Students 2019
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IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KEEP THIS ISSUE, RECYCLE IT. NYU’S TOP 10 INFLUENTIAL STUDENTS 2019 The Climate for Change These 10 students are redefining what environmentalism means both on campus and around the world. LETTER Jakiyah Bradley FROM THE EDITORS 04 06 Wayne Carino 08 Jon Chin 10 Devin James Gilmartin This year’s Influentials is a bit of the same and a bit of of organization and logistical planning, making the main something new. While the issue still contains 10 profiles photoshoot go as smoothly as possible — and the photos Omar Gowayed of incredible students making an impact at NYU, there’s are astounding. We also want to thank the rest of our multi a twist this time around. For the first time, we’ve added team who shadowed with our writers and took the great 12 a theme! This year’s Influentials issue is not just about a photos that grace our spread: Sam, Julia McNeill, Elaine set of influential people, but also a type of influence — Chen, Marva Shi, Ellie Ballou, Jorene He, Min Ji Kim, Chel- environmentalism. The issue is meant to analyze the ways sea Li and Sara Miranda. in which students are working to engage with environmen- This is also the first time we have produced additional tal issues and provide solutions while also giving insight content for an Influentials issue, which you will be able to into who each of these students are, as the leaders of find online. Traditionally Influentials has only included 10 tomorrow. profiles, but this year, we also have a series of features, cre- Maha Hashwi First, a huge thanks to our influential students: Winnie ative writing pieces and a stunning photo essay, allowing Xu, Carlos Martinez-Mejia, Heather Vaxer, Jon Chin, Devin us to take an expansive scope at tackling this theme. James Gilmartin, Maha Hashwi, Wayne Carino, Omar Go- We would like to thank Fin, Marva, Kate Lowe, Fareid 14 wayed, Jakiyah Bradley and Eni Owoeye. We are not only El Gafy, Maxine Flasher-Duzgunes, Rachel Lee, Eugene Hu grateful for the time you afforded us in letting us into your (thanks for your comic, too) and Tayler Bakotic. Maxine, lives, but of course for the incredible work you all do in and especially, has gone above and beyond in putting together out of NYU to build and save communities. so much Voices content for online. You guys have done Of course, we must also thank our other amazing profile a wonderful job with each of your pieces and have taken writers who did an outstanding job bringing these stories this year’s Influentials to greater heights, helping set a new to light: Sam Klein, Arin Garland, Anna de la Rosa, Victor precedent for everything that this issue is capable of. Porcelli, Claire Fishman, Mansee Khurana, Anna (Fin) Thank you to our copy chiefs Sam Brinton, Daija Dew- Carlos Martinez-Mejia Muratova and Alex Johnson. We are endlessly proud and berry, Dana Sun and Mandie Montes for catching every appreciative of your hard work and diligence — not just style and grammar mistake, and beyond anything else, 16 for this issue, but for other Special Issues and countless your patience. We apologize for all the stories that have editions that we have worked on throughout the semester. come in late. This paper would be nothing without your We want to give a special shout out to Mansee, who has dedication and keen eye for detail. been instrumental in the creative and logistical execution Thank you to Alana Beyer and Taylor Wong for your of this issue. Without her, this process would not have help with our web layout, being able to deal with the been as fluid or creatively enriching as it was. Thank you, seemingly insurmountable amount of content that comes Mansee, for putting in so much effort, always being the your way and making it look fresh and fun on our website. first to offer new ideas or solutions to random problems Last, but not least, what would this issue be — what Eni Owoeye and writing an amazing profile. would every week look like — without the combined ef- This issue would not look nearly as beautiful as it does forts of the rest of our management team, Sam and Kate? 18 without our creative directors Sophia Di Iorio and Debbie We could sing endless praises about both of you; your Alalade. Your creativity and talent are limitless, and you dedication and talent absolutely unmatched. Not only are never cease to surprise us by making every layout more you two great writers and leaders, but some of the best stunning than the last. These special issues, and our weekly colleagues and friends we have made while at WSN. print issues, are consistently elevated by your work. To say that this issue was ambitious is an understate- The multimedia for our issue must also be commended, ment, but hopefully you enjoy our content, and are in- starting with the lead multimedia editor on this project, spired to become involved, stay informed and take action Heather Vaxer Exposures Editor Celia Tewey. Celia, you are a godsend after reading with our issue. 20 Sakshi Venkatraman Guru Ramanathan Editor-in-Chief Under the Arch Managing Editor Winnie Xu All Studio Photography by Celia Tewey 22 Under the Arch Exposures Editor The Most Powerful Student on Campus Needs No Introduction times this semester. She told me about how she would say, ‘If you know more, maybe you’ll do But you’ll remember her name anyway. approaches her conversations with him — and more.’ And I was like, ‘Alright, well I want to those with the likes of Hamilton and Wais. do something.’” By SAKSHI VENKATRAMAN vous to meet her. “You just have to explain things to them. And Jakiyah never slips. “I don’t miss classes,” Editor-in-Chief “It’s so cold outside,” she said, greeting They’re not students,” she said. “Also William she said. “I think I missed one this semester.” me with a smile and a hug. I was immedi- Berkeley is like a billionaire. When I first talked It’s a balancing act that’s hard to fathom, but Jakiyah Bradley is not the sentimental type. ately put at ease. about food insecurity with him, I couldn’t start according to her friends and coworkers, she When you’re the most powerful student on cam- As we stood in line waiting to order, we made on the level that I maybe start with students makes it seem easy. She considers the effective- pus, you can’t let your emotions get in the way. some small-talk about food, and she revealed her — because he’s a billionaire. So I had to back ness of everything she does, and every action In her office in Kimmel, she spends about four enthusiasm for fries and the house-made chipot- it up a little.” she takes is to maximize progress for those she hours a day seated in front of a white board that le aioli sauce at by CHLOE. She pulled up the leg “So how would you explain food insecurity on represents — including me, you (probably) and reads in big, blue letters, “MY PRESIDENT IS of her jeans to reveal long, red socks with french campus to William Berkeley?” I asked. the thousands of NYU students spread across the BLACK” and “JAKIYAH BRADLEY, REMEMBER fries drawn on them and laughed. “I would say, ‘Alright, William,’” she chuckled. world. And when she sets out to get something THE NAME.” She leads conversations with stu- “I’m a big french fry person,” she said. We had “‘Let’s look at the cost of tuition. It’s $75,000. done, her first instinct isn’t to speak. dents experiencing food insecurity, as well as bil- found our first bit of common ground. Think about the average salary for a family of When I was talking to her, she listened intent- lionaire trustees who have never even heard the We settled at a table close to the middle of four. Think about how many years they would ly, breaking focus only once because I insisted term. As the chair of student government, she is the restaurant — me with my sweet potato fries have to work just to pay one year of tuition. Think she not neglect her mac and cheese. at the helm of up to seven meetings each week and Jakiyah with her mac and cheese — and talk- about how much people have to save to pay for “It’s just not effective to always be the one and is perhaps the only undergraduate who has ed about student leadership, family, NYU admin- one year of college. How much money do you who’s talking,” she said. the ear of President Andrew Hamilton. istrators and food insecurity. think they have left over for things that are es- Her humility doesn’t stop her from pushing sential? Like rent, utilities, cell phone bills. Think people to make change, but it does ease the ten- about those things. If you were, you know, not sion that comes with the job of a student leader. a billionaire.’” “The effect it has on members of student gov- After a year of experience, she now navigates ernment has trickled down,” Kosar said. “The these conversations with ease. She knows what to comfortable feelings you have with her — anyone say to make administrators act — and she’s not can meet with her, anyone can talk to her about afraid to follow up when things don’t get done in anything.