4 CULTURE 9 OPINION This First-Year Finds Community Courtesy Meals Shouldn’t Come in Cooking at a Price 6 ARTS 10 SPORTS Charly Bliss Comes of Age, Led by Judo at NYU, a Balancing Act Clive Davis Alumna VOLUME LIII | ISSUE 12 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2019 Unexpected Charges Leave Students Distrustful of Courtesy Meals Program Some of those who used the Courtesy Meals Program found funds from their financial aid diverted to covering its cost. By VICTOR PORCELLI News Editor The Courtesy Meals Program, which is supposed to be free, affected some financially vulnerable stu- dents’ aid packages this week, leading to confusion and distrust of the program. The CMP provides students with Dining Dol- lars — and, as of recently, meal swipes — to ensure they don’t go hungry. However, a small group of users received an email from the Office of Financial Aid on Wednesday notifying them that their finan- cial aid packages would be adjusted due to their use of the program. Student government Chairperson and Gallatin se- nior Jakiyah Bradley previously served as a Senator at- Large for food-insecure students. Bradley first learned about the policy change through a constituent, but saw Instagram stories drawing attention to it being widely circulated by students. Bradley said immedi- ately after hearing about students’ financial aid being affected, she brought the issue to administrators who said they would begin working to resolve it. One of the first to post it to their story, Steinhardt senior Elaine Cao had $150 taken out of their work- study to go toward the CMP. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 JULIA MCNEILL | WSN Entrance to the NYU Academic Resource Center, one of the Courtesy Meals locations. NYU Students Don’t Know if the Degree Is Worth the Debt By AASHNA AGARWAL student’s film — which made the and Canon DSLR when we’re paying NYU has long been one of the most ble to get my film ready for exhibition Contributing Writer New York Times Critic’s Pick list near $80,000 a year,” Youmans said. expensive private universities in the in a theatre, and because I had no mon- — premiered on Netflix on Nov. 6. “To be taking stills? It opened my eyes United States. College Factual reports ey, I was at the mercy of other people’s Phillip Youmans was 17 when he But Youmans doesn’t credit NYU for to how much like a business this college that a third of undergraduate students schedules. I tried to communicate that started production of his feature film his successes. feels sometimes.” at NYU take out federal loans. Mean- to NYU and to my professors, and “Burning Cane,” 18 when he submit- Currently on a leave of absence as Youmans’ issue is that if he chooses while, 62% of NYU students come while I got a lot of congratulations ted it to Tribeca Film Festival as an he travels the world with his film for to drop out, he will be expected to pay from the top 20% of the income brack- emails, I also got a lot of simultaneous NYU first-year and 19 when he be- festival premieres in Canada, Iceland, back his loans within a much less for- et but only 6% come from the bottom Fs on my transcript.” came the first black director to win the the U.K. and more locations, Youmans giving time frame. He must now choose 20%, according to the New York Times. Youmans isn’t the only NYU stu- best U.S. narrative feature. He is the is unsure whether he’ll return to film between pursuing his career full-time “The one-size-fits-all design of the dent who is now second-guessing their youngest director to ever be featured at school. He is already $40,000 in debt along with a heavy financial burden or NYU film school kind of messed me decision to take out loans to attend the festival. for student loans from his first year. returning to school with an even great- up when it was time for the festival,” their dream school. The would-be NYU sophomore “We’re still shooting with still frames er debt but more time to pay it off. Youmans said. “I was trying to scram- CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 2 Washington Square News MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2019 [email protected] NEWS Edited by VICTOR PORCELLI Unexpected Charges Leave Students Distrustful of Courtesy Meals Program CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 fice was notified of the change 24 hours had been made, or if it was permanent. “I was just confused for the whole week, her student loans. She found out about “I think it’s a cash grab,” Cao told prior and, in addition to reaching out In a statement to WSN, university worried about missing out on almost a the change through a friend. WSN. “I don’t think it’s the first time to affected students, her office would be spokesperson John Beckman said the whole paycheck,” Cao said. “I wish none “I was just confused and disappointed the university has promised us a service notifying future users of the CMP that issue had been resolved for most stu- of us had to go through this week of panic because I just felt disrespected,” she said. that’s supposed to be helpful that end- it could affect their financial aid. This led dents as of Friday. and confusion over NYU, feeling betrayed “I felt like NYU didn’t keep its integrity, ed up harming students, especially vul- Cao to believe, moving forward, their fi- “In hindsight, we should have sorted and tricked into buying meal swipes.” I felt like I’d been lied to. I’m asking for nerable students.” nancial aid would be lowered by using the out the issue before communicating with Gallatin junior Sofia Licir had a similar you to help and then you’re just doing this Cao cited issues with the Bias Response CMP — but, one day later, they received the students about what turned out to be experience after they realized $300 of their behind my back.” Line and Counseling and Wellness Ser- an email from Interim Director of the a resolvable problem. We regret the misun- financial aid was redistributed from a Pell Each student interviewed by WSN vices as other instances where disadvan- Office of Financial Aid Virginia Weiner derstanding that resulted,” Beckman said. Grant to the CMP. said they were discouraged from using taged students have felt let down by NYU. which said the “technical adjustment” of “But, to be clear, by Friday afternoon, in “I was originally confused because the the program again and many others have Although angry as well, Cao said they were their financial aid was unnecessary and less than 72 hours, we had addressed the is- email never outlined that my financial aid shared the news to their Instagram stories. mainly confused over what had happened. their aid would be reverted back to its sue and told the students we had done so.” was affected because of Courtesy Meals,” Though the changes have been rectified, After receiving an initial email on original award. Based on his statement and Cao’s ac- Licir wrote in an Instagram direct mes- students say the reputation of the CMP Thursday notifying them of a change Cao used the CMP because they count, it seems that students whose use of sage to WSN. “It wasn’t until I spoke has been seriously affected. in their financial aid package — which were in a financially vulnerable position. the CMP caused their aid packages to ex- to my friends who also participated in “It’s a deterrent for me taking out made no reference to the CMP — Cao Changes to their financial aid or work- ceed their cost of attendance were the ones Courtesy Meals when we found out that Courtesy Meals again, and I think that it’s called NYU Student Affairs Chief of study mean potentially not being able to whose aid were affected. was the reason.” likely that it would deter others,” Cao said. Staff Elizabeth Kuzina, who is listed on afford essentials, yet NYU administrators For Cao, whether or not it had been A CAS junior who asked to remain the CMP’s website. didn’t seem to be on the same page as each resolved, not knowing what was going anonymous due to the sensitive nature of Email Victor Porcelli According to Cao, Kuzina said her of- other regarding how or why the change was distressing. food insecurity was charged $75, affecting at [email protected]. Med School Tisch Awards MetroCard Scholarships Renamed NYU for Students Who Live On Campus Grossman School By LISA COCHRAN was to exclusively reward those who can afford “I think they did well but I think they could Deputy News Editor on-campus housing,” said Goes, who works two also do better,” Wein said, referencing the lack of jobs while enrolled in 21 credits this semester in resources for off-campus students. “Once again of Medicine On-campus Tisch students commuting to an effort to graduate early and lessen tuition costs. this institution should tune into the issues of the far-away acting studios for their classes have “There are students who live on campus and are students — they serve us.” been awarded stipends for MetroCards, ac- receiving the scholarship that are in the 1%.” Tisch Chairperson Ruben Polendo responded cording to an email sent by Tisch dean Allyson The email sent to students receiving the schol- to complaints about the new scholarship at a Dra- Green last month.