NYU Students Agree: Secrets Don't Create Community

At New York University, students have long acknowledged their lack of community, but during the 2012-13 school year, various pages on Facebook have attempted to fill in the gaps.  By far the most popular is NYU Secrets, which posts anonymous messages from students confessing to everything from depression, to unrequited love, to pranks played on their roommates.  Although the page states that its “mission” is “to give NYU a community,” students interviewed on Friday disagreed, believing that although it’s entertaining, NYU Secrets, and pages like it, don’t do much to actually bring people together.

“It cheapens the effect of something that’s honest,” said Claudia Dimuro, a sophomore majoring in Media, Culture, and Communications.  She recalls one post in which a girl had discovered she was pregnant and didn’t know what to do.  “It’s very grave, but if you post it on the internet it’s not taken as seriously.”

NYU Secrets has over 11,000 “likes” and has posted about 1,800 secrets since it began in late November last year.  While the secrets are anonymous, each one is open to comments from anyone on Facebook, a situation which often leads to insensitive remarks being made in attempts to amuse others.  The worst comments have even spawned a blog, NYU Secrets Bigots, which “calls out” those who make racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive statements.

Dimuro thinks it’s an unfortunate issue, but that when someone submits a secret, they “have to realize they’re opening themselves up to ridicule.”  As for the commenters, they’re just one example of how the page doesn’t live up to its mission.  She continued:  “It drives you apart... because if you stay isolated in front of the computer screen, you’re not going out and finding yourself with other physical beings”

Behind her, in Washington Square Park, members of NYU’s Class Activities Board were setting up a tent for their “Spring Fling,” luring students out into the sunny weather with promises of free food and giveaways.  Kate Russell, who joined Dimuro in waiting for the event to start, agreed that NYU Secrets did not create an environment where friendships could form.

“People will say things to you that they would never say to anybody in person” said Russell, a Liberal Studies student and founder of themusicobession.com, a music blog which she has run since 2008.  “If [NYU Secrets] really wanted to do something productive...” she paused, thinking. “I don’t want to say a therapy group, but you know what I mean.  Instead of venting and poking fun at anonymous people’s real life problems, it’d be better to have a club.”

Creating a real-world community though, is where NYU struggled in the first place.  No one can pinpoint the reason for students’ lack of camaraderie, but the open campus, unpopularity of school sports, and brisk Manhattan attitude have all been named as culprits at one time or another.  

“It’s a much more independent school,” said Laura Valenza, a sophomore studying comparative literature, who believes one needs to be unabashedly outgoing (or at least fake it pretty well) to make friends outside of the dormitories.  “I’ve met people who are so judgemental,” she continued, “but if you don’t put yourself out there you’re never going to get anywhere.”

Valenza also theorized that the internet was beginning to change her peers’ real-world behavior.  “I feel like people are getting more careless with what they say,” she said.  “There’s so many times when people say things to me and they can’t even put together the pieces of how it would be really insulting.”

“People aren’t as bad as other people make them out to be” said Dimuro, but you have to “weed that out by talking to them.”  She suggests complementing their clothing or talking before a class.   “Even if you’re interacting for just a second you’re at least making someone feel better about themselves” chimed in Russell.  “Rather than saying something negative on the internet, that lasts longer since it’s in writing.”
Dimuro and Russell met outside their freshman dorm during a fire drill, but acknowledge that this kind of random connection was rare.  “We just nodded at each other like ‘yup, I hate everything,’” said Russell.  “But if you were looking down at your phone, we wouldn’t have had that moment.”

Mayoral Candidates Agree to Help NYCHA Community

            The New York City mayoral candidates at Saturday’s forum on public housing were, for the most part, differentiated by their popularity among the audience members, rather than by any unique opinions.  Although there were some slight variations, the five candidates, who were all running as Democrats, generally agreed on ending the “stop and frisk” policy, reevaluating Mayor Bloomberg’s “infill plan,” and creating a system in which building repairs would be made quickly, by local workers.

            The event, called “What’s at stake for NYCHA communities?,” was hosted by the Community Service Society and Union Local 237, moderated by New York Times columnist Michael Powell.  NYCHA stands for New York City Housing Authority, which oversees the 334 public housing sites around the five boroughs.  The candidates present were William Thompson, Sal Albanese, Bill de Blasio, John Liu, and Christine Quinn, who arrived after the second question to a chorus of boos and shouts of “she’s late again!”

            Held at the Salvation Army Centennial Memorial Temple, the first floor of plush red seats was about two-thirds full when the panel began.  The attendees, mostly older men and women, many of who proudly donned “NYCHA votes” buttons, were clearly passionate about the public housing that they lived in or around. 

As Powell posed questions, wild applause for Thompson’s and Liu’s responses distinguished them as the audience’s favorites.  Quinn was frequently attacked for her actions within the current mayoral administration, and despite being named the frontrunner elsewhere, remained extremely unpopular with the audience.

            “She’s gonna have to show she’s not like Bloomberg,” said Tyree Stanback, President of the Lafayette Gardens Resident Association.  “Albanese came across as not understanding housing” he continued.  “And all of them have this political stage thing going on.” 

Because the candidates’ plans for public housing were so similar, Lisa Caplan, a longtime resident of the Lower East Side, also felt it was impossible to tell which ones were genuine.  “It’s really hard to feel out,” she shrugged. “There’s so much rhetoric.”  However, because she lived near several NYCHA communities, Caplan was relieved that there was unity with regards to the infill plan, which would have sold plots of open land within developments to private companies.  “I was glad to hear people say it wasn’t gonna happen,” she said. 

They may all have opposed it, but the infill question became a breaking point in the candidates’ discussion.  De Blasio took the opportunity to blame Quinn, sarcastically thanking her for helping Bloomberg win a third term, which allowed him to push the infill plan.  “Speaker Quinn is clearly the preferred candidate of the real estate industry,” he continued.  As Quinn defended herself, a blonde woman in the audience leapt up, pointing and yelling, and soon three security guards surrounded her.  Her anger was enough for many others, who began gathering their things and shuffling out of the auditorium.

            Stanbeck stayed until the very end, waiting to hear about his main concern, the lack of timely repairs throughout the NYCHA system.  He wore a gray polo shirt and baseball cap, both embroidered with the name of the resident association, and was carrying a stack of pamphlets that had been handed out at the door.  A repair at Lafayette Gardens “takes two weeks to a month” said he said, “but that’s for a vocal resident leader.”  For an “average resident,” it might take three to six months, or even a year if the repair requires a skilled worker like a plumber or electrician. 

            De Blasio called the situation “pitiful,” again blaming the Bloomberg administration for wasting funds on an unhelpful computerized repairs database.  Albanese called for “decent wages,” and other candidates echoed them, adding that repair workers should be hired locally within each development.

Penn South Towers Remain Safe in a Growing Chelsea

The residents of Penn South continue to enjoy their quiet and peaceful pocket of Chelsea, even as shimmering upscale apartment towers sprout up around the neighborhood.  None of the people interviewed this weekend at the affordable housing project, also known as the Mutual Redevelopment Houses, had encountered any crime first-hand there.

            “It’s a great place to live,” remarked Edith Melaned, a retiree.  On Sunday morning, Melaned was wheeling a small cart past the 23rd Street subway stop, on her way to do that week’s grocery shopping.  She has lived at Penn South for 21 years, and has always loved Chelsea, even as it’s become “a little more upscale.”

            Penn South is comprised of ten residential towers spread out over six blocks between 8th Avenue and 9th Avenue.  It is a cooperative, built in 1957, which aims to “provide good housing at a moderate cost.”  According to its website, approximately 55% of its residents have incomes of less than $40,000 a year.  The buildings are surrounded with small paths and green space, and the four churches and school within the development provide a sense of community for those who live there.

“There’s very good security,” said Melaned, but acknowledged that “it’s gotten better since I came here.”  Although there are few break-ins anymore, she remembers they used to be more frequent.  “Sometimes there was a problem with people getting in,” she said, but ever since the towers had cameras installed, it’s been easier for the security guards to catch intruders.

Penn South is part of the NYPD’s 10th precinct, which covers a chunk of Manhattan’s west side between 14th Street and 43rd Street.  Crime in the area has generally trended downward for the past 20 years, with a small increase of burglaries and larceny (theft) in the past two, according to police department crime statistics.  Compared to neighboring precincts, Chelsea is doing well.  Both Midtown and the Flatiron district had about twice the number of severe crimes in 2012.

The area’s most alarming statistic is that grand larceny, or theft of property worth over $1,000, grew 70 percent between 2001 and 2012.  However, an officer at the precinct office, who was not authorized to speak to the press and could not give his name, explained that all incidences of stolen credit cards, no matter how they were used, are counted as grand larceny.  The increase could be attributed to the growing population and visitors to new tourist attractions, like the Highline and the Chelsea gallery district.

On Saturday, by Penn South’s Episcopal church, a woman runs over to a nearby NYPD van with an urgent question.  “Can I park over there?” she asks, leaning down to the van’s window and pointing across the street.  “The sign just says Monday to Friday.”  The two officers inside appear to consult each other before answering her, making sure they’re correct.

The NYPD doesn’t have too hard a time keeping Chelsea safe, as evidenced by the number of officers on patrol.  The van was the only police vehicle seen at Penn South, and the officer at the precinct office reported that there were only twelve officers working on Saturday, with eight of them out on patrol.

            When he lived downtown, Jay Stapleton “used to hear the sirens” more often, but says he feels completely safe living at Penn South, even without an obvious police presence.  But, he said, “I still watch out…like anywhere else in New York.”  Stapleton moved into his tower “about three and a half” years ago, just after his daughter was born.  On Sunday, he was watching her roll a bouncy ball around at one of the private basketball courts.  “I like the parks” he said, of Penn South. “It’s a nice place.”

Students Seek More Outlets in Bobst Library

            Chris Noel was already en route to his recitation when he decided to skip it.  He had another class to study for, and he had already made it to the library, so all he needed was to find a decent place to sit.  “The recitation was on the eighth floor, so I went to the ninth floor,” he recalled.  But upon arrival, he made a startling realization: “the outlets on the ninth floor—they don’t work.” 

            In New York University’s Bobst Library, it can be hard for students like Noel to get the power they need.  Newly renovated floors have a plethora of electrical outlets to charge a laptops or tablet, which almost every student needs to write essays, review a professor’s Powerpoint, or read an electronic textbook.  On older floors, where outlets are scarce, study time is limited by a computer’s battery life.  In Noel’s case that’s just an hour and a half, barely longer than the recitation he was missing.

            On Saturday afternoon, students had their pick of seats, but during midterms or finals, when the library is packed, there aren’t many desks available, let alone outlets.   It’s not uncommon to see people wandering the library endlessly, heads bowed down looking for outlets at the base of the wall, or for the power strips at Bobst’s own computer stations to be taken over by MacBook chargers.

 “It makes me so mad” said John Lee, discussing the times when the library, is full.  His favorite spots end up being taken, and he ends up “going to those wacky floors” where there isn’t anywhere to charge his computer.  His friend, Daniel Soo, who was slouching against his backpack on one of Bobst’s semicircular leather couches, clarified which floors Lee might be talking about.  “There’re like no outlets on the eighth floor,” he said.  “Or in the reading rooms.” 

                        Bobst, opened in 1973, stores 3.7 million books and gives NYU students access to “thousands” of online documents and journals.  According to Bobst’s website, the library has about 7,400 visitors each day, many of whom stay to study on one of its eleven open floors.  In 2005, the two lower levels were renovated, adding more computer stations and group study spaces.  A similar process happened in 2010 for the fourth and fifth floors to create a “21st century research commons” with 400 additional seats and, that’s right, more outlets.

            Although the older seventh, eighth, and ninth floors have a few desks with outlets attached, it’s not always clear if they’ll be able to charge a computer. “My favorite floor was the seventh because I like being alone,” said Tolga Goff, but “some tables have outlets that don’t work.”  “You have to go around with a phone charger and check,” he continued, moving his hand back and forth as if plugging something in.  Today, Goff had opted for the sixth floor, which was remodeled last semester and now offers the same amenities as the fourth and fifth. 

Before the renovation, Joyce Chen had also been occasionally unable to find a table with nearby outlets.  But “not anymore” she said.  “Because I only study on the sixth floor.”  Chen, who is at Bobst “basically every day,” likes to arrive early, often before 9 a.m., and claim a seat at one of the four-person tables against the library’s south wall.  Each one has eight outlets built in, so Chen no longer has to choose between charging her MacBook or her iPhone.  It’s definitely a luxury, but one that makes cramming for exams or writing ten-page essays that much less stressful.

Although the old floors can be an annoyance to the twenty-first century student, the interviewees agreed that Bobst was still the best place to study.  “Bobst is a great place for everything—you can eat, study, talk…” said Goff, trailing off.  On a sunny day, he says, “I’d rather be outside, but Bobst is second best.”

NYU Town Hall Questions University’s Long-Term Financial Plan

          Although the town hall was meant to focus on the finances of just a few contested building projects at New York University, students and faculty in attendance steered the conversation to big-picture economic risk and sustainable expansion, reflecting recent worries about NYU’s rapid growth.  Attendees became especially concerned with the idea of increasing enrollment and the university becoming unsustainably large in the future.

            The development discussed at the meeting is part of NYU 2031, a plan for university expansion originally proposed in 2010.  It included new construction near NYU’s current holdings around New York City, but most controversially, four new buildings in the Village.  Despite protests from residents and neighbors, the City Commission approved an increase of 1.92 million square feet on the two “superblocks” between Mercer Street and LaGuardia Place.  Lawsuits continue, but NYU has created the University Space Priorities Working Group (USPWG) to evaluate what sort of spaces should be built.

 “As you surely know, there is a litigation going on as we speak” said Larry White, giving an introduction to the Financial Committee of the USPWG, which hosted Thursday’s town hall meeting.  “Until that is resolved, nothing substantive will happen.”  Indeed, there wasn’t much new information being offered—the committee had only studied half of the development proposed on the superblocks.  Without an architect or even a definite plan for what new buildings would house, the Financial Committee had been examining the university’s finances to determine if such a large-scale project was possible.

Throwing up his arms a bit helplessly, White opened the floor to questions.  First to the microphone was Jan Lewstein, who questioned the financial risk of the project in light of disasters like Hurricane Sandy and the economic collapse of 2008.  “The budgeting to us looks fairly conservative” Andrew Schotter replied. Over the course of 30 years, NYU could borrow up to $1.4 billion, but has capped its annual debt service spending at 7% or less of its annual budget. To Schotter, the only problem that could truly affect NYU’s financial plans would be a drop in enrollment, which is unlikely to happen.  Indeed, the committee had projected a 0.5% increase in the number of undergraduate students each year.  This means that in 30 years, the undergraduate population would grow from about 38,000 to 44,500.

 “Should the student body be growing?” asked a biology professor, who was later echoed by other attendees.  If the student body constantly grows larger, it was supposed that NYU would continue to need more space, creating an infinite cycle of expansion.  Ted Magder, chair of the Working Group, emphasized that the university is “tuition-driven” and that this committee was unable to affect the “underlying economic.”  Since the committee was working on finances in an approximately ten-year period, they had not considered anything beyond that.

Alec Foster, a Steinhardt student and member of the Student Senators Council, decided it wasn’t just the committee members who weren’t thinking about the long run.  “The average student doesn’t care much,” he said, considering most would only be around for four years.  Even professors (over 30% of whom are adjuncts) might not stay at NYU until 2022, the earliest that construction could begin on the superblocks.  Although concerned with the value of his degree, in the end, said Foster, “this [issue] is kind of a huge distraction.”