouts.

“I’m pleased with my perfor-mance,” Jamesson said. “As a whole, everybody fenced really well.”

Men’s epee lost 7-2 with one vic-tory from each of the team’s epee captains, Woodward and freshman David Gustafson. In men’s sabre, Columbia won 9-0.

Women’s fencing lost all three weapons to the Lions. The Violets lost in epee, while sabre captain Lisa Verzino earned her squad’s sole victory against Columbia. Women’s foil lost 8-1 with their only victory coming from Fox, who recently received her second athlete of the week award from the University Athletic Association.

“I really do like the fact that the team notices and the coaches no-tice,” Fox said about her award. “My mom and family are very, very proud of me.”

Several members of the men’s and women’s teams will compete in the U.S. Junior Olympic National Championships in Salt Lake City from Feb. 16 to 20.

Mary Jane Dumankaya is a staff writer. Email her at sports@nyunews.com.

Team captain Phil Jamesson won eight bouts.

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Bram published his first nonfiction book in February.

CourteSy of tWeLve puBLiSherS

here because they want to be here.”Bram’s first novel, “Surprising

Myself,” was published in 1987. He plans to write more non-fic-

tion in the future and is exploring several different subjects for his next book.

“It forces me to use a differ-ent part of my brain. I’ve always loved to read non-fiction, and I love reading history,” he said.

“Eminent Outlaws” hit shelves on Feb. 2. Bram will be promoting the book with several readings in New York and San Francisco in the coming weeks.

“At first, I thought of it as just a project,” he said. “I’ve realized it’s something I’ve been preparing my whole life to write.”

Nicola Pring is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

Features