http://nyunews.com/NYU's daily student newspaperen-usThu, 11 Mar 2010 21:31:27 -0400http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/C58iY8N3sYo/<p><p>When Jennifer Black worked as a nutritionist in low-income Manhattan neighborhoods, she noticed a problem.</p><p>"Their neighborhoods lacked convenient access to amenities like grocery stores that sold healthy food at affordable prices, and opportunities to be physically active," said Black, a former doctoral candidate at NYU.</p><p>She found that her patients often struggled with weight-related health issues, like diabetes. Her new study shows that lower income neighborhoods in New York City have higher obesity rates than more affluent ones.</p><p>Working with her dissertation adviser, James Macinko, an associate professor of public health and health policy at NYU, Black documented that obesity rates have continued to rise in New York City from 2003-07. These rates also differ among gender and socioeconomic class.</p><p>"We were surprised to find that obesity rates rose significantly for women but not for men, particularly since national findings from the NHANES survey during a similar time period found the opposite," Black said.</p><p>Black and Macinko found that those of lower socioeconomic classes are more at risk because of their financial situation and their lack of exposure to fitness centers and healthy grocery stores.<br />The study found a link between neighborhood and general health. This means that even if someone of good health is living in a neighborhood where there are additional obesity risk factors, they have a higher risk for obesity.</p><p>Black thinks ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/12obese/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Elizabeth GyoriThu, 11 Mar 2010 20:50:52 -0400http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/12obese/http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/12obese/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/vQkFC_EnDr0/<p><p>Ted Leo and the Pharmacists<br />"The Brutalist Bricks"<br />4 stars</p><p>Ted Leo has made a career out of being the happy medium between a hapless romantic and a hyper-energetic punk. On "The Brutalist Bricks," more than ever, the existential musings of his lyrics are matched by the muscular, fast-paced instrumentation of his band.</p><p>From the start, "The Mighty Sparrow" kicks into Leo's characteristic nasal yelp accompanied by instruments that sound like they're racing in a track meet. Yet on the second track, "Mourning In America," there seems to be a disconnect between Leo and his Pharmacists. The song starts out with racing drums and a guitar being slashed ferociously, and when the vocals come in, everything else cuts out. We are left with a thumping house bass that gives way to Leo awkwardly whispering about the messed up state of America. And then we shift back to the song's frantic chugging. </p><p>This split personality persists, but thankfully not always in the same song. Though his attempt at diversity fails on "One Polaroid a Day," a jazz fusion slam dance song, Leo recovers with "The Stick" and "Where Was My Brain?," some of his best, most thunderous "punk" songs yet. They cut through the album with their wailing basses, one-two drum lines and roaring three-chord guitars. </p><p>Conversely, "Tuberculoids Arrive In Hop" is a ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12leo/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>William WardThu, 11 Mar 2010 20:43:50 -0400http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12leo/http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12leo/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/zvDQOcL976A/<p><p>Aliens vs. Predator is the third attempt (and developer Rebellion's second attempt) at merging these two iconic properties in a class-based first-person shooter. Unfortunately, the "humans vs. aliens in space" genre is crowded as is, and all that really differentiates it from any other mediocre FPS is the iconography of its properties.</p><p>There are two options for game play: single-player, which is divided up into three campaigns, one for each class (marine, alien, predator); and multiplayer, in which all three are pitted in combat. The campaigns, tethered by an almost non-existent storyline, serve as lengthy pseudo-tutorials, introducing the mechanics of each character. They are all brief — roughly a few hours each, if that. This design decision is a smart one for the alien and predator's campaigns, because the controls involve an extremely steep learning curve, making them quite difficult to master. When you finally figure out how to hop around the room as a Predator or run on walls as an Alien, it's rewarding — even though at that point, the campaign is probably over.</p><p>The marine, however, controls like any other soldier in any old FPS. You'd think the setting, and the fact that the soldier is initially armed with only a flashlight and pistol, would be able to sustain some suspense. Unfortunately, this scenario has been tackled in many ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/11/12avp/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Anthony SollecitoThu, 11 Mar 2010 20:38:19 -0400http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/11/12avp/http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/11/12avp/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/e_Ku02JaGQU/<p><p>Every year, the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Unifrance hold Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, an event that showcases many of France's most celebrated films of the year. "L'Affaire Farewell" ("Farewell"), the premiere feature of this year's impressive list of films, is an honest and urgent portrayal of the events that undermined the Soviet regime in its last days.</p><p>The film follows a disenchanted KGB official (Emir Kusturica) who decides he wants to make a difference for the future by passing on crucial information to the French government.</p><p>The opening scenes set viewers right in the middle of the Cold War. Propaganda fills the screen with urban chaos, but soon we are immersed in a pristine, snowy hillside. We are given a moment to breathe, a moment of apparent calm, but it is quickly broken by a gunshot. The plot of the movie races off, not quite waiting for the viewer to catch up as it veers between Moscow, Paris and Washington, D.C.</p><p>This constant transnational movement grabs you and rarely lets go, contradicting the cliché notion that the Cold War was in any way inactive.</p><p>Kusturica's character, Colonel Gregoriev, is more than a simple KGB career man — he is a deeply soulful guy whose desire to change the world is propelled by his hopes for his son. He does make mistakes in ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12rendezvous/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:48:30 -0400http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12rendezvous/http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12rendezvous/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/9kPZ9XI7VIs/<p><p>"Children of Invention," directed by Tze Chun, is a timely story of hardship — and resilience.</p><p>Told from the point of view of 10-year-old Raymond (Michael Chen), the drama focuses on the lives of a struggling immigrant family. When Raymond's mother Elaine (Cindy Cheung) loses money in a get-rich-quick scheme, they lose their house and must squat in an unsold condominium. Elaine tries desperately to split her time between breadwinning and her children.</p><p>But one night she doesn't come home. Raymond fears his mother has left him, just as his father did. Really, she has been taken into police custody because of the pyramid scheme she lost her money in. She is afraid to tell officials that she has children because she fears they too will be taken away. We can't fully ascertain her motivations because we're locked into Raymond's perspective, so the mother's character remains distant and inscrutable. Still, her suffering seeps up to the surface of the film.</p><p>Raymond and his younger sister Tina (Crystal Chiu) are left to fend for themselves. Raymond decides they must travel to Boston in order to get the money in his savings account. There, in order to survive, they make and sell inventions. This glimmer of unrealistic hope provides a simultaneously endearing and crushing quality to the film. It is moving to watch the children ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12invention/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Monica SkokoThu, 11 Mar 2010 20:41:06 -0400http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12invention/http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/11/12invention/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/dObgntyuA0Q/<p><p>High school nostalgia — all college students are hit with it at some point, and Steinhardt junior Shreyans Jha is no different.</p><p>Jha was watching old videos of his high school band, Null Friction, from India and rather than simply dismissing the memories, Jha decided to act on them.</p><p>Two years later, Null Friction had produced an album and had a top 10 music video in India.<br />Their journey, however, was a long one.</p><p>Jha revived the band in March 2008 after meeting with his bass player Abhishek Singhal. The two then reunited with their third member, drummer Ansh Sanyal, in Ottowa, Canada.<br />But the band still had many obstacles to overcome.</p><p>All of the members lived miles apart. The only way they could write songs was to send e-mails to each other of guitar licks, drum grooves and recordings they had come up with. But meeting up briefly in Ottawa was enough to motivate the trio. By the time Jha, Singhal and Sanyal saw each other again in Mumbai in June 2009, they had already been writing music for a year.</p><p>"We just had this huge hard disc filled with recordings," Jha said. </p><p>The three discussed going on a tour in India and releasing their debut album. </p><p>According to Jha, their earlier performances were fraught with mishaps.</p><p>After the band's first show the boys caught ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/11/12nullfriction/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Jenny TaiThu, 11 Mar 2010 20:33:33 -0400http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/11/12nullfriction/http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/11/12nullfriction/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/Yt9THW-0vRI/<p><p>When former presidential<br />candidate Mike Huckabee was asked to speak at an NYU College Republicans<br />meeting, he laughingly agreed: "Good, will both of them be there?"</p><p>Last night at the Kimmel Center Huckabee<br />discussed his disappointment with the media during the 2008 presidential<br />election and his experience as a program host at Fox News. </p><p>"It's kind of given me a new<br />perspective of the power of the media more so than the power of good policy,"<br />he said. "Running for president did not necessarily cause people to say 'Oh, I<br />know who you are.' But being on Fox News has<strong>. </strong>It's really embarrassing when you're running for president of the<br />United States and nobody seems to have any clue."</p><p>The presidential campaign wasn't<br />focused on policy, Huckabee said. The media focused on the horserace.</p><p>"Unfortunately, I do fear that<br />one of the things that is hurtful to the country is that we put more of an<br />emphasis on the game of getting to the presidency than what that person would<br />do and what kind of experiences that person brings to the process."</p><p>Huckabee said education was never<br />brought up during the campaign's 11 debates. </p><p>"I was really hoping the whole<br />process of running for president would be about what could we do to solve the<br />problems of America," he said. "Unfortunately, we spent most ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/12huckabee/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Ashley MasonThu, 11 Mar 2010 21:31:27 -0400http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/12huckabee/http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/12huckabee/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/-Z-GPycoqPc/<p><p>Supporters of the Free Tibet movement gathered in Union Square Wednesday evening. </p><p>The rally commemorated the 51st anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese government. The March 1959 uprising came nine years after China's first invasion of the region that is culturally and linguistically distinct from the rest of the country.&#160;</p><p>Participants were clad in white and carried American, Tibetan and Indian flags. A portrait of the Dalai Lama was at the center of the stage.</p><p>Tibetan nun Ngawang Sangdrol said she was imprisoned for 11 years for shouting "Free Tibet" during a protest and secretly recording Tibetan music. </p><p>"I know from personal experience, it is very helpful when free people lead a free nation to put pressure on the Chinese government," she said. "It makes a very big difference." </p><p>Participant Bob Holmes said he has attended this protest each year for more than a decade.</p><p>"I come to express my solidarity to the Tibetan people and renew my vow to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them until they have been freed," he said. </p><p>Former director of Students for a Free Tibet Lhadon Tethong said that the youth's involvement is a sign that China's policies have failed. </p><p>"In hundreds of cities around the world today, young Tibetans are carrying the Tibetan flag, singing the Tibetan national anthem," she said. "There's a new resurgence of ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/11tibetstory/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Emily JenningsThu, 11 Mar 2010 01:01:53 -0400http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/11tibetstory/http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/11/11tibetstory/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/OV-2vMUqNuQ/<p><p>A crowd gathered at Union Square Wednesday evening to<br />support the "Free Tibet" movement. The Union Square rally was one of several<br />around the world.</p></p> <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/2010/03/10/11tibet/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Emily JenningsThu, 11 Mar 2010 01:16:19 -0400http://nyunews.com/2010/03/10/11tibet/http://nyunews.com/2010/03/10/11tibet/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/k7p_KVkOLOo/<p><p><strong>Gorillaz</strong></p><p><strong>"Plastic Beach"<br />3 stars</strong></p><p>Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn said "Plastic Beach" is a conscious move toward pop, but there's nothing on it as immediately pleasing as the madcap laughs of the band's 2005 single, "Feel Good Inc." Instead, the sound is almost completely defined by the quality of contributions from guest artists. The result is a schizophrenic album, prone to moments of synthesizer mindlessness and plain laziness.</p><p>De La Soul goofs through the anti-packaging screed of "Superfast Jellyfish," a song whose chorus is initially grating but delightfully dopey on repeated listening. Snippet contributions from Sinfonia ViVA and the Lebanese National Orchestra add dashes of spy intrigue. One minute you're dapper and dancing among a tuxedo-clad crowd; the next you're barreling over rooftops in an exotic Eastern locale. Bobby Womack is a particular delight, exploding hot soul all over the chorus in "Stylo."</p><p>Lyrically, there are repeated weather references and more than enough primitivism to get Greenpeace's attention. "Pirate Jet" might be the most hammer-on-head obvious example, describing the environmental travesty of a sink left running for over 100 years.</p><p>But after Lou Reed's lackadaisical, pseudo-inspirational mumble in "Some Kind of Nature," the album grinds to a halt. It becomes aerated with Albarn's trim falsetto and drooping bass lines, which circle endlessly over the plastic bottles floating in the water from which you're trying to ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11gorillaz/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Aaron GonsherWed, 10 Mar 2010 23:07:10 -0400http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11gorillaz/http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11gorillaz/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/YvfE5JsOOYU/<p><p>"A Lie of the Mind" is Sam Shepard's most acclaimed work, and it's easy to see why. From the painfully realistic characters to the primal story, it hits the audience hard and offers no way out.</p><p>Film and stage actor Ethan Hawke has taken the reins as director on the first major New York revival of the play since its premiere in 1985. Hawke's Hollywood experience shows. Everything from the perfect pulsing mood music to the actors involved is cinematic in the best possible way.</p><p>The story begins with the unbalanced Jake (Alessandro Nivola), who believes he killed his wife Beth (Marin Ireland) in a fit of blind rage. He retreats to his childhood Californian home with his coddling, off-kilter mother Lorraine (Karen Young), while his determined brother Frank (Josh Hamilton) tries to find Beth and discover what really happened.</p><p>The eight-member ensemble cast packs quite a punch. It consists of seasoned film and theater pros such as Keith Carradine and Laurie Metcalf as Beth's parents, Baylor and Meg, and character actor Frank Whaley as Beth's perpetually irritated brother Mike — who is out for revenge on Beth's behalf.</p><p>Unusually for Shepard, who has called the play "a love ballad," the women are written with immense complexity, and it's fascinating to watch them struggle alongside the men.</p><p>Ireland is phenomenal as brain-damaged Beth, who has ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11mind/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Jessica KramerWed, 10 Mar 2010 22:48:38 -0400http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11mind/http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11mind/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/eWLqPx2_P60/<p><p>Jonathan Reynolds' compelling and creepy "Girls in Trouble" skips through the Sixties, the Eighties and the new millennium, focusing on female archetypes from each period. Each woman is affected differently by the question of when life begins, and whether to terminate the fetus.</p><p>In the early 1960s, Hutch (Andy Gershenzon) and his pal Teddy (Brett Aresco) are driving one of Hutch's flings over state lines to an illegal abortionist. Twenty years later, a young woman takes pride in her power of speech and the ability to destroy her unborn child. Finally, two women representing pro-life and pro-choice, respectively, square off in the modern kitchen — a space pulsing with fertility — to debate the fate of the pro-choicer's fetus.</p><p>Hands-down, Eboni Booth gives the most gripping performance as Cynthia: She appears in the first narrative as the inquisitive child of the abortionist, dominates the second act as a twenty-something spoken word poet hanging her cheating boyfriend out to dry, and steers the third act as a pro-lifer willing to do anything to persuade her friend Amanda (Laurel Holland) to keep her child.</p><p>Though all the stories are compelling, the third narrative is a particularly well developed portrait of the current abortion debate. Reynolds commendably presents both figures as strong, realistic women. Their argument, performed around a kitchen island and a simmering wok, tugs ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11trouble/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:49:10 -0400http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11trouble/http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11trouble/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/lfxMhNZKisE/<p><p>If you thought your mom was overprotective, wait until you see "Mother." In the newest film from South Korean director Joon-ho Bong, we discover a boy named Yoon Do-joon (Bin Won) who is not the brightest bulb in the box — a fact that has made his mother protective of him beyond the call of duty. She has trained him to fight back if anyone insults his intelligence, and she dotes on him in a way that most would consider too close for comfort. He is all that she has, and she is not going to let anything happen to him.</p><p>If Do-joon is a bit quirky, then his mother (Hye-ja Kim) is nearly indescribable. She is first seen dancing to imagined music in the middle of a meadow, and it's clear that she lives in her own world. When her son is arrested for his involvement in a fight, she hurriedly arrives at the police station with small gifts for each of the detectives and officers. They are fully aware of her reputation. The mother-son pair is well known in the community, but unfortunately for them, they are not terribly well liked. That produces even more motherly action from the immutable matriarch.<br /><br /> </p><p>What starts out as an entertaining (if somewhat startling) comedy quickly morphs into a serious thriller ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11mother/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Abe Fried-TanzerWed, 10 Mar 2010 22:49:39 -0400http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11mother/http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11mother/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/06atZvjKmVk/<p><p>As spring break looms, "White on Rice" ought to find its way onto everyone's itinerary. This comedy is about Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe, whom you may remember from "Letters from Iwo Jima"), a 40-year-old, recently divorced, Japanese ex-pat who has found refuge in America with his sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Eagerly returning to the dating scene to find his new "Nana," this quirky, self-proclaimed samurai becomes disappointed when he discovers that every girl he meets is either too tall or too Japanese for his liking.</p><p>Of course, the right girl does indeed come along — Ramona (Lynn Chen), his brother-in-law's attractive and clever niece. Quickly smitten by her beauty and Da Vinci-inspired journal entries, Jimmy develops a childlike crush that eventually escalates into full-blown mania. He pays his 10-year-old nephew, Bob, (Justin Kwong) with whom he shares a bunk bed, to draw a cartoon of her.</p><p>It's a familiar formula enhanced by an enchanting array of personalities. Even Jimmy's "normal" family and friends have interesting quirks. Bob, a pint-sized closet pianist, spends his time micromanaging a local business that involves, but is not limited to, washing cars and mowing lawns. He also happens to be Jimmy's best and only choice of love adviser.</p><p>Jimmy's arch-nemesis is Tak (Mio Takada), Bob's father, a man whose disdain for Jimmy's childlike personality is matched only by his ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11rice/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:51:12 -0400http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11rice/http://nyunews.com/arts/2010/03/10/11rice/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/xKmu0a1cqXw/<p><p>Four members of NYU's swimming and diving teams qualified to compete in the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships, which will take place at Beloit College in Minneapolis, Minn. on March 17 to 20.</p><p>Sophomores Kelly Dietz and Molly Rippe and freshman Tatum Gormley all qualified for the women's team. For the men's team, junior Max Norris made the cut.</p><p>Norris, the University Athletic Association (UAA) Men's Diver of the Year, enjoyed a successful season, posting NCAA qualifying scores in the one-meter dive (435.40) and the three-meter dive (449.95). He also racked up seven UAA Athlete of the Week awards this season.</p><p>On the women's side, Dietz had a spectacular first season as a Violet, with NCAA qualifying scores in the one-meter dive (419.20) and three-meter dive (431.70).</p><p>Rippe, a long-distance swimmer, qualified with an NCAA A-cut time of 17:14.66 in the 1,650-yard freestyle event. She also added a B-cut time of 5:04.44 in the 500-yard freestyle.</p><p>"I have been really happy with my swims this season," Rippe said. "I am looking forward to another opportunity to better them."</p><p>Gormley, meanwhile, was the most successful Violet swimmer and was recently named the UAA Women's Rookie of the Year. She posted B-cut times in the 400-yard individual medley (4:31.62), 200-yard butterfly (2:08.26), 100-yard butterfly (57.55), and the 200-yard individual medley (2:07.79).</p><p>"I am very excited about Nationals ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11swimming/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Cole RileyThu, 11 Mar 2010 00:31:27 -0400http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11swimming/http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11swimming/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/4Fsu4T40-dI/<p><p>As WSN reported today, NYU President John Sexton has been chosen to chair the board of directors at the American Council on Education, which represents 90 percent of American colleges and universities. As a top official in the ACE, Sexton will have a platform on the national stage when it comes to issues facing the field of higher education.</p><p>We hope that his new role will not impede on any of his duties as president of NYU. However, it would be beneficial if he could use the position to advocate for the many issues that face our community, and lobby for new policies that confront the rising cost of college in America.</p></p> <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/opinion/2010/03/10/11house/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>WSN Editorial BoardThu, 11 Mar 2010 00:28:10 -0400http://nyunews.com/opinion/2010/03/10/11house/http://nyunews.com/opinion/2010/03/10/11house/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/h4MBUYcX4oE/<p><p>When I learned that Alec Baldwin would be speaking at my graduation, I have to say that I was pretty disappointed. Many of my fellow graduates will claim that they don't care who delivers the speech. A bunch of them are in the "I'm not even gonna go to graduation" crowd. But even these rebels could probably think of an admirable person whom they'd turn out to see.</p><p>We only graduate from college once, and a commencement speaker highlights the transition from our last few minutes as students to the first few as "real people." Regardless of the speaker's field, he should have a history of leadership that makes him an effective and inspirational model. It makes sense that NYU recently chose a Supreme Court justice and a Secretary of State to advise us at this overwhelming turning point in our lives. But this year's choice seems to fall a bit short. </p><p>I have no problem with an actor speaking at graduation. Baldwin is a talented comedian, and he has the awards to prove it. But let's be honest: This guy is no Meryl Streep. He's not even a George Clooney.</p><p>Wondering if Baldwin's $1 million donation to Tisch last year had anything to do with his selection, I turned to omniscient NYU spokesman John Beckman. He wrote back to me saying ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/opinion/2010/03/10/11ahrens/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Michael AhrensThu, 11 Mar 2010 00:33:28 -0400http://nyunews.com/opinion/2010/03/10/11ahrens/http://nyunews.com/opinion/2010/03/10/11ahrens/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/jNBaRqDCjWA/<p><p>NYU alumnus David Arrick makes cupcakes. Not the huge, cakey ones you'll find at Crumbs, or the colorful, sprinkle-covered creations from Magnolia Bakery. His are liquor-soaked, flat-topped monstrosities, which have been jokingly dubbed "mancakes."</p><p>"Men like food. Men like booze. Men like beer. Men like bacon. Put them into a cupcake and it's a no-brainer," Arrick said.</p><p>Arrick, 42, has had a variety of careers in his lifetime. But the newest addition to his resume, "bakery owner," is one of the most stressful.</p><p>On a normal day Arrick wakes up, checks the delivery schedule, waits for the cupcakes to be sorted and delivered to his apartment from a commercial bakery in Queens, and spends the rest of the day personally delivering "rounds" of alcohol-infused (and dry) treats to customers in the five boroughs.</p><p>Butch Bakery, Arrick's trademarked establishment, currently produces 300 cupcakes per week, but is expected to increase production up to 2,000 per week by next month. </p><p>"I have a big sign above my desk that says: 'Relax, breathe, it's only cupcakes,'" Arrick said.</p><p>About a year ago, Arrick was wandering around the Village, in between jobs, and noticed the line outside Magnolia Bakery. In that moment he asked himself: "Where's the masculine bakery? Where's the butch bakery?"</p><p>That's when he started playing with the idea of creating a different type of cupcake that would ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11mancakes/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Sara GatesThu, 11 Mar 2010 00:13:23 -0400http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11mancakes/http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11mancakes/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/RDkRigV6gbA/<p><p>Imagine the first time you experienced New York City. You were probably overwhelmed by the fast-paced environment and boisterously loud streets. But you probably also found something comforting in New York. The personal opportunites; the romantic dream.</p><p>Now, imagine if you were serving in Iraq instead. You'd still have the fast-paced action and you'd still hear the sound of earsplitting explosions. But you would probably long for the solace of the city.</p><p>Perhaps that was what drew Augusto Giacoman here to NYU.</p><p>Giacoman moved here after two deployments to Iraq to earn his master's degree in business at the Stern School of Business.</p><p>While in Iraq, he served as an infantry platoon leader, executive officer and Iraqi Security Forces coordinator. </p><p>Giacoman said the war helped him realize the significance of business and the power of economics in a nation.</p><p>"What I found in Iraq was that while safety and security are an absolute requirement, what really helped people was to improve their economic condition so that they (in this case, the Iraqi people) could support their families," he said. "Nothing does this better than business. I felt that I could positively impact people's lives more through business than I could through the army."</p><p>Giacoman credits Stern's Summer Start Program with helping him get readjusted to the classroom. He immediately made an impact thanks to the responsibility ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11army/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Jennifer MargotThu, 11 Mar 2010 00:26:40 -0400http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11army/http://nyunews.com/life/2010/03/10/11army/http://feeds.nyunews.com/~r/nyunews/~3/0BRRsVsF9q4/<p><p>Last week, the U.S. Department of Education named New York as one of the 16 finalist states for its Race to the Top Fund, a program that would award nearly $5 billion to the state with the most comprehensive and compelling plans for education reform.&#160;</p><p>But many, like Diane Ravitch, a senior research scholar at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, do not believe that New York has done enough to merit such recognition.</p><p>"I have no idea why New York was chosen since it did not comply with some of the requirements," Ravitch said. "In my view, Race to the Top will intensify the negative pressures ('teach to the test' and privatization) inspired by No Child Left Behind."</p><p>According to New York State Education Commissioner David Steiner, New York's education proposal was forward-looking enough to earn the state its finalist spot.</p><p>"Together, we developed a strong and competitive proposal that will advance the bold reforms needed to turn around failing schools, close the achievement gap and enable all of our children to succeed," Steiner said.</p><p>New York's application to the program included an aggressive proposal to turn around failing schools, expand standardized tests to make them more comprehensive, expand curriculum offerings and implement a P-20 data system to help correlate student performance with teacher effectiveness. &#160;</p><p>"These reforms aim to ensure that ... <p><a href="http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/10/11education/">View the rest at nyunews.com</a></p>Elizabeth GyoriThu, 11 Mar 2010 00:15:20 -0400http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/10/11education/http://nyunews.com/news/2010/03/10/11education/