Vol. 40, No. 35 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 nyunews.com

WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWSNYU’s Daily Student Newspaper

Nor’easter bears down on Sandy-battered university and cityEven though some students in downtown Manhattan are still navigating the recovery path post-Sandy, many are huckering down in preparation for a storm that will bring high winds, cold temperatures, snow and sleet.

CARINA WONG/WSN

Faculty research condemns food portions

Election year nods to new freedoms

PORTION continued on PG. 3

‘Skyfall’ among Bond franchise’s best films

Severe allergies pose risk at dining halls

SKYFALL continued on PG. 5 ALLERGY continued on PG. 4

VOTE continued on PG. 3

By EMILY BELL

NYU professors found a direct connection between a rise in food portion sizes and overweight adults and children.

In a report published in the No-vember issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Marion Nestle and Lisa Young, pro-fessors of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, described in-creases in food portions. They also offered suggestions to manage the issue in today’s society.

“I was motivated to write this pa-per because portion sizes have con-tinued to increase despite public health initiatives,” Young said.

They found that, from 2000 to 2009, 147 large-sized portions were instituted, including candy bars, beverages, burritos, hamburgers and pizza. Many of these larger portions were served in fast food, family-style and carry-out restaurants.

In an article published in Octo-ber by the Huffington Post, Young

By VERONICA CARCHEDI

Even though Tuesday’s election focused mostly on the presiden-tial race, it also brought a series of historic state ballot initiatives that included the legalization of same-sex marriage and recreational mari-juana usage.

Marriage equality supporters saw progress in four states. Maine, Maryland and Washington joined the ranks of New York and six other states by voting to fully legal-ize same-sex marriage. Minnesota voters rejected a proposed constitu-tional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage.

Natalie Briggs, an LSP freshman who voted in Minnesota by absen-tee ballot, said she was excited by the decision the voters made in her state.

“I’m happy that many of my friends won’t face discrimination should they choose to marry the per-son they love in Minnesota,” Briggs said. “This is a really important

By HENRY HSIAO

LONDON — James Bond is a powerfully nostalgic figure in our culture. There will forever be de-bates on which Bond is the best and struggles between old tradi-tions and new forms with each film. It is a little strange to think that this generation is growing up with Daniel Craig as their image of James Bond. Unlike the Bonds of previous decades, Craig’s character has blond hair and an affinity for close-combat fighting, not to mention a more muscular personality.

While the first two installments of the Craig era arguably fell short, “Skyfall” lives up to the pedigree of the franchise. The

story is fairly tame, following the trend of exploiting fears of terror-ism and technological warfare. When Great Britain and MI6, the British secret intelligence agency, are under attack by an enigmatic terrorist group, Agent 007 is

By CLAIRE KNEBL

CAS junior Giulia Gallo’s food allergies have been severe since childhood. In fact, Gallo’s pea-nut allergies could kill her within 20 minutes.

“You have to wrap your head around the fact that a sandwich can kill you,” Gallo said.

Gallo also has potentially life-threatening aller-gies to tree nuts, shellfish and soy.

On average, two students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the United States have food allergies, said Eleanor Garrow, vice presi-dent of education and outreach at the Food Al-lergy and Anaphylaxis Network. When those stu-dents with allergies go to college, they often enter an environment of increased risk, especially in dining halls.

NYU first formally recognized food allergies with a 2008 policy that acknowledged the risk of cross-contamination of food and the potential in-ability to address all students’ needs. Since 2008, perspectives on food allergies have evolved, and Gallo thinks NYU’s approach should, also.

Owen Moore, assistant vice president for opera-

tions at NYU, said he has only heard of few severe cases at the university’s dining halls.

“I can honestly say in my 14 years, I have been notified of three reactions,” Moore said.

One of those incidents occurred in October of this year when a student had an allergic reaction to tuna fish.

“To one individual, it was obvious that this had tuna in it. To another, it wasn’t,” Moore said. “Do we remove it from salad bars? From the delis?”

Lisa Sasson, clinical associate professor of nu-trition and food studies at Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, said she has noticed a general increase in food allergies recently, particularly nut allergies.

“People need to make themselves known to the food staff,” Sasson said, noting that ingredient lists should be readily available to students.

LSP freshman Claudia Zapata, who has a severe peanut allergy, agreed.

“It is terrifying never knowing if something will cause an allergic reaction,” Zapata said.

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A man films the decorated ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center last night on Election day.

PHOTO BY WILLIAM MARTIN

SNAPSHOT ON THE WIRE

Hocus PocusBefore the election on Tuesday, Jon Dimo, a Kenyan witch doctor who claimed to be 105 years old, correctly predicted that President Obama

would emerge victorious. Dimo said the premonition came to him after interpreting the landing positions of tossed mystical artifacts, including

shells and bones. Obama’s late father was born in Kogelo located in West-ern Kenya, where expectations of Obama’s victory was high.

— ASSOCIATED PRESS

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES

UCLA will adopt tobacco-free policy in April— THE DAILY BRUIN

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

BU Sigma Chi suspended, under investigation for alleged hazing— THE DAILY FREE PRESS

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TODAY

Nov. 8 to 15, times varyIFC Center | 323 Sixth Avenue

NEW YORK’S DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL The third annual DOC NYC film festival will take place un-til Nov. 15 and will feature films ranging from memoirs to comedies. Various films will be screened at the IFC Center

in Greenwich Village and the SVA Theater in Chelsea. Tickets are $16.50.

Nov. 9 to 15, times varyQuad Cinema | 34 W. 13th St.

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALThis Friday kicks off the six-day International Film Festival

Manhattan. IFFM showcases dramas, documentaries, shorts, music videos, narrative feature and student films from around the globe. The festival will take place at the

historic Quad Cinema, which has been owned and operated by the same family since 1972. Showtimes vary, but each

day the festival starts at 1 p.m. Most tickets are $15.

Nov. 11, 7 p.m. to 4 a.m.Sullivan Hall | 214 Sullivan St.

DISC JOCKEY MUSIC FESTIVALInterSearchMedia presents the biannual CollegeDJ Music Festival, which was created by Celestine O.

Chukumba, a former professor at Pennsylvania State University. The festival will present up-and-coming

disc jockeys from the New York area who will spin hip hop, R&B, dance and pop music throughout the night.

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blames the accessibility of larger portion sizes and foods with higher calories as part of obesity.

“The trend toward larger portions coincides with the availability of calories in the U.S. food supply and the rising prevalence of obesity,” she wrote in the article.

The paper details four calls to action. First, it recommends education and public health campaigns aimed at individuals. It also argues for clearly defining serving size standards and incentivizing smaller portions by providing price breaks. Finally, the paper calls for caps on portion sizes.

Examples of these include Mayor Mi-chael Bloomberg’s size limit initiative on sweetened beverages.

“We need to do more to encourage [the] food industry to sell smaller portions, and to encourage consumers to buy smaller por-tions,” Young said. “Health professionals should also be involved.”

Even though registered dietician Kelly Paneitz said the findings were not groundbreaking, she said they might help the general public.

Paneitz said the smaller-portion price incen-tive is an interesting tactic.

“I think that the focus has been more directed towards the value of what people perceive for their dollar, so it will be really interesting if a smaller portion campaign could actually be im-plemented and what the public’s perception of that would be,” Paneitz said.

Portion sizes also affect college students, many of whom are on a meal plan or are eating in dining halls.

Alyx Steadman, a freshman in the Silver School of Social Work, said certain dining halls like the Kimmel Center Market Place and Palla-dium dining hall give healthy portion sizes, but that this also depends on the students’ order. However, Steadman said portion size is a prob-lem in the NYU dining system.

“I feel like the [size of the] plates are too big in most dining halls,” Steadman said. “You feel almost obligated to load it up, oth-erwise you don’t get your money’s worth. In some ways I wish I had more control over what I eat.”

Nestle and Young said an environment that promotes excessive food intake while under-playing the importance of physical activity contributes to the obesity epidemic.

Paneitz agreed. She said there is not enough focus on exercise and balance.

“I think a lot of people put too much focus on ‘What am I eating? How much am I eat-ing? What quality of food am I eating?,’ but if they just went out and exercised more they would feel better, and they wouldn’t want to eat as much. It’s kind of a vicious pattern we get into,” Paneitz said.

Emily Bell is a staff writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

NYU professors’ research reveals portion size as main culprit to obesity epidemic

PORTION continued from PG. 1

victory for my community and my state, and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.”

Emma Lindsay, a sophomore at Bates College in Maine, agreed. Lindsay said she is optimistic about what this ballot initiative could mean for the future of marriage equality.

“It was a long-time coming here, and hopefully Maine will set a precedent for other states who are on the fence about le-galizing same-sex marriage,” Lindsay said.

Colorado and Washington also became the first states to approve the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes. The U.S. Justice Department said it is re-viewing the initiatives but did not com-ment on how it would proceed. In both states, marijuana users must be at least 21 years old and can only legally purchase marijuana from licensed retailers, whose businesses are subject to state taxation and regulation.

Christine Harrington, a professor of politics at NYU, said much of this decision hinges on fiscal policy at the state level.

“States don’t want to be paying to lock people up for smoking [marijuana] for rec-reational use,” Harrington said. “So the fis-cal politics are coming together to form a coalition with a long enduring movement of [marijuana legalization advocates].”

CAS freshman Richard Perez, a Colorado

native and voter, said even though the de-cision will not affect him, he knows a lot of people in Colorado who are happy.

“I believe it should be up to the states to choose to legalize it or not,” Perez said. “I wouldn’t have an idea if it will become a national trend.”

News organizations said Generation Y voters may have heavily affected the re-sults of these state ballot measures. Fox News exit polls revealed that voters from 18 to 29 made up for 15 to 22 percent of the vote in Maine, Maryland, Minne-sota, Washington and Colorado. In every decision that was made, the majority of this group was on the winning side. Maryland’s Question 6 to legalize same-sex marriage, for example, received overwhelming support among young-er voters, with 70 percent in favor of its passing.

Harrington said these initiatives reveal a larger trend in state policies.

“In terms of the direction that is going on now as opposed to 2005, 2006 at the state level, the movement is in the direc-tion of expanding civil rights,” she said. “I think that is in line with the national trajectory as well.”

Veronica Carchedi is a deputy university editor. Email her at vcarchedi@nyunews.com.

Ballot initiatives give green light to gay marriage, marijuana

VOTE continued from PG. 1

By WICY WANG

Robert Wosnitzer, a doctoral can-didate in Media, Culture and Com-munication, said that students nowadays are choosing between get-ting loans or not getting an education.

“I believe there should be a state response to the problem,” Wosnitzer said.

Randy Martin, a Tisch professor, said there is also the social impact of a high student debt.

“When we look at the overall ca-pacity of an economy that generates over 14 trillion [dollars] a year, for-giving debt that is roughly one half of one percent of that total certainly seems possible,” Martin said. “The larger question, perhaps, is the cost to society of living with an increas-ingly indentured population.”

What can student borrowers do? Although there may come a day when the federal government will take college students under its wing, student debtors are still bound by law to pay off their loans, no matter how grueling the process might be.

“I think it’s impossible to [save up] if one is in a position to take out student loans,” Wosnitzer said. “And many people forget that un-employment is at a record high for people under the age of 25.”

For now, saving could be the good old-fashioned way of preparing for a rainy day.

“I do think that it’s important to build personal savings in order to prevent the need to take out more loans in the future or at least re-

duce the size of those loans,” said Lisa Luo, a first-year GSAS student at NYU’s Courant Institute of Math-ematical Sciences. “However, it’s counterproductive to pay off those loans if you’ll be taking out more loans to replace those savings.”

“[Part-time jobs are] also a great way to build your resume, even in a small way,” she said.

Andrew Ross, a professor of Social and Cultural Analysis, said students can join various groups and move-ments that aim to raise more aware-ness and cut student debt.

“My advice to debtors is to join the movement,” Ross said.

For the many students who find loans inevitable, it may be helpful to have an open discussion with their parents and grandparents.

“My parents were very real about what the burden would be like,” said Steinhardt senior Jameson Lee.

Discussing the loans with friends and family may also reveal other choices and possibilities because, in the end, being financially aware may be the key to managing student loans.

Although Luo said her under-graduate financial aid was gener-ous, she has not finished paying off undergraduate loans. However, she is not too worried. Paying her way through school might not be easy, but she said she knows exactly how she’s going to do it.

“I’ve been handling my own finances since early on,” Luo said.

Wicy Wang is a contributing writer. Email her at university@nyunews.com.

Student loan debt continues to soar, part two

Candidates predicted to take stage in 2016By TONY CHAU

With the election now in the rear view mir-ror, the United States will turn its attention to what President Obama will do in his sec-ond term. Some, however, are looking even further at the 2016 election. Below are three candidates from each party who are possible presidential candidates four years from now.

REPUBLICAN1. CHRIS CHRISTIE, Governor of New Jersey

Known for his aggressive, brazen, tell-it-like-it-is style, Christie is an early frontrunner for the 2016 Republican nomination. If not a na-tional figure already, Christie garnered wide-spread attention by delivering the keynote ad-dress at the Republican National Convention in August. His cooperation with Obama in the af-termath of Hurricane Sandy could also bolster a potential bid, giving him a record of working with the opposite party. A Quinnipiac poll re-leased in mid-October showed that the Repub-lican governor enjoyed a 56 percent approval rating in a traditionally Democratic state.

2. PAUL RYAN, Vice Presidential nominee and U.S. Representative in Wisconsin

As the running mate for Gov. Mitt Romney, Ryan would be the most experienced in presi-dential campaigning. The native Wisconsinite fared quite well against Joe Biden in the vice presidential debate last month, which would also undoubtedly give him an advantage in future pri-mary and potentially presidential debates should he choose to run. Ryan is also well-known for his budget plan, which at times has contested with Romney’s policies. The plan includes major cuts in federal spending, reworking personal income taxes into two brackets and reducing corporate taxes by 10 percent.

3. MARCO RUBIO, Senator in Florida Dubbed by many media outlets as the crown

prince of the Tea Party Movement, Rubio was also mentioned as a possible running mate for Romney. Big-name GOP figures, including Jeb Bush, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, all en-dorsed Rubio to be Romney’s running mate. Ru-

bio, who is of Cuban descent, is likely to garner support from the Hispanic community, which overwhelmingly votes Democratic and is an in-creasingly important voting bloc in elections.

*Honorable mention: Bobby Jindal, Gover-nor of Louisiana

DEMOCRAT1. ANDREW CUOMO, Governor of New York City

Cuomo, whose father was also the governor of New York City, has constrained himself to rarely appearing on the national stage. How-ever, Cuomo’s record as governor, which in-cludes balancing the state budget and legal-izing same-sex marriage, would appeal to the national audience. In April, the Washington Post ranked Cuomo as the most popular gover-nor in the United States, and both Obama and Romney raised the idea of Cuomo running for the Oval Office at the Al Smith dinner last month.

2. HILLARY CLINTON, Secretary of State Like Biden, Clinton also ran for the presidency

in 2008, fighting tooth and nail with Obama be-fore conceding and eventually becoming a mem-ber of Obama’s cabinet. A USA Today and Gallup poll in May 2012 revealed that 66 percent have a favorable view of Clinton. Bill Clinton, who has been perhaps the most effective campaigner for Obama’s successful re-election, would give the former First Lady an edge that would be hard to overcome. Even though Clinton is stepping down as Secretary of State for Obama’s second term and has persistently denied presidential aspirations, her intentions may ripen four years from now.

3. JOE BIDEN, Vice President of the United States Biden fueled further speculation at a potential

2016 presidential run when he told a reporter that his vote on Tuesday would likely not be the last time he votes for himself. Having ran for the presidency twice, including in 2008 before bow-ing out to Obama, Biden has not been shy about higher political aspirations.

*Honorable mention: Martin O’Malley, Governor of Maryland

Tony Chau is city/state editor. Email him at tchau@nyunews.com.

4 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | NYUNEWS.COM

FEATURES EDITED BY NICOLA PRING FEATURES@NYUNEWS.COM

There are already signs posted in NYU dining halls that provide nutritional information, but Za-pata thinks signs should also in-clude allergen information. Even without eliminating nuts from dining halls, some students feel that additional allergen-specific information is necessary, and marking foods that contain nuts or that may contain nuts could facilitate a safer experience for students with severe allergies.

Both Zapata and Gallo have ex-perienced nut-related allergic reac-tions in NYU dining halls, but nei-ther incident was reported to staff.

Victor Caruso, executive chef at Weinstein dining hall, said it is possible for a dining hall to be entirely nut-free.

Caruso said the decision to be nut-free would be a joint deci-sion between NYU and Aramark, the food service contractor that the university uses.

College campuses across the

country are introducing nut-free dining halls.

Boston University, which also uses Aramark, has maintained a nut-free dining hall system since 2005, according to the universi-ty’s dining services department.

NYU alumna Kayla Flaherty, who transferred to NYU from BU, said she felt safer eating in nut-free dining halls at BU.

“NYU was clear that they could not control cross-contamination, so I opted to eat off campus,” Fla-herty said.

Moore said if students report their allergies to NYU, the dining staff is better able to address spe-cific needs.

“In this atmosphere, commu-nication between all is one of the most important steps,” said Edward Nagy, executive chef at Palladium dining hall.

Claire Knebl is a contributing writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

Students with allergies call on university to address food risks

ALLERGY continued from PG. 1

Cozy date spots in New York City

By PAIGE BROTT

As the weather gets colder, cou-ples want to cozy up at romantic restaurants. Whether it’s a first date or a night out with your boy-friend or girlfriend, the perfect restaurant can make any rendez-vous special. Here are the top five spots to take your significant other for an intimate meal.

PEPEGIALLO253 10th Ave.

Located in the heart of Chelsea, this gem of a restaurant offers sim-ple, flavorful, classic Italian dishes like spaghetti bolognese, chicken Milanese and penne with tomato and basil. PepeGiallo is quaint and candlelit, not to mention affordable — dishes range from $6 to $18. The restaurant is also conveniently close to the High Line, so you can enjoy a romantic stroll after your delicious Italian meal.

SOY AND SAKE47 Seventh Avenue South

Soy and Sake is a delicious West Vil-lage spot known for exquisite veg-an and vegetarian Japanese, Chi-nese, Thai and Malaysian cuisine. With a chic and classy décor, com-plete with a beautiful fish tank, this restaurant is an ideal date night spot. Whether you are craving soy chicken pad thai or a soy chicken katsu bento box, Soy and Sake of-fers a swanky, scrumptious meal at a fair price, ranging from $9 to $15.

S’MAC345 E. 12th St.

Looking for an American favorite? S’Mac, a little restaurant in the East Village, specializes in maraconi and cheese — the ultimate comfort food. With gluten-free, vegan and meat options, this place will make your date night one to remember. Price ranges from $4.75 to $15.

MESKEREM124 MacDougal St.

Meskerem, a romantic Ethiopian restaurant on MacDougal Street, provides an intimate setting for your date. Be prepared to have fun with your food, as there are no forks to be found; you eat your meal with injera, a flatbread with a slightly spongy texture. Whether you are a meat eater or a vegetar-ian, you are bound to have fun at Meskerem. Price ranges from $9.75 to $15.45.

PENELOPE159 Lexington Ave.

For a classy and romantic Sat-urday or Sunday brunch beyond the Palladium dining hall, try Pe-nelope, a slice of comfy goodness in Murray Hill. The restaurant has a prix-fixe menu for $15 on week-ends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. that includes coffee or tea and juice. Penelope has great options for ev-eryone including Nutella French toast, omelettes, à la carte eggs and bacon and a great vegetarian bacon BLT.

By HELEN HOLMES

Stella Boonshoft was not expect-ing Thursday, Oct. 18 to be a par-ticularly eventful day.

But when the curvaceous Stein-hardt freshman saw street photog-rapher and creator of the popular blog Humans of New York, Bran-don Stanton, on the street, she jumped at the chance to approach him. Although Boonshoft originally approached Stanton to take his pic-ture, he took hers instead.

Boonshoft, who has her own blog, The Body Love Blog, proceeded to discuss her interests with Stanton. Later that day, Stanton posted a pic-ture of Boonshoft on Humans of New York. But the photo was not one of the serene street portraits he is known for. Instead, Stanton chose a black-and-white shot of Boonshoft cheerily posing in her underwear that Boonshoft had sent to Stanton after their encounter. On her own blog, the photo ac-companies a powerful written mes-sage about body image, her self- acceptance and her rejection of the hurt bullies have inflicted in her past.

A typical photo on Humans of New York gets about 5,000 likes on Facebook. Boonshoft’s self-portrait has well over 700,000. Boonshoft has since appeared on the “Today

Show,” has guest-blogged for the Huff-ington Post and has been the subject of countless articles from outlets in-cluding the Daily Mail and People.

Boonshoft, a New York native, said she has always struggled with body image.

“Growing up in New York City was definitely intense for a little, chubby kid like me,” she said. “From a very young age, I ached for people to not only love me, but to constantly re-mind me that I was worthy.”

Her desire for acceptance stemmed from encounters with bullies.

“I seriously just thought some-thing was wrong with me,” Boon-shoft said. “Instead of rejecting bul-lies, or telling an adult, I constantly tried to be accepted by these kids. They were popular, after all, and that was all I wanted to be. It took me un-til sophomore year of high school to realize that who I was wasn’t defined by who I hung out with.”

Boonshoft started The Body Love Blog shortly after arriving at NYU this fall. She originally intended for the blog to be an outlet to express herself and to help other girls strug-gling with self worth. The media at-tention she has received after being featured on Humans of New York has shifted her perspective.

“I’m not interested in doing talk shows and being some sort of

weird, pseudo-celebrity who writes a blog about her life,” Boonshoft said. “So with the help of [Stanton], I’m rebrand-ing and redesigning my blog to be-come a space where others can share their stories and a safe place for young people dealing with these issues.”

Boonshoft’s 17,000 followers are receptive to her message.

“I think this message is really good for our generation because we’re very up front about things, and we’re a very honest generation,” said Tisch freshman Joseph Giordano. “I think our society has become much more accepting in general. Her message represents a revolution.”

As a student poised on the cusp of major influence in the struggle against bullying and skewed body image, Boonshoft’s future appears incredibly bright. But she seems more concerned with offering ad-vice to young people struggling with body image issues than her own personal success.

“We hold in so much fear, self-hatred and anxiety, and that’s counterproductive to the process,” she said. “Your feelings are totally valid and ok, however, they aren’t facts. You are beautiful, strong and worthy of love.”

Helen Holmes is a staff writer. Email her a features@nyunews.com.

NYU freshman blogs about body image

Paige Brott is a staff writer. Email her at features@nyunews.com.

TOP5

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS 5

ARTSEDITED BY STEFAN MELNYKARTS@NYUNEWS.COM

called up to investigate. After kill-ing anonymous henchmen and indulging his libido, he meets the head of the terrorist group, Silva (Javier Bardem).

Craig continues his portrayal of a rough, gritty Bond, more reminiscent of Jason Bourne or Batman than past Bonds. The film delves slightly more into Bond’s broken soul and chaotic upbringing, but thankfully re-sists fully humanizing him. Craig looks more in-shape and con-fident than in previous perfor-mances, which makes the fight sequences and the one-liners more convincing.

Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe star as this film’s Bond girls. Harris plays a tough and independent character, while Marlohe’s role in the film is little more than eye candy. Both are overshadowed, however, by the film’s true Bond girl, M, played by Judi Dench. In this install-ment, M is much more layered and complicated than in any previous film, and the audience sympathizes with her as she bat-tles both physical danger and her inner demons.

Similarly, the introductions of Ben Whishaw’s Q and Ralph Fiennes’s Gareth Mallory are overshadowed by a heavyweight performance from Bardem, who brings the menace he had in “No Country for Old Men” to Silva. Bardem is a psychotic, deeply tor-tured character, and while Silva is also one of the few explicitly gay villains in recent cinema, he also manages to avoid stereotypes and ends up being the most multi- dimensional and interesting char-acter in the film.

Most notable, however, is Sam Mendes’ brilliant directorial vi-sion. Mendes’ storytelling abil-ity and indulgent cinematic set pieces — a fight in a skyscraper in Shanghai and an epic finale in Scotland — finds the art-versus-entertainment equilibrium that nearly every film yearns for.

While the first two installments of Craig’s Bond films fell short, “Skyfall” finally gives the current generation a Bond they can grow up with and someday brag about.

Henry Hsiao is a foreign correspondent. Email him at film@nyunews.com.

Craig, Bardem star in generation’s best Bond film

SKYFALL continued from PG. 1

By ALEXANDRIA ETHRIDGE

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves: We are apparently in the midst of Lana del Rey’s come-back. After an abysmal performance on Saturday Night Live last January and a disappointing debut album, the polarizing songwriter has slowly been building steam with low-key gigs and several modeling cam-paigns. With the release of “Born to Die: The Paradise Edition,” del Rey presents fans with eight new tracks pulled from her old bag of tricks.

Much like the songs from “Born to Die,” the new tracks on “The Para-dise Edition” feature the slow tempo and drawling vocals that have be-come the essence of del Rey’s music. However, these droning melodies soon become tiresome, and all the songs sound too similar to stand out from one another. In addition to the plethora of clichés and references that constitute the singer’s lyrical verses, del Rey has given her poor-little-girl persona a new twist by add-ing a variety of hackneyed American iconography. “Cola” begins rather explicitly, comparing specific body parts to Pepsi and cherry pie, and then goes on to say, “I pledge alle-giance to my dad for teaching me everything he knows.”

The tracks are also sprinkled with unabashed references to Elvis and Marilyn Monroe that will surely

speak to del Rey’s legions of teen-aged fans who pride themselves on their trips to thrift stores and obses-sions with “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

“The Paradise Edition” marks del Rey’s progress as a singer but does not demonstrate much develop-ment in any other categories. Her cover of “Blue Velvet” proves that she is not without talent, but as the rest of the album demonstrates, that talent just doesn’t happen to include songwriting. She seems to believe that her success and popu-larity are derived entirely from the constructed image of a lost, vul-nerable girl who speaks in clichés while using every possible opportu-nity to remind viewers of her alter-native lifestyle. The new songs have a decidedly more ’60s dream-pop feel and are aesthetically stunning, but del Rey is in for a rude awak-ening if she thinks her career will survive on aesthetics alone.

Alexandria Ethridge is a staff writer. Email her at music@nyunews.com.

Del Rey’s ‘Paradise Edition’ falls short of paradise

‘Flore’ weaves different stories into one vibrant film

By ISABEL JONES

Offering a complex, tragic and at times heartwarm-ing look at eternal love, “Cafe de Flore” is one of the more unique films of the season. It ignores the barri-ers of traditional genres and cultural norms and blazes its own trail. Inspiring art direction, a talented cast and a plot reminiscent of M. Night Shyamalan’s best work conspire to make the film a captivating 120 minutes.

“Flore” tells two different tales. One is of a single mother, Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis), living in 1960s Paris with her son, Laurent, who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Jacqueline’s devotion to her son, however, soon turns to into obsession when Laurent falls for a girl named Veronique, who also has Down syndrome. The second story is about two recently di-vorced former high school sweethearts, Carole (Helene Florent) and Antoine (Kevin Parent), struggling to move on with their lives in modern-day Montreal. After 25 lost years together, Carole cannot seem to move past her broken marriage, exacerbated by the emergence of Antoine’s young new girlfriend, Rose.

Acclaimed Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee (“The Young Victoria”) beautifully and insightfully brings “Flore” to life. The film takes a unique ap-proach to storytelling, with much of its plot revealed in eerie dream sequences. The audience receives a myriad of cryptic clues to decipher, some remain-ing unexplained even after the credits have rolled. Part psychological thriller, part period piece and part human-interest tale, “Flore” succeeds in leaving an enthralled audience in its wake. The result is breath-taking and at times terrifying.

The film’s immensely talented cast delves deep into their multidimensional characters. Paradis effortlessly transitions from the role of loving mother to woman scorned when her son develops other affections. Similarly, Antoine must straddle the gap between the life he left behind and the one he has just begun. Deeply connected to his ex-wife, but wildly infatuated with his new girlfriend, the eras of Antoine’s life are marked by his romantic entanglements. Florent deliv-ers a strong performance as Carole, who is heartbro-ken but forced to put on a brave face for the sake of her teenage daughters.

“Flore” is of a rare breed — it mesmerizes its audi-ence while beautifully capturing the tragic plight of the lovelorn. But however insightful, the film is not for the faint of heart. Emotional shock and terror plague much of its landscape, with an unsettling undertone running from beginning to end. Matched with the perfect direc-tor and an equally skilled cast, “Cafe de Flore” proves to be a chance worth taking. If nothing else, it’s difficult to not get caught up in the characters’ world.

Isabel Jones is a staff writer. Email her at film@nyunews.com.Unique film explores twisting path of love.

COURTESY OF CRAZY FILMS

COURTESY OF POLYDOR

6 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | NYUNEWS.COM

THE NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD & DAILY SUDOKU

Across 1 Thrifty alternative 5 Signs of spring10 Feline face

cleaners14 Casino stock15 Shorten, maybe16 Settled17 Ceremonial military

outfit18 —19 Long20 Like the worst

excuse22 Clink24 The girl from

Ipanema?25 “You will be ___”

(last line of “Wishin’ and Hopin’”)

27 Classic play whose title is an abbreviation

28 Dairy Queen treat

32 —35 Drum kit

component37 “Oops, sorry”38 Build on, with “to”39 Deuce follower40 Govt. security41 Certain spot42 “Delta of Venus”

author43 Actress Davis44 One carrying dust,

maybe45 Hides, in a way46 —48 Place for a particle

accelerator49 Photoshop option:

Abbr.50 Help-wanted

letters53 “Man who catch

fly with chopstick accomplish anything” speaker

58 Pass60 Director of “The

Witches,” 199061 Omits63 —64 Wolfe or Woolf,

e.g.: Abbr.65 W.W. II general

nicknamed “Bombs Away”

66 It begins at conception

67 Gusto68 Ray variety69 Crayola color since

1998

Down 1 Confuse 2 Like some

marketing 3 Wet-bar

convenience 4 Mobutu ___ Seko

(African despot) 5 Rotten Tomatoes

contributor 6 Dict., e.g. 7 “You’d better

watch out!” 8 Dos minus dos 9 Like vampires10 Movie with a

9-year-old Best Supporting Actress winner

11 Character with the tagline “Booyakasha!”

12 Major downer?13 Fret21 Targeted launch23 Took to court26 Melancholy29 Chinese dynasty30 Deceitful31 Deafening

32 Kato Kaelin portrayer on “S.N.L.”

33 Purim’s month34 Whirl35 “___ ’em!” (mob’s

cry)36 Graphic

beginning?40 Tots’ sports

equipment

41 Whup43 Greeting in Oz44 Image on the

“E.T.” poster47 Feature of Mike

Wazowski in “Monsters, Inc.”

48 Work after work?51 Basket material52 Chair for Cleopatra

53 Singer Jason54 Rake55 Team whose

colors are blue and orange

56 Tech whiz, say57 Meaning of “Ich

bin ein” in J.F.K.’s quote

59 “In your dreams!”62 Big tank

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Liberal ideals to be tested in next

four years

STAFF EDITORIAL

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ELECTION

Re-election marks time to move forward

U.S. deserves day off to vote for presidentHOLIDAY

NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS 7

EDITORIAL BOARD: Chris DiNardo (Chair), Jessica Littman (Co-Chair),

Christopher Drake, Sanchay Jain, Sasha Leshner, Peter Murphy, Raquel Woodruff and Richard Zhang.

By RAQUEL WOODRUFF

Tuesday night, the American peo-ple decided what course our nation would take for the next four years. But for many looking forward, the course — an actual plan of action — seems to have been lost behind the ideals of the 2012 presidential race. This was not an issues elec-tion but a concept-based one: plat-form over policy.

Now, newly re-elected President Obama has another four years to take the platform he ran on — one of equal opportunity, affordable health care and accessible educa-tion — and execute a plan of action. The cacophony of the Romney cam-paign will no longer be a distrac-tion, and America can focus again on the right policies to responsibly get us back on track.

So, let us recall Obama’s plan for his next term. His goal is to raise taxes for those whose incomes are more than $250,000 a year. Clinton-era tax rates are the objective, and the extension of the middle-class

tax cuts are the bread and butter of Obama’s economic policy. The pres-ident also plans to pass pro-growth measures for the manufacturing sector, cutting taxes for manufac-turers here at home and ending deductions for companies sending jobs overseas.

In an investment particularly im-portant to students at NYU, Obama will revamp the Perkins loan pro-gram under the proposition of re-warding colleges that offer lower tu-ition prices. He also looks to provide $1 billion in aid to states that reign in higher education costs while awarding those institutions that increase their profits via innovative policies an additional $55 million in initial funding.

Republicans object to these propos-als because they would add to the na-tional debt. Taxpayers wouldn’t need to worry about the Perkins loan pro-gram though, since students would pay off financial aid with interest. Just as the 2012 race displayed, it’s about priorities. One party opposes invest-ments in education and infrastruc-

ture but continues to push for lower taxes on the rich and additional de-fense spending — a budget already bloated and not requested by our military leaders. And the other sup-ports the rebuilding of roads, bridges and schools to create jobs and spur economic growth and legislation such as Wall Street reform so that our financial system is more transparent and accountable.

Even with Obama in office, there are many uncertainties and challenges ahead. We need single-payer health care. This re-form would save $400 billion ex-pended each year on insurance companies, and instead, cover the uninsured and provide better cov-erage for the rest of the 99 percent. While promises of bipartisanship and compromise sound nice, I count on some real progressive change over the next four years without much help from Republi-cans. And I’m okay with that.

Raquel Woodruff is a staff columnist. Email her at opinion@nyunews.com.

By SAMEER JAYWANT

Americans woke up on Nov. 7 and prepared for a new day, carry-ing with us the fresh memory of a historic election that managed to change ... well, not too much. The country’s body politic reined in its brief euphoria following our presi-dent’s re-election, and the success of some key ballot measures that tested, and passed, the standard of popular social progressivism, com-ing to the sobering realization that the next four years will carry with them the same political frustra-tions, challenges and, worst of all, Congressmen, as the preceding four.

There will be no weeklong celebra-tions or Nobel Prizes this time — only the grim resolution that we must press on as a nation under Obama’s leadership, tempered with a predict-able, reactionary shift to the right in most states. It’s easy to call 2012 a politically wasted year, as the last 18 months were spent in a tiresome struggle that expectedly ended in an extension of the status quo. But that, in a somewhat perverse, beating-a-dead-horse kind of way, is quintes-sential American democracy. Only in America do we spend upwards of $4 billion while campaigning and work ourselves into an ideological furor to say, “We’ll just stick with this.”

The American political machine can arguably be condensed to one word — vote. Politicians, local governments and citizens alike came together this year and repeated the time-honored case that regardless of one’s political af-filiation, disillusionment with the sys-tem or statistical insignificance of one vote, it is every eligible citizen’s soci-etal duty to contribute to the selection of our leader and representatives. In many ways, their ceaseless urging and infuriatingly persistent email spam, cheesily telling us to “Rock the Vote,” were vindicated by the early election results. Florida seems to have been won by a margin smaller than the en-tire NYU population. The current dif-ference in the popular vote is approxi-mately the size of Brooklyn. Imagine if hipsters had collectively decided to vote Republican — frightening, isn’t it?

But for all their seemingly nonpar-tisan lobbying, policymakers seem to have overlooked a simple solution to increasing voter turnout — an Elec-tion Holiday. For millions of Ameri-cans, leaving work to cast a ballot at a polling station half an hour away is simply not an option. Consider the case of a middle-class household where a parent must work two or three jobs, coordinate picking up their kids from school and somehow get dinner on the table. To that indi-vidual, voting is, understandably, not

worth it. It is counterintuitive and almost masochistic to subject these people to the agony of enduring an election and then indirectly exclude their vote because of their financial circumstances. Admittedly, many of these constrained potential voters would object strongly to losing a full day of pay for a process that could take under an hour. A modified pol-icy incentive to vote could include a stipulation that all employers must allow their employees a two-hour paid break for registered voters to ful-fill their civic duty.

Most democratic countries have already acknowledged the national significance of Election Day by vot-ing on Sundays, and others have historically observed it as a day of reflection and responsibility that should not be spent in the work-place. Despite America’s unflinch-ing non-stop culture, it is evident that we are behind the ball on this one. The practical advantages of a national holiday is overshadowed by its symbolic importance in our society. Election Day is the finale of our modern-day political gladiator and a quadrennial milestone that deserves greater recognition in our national consciousness.

Sameer Jaywant is a staff columnist. Email him at opinion@nyunews.com.

Tuesday’s election was a resounding victory for American progressives, but not just because of the decision to give President Obama a second term. Whether it was through key congressional elec-tions or state-by-state bal-lot initiatives, liberal poli-tics were advanced not because of the president,

but in spite of him. Since the GOP marginalized many minority groups during the campaign, from women to Hispanics to LGBT Americans, Obama’s win can be chalked up more to a lesser-of-two-evils mentality than the optimistic hope that launched him to victory in 2008.

In regards to Congressional election results, those wanting stricter fiscal reform saw the triumph of Eliza-beth Warren, former overseer of the Consumer Finan-cial Protection Bureau, in her Massachusetts Senate race. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, a staunch liberal on social issues, became the first openly gay U.S. Senator in his-tory. And somehow, not a single Democratic incumbent for Senate was defeated.

In statewide referendums and propositions, advocates of traditional marriage were soundly defeated in Maine, Maryland and Washington, marking the first time bal-lot initiatives for marriage equality were ever upheld by voters. Meanwhile, Colorado and Washington both legalized the possession of marijuana for recreational use, a blow to drug war advocates who have long warned against its legalization.

Now President Obama has an important role to play if he is to continue this liberal trend. In his first term, he directed his Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court, putting him on the progressive side of marriage equality. We can only hope that federal drug enforcement does not get in the way of Colorado and Washington allowing marijuana to be regulated within state borders. Unfortunately, as the Drug Enforcement Administration pronounced their continuation of the Controlled Substances Act yesterday, that does not appear to be likely.

These results reflect the changing of the tides, natu-rally rolling towards equality and tolerance, more than they do the Democratic Party. But we still have a presi-dent who wants to cut the crown jewels of liberal pro-grams — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Whether the newly elected will stick to their guns and risk being labeled as ideologues or compromise values to be cooperative party-players remains to be seen, but the results show that the nation is striving towards a differ-ent, forward perspective. Obama, however, did not build that attitude. We did.

8 NYUNEWS.COM | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012 | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS

Denver looking to be AFC’s top contender

By NISHAAD RUPAREL

The NFL season is about half-way through, but many fans are still uncertain about what to ex-pect from their favorite teams. This season, to be candid, has been a palatable blend of the unexpected and the perennially obvious. We saw the Indianapolis Colts, a team that emerged from one of the worst seasons in fran-chise history, fight to a 5-3 record under the leadership of a rookie quarterback and a cancer-strick-en head coach. We watched Pey-ton Manning, who was expected to struggle in his recovery from four neck surgeries this summer, rally the Denver Broncos to the top of the American Football Conference West division.

We are even starting to fear the Atlanta Falcons, an always dangerous but commonly over-looked squad, as they stand alone as the league’s only unbeaten team. Meanwhile, past AFC pow-erhouses like the New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints are still struggling to find some trac-tion and locate their identities. With all that said, some things never change. Tony Romo, Mi-chael Vick and Mark Sanchez are still on the hot seat. The Jaguars are still terrible. And of course, Tim Tebow is still making head-lines for everthing except his performance. Among the muck and confusion, I’m here to offer some clarity as to how the rest of the season may play out.

First, it is important to dis-tinguish the surprisingly good teams from the legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Teams like the Seattle Seahawks and the India-napolis Colts may have winning records and tons of media atten-tion, but that is only because they’re unexpectedly above average; don’t expect either team to do anything significant this postseason.

Looking past the pretenders, the picture is muddled. Teams like the Houston Texans, Balti-more Ravens and Chicago Bears lead their divisions in the stand-ings, and all have respected reputations around the league. However, don’t be fooled by their performance so far. These teams lack either post-season leadership or the ability to per-form well under pressure; both of these factors are necessary to pull away with a Super Bowl ring. This season’s Ravens squad is no different from the one that botched an opportunity to elimi-nate New England last year.

We should, however, focus our attention on teams like the Patriots, Broncos, Giants, Steel-ers, 49ers, Packers and Falcons. While I consider all of these

teams to be legitimate contend-ers because of their proven mix-ture of experience, leadership and poise, I think the Broncos will be Super Bowl Champions.

Manning is playing like he has something to prove, and the running game continues to supplement his efforts and reinforce the Denver offense. The Broncos also have a legiti-mate pass rush and a relatively easy schedule that may help the team acquire home field advantage in the playoffs. The National Football Conference contender may well be the At-lanta Falcons or even the Giants or Packers. But at the end of the day, Manning’s insatiable desire to win another Super Bowl will fuel Denver to victory.

Around the league, we can ex-pect Andy Reid to be fired and Michael Vick to lose his place as an NFL starting quarterback, barring a major turnaround from the Eagles. Tony Romo will likely keep his job, but Dallas will probably try to make seri-ous acquisitions to boost their squad back into relevance. The Jets will have to act on Sanchez’s failures and Rex Ryan’s inad-equacy; I won’t try to predict the specific actions of such an unpredictable franchise. De-spite all the uncertainty, one thing will always remain true.Regardless of the chaos and mid-season fanfare, the team with the right combination of leadership, experience and de-sire will win the Super Bowl. This season, I think it is Den-ver’s time.

Nishaad Ruparel is a contributing writer. Email him at sports@nyunews.com.

Colts are impressive, but the Broncos will take playoffs.

COURTESY OF MIKE MORBECK

SPORTS