4 ARTS
8 UNDER THE ARCH
‘Call of Duty: Vanguard’ Demands historical distortion
Beneath the stars, stripes
6 CULTURE
10 OPINION
More than a mooncake: Students celebrate Mid-Autumn
Recent gropings highlight NYU’s weak approach to sexual misconduct
VOLUME LVII | ISSUE 3
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
Guerrilla memorial is NYC’s first statue of a trans person
SIRUI WU | WSN
The statue of Marsha P. Johnson, decorated in a wreath and flowers, stands in Christopher Park. This monument honoring the gay liberation pioneer was installed by a local artist without city authorization.
The unauthorized statue of gay liberation activist Marsha P. Johnson in Christopher Park amplifies the silenced Black transgender voices of the LGBTQ+ movement. By RACHEL COHEN Deputy News Editor In 2019, New York City announced plans to install a monument honoring gay liberation pioneer and Black transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson down the street from the Stonewall Inn, a historic safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community. After repeated delays due to the pandemic, Jessi Pallotta — an artist, sex worker and transgender activist — was tired of waiting for the statue to materialize. At a New Year’s Eve party in 2020, Pallotta and their friends decided to
take matters into their own hands. Pallotta, a trained sculptor, began by hanging 100 photographs of Johnson on their wall to sketch. “It was a three month process of sculpting, and I had this moment when I f inally got her eyes after days of trying to f igure out her gaze and just started crying,” Pallotta said. “I felt like I could really see Marsha for the f irst time. This person who I thought about for years and years when I was really struggling was super present.” The completed statue of Johnson has stood in Christopher Park across from the Stonewall Inn since Aug. 24 without the city’s approval. It is the f irst monument of a transgender person in a New York City park and the f irst to depict a Stonewall riots participant. Since then, Pallotta has submitted a First Amendment permit through the National Park Service to protect the statue. They plan to temporarily install the statue at the LGBTQ Community Center in Manhattan in the coming weeks.
“We never attempted to go through the city,” Pallotta said. “I was hoping that Marsha’s beauty is so impactful on its own that people would not mind that it was there — and it actually seems to be working. I anticipated that it would be taken down within two to three days, so I was prepared for that.” Johnson — a key f igure in the 1969 Stonewall riots, co-creator of the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries and member of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power — spearheaded a f ive-day sit-in at NYU’s Weinstein Residence Hall in September 1970 after the university refused to provide the LGBTQ+ community access to on-campus facilities for meetings and dances. “The issues that were being raised in those protests remain absolutely central at NYU,” Emmaia Gelman, an NYU lecturer teaching a course called Queer NYC, said. “The fact that the Weinstein occupation of protests lives on as part of queer NYU memory is a testament to the fact that the
work they did in leading these rowdy, unruly and unbounded protests continues to be incredibly important.” According to Pallotta, the statue of Johnson, located directly adjacent to the “Gay Liberation” sculpture created by NYU alum George Segal, comments on the existing rhetoric of the Queer Liberation Monument, which continues to exclude the voices of transgender people — and, in particular, trans people of color. Marc Robert Stein, a professor of history at San Francisco State University and editor of “The Stonewall Riots,” said the sculpture symbolizes the diversity and intersectionality of the LGBTQ+ community, since Johnson was Black, gay, transgender, poor and a sex worker. “Her embodiment of those identities served and serves as a reminder of divisions and hierarchies within queer and trans worlds,” Stein said. “Although I haven’t seen the statue yet [in person], its placement in proximity to George Segal’s ‘Gay Liberation’ work — often described as featuring
two standing white men and two seated white women — might also serve to create conversation and dialogue about the gender, class, race and sexual politics of artistic representation.” Gelman added that it is important that Johnson is being honored by the public today, since she did not receive recognition during her lifetime. “At the time, people were really focused on activism and concerned about respectability and coherence,” Gelman said. “Not everyone, but many organizers and also the spaces in which people organized didn’t necessarily understand people who were breaking the mold as leaders. It’s painful to have watched folks like Marsha and Sylvia experience so much rejection in their lives and now be celebrated.” Chris Woods, the director of NYU’s LGBTQ+ Center, declined to make a statement to WSN, but said he visited the monument and that he was excited that Johnson is receiving recognition. CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO
Washington Square News
2
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
NEWS
NEWS@NYUNEWS.COM
Edited by ARNAV BINAYKIA
Guerrilla memorial is NYC’s first statue of a trans person CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
TS Candii — a Black transgender woman, sex worker, executive director of Black Trans Nation and member of the organizing group behind the sculpture — has continued to f ight for Black transgender representation, particularly through the Repeal “walking while trans” Ban coalition. Before its repeal in February, the “walking while trans” law allowed police to detain anyone loitering who they believed was engaging in sex work. LGBTQ+ activists, including Candii, argued that
the law disproportionately targeted transgender women, — and especially transgender women of color. When Candii f irst saw the statue of Johnson, who was also a sex worker, she said she immediately felt that Johnson’s spirit would unite the LGBTQ+ community. “I looked at Marsha in her eyes and it was a call to me,” Candii said. “I’m glad that it was created and placed there so it can bring the bigger discussion of the visibility of Black transgender women. Marsha risked her life to set the LGBTQ+ community free. She was the
definition of fearless, and put up a fight for her belief in her right.” After seeing the sculpture, Katherine Carlson — a language lecturer in NYU’s expository writing program and Pallotta’s neighbor — plans to have her students write about the ways in which the statue comments on Johnson and her presence in the park. “The first thing I thought about was how natural it looks there,” Carlson said. “I can see how easily any city authority could forget that it had always been there. Greenwich Village is a stronghold of queer history, and NYU
students have an adjacency to this that is within steps.” Pallotta said that during the design process, the group aimed to represent Johnson with a stoic presence to embody the strength and beauty that were central to her character. “Anyone who did that much work and followed through with all the projects that she did shows a deeper level of commitment, and her expression is rooted in that,” Pallotta said. “I have her head tilted slightly to the right, and I was thinking about the idea of her always looking at the people around her,
so her eye gaze is slightly upwards.” For Pallotta, Johnson continues to serve as an inspiration to take care of their community and the people surrounding them. “When I’m struggling, I find a lot of healing through reflecting on Marsha’s legacy and her story,” Pallotta said. “If she did all of this amazing work, then I can overcome any kind of stereotypes and stigmas about my identity and my profession.” Contact Rachel Cohen at rcohen@nyunews.com
The Soapbox: Russia, Philippines, Tunisia
SUSAN BEHRENDS VALENZUELA | WSN
The Soapbox is a weekly news column rounding up stories worth reading for a global university.
By SUHAIL GHARAIBEH Deputy News Editor In Russia, an illusion of democracy, courtesy of Vladimir Putin Russia’s parliamentary elections closed yesterday afternoon, Sept. 19, ending a three-day process that is set to consolidate the authoritarian rule of President Vladimir Putin. United Russia — the pro-Putin political party that has dominated Russian politics since 2003 — is expected to keep the majority of seats in parliament. At press time, 9% of votes nationwide have been counted. United Russia leads with nearly 39% of the vote, according to The Moscow Times.
Experts say that democracy in Russia is hobbled by police, judges, news broadcasters and legislators who support the Kremlin-backed ruling party. Less than half of Russia’s population is actually participating in the elections, an off icial from Russia’s Central Election Commission told The Moscow Times. Dozens of instances of electoral fraud have already been documented, according to the independent election watchdog Golos. Videos circulating on social media over the weekend showed individuals both openly and covertly stuff ing ballot boxes. In one of the more bizarre occurrences of the weekend, a raccoon was let loose by its owner for several minutes inside a Moscow polling location on Friday.
In the Hague, judges put the Philippines on notice for mass murder The International Criminal Court announced on Sept. 15 that it will allow an investigation into the Philippine government’s so-called war on drugs. Launched by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, the offensive has disproportionately killed thousands of poor Filipinos living in urban areas. Prosecutors will investigate whether the killings were “widespread and systematic” enough to constitute a crime against humanity. “Between at least 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019, members of Philippine security forces and other, often associated, perpetrators deliberately killed thousands of civilians suspected to be involved in drug activities,” the ICC judges wrote in their ruling. “Although the precise num-
ber is difficult to ascertain, estimates of the total number of persons killed in connection with the [war on drugs] during this period range from 12,000 to 30,000.” A spokesperson for Duterte told reporters on Sept. 16 that the president will “die first” before he faces an international court. In Tunisia, “the people want the collapse of the coup” Ten years after the Arab Spring erupted on the streets of Tunisia, civilians are still clamoring for democracy. According to Al Jazeera, several hundred anti-government protesters filled the streets of Tunis on Sept. 18, chanting “shut down the coup” and “we want a return to legitimacy.” A few dozen counterprotestors expressed support for the government of
President Kais Saied. The demonstration was a response to Saied’s continued consolidation of power in one of the world’s youngest democracies. In late July, Saied dissolved parliament, assumed executive authority and fired top elected officials as armed forces surrounded the parliament building in Tunis. Saied has extended these emergency measures indefinitely. Two months after the power grab, Tunisians are still in the streets expressing their discontent. Saturday’s protest was “tightly marshalled by security forces on the ground and an interior ministry surveillance drone overhead,” the Agence France-Presse reported. Contact Suhail Gharaibeh at sgharaibeh@nyunews.com
Washington Square News
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
3
Explained: ‘Simple assault’ and the confusion surrounding NYU’s alert emails
MANASA GUDAVALLI | WSN
An email sent by the NYU Department of Campus Safety contained the subject line “Simple Assault - Hate Crime,” but did not define the legal term “simple assault” in the alert. Many members of the university community are now confused about what the term “simple assault” means.
By RACHEL COHEN, RACHEL FADEM AND SUHAIL GHARAIBEH
Two NYU students were victims of a homophobic hate crime at 14th Street and Third Avenue on Sept. 15, according to an email alert sent by the Department of Campus Safety. The two students reported that a man saw them holding hands and approached them, calling them homophobic slurs and punching one in the face. The day before, a WSN staffer saw a man who matched the suspect’s description using homophobic slurs on 14th Street between University Place and Fifth Avenue. The email contained the subject line “Simple Assault - Hate Crime.” But the legal term “simple assault” — which refers to a type of hate crime — was not def ined anywhere in the alert email, causing confusion among members of the university community. The term is derived from the Clery Act, a federal statute requiring colleges and universities to collect and report crime statistics and security information within def ined campus boundaries. (NYU’s boundaries include public areas such as Washington Square Park and the streets outside many campus buildings.) Based on guidelines from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation about how to report hate crimes, the Clery Act defines “simple assault” as a physical attack that does not involve a weapon or cause the victim severe bodily injury. After reading the email, many students argued the simple assault incident was not simple. Tisch sophomore Justin Walton said the term overlooked the complexity of the attack and that the university should explain legal terminology in future emails. “Not only did someone punch someone, but they ended up using homophobic slurs,” Walton said. “Not only do those words hurt the person, but they were assaulted. Using ‘simple assault’ is misleading.” CAS first-year Arabella Young said the university should not use the term in the subject line of the alert email since it cannot be contextualized. However, the university is likely using the term to conform with the statutory language of the Clery Act. “For NYU to be calling all of these instances of hate crimes as ‘simple assaults’ is really degrading,” Young said. “The couple was physically assaulted because of their identity. Calling this a ‘simple assault’ completely undermines their experience — it’s much more than a ‘simple assault.’” Contact Rachel Cohen, Rachel Fadem and Suhail Gharaibeh at news@nyunews.com
Washington Square News
@nyunews
@nyunews
Washington Square News
4
ARTS
ARTS@NYUNEWS.COM
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
Edited by SASHA COHEN and ANA CUBAS
‘Call of Duty: Vanguard’ demands historical distortion
MANASA GUDAVALLI | WSN
Though historical revisionism is an issue in video games, taking liberties with the details can enhance the game play experience.
By BRIAN SAVINO Contributing Writer The spread of misinformation is as rampant as ever, and video games are no exception to this. Despite the need for historical accuracy in both scientific and political fields revolving around topics like war, when it comes to video games, some kinds of inaccuracies may be worthwhile to enhance players’ experiences — especially with “Call of Duty: Vanguard.” To be clear, this is not an endorsement of the kind of historical revisionism the Call of Duty franchise has come under fire for in the past. The 2019 reboot of “Modern Warfare,” for example, drew significant criticism for its portrayal of a brutal Gulf War air offensive — in the game, players defended against Russian attacks; in real life, it was the United States that obliterated a mix of military and civilian targets in what has been described as a war crime. That is the kind of misinformation that does significant harm, and game developers must depict historical events responsibly. When it comes to gameplay details, however, taking creative liberties can be a necessary component of making an engaging game. Developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision,
“Call of Duty: Vanguard” — the newest installment in the long running “Call of Duty” franchise — is set to release on Nov. 5. Since the series’ inception in 2003, players have experienced first-person shooter action as World War II soldiers in “Call of Duty 2” (2005), Cold War operatives in “Black Ops” (2010) and wall-running robots in “Infinite Warfare” (2016). “Vanguard” is a return to the franchise’s roots. As another WWII Call of Duty game, “Vanguard” is an opportunity for developers to incorporate new gameplay mechanics into a traditional gameplay format. Sledgehammer Games tried this in 2017 with “WWII” (2017), a game that largely failed to incorporate novel advancements. Instead of being immersed in reimagined WWII gameplay, players ended up with stale map designs, unexciting scorestreaks and recycled weapons. By perfecting gameplay basics — which players should expect after so many years of practice and technological advancements — “Vanguard” can hone in on reinventing the experience with concepts, weapons and maps that fans have not seen before. Reinvention, however, is difficult when a game takes place during an era that has been revisited over and over again in a variety of different games.
“Medal of Honor” (1999), “Battlefield 1942” (2002), “Call of Duty: World at War” (2008) and “Battalion 1944” (2019) are only a handful of the many WWII-based first-person shooters in existence. To many longtime players of the “Call of Duty” series, this formula has become redundant. There are only so many times that Sledgehammer Games can reintroduce the MP-40 submachine gun with a new sound design, and there are only so many instances in which a gray house surrounded by rubble can serve as a map’s focal point before the games start to blend together. At this point, the only real way to excite fans with yet another WWII game is to warp the war itself. When done responsibly, the distortion of historical details can serve a number of purposes, among them enhancing a player’s artistic experience. “Fallout 3” (2008) takes place in a post-apocalyptic world after WWII and explores the premise of a world where most technology is based on nuclear energy. A purist could argue that changing details compromises the necessary grittiness of a video game set during WWII. However, some of the best “Call of Duty” installments have not been restricted by historical reality. The 2012 “Call of Duty” game “Black Ops II,” set in the near future, kept
things fresh by introducing a summonable drone swarm and a rifle-like fictional submachine gun called the Peacekeeper. “Vanguard” stands to reap the benefits of this type of creative license. Rather than bringing back the trusty Kar98k sniper rifle, a laser rifle could take its place. Developers could even explore alternate histories, as long as the changes are clearly fictional and not revisionist: think more “what if Switzerland had joined the war” and less “actually, it was the United States that defeated the Nazis at Stalingrad.” The key to maintaining an era’s atmosphere while still taking creative liberties is by rooting the game in reality. “Black Ops II” stays grounded by including weapons like the AN94 and real-world locations like Kyrgyzstan. Similarly, “Vanguard” could hold on to aspects that define the time period in the WWII game canon: lower color saturation, relatively primitive technology and destroyed infrastructure. The idea of subtle historical preservation amid larger anachronisms is not new to the “Call of Duty” series, either. “WWII,” for example, incorporated red dot sights, an alternative to weapon iron sights, despite the fact that they were not used in the 1940s. But the series is also known for more
extreme alterations in history. Perhaps the most conspicuous example of extreme alteration is the addition of the Ray Gun in “World at War.” The science fiction-inspired weapon made its debut in the game’s Nazi Zombies mode and makes an otherworldly noise with each blast of green energy. The fictional weapon does not detract from the game’s WWII aesthetic but rather excites players when they obtain it — a rare feat in the game. “World at War” incorporates a fictional concept in a way that does not alter the anxiety-inducing survival aspect. By incorporating anachronisms and historical alterations in “Vanguard,” Sledgehammer Games can push the boundaries of historical video games. Some may argue that accuracy determines a historical game’s quality, but this is not the case for “Vanguard.” In the realm of video games, the accuracy of historical details is only essential if the game is attempting to replicate a specific period or event. Beyond that, the game’s quality is impacted more by factors such as weapon balance, thrill and map design — all elements that can be both supported and enhanced with historical distortion. Contact Brian Savino at arts@nyunews.com
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
Washington Square News | arts
5
Review: Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles’ is comfortably intimate
MANASA GUDAVALLI | WSN
Billie Eilish’s second album “Happier Than Ever” and its accompanying concert film mark a shift in the singer’s sound and tone. The film is dedicated to Los Angeles, where Eilish grew up, and features songs of varying genres.
By CANDACE PATRICK Staff Writer In her Disney+ debut, singer-songwriter and alternative pop star Billie Eilish brings her latest album to her home city. Staged at the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl, Eilish performs
“Happier Than Ever” from start to finish amid panoramic views of the city in which she was born and raised. Her performances remain simple and relaxed, despite the grandiosity of the venue, pushing her music and natural charisma to the forefront. Eilish dropped her sophomore al-
bum “Happier Than Ever” on July 30 and released the accompanying concert film “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” on Disney+ on Sept. 3. The whimsical experience showcases her newest hits, such as “NDA” and “Billie Bossa Nova.” Accompanied by her brother and producer Finneas, as well as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, “Happier Than Ever” takes on a bigger sound while maintaining cohesive blend of love ballads, pop-punk anthems and bossa nova-inspired tracks. A handful of elements separate this recorded concert experience from the rest. The show, recorded before an empty amphitheater (a somber nod to the lingering effects of the pandemic), doesn’t attempt to imitate the flow of a live concert. Instead, sequences of an animated avatar of Eilish, modeled after Disney’s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” appear after nearly every track as she cruises through and admires the streets of her beloved City of Angels. Altogether, the film presents more like an extended music video thanks to the intimate cinematography — there are frequent close-up shots of her performing — choreographed with utmost precision. Each song on the album takes on a different hue, as she introduces the album through engaging lighting setups. Blue twinkles serve as the backdrop for “Getting Older,” while the up-tempo “Oxytocin” is performed to dozens of flashing red strobe lights.
Perhaps a product of Eilish’s synesthesia, the immersive visuals capture the assorted tones of each song, creating an appealing aesthetic to keep viewers’ attention. The harmonic choral introduction to “GOLDWING” is where the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus shines, with a faint view of the Hollywood sign mounted across the hazy city. Eilish, an alum of the choir, shares how her time with the group inspired the track. Its musical influence shows through with a sample from Holst’s “Hymn to Vena,” a piece she grew up performing. Without drowning out Eilish’s whispery vocals, the Los Angeles Philharmonic expands her musical arrangements to fit the amphitheater’s lofty stage. The romantic brass and strings featured in “Halley’s Comet” resonate symphonically, placing a slightly different spin on the artist’s original version. Any fan of Eilish knows that her hair and clothes aren’t the only things to have changed recently. This album marks a tonal shift for the singer, not just sonically, but emotionally too. While her initial releases branded her as a depressed and angsty teenager, her latest work shows personal maturity and her pursuit of happiness. This recalls Lorde’s evolution — the alternative pop star also spent her teenage years in the limelight after her moody debut album “Pure Heroine” blew up when she was 16 years old. In her latest album, “Solar Power,” she adopted a lighter, more hopeful tone, just as Eilish did in “Happier Than Ever.”
Her performance of the titular breakout song “Happier Than Ever” is perhaps the most endearing part about Eilish’s return to the stage. During her performance of it, we see Eilish under a spotlight. An angelic glow illuminates her platinum blonde hair, as the animated Billie emerges to watch herself. Though it sounds a bit saccharine, Eilish’s subtle nod and smile to her alter ego is a creative way of acknowledging the theme of the performance and album as a whole: the pursuit of happiness. Amid the hopeful return of in-person concerts, fans are fortunate enough to still be able to experience their favorite musicians in more creative ways than ever before. The ability to stream Eilish’s concert provides more of an opportunity for people to experience her music from home and energize them for the reintroduction of live performances. In order to capitalize on the new concert film, Disney+ has even added an animated Billie avatar to their collection, yet another way for fans to celebrate the release of her concert film. “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” is an insightful view into Eilish’s current state of mind. At just 19 years old, she is prioritizing her pleasure, as stated in the lyrics of “Getting Older.” She may or may not be happier than ever, but she’s certainly on her way there. Contact Candace Patrick at arts@nyunews.com
Review: ‘Dawn of Chromatica’ will invigorate you By ISABELLA ARMUS Deputy Arts Editor Let your end-of-summer-panic subside — there are still outgoing flights to “Chromatica.” Since singer, actress, entrepreneur icon and former NYU student Lady Gaga released her long-awaited project “Chromatica” in May 2020, during the height of the pandemic, fans have been itching for more. Now they’ve got it. “Chromatica” was a revelatory shift from Gaga’s subtle sonic detours such as 2016’s “Joanne” or the “A Star is Born” soundtrack. The album casts her singer-songwriter era aside and sounded like a love letter to the sweaty, electric dance halls before the pandemic. This return to peak pop artistic form earned Gaga critical praise and caused her album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Beyond the monetary success of “Chromatica,” the album’s aesthetic became a phenomenon itself, inspiring memes, edits and outf its across Twitter. As a part of the initial “Chromatica” craze, “Dawn of Chromatica” was conceptualized with fanservice at the forefront. The idea was brought to the public in April, when the executive producer of “Chromatica,” BloodPop, directly asked fans who they would want to see featured on a potential new remix record, inspiring thousands of replies and prolonged murmurs of anticipation.
Months later, “Dawn of Chromatica” has f inally arrived in a more dance-friendly era. The remix album is jam packed with the biggest names in hyperpop, including but not limited to Shygirl, Planningtorock, Coucou Chloe, Bree Runway and A.G. Cook. Although on the surface this album could seem like a marketing ploy — after all, this is the same promotional cycle that gave us radioactive Oreos — “Dawn of Chromatica” is able to stand up beside the monstrous amount of hype and present a joyous, technicolor rebirth of each of the album’s songs. The euphoric transformation begins with LSDXOXO’s remix of “Alice.” The track was originally a raucous album opener about Gaga’s constant search for cheap thrills. LSDXOXO turns the song into a more restrained techno-staccato dance beat that immediately draws in the listener and foreshadows the party to come. Right off the bat, “Dawn of Chromatica” unleashes a glittering array of loud, proud and club-ready tracks. Standout cuts include a rendition of hit single “Rain on Me” by renowned Venezuelan producer and NYU alum Arca. The artist adds slinky synths that gently wash over Ariana Grande’s and Gaga’s original brassy vocals, making the track sound like an ethereal underwater rave. Another highlight is Rina Sawayama’s feature on what could arguably be the album’s centerpiece, “Free Woman.”
Here, Sawayama manages to match Gaga’s power belting, singing with such ruthless conf idence that it becomes diff icult to remember a time when this song didn’t include her. In the same vein, Charli XCX also brings her glitchy sound and equally avid fan base to the viral hit “911,” whose industrial disco flare is turned up a notch by Charli’s original verses. The remix elevates the song’s subtle confessions about mental health into a full-on dance-cry session. Pulsing club music isn’t the only sonic offering on this album, though. Gaga also enlists Brazilian talent Pabllo Vittar on a remix of “Fun Tonight,” adding a delightful forró flair to the track while managing to funnel in a blissful sax line. Dorian Electra also brings an alternative flavor with their gritty feature on “Replay,” which is paired with booming guitars and crashing drum kits, making the track feel like a tribute to heavy metal. Though there are genre-bending moments, the frenzied energy of “Dawn of Chromatica” doesn’t shift for even a second of its 50-minute runtime. This album’s overzealous commitment to its artistic vision makes it more than ideal for a smoky house party, but it also makes tracks such as Doss’ more pedestrian electronic mix of “Enigma” wane a bit sooner than they should on repeat listens. But let’s make one thing clear: This album isn’t necessarily for the average listener or even the average Lady
SUSAN BEHRENDS VALENZUELA | WSN
A year after releasing her album “Chromatica,” Lady Gaga has impressed fans with 14 new remixes of songs. “Dawn of Chromatica” succeeds in breathing new life into each song.
Gaga fan. The amalgamation that’s present on “Dawn of Chromatica” is Gaga taking ownership of her own digital discourse and curating a roster of artists who are carving a similar, provocative space in the musical landscape. You either ride with the weirdness or you don’t. That’s not to say the album feels intentionally alienating. The songs can sound like pure bliss to anyone who’s
in the mood. There’s a clear celebratory and uplifting nature to “Dawn of Chromatica” as a whole, and though its sound may not be enough to quell everyone’s anxieties, it does outline a future for pop music — a radiant future, at that.
Contact Isabella Armus at iarmus@nyunews.com
Washington Square News
6
CULTURE@NYUNEWS.COM
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
CULTURE
Edited by DANA SUN
More than a mooncake: Students celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with beloved dessert
ALEXANDRA CHAN | WSN
Mooncakes are a dessert that are eaten in some countries to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival, which begins tomorrow, is an important holiday in Asian cultures that honors unity and family
By GABBY LOZANO Dining Editor Tomorrow, Sept. 21, marks the start of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a holiday honoring unity and family widely celebrated by many communities in Eastern Asia. Different countries practice different traditions, but many celebrate the festival through food — particularly mooncakes, an Asian dessert with a sweet or savory filling encased in a thick pastry and pressed in a delicate mold. The cakes are roughly the size of your palm, and the fillings — which range from sweet lotus seed paste to chopped pork with salted egg yolk — vary from country to country. As someone with an appreciation for food, just writing the description makes me eager to eat the special dessert. But I want to make it clear that
there is more to this festival than mooncakes. I am not an expert on this holiday by any means, but I am fortunate to have learned about it from my friends Alison Chen and Brian Li. Li, a Stern senior, explained to me that the mooncake is a symbolic component of the holiday because of the cake’s ties to the moon. “The moon is very important in Chinese culture because they used to run on the lunar calendar for planting and crops,” Li said. There are a few stories detailing the festival’s origins, with each story varying from country to country. Li told me the legend of Hou Yi and Chang’e, one of the more popular stories told in China to explain its origins, and added that nowadays the values of family and unity are an important part of the holiday.
“You’re celebrating the unification of a family, coming together and sharing,” Li said. “That’s why you share mooncakes.” The essence of family is embedded in the mooncake’s design. Chen, a Tandon senior, told me that the cakes are often pressed in molds, which contain words or a design, that are passed down from generation to generation. However, according to Li, not many families make them any more. “It’s really hard to make unless you have the mold and some flavors you can’t buy year round,” said Chen. Chen grew up in a Taiwanese family in the Bay Area, so celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival was a ritual part of her childhood. “My mom would buy different mooncakes of different sizes and as a kid I hated the ones with the egg yolks
in it, but [when I got older] I realized that was the best one,” Chen said. Chen decided to continue her family tradition in college after her mom sent her a package containing mooncakes. “During my second year, my mom didn’t send anything, but my friend Steve and I went to Chinatown to grab mooncakes,” Chen said. “We have to keep up with tradition.” Luckily, it was Chen’s determination to honor her roots that led me to learn more about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Chen and her friend Steve brought back a mooncake for a group of my friends and I to share. I will never forget my first taste. The density and subtle sweetness of the lotus seed paste made for a memorable bite that I would come to crave. “It’s good food, and you nev-
er pass on a chance to have good food,” Chen said. Both Li and Chen have celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with friends in the past. Even during COVID-19, they were able to safely gather and spend the holiday with roommates. They plan to continue the tradition this year by exploring Chinatown, finding a bakery that sells mooncakes and then sharing them with friends. Lucky me. Students interested in learning more about the holiday can attend a series of festivals, taking place throughout the week, that aim to teach New Yorkers about the holiday through cultural events and foods, like the mooncake. Contact Gabby Lozano at glozano@nyunews.com
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
Washington Square News | Culture
7
Ranked: NYU dorm condoms
ALEX TRAN | WSN
There’s a giant box filled with condoms at every NYU residence hall. This article will help you find the perfect one in this mountain of options.
By THE CULTURE DESK Listen, it’s college. Some people have sex and some people don’t. But if you are going to take part in sexual activity — especially if it involves a penis — it’s important to have protection. It’s drilled into students’ heads that if they choose to have sex, protection is important, but the details are never discussed. A lot of questions are left unanswered. For one: What condom is the best condom for you? Even though NYU doesn’t give out the answer to that during Welcome Week, it does provide every residence hall with a giant clear box filled with a colorful variety of condoms. It is, however, hard to decide which one to choose. Perhaps the one that looks like a rainbow? The one that’s intriguingly blue? Any of those might be right for you, but for this installment of our Ranked series, I tried seven different condoms in a controlled experiment where condoms were evaluated on taste, stretch, strength and texture. (These criteria won’t perfectly predict your experience, but they’re a good place to start.) 7. LifeStyles Latex Condom This condom is a lot drier than your standard condom. I would like to say the word “dry” again because that’s how dry it is. Not only is it singularly dry, it’s dry squared. Anyway, this condom stretches to around 11.5 inches. It’s pretty tight, and the texture is powdery. One big plus: This one actually tastes the best out of the seven. If you prefer zero lube and are OK with a drier feel, then this is the condom for you. 6. ONE Extra Strong The Extra Strong slips on just f ine, but it isn’t comfortable to put
on and is not very friendly to anything thick as well. It’s not super durable, as it ripped during my experiment and tastes like a piece of burnt vanilla that leaves you with a raw feeling in your mouth. It also doesn’t stretch very long, ranging from 8 to 11 inches. 5. ONE Flavor Waves: Chocolate Strawberry The Chocolate Strawberry condom has a really cool color and contains a good amount of lube. This one is def initely weaker than the aptly named Extra Strong, stretching 13 inches, which gives it more flexibility regarding width. But other than that, there is nothing special about this one. It def initely smells like chocolate strawberry, but the taste is the same as the other condoms: latex. If you were to have oral sex with a condom, this might be the one for you, given that it smells really good. 4. ONE NYC Legend XL The XL is THICK. It is lubricated, but not as much as previously listed condoms. It is very smooth and stretches from 14.5 to 17 inches. It still tastes like latex. Nonetheless, it would be a worthwhile option if it didn’t come in a golden package titled “NYC Legend XL.” One disappointment is enough for the night. 3. ONE Extreme Ribs This one is very lubricated, dripping lube from the moment I tore the package. The ribs start showing four inches from the tip and are not very defined. However, they were more defined than the studded condom. The ribbed condom can stretch from 13 to 18 inches with a comfortable wrap. Latex flavoring is still used in this one. If you like more texture during penetrative sex, this might
be the condom for you. 2. Atlas Studded This studded condom is an upgraded version of the Ribs. It is slightly less lubricated but still very tight and stretchable to 20.5 inches. The studs start 3 inches from the tip. It tasted somewhat like glue. The studs are more noticeable than the ribs, so it could be another good choice for penetration. 1. ONE NYC Super Sensitive I thought Super Sensitive was the best
condom out of the seven. The texture is smooth and it stretches to around 18.5 inches. It is easy to put on and has the perfect amount of lubricant. This tastes like all the others, but it is the most simple one that would not disappoint or intimidate you. ONE NYC Super Sensitive is definitely the one to go for if you are new to the game. I hope that this list makes it easier for you and your partner(s) to find the right condom. And before I go, let me impart some more advice: When you
put a condom on, make sure you open it, pinch the top and roll it down carefully. Do not pull the condom all the way to the tip — otherwise, it could easily pop. This little bubble is for the semen to go into so it won’t create tension and break the whole thing. Condoms can only protect you if you use them correctly. Have fun! Contact the culture desk at culture@nyunews.com
INFORMING YOU FIRST
NYUNEWS.COM
Washington Square News
8
UNDERTHEARCH@NYUNEWS.COM
UNDER THE ARCH
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
Edited by JULIAN HAMMOND SANTANDER
Beneath the stars, stripes By JASON TURNER AND COREY BARON Contributing Writer and Contributing Photographer
For much of my young life, I was ashamed to be American. I envied my friends with parents who immigrated to America from other places, with last names that were bound to be mispronounced by substitute teachers, but still their own. I envied the flags they’d proudly place in their Instagram handles. I wanted so badly to have a home country I could have pride in coming from.
“Our Flag” by Corey Baron “African Americans are the displaced people of the world. Our roots lie in Africa, while we wilt and flower in America. Our freedom, our names, our Gods and our homes were stripped from us forever. Our backs were striped by whip and lash, while the stars stood witness to the horrors of America’s darkest hours. Black people in America, like the stars, have been beacons of light in the absence of the sun. And, like the stars, we have been buried by clouds of whiteness. And, like the stars, we remain.
I wanted to have a last name that wasn’t branded on the backs of my forefathers and me. I wanted a flag to put in my Instagram bio. But red white and blue never spoke to me. If it did, it would call me slurs before bothering to see my humanity. The Star-Spangled banner doesn’t wave for me and it never will. Still, without it, I have no flag and without America, I have no home for America is
all I have known. There is nothing more American than the story of a slave. There is nothing more American than the striped backs of Black bodies beneath the stars. There is nothing more American than the stories that made me.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
Washington Square News | Under the arch
9 The African-American flag, created by David Hammond, tells our story.”
I first saw David Hammond’s version of the African American flag flying at a protest in the summer of 2020. It spoke to the warring identities within me and became an amalgamation of my Blackness and my Americanness. This flag is a symbol of the struggle that has burdened the backs of my ancestors and me. At the same time, it signifies the strength of our souls, which, like this flag, will always belong to us.
COREY BARON
COREY BARON
“Our Flag” poem by Corey Baron; captions are models’ own words, Gyasi Mitchell and Nadia O’Hara. Contact Jason Turner and Corey Baron at underthearch@nyunews.com
Washington Square News
10
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
OPINION
OPINION@NYUNEWS.COM
Edited by KEVIN KURIAN and ASHA RAMACHANDRAN
STAFF EDITORIAL
Recent gropings highlight NYU’s weak approach to sexual misconduct
GEORGE PAPAZOV | WSN
The wait time to mental health support at NYU Student Health Center may be up to a month, an issue for student victims of sexual assault. Sexual assaults of NYU students on and off campus have been the center of discussion and prevention.
Content warning: This piece discusses weight gain and body image issues.
The recent attacks by a suspected serial groper who sexually assaulted 10 people, including four NYU students, bring attention to the need to reevaluate community safety and justice on campus, especially for survivors of sexual violence. Although the suspect was arrested and is now in police custody, he was still able to assault multiple students on or near campus, causing concern and distress to many. The pervasiveness of sexual violence on college campuses in the United States is well-documented and warrants concrete action from university administrations, beyond mere adherence to Title IX guidelines. NYU’s sexual misconduct policy is designed to “comply with applicable legal
requirements” of the Title IX regulations and other legal provisions and acts. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and allows students to file formal complaints through the university’s Title IX coordinator. According to composite data reports from NYU and other New York college campuses, however, underreporting to Title IX offices is rampant. In 2019, NYU registered 200 total complaints from a student body of over 50,000, even though that year 26.4% of undergraduate women reported being victim to non-consensual sexual contact in a survey by the Association of American Universities. In a survey from Know Your IX, a political advocacy group, 39% of survivors reported experiencing a “substantial disruption to their education” as a result of filing complaints through Title IX. NYU students specifically have reported feeling
retraumatized and described school policies as a “bare bones operation.” The frequent emails regarding groping incidents risked retraumatizing survivors. As mandated by the Clery Act, NYU is required to alert students via email when security incidents occur. However, as WSN previously reported, some students felt that the alerts of campus gropings were unnecessarily triggering and upsetting. NYU should place content warnings on email announcements regarding sexual violence to protect the mental health of our student body. Retraumatization is also a very real possibility for many as survivors endure investigations, hearings and court actions, requiring improvements to the reliability of the Student Health Center. Past WSN reports have revealed long wait times at the SHC, with some students waiting up to a
Email the Editorial Board at editboard@nyunews.com. CHAIR Kevin Kurian, Asha Ramachandran CO-CHAIR Srishti Bungle, Michelle Han CHAIR EX OFFICIO Ashley Wu, Alexandra Chan, Alex Tey, Trace Miller
month for an appointment. This situation hurts survivors who rely on safe and welcoming mental health support. In addition to improved on-campus support, survivors must also be protected from certain members of the university community. As soon as possible, NYU should fire professor Avital Ronell for sexually harassing one of her students from 2012 to 2015. NYU cannot condemn sexual misconduct while continuing to employ a professor who used her position of power to exploit a student. Refusing to fire Ronell suggests that sexual harassment is condoned at NYU so long as it is perpetrated by powerful figures. NYU should accept Know Your IX’s proposal that the university set time limits of 60 calendar days for internal sexual harassment and misconduct cases, barring extreme circumstances. It is essential for the university to avoid long, drawn-out cases that can be incredibly traumatizing to survivors. Additionally, the deadline sets a healthy sense of urgency to any sort of investigation, incentivizing investigators to move swiftly. Government investigators understand the importance of protecting the mental health of survivors, though this deadline is unfortunately not formalized within Title IX. NYU’s research misconduct policy already has a deadline of 60 days for preliminary investigations — that same urgency must be maintained in its sexual misconduct policy.Emotionally taxing investigations should be expediently concluded in the service of mental health and accountability. Given the recent sexual assaults of multiple NYU students on campus, conversations reevaluating Title IX and NYU’s sexual misconduct policy are more urgent than ever. It is incumbent upon the administration to take more steps in fostering an environment for safety, accountability and justice. Offering meaningful alternatives to survivors, strengthening existing mental health resources and streamlining reporting processes are all effective measures NYU can take to make students feel safer on campus.
Washington Square News Staff Asha Ramachandran Srishti Bungle, Michelle Han
Editor-in-Chief
Ashley Wu
DEPUTY
Managing Editor
Alexandra Chan DEPUTY
Alex Tey, Trace Miller Creative Director
Susan Behrends Valenzuela, Charitssa Stone Copy Chiefs
Max Tiefer, Lorraine Olaya Multimedia
Manasa Gudavalli PHOTO Jake Capriotti VIDEO Ryan Kawahara DEPUTY PHOTO Sirui Wu DEPUTY VIDEO Shaina Ahmed Senior Staff
INFORMING YOU FIRST
EXPOSURES
Julian Hammond Santander Advertising Business Manager
NYUNEWS.COM
Yejin Chang Director of Sales
Mel Bautista Customer Specialist
NEWS Arnav Binaykia CULTURE Dana Sun ARTS Sasha Cohen,
Catherine Chen Advising
Ana Cubas
Director of Operations
ABROAD ARTS
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer ABROAD NEWS Roshni Raj SPORTS Mitesh Shrestha Deputy Staff Rachel Cohen, Rachel Fadem, Suhail Gharaibeh ARTS Isabella Armus FILM & TV JP Pak MUSIC Yas Akdag CULTURE Alex Tran BEAUTY & STYLE Joey Hung NEWS
IDENTITY & EQUITY
Under the Arch Caitlin Hsu, Vaishnavi Naidu SENIOR EDITOR Ivy Zhu DEPUTY Sydney Barragan MULTIMEDIA Brooklyn Nguyen VOICES Mariam Khan MANAGING EDITOR
Sabrina Choudhary DINING Gabby Lozano SOCIAL MEDIA Ryan Walker EXPOSURES Taylor Knight COPY Mallory Harty, Gillian Blum Opinion Page EDITOR Kevin Kurian,
Nanci Healy
Editorial Advisers
Alvin Chang, Amanda Sakuma ABOUT WSN: Washington Square News (ISSN 15499389) is the student newspaper of New York University. WSN is published in print on Mondays and throughout the week online 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 the managing editors at mgmt@nyunews.com.
Washington Square News
@nyunews
We are telling big stories — the Bling Ring, Venmo fraud, drug donkeys — ones that expanded past our printstandard 500 words, ones that paint pictures with words. This magazine aims to be a platform where undergraduate and graduate students alike can mutter on about their love of the blue-seated MTA trains or put into words the flavor of their love of grandma’s dumplings.
nyunews.com/underthearch underthearch@nyunews.com
@nyunews