Persistent L Train Delays Hit Students Hard Taking Action, One
Transcription
Persistent L Train Delays Hit Students Hard Taking Action, One
Fall 2006, Issue 3 Oct. 3, Oct.16 INPRINT •Refugees in Central Park (Pg. 4) • Wandering through B&N (Pg. 6) Serving Eugene Lang College and the New School Community Copyright © 2006 Inprint New Writing Prerequisite Ups Standards for Students The L subway line, under construction since 2004, was cancelled for the past two weekends in a row. Tyler Magyar Persistent L Train Delays Hit Students Hard By Liza Minno It's 9:30 A.M. on an early-autumn Tuesday. Lang Junior Logan Axelson waits at the Morgan Avenue subway platform, the sixth stop into Brooklyn on the L subway line. Logan is headed to a 10 A.M. Urban Studies class at Lang. He waits ... and waits ... and waits. Five minutes go by. Then ten. Then twenty. Four trains pass, heading in the other direction. Meanwhile, bleary-eyed, coffee-clutching members of the American workforce gather. They have clearly experienced this before. There are no copies of AM New York or Metro. Instead, commuters are immersed in War and Peace and The Theory of Relativity. "It takes twenty-five minutes ... if you're lucky," Axelson says, after a while. "It's a bitch." Finally, a train approaches the Manhattan-bound platform. Full of riders, it looks as if it's about to burst at the seams. The train passes without stopping. Among students' gripes at the New School, the unreliability of the L-train must rank very high. The L-which starts at Rockaway Parkway in Brooklyn, runs through Bushwick and Williamsburg, and ends at 8th Avenue and 14th Street-is notorious for running behind schedule and, when it does come, for being crowded well beyond its carrying capacity. Commuter advocates argue that the overcrowding and delays are the results of three main factors: the mass influx of residents into the Williamsburg area over the last five years, the fact that the subway system is over a century old, and the line's ongoing construction and repairs. What is not clear, at least these days, is how soon, if ever, these problems can be rectified. Williamsburg As Hip-Nouveau Williamsburg is widely known as the city's new Bohemian capital, in the tradition of Paris' Left Bank of the 1920s and New York's Greenwich Village of the 1960s. Yet skyr<><>.keting rent pric- es sometimes make the neighborhood feel more like a gated community. "In the past year, condo purchase prices have increased 30% and one-bedroom rentals have gone up 10% at all of the L stops" up to the Jefferson Avenue stop, wrote New York Magazine's Charles Graeber in October, 2005. Along with the high prices have come waves of new riders. In 2000, the yearly L-train ridership hit the 26-million mark. Five years later, rider-ship had jumped CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Taking Action, One Committee at a Time By Linh Tran Around ten in the evening a few weeks ago, Lang Student Union facilitator Brittany Charlton returned to her dorm at Loeb Hall, where she has been an RA for most of her time at Lang. She had taken a friend to the Metropolitan Opera to watch its open house performance, and as she talked about her interests in opera and dance performances, she laughed. "I'm such an old woman!" she said. Charlton, a senior, was born in Santa Rosa, California, a suburb of San Francisco. Her mother hoped that Charlton would become a champion figure skater, and moved the family to Santa Rosa for the excellent ice skating facilities. As a child, Brittany practiced figure skating and ballet. Yet, when it came time for college, she wanted to go a different route. Shortly after arriving at Lang as a freshman in 2004, she declared a double concentration in Urban Studies and Political Science. Charlton joined the Lang Student Union (LSU) the same year. Many prominent members left the organization that year, which left a spot as a facilitator open. It was an opportunity to "step up," Charlton said. She ran for the poCONTINUED ON PAGE 5 By Lee Varian In a change that has taken many Lang students by surprise, the writing department is raising its standards this year. According to Neil Gordon, chair of the writing concentration, students in introductory writing classes now have to earn a grade of B or higher to move on to intermediate level classes. Those in intermediate classes are required to earn a B+ or higher to take advanced courses. The policy is expected to be fully implemented and binding within a year, Gordon told Jnprint in an interview last week. The prerequisites would be specific to each track of the writing department. The change would not prevent students from receiving credit for the classes, but the classes would not count as prerequisites. "Writing is a very hard thing to do, it is a hard profession and a hard discipline," Gordon said. "If a student is allowed to go through the entire concentration with Cs, I'm not sure we're doing them any favors. It's not going to get them anywhere." Gordon made clear that the rule is meant to be an educational tool, not a punitive measure. Core faculty will meet to deliberate over students who receive grades that do not allow them to proceed within the concentration, he said. Professors will also review students' work and their own grading standards to ensure that all students are treated fairly. "A policy that can't be broken in a student's interest is a lousy policy," Gordon added. When he became chair of the writing department several years ago, three of Gordon's best students delivered a list of complaints about the concentration. High on that list of complaints were "lax standards of promotion, repeating work throughout classes, and classes that had no real intellectual heart," he said. The new standards are part of a larger effort to improve the rigor of writing classes at Lang. The department has added two new kinds of advanced writing classes-Writing for Publication and The Master Class-in order to provide a more complete curriculum. The Writing for Publication class allows students to conference and workshop their pieces with pro- fessional editors, in order to experience 'real world' collaboration. In The Master Class, students interact with novelists whose books they read on a weekly basis. Both courses aim to immerse students in the professional world of writing, Gordon said. At the same time, he added, he hopes that students get a wellrounded liberal arts education in their writing classes, which is the reason that most writing classes are now assigning more reading. Gordon says students may have to submit a writing portfolio to be admitted into the writing program in the future, but the Lang administration is still developing such a policy. Though the number of students '' We don't want to be less progressive. ' emolled in writing classes has shot up dramatically since 2003, Gordon insisted that the new standards are not a way of combating overcrowding. "We have to balance how many classes we can physically give," he explained. "lt wi\\ a\w&'js \Mi hard for freshman and soph o- mores to register for writing classes, but that's not what we're trying to address with this policy. "However," he added, "if it does help overcrowding, great." All teachers are supposed to be informing their students, but it seems that many students have not yet heard about the policy. In an informal poll of Lang students who are currently enrolled in introduction or intermediate writing classes, Inprint found that only five out of twenty-five recalled their teachers announcing the new standards to them. Two students were not sure and eighteen said they had not been told. "Communication is always a problem," Gordon acknowledged. "We don't want to be a less progressive department, we don't want to be a less creative department," he said. "We understand that students come from all over the country to be here. What we want is to ensure that no one leaves one of our classes feeling they haven't been challenged and educated in a fundamental way." EUGENE LANG COLLEGE THE ftEW SCHOOL FOR LIBERAL ARTS 65 West 11th Street, Rm 350, New York, NY 10011 NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID 1HE NEW SCHOOL Editorials 2 INPRINT Eugene Lang College, We Just Want to Go Home The New School For Liberal Arts 65 West 1 lth St. Room070 New York. NY 10011 212-229-5100 ext. 2212 [email protected] Editor in Chief Peter Holslin Managing Editor: Nadia Chaudhury Production Associate: Kayley Hoffinan Advertising Director; JenCemitz Business Associate: Sophie Friedman Faculty Advisors: Rob Buchanan, Sean Elder, Margo Jefferson, Sarah Saffian News Editor: LizaMinno News Deputy: Hannah Rappleye Opinions Editor: Adam Gerard Opinion Deputy: Zach Warsavage Entertainment Editor: Almie Rose Vazzano Entertainment Deputy: Nora Costello Photography Editor: Alexander Porter Photography Deputy: Tyler Magyar Graphics Editor: Blake Leonard Copy Editors: Liz Adams, Kelly Klein It takes a certain demonic apathy to turn someone's twentyminute train ride into an hour and a half-long trek through an urban purgatory of closed stops and obnoxious shuttle buses. That was the case for the past two weekends, when commuters who normally took the L-trainamong them many New School students-were deferred to the JIMIZ, condemned to slog back and forth between the Metropolitan L stop, a mere two stops from Manhattan, and the Myrtle JIMIZ stop in Bushwick. If the MTA really wanted to help its riders out, they would operate shuttle buses along the entire L line instead of sending riders off to the inconvenient J/ MIZ. But the MTA should not be shutting down such a prime subway line in the first place, which cut off a sizeable population of twenty-somethings and Italian and Puerto Rican families from getting to Manhattan, and pre- Table of Contents Letters to the Editor Page 1: • L Train Travails • Writing policy changes • Profile: Brittany Charlton Page2: •Editorials • Letters to the Editor Page3: •College (in)activisim • East Village no longer • Dubious internet pals •Anti-college? • Politeness, explained Page4: • Drs. Without Borders and a refugee camp in the city • Closing of CBGB Page 5: • Cover Stories • Around the Courtyard • LSU changes policy Page 6: • Great requited reading • Stev~ Reich's birthday • Great American poets • Student theater group •Fashion Week; Coterie Page 7: 'Reviews Page 8: • Photo Essay: Wall St. • Refugee camp, con. • Steven Segal? Except for editorials, opinions expressed herein are those of individual writers and not of lnprint. Please send any letters and submissions to inprint@,,newschool.edu. lnprint does not publish unsigned letters. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Submissions must be received two weeks before publication date for consideration. lnprint is not responsible for unpublished letters or submissions. NEXT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: OCTOBER9TH vented potential shoppers from reaching Williamsburg's hip, locally-owned businesses. The New York Times recently reported that the MTA, faced with giant, looming budget deficits, was contemplating raising fares and reducing service, which would have the effect of extending today's average wait for a train to twenty minutes. The next day, the MTA denied any such plans. Whether or not the plans are true, it's dire news to hear from an agency that is known to give less for more. When they're not contradicting one another, MTA spokesmen seem to be trying to make the argument that the end result of all the delay-causing construction will be a beautiful new, hyperefficient and entirely automated L line. But it remains to be seen whether that means we'll get more trains and less crowding, or an underground version of Stanley Kubrick's soft-spoken but deeply maniacal HAL. RE: Parsons? Don't Read This, By Justin LaneBriggs, Oct. 3rd We all know that Lang and Parsons are different schools. I know it well, since most of my closest friends are Eugene Langers who I met through the dorms. I have such love for my friends, for their faithful companionship and support through the craziest times, when I've been at my worst. On any given night, one might find me scrambling through scraps of paper and cups of coffee at 4 A.M. In the next room, a bunch of my Lang friends might be up for very different reasons-drinking beer and watching a Daily Show re-run, discussing Kant, or talking about politics. We have different workloads, and different requirements. I often wish Parsons was more like Lang because I respect the way that Lang gives students freedom to learn exactly what they wish. One of my friends put it most eloquently: "Where Lang is like summer camp, Parsons is like boot camp." Parsons students are constantly battling the school's efforts to fail us for absences and lateness. We cannot even be certain of our immediate future at the school, let alone smug enough to be "so confident of [our] success [that we'd consider] spending more time learning the same as wasting it," as you flippantly worded it. Over the years I've taken extra liberal arts courses out of a genuine interest to learn. I often participate in seminars. Yet, I don't wish to merely be written off as one of your "exceptions" to the mute Parsons student rule. It's true that I should devote more time to my liberal arts courses, but at times it really becomes a physical impossibility. Since school started, I am struggling to get fiveB hours of sleep a night, no exaggeration. If this is true of someone like me, who loves reading and writing, think of Parsons students who are visual learners and slow readers, juggling their studio course loads with the required classes. Keep in mind that international students form about one-third of the diploma-earning student population at Parsons (according to the Parsons website), and many have struggled with the English language. Imagine the momentous task at hand for an ESL student, following the reading and keeping up with the writing assignments required for the seminar classes. How would they venture to engage in sociological, philosophical, psychological debate with their Lang counterparts? Especially when Lang students seem so apt to snicker at a Parsons student's most sincere contributions? Imagine if, on top of your Lang course load, you were required to attend a Parsons studio class or two, maybe to build a functional chair out of cardboard without the help of adhesive, or tailor a suit to perfection in three weeks, ending in a formal critique by your teachers and peers? What if you went to South Korea to study liberal arts because you felt the school had more to offer you for your profession? Would you participate in class with as much conviction as you do now? "After all, they could be shopping right now," you wrote. If you were trying not to "be too much of a snob," you failed. What Parsons students need from Lang students is compassion-as my friends have so readily shown me-not condescens10n. - Connie Wang, Parsons, Senior, Fashion Design on application than theory. In a lot of cases, this means students lack a certain critical edge. It's true, too, that there is a "Madison Ave. crew" at Parsons, and they have no interest in improving the world in any way. But I think I speak on behalf of all Parsons students when I say this: Piss off. What makes you so privileged that you can compare Parsons students to the lazy, pseudo-inI'm calling your bluff. telligent hipsters (who probably The nature and tone of your couldn't get into NYU) that essay shows it's clear you're populate Lang? looking for a fight-gloves off Don't try to think highly of and all. It's obvious that, through Lang by comparing yourself to your cheap shots, you're alluding Parsons. Parsons is one of the to a deeper conflict of cultures. most elite design schools in the You only went halfway to expose world. Your article is an insult to it, though. Frankly, if you want Parsons' history, excellence and to start some wars, you should go culture. Trust me, the drive of one all the way. mediocre Parsons student is the So I'll continue where you started, and rebut your claims. same as ten Lang students. It's a Did you ever stop to think spit in our collective face to have that maybe, just maybe, Parsons someone the likes of you be so condescending. students required to take Lang Riddle me this: Why would courses have no interest in the you go to Lang if you got into name-dropping, the desperate attempts to make obscure referNYU? It doesn't cost much ences and the illogical rhetoric of more. Lang kids? Intellectual masturbaI'll tell you why: Because you tion is not learning-if you think didn't get in. it is, we most certainty can't help Sorry to burst your ego bubble, you. but thoughts like these are in the minds of every Parsons student You wrote that our lack of participation makes it seem as you encounter, and we have yet though we are so confident of to be been convinced otherwise. our success that spending any And you wonder why Parsons more time learning would be the students don't talk in your lecture same as wasting it. After all, you classes? continued, we could be shopping - Thomas Jock.in, Parsons, Juright now ... nior, Communication Design Yes, you're right, we want to Note: Jockin is a former designer for be successful. Parsons, unlike a Inprint. liberal arts college, focuses more Opinions 3 At Lang, Activism Wanted Not the Place It Used to Be Pardon Mai? By Jen Kolic By Elisabeth Garber-Paul Today's Polite World Explained Despite all the talk about The New School's tradition of activism, the student body seems to seriously lack the awareness, interest and organization necessary to achieve anything of substance in that department. Most New School students-those who are paying attention, at least-are quick to bitch about political and economic issues, but reluctant to take action. Of course, if an ideologically reviled figure, like John McCain or Newt Gingrich, comes to visit our school, we'll join the fray and make it clear they're not welcome here. The McCain fiasco was more about personal territory than anything. After all, how dare this warmonger come and spread his propaganda on our turf?! Doesn't he and New School President Bob Kerry know this is a liberal school? To be frank, it gets harder and harder to tell each year, as the school population rises. Does anyone still come for the activism? It's sad to think that the students at this supposedly liberal school in the heart of New York City could become so self-involved and isolated from the social and political issues of the outside world. But somehow that's exactly what's happening. I understand the Jack of motivation; I was indifferent to the whole activism scene for a while. After two large-scale rallies around the time of the Iraq invasion utterly failed to have any effect (including convincing the rest of the world that not all Americans wanted this war), I thought protests just didn't work. I gave up on them. But the reason it's not working is because there aren't enough people consistently speaking out. During Vietnam, college activists turned the whole country upside down, because they just wouldn't stop protesting the war and the entire American system. Sure, we don't have a draft to worry about (yet), but plenty of kids who aren't even old enough to drink are still being made to risk their asses for no good reason. We should care. Imagine that, instead of having a 21st birthday party, you get killed thousands of miles away from everyone you love. If you think that sucks profoundly, then why don't you get off your ass and say so, instead of just taking the safe route and blindly bashing the right whenever politics come up in conversation? Worldcantwait.org has a massive, multi-city, anti-Bush and anti-war walkout and protest scheduled for October 5th. All you supposed activists and liberals, I'm calling you out. Thursday's the day, 47th and Broadway. Either put up, or shut up. Pot-Heads Only Live Once By Zach Warsavage Posted near elevators and on bulletin boards throughout the New School, a sign reads "You Only Live Once." At first, this catchy phrase seems to pop off of the page, bringing associations of living life on the edge, of following your own voice. But in the backdrop of the bold lettered phrase, small balloon-like marijuana leaves float aimlessly. At the bottom, the poster reads, "That's The Problem." Oh ... so that's the problem with smoking marijuana? I get it now. It's because you only live once. These posters are the product of an anti-drug campaign designed by a Lang psychology class last Spring. The professor of the class, Noel Garrett, also the Director of Student Support and Crisis Management, designed a final project for his class to inform students of the harmful effects of drugs. This seems to me like a fine idea. But this is a slogan better suited for an anti-college campaign than an anti-drug one. Without even opening the pamphlet, believers of reincarnation and opponents to anti-pot propaganda will most likely be confused at this eye-grabber. The poster has silhouetted shadows of a group of college students partying, with hands in the air, almost reaching for the balloons. It looks like they're having a pretty good time. All it needs is some smoke, and this is a pro-marijuana campaign. It would be a typi- In 2003, Alistair Economakis, son of a Greek shipping magnate, sent non-renewal notices to all the tenants occupying the building at 47-49 East Third Street, announcing that their twentyyear leases would be up in four months. He wants to tum the 11,600 square foot building into his family's personal mansion, with five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a den, playroom, gym, library, study area, dining room and kitchen. It makes me think, why would someone that wealthy want to live on the same block as the Hell's Angels headquarters? That's when I decided to take another look around my neighborhood, and discovered that things were changing even faster than I thought. The liquor store nearby no longer had their bulletproof partition. I stopped in a few days later to pick up my favorite cheap champagne, but they'd stopped carrying it. In Tompkins Square Park there weren't any travelers or crusty punks bathing in the water fountain. There was nothing to watch but yuppies and their yap dogs. Over on Avenue B, my favorite dives were gone, replaced with wine bars and alehouses, where two drinks cost a day's salary. Saturday nights that used to see the streets crawling with locals are now teeming with the thirty- By Amber Sutherland This week's questions come from my lovely and devout readers, Natti and Julia. How much do we really need to know about your Lang boyfriend in our class? bridge-and-tunnel something crowd. The music is leaving just as quickly. Hilly Kristal is taking his renowned CBGB to Las Vegas. Other clubs have also fallen by the wayside, or are facing pressure from skyrocketing real estate prices. Presumably, that makes landlords happy because more expensive, Chelsea-style clubs are coming downtown-think Crash Mansion, Butter, Libation-and bringing expensive drink and ticket prices with them. Perhaps the neighborhood is just coming full-circle. You could say that CBqB and Continental was the gentrification of the 1970s. This next stage of gentrification comes with the new population-transplants, Upper East Side rich kids and students like me. As I bemoan the neighborhood I got drunk in during high school, I wonder, in ten years, who the Economakis family will be complaining about. Feeding Fake Friendships cal night for many New School students, after all. Garrett said over the phone By Samantha Schaifer that the student who designed the pamphlet wanted people to read the inside. "You only do live once," he said, "so you must know the facts." I agree. People should read the facts about drugs that they might be using, but not because they feel guilty that they may have squandered their one chance on earth by getting high in college. Why not just tell smokers they're Many students feel detached going to Hell? Inside, listed under the head- from the people they pass every ing "Common Misconceptions," day on their way to class, even the pamphlet refutes the idea that if they are friends on profile "Marijuana cannot cause lung websites like the Facebook. The cancer." It reads in bold, "stud- truth is, the Facebook isolates ies strongly suggest that smok- the college community, fostering ing marijuana is highly correlated friendships that only exist in cyberspace. with lung cancer." A new feature on the Facebook, But on the next page, under "Facts About Marijuana," the the "News Feed," is designed pamphlet reads, "It's hard to to make these relationships feel know for sure whether regular more meaningful. Whether or not it succeeds is another question. marijuana use causes cancer." The feed scoops up information The pamphlet also makes a from friends' profiles and delivvague comparison between the ers it in a continuously scrolling danger of cigarettes and maristream on your screen. As soon as juana: namely, that marijuana is you log in, you receive hundreds more cancerous. Yet, the pamof ''headlines" pertaining to the phlet doesn't offer any scienlives of your three-hundred and tific evidence. The conclusion? ninety-seven close Facebook pals. Marijuana is worse because it is smoked to "extinction," while a Whether you wanted to know or smoker only tokes on a couple not, you will be bombarded with everything from a person's relainches of a cigarette. tionship status to what they've Apparently, knowing the facts been posting on their friends' doesn't mean you need to know walls. what a fact is. Jeremy Schlangen What's wrong with this picture? The Facebook isn't really an intimate group of close friends sharing a cup of coffee over chit-chat, but a superficially connected network of mock-friends, strangers and acquaintances who wind up knowing more about one another than they ever intended. It is disturbing to think that our generation is so willing to make intimate details about their personal lives available for almost anyone to read. It doesn't make sense that virtual friends have access to our sexual orientation or our politics, when people involved in our real lives may not know nearly as much about us. It's easy to create disposable social groups, especially while living in a fast-paced, fragmented society like New York City. College students clearly feel disconnected from their peers. The latest Facebook innovation seems sure to accelerate the trend. Eugene Lang College is ranked number one in "class discussions encouraged" among liberal arts colleges in the U.S. on the Princeton Review's Best 361 Colleges List. Some people think this is "awesome," but I am not among them. Many students come to college to be inspired by brilliant, pedigreed instructors, not to listen to rich 20 year olds blather on about which "Sex and the City" character they most identify with. Seriously, that show was cancelled. By the end of my first semester at Lang, I knew much more about my classmates than I had ever hoped to. I could write the biography of one student in particulareverything from her courageous upbringing at an exclusive private school in Manhattan, to her more recent escapades waitressing for handbag money in the meatpacking district. This student's unfailing self-absorption managed to dominate the class. Ironically, the overly personal nature of the class discussion actually diminished the integrity of the classroom dynamic. In general, class discussions should actually relate to the material covered in the course. Relating anything in your life to your Russian Calligraphy or Wikipedia: Cultural Studies in Practice courses would be a great stretch, so don't try. If, however, you find yourself taking Amber's Charm School next semester, it would be prudent to share your social mishaps with the class. If you're just another rich kid from the tri-state area, stick to the material. If you find your peers unable to heed this advice, Natti and Julia, just let it serve as a warning never to take a women's studies course. How tight is too tight, in the men's pant department? Oh dear. This question demands the usage of all sorts of euphemisms that I am uncomfortable with. I understand, however, that finding a well-fitting, stylish and inoffensive pant is the primary concern of every Lang student. Tell the boys to consult their anatomy books: none of that stuff ought to be visible. See also: David Bowie in "The Labyrinth." What is a good hipster first date? I suppose you ought to do something ironic: put on your tight pants and go bowling, or play mini-golf, or try to succeed at life. If you really like each other and want to get earnest, you could make some sort of vegan dinner while listening to Neutral Milk Hotel and drinking PBR. And then talk about your feelings and cry or something. [email protected] 4 News & Features CBGB Shuts Grimy Doors, Forever By Josh Kurp club open through October. Kristal says he is currently searching for a site in Las Vegas to open a new CBGB. "I have some developers who have some really great space down there," he said in a recent interview with MTV. "It's a big undertaking, and these developers are putting the money into it, and I want to make sure that, for my benefit and theirs, we make this work." According to Kristal, the new club will open its doors sometime in 2008. Music lovers know CBGB as a place where bands such as The Ramones, Television, the Patti Smith Group, and Talking Heads cut their teeth. The Lower East Side venue opened its doors in December of 1973, originally hosting bluegrass and blues acts. The precise meaning of its acronymic name has always been a ~ matter of dispute, even to some §' CBGB veterans. ~ "In 1976, when I first started j showing my photographs of g: CBGB, people were always askStickers and graffitti on a wall in CBGB are soon headed for Las Vegas. ing me what the hell CBGBOMFUG meant," said Godlis, a CBGB, the acclaimed punk rock urinal, band sticker and bar glass photographer who has worked for club that has been a downtown from its 315 Bowery residence CBGB since its opening. landmark for more than thirty and ship it to Las Vegas, where its "But I swear, only Hilly knew years, will be closing its doors history will be preserved. what that OMFUG really meant," forever this Halloween. CBGB 's lease officially ran he added. "Sure looks great on a After a five-year battle with the up on August 31st of this year, t-shirt though." club's landlord, (the Bowery Res- but Kristal brokered a deal with According to Kristal, CBGBidents Committee (BRC), Hilly BRC, agreeing to pay $35,000 a OMFUG officially stands for Kristal, owner of CBGB, says he month-nearly twice the previ- Country, Bluegrass, Blues and has decided to pack up every last ous rent-in order to keep the Other Music for Uplifting Gor- mandizers. "What is a gormandizer? It's a voracious eater of, in this case, music," Kristal explained. Bluegrass did not survive for very long at CBGB. According to Kristal, punk began at CBGB the day the band Television paid him a visit. "I was on a ladder in front of the club fixing the awning in place, when I looked down to notice three scruffy dudes in tom jeans and t-shirts looking up at me inquisitively," Kristal said. '"WHAT'S GOIN' ON?' or something of that nature, was the question they asked," he continued. "They were Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell, and Richard Lloyd, three of the four members of the rock group Television." A few days later, Terry Ork, Television's manager, came to CBGB and booked a performance for the band. Soon thereafter, the club began drawing acts that were, at that time, part of the musical counterculture. Now, these same bands grace the walls of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. The club is renowned for its tiny stage and overwhelming sound system, which David Fricke, senior editor of Rolling Stone, described in an interview with Inprint as "one of the best in the country." The only rule for musicians was that they had to play original music. As for the patrons, they were, according to Tommy Ramone, Now, the days of the Ramones are long gone and ticket prices can sometimes exceed $40. There is a gift shop next door, which sells everything from CD cases to underwear with CBGB's logo on them. The merchandising has not proved sufficient to cover the rent, however, so it's viva Las Vegas for CBGB-a fact many are not pleased with. "It's going to be so much worse in Vegas," said Danielle Maclndoe, a sophomore at Parsons. "Instead of its 'fuck authority' stance, it will just be a tourist attraction." CBGB's problems with BRC took root in 2000, when the BRC alleged that the club had not paid rent for several years, and owed them $400,000. The two have battled ever since over the unpaid rent and interest. "We've seen this coming for a while," said Aaron Collins, a manager at the CBGB Lounge, next door to the club. "The most shocking thing will be when I walk by and don't see the [CBGB] sign." For the club's last show on October 31st, it has booked Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye. In a fitting tribute, tickets will be $33, the number of years CBGB has been open. Maclndoe says she will miss CBGB because of its intimacy, something she does not experience at high-profile arenas. "It's like a little family there," she said. "And no matter the "artists, bohemians, drag queens, problem, everyone vvou.ld under- and Hell's Angels." stand." Taking a Refugee Camp to the City By Hannah Rappleye It was his first day as the only sur- geon for a population of 500,000, and John De Csepel found himself scooping up the bowels of a patient that had tumbled to the floor of a sweltering-hot, government-owned hospital in Zalingei, Sudan. "I just finished a surgery and the nurse said very casually, 'Oh you might want to take a look at this patient when you have a chance,"' recalled de Csepel, 42, a specialist in laparoscopic surgery and Chief of Minimally Invasive Surgery at St. Vincents Hospital in Manhattan. "I'm thinking no big deal, but then I take off the dressing and find a massive stab wound straight through the back of his abdomen," he continued. "There, life and death just doesn't mean as much. They are so used to death." De Csepel is a medical volunteer for the international humanitarian organization, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders. On the weekend of September 15, he and other MSF staff left such chaotic scenes in underdeveloped and war-tom countries to lead hundreds ofNew Yorkers-and some unwitting tourists-through a mock refugee camp the group had erected on Cherry Hill, near Strawberry Fields in Central Park. At "A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City," visitors wandered through white tents and tiny wooden shacks and examined various cooking implements, makeshift latrines and medical supplies to get an idea of what life as a refugee would be like. "Imagine horsemen coming in the middle of the night," de Csepel told one group of rapt visitors. "They kill all the boys and men, your livestock, and set fire to your home. What would you do?" According to MSF, more than 33 million people around the world have been forced from their homes by war and conflict in areas like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Columbia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, 22 million are considered internally displaced persons (IDPs). IDPs are displaced within the borders of their home country and are not recognized under international law. Unlike other non-governmental aid organizations, in addition to providing medical relief, MSF is committed to broadcasting the details of what their volunteers witness in the field, and lobbies for international intervention in extreme cases. "Bearing witness to the plight of displaced persons, especially when their fundamental rights are violated is a very important part of our work," MSF/USA President Darren Portnoy told reporters at the Central Park event. "We may be where no other agency is present, we may see atrocities that no other outsiders get to see. It then becomes imperative for us to communicate this very clearly with local authorities, with media, with governments, and international bodies." MSF was formed in 1971 by a group of French doctors, including humanitarian Bernard Kouchner, who became disillusioned with the Red Cross policy of strict ~ neutrality during the Nigerian ~ Civil war of 1967-1970, a con- F-fiict which resulted in the death of Doctors Without Borders volunteers show high school students equipment up to three million people in the used in a typical refagee camp in Central Park on September 16. MSF was among the first groups after the Central Park event. coastal province ofBiafra. "The doctor's ethic is you go Kouchner, a Red Cross employ- to respond to the 1994 genocide ee, returned to France and spoke in Rwanda, in which 800,000 for the worst first, and you do evout against the Nigerian govern- Tutsis and moderate Hutus were erything in your power to help. ment and the Red Cross, defy- slaughtered in 100 days. They We're not there to teach people ing the contract he had signed to were also the only aid organiza- how they should live," he added. bring the plight of Biafrans into tion operating in Srebrenica dur- "That is why we are usually acing the Bosnian War. cepted." the international spotlight. MSF specializes in emergency In 2005, Tectonidis helped coorAlong with other doctors who volunteered in Biafra, Kouchner medical relief, including vaccina- dinate the response to a nutritionfounded the Emergency Medical tion campaigns, water and sanita- al emergency in Niger, where, as and Surgical Intervention Group, tion improvement, maternal care of last July, more than 2,000 chilwhich merged with the French and rehabilitation. Any decision dren were being admitted every Medical Relief organization to to enter a country is based on an week to MSF clinics for severe form MSF. The organization's assessment of need, something the malnutrition. In Niger, MSF used Plumpy first mission was to Managua, the group's leaders insist they make capital of Nicaragua, where an without regard to any political, Nut, a nutritious food paste which earthquake in 1972 killed 30,000 religious or economic interests. had a 91 % cure rate for malnutri"It is not our business to be in tion, according to Tectonidis. people. Eighty per-cent ofMSF's funds Since then, MSF has expanded someone else's country unless its aid programs to more than 70 there is excessive mortality," said come from individual donors, countries, with 3,300 internation- Dr. Milton Tectonidis, a nutrition- with $122,348,000 raised last year al staff and 22,500 locally hired al consultant for MSF, at a conferCONTINUED ON PAGE 8 staff. ence at Cooper Union a few days News & Features 5 Action Through Committees Around The Courtyard she took a class taught by Lang Dean Jonathan Veitch and earned sition, won, and has been work- six credits towards her master's ing hard for LSU ever since. degree. "If you put a lot of energy into "It was a really nice introduc[LSU]," Charlton said, "you can tion to the New School for Social really make a difference." Research," Charlton said. When she was a freshman, The seminar made Charlton an Charlton proposed forming a unofficial student of the B.A./ university-wide student senate M.A. program, offered by the (USS). It was an ambitious proj- New School, where undergraduect that numerous students had ate students earn credits toward a undertaken in the past to no avail, Masters degree while simultanewarned Roger Ward, Vice Presi- ously pursuing an undergraduate dent for Student Affairs. USS was degree. She has already comofficially recognized a few weeks pleted the first year of her MA in ago, and she was voted chair last Political Science. Thursday. Charlton is satisfied with the The summer after her freshman progress the LSU has made over year, Charlton moved to Wash- the past years. ington D.C. to work in Congress, "I am happy with our response where she served as a legislative to issues," she said. Last year, the assistant to California Senator Di- LSU created a Dean's Forum, anne Feinstein. where students can take questions After her three-week stay in and complaints to Dean Jonathan D.C., Charlton went to Poland to Veitch and other administrators. participate in the Transregional "If LSU hadn't stepped up, we Center for Democratic Studies, a wouldn't have any student reprePh.D. seminar in Krakow. There, sentatives on committees," like the Academic Curriculum Committee, Charlton added. After graduation, she plans to continue her work at the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), where she works full time as a consultant. Her tentative plan is to stay at NARAL for about a year, then go to medical school at the University of California San Francisco. In ten years, she would "really like to be finishing up medical ~ school, learning how to perform ~ second trimester abortions, but ::r ~ also continuing work on the po~ litical aspects," of abortion and § abortion rights. CONTINUED FROM PAGE I Charlton in the courtyard. LSU Changes Money Policy By Leijia Hanraham The Lang Student Union (LSU), one of Lang's greatest untapped resources, has just announced new structural changes for distributing funds. In order to shift focus to other issues, LSU will hear and debate financial proposals on the first Wednesday of every month rather than every week. This leaves the rest of the month open for discussion and planning of LSU-specific projects. Project proposals must be typed and submitted three days before the meeting, so it can be advertised and added to the agenda. Proposals must include total expenses and a description of the project and how it will benefit the Lang community. All events must be reported back to LSU after they are completed. This year, LSU has also specified that they will not be funding advertisements or senior works, at the request of the Dean. LSU, an inclusive, student-run group, receives $30,000 from the university every year and is responsible for distributing the money. In the past, there has been controversy over the distribution of funds. LSU came into existence in the early 1990's, but disbanded some years later due to the abuse of funds. Student facilitators were sometimes given debit cards and permission to use them for whatever the organization needed. The administration now has slightly more stringent policies in regard to LSU spending. One Lang legend has an advisor dipping into the LSU bank account, buying himself a Vespa and then disappearing. Still, LSU has more say over the students' financial resources than in virtually any other sphere. However, LSU is trying to be more than just a communal bank. Besides funding student proposals, some of LSU's projects this semester include getting a microwave for the cafeteria, publishing course evaluations and asking Lang's food distributor, Chartwells, to ban Coca-Cola from the university due to the corporation's alleged human rights violations. LSU will also be working with the new University Student Senate this year, which held their first elections last Thursday. "LSU can serve as a touchstone for a very diverse, active, and socially integrated student body," said Kate Goff, an LSU facilitator. The L train has been closing down after midnight and during weekends, but a spokesman for the MTA denied that the line is undergoing construction. What are they really doing? Interview by Rob Hartmann & photos by Matthew Mann Alex Hampshire "They're having a masquerade ball down there. They're in their hardhats and having a blast, listening to Perry Kuomo or something." Lilly Atlihan "The train that goes to the hipsters is not important and does not warrant proper maintenance. Fuck the L train." Chris Graham "When the L train travels under the River, there iS not enough room in the passageway for the train and the egos of all the hipsters, so only one can go through at a time." Persistent L Train Delays Hit Students Hard CONTINUED FROM PAGE I to nearly 30.5-million. It was a higher number, evidently, than the MTA expected. In 2002, the MTA purchased $443 million worth of new subway cars. Just over two hundred newKawasaki-madeR143 carsthe newer, wider ones with digital clocks and message feeds-went into service, costing $1.5 million a piece. Still, problems persist with the line's train service-namely, the number and frequency of trains that run on any given day. According to the Straphangers Association, a member of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), only 32% of passengers on the L-train can expect to have a seat during rush hours. The aveq!ge is 49% on other lines. "A lot of times I'll get out a couple stops early and just walk the extra blocks," Axelson says. "It's not worth it with the train so crowded." The Age of Inconvenience The New York City subway system is over a century old, making it no easy feat to increase the number of trains and the frequency of service. The trains have always run on what's called a "fixed block" system, which requires a certain distance between each train. According to the Straphangers, the fixed block system sends a signal to "Train A" as soon as "Train B" enters a section of track. To avoid collision, the signal prevents "Train A" from moving into the section of track that "Train B" occupies. However, the designated sections of track are lengthy, and the signal does not indicate exactly where the train is and within that large section. Often, trains A and B could be running much closer to each other without danger of collision. The Manhattan Transit Authority (MTA) cannot simply run more trains, they say. It is a matter of reworking infrastructure. The complications can make the Lmore crowded than a Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert at a Bedford Avenue loft. The L line has been undergoing construction and repairs since 2004, often limiting service and inconveniencing riders. But some feel the end, a revitalized L line, will justify the means. "The construction is, long-term, a beneficial thing for L riders," says Neysa Pranger, Straphanger Association Campaign Coordinator. The focus of the construction is to shift the L line to a Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signaling service. This will enable the trains to run very closely to one another, Pranger says, making service more frequent. The CBTC service will provide each train with its own signal. An MTA worker at a centralized command center will monitor the exact location of all trains on the line. The L will be the first line ever to run on CBTC. Construction Delays for the Next Century The construction on the L line is taking longer than the MTA expected, Pranger said. The L-train was originally scheduled to shut down for only twelve weekends in 2006, but by December it will have exceeded that number. Unplanned, late-night shut downs are also expected. "They're trying to apply 21st century technology to 19th century infrastructure," Pranger explains. The result is that many riders need to seek out alternate routes on weekends or late at night. The alternate route most often used is one or two shuttle buses that ferry riders from the Metropolitan L stop and the J stop at Myrtle Ave. "It sucks when you're in Manhattan and you realize it's after midnight and you either have to walk all the way to the J, or spend extra money on a cab," Axelson says. "Most weekends when the L is down I just don't go into Manhattan." The MTA does not provide message boards to display real-time service information in any of the line's stations, making the lengthy wait a "blind" one. The boards should be in by this month, the MTA recently announced. A spokesman was unable to say whether the signs are to be placed under or above ground. The L line will be the first line to have the boards. "Electronic signage will be a big bonus for riders," Pranger says, "It would be great for me to know if I had time to run and get a cup of coffee or a paper while I waited." Confusion and Budget Woes at tbeMTA Officials at the MTA contacted for this article refused to answer questions about service changes on the L. Others would not return repeated phone calls requesting comment. Mark Green, a spokesman for the MTA, denies that there was construction on the L train. He does not have access to "a giant book of answers," he says. Others were unable to say whether the MTA will purchase new trains or complete construction this year. Two weeks ago, The New York Times reported a proposed MTA budget cut of $20 million. If enacted, the cut would increase typical bus and subway wait times by anywhere from one to five minutes. There is also a 5% fare increase outlined in next year's ...,i budget. 1f The chairman of the MTA, Peter ~ S. Kalikow, has adamantly denied ~ that he will endorse such a hefty cut or fare increase. He has not, however, proposed an alternative method for warding off the MTA's anticipated $905 million deficit in 2008. Someone waiting/or the L train. Entertainment 6 Happy Birthday, Mr. Reich! High Fashion Vertigo By Alison Bensimon New York City, Pier 93, midSeptember: Gentlemen in straight-legged Tsubi jeans, white Hanes tees and dark Tom Ford sunglasses; a gaggle of girls chitchatting about the newest Christian Louboutin sky-high stilettos. Don't be surprised-it's just Coterie, a trade show that's become a crucial part of fashion week in New York City. Coterie is a veritable fashion circus. Upon arrival, I stepped onto a red carpet; I figured it was there to make "regular" people feel almost famous. Luxurious and trendy clothing was displayed in endless rows of booths. I was overwhelmed: I saw firsthand the likes of Stussi, Ed Hardy, Antik Denim, Frankie B, Acne Jeans, Marc Jacobs and Betsy Johnson. What's new for the fall? Skyhigh platforms and fur, evidently. I stopped by a rack of minktrimmed coats-there were only three left and they still smelled like perfume. These retailed for a couple thousand dollars. A seller came up to me, assuming I was a buyer. I didn't know what to say, so I just smiled and walked away. One booth was illuminated in pink and featured a cotton candy machine. The man behind the machine asked if I wanted some. Of course, I said yes. As I waited, he caught me staring at a pair of patent leather stilettos and said, "You have to get them. They come in white and in black, and they're called Almost Famous." Everyone wants to take a bite of the Big Apple's chic and trendy fashion scene, especially during fashion week. I, however, opted to take a big bite out of my fluffy, pink cotton candy instead. At Barnes & Noble, Required Reading Never Was So Good By Kait McQuaide and Julia Schweizer Lynch on Lynch? Geek Love? The Pagan Rabbi? These are titles more likely found at the usedbooks behemoth the Strand, or for sale on some street corner, than on an assigned reading list. That's what makes the New School so special. Take a trip to Barnes & Noble at 105 Fifth Ave., where the New School has its own section, and you may think twice about the dreaded phrase, ''Required Reading List." It's a great place to browse the stacks for provocative reading, even when you don't have to. A couple weeks ago, Ryan Marsh, a performance major at The Jazz and Contemporary Music School, was picking up Bombing To Win by Robert Pape, a critique on coercive tactics in modern warfare. He also had On Guerilla Warfare by Mao Tse-tung. That's a far cry from the thick texts NYU's College of Arts and Sciences students pick up at the university's central bookstore any given semester. ~ One CAS student wandering ~· the aisles at Barnes and Noble ~ last week was clutching five text,0 books-hard-hitting titles like In§. tro to Java Programming Fundag. menials and Foundation Set For Jazz student Ryan Marsh picks out some required reading at Barnes General and Organic Chemistry. & Noble He only had one "real" book. A Barnes and Noble employee, Isabelle, added that the reading list for NYU's Stern School of Business is "more non-fiction and classics, more history, poly-sci, immigration studies and definitely more textbooks." Translation: their reading is dutifully dull. The arcane academia that gets read at Lang is at least handpicked, intended to provoke critical thought (and, occasionally, complaints about the bad writing scholars are known for), not to shove opinions down student readers' throats. That's what textbooks are for. It's the kind of reading that makes our unique learning environment that much more satisfying. Not convinced? Pick up a copy of Pissing in the Snow, by Vance Randolph. It's that scholarly tome right there in the middle of the New School section. Poetry Reading Review It's the Best American Poetry, and That's All We Got? By Najva Soleimani On Thursday, September 21st, in the Tishman Auditorium at exactly 7 P.M., Billy Collins read one poem. It wasn't a particularly memorable one, though Collins was an entertaining reader. Following Collins came ten poets whose work appeared in this year's Best American Poetry, an annual anthology founded in 1988 by New School professor David Lehman. Each year, a guest editor (including past Poet Laureates Rita Dove and Louise Gltick) joins Lehman in selecting poems; this year's guest editor was Collins, himself a former Poet Laureate (2001-2003). At the reading, the ten poets each read one poem from the anthology and one from other works. The readers in the later part of the evening were the most engaging, in particular Jennifer Knox. Her "Hot Ass Poem" named nouns, such as a man, a bird and a bike, and described their "hot, hot ass[es ]." ~ co'° Billy Collins before reading at Tishman Auditorium. By Peter Holslin New York City native Steve Reich looks a lot like a baseball fan. In most photographs, he is fatherly and casual, wearing baseball caps and button-down shirts. It's an unassuming look for an ambitious person. Reich is one of the country's most provocative contemporary composers. His exhaustive minimalist pieces employ polyrhythms, field recordings and recurring melodic motifs and are informed by historical events, African drumming, Balinese gamelan and jazz. Reich turns 70 on October 3rd, and concert halls across the city are hosting "Steve Reich @ 70" to celebrate. The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is set to present some of his work on October 3rd. On the 22nd, Carnegie Hall will host a performance of Reich's new piece, "Daniel Variations," which is based on parts of the Book of Daniel and the late journalist Daniel Pearl. The Whitney is also hosting an event, free with museum admission, on Sunday, October 15, at 2pm. New York artists like Lee Ranaldo, of Sonic Youth, So Percussion and Alarm Will Sound will perform some of Reich's work. Reich's work is so rhythmically complex that performances can be mesmerizing, but the intricacy and energy can be a challenge to maintain. For example, it's no contest that "Drumming," a four-movement piece that starts with a simple wood block and ends, over an hour later, in layers of poly-rhythmic tapping, clapping and singing, takes an unprecedented focus to perform live. So Percussion released their version of "Drumming" on Cantaloupe Music last year. They are sure to take on similar Reich works at the Whitney with meticulous panache. Alarm Will Sound, who released dexterous instrumental covers of Aphex Twin's spastic electronica last year, can also hold their own. If anyone could take on Reich's work, it would be eccentric New York City groups like these. Whether they can look as casual as Reich while doing it, though, is another story. Call for Submissions The Lang Theatre Collective wants you to submit written work to be directed, performed and produced by students. We are accepting original works of one-act plays, scenes, monologues and poetry. Our goal is to give voice to the undiscovered talents and eclectic edge of Lang students. We will graciously welcome submissions by hand or you can e-mail us at LangTheatreCollective@ gmail.com. The Lang Theatre Collective is Sutton Crawford, Annie Feld, Dan Jacobson, Devin Murphy, LJ Regine and Phoebe Tyers. Deadline October 9. 20 page max. Reviews 7 Prime Cuts, Rotten Apples Your Guide to the Best (and Blurst) zn Todays Fine Art Rating is on a 1 to 10 basis Justin Timberlake, FutureSex/LoveSounds, • 0 By Jen Kolic Justin Timberlake ain't what he used to be. Amazingly, he's worse. With a whole boy-band singing backup, he was annoying. Now he's actually trying to be serious. The result is an album that sounds like every overplayed club song you've ever heard, all remixed to the same mind-numbing beat. "Lovestoned?" Right. He's been running around telling anyone who'll listen that he drinks and does drugs. It makes sense-he'd JUSTIN 'I'Il\1Bl~I ' XII > Film The Science of Sleep. Dir. Michel Gondry. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rated R. • 8 "Guy's making me smell the sperm!" Stephane's coworker shouts in one of many dream sequences (or are they realities?) in The Science of Sleep. Michel Gondry's latest film, trailing the success of his Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, explores Stephane's (Gael Garcia Bernal) inability to discern his dreams from reality, and his borderline-creepy love for his neighbor, Stephanie. At times, The Science of Sleep becomes a film about film narrative. Part of the fun lies in the audience trying to distinguish which scenes takes place in reality and which do not. Visually, the film is phenomenal. The animation stands out as some of the best CGI in yearssimilar to the kind seen in some of Jan Svankmajer's films, only less grotesque and more integral to the narrative. If you are able to hear through the obnoxiously loud hipster guffaws that come up every three seconds in the theater, pay close attention to Stephane's exaltations for Stephanie-they can reveal a much darker aspect of an otherwise bright and superficially self-aware independent film. John Zuarino Copying Beethoven. Dir. Agnieszka Holland. Starring Ed Harris, Diane Kruger. Rated have to be massively coked-up to think this record is something to be proud of. Even the parade of extra musicians (Timbaland, T.I., Three 6 Mafia, Will.I.Am) can't hide the fact that Justin Timberlake is not Michael Jackson, not Prince and wholly, profoundly not Stevie Wonder, as some critics claim. Hell, he's not even Will Smith. Why is he trying, anyway? Recording an album shouldn't be a c: game of musical dress-up. Then ~ Shi/pa Ray of Beat the Devil, dances on stage during a performance. again, you can't expect much from an artist who still doesn't write all of his own material. FutureSex/LoveSounds is repetitive, overproduced and lyrically devoid of any discernible substance; imagine a train wreck at a disco. On "SexyBack" he whines, "I'll let you whip me if I misbehave." If it were up to me, he'd get the buckle end of the belt. In Gondry's surreal world, Gael Garcia Bernal engages in battle. PG-13. • 7 Hey kids, break out the Ludwig van records-Beethoven is hip again! In Copying Beethoven, Ed Harris plays a modernized Beethoven in his later years, an old mischievous rock star. When Beethoven seeks a copyist to assist him with his latest masterpiece, the 9th Symphony (most recently heard on cell phones nationwide), Anna Holtz (Diane Kruger) is recommended due to her "God-given talent for writing music." She isn't shy about repeating that over and over again. After the standard "women can't do anything, prove me wrong" scenario that we've seen here from Working Girl to Beauty and the Beast, the film covers new ground, reminding us that 1820s Vienna was a swinging place to be. "I haven't had a hard-on since he could hear," remarks one ofBeethoven's friends, while old Ludwig himself takes great pleasure in mooning an astonished Anna. As far as biopics go, Copying Beethoven is refreshing, even with a few subplots that go nowhere. This is not your greatgreat-great-great-great grandfather's Beethoven. Copying Beethoven opens October 13th. -Almie Rose Vazzano with lyrics inspired by Edward Gorey drawings. It may be overClub Date: Live at the Paradise amplified, plodding, tinny and rife in Boston. Starring the Pixies with a harmonium's drone tones, has been twenty years since the but it is unique and enticing. Led by the melodic growl of Pixies exploded onto the scene in Boston with abrasive guitar lines singer Shilpa Ray, this five song and mystifying lyrics. When the EP sends shivers down its listenPixies unexpectedly disbanded er's back with its opening track, in 1993, they broke the hearts of "Plea Bargain." No wonder they have a residency at Sin-e. fans across the country. Backed by a harmonium (which Recently, however, they reunited and their intimate concert is a kind of pedal-pumped organ), filmed at The Paradise in Boston Ray delivers lines like, "snorting eight balls of text book lies," is unreal. Kim Deal 's voice is as angelic as with all the grime of a New York ever. The voice of Black Francis City alleyway. Her overpowering (or whatev- moans are in a sensuously perfect er he is call- key. A listener may wonder what's ing himself these days) going to happen next. Will she still reso- snarl or croon? Maybe both? Einates with ther way, as Ray puts it, "I cooked grief. Har- these for you guys, so you better monized, eat them and enjoy it!" Beat the Devil celebrates the the two balrelease of this EP at Sin-e (150 ance eac "Wmterlong." "Monkey Gone to Attorney St. at Stanton St.), on Heaven" is pure bliss. Kim's ethe- October 4th.- Chelsea Werner real call in "Where is my Mind?" will make you cry. Spank Rock, YoYoYoYoYo • 9.5 After watching the bonus footThis album accomplishes what age from a show in 1986, it's hard most artists could only hope for to look at the Pixies in the same on their first record: the kind of way. Twenty years is a long time, kinetic enthusiasm that is like a and it is evident that they have steamroller in been through a lot; a subtle knowtheir live pering look from Kim Deal says it formances. all. Spank Rock They've still got it. - Hannah . . borrows from Papageorge Memphis Music Crunk and Rio favela funk, East London Beat the Devil, Beat the Devil, grime and Houston chopped-and•7 On their self-titled EP, Beat the screwed, and employs spitfire onDevil combines blues and jazz slaughts as much as slow, filthy DVD 0 ft grooves. Armani Xxxchange's beats are futuristic and complex, challenging listeners to follow Spank Rock's fervent lyrics. Every line essentially functions as a hook. YoYoYoYoYo serves as a remarkably comprehensive exploration of the newest sounds in hip-hop. Very Baltimore. Very gutter. Very good. - Justin Lane-Briggs Books Pride of Baghdad. Author Briank K. Vaughan. Art by Niko Henricbon. • 7.5 In 2003, a pride oflions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during the American bombing of Iraq. This is the lions' story. It's a simple story, but Pride manages to comment on a controversial conflict in the spirit of Watership Down and Animal Farm-through the use of talking animals. Vaughan tells his story from the lions' perspective, as they trample their way through the rubble. All the while, the birds claim," the sky is falling." At times, Vaughan's agenda can be a little overbearing; such as during the constant debate over the definition of "freedom." In one scene, a group of US soldiers stand over several bullet-ridden animals. One asks if they're wild in Iraq, and another tells him, ''No, not wild. They're free." Cue the bird flying into the smoke. Pride may not be worth the $20, but it's at least worth reading for free in some crevice of the bookstore. It's quick reading and it makes you think, even if it's nothing to go fanboy over. - John Zuarino - 8 Back Page Neighborhood Profile: Wall Street Photographs by Alexander Porter I I I. I f I 1 I I I Doctors Without Borders in Central Park CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 in the United States alone. With independent funds, the group can develop innovative medical treatments like Plumpy Nut-something many aid groups cannot do because of administrative or costrelated obstacles. Most organizations, including UNICEF, only use Plumpy Nut in emergencies, Tectonidis said. "This is 25 cents a package," he said. "There is no excuse for not using this, with the millions of children dying in the world today." One of the most difficult challenges MSF faces now is getting aid to those affected by conflict in Darfur. The region is the focus of MSF's largest relief effort. In 2003, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement launched a rebellion against the Sudanese government, accusing them of oppressing non-Arabs. In response, government-armed Arab militias known as "janjaweed" were released into Darfur and began terrorizing the black African population, raping women, murdering men and destroying villages. MSF and other foreign observers say that more than 200,000 people have died, 5 million have been internally displaced, and an estimated 200,000 have sought refuge in neighboring Chad. The Sudanese President, Omar el-Bashir, recently refused to allow UN peacekeepers into the country. The United States has officially described the violence in Darfur as genocide, but MSF does not plan to call for international military intervention, as they did during the Rwandan genocide. "In Rwanda, we were treating patients and they were being massacred at the gates of our hospital," explained MSF's Executive Director, Nicolas Torrente, at the Cooper Union Event. "It was a difficult decision for us to take, because humanitarian work is a peaceful endeavor," he continued. "We don't feel that humanitarian work has lost its meaning," in Sudan. Most MSF employees describe their work as immensely gratifying, but acknowledge its dangerous nature. They usually work in remote areas, like Sudan, where the threat of violence is high. On July 16, an MSF ambulance was shot at while traveling on a road in Darfur and the driver was beaten. Four days later, an MSF team was whipped and robbed in the same area. "We're a soft target, clearly," Torrente said. "It's still easier to kill aid workers than it is to attack armed soldiers." "There are some times when you say something, you're dead," added Tectonidis. "But you've got to stand up sometimes. You've got to fight back." (Right) Illustrated instructions for latrine use in a refagee camp. (Bottom) Equipment used at the camp.