The
PROMETHEAN Vol. 32 Issue V
"They Call Me Q" Comes to Siena
By Madison Lemke, Staff Writer The Damietta Cross Cultural Center, Asian Students Association, Diversity Action Committee, Multicultural Studies minor, Creative Arts Department and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies minor all sponsored the heartwarming off-Broadway story of “They Call Me Q" on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. The story was performed by Quarrat Ann Kadwani, who played 13 characters throughout the show. Kadwani and her play have won many awards including Best Play at the Maui Fringe Festival in 2013. In “They Call Me Q,” Kadwani emphasized her need for self-discovery throughout the story. Alone on the stage, Kadwani used a number of props, as well as dramatically changed her facial expressions and voice, to represent different characters in her life. Some of the characters included her mother, her childhood friend, and her brother. From birth, Kadwani never truly felt like she belonged. She was conflicted between her Indian family and her social and academic life in the Bronx. Kadwani’s classmates often teased her because of her heritage. When she began junior high school, she wanted to fit in with her peers. Kadwani began to conform herself and appearance. She confessed, “I wanted to be loud and unapologetic. I wanted to be someone else.” Kadwani then cut, dyed, and curled her hair, completely transforming herself. Unsurprisingly, Kadwani’s strict mother did not take kindly to this. She reacted by asking Kadwani who will marry her now. She also told her daughter that she must “be a good Indian girl.” The threat to marry her off as a child bride frightened Kadwani and led her to behave as her mother would like. Kadwani’s strict mother had high expectations for her daughter. She told her many times that she was expected to get married and she must learn to cook. Her mother also expected that her grades be perfect. After coming home with a 98, Kadwani’s mother asked about the two other points, yet her mother’s high standards led Kadwani to advanced classes in high school
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and later led her to college. After years of being threatened by her parents that they will send her to India, Kadwani decided to see the country for herself. She viewed India as “a place to love and to hate...just like the feelings I had for myself.” When the plane landed in India, Kadwani was overwhelmed with the sense of familiarity. She noted that the people looked like her and she could understand the language around her. Kadwani felt at home, a feeling she had never felt before. While in India, Kadwani visited a family friend, Rya. When they were young, Rya and Kadwani would write letters to each other. Since Rya was only three years older and shared interests, they grew close. Rya recalled how they used to dream about what their wedding would look like as well as the men they would marry. As Rya grew older, she realized that it would not be her choice. Rya confided, “I don’t dream about doing anything now because I know I won’t be able to.” When Kadwani was leaving her house, Rya asked her to start writing to her again so she could dream through her. Kadwani arrived back in America with bright red henna embracing her arm. Although she received weird stares, she was proud. Both of her worlds collided and she finally felt at peace with the very different cultures within her. She stated, “I’m proud to be Indian, American, a New Yorker and from the Bronx.” If you would like more information about Kadwani and her play, you can visit her website at www.theycallmeqshow.com.
Saints Excel As Interns
By Maria Gigliello, Staff Writer Students gathered in the Maloney Great Room on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, to hear from a panel of students who have interned at various places during their time at Siena so far. This event was hosted by the Office of Internship Programs and it was led by Alicia Pepe, director of internships at Siena College. The panel consisted of students Nora Collins, Zackary Terry, Paul MacFarlane, Ayanna Fossett and Agatha Permalino. All have or are currently
November 16, 2018 newspaper@siena.edu interning at various business and companies in the Capital Region and beyond. Pepe prefaced the start of the panel by highlighting how important it is that undergraduate students get experience in the workforce by completing an internship. “Students who have done internships are positioned more effectively for the workforce," she said. The panel of students who spoke during the event have interned at vastly different places: Collins at Park Playhouse in Albany, Terry at the Latham branch of Northwestern Mutual; MacFarlane at Transfinder Corporation in Schenectady; Fossett at Tenable Network Security Company, which is based out of Maryland; and Permalino at Sterling Environmental Engineering in Latham. Collins had the opportunity to intern as a Production Stage Manager for the kid’s division of Park Playhouse this past summer and worked on their production of "James and the Giant Peach." Terry started out as an intern for Northwestern Mutual in his junior year of high school and continued the internship into college. He has now worked his way up the ranks and is now a financial investor with the company. On his experience, Terry said, “We’re not getting coffee, getting mail or grabbing lunches. We’re actually doing work.” Terry went on to say that the experience has allowed him to get his broker’s license and start a career for himself before his college experience is even over. MacFarlane worked in coding and software support at Transfinder and said he used his internship to get experience in the computer science field. Fossett was a customer success manager intern at Tenable and was able to tailor her internship in order to accommodate what she was interested in. Permalino currently interns in the accounting department of Sterling Environmental Engineering. Pepe also said, “In the five panels we’ve done, this is the most interestingly diverse panel we’ve had.” The Office of Internships at Siena is a vital asset to those looking for an internship in their undergraduate career. Internships that are done through Siena offer students 14 weeks to test the waters of their future career. Students typically complete 120 to 150 hours with a reflective paper due at the end of the internship. Internships can be done for credit but they don’t have to be. In the past year, the Office of Internships has posted 779 internships so there are plenty of opportunities to find an internship that you might be interested in. Pepe also made sure to note that while an internship can set you on the path of what career you might enter into, they are also a good way to determine what you are not interested in doing. The ultimate message that the interns on the panel delivered is that internships make you more marketable and can be a great way to determine your future career. There was also an emphasis on networking and making connections with alumni and other contacts. Terry’s final piece of advice for students in the
November 16, 2018
Editorial Board Emily Radigan Editor-in-Chief
Samantha Deragon General Assistant Editor Annamaria Walden General Assistant Editor Emily Rhoades Academic & Social News Editor Jaymie Hoelldobler Arts & Entertainment Editor Megan Kelly Opinion Editor Hugo Castro Politics Editor Julianna Sebastian Sports Editor
Editorial Policy The opinions and views expressed in editorial and opinion columns are solely those of their author and do not represent the views of The Promethean staff or of Siena College. Any response to an editorial without intent to publish should be submitted directly to the author of the article. If you wish to send your reaction to The Promethean or its Editor-in-Chief, it falls under the guidelines of Letters to the Editor. Letters must be no longer than 700 words. Submission to the paper does not guarantee publication. Opinion and editorial articles submitted are edited strictly for basic spelling and grammar only. The editorial board reserves the right to make any and all decisions and editorial changes on newspaper content, with the final decisions belonging to the Editor-inChief. Any changes besides spelling and grammar will be run by the author before publication. Article Submission Guidelines The Promethean reserves the right to deny publication of any article that is deemed by the Editor-in-Chief to be • Slanderous or libelous • Advocating violence or harm to any person or group of people • Advocating discrimination of any sort • Advocating performance of illegal actions • Improperly researched and cited • Lacking sufficient journalistic integrity References must be formatted in AP style and will not be accepted in any other form. Statements made as fact in letters to the editor and editorials/opinions are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Promethean, its staff, or Siena College. Next Issue: November 30, 2018 Article/Advertisement Deadline: November 26, 2018
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Academic & Social News | 2
Academic & Social News audience? It’s never to early to start looking for an internship. For more information on finding an internship, visit the Office of Internships in Siena Hall, located in the CURCA office, or contact Alicia Pepe.
Fr. George Coyne Celebrates Observatory Opening with a Lecture That is Out of This World
By Kiera Mitru, Staff Writer On Saturday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m., the Breyo Observatory of Siena College was officially opened in chilly 35-degree temperatures. Despite the cold, Siena students and faculty, as well as members of the public, gathered to tour Siena’s newest edition with students from Siena’s Physics Department. Before exploring the roof of Roger Bacon to view the observatory, spectators filled the Key Auditorium in Roger Bacon to hear a lecture from experienced astronomer and expert cosmologist, Father George Coyne, S.J. This lecture was titled “The Dance of the Fertile Universe: A Meeting of Science and Religious Belief”. Fr. George addressed the question: “Is the fertility of the universe by chance or necessity?” Father George introduced this topic as a scientific question with religious implications. Within his lecture he concluded that the universe is not fertile by chance, but because chance enters the process of star formation and other celestial events. Father George identified himself as a priest in the Jesuit order, in which there is a constant debate on whether God created the universe or if the Big Bang created what we know as our universe today. Father George explained, “One doesn’t believe in the Big Bang, one either knows it or denies it," altering the language normally used when discussing the topic. Rather than crediting God as the creator of the universe, Father George offered the point of view that interprets God as the universe’s loving father. As someone that has studied the universe and worked in multiple observatories, Father George spoke about the importance of the telescope to humanity, as well as astronomers. He said, "Telescopes are extensions of our own eyes. It is our curiosity, it is me, but it’s bigger than me.” As spectators toured Siena College’s new facility, it became apparent that the curiosity that brought telescopes into existence is very much human, but the idea of studying the universe is bigger than those who choose to do it. Father George then brought up the existence of what cosmologists call “stellar wombs” from which stars are born. These pockets of what seem like darkness surrounded by clusters of light contain the ingredients necessary to birth stars, dust and gas. Father George displayed the evidence
that explains the universe’s fertility that will continue to exist long afterlife on Earth is brought to an end. For over 13 billion years, stars, galaxies, planets and other types of celestial matter have continued to take form without hesitation. With the conversation of the universe’s grandeur, Father George began to mention his belief in extraterrestrial life. He stated that with there being over 100 billion known galaxies, there must be life beyond the existence that we are familiar with. Father George joked, “I’m not going to worry about bringing up the search for extraterrestrial intelligence because we have enough on our hands looking for intelligence in the world that we do know.” Putting all jokes aside, Father George encouraged his audience to receive his message objectively, and with an open mind. Father George wrapped up the lecture by addressing that the more we learn about the universe, the more there is that we don’t know. As theology and science have an extensive history of butting heads, Father Coyne’s lecture addressed the possibility of the two studies coexisting. As Siena looks to inspire and educate the community with the addition of the Breyo Observatory, Father George looks to continue doing the same, in both the Catholic and scientific communities.
#MeToo Forum
By Alexis Oldfield, Staff Writer It was this time last year that the Me Too movement quickly gained international attention via social media. The hashtag, #MeToo, covered the internet, raising awareness on the issue of sexual violence and harassment. The movement has since picked up more momentum as the Kavanaugh hearing unfolded earlier this fall. In light of these recent events, Siena’s Women’s Center held a brief open forum on Mon. Oct. 29, 2018, in the SSU. The forum focused on the Me Too movement itself, the swearing-in of Brett Kavanaugh and the current state of women’s empowerment. Open to anyone on campus, the forum was attended by both Siena students and faculty who shared their feelings and concerns. Because this event touched on sensitive subjects, mediators set ground rules to ensure that everyone in attendance and their opinions were respected. A few questions were provided to spark the conversations, including “Do you think #MeToo is necessary?” and “Do you think it’s justified/fair when people say 'it's a dangerous world for men?'" The notion that Brett Kavanaugh being sworn in as a Supreme Court justice may be the Me Too movement taking steps backward proved to be a topic of interest. Some attendees felt that it was, in fact, taking the movement backward. On the other hand, comments were also made that the situation would only encourage the movement to reform, regroup and come back stronger. As for the Siena community itself, the forum raised questions on how the topics of sexual assault and harassment are handled on campus. Comments were made regarding the want for more implementation of these current issues in classroom discussions. Some
3| Academic & Social News felt that professors should be more active in talking about such matters with their students as they are occurring. Others felt that professors should make it known to their classes if they are an available source for outof-classroom discussions. The idea of having more mandatory approaches other than the first-year orientation seminar on sexual assault was also addressed. It was mentioned that this seminar during orientation may not have been enough to get the seriousness of these pressing issues across to incoming students. The mediators concluded the discussion by providing the names of resources available to members of the Siena community that may be struggling with anything related to sexual assault and harassment. Resources that keep information strictly confidential include Health Services, the Counseling Center and Chaplain’s office. Other resources on campus include the Women’s Center, Public Safety, the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center and any available community assistants or resident directors. Siena commonly holds forums regarding popular issues such as this one. They are always open to the Siena community, so if you would like to voice your opinions in a safe space, make sure to attend the next available open forum.
English Colloquium Showcases Professor Research
By Emily Rhoades, Academic & Social News Editor On Tues. Oct. 30, 2018, the English Department held a colloquium featuring professor research by Dr. Keith Wilhite and Dr. Christiane Farnan. Dr. Wilhite is an assistant professor of English and has a primary focus in urban and suburban studies. Dr. Farnan is also an associate professor of English who focuses in mid-nineteenth to early-twentiethcentury women writers. Both professors were on sabbatical last semester and spent their time extensively researching and writing their current book projects. The event drew in students of all disciplines who were interested in learning more about their professors' projects. Dr. Wilhite spent his semester-long sabbatical working on a book chapter about nation-building, domestic security, and the suburban ideal in postwar America. His research focuses on the changes in suburban life from 1945, post-World War II, to the 2008 recession and is a scrutinization of the "cultural ideal of [the] suburban home." Dr. Wilhite used examples of film and media magazines while presenting his research findings, specifically those that promoted the suburban ideal. He showed stills from "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (1948), a film that reflected the need for housing post-WWII, as the urban space of the city was becoming too cramped. Dr. Wilhite also showed images of House and Garden Magazine. The magazine's depiction of suburban nation-building suggested that the home "embodie[d] the American ideal of good living," as well as a right that the WWII veterans fought for. However, House and Garden did not reference the exclusivity of this vision, Dr. Wilhite explained. There were limited options for African-Americans moving from the rural south to the suburbs. Expanding on these limited options
The Promethean for African-Americans looking to achieve this suburban ideal, Dr. Wilhite then discussed his analysis of the 1959 play, "A Raisin in the Sun," by Lorraine Hansberry, in relation to his project. The play, set in the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s, shows the life of the Youngers, an African-American family who comes into conflict over how to spend a life insurance check. As the play progresses, the family puts a down payment on a house in Clybourne Park, an entirely white neighborhood and experiences racial discrimination. One of the sons, Walter Lee, envisions the suburban ideal during the play: a commute home from downtown, his help waiting to greet him in the yard, and the dutiful wife waiting at the door to welcome him home with a kiss. Dr. Wilhite explained these are "recognizable signifiers of white male fantasy and power that Walter reads as a universal path to success." Dr. Wilhite concluded his presentation with a reading from one of his chapters. Dr. Farnan spent her sabbatical researching female physical fitness in the nineteenth century. She directed her focus to Ellen Montgomery's character in "The Wide, Wide World" by Susan Warner. Warner's book, published in 1850, was the biggest bestseller of the nineteenth century from 1850 to 1852 until "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was published. Despite its literary success, however, many students have not heard of or read the novel. Dr. Farnan brought her personal copy of "The Wide, Wide World" to the colloquium and held it up for the audience to see - her copies were split into two volumes with red covers and silver script, which were heavily worn. “When I hold this in my hand, I feel like I’m reading it the way the original readers enjoyed it,” she said. After setting up the historical and literary context for Warner's book, Dr. Farnan explained her main argument of the novel: "I argue that Susan Warner presents the midnineteenth century American girl abroad as a different, unusually athletic, more interesting kind of mid-nineteenth century girl." Dr. Farnan emphasized that the protagonist of "The Wide, Wide World," Ellen Montgomery, predates Louisa May Alcott's Jo March of "Little Women" by two full decades. Fans of Alcott's recognize Jo's character as defying society's expectations of femininity. Ellen's character in Warner's novel is strong - mentally, physically, spiritually. Through the course of the novel, she travels from New York City to the Adirondacks to Edinburgh, Scotland, a journey that reflects her endurance and strength. Dr. Farnan questioned why there was no social pushback to this athletic, hardy female protagonist who, on the surface-level, defied patriarchal expectations. During her sabbatical, she pursued this question further and determined that "Ellen's character always adheres to prescribed methods by which a domestic heroine overcomes her obstacles." Dr. Farnan explained, "She never steps out of culturally prescribed behavior." Though Ellen's character exercises and actively maintains physical fitness, she is always, still, in submission to patriarchal authority. Farnan explained that Ellen is described as "perfectly ladylike" by other characters in the novel, even when she is engaged in strenuous activity. It was a valuable opportunity for students to hear about Dr. Wilhite and Dr. Farnan's research projects. Students often are
November 16, 2018 unaware of the additional work and research professors engage in outside of the classroom, and it is important for all of their hard work to be recognized.
Siena College's Frankenstein Goes Back to Shelley's Roots
By Carli Scolforo, Staff Writer At an open forum, “How I Healed My BA story full of love, loss, and monsters has crept its way out of First-Year Seminar reading requirements and onto the stage of the Beaudoin Theatre this weekend. Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” has been adapted a number of ways since its publication in the 19th century. The production put on by the Siena Creative Arts Department and Stage III, however, strays away from the bumbling green monster we’ve become most familiar with and makes its way back home to Shelley’s original text. In his note as the production’s playwright, Siena Prof. David Lane explains that this adaptation was designed to bring Shelley’s words, complex characters and deeper themes back towards the story of Frankenstein. Lane wanted to show a more intelligent and complex version of Frankenstein’s monster than is seen in pop culture today, since “Mary Shelley’s Creature is more human than monster.” The script of this production of “Frankenstein” is pulled directly from Shelley’s original novel. According to lead actor and Siena sophomore Max Adelman, this has its own merits and challenges. While Adelman, who played Victor Frankenstein, enjoys the power of the text, as memorizing these lines is no small feat. “I’m pretty much reciting the entire book. We’re not changing any of the words, all the words are the same, so it has that Victorian flow to it,” said Adelman of the complex language in the novel. If Victorian-era writing doesn’t draw you in to see a show, Adelman says the effects the cast and crew are working with certainly will. “Expect spectacular lighting, sound design, acting...it’s a masterpiece,” says Adelman, speaking highly of lighting and sound designers Greg Solomon and Emma Wilk. The two have worked together on numerous shows including productions in New York City, London, and some past Siena College productions such as last semester’s “Arcadia.” Solomon and Wilk provide the strobe lights, surround sound, and various other special effects that take this production to the next level on top of Lane’s puppetry and a spectacular cast of actors. While the first weekend of performances is over, the show will still be running at 8 p.m., Nov 15-17 in the Beaudoin Theatre.
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November 16, 2018
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Arts & Entertainment Ho Ho Ho-ld On a Minute
By Jaymie Hoelldobler, Arts & Entertainment Editor If you're anything like myself, the second the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, you are in full on Christmas mode. No matter how much I try to tell myself that there is plenty of time to decorate, buy gifts and do every possible Christmas tradition known to man, I still find myself already in the festive mood by the first week of November. But this tends to be a great debate amongst everyone - how early is too early? Isn't it disrespectful to the Thanksgiving holiday if we start decorating on November 2nd? I remember mid-October, I went to Walmart and went to the back of the store to find the Christmas wonderland they put up each and every year. I didn't think too much about it and walked on a little bit further but then stopped and did a double take because it was OCTOBER. I am a huge supporter of celebrating Christmas as early as possible, but even October is pushing the limit a little bit for me. It seems like every year Christmas decorations and supplies go up in store windows a little bit earlier. I think there is definitely a line and putting up decorations before even Halloween is crossing it. Thanksgiving is great. Who doesn't love an excuse to eat forty pounds of mashed potatoes and eighty rolls? But... what actual Thanksgiving traditions are there? Who goes all out and decorates their house with turkeys? Thanksgiving traditions usually take place on the actual holiday - football, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, cooking and baking all day, and so on. It's not a holiday you can really spend a month preparing for, as it mostly revolves around food. Isn't Thanksgiving so much better when you're surrounded by Christmas lights and tinsel? Why can't the two holidays live in harmony? Just because I choose to decorate for Christmas the second week into November does not mean I am disrespecting the tradition of stuffing my face with turkey - it means I am going to stuff my face with turkey under some nice, sparkly Christmas lights. If you are one of those people who fully support the idea of celebrating Christmas for multiple months but fear the attacks from Thanksgiving enthusiasts, here are some coping mechanisms to get you through the month of November when society deems it okay to put up a Christmas wreath. • Turkey Trot (Nov. 22 @ 8 a.m.) • Buckle down for some arts and crafts (cut-out paper turkeys are pretty easy, remember making those little guys in elementary school? Trace your hand on some brown paper and you're already halfway there), and plaster them everywhere in your home. Really show your family that you are in full support of the Thanksgiving season. • Make lists of all the Black Friday deals so you can cross off some Christmas gifts for people on your list. Black Friday is technically after Thanksgiving, but sorting through all those deals can easily
take enough time to carry you through the whole month leading up to the actual day. • Bake a different pie every day of the month. Everyone loves pies and it is one hundred percent a Thanksgiving tradition. Everyone wins here. • Go into the wilderness and find a few turkeys. Learn a turkey call. Really show them some love and appreciation before the day they probably spend the whole year fearing comes to pass. Happy November!
Keeping Up with Pop Culture
By Tianny Ocasio, Staff Writer As 2018 winds down, pop culture is as lively as ever and new things are happening in the lives of celebrities every day. Post Malone is probably one of the most unpredictable artists in pop culture right now, and this isn’t really a bad thing! The man spontaneously gets new face tattoos, random haircuts and apparently collaborates with shoe companies. Yes, in early November, Posty collaborated with the one and only Crocs and released his very own pair. The shoes retail at a more hefty price than classic Crocs at $59.99 but sure are worth it; the shoes are white with a yellow baby devil face design and also come with six custom Jibbitz related to the rapper, including a recreation of his “Stay Away” tattoo and Posty Co. logo. The Crocs are sold out as of now, but he tweeted that more will be available just in time for the holidays in December, so keep an eye out! Ariana Grande’s personal life has never been outside of the public eye, but she doesn’t seem to mind as much as one might think. All of her romantic relationships have been on display in the past, and it’s no secret when she starts dating someone new. News of her split from Pete Davidson broke the internet a couple of weeks ago, and her new song “thank u, next” is an interesting ode to her past lovers as she names her exes Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez and Mac Miller in the first verse of the song. The song is far from petty or dismissive but instead focuses on everything she’s learned from her past relationships, including love, patience and pain. It also seems as if all of the exes heard the song before it was released and gave it a green light so it’s good to know we can listen guilt-free because the song is a bonafide bop. In September of this year, Mac Miller died suddenly at the age of 26. It was no secret that the rapper had been struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, but no one could have predicted his death at such a young age. For two months, people were left to assume his cause of death, but that question was recently answered. He died from an overdose caused by a combination of cocaine, fentanyl, and alcohol. It’s heartbreaking to recognize how much pain Mac had been in, but he left a mark on the music industry that will never be erased. This was made clear on Halloween when, a concert, called “Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life” was held in his honor in Los Angeles. Various artists like John Mayer, Travis Scott and SZA covered his songs for a captive audience, ensuring that his legacy will
Arts & Entertainment | 4 go on. Demi Lovato, who suffered a drug relapse in July, appears to be out of rehab and thriving! The singer posted a picture of herself voting on Election Day, and it was fantastic to see that she looks healthy and happy. It’s also great that her return to social media was intended to encourage her 70.5 million followers to get out and vote. It doesn’t look like Cardi B and Nicki Minaj will be burying the hatchet anytime soon. The rappers infamously brawled at Harpers Bazaar during New York Fashion Week and they remain far from making amends. Cardi released a series of short videos calling out Nicki and accusing her of being a liar and an aggressor in their fraught relationship. Nicki has tweeted out similar things about Cardi and who knows, they might have it out at another public event soon enough. British actor Idris Elba has been named the Sexiest Man Alive for 2018 and people are here for it. It’s hard to forget the disappointment verbalized by basically anyone with a pulse that Blake Shelton received the title last year. Not that poor Blake is unattractive but previous recipients have included Adam Levine, Brad Pitt, David Beckham and Chris Hemsworth so it’s easy to see why there was some disagreement. A reboot of the beloved "Shrek" series is in the works according to the director of "Despicable Me," and while most, including myself, are skeptical and confused about why Shrek needs to suffer a reboot, some are optimistic. The company is the same one that produces the newest "Grinch" film, one that is being met with a lot of buzz so perhaps the Shrek series is in good hands. I suppose time can only tell what sort of changes might be associated with revamping the series.
Staying on a Parental Healthcare Plan is the Best Option
By Christina Schultz, Staff Writer As of 2010 with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, nationwide adults 26-years-old and under have the opportunity to stay on their parents' health insurance plans. A big question might be whether this is appropriate and at what point it is better to just “cut the cord.” Given that at this age most young adults would have already graduated from college or, at the very least, have started their first career, this policy seems to encourage over-dependence on parental units. This perspective might even be further propagated if in the scenario in question the adult-child has their own apartment or even their own family to look after; however, this alone does not justify removal from their parents' health insurance plan. Based on the low health risks of young adults, the rising average amount of student loans, and the potential tax benefits for the parental household, it is ideal in the average case to allow a child to stay on their parent’s health insurance as long as possible. Health insurance rates for young adults are typically low due to their overall lower probability of health problems; however, this low risk is also why many young adults, if faced with a thin spread income, might forgo insurance altogether. Post-ACA, the
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Opinion
uninsured rate among Americans between the ages of 18-34 dropped by 10 percent. Partially this can be explained by an overall lack of availability for affordable healthcare prior to the implementation of ACA. Yet, an indistinguishable amount of the newly insured individuals can be explained by their incorporation onto their parents' plan. While the young adult might not find it the best use of limited expendable income to get health insurance, parents who may have more income to spare do. Whether this is done out of the goodness of their hearts or simply because the parents in question due to life experience became more risk-averse with age is left up to debate. But nevertheless, there are further financial benefits for both parties in question with keeping children on parental healthcare plans beyond just the precautionary motives of parents. For the adult-child in question, even if the desire is present to get health insurance, joint insurance typically will be cheaper per person than a totally independent plan. Perhaps within a household, an agreement can be made for the child to reimburse the parental unit back for being on the cheaper family plan. Given the rising amount of student loans incurred and the inability to defer after a certain point, this cost decrease might make the difference between healthcare access being feasible and unattainable. This arrangement can be identified as mutually beneficial as, assuming the parental household's income is higher than the child’s, tax benefits can allow this arrangement to be further incentivized. Even if the young adult in question can no longer be claimed as a dependent, paying for their health insurance can be used for tax deductions. The amount of this deduction is wholly based upon other endogenous factors, but without a doubt, it further impacts the fiscal feasibility of attaining healthcare. At the end of the day, a family’s decision to keep their child on a joint insurance plan is totally dependent on a household's financial standing, employment situations, and healthcare needs; however, in most cases, a joint plan does have significant benefits for new graduates and/or young professions along with smaller benefits for their parents. A starting salary is already stretched thin from student loans and basic living costs, and joint family plans without precedence allow a lower rate than an individual plan. Of course something is to be said about the need to grow up and become self-sufficient; however, the little support at the beginning of one’s career can have a monstrous impact upon quality of life and ability to maintain morale for the next 40+ years of working to come.
It's Okay to Take Some Time Off
By Alyssa Guzman, Staff Writer College is the best four years of your life, right? Well, maybe not. The stress of college is only getting heavier and heavier as students continuously add more and more activities to their schedules. Whether it be internships, where so many students will fight for big named companies with only a few spots open, extracurriculars,
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sports or clubs; they all add up to the stress. Extracurriculars are great in so many ways: friend making, de-stressing, a nice break from your schedule, and a great resume builder, but it can be very stressful too. With extracurriculars, we are all trying to get high ranking positions because we love what we do, but it also looks great to future employers to say you managed a club, or edited published work, or organized events for large audiences. With internships, big named companies go a long way, especially when you already want a job somewhere in that company. It’s a foot in the door, it’s networking. It’s important. But that’s the thing…students are too worried about building the perfect resume instead of remembering to make this the best four years of their lives. Students are constantly searching for a way to stand out, to brand themselves, and to find ways to guarantee they land their dream job. Plus, we are all juggling a full course load. We are not reminding ourselves to go hang out with friends or family, to go out and see a movie or a concert, to take an afternoon or morning off and just do something like read a book, sleep in, or talk a walk. As students, we are so focused on the future, and for some of us, it is far away. For others, it is too close for comfort. However, no matter how far away or how close it is, taking a moment to just breathe, an hour to scroll through social media, a day to just relax once and a while is so important too. Being burnt out does not help anyone, least of all you. All of us pay a lot of money to attend college; remember to have fun too. Taking one afternoon off won’t kill you, even if it feels like it. And if you’re like me, you’ll feel guilty about it, but you have to know it’s worth it too. Then, after your break, you go back to work and you keep reaching toward that perfect resume, but learning to have fun and not be so career driven all the time goes a long way too.
Beauty Pageants: Detrimental to Women's Minds
By Megan Kelly, Opinion Editor After recently watching the 2000 classic film, “Miss Congeniality,” I began to wonder whether beauty pageants were detrimental to the minds of women. These women in the pageants spend much of their time and effort painting their faces, dying their hair, watching what they eat, losing the weight, and fitting into revealing outfits. It seems that all beauty pageants are sexist, and they cause women to flaunt their physical attributes to a wide audience who will then judge them off of their looks. Yes, there are other aspects of a beauty pageant: personal interviews, talent, swimsuit (or fitness competition) and the evening gown attire. Even if the category is not meant to explicitly judge the women off of their appearance, everyone is simply looking at the visible traits and characteristics of these women’s bodies. A blog post from Rappler reads, “Feminists say the country's obsession with beauty pageants is harmful to women because they encourage women to measure their worth by their physical attributes.” Is
November 16, 2018 that what we should be teaching to young women? You are only worth something in this world if you are beautiful on the outside? That is not what my mom told me, let me tell you. In 2014, Nina Davuluri won the crown, and was titled, “Miss America.” Now the Miss America Pageant has been one of the most famous pageants in our nation’s history, but it has been a controversial event since its inception, for it focuses on physical appearances and promotes unrealistic female attributes. Nina Davuluri claimed that pageants promote female empowerment. Why? It appears that Nina believes women should make use of their good looks to succeed. Sure, that sounds ideal, but not every woman in this world is “beauty-pageant thin” with bouncy hair and perfect skin. Should those women who do not have these nonviable features feel that they will be unsuccessful? Absolutely not. Beauty pageants affect the psychological impacts of women in many ways. Females, who according to their physicians, have a BMI that is slender, are actually unhappy with their body types and think of themselves as ‘large.’ Women that were not competing in the pageants had realistic views of their body image and were content in their own skin. The pageant participants suffered from low self-esteem and depression because they continuously compared themselves to models in the media and actresses in Hollywood. We all know of the popular, yet disturbing, show, Toddlers and Tiaras. Annette Hill, the pageant director, claimed during the first episode that she wanted the little girls to wear one piece bathing suits for a more natural feel during the swimsuit competition. Despite the girls being mostly covered up, the would still sway their hips and mimic a sexualized womanly walk. It is not natural for little girls under the age of twelve to feel that they should be dressing up and putting on makeup to showcase their looks. The youngest contestants were only two to three years old, but “it seems that their young minds learn that their future involves being pretty.” It seems that women of all ages are searching to be something and someone that aligns with celebrity status and model tendencies. I do not think participating in a beauty pageant is going to raise your selfesteem; I think it will be your fifteen minutes of fame to show off the spray tan and teeth whitening that you were advised to use. I think that women should stick to feeling comfortable in their own, natural skin and work to perfect yourself in a way that personally makes you feel good. Those are the people I look up to; everyday people like you and me, not those pageant queens.
iPhone Upgrade Program Latest in Attempts by Apple to Siphon Your Disposable Income
By David Le Blang Staff Writer Recently appearing in my inbox was an email from Apple telling me to sign up for their (assumedly) new iPhone subscription program. The idea is simple: pay a designated amount of money per month and receive each year the brand new iPhone, complete with “AppleCare+” coverage and versatility
November 16, 2018 amongst carriers. Considering the fact that a new iPhone is released each year during approximately the same time window, and that the increasing costs of the phone have driven prices for the high-end models up to over a thousand dollars, this plan sounds like not only a good idea for the conscious consumer but also an attractive one to those who are on the fence about the idea of upgrading each and every year. Allow me to take the stance of the pessimist and tear this idea to shreds. To start, I want to lay out pointedly that I think this is a direct attempt at further pushing the “newer is better” mentality amongst consumers; those who choose to stick loyally with this corporation are at the head of the pack not only technologically but societally, and those who choose not to conform are left out in the dust to either change their ways or to become obsolete. This mentality breeds profits, as there are still people lining up every September to shell out a fraction of their income for an approximate six-inch rectangle that sits in your pocket (but this one takes better pictures!). The push of this new program signals to me that maybe people are not entirely willing to drop a three month’s car payment on a cell phone each year, and that Apple would like to offer a more conservative alternative by draining your wallet over time, and not in one lump sum. Next, I would like to address what I think is the pure absurdity of the pricing on this program. On the front of the page, it is advertised that the plan starts pricing at $37.41/month, for the iPhone XR with 64 gigabytes of storage (not to mention the non-transferrable iCloud storage extension program as well). Over twelve months, this rounds out to $448.92 annually. On the other end of the spectrum, the iPhone XS Max with 512 gigabytes of storage begins at $68.66/ month, $823.92 for one year. Comparing this to the face value price of $1099, a savings of $275.08 might sound appealing, as well as the fact that the lowest end model only runs you just short of $450 per year. Here is the problem with that: it is a yearly plan. Call me a traditionalist, but I believe that a phone, especially something of such high monetary value in this market, is an investment, not a lease. You should be buying a new phone which will last you for years, that is reliable, and has enough features to leave you content. To touch on that first point, Apple has not only admitted to throttling the processing speed on phones as they age, but they also deliberately design their newest operating system updates to work fluidly with what is the most current hardware at the time – leaving people with an older model and a newer operating system in a quandary that can only be solved by shelling out the money for the newest model. I think it is all a plan to have the consumer spend more and more money on a material item which has undoubtedly become one of the largest crutches in societal life in the last decade. In my opinion, a phone needs to do two things: receive and give communications. Anything else is extraneous and unneeded. However, we have evolved past such a point where having many of these ‘extraneous’ features has become commonplace; photography, internet access, applications, etc. are all the cornerstone of what qualifies as only the bare minimum of what the average consumer looks for in a phone. Now, I realize
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Editorial Policy The opinions and views expressed in editorial and opinion columns are solely those of their author and do not represent the views of The Promethean staff or of Siena College. Any response to an editorial without intent to publish should be submitted directly to the author of the article. If you wish to send your reaction to The Promethean or its Editor-in-Chief, it falls under the guidelines of Letters to the Editor. Letters must be no longer than 700 words. Submission to the paper does not guarantee publication. Opinion and editorial articles submitted are edited strictly for basic spelling and grammar only. The editorial board reserves the right to make any and all decisions and editorial changes on newspaper content, with the final decisions belonging to the Editor-inChief. Any changes besides spelling and grammar will be run by the author before publication. Statements made as fact in Letters to the Editor and editorials/opinions are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Promethean, its staff, or Siena College. that it is unfeasible to carry around a phone for calling and texting, a camera for taking pictures, another device for listening to music, a laptop to use the internet, etc. It is not only convenient but absolutely remarkable that we have the technology to take all of those things and combine them and shrink them down to a six-inch rectangle that we can carry around and use at will. Regardless, I think that shelling out the money each and every year to lock yourself into the cycle that Apple has now given you an easier than ever way to enter is ridiculous, and unneeded. A new phone with all the bells and whistles is nothing more than a material want, not a need. Do yourself a favor and invest in something that is reliable, comfortable, and useful, not something that is designed to break down at an advanced rate.
Response to: “Does Siena Even Care?”
By Commuter Student Association Recently, the Promethean released an article with a title that was impossible to skip past: “Does Siena Even Care?” That simple sentence conveys the frustration, anxiety, and stress all found in the article about the diminishing parking spots on campus. According to this author, as well as the multiple people that they interviewed, that the lack of spots and the continual parking of faculty and staff members in student parking has made the drive dreadful for commuters. As a board of commuters, we wholeheartedly agree that lack of parking is an issue on campus that affects commuters particularly, and we are pushing for a resolution between students, faculty and staff, and Public Safety to alleviate the trouble. Commuter Student Association (CSA) cares about you and your concerns as a commuter, and we
O p i n i o n |6 want to make sure your voice is heard not only by us, but by the school administration and resident students, as well. If you would like to get involved with the Commuter Student Association (CSA) and help us address the parking issue, or any other issue commuters face on campus, we encourage you to come to our weekly meetings at 12:30 p.m. on Fridays, and we always start the meeting with an open forum for students, faculty, staff and/ or administrators to come and share their concerns about parking, or any other issue they may have navigating Siena as a commuter. When you voice your opinions to our board, know that the conversation does not stop there. CSA communicates with Public Safety and other Student Life organizations on campus. We have investigated the number of blind spots in the parking lot, and are in the process of communicating with Public Safety and other Student Life organizations on campus. To quote from the article: “commuters are students too”, and CSA wants each commuter student to know that they matter. We care about you!
Massachusetts Votes to Overturn Citizens United Decision
By Elizabeth Vinal, Staff Writer In the midst of the elections, Massachusetts joins California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont, Rhode Island and Maryland in calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision made by the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This case gives corporations the ability to spend unlimited amounts of money on campaigns. This move was supported not only by representatives, but was actually passed via ballot initiative as Question 2 on the ballot -- which allows the people of the state to partake in direct democracy to see the bills they want passed. Since the only way to overturn this decision at the moment is to have a Constitutional amendment, the fact that the citizens actually passed this initiative makes it more likely that Congress will heed the opinions made in this process. Citizens United was decided in 2010, in a 5-4 decision. The majority opinion stated that the First Amendment protects political spending as symbolic speech. Since political spending is protected by the First Amendment, which has been extended to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment, the federal and state governments cannot restrict government spending in support of or against a specific candidate. That being said, they cannot spend unlimited funds directly to campaigns, but they can spend as much as they want on persuading voters through other means, such as advertisements or communicating with organization members. This decision was a win for large corporations and wealthy people. That being said, for those who think that the government and elected officials are already corrupt and easily bought, this decision leads to more worry that officials will be even more corrupt and will lessen the impact of the voices of voters. The result of this passage will be a fifteen-member group, made up of unpaid
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Massachusetts residents, that will work to figure out the path to overturning this Supreme Court decision. The process they will likely seek is to either have a new case made up to SCOTUS and argue for the changing of precedence, or, more likely, urge Congress to pass a Constitutional amendment that would restrict campaign finance. This process is unique from the other states mentioned, as Massachusetts is the only state to create a committee who will actually work solely on this topic. The law goes into effect on January 1st, and the committee has until the end of the year to present a report examining campaign finances and a proposal as to the language that should be used if an amendment were to be adopted. While there is no guarantee that Congress will listen to their proposal, this is a great step for people who want to protect their voices in government and decrease corruption. Ironically, there were no funds found to be raised against this proposed bill. The only objections that were made were by people who said that they do not want another committee to spend tax money on, especially one that is largely symbolic. Overall, the majority of the state seems to be behind this initiative, though we have to wait a year to see what comes of this committee.
Historical Voter Turnout...Let's Keep it Up
By Sean Buff, Staff Writer This year alone, many Americans were rushing to register to vote, particularly young, college-aged Americans. In the past, Americans between the ages of 18-25 have had the highest voter apathy rate in the country. This is true for many reasons. Young Americans tend not to care as much about politics as their older counterparts. Between school and work, young Americans claim to not have the time to get to the polls. However, recent events have caused more young Americans to not only register to vote, but to take on an advocacy role in politics. After the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many high school and college-aged students began taking on advocacy roles for stricter gun legislation. It has worked, at least at the state level. In response to the Parkland shooting, the Florida State Legislature passed laws that prohibited the sale of rifles to anybody under the age of 21 and extended the waiting period to purchase a firearm to three days. This bill was also signed by Governor Rick Scott. This year’s midterm elections were an anomaly for all, especially voters between the ages of 18-25 years old. Normally, young voter turnout is the highest during presidential election years. According to The Hill, voters under the age of 30 surpassed their older counterparts at the polls this year. Younger voters on both sides of the political spectrum turned up at the polls in record numbers compared to the 2014 midterm elections. With this surge in younger voters, the Democrats hoped to wash out both chambers of Congress with their "blue wave." Younger voters tend
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to lean more Democrat, possibly contributing to the Democrats taking back the House of Representatives. Not only have younger voters turned out in record numbers, but so have the overall voting population. According to NPR, more than 47 percent of eligible voters showed up at the polls. More people are feeling passionate about politics than ever. Our current political culture is more polarized than ever, and people tend to vote along party lines, as noted in the most recent election. Voters are also more passionate to vote for a candidate if a well-known figure endorses him or her. President Trump held numerous rallies in red states with Democratic senators. Most notably, he held rallies in support of Senate candidate Rick Scott in Florida, Josh Hawley in Missouri, and Mike Braun in Indiana. All these senator-elects were able to unseat Democratic incumbents running to keep their seat in the Senate. President Trump was able to energize Republican voters in these states and even reach out to those who would not have originally voted. Endorsements could also backfire on a candidate, depending on who is doing the endorsing. Taylor Swift endorsed former Governor of Tennessee Phil Bredesen for an open Senate seat. However, he lost to Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, who was endorsed by President Trump. This could be because voters feel that celebrities are out of touch with society. It could also be a celebrity’s inexperience with politics that could result in their endorsement of a candidate to be worthless or harmful. Voters have felt more energized than ever to get to the polls. Even candidates were eager to get their constituents to the polls. One candidate for New York Governor, Larry Sharpe, has even offered his voters rides to the polls to make them more accessible. Today, voting is easier than ever. One can drive, walk, or take public transportation to his or her polling station. People also can vote in the comfort of their own homes with absentee ballots.
The Midterm Elections
By Hugo Castro, Politics Editor Election season is officially over, and Democrats have taken back the majority in the House of Representatives, while Republicans maintained the Senate. As the country awaits the results of remaining races, Democrats are expected to gain 38 seats in the House, according to the New York Times. In New York, the awaited the NY-22 race between Democrat Anthony Brindisi and Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney. Despite Brindisi declaring an early victory, Tenney refused to concede, awaiting the results of absentee ballots, which had until November 13th to arrive at election officials. As far as the Senate, incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand maintained her senatorial position, comfortably at a 66.5 percent win-rate over Republican challenger Chele Farley. As far as congressional elections, John Faso lost his seat to Democratic challenger Antonio Delgado in the NY-19 race, with
November 16, 2018 Delgado winning at 50.2 percent over Faso's 47.3 percent. This is a triumphant victory for Delgado, as he had to prevail over attack ads by Faso, poking at Delgado's past as a rapper. Nevertheless, the Harvard Law graduate/ Rhodes scholar claimed the victory. In NY-11 Max Rose claimed victory over Republican incumbent Dan Donovan. NY-20 incumbent Paul Tonko enjoyed a comfortable win over Republican challenger Joe Vitollo. Tonko received 66 percent votes, while Vitollo received 33.9 percent of votes, according to ballotpedia.org. In NY-24 John Katko maintained his incumbency over Democratic challenger Dana Balter. According to the New York Times, "Democrats were eager to unseat the twoterm Republican. . .in a district. . .that is seen as leaning slightly Democratic." In NY-27, despite Chris Collins' declaration of victory, Democratic challenger Nate McMurray refused to concede. Incumbent Chris Collins was indicted on insider trading and released a controversial ad showing McMurray speaking Korean as he worked as a lawyer in South Korea for some time. The ad has prompted many to label Collins as xenophobic. Despite negativity surrounding Collins's person, he surprisingly holds a slight lead over McMurray at 49.5 percent over McMurray's 48.4 percent. As far as the New York State Senate, as of Nov. 13, Democrats won 37 seats, leading with two seats, while Republicans have won 21 seats and leading in two. For the governor race, incumbent Andrew Cuomo maintained his incumbency over Marc Molinaro, the Republican challenger who received 36.8 percent of the vote below Cuomo's 59 percent. Letitia "Tish" James was voted as New York's Attorney General. James is the first AfricanAmerican woman to hold statewide office. She is also the first African-American woman to be elected as Attorney General in New York. In terms of voter turnout in the midterm election for New York itself, 49% of eligible voters voted. The most votes came out of Putnam (60.46 percent) and Dutchess (58.87 percent) counties who voted primarily for Molinaro. Trailing behind those two counties, Westchester county followed at a 52.33 percent turnout rate, while Rockland followed at 49.38 percent. These figures come from Lohud.com, a part of the USA Today network. The midterm elections have certainly been eventful. And, again, the state still awaits the results of NY-22 and NY-27. Overall, the United States witnessed many historic "firsts", but most notable is recognizing the 47 percent voter turnout rate nationwide, the highest since 1966, where the voter turnout rate was 49 percent for a midterm election. It is important to vote and to encourage others to do so, as well, especially as we approach the 2020 presidential election.
Midseason NFL Playoff Predictions
By David Le Blang, Staff Writer With Week 10 of the NFL season upon us, it is a great time to give some good predictions as to who will be playing come January. Starting with the AFC East, the obvious pick for this division is New England. Barring an off season in 2008, New England has won nine straight divisional titles, and fourteen of the
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last fifteen. With half of the season complete, New England is sitting comfortably atop the AFC East with a 7-2 record, only contested by Miami’s 5-4 record. If the rest of the season goes in Miami’s favor, it might be possible for them to edge in with the final wildcard spot. Moving to the AFC North, Pittsburgh holds a slight edge over Cincinnati, with their 5-2-1 giving a better win percentage as opposed to Cincinnati’s 5-3. However, both teams have tough schedules remaining, with Pittsburgh facing games against New England, New Orleans, Carolina, and Cincinnati. Speaking of Cincinnati, they’re going to be one of three to four teams in the AFC who will be fighting for those two wildcard spots, which I ultimately think they won’t get. Regardless, Pittsburgh with their extremely productive running back and receiving corps will continue to hold on to the top spot in their division and take the second seed in the AFC. The AFC West has shown us the powers of pseudo-rookie Patrick Mahomes and how well he’s done to carry Kansas City to an 8-1 record over nine weeks, with their only loss being by a field goal in primetime against New England. However, despite their absolute dominance thus far, what is deceiving about this division is the power of the Los Angeles Chargers, who trail Kansas City by only two games, with a 6-2 record. I think Kansas City will edge in at third, with the Chargers potentially taking the first wild card spot. Down to the AFC South, a division which most thought Jacksonville would have run away with, is now being run by the 6-3 Houston Texans. The only team who is within striking distance of them is Tennessee, sitting at 4-4 over nine weeks. For both Jacksonville and Indianapolis, having a record of 3-5 each after nine weeks signifies what is most likely the end of the season. Houston will perform moderately for the rest of the season, and probably take the fourth spot in the AFC playoff picture. Over to the NFC East, Philadelphia has underperformed their expectations by miles, sitting at 4-4 over nine weeks. However, compared to the rest of the division, there is still hope for them to perform, with the Giants being 1-7, and Dallas being 3-5. The only other true contender in the East is Washington, who, although not the strongest team, has a very easy schedule going forward from here on out. I think Washington will take the top of the division, and Philadelphia will lose out on the wild card spot. Up to the NFC North, Chicago of all teams is leading the division at 5-3, and it’s not much of a surprise. After stealing Khalil Mack from Oakland, and performing highly with him and rookie Roquan Smith, Chicago has shown that they truly mean business this year. With both Minnesota and Green Bay to fight against, this division is going to be one of the most exciting races this year. In the NFC West, the Rams have shown us exceptional play, with kid genius Sean McVay at the helm of an offensive light show. This season is a surprising runaway for them. Finally, the NFC South, which can be the most unpredictable division in the entire NFL. At this point, New Orleans holds the reigns to the division with an impressive 7-1 record.
While it can be easy to say that this division is a runaway for New Orleans, they play Carolina twice in the last three weeks of regulation – with a game against Pittsburgh right in the middle. New Orleans and Carolina's seasons will heavily depend on their last couple of regular season games.
Women’s Soccer Finishes Season in MAAC Championship Game
By Julianna Sebastian, Sports Editor In the middle of August, the Siena women’s soccer team cuts their summer short so they can return to Loudonville and prepare for the season ahead. This year, that season went all the way to the MAAc championship game at Monmouth University. Even though the Saints did not come home with a victory, they established to the other MAAC teams that they are here to stay as a women’s soccer powerhouse. Before the final game, the MAAC conference announced that junior Taylor Dorado was named MAAC GoalKeeper of the Year. After amassing four defensive player of the week honors and ranking 28th nationally in shutouts by a goalie, Dorado led her team to an 11-8-3 overall record by the end of the season. Going into their championship schedule, the Saints first faced Quinnipiac at home for the first round of the playoffs. Freshman Emily McNelis scored the Saints two points during this game and beat Quinnipiac 2-1. McNelis scored the game-winning goal in the games 96th minute. After a quick goal from Quinnipiac in the games second minute, McNelis’s first goal of the game came from a cross by junior Madi Belvito making the score tied 1-1. After most of the game was scoreless, freshman McNelis’s game-winning goal secured the Saints a trip to the semi-final
game against Marist College. Goalkeeper Taylor Dorado in this game made four saves for the Saints, making a total of 250 saves for her career. In the next game versus the Red Foxes of Marist, sophomore Darby D’Angelo helped clinch the victory for the Saints with her goal in the game’s 23rd minute. The Saints completely shut out the Red Foxes with a final score of 2-0, which is the team's 10th shutout of another team this season. Senior Meghan Riccardi scored a goal in the game’s 62nd minute to secure the victory for the Saints. As Riccardi scored the game-winning goal in this game versus Marist, she also scored the same game-winner three years ago against Marist as a freshman to secure her team a spot in the final game. Dorado once again in goal made four saves for the Saints to become Siena’s leader of career shutouts. At the championship game, the Saints were bested by Monmouth University in the 7-1 loss. The Saints had only one shot on goal the entire game, which gave the team their sole point. Freshman McNelis scored this goal for the Saints, preventing the game to be a shutout. Taylor Dorado made four saves for the team, and senior goalie Kamryn Peffley ended her soccer career in goal with one save for the Saints as well. This championship run makes it Siena soccer’s fifth championship appearance overall and fourth since 2006. Siena senior Amanda Holtzman and junior Madi Belvito received MAAC second team all-back awards, while freshman Ashleigh Sarafin was added to the All MAAC Rookie team for the 2018 season. The Saints lose six seniors next year for their 2019 season, most of the team’s starters will be returning next year so make sure to tune it to what will probably be another exciting season.