The Statesman 11-04-19 by The Statesman

Volume LXIII, Issue 10

sbstatesman.com

Monday, November 4, 2019

Journalist speaks at Presidential Lecture

By Maya Brown

Assistant News Editor

Dr. Jelani Cobb, an American writer, author and educator, spoke as part of the University’s Presidential Lecture Series on Monday, Oct. 28. During the lecture, Cobb discussed microaggressions and the pursuit of equity in the U.S. He has been an Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism at the Columbia University Journalism School since 2016 and a staff writer for The New Yorker since 2015, where he covers race, politics, history and culture. “Our conversation focuses on a topic of extreme importance,” Interim President Michael Bernstein said at the lecture. “Being on a campus as diverse as ours and understanding the psychological and physical effects of microaggressions is important.” Dr. Jarvis Watson, Interim Chief Diversity Officer, added that picking Dr. Cobb as a presidential speaker was part of the Stony Brook University Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, published in May 2016. The Diversity Plan aims to improve inclusivity on campus and includes the goal to invite more speakers who will “cover concepts of inclusion and anti-bias in campus lecture series events.”

EMMA HARRIS / THE STATESMAN

Redshirt freshman middle blocker Enitain Omolewa spikes the ball over the net during Stony Brook Volleyball's game against Binghamton on Friday, Nov. 1 in the Pritchard Gymnasium. The Seawolves won in three sets. “We realized we needed to do something on a presidential level and we wanted someone who brought the message and set the tone,” Watson said. Cobb opened up the lecture with a remark on the connection between college campuses and issues in the outside world. “College campuses are a microcosm of the problems we see outside in the world,” he said. “If we had any questions about this, it became impossible to avoid this connection two years ago in the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Va.”

The “Unite the Right” rally occurred on Aug. 12, 2017 in the college town of Charlottesville. Hundreds of white nationalists and their supporters gathered to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee from Charlottesville’s Lee Park. The rally led to violence between protestors, counter-protestors and the police — including swinging, punching and pepper spraying — ultimately leading to three deaths and about 34 injuries. Cobb spoke about the accusations and violent clashes that occurred on the University of Vir-

ginia’s campus following the rally, and how they were an effect of the acts of hatred and racism that occurred off the campus. He believes that microaggressions and hate crimes happen often on college campuses, showing the connection between what occurs within campuses and outside of the campuses. Cobb shared that he wasn’t surprised to see the same kind of problems occurring nationwide also occurring on college campuses. “In the aftermath [of the rally] we were forced to question the relationship between freedom of expression and signs of oppression,” Cobb said.

Cobb used the Charlottesville tragedy as an anecdote to demonstrate the overall rise of hate crimes and acts of racial bigotry across the U.S. According to the 2017 Hate Crime Statistics from the FBI, hate crime reports were up about 17% from 2016 to 2017 with more than 7,100 hate crimes reported, marking a rise for the third year in a row. There were increases in attacks motivated by racism, religious bias and homophobia. Specifically, there was about a 23% Continued on page 4

SBU invests $1.6 million in diversity plan Student starts nonprofit By Brianne Ledda News Editor

Stony Brook University will invest more than $1.6 million into its Plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, according to updates linked in a campus-wide email sent on Friday, Nov. 1. The implementation plan divides its investments among four broadly-defined “goals,” which include recruitment, hiring and other measures to foster a more inclusive campus climate. “These investments help to recruit and retain students, staff, and faculty, as well as improve the lived experience on campus and encourage engagement with our local communities,” Interim President Michael Bernstein said in the email. “They also en-

rich the research, academic, and healthcare missions of our University and hospital network.” The Plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was set in motion in 2016, after SUNY launched its own 2015 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy with the goal to make SUNY “the most inclusive state university system in the country.” So far, the university has been focused on building a foundation for implementation, including establishing working groups such as an Advisory Council and a Steering Committee, which prioritize initiatives and programs that highlight Stony Brook’s commitment to diversity, according to the email. “These groups developed suggestions for policy change, an

infrastructure for discourse with senior leadership, and a set of action steps that have been updated annually,” Bernstein wrote in the email. The university is also implementing several working groups, including a Community Task Force and Student Inclusion Leadership Council, which will “analyze how local, state, and national issues impact diverse groups on campus” and “engage with the campus community about DEI policies and procedures that affect the student experience,” respectively. Stony Brook University currently holds a diversity index of .69, according to U.S. News, which lists Stony Brook among the top 50 most ethnically diverse national universities.

Multimedia

Arts & Culture

Local elections are set to take place on Nov. 5.

New Kanye album divides his audience.

2019 Local Election Guide.

MORE ON PAGE 9

Football falls on road to Richmond. MORE ON PAGE 12

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Cobb discusses microaggressions and pursuit of equity New nonprofit Continued from page 1 increase in religion-based hate crimes and a 37% spike in anti-Semitic hate crimes, according to reports from both years. “We have seen all of these things spike with a general increase of these dynamics in our broader society,” Cobb said. Cobb spoke about encountering underrepresented students when he travels, who voice feelings of isolation and being left out on their campuses. “I always have similar conversations that involve students who are minorities, whether based upon their race, religion, sexual or gender orientation,” he said. “People tell me they feel isolated and it’s not a community that welcomes them.” He explained that students tend to feel isolated due to instances involving implicit bias or implicit ideas, which are any unconsciously-held set of associations that a person has about a social group. According to Cobb, many students would not feel at home when they were on campus. “It’s a fundamental problem because when we look at our institutions they were not as diverse in their history,” Cobb said. Cobb frequently deals with microaggressions himself. For instance, when he was in college, the first thing people used to ask when they met him was what position he played on the football team. He always responded with: “I’m an English major.” Cobb didn’t play football. He felt people immediately assumed he was on campus solely

to be a football player due to his race and size. In making these assumptions, people didn’t give Cobb a chance to introduce himself as a student. “They assumed that because I was large, I played football, and if I played, I was dumb,” Cobb said. “They thought I was there because of affirmative action or a specialized program and at some point, I started to question that presumption.” More than 25 years after he graduated from high school and only a few months after 9/11, Cobb was on an airplane going from Atlanta to New York when a man with a long beard wearing a tunic boarded the plane. As the man walked down the aisle, Cobb felt tension build in the people around him. Cobb looked over at him and asked where he was from to see if he knew him from the high school he attended in Queens, which is the most diverse county in the nation. “I asked that question to know if he was in the same breakdance crew as me back in high school and he was,” Cobb said. “What that meant was I saw the best breakdancer I knew when I was 17, not a Muslim or terrorist.” After the reconnection, Cobb shared that people around him showed signs of relief for their safety. The two high school friends were able to talk during the plane ride and share memories with one another. As microaggressions have been proven to have a psychological and emotional toll on its victims, Cobb shared that isolation is one of the main reasons why students of color leave universities.

He explained the best way to avoid microaggressions would be to remain open-minded when curiosity strikes about another person’s culture. “Fundamentally, be an ally and a supporter. We need to have that willingness to understand where other people are coming from,” Cobb said. “It’s also necessary to support and understand where the people in your community are coming from.” Cobb went on to explain that although the words “diversity” and “inclusion” are typically grouped together, there is a big difference between them. Diversity is simply having a diverse group of people in one area, whereas inclusion is including everyone in that diverse group and learning about each other, which ultimately leads to equity. Emmanuel Pointdujour, a senior technological management systems major, said he could relate when Cobb spoke about diversity and inclusion being two different things. “It’s hard to find a community that includes people like me because a normal campus culture is to be stable in academics, but sometimes it’s hard to find a home away from home because of that,” he said. Although Pointdujour saw diversity on campus when he first matriculated, he said he didn’t see any inclusion. Cobb said that in order to have actual equity and inclusion at a college campus, the institution can no longer cater only to the majority. “You have to restrip it and make it something else, which equals democracy, not just diversifying,” he said. When a college campus wasn’t originally built on diversity, Cobb

believes the institution has to first be rebuilt and begin from the beginning, instead of simply creating a diverse population. According to Cobb, microaggressions become the effect of campuses not being inclusive because people don’t gain exposure to other types of people if they aren’t including one another. Cobb covered the two types of microaggressions: when the attacker is aware and when they are unaware of the harm they are causing. In terms of responding to microaggressions, Cobb told the audience to learn how to pick their battles. “These dynamics serve to ultimately distract you from the things that are most important, which is what you want to get accomplished,” he said. “It’s a means of trying to bring you back to square one.” He emphasized to not let the aggressor know they have gotten to you and to keep doing the work that you are doing. “Pick your battles because you don’t always want to be in the position when you’re against the person,” Cobb said. “Personally, I think it’s important to raise things that leave the possibility of resolution. I believe in operating in good faith until people give you a reason not to.” Johnny Tranquile, a 52-yearold Brooklyn resident, said the lecture was a learning experience for him. He came to the event to find out more about what microaggressions are. “The fact that he spoke about personal experiences that everyone could relate to makes it pretty powerful,” he said.

MAYA BROWN/ THE STATESMAN

Dr. Jelani Cobb and Interim President Bernstein at the Presidential Lecture Series on Oct. 28 in the Sidney Gelber Auditorium in the Student Activities Center. Cobb discussed microaggressions and the pursuit of equity.

Continued from page 1 County, to hold their events. Volunteers for Millennial Science come from Stony Brook University’s Biology Club, but Nelson said they “can always use a million extra hands at all times.” “It’s based in the community, [so] they don’t have to take the bus or anything. It’s right there, and for parents it’s easy to commute… and they don’t have to pay for parking,” Nelson said. Usually 20 to 30 kids come to their events, where STEM subjects are taught with activities that have a fun and interactive twist. Millenial’s most recent event at the Great Neck Library Station Branch focused on radiology with a Halloween theme. Children were able to use x-ray pictures of fractured bones to sort and put together the human body. Sacha Nelson, a 25-year-old social media manager for Millenial Science and Nelson’s sister, found the nonprofit useful when she attended one of its events and believes the club will benefit her child in the future. She loved the program so much that she wanted to be a part of the team. “It’s giving kids of all ages a chance to learn about sciences… They can expand their mind more,” Sacha Nelson said. She hopes that Millennial Science will teach kids “to love science.” Asia Riddick, a 23-year-old graduate student studying public relations and corporate communications at New York University and the public relations manager for Millennial Science, was passionate about the idea of joining the nonprofit because she wanted to “make sure access is given to people in marginalized communities.” Riddick thinks that it is the organization’s duty to give back to preteens who don’t have the same opportunities that other young students might have. Starting in January, Nelson’s nonprofit will partner with the STEM Advocacy Institute, another nonprofit based in Boston that has a mission of “strengthening the network of access to science education, communication, and engagement.” The two organizations will start a curriculum for a STEM program aimed towards ninth and 10th graders at Uniondale Senior High School. The four week long program will educate the Uniondale students on the various careers available in the STEM field. Although Nelson emphasized that Millennial Science’s education initiatives are valuable to students of all ages, she pointed out that they’re especially valuable to those who are trying to figure out what they’re going to do for the rest of their lives. “Ninth and 10th grade, that’s when you’re clearly deciding what colleges [you] might be looking into, by 11th grade you’re already applying, and then 12th grade you’re making sure you have all the banners and signs from the school you’re going to,” she said. “You need to get them while they’re young and still making those vital decisions.” Working with the high school will also allow the nonprofit to track student progress, which opens up the possibility of applying for funding and grants.

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MULTIMEDIA

2019 Local Election Guide Suffolk County Executive Town of Brookhaven Candidates Supervisor Candidates

Steve Bellone (Dem, PtT)

Edward P. Romaine (Rep, Con, Ind) Incumbent since 2012

Incumbent since 2011

Goals are based on lowering the fiscal responsibility of the government; repealed the sales tax on home heating fuels, capped the sales tax on gasoline, removed county sales tax on clothing and footwear under $110.

Eliminated government job positions and merged departments to prevent and cut wasteful spending. Put pressure on federal lawmakers to reverse massive tax increase that Washington imposed on Long Island taxpayers.

Sponsored a law requiring public notification of sewage contamination, secured funds to solve harmful algal blooms and brown tides while protecting critical local watersheds.

Two top public safety priorities remain eradicating brutal street gangs like MS-13 from Suffolk communities and combating the opioid epidemic. Signed legislation prohibiting non-biodegradable straws and containers.

Encouraged the use of Neighborhood Stabilization Funds to purchase, rehabilitate and resell foreclosed homes to help protect home values.

Invested in an upgraded transportation system that will conveniently connect universities, research centers and downtowns.

John Kennedy Jr. (Rep, Ind, Con) Former Suffolk County Comptroller and legislative minority leader

Plans on limiting and controlling county spending. Plans to focus on affordable housing issues and business issues to keep the population from leaving the island. Plans to step up efforts to battle the opioid epidemic, starting by getting more beds available for addiction treatment. Plans to assess the status of prospective pollutants in aquifer and work with the water authority to implement comprehensive, multi-substance filtration.

William Ferraro III (Dem, WF) Highway Department “number one budget priority.” Plans to institute recycling program reform through a 6-point recycling plan, involve expanded air quality and toxicology tests for Yaphank landfill and create an Air Quality Taskforce (AQT). Wants to end housing discrimination, refurbish vacant and deteriorated homes, pursue affordable housing initiatives and increased community input.

Junie Legister (Lib)

Gregory John Fischer (Lib) Wants to force corruption out of government and reduce government costs.

Priorities in office include prevent seniors paying school taxes, establishing a public bank that will help lower taxes throughout the community, better roads and increased small business opportunities.

Wants to help young people get early quality job experience with a better Suffolk County job corps. Plans to establish a civilian complaint review board for police misconduct and increased police equipment and cameras.

Supports affordable housing, limit private builders, repairing zombie homes and upgrades for affordable housing.

Plans to amend laws and introduce cost-effective green plans.

Plans to allow for new research ideas to eliminate waste, landfill odors and fumes that offend residents.

Wants to turn around Suffolk County’s bond rating.

Suffolk County Legislator District 5 Candidates Kara Hahn (Dem, WF, Ind) Incumbent since 2012

Elected Democratic Legislative Majority leader. Led legislation for Green initiatives, including the restriction of non-biodegradable food service materials in the county.

John McCormack (Rep)

Led legislation of a local law to require adherence to net neutrality principles by internet service providers contracting with the County. Strived to build links between recreational opportunities in public parks with improved public health outcomes.

Key for Party lines: Democratic (Dem); Republican (Rep); Conservative (Con); Independence (Ind); Libertarian (Lib); Working Families (WF); Protect the Taxpayer (PtT) The Statesman does not endorse any candidates.

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The Statesman

Town of Brookhaven Superintendent of Highways

Monday, November 4, 2019

Councilmember, 1st Town District, Town of Brookhaven Valerie Cartright (Dem, WF, Ind)

Daniel Losquadro (Rep, Con, Ind) Incumbent since 2013

Incumbent since 2013

Sponsored and passed housing and code amendments to combat illegal rentals.

Replaced older highway department and integrated new technology to manage work orders and improve emergency management.

Zealously advocates for her constituents even on unpopular positions. Advocates for preserve open space, monitoring the quality of water and air and engaging in energy conservation.

Moved many storm-damaged projects forward that have languished since storms Sandy and Irene.

Supports increased community support of programs for students and youth. Working to revitalize downtown areas to encourage young adults and seniors to stay in Brookhaven.

Anthony Portesy (Dem, WF, Lib)

Tracy Koscuik (Rep, Con) Intends to work with local organizations to repair and alleviate damage done to local environmental area.

Plans to create a true priority list of all Town road resurfacing projects for greater transparency.

Plans to work on streamlining the tax grievance process for homeowners and to assist them with reducing their tax burden.

Plans to keep constituents informed of any and all paving projects with the relevant financials of each project for transparency through letters, emails and "Open Highway" Town Halls.

Plans to increase community communication with local law enforcement. Plans to increase work with area hospitals and treatment centers to establish a more comprehensive discharge plan for patients suffering from opioid and drug abuse.

Plans to prioritize resources for projects that need fast repair for safety purposes such as schools, main roads and trees in danger of hitting homes.

Suffolk County local elections are set to take place on Nov. 5. The positions candidates are running for include legislator, executive, town council members and town supervisors. If voters didn’t get the opportunity to vote early, they can still

Plans to work to resolve issues regarding illegal housing and their negative impacts on the community.

cast their ballot on Election Day at various local polling places including Babylon, Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold and Shelter Island. Those who are registered to vote on campus can

vote from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in SAC Ballroom A. Individuals are encouraged to civically participate and make sure their vote counts. Written by Maya Brown and Alek Lewis Design by Sara Ruberg

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ARTS & CULTURE

November sees the launch of streaming services Apple TV+ & Disney+ day-to-day lives of workers at The Walt Disney Company; the seventh season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and Marvel television shows based on supporting characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.

By Alek Lewis Staff Writer

Two new streaming services will launch this month — Apple TV+ on Nov. 1 and Disney+ on Nov. 12 — with new original exclusive titles. Both are priced under $10 a month. Apple TV+ costs $4.99 per month, while Disney+ costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Apple TV+’s monthly fee is the lowest monthly payment without a discount compared to other big name streaming services; Netflix costs at least $8.99, Amazon Prime (which includes more than video) is priced at $12.99 and Hulu starts at $5.99. Additionally, Apple TV+’s subscription is free for a full year with the purchase of new select Apple products. Apple TV+, first announced on Sept. 10 in an Apple special event along with the iPhone 11, launches with several new original series. Original series include “The Morning Show,” starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell, about the lives of fictional morning show hosts; “See,” starring Jason Momoa, about a dystopian future where twins are born with sight in a world of people who lack that sense and “Dickinson,” based on the life of Emily Dickinson, with Hailee Steinfeld in the titular role, along with other launch titles.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Logo for Apple TV+. The new streaming service launched on Nov. 1 for $4.99 per month. Disney+ will also be released on Nov. 12. at $6.99 per month. The service includes several feature films such as “Servant,” an M. Night Shyamalan production about a couple that uses a doll to replace their dead newborn baby and “The Banker,” starring Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson, about two African-American entrepreneurs who try to circumvent the racial limitations of the 1950s and provide loans to their community in Jim Crow Texas. Upcoming series include an untitled Oprah Winfrey documentary series about mental illness and mental wellness. Apple TV+ is available to be streamed at tv.apple.com and on the Apple TV app. Support for

Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms are set to be released in the future, according to the press release. Apple TV+ can be shared with up to six people. Officially announced in November of 2018, Disney+ takes Disney’s iconic brands: Marvel, Disney, National Geographic, Star Wars and Pixar and compiles them into a single service. Disney is planning to release new content, exclusive to Disney+, for all the aforementioned studios. The launch lineup includes the first live-action Star Wars television show “The Mandalorian,” the live-action feature

film adaptation of “Lady and the Tramp”; a National Geographic show titled “The World According to Jeff Goldblum”, where Jeff Goldblum will connect regular objects to history, science, people and ideas and the resurgence of a 2017 series titled “Encore!,” which will see former castmates of high school musicals recreate their high school performance under a professional production team. Titles in development include a new “Monsters Inc.” spinoff show titled “Monsters at Work”; “One Day at Disney,” a full length documentary and 52-episode mini-series showing the

“Apple TV+’s monthly fee is the lowest monthly payment without a discount...” Disney’s recent $71 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox, finalized in March, allows Disney+ to stream content such as “The Simpsons” and “The Sound of Music.” Disney+ allows streams on four devices at once, unlimited downloads on up to 10 devices and select titles streamed in 4K. In anticipation of Disney+, Disney has released a YouTube video that is over three hours long, highlighting the content releasing on Disney+.

Kanye West's "Jesus Is King" is different but still controversial By Isabelle Panza Staff Writer

Kanye West’s songs used to be comprised of controversial lyrics like, “Today I thought about killing you, premeditated murder,” and “I could have Naomi Campbell and still might want me a Stormy Daniels.” Recently, West’s songs evolved to have lyrics like, “We the descendants of Abraham Ye should be made free” and “Every time I look up, I see God’s faithfulness and it shows just how much he is miraculous.” Before West became a world-renowned rapper, he was a producer. In 1998, he helped produce the album “Life in 1472” by rapper Jermaine Dupri. He then famously helped produce rapper Jay-Z’s album “Blueprint” while working for Roc-A-Fella Records in 2001. Just three years later, West dropped his first-ever solo album called “The College Dropout,” which was partly inspired by the fact that he had attended Chicago State University for a year and dropped out. The album was a hit, and he even received the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2005. Soon after that, West created hit album after hit album and earned 21 Grammy awards, putting him in the caliber with artists like Jay Z, the highest-decorated hip-hop artist. West soon moved onto different facets of the arts.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Cover for "Jesus is King," by Kanye West, released on Oct. 25. West focused on his love for Jesus. In 2009, West collaborated with Nike to create sneakers called “Yeezys.” The shoe line then was brought over to Nike’s competitor, Adidas, in 2013. Two years later, West dropped his first clothing line with Adidas called Yeezy Season 1. In 2019, West turned to something new and very unexpected: he started to hold “Sunday Service,” in a field in Calabasas, California in a domed tent. West and the

choir entertained a star-studded audience, which included Diplo and Courtney Love. Not only was the Sunday Service to show his love for Christianity, but also to promote his new album, “Jesus Is King.” The album was released on Oct. 25, and it shocked countless fans with the new content. Instead of rapping about fame, wealth and sex, West focused on his love for Jesus and the Church. With song

names like, “Selah”, “On God” and “Use This Gospel,” it is safe to say that West turned a new page in his rapping career. Regarding his past songs, West said, “It’s not even a probably [about performing his old songs]. We can play that beat, but I’m going to adjust [the lyrics.]” Ray Wilson, a sophomore journalism student, said, “I’m okay with him not performing his old songs anymore. If he had truly decided to walk a different path, then we fans must respect his right to no longer perform something he believes isn’t right.” The second song on the track is “Selah.” The lyrics in the song pertain to the fact that West now sees himself as one of God’s “soldiers.” He also has made numerous biblical references; one of them he says, “John 8:33 We the descendants of Abraham Ye should be made free.” John 8:33 in the Bible pertains to how everyone should be free from slavery because we are all “descendants of Abraham.” The fifth song in the album, “On God,” is one of his most famous songs on the record because of his controversial lyrics like, “Thirteenth amendment, gotta end it, that’s on me.” The 13th Amendment famously abolished slavery in 1865. He also opened up about the struggles he had since the start of his rapping career: “The Devil had my soul, I can’t lie/ Life gon’ have some lows and some highs/Before the Grammys ever

gave a nod.” Although this song and album are different from his past works, the thing that remains consistent is his ability.

“If he had truly decided to walk a different path, then we fans must respect his right to”

-Ray Wilson

The 10th song of his album is, “Use This Gospel,” features brothers and rappers Pusha T and Malice. The brothers both rap about their struggles in the limelight. Famously, the brothers never made a secret of their fights, but ultimately they made amends. In the song, Malice says, “Just hold on to your brother when his faith lost.” West also touches on how he put his faith in God, saying, “Use this gospel for protection / It’s a hard road to Heaven / We call on Your blessings In the Father, we put our faith.” It is unclear what West’s future holds career-wise, but fans are eagerly waiting to see just what this “New Kanye” has in store.

OPINIONS Editor-in-Chief....................Gary Ghayrat Managing Editor..............Karina Gerry Managing Editor..........Chris Parkinson News Editor..............................................................Brianne Ledda Arts & Culture Editor..............................................Melissa Azofeifa Sports Editor.................................................................Ryan Pavich Opinions Editor...........................................................Gabby Pardo Multimedia Editor........................................................Sara Ruberg Copy Chief..........................................................Alexa Anderwkavich Assistant News Editor..................................................Maya Brown Assistant News Editor......................................Samantha Robinson Assistant Arts & Culture Editor..........................Alexander Bakirdan Assistant Arts & Culture Editor.................................Lajiere Blake Assistant Multimedia Editor.....................................Emma Harris Assistant Opinions Editor...........................................Cindy Mizaku Assistant Sports Editor..................................................Ethan Tam Assistant Sports Editor.............................................Andrew Zucker Assistant Copy Editor..............................................Donovan Alexis Assistant Copy Editor.....................................................Karla Rios Assistant Copy Editor..............................................Michelle Wong Advertising Manager ............................................. Kaylee McAllister

Contact us: Phone: 631-632-6479 Fax: 631-632-9128 Web: www.sbstatesman.com To contact the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editors about organizational comments, questions, suggestions, corrections or photo permission, email editors@sbstatesman.com. To reach a specific section editor: News Editor.....................................news@sbstatesman.com Arts & Entertainment Editor.............arts@sbstatesman.com Sports Editor..................................sports@sbstatesman.com Opinions Editor..........................opinions@sbstatesman.com Multimedia Editor..................multimedia@sbstatesman.com Copy Chief.......................................copy@sbstatesman.com The Statesman is a student-run, student-written incorporated publication at Stony Brook University in New York. The paper was founded as The Sucolian in 1957 at Oyster Bay, the original site of Stony Brook University. In 1975, The Statesman was incorporated as a not-for-profit, student-run organization. Its editorial board, writers and multimedia staff are all student volunteers. New stories are published online every day Monday through Thursday. A print issue is published every Monday during the academic year and is distributed to many on-campus locations, the Stony Brook University Hospital and over 70 off-campus locations. The Statesman and its editors have won several awards for student journalism and several past editors have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers in the field of journalism. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @ sbstatesman. Disclaimer: Views expressed in columns or in the Letters and Opinions section are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Statesman. The Statesman promptly corrects all errors of substance published in the paper. If you have a question or comment about the accuracy or fairness of an article please send an email to editors@sbstatesman.com. First issue free; additional issues cost $1.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Democratic presidental candidates for the 2020 election. Candidates from left to right: Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders.

Analyzing the Democrat overload for 2020 By Anya Marquardt Contributing Writer

In a mere year, the next presidential election will be upon us. While this may seem like a long time for some Americans, candidates have already kicked into campaigning mode; for registered Democrats, primaries start in Feb. 2020. In 2016, six politicians ran for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, with Hillary Clinton coming out on top — only to lose to Donald Trump. As of Oct. 24, however, 17 major candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for the 2020 Democratic Nomination. This causes a problem for Democratic primary voters: how can one choose who to vote for when all of the candidates’ ideas begin to blur together? There are simply too many candidates in the running, and it is becoming extremely hard to distinguish who is who. A poll from the Des Moines Register/CNN found that only 18% of Iowa caucus goers are enjoying the variety of candidates, while 47% are wishing several candidates would drop out to make their decision easier. This occurrence is what behavioral scientists and analysts are calling “choice overload”; there are just too many choices for us to comprehend. A recent example of this has actually just occurred in Chicago; this past spring, 14 candidates ran in the mayoral race (with no big frontrunners) and resulted in almost the lowest turnout in city history, with only 33.4% of people voting. The large number of candidates also poses another question: what makes them all different and how can a voter distinguish the differences between their policies? For instance, 11 out of the 17 candidates believe in abolishing the

death penalty, and only three policy positions have been outlined so far on the issue; a policy position is a stance taken by a candidate. In the case of the death penalty, for instance, the three policy positions that have been outlined are abolishing it, halting it for a period of time and keeping it for certain circumstances.

“ . . . only 18% of Iowa caucus goers are enjoying the variety of candidates, while 47% are wishing several candidates would drop out to make their decision easier.” With only three stances and 11 candidates taking the same side, it makes it difficult to differentiate who you want to vote for. Every Democrat, however, supports legal abortions. It makes it very difficult to back a candidate when all of them stand on the same side of an issue and do not have diverse ways of going upon it. So, how can we possibly choose who to vote for? First off, the widely publicized Democratic debates should not yet be combined.

During the Oct. 15 debate, 12 candidates took to the stage to debate their policies; others did not reach the requirements given by the Democratic National Comittee (DNC) to qualify. However, in the approximately two-and-a-half-hour length of the debate, eight of the 12 got to speak for more than 10 minutes while only two candidates were able to speak for more than 15 minutes. Only three of the 12 were able to speak on all 10 topics brought up during the debate, including gun control, the economy and women’s rights. While some may feel that it would be better to have them all together to see them hash out the topics at once, it is impossible for each candidate to represent their viewpoints as proven with this debate. Even with this arguably long time frame, Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard were given less than 10 minutes to talk and only discussed five topics each. A solution to this can be having more relaxed conversations between commentators and candidates. A one-on-one setting could also be very helpful, as voters can learn about their policies and get to know each candidate more as a person behind the politics. The 2020 Democratic race has been off to an arguably loud start, and the noise is affecting the voters. It has been proven before that races with many options lead to a lower turnout. That is not what the DNC will want in a year when they are envisioning putting a Democrat back in the Oval Office. Having many candidates is challenging; hopefully, new strategies can help voters control the noise and find a stance where they can focus on the candidates they believe in.

Corrections

Mental Health Issue

The article “Art therapy: The intriguing, transformative, theraputic technique” in the Volume LXIII, Issue 7 should have noted that Healing Arts is not an art therapy program, which requires licensed therapists. There are currently no art therapy programs at Stony Brook University. Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery showcases student work from the Department of Art, but not from Stony Brook University's Art Club.

Opinions

The Statesman

Monday, November 4, 2019

Teachers should not voice their politics during class discussions By Samantha Lauria Contributing Writer

With Election Day approaching, political debates are becoming more frequent in schools. Class debates revolve around social issues, current political topics such as abortion or gun control, or their opinions on certain candidates. Fiery discussions should be encouraged in a classroom as they allow students to develop their critical thinking skills and express themselves in a mature manner. These debates, however, should only voice the sociopolitical opinions of students and not teachers. Although classroom debates can get heated, teachers should moderate while maintaining a neutral stance. Everyone involved in the debate should realize that it’s okay to agree to disagree when it comes to their classmates’ opinions. Problems begin to arise in student debates when their openness to vulnerability is eliminated, particularly when teachers decide to voice their own political opinions. Many teachers agree that remaining impartial provides a safer environment for their students. They manage to keep the focal point of a debate at hand, giving the students the attention and information they need to vocalize their political opinions. In the classroom, a teacher should serve only as a moderator in developing the ideologies of their students.

When learning or debating about a controversial topic, a teacher should remain unbiased so their students could form their own opinions. Once a teacher voices their opinion or discourages a certain side of an argument, discomfort arises within the classroom among those who disagree with the teacher’s views. Teachers who push their political agenda can also affect the students with little to no political knowledge. A teacher is an authority figure in the classroom; when they are strong-minded about their politics, it is normal for the students to share that attitude since that is what they are being taught. Once politics are introduced, things get tricky. If a teacher shared his or her political views, the students who are not politically educated will most likely associate the teacher’s opinions as “correct” and not have the ability to figure out their own views. Teachers who force their students to agree with their opinions or ridicule them for disagreeing is extremely detrimental to a student’s confidence. Students who are on the dissenting side of an argument feel like their opinions are highly criticized and may become afraid to share their opinions in the classroom. I went to a high school where many of the students, teachers and faculty shared the same po-

litical opinions; they were all extremely outspoken about their views. Most of my teachers made it clear that it was wrong to disagree with what they believed in. If you opposed the accepted mentality, you were subject to mockery, ridicule and scolding from the teachers. The small number of students, including myself, that disagreed with the majority were berated for deviating from the accepted mentality and became outcasts. An extraordinarily toxic political culture formed where it was okay to not have respect for other

people’s opinions. The students that agreed with the teachers’ ideologies began to mimic their behavior towards students who disagreed with them. Instead of promoting an environment where I could respectfully bounce my ideas off my peers, I was forced to keep most of my thoughts to myself. Classrooms should be a place where debates between opposing ideas are encouraged. Students should be exposed to the exchange of ideas and not be afraid to voice their own opinions. A good teacher should want their students to

develop into strong-minded individuals with confidence in their opinions. When teachers take this freedom away from students by voicing their political opinions, students are unable to grow or expand their ideas because they may be too caught up in staying on a teacher’s good side. Restricting a student’s ability to think for themselves defeats the purpose of education by disregarding freedom of thought. Classrooms are places where students learn about facts, not absorb a teacher’s opinions.

EZRA MARGONO / STATESMAN FILE

A classroom in Javits Lecture Hall. As we're approaching election day, political debates in class revolving around social issues have become more frequent.

The Electoral College is undermining America's popular vote By Xenia Gonikberg Contributing Writer

As we all know, it’s that time of year again — the time to vote in your local elections. Although the Electoral College will not be playing a role in elections this year, the 538 members will be representing America’s votes next year in the 2020 presidential election. For many people, the purpose of the Electoral College can seem confusing or even unnecessary. At a young age, students are taught the basics in history class like the nation’s Founding Fathers and America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, but students aren’t educated enough on topics relating to the U.S. gov-

ernment and the process of the Electoral College. Because of these limitations, people think their votes don’t matter if they don’t understand how the process works. Furthermore, the Electoral College takes away votes from American citizens and distributes votes among states unequally. A big caveat is that the number of electors per state is based on population, so they are not equal. If the Electoral College were to be abolished, the popular vote would hold more weight in electing the next president. The Electoral College is a body of electors specifically chosen to vote for the next president. Each state is given at least three

electors, based on the amount of representation they have in Congress. A minimum of 270 electoral votes are needed to elect the president. The Electoral College also makes the final decision on who to vote for, although voters put in their votes. According to a survey conducted by NBC News and The Washington Post, 53% of voters agree that the Electoral College should be abolished in favor of the popular vote so that votes represent an accurate picture of who the American population wants as president. Instead, some states get more votes than others due to the number of electors they have, leading to a geographic disparity in the whole voting process.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Electoral College map with the number of electoral votes each state receives based on population. A minimum of 270 electoral votes are needed to elect the president.

By weighing each state differently, the whole principle behind “one person, one vote” is essentially meaningless.

“ . . . 53% of voters agree that the Electoral College should be abolished in favor of the popular vote ...” The Electoral College system was put into place by the Founding Fathers to ensure that only the elite can make choices for the nation. Thus, the system was created so that the body of electors acted on behalf of the citizens and their best interests. A lot of people believe that the Electoral College is necessary because it prevents uneducated people from voting without knowing about the candidates or their policies. Therefore, the only people that can vote are those that understand the electoral system and the laws regarding voting. However, as the U.S. has grown and developed, the need for this system has evolved over time. Essentially, the popular vote is undermined if the electoral vote

has the final say in determining who will become president. According to HuffPost, a presidential candidate can only win the popular vote by less than 22% and still become president. The article also states, “[a] candidate can win the votes of the fewest amount of people, yet reap the greatest reward by receiving more electoral votes than the state of those people should reasonably be given.” There have been cases where presidential candidates like George W. Bush and Donald Trump did not win the popular vote, but they won the electoral vote and therefore won the presidency. The Electoral College should be abolished in favor of a system that more accurately counts votes in each state. Especially for larger states like California and New York, having a better system would ensure that each state has a say in who they want for president. The right to vote is a big part of this country’s foundation, and it’s important to voice your opinions for who you think the right fit is. Although our country’s voting system is flawed, it shouldn’t discourage people from voting because that is how we can create change. Whether it’s on a large scale like during general elections or in small local elections, exercising your right to vote lets you have a say in important issues that can have a big impact on your community or even the country.

The Statesman

Monday, November 4, 2019

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SPORTS

Spiders crawl all over Seawolves in gut-wrenching defeat By Andrew Zucker Assistant Sports Editor

Coming off the program’s second-ever victory over a top-five nationally-ranked opponent, the Stony Brook Seawolves appeared to still have the win on their mind, as they were blown out of the water by the University of Richmond Spiders. Playing on the road for the second weekend in a row, the Seawolves (5-4, 2-3 CAA) fell to the Spiders 30-10 on Saturday, Nov. 2 at E. Claiborne Robins Stadium in Richmond, Virginia. Early defensive takeaways which should have led to numerous points put on the board by Stony Brook and a huge shift in momentum were quickly erased by Richmond redshirt-junior quarterback Joe Mancuso. A season low of 288 total offensive yards forced the Seawolves defense to spend more than half of the game on the field, with the Spiders controlling the ball for 36 minutes and 37 seconds. The Seawolves were scoreless in the second half of the game, for the first time all season. This was only the second time all season where they did not score a point in a half, previously not scoring in the first half of a blowout loss at Utah State. Following a week in which he was named CAA Rookie of the Week, redshirt-freshman running back Ty Son Lawton

snapped his three-game streak of rushing for over 100 yards. Lawton was only able to gain 35 yards via 16 attempts. It was his first game without a rushing touchdown since the season opener against Bryant. While Lawton struggled to rush for significant yardage all game, the rest of the offense fared worse. Known for his ability to pass the ball and run when needed, redshirt-junior quarterback Tyquell Fields was held to one yard on four rush attempts. Captain, redshirt-senior running back, Isaiah White saw his first in-game action at the running back position in over a month, carrying the ball twice for a total of six yards. The Seawolves were only able to convert two of 14 third down attempts, while the Spiders capitalized and converted eight of 15. Fields struggled on the day, completing 10 of his 25 passing attempts for 205 yards, a passing touchdown and one interception. A 57-yard touchdown pass from Fields to redshirt-sophomore wide receiver Delante Hellams Jr. midway through the second quarter gave the Seawolves their first touchdown of the day and left them trailing 13-10. The score was Hellams’ first touchdown of his career, marking the second weekend in a row that a Stony Brook player picked up their first career touchdown. As the clock wound down, Stony Brook head coach Chuck Priore re-

placed Fields with redshirt-junior quarterback Jack Cassidy. Despite only playing in the last four minutes of the game, Cassidy was the team’s second leading rusher, gaining 17 yards on three attempts. Redshirt-senior defensive back Synceir Malone picked up his second interception of the season early in the first quarter. Following the interception, the Seawolves drove 41 yards down the field and got on the board first following a 26-yard field goal by redshirt-senior kicker,

It felt really good to win on our home court.” Binghamton posed a challenge early on by playing aggressively near the net, causing most of the points to be decided in the frontcourt. Light bounces that fell just outside the reach of defenders contributed to much of the offense. Seven straight Bearcats points gave them the 14-11 lead in set one, with the rally killed by a service error from sophomore setter Kiara Adams. Stony Brook fell down by as much as four, but crawled back through timely kills and continued Binghamton service errors. With the Bearcats facing set point, a tense and dramatic rally ended anticlimactically as a blown whistle signified an attack error on Bearcats freshman outside hitter Audrey Haworth, giving the Seawolves the 25-23 comeback victory in the first set. The front-heavy play led to an overall messy frame, especially on Stony Brook’s side as they committed eight errors — half of their match total — leading to a .105 hitting percentage. Binghamton

hit .211 in the first set, but trouble with the serve doomed them as their six service errors cost them the win. “I wish we would have come out of the locker room more crisp and focused,” head coach Kristin Belzung said in a postgame interview with The Statesman. “It goes one of two ways: you can allow it to stress you out and let it carry over to the rest of the night, or you can address it and make the changes. I thought our group made the changes, so it was good to see us get better throughout the night.” The two teams’ paths diverged as the Seawolves would only improve from there on out, whereas the Bearcats’ hitting numbers descended. Binghamton took early control of the second set with a 7-2 lead, although another service error halted their momentum. Stony Brook scored five consecutive points to go on top 13-10 and would never trail for the rest of the match. The Bearcats burned both of their timeouts late in the set in an attempt to slow down the Seawolves, but couldn’t as the home team took the second set 25-18, with senior outside hit-

Nick Courtney. On the following Spiders drive, redshirt-freshman defensive lineman Makye Smith forced a fumble that was recovered by captain, redshirt-senior defensive back Gavin Heslop. For the Spiders, Mancuso shook off his early first quarter struggles to rush for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 16 attempts, while passing for 318 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The graduate transfer wide receiver duo of Keyston Fuller and Charlie Fessler,

torched the Seawolves defense for a combined 227 yards receiving for two touchdowns on only 17 catches. Following the loss, the Seawolves will return home and play in front of their home crowd for the first time in a month when they host another CAA team and try to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Towson University Tigers (5-4, 2-3 CAA). Kickoff at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Nov. 9.

EMMA HARRIS / THE STATESMAN

Redshirt-senior defensive back Synceir Malone after scoring a touchdown against Bryant on Aug. 29. Malone picked off a pass against Richmond on Nov. 2.

Volleyball avoids first set scare, earns sweep against Binghamton By Ethan Tam

Assistant Sports Editor

Down 21-20 in the first set at home against a winless Binghamton team, Stony Brook Volleyball needed to pick up the urgency. Senior middle blocker Kendra Harlow, the match’s leader in kills, delivered a perfectly placed attack just inside the boundary to put the Seawolves back on top. They would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the set. Stony Brook ultimately pulled together to close out the second set strong and dominate in set three to earn the sweep of Binghamton, a team that they had defeated in three sets earlier this season on the road on Oct. 6. The Seawolves pulled into sole possession of third place in the America East, improving their record to 9-13 (4-3 AE) while the Bearcats dropped to 0-19 (0-6 AE). “I’m really excited,” Harlow said in a postgame interview with The Statesman. “I think that we’re really building momentum in the second half of the conference, and this [win] is important to the team.

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ter Jordan Gels dealing the final blow with her kill. Stony Brook dominated early in set three, scoring the first four points and going up 7-2, yet still had to fight off a surging Binghamton that managed to narrow the deficit to just one. The recently-substituted freshman outside hitter Amiyah De’Long made a large impact in her brief time on the court, recording three kills in five total attacks to enlarge the Seawolves’ lead. Stony Brook ended the set strong, embarking on an 8-1 run to close out the set and earn the 25-14 victory. The Seawolves’ best offensive performance of the night came in the third set when they recorded 12 kills against just three errors for a .409 hitting percentage. The wide margin of victory in the set was also helped by Binghamton’s sloppy play, as the Bearcats committed eight errors while earning eight kills, hitting a flat .000. “We focused on the defensive side of the game,” Belzung said. “We felt like we needed to be clean in our transition scoring, and I

thought we got better at that as the match went on. [Binghamton’s] struggles are not having enough weapons, and I thought we let them score too easily early on.” Stony Brook effectively spread out their offense in the match, with five players attempting at least 14 total attacks and no one attempting more than 21. Harlow, along with Binghamton junior outside hitter Francela Ulate, led all players with eight kills. Redshirt-freshman middle blocker Enitan Omolewa played a key role in the Seawolves’ frontcourt with one solo block and four block assists. Looking ahead, Stony Brook is about to enter a crucial part of the schedule with two straight road matches; the first is on Friday, Nov. 8 with the UMBC Retrievers followed by a Sunday, Nov. 10 bout with the first-place Albany Great Danes. “We know UMBC and Albany really well at this point,” Belzung said. “We’ve got to execute. I think a big piece of that is going to be scoring in transition and trying to make sure we’re not allowing rallies to extend too far.”