The
PROMETHEAN Vol. 32 Issue III
The Student Voice of Siena College Since 1938
October 19, 2018 newspaper@siena.edu
Festa Vino: A Truly Spectacular Night
By Megan Kelly, Staff Writer Thursday, Oct. 11, marked the night of one of Siena’s largest annual fundraisers, Festa Vino. It truly was an entertaining evening of food, wine and good friends. 40 wine and food local vendors from the Capital Region surrounded the inside walls. The Callanan Fieldhouse of Siena’s Marcelle Athletic Complex (MAC) had transformed from a sporty, active venue, to a dimly lit, elegant aroma of green and gold. Students (over 21), faculty, friars, coaches, staff and administrators, as well as alumni, trustees, board of advisors, parents and donors, including members of the Annual Fund President’s Circle, and the President of the College himself, enjoyed their experience. Each guest received a custom Siena College logoed wine glass and appetizer plate. The student-athletes working the event were pleased at the high attendance, as half of the event’s proceeds support them through the Saints Alive! Athletic fund. The remaining proceeds will go towards campus programs in need of additional funding. All of the wine vendors served wine that is sold at All Star Wine and Spirits, which is owned by Craig Allen
connecting all graduates back together in the place they once called home. Bumping into Brother Ed, the President of Siena College, was a highlight of the night. He described Festa Vino as “the official opening of the fall season,” and he truly enjoys how many people come together to support campus programs and athletics. As this event was marketed to thousands of friends of Siena, parents and alumni, through social media, invitations and the website, a lot of prep work was put into the night to make it outstanding. It could not have been done without the sincere help of Siena Fresh (AVI), Siena Facilities, Public Safety, the Creative Arts Department, WVCR The Saint, student athletic teams coordinated by Ryan Venter and Heidi Speer, and of course Diane Benson ’10, Eileen Verno ’12, and the team from the Development and External Affairs Office. Diane, the Development Event Director, admitted that Festa Vino is her favorite event that she organizes. ’91. A new vendor emerged this year, Congratulations Diane and Eileen; the Fort Orange Brewing Company, co- night was spectacular! owned by Siena Associate Director of Admissions Jim Eaton. Trustee John Murray ’79 and his company, Rose and Kiernan, Inc., have been one of the presenting sponsors of the event since its inception in 2000. It was exciting to see so many people who care for Siena By Alexis Oldfield, Staff Writer “Platanos and collard greens in the same room at the same time. As a senior, I am sure I will be back for next go together like macaroni and chicken wings…” best sums up year’s event. Walking from vendor to vendor, the entertainment on campus last sampling the wines and hors d’oeuvres, Wednesday evening. Considered “a I was able to connect with old friends modern day West Side Story” by the who had graduated, Siena faculty and New York Times, "Platanos Y Collard fellow classmates as well. Justin Gaines Greens" is an off-Broadway hit that '19, our Student Senate President, made its way to Siena. The forbidden stated, “This night provides a unique love between a Latina college student networking opportunity for Siena and her black boyfriend had the crowd students and graduates looking to bouncing back and forth between an start or advance their careers.” His uproar of laughter and a silence of statement could not have been more solemness. Currently in its ninth year correct; seniors who are looking for of production, the show focuses on the jobs post-graduation had the chance tensions that are apparent between to connect with local businesses and the black and Latino communities. A employers and truly get their name out practically full house came out to share there. Returning graduates were able in the entertainment focusing on the to share their stories with other alumni, current political and social issues. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, staff, and community members. Other graduates who are now working at Siena the theatrical group brought their mentioned how effective the event is at talents to the Beaudoin Theatre to
"Platanos y Collard Greens" Comes to Campus
October 19, 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 2, 2018 Article/Advertisement Deadline: October 29, 2018
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Academic & Social News | 2
Academic & Social News share. Written by David Lamb, the script used a poetic dialogue to engage to the crowd throughout the night. Daniel Hickman acted as the leading man, Freeman, a black college student who is romantically involved with Zahaira Curiel’s character, Angelita. As a Latina, Angelita’s mother deeply disapproves of her daughter’s crosscultural relationship with Freeman. The play follows the characters through the troubles that they face crossing cultural barriers. It is ultimately a hysterical Romeo and Juliet where no one dies. Beyond the star-crossed lovers' story, the show emphasized prejudices unique to every culture. Angelita performs a moving monologue on the over-sexualization of Latinas in popular culture. A supporting character, Malady, played by Iman Freeman-Artwell, also gives a monologue that was without a doubt a fan favorite. “The darker the berry the sweeter the juice," a popular hip-hop lyric, was recited by the audience as soon as Malady began to utter it. In her empowering speech on the skin tone of African-American women, she focused on society’s preference of lighter-skin women compared to darker-skin women. Malady spoke on the beauty that lies within the darker complexions that is too often ignored. OK, the obnoxious and goofy, yet oddly insightful, sidekick of Freeman provided the majority of the comedic relief and was portrayed by Preston Taylor. OK spends his time supporting his friend, rapping, and chasing the affection of Angelita’s best friend. The two have an interesting relationship, switching between her rejection of OK’s advances and the two working together to make music. Both characters represent a strong support system that is a prevalent theme in the production. When Freeman’s father and Angelita’s mother unknowingly meet each other during her counseling session with him, the crowd gets a lesson in cultural history. Pops, played by Robert Williams, stresses the fact that black Americans and Latino Americans often have similar heritage and ancestors. He also reminds us that these groups have been forced into neighborhoods together for a large part of American history, thus their cultures often intertwine. He tries to reason with Angelita's mother, Samana, played by Marlene Villafane, but she cannot overcome her prejudices towards her daughter’s boyfriend.
In an effort to not ruin the ending, I will simply say that "Platanos y Collard Greens" is the type of production that leaves the viewer feeling warm inside while also more educated than when they arrived. To break down serious topics in a way that draws in the audience rather than forcing them to shy away from the issues is what is so truly unique about this play. The showing was made possible by Siena’s Damietta Cross-Cultural Center, Black and Latino Student Union, Unificando Nuestra America, Diversity Action Committee, Creative Arts Department and Multicultural Studies Minor. Siena will also be hosting another play focusing on culture, "They Call Me Q ," on Nov. 7, 2018 in the SSU. Anyone interested in this event can find further information on the Saints Connect website.
Dr. Joy Schroeder Visits Siena
By Emily Rhoades, Academic & Social News Editor For this year’s Clare Center Lecture, Siena College welcomed Dr. Joy Schroeder to speak on “Compassion and Imagination in Franciscan Biblical Interpretation” on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. In introducing the event, Dr. Holly Grieco, professor of religious studies, explained the origins of the Clare Center lecture, which “began as a way to welcome the religious studies department into its new home on campus, the Clare Center.” The 25th annual lecture tied into the St. John’s Bible festivities currently happening on campus and was also a part of Francis Week, a week-long celebration honoring the life and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. “When I invite scholars to give the Clare Center Lecture, I often have a particular theme in mind,” Dr. Grieco explained. “This year, I was inspired by Fr. Mark Reamer to invite someone who has done work on Franciscans and Biblical interpretation. While there aren’t direct connections to make between the St. John’s Bible and Franciscan interpretation of the Bible, having the theme of this year’s lecture connect in some way to the St. John’s Bible was a great opportunity.” Dr. Joy Schroeder is a professor of religion and philosophy at Capital University in Ohio. She has written four books, contributed to over a dozen
3| Academic & Social News scholarly articles and chapters, and is a Lutheran pastor. Her academic concentrations are in the history of biblical interpretation and women in the church. When asked why Dr. Schroeder was chosen as this year’s speaker, Dr. Grieco said, “I invited Dr. Joy Schroeder because she is a scholar who is active in Franciscan Studies who is currently researching the interpretation of scripture in and beyond the Middle Ages, by Franciscans as well as others.” She continued, “She has a reputation as a fine scholar and an engaging speaker. In addition, I like bringing speakers to campus who represent part of the ‘current face’ of Franciscan Studies, which increasingly includes not only scholars who are not Franciscan, but also scholars who are women, and scholars who do not identify as Catholic.” Dr. Schroeder started her lecture in a Santa Clara convent in colonial Peru in 1669. She spoke of Ursula de Jesus, a slave who rose out of slavery and became a religious servant in the Roman Catholic Church. Though she was no longer a slave, she felt the shadow of discrimination all of her life. Ursula was visited by St. Francis and critiqued racism in the convent; her diary gives voice to the “African descent experience,” Dr. Schroeder said. She transitioned into talking about Franciscan biblical interpreters, including Nicholas of Lyra, "Meditations on the Life of Christ," St. Bonaventure, and Angela of Foligno. She discussed the New Testament scene in which King Herod ordered the slaughter of the babies in the region after hearing about the new king being born. In "Meditations of the Life of Christ," the unknown author tries to elicit compassion in the reader; Dr. Schroeder tied this notion to the Syrian and Central American refugee crises. “Have compassion on them,” she said. Another important component of Dr. Schroeder’s lecture was the value of slow, reflective reading and the importance of imagination. She shared the statistic that the human attention span has diminished to eight seconds, which is one second less than a goldfish. Reflective reading is important not only in biblical interpretation, but in people’s daily lives, especially in regards to imagination. She encouraged everyone to “empathize with the suffering of a really broken world, but new imaginative ways, creative ways, to do the work of justice and healing.” Dr. Schroeder suggested implementing compassionate imagination into the Franciscan core curriculum at Siena. “It can be done with holiness and imagination, the kind that brings about
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October 19, 2018
good business ethics and good business practices.” Dr. Schroeder ended her lecture on a positive note: “With both compassion and imagination, we can imagine new ways to do just a little bit of repair work to help heal this broken world.”
Siena Students Commence Breast Cancer Awareness Month by Delivering a Pink Punch
By Kiera Mitru, Staff Writer On Thursday, Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. in SSU 240, SEB Coffeehouse and Colleges Against Cancer collaborated to put together the first ever Pink Party in support of the fight against a disease that many are too familiar with - breast cancer. This event provided students with pink cupcakes, cookies, bracelets and sweatbands to celebrate the fight to end breast cancer. SEB Coffeehouse Co-Chair Madison Barber '20 was at the forefront of the event and declared that it is a “good feeling to have the campus support you and fight against the same cause." Apart from hosting events every Thursday evening at 9 p.m. in the Sarazen Student Union, SEB Coffeehouse holds meetings every Monday night at 7 p.m. in SSU 240. Barber encourages students to come and share their ideas for possible events on campus and welcomes any and all campus perspectives. At the event, students were given the chance to participate in a free 30-minute yoga class, complete with meditation and essential oil therapy. To go along with the theme of offering a yoga class, there were two bundles being raffled off to students, both consisting of one pink yoga mat and one pink water bottle. Among the pink baked goods and giveaways, the Colleges Against Cancer representatives provided sign-up sheets for students looking to participate in the Relay for Life on Campus held in March, which has been a very successful and well-attended event in the past where students can form teams with their friends to raise money for the American Cancer Society. At Relay, the Siena community comes together to honor cancer survivors, celebrate the lives of loved ones they have lost to cancer, and continue the conversation about cancer’s impact and how the cause
impacts all of us in individual ways. When asked why Relay for Life is so important, Colleges Against Cancer club president Kate Ross ‘19 expressed, “This event is really important to me and the club because we want to be aware, educated and supported. Last semester at Relay for Life we raised $23,000 for the American Cancer Society on Siena’s campus alone." Members of Colleges Against Cancer explained, “Our goal is to help other clubs on campus as much as we can. This year we are pushing to become more of a presence on campus by increasing the size of our club and planning more collaborations just like this one." Not only did students gather to raise awareness of this disease, the Pink Party provided students a chance to connect with one another to brainstorm ideas for fundraising activities, share the ways in which breast cancer has affected them, plan to organize Relay for Life teams, and share what the cause means to them. Kenia Ramirez '19 explained, “I’m here to show my support to our peers who have been impacted by this epidemic in our community. This is a cause that affects many." It is impossible to understand something without first communicating about it. This event was a great opportunity for students to share the first-hand impact that breast cancer has had on them and others. For those that have not felt the effects of this sickness but want to know how they can help, the best place to start is in your very own community. The Pink Party perpetuated this theme, and the Colleges Against Cancer club works to reinforce such by hosting Siena College’s very own Relay for Life. All are encouraged to attend Colleges Against Cancer club meetings every Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Roger Bacon room 208. With tickles of pink, big smiles and a determination to bring an end to the vicious effects of breast cancer, SEB Coffeehouse and Colleges Against Cancer kicked off breast cancer awareness month with a bang, instilling in all of us a deeper motivation to save lives.
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Siena Students Participate in Community Service Day
By Sophia Henneman, Staff Writer Over 100 Siena students were hard at work in the Albany community on Saturday, Oct. 6. Why? It was the annual Fall Community Service Day. Community Service Day is an event planned and sponsored by the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy here on campus. The Franciscan Center has been working on the event for a couple months, and all their hard work paid off. The event connects Siena students with local not-for-profit organizations in the community to do service for the day. Some of the organizations include Red Cross, the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless, Joseph’s House, Patroon Land Farm and several others. Some students even did work on campus with the Sustainability Committee. Volunteer work includes anything from organizing and cleaning to gardening to direct service with people in need. The day started bright and early in the Maloney Great Room where participants were greeted with breakfast from Panera and Dunkin, and a free t-shirt, then packed a bag of snacks to bring to their service site. There is also plenty of time to meet Siena students that you may not have met otherwise because you can be paired with friends to a service site, in addition to new people. When I spoke with Olivia Marsicano '20, she said, “While we had breakfast, we met the other volunteers that we spent the day with. Then we carpooled with other Siena students to our chosen location.” It’s beneficial to get to know more of your fellow Saints. Marsicano added, “I like getting to know more of the Siena students!” As said before, students were sent to a variety of different locations for a variety of different jobs. Marsicano went to 15-Love, an organization that combines learning the sport of tennis with educating kids and reaching out in positive ways to inner-city youth. According to their website, “15-LOVE's mission is focused upon the whole child. It is a program of prevention.” Over the years, the program has evolved on a year-round basis, impacting more than 47,000 youth and their families. When asked about the tasks she did, Marsicano said, “We helped to organize and clean the space as well as clean up their garden and pick vegetables.” She
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also made an impact on a space that will be used for an important mural, and she explained, “I helped the girl in charge to clean a wall in preparation for a mural that will be painted on it next month.” Personally, this was my sixth Community Service Day with the Franciscan Center. I have been able to engage with the Albany community in so many ways through the service opportunities they provide. I have gotten to partake in a range of service through the Community Service Days. I have done work on campus, at the Schenectady Inner City Ministry Food Pantry and Equinox, among others. Many students are similar to me in that Community Service Day has become a tradition for them to attend in the fall and spring semesters. Marsicano is an example of this, she said, “This was my third Community Service Day and I always enjoy seeing what we accomplish while we're there.” As Arthur Ashe, tennis legend and humanitarian said, “From what we get, we make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” Community Service Day is definitely a great way to give back and make a difference. Be on the lookout for registration for Spring 2019 Community Service Day!
Senior Information Night Held for the Class of 2019
By Maria Gigliello, Staff Writer The senior class gathered on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018 for Senior Information night: an evening of drinks, food and camaraderie among peers. Senior Information Night was held in order to relay information about senior activities to this year’s graduating
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class. The event was held at Massry in Snyder Hall. Information tables were set up with representatives at each table to chat with seniors. These tables included information on class rings, senior portraits, 21 Club/Dogpound signups and Senior Gift Committee sign-ups. Many seniors were in attendance and Massry buzzed with the excitement of the senior class. Appetizers were served and drinks were poured as students mingled. Ryan O’Hora '19 said, “I’m glad they put this event on for us. I’m looking forward to the 21 Club once the season starts.” A popular activity to sign up for is the Senior Gift Committee. Jake Hill '09, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, formed the Senior Gift Committee with the Class of 2012 to support the class’ Senior Gift Campaign. Since then, a committee has been recruited every year with the aim to surpass the prior year’s gift goal. Siena alum Joe Redding ’15 and Jaclyn Aubin ’17 are also working with the Senior Gift Committee this year. In an email to the Senior Gift Committee, Hill said, "With our efforts, we are not only trying to raise money, but also working to really solidify your class spirit and legacy before you and your classmates finish your degrees and move on from Siena College to the next stage of your lives.” The 21 Club is also a popular activity for seniors to sign up for. A handful of men’s home basketball games include the 21 Club. These are games where seniors can mingle with their peers and enjoy drinks before and during the game. If seniors sign up for the Graduate School Essay Panel, Navigating an Offer Event, the Wellness Fair, Etiquette Dinner or Professional Development Night, then they are also eligible to register for Senior Week
5| Academic & Social News activities early. It is sure to be an exciting year for seniors with the various activities and events planned for them.
Fr. Dennis Tamburello Receives Reverend Carlyle Adams Ecumenical and Interfaith Award
By Madison Lemke, Staff Writer The Capital Area Council of Churches hosted their 77th-anniversary awards celebration called Building Bridges on Oct. 10, 2018, at the Albany Country Club. Many gathered to honor those who embody peace, education and understanding. Fr. Dennis Tamburello has been a representative of all and many more incredible qualities. During the ceremony, Fr. Dennis humbly accepted the Reverend Carlyle Adams Ecumenical and Interfaith Award. Fr. Dennis’s journey with his faith began at a Franciscan retreat house when he was a senior in high school. Years later, in 1973, Fr. Dennis found his home at Siena when he decided to transfer his education. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in modern language. Fr. Dennis later went on to pursue a master's degree in theology and also received his Ph.D in Christian theology. Now he is the one educating: Fr. Dennis teaches religious studies, first-year seminar and modern language at Siena College. One of the programs mentioned during the ceremony was the Bearing Witness Program. The Bearing Witness Program has been a program that Fr. Dennis finds immensely important. The program provides education about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. Though there are many Holocaust deniers, this program does everything possible to validate the horrific prejudice that so many endured. Fr. Dennis shared his thoughts about the program, saying, “It means a lot to me to be a part of this program. I want to do my part to build peace and understanding, and to stop hateful speech and behavior. Catholics need to know the church's often dark history when it comes to anti-Semitism and its perpetuating an attitude towards Jews that contributed to the Holocaust.” Not only does Fr. Dennis serve at Siena, he also serves at a local prison. He has had many impactful experiences within this field. Fr. Dennis explained how difficult it can be at times. He
The Promethean noted, “One of my most memorable experiences is having to tell an inmate of the death of a family member. I felt sorry that he had to hear this from me, a total stranger.” Fr. Dennis went on to reflect, saying, “I felt that this encounter was a graced moment. It helped reinforce that I made the right decision in becoming a friar.” The respect and wisdom that Fr. Dennis has shared with not only this inmate, but many others, have contributed to the deserving award.
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aggravation. The following are some tips and tricks to help guide you through your midterms and hopefully get you that “A” you have been working so hard to get. Preparing for midterms consists of more than studying a few days prior to the exams. In the weeks before the exams start, make sure to consistently review what happens in class. Just reading over your notes a few times (or even better, rewriting your notes) after lecture can help solidify what you have learned that day and remind you of any topics you do not quite understand. If you have trouble with something, take a note of it. Therefore, you will not forget what it was once you being Siena Health Services is open and to study. In addition, keep up with available to meet the health needs of reading and homework. It will help you the students and the Siena community. conceptualize what is going on in class We offer clinic appointments for the and you will not have to worry about students and act as a health care making deadlines while you are also resource for the Siena Community. stressing about exams. In the week or two before the Health Service Office hours are 8:30am- 4:30 pm with same day appointments exams, begin to compile your notes and available for students. Students can consider constructing an outline of the Walk-In or Call (518)783-2554, option #1 material you have learned so far. Review to speak with Susan Sweet, Triage RN, quizzes or homework assignments, especially questions that you had gotten to discuss your health need. You ASKED, We LISTENED… wrong so you know what material to Health Service now offers student focus on. If there are any concepts appointments during lunch time and you still do not understand, go to your professors’ office hours or tutoring free period. Health Service welcomes sessions. This gives you ample time to Vishwala Kasbekar, M.D., M.P.H. of review any tricky lessons that may be Capital Region Family Health Care in giving you some difficulty. Also consider Rensselaer, a practice of St. Peter’s studying with other classmates. While it Health Partners Medical Associates, to may seem more efficient to study alone, the Siena health care team. As physician study groups provide the opportunity consultant, she provides medical care to learn through teaching others while to Siena College students, administers gaining additional perspectives about a the student travel health program, topic. The day before the exam can acts as collaborating physician for the clinical staff, and serves as the medical be a review of what you have been resource for college health policy and working on for the past few weeks and not a stressful, caffeine-induced night protocol recommendations. Siena College Health Services of cramming. Remember that is okay has partnered with St. Peter’s Health to take breaks from studying to have a Partners and its legacy organizations healthy snack or take a short walk. If you since 1993, and is staffed by board- find any last minute questions you have, certified nurse practitioners, a do not hesitate to email your teacher or physician’s assistant, registered nurses someone from your study group to ask and a physician consultant to provide them for help. To be more proactive than same-day care and preventative medical just reviewing your outlines and notes, services to students throughout the answer the questions in the textbook or from past quizzes. Make sure to get school year. a good night’s sleep the night before the exam. Sleep is very important for memory and cognitive processing, so it is like you are studying without even By Kaitlyn Winkler, Staff Writer trying! Eating a healthy breakfast the Midterms are upon us again, day of the exam does not hurt either. interrupting our fall celebrations with Midterms do not need to be super stressful exams and essays. However, stressful, heartbreaking experiences. they do not need to sneak up and With some early preparation, you can overwhelm you with anxiety and be getting ready for the exams weeks
October Happenings from Health Services
Ready, Set, Midterm Prep
October 19, 2018 before they happen. Be careful of falling into traps of procrastination and poor time management which can push the bulk of the studying too close to the exam. Even if the exam does not go the way you were hoping it would, one bad grade will not ruin your college career. Most importantly, have confidence in yourself; you can pass these midterms. Good luck!
Why the Movies of Our Childhood Draw Us In Again
By Carli Scolforo, Staff Writer The month of October has rolled around again, bringing with it plenty of fun fall connotations--apple picking, pumpkin carving, and most importantly, re-runs of classic Halloween movies from our childhood. Month-long programs like Freeform’s “31 Nights of Halloween” excite viewers of all ages this time of year, even though the movies shown are largely meant for children. So why is it that so many older viewers love to tune in? For one, the children’s movies shown include plenty of films that the older demographic grew up on. According to Freeform’s official lineup for this year’s “31 Nights,” the oldest film dates back to the 1970s with “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.” There are also movies as recent as “The Boxtrolls” and “Big Hero 6” featured in the lineup. Networks like Freeform clearly have a strategy on how to draw a larger audience in. This strategy is certainly one that brings in many Siena students, like Joseph Donahue, '18. Citing his favorite seasonal movie as “The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” he said of the film, “I used to watch all the Charlie Brown movies with my mom when I was younger, but that was always my favorite one.” Of course, many people of all ages grew up with these films; but when it clearly caters to children, why do we keep going back? “It brings back fond memories,” said Donahue, “I like to think about the old days.” Donahue is one of the many that, as a young adult, feel the need to take life more seriously. While many college students still dress up for Halloween, many of the usual traditions of the holiday like trick-or-treating are put away once we grow out of childhood. This sentiment is shared by Siena sophomore Haley Shelton. She cites her favorite Halloween film as “Halloweentown,” explaining that
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Arts & Entertainment
watching the Disney special during this time of year helps to “keep that childlike wonder alive, [because] as you get older, Halloween--if you allow it to-can become less fun.” Halloween can often be considered a children’s holiday. Maybe that’s why people of all ages, especially college-age students, cling to these nostalgic films. It’s one simple and happy memory of our childhoods we don’t want to let go--and maybe we shouldn't. A day where a person can step into an entirely different identity and eat one too many sweets is something many stressed college students could surely use, so don’t be afraid to lose yourself in your favorite childhood movies this fall.
Stephen King Books
By Jaymie Hoelldobler, Arts & Entertainment Editor I know I’m not alone in thinking that being curled up on a chilly October day with an apple cider and a good book is one of, if not the best part of the fall season. And it’s even better when said book chills you in more ways than one. With the gloomy fall weather and Halloween approaching, my stack of Stephen King books takes permanent residency on my nightstand. Stephen King is an amazing writer year round, of course, but his gory, creepy nature in writing ties in perfectly with this time of year. Here’s a list of some King titles to get you in that eerie mood this October. (Important Note: All of his books are phenomenal. These are my personal favorites. You should definitely read every book he’s ever written.) 1. Full Dark No Stars What’s better than one genius story, with unbelievable twists and wellthought out, creepy characters, written by Stephen King? Four short stories with unbelievable twists and well-thought out, creepy characters in one book. "Full Dark No Stars" is a compilation of four mini novellas, "1922," "Big Driver," "Fair Extension" and "A Good Marriage." King introduces major themes of murder, rape and torture, and brings forth the idea that every person hides an inner, more evil person within himself. "1922" also has been made into a movie! 2. The Shining I’m positive the grand majority of us have seen the movie, but how many have read the book that is easily twenty times more creepy and terrifying? Time and time again, I’ve heard people claim this is the scariest movie they’ve ever
seen, and to that, I invite them to read the book. With scenes not included in the movie, like a scene where the hedges outside are shaped into animals and come to life as horrifying creatures, in front of young Danny Torrance’s eyes, Jack Torrance and the eeriness of the Overlook Hotel comes to life even more. 3. Duma Key This is one of King’s lesser known and not as popular books, but it’s unclear to me why, as it is one of the most genuinely well-thought-out books I have ever read. After I read this one, I didn’t pick up another book for at least three weeks because I was so caught up on this one. It’s not so much scary in the gory way we typically think of, but more terrifying in a psychological way, bringing in characters having psychic powers due to near death experiences. The NY Times says it well when they state, “he has turned the evanescence of health and sanity into his books’ most disturbing source of fear.” Very twilight-zone esque, this is a good one to read if you want to have your mind completely messed with. 4. Pet Semetary There’s nothing like the addition of children and pets to amp up the creepiness of any book. Mixing in a cemetery that may or may not bring creatures back to life after death, a creepy old man and his wife, and a man who will do anything to keep his family happy, this book will chill you more than the crisp, fall weather outside. After burying the family’s cat in the pet semetary and having it come back to life, there’s no telling what else might end up being buried there… 5. It I like to blame the first "It" movie released in 1986 for my extreme fear of all things clown. It’s because of this that I think "It" became my all time favorite book. It takes a lot to scare me. I love horror and I love getting a good scare, but this book makes me cry and I have to literally set it down and come back to it in a few days, even after reading it at least 30 times. 1,000 pages of pure terror unleashed by a killer whose favorite form is a demon clown but can change to look like anyone’s worst and biggest fear, attacking the small town of Derry, Maine and killing children. A group of five kids must band together to try to stop this psychotic killing creature ruining their town. Fun!
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Halloween Costumes: Dos and Don'ts
By Tianny Ocasio, Staff Writer Halloween. When one thinks of the holiday, they might be transported back to when they were young and went trick-or-treating in their costumes, slowly learning which houses to avoid and which ones gave out the best candy. Others might remember that they didn’t celebrate or dress up. They might think of playing Halloween movies and songs like “Halloweentown” and “Spooky Scary Skeletons” on repeat as soon as October hits. Something no one can deny, though, is how extra Halloween celebrations are in college. Usually, Halloween costumes are worn the weekend of, or before, the holiday. It might be difficult to navigate how to save money, and how to be appropriate and still have fun, but it’s not impossible. One thing that may get in the way of students having an amazing time during Halloween is money; back when we were kids, if we dressed up, our parents or guardians footed the bill and we were able to run around in ignorance. Now that we have to adult, that responsibility is on us and it can be quite daunting to try to figure out a unique costume that isn’t going to make you go broke. It's easier than you might think to make a fun Halloween costume that is still thrifty with a few tips! First off, don’t feel pressured to buy a physical costume from Party City. They are usually overpriced and the selection is limited. Instead, try to make your own costumes by using what you already have in your wardrobe, buying cheap clothing items at Walmart, making use of paper and markers, and knowing how to use Halloween make-up. This is what I’ve used every Halloween at Siena, and for about $20 and a dream, I’ve been able to make two costumes every year including a scarecrow, Clark Kent/Superman, Two-Face, Mickey Mouse and a magician. Do participate in group costumes. They're also a fun way to keep things simple but still look cohesive. If you wanted to dress up as Mario Kart characters, you could make use of clothing you already own to dress up. You could wear a plain red t-shirt and blue jeans for Mario, buy a fake mustache and look up how to make cars out of cheap cardboard. Just by doing that, people will definitely know what you’re going for! Group costumes are also a way to bond with roommates or new friends, and they can be a lot of fun
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Politics
to make. Of course, couples costumes are prevalent on college campuses and this can also be a fun and easy way to connect with your partner and show off your relationship if you feel comfortable to do that! Cultural appropriation is something that can pop up during Halloween but it’s definitely something that is easy to avoid. Cultural appropriation can occur if someone exploits a minority group by adopting aspects of that culture into their Halloween costume. The minority group is often ridiculed for that aesthetic and people who exploit it are typically complimented for how they look. This is a very subtle form of discrimination, and not everyone agrees about the impact. Despite this, I would still encourage you to decide against wearing a headscarf, or a fake beard, to “dress up” as a Middle Eastern person, or go around talking in a Mexican accent and carrying a bag of tacos to “dress up” as a Mexican: everyone is way more creative than having to dress up as someone’s culture! On campus there are a lot of opportunities to dress up for Halloween, and as I’ve mentioned the weekend before Halloween is a lively weekend when a lot of people celebrate and invite people over for Halloween music, candy and fun. After the shadow casting of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (this year it will be on October 19 and 20), there is always a costume contest and the best costumes win prizes. Even though we may be older and some people might even say “too old” for Halloween, costumes are heavily encouraged in college and are a lot of fun!
November 6: It's Our Turn
By Hugo Castro, Politics Editor The world is no stranger to the onslaught of political conflict that has faced the United States in the past couple of years -- least of all, Siena Saints. Since the 2016 presidential election, this country has experienced profound social change to a degree never witnessed before. There is no debating that social media and other advancements in communication have catalyzed the hyper-partisanship we experience today in our elected government and in our own communities. Although it is saddening to witness today's civil divide between colleagues, peers and
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friends, it is important that the public harnesses the energy from this political disarray and organizes it into voting encouragement and awareness. Although the New York voter registration deadline for the upcoming midterm elections has passed, it is not too late to apply for an absentee ballot. For New York, absentee ballot applications are due one day before Election Day in person, or seven days, by mail, before Election day. Absentee ballots have to be received by these deadlines, not just postmarked. If you need information on where to send your absentee ballot applications, vote.org is an excellent resource for any questions regarding the voting process. Vote.org includes resources for all states, not just New York State. For those not aware, 35 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are up for election on Nov. 6. Although several incumbents have secured their reelection, there are still many unstable seats that could potentially be overturned and help shift the majority in the House. Tensions are certainly high, given this information and the only way to influence the outcome is by exercising your civic duty as a citizen of the United States. Although the political debates sponsored on campus are most certainly beneficial, it is important that we, as Saints, express our voices by voting. Any and every point we raise, any discourse we have with our peers, and any selfreflection we might have on our political ideologies, it is important that one votes in order to make sure that our opinions are represented. When we do not vote, what results is a misrepresentation of what the American people really need. We need to vote, not only for ourselves but also for those who cannot due to social and economic pressures. I hope we all practice what we preach, come Nov. 6. It is vital that we, especially younger voters, have our voices heard. It's our turn to take the baton and shape the nature of politics for the coming generations.
The Race to Albany
By Sean Buff, Staff Writer Across the United States, many local, state and federal elections will be taking place come Nov. 6. One of these races includes the gubernatorial race in New York State. According to ballotpedia.org, New York is one of 36 states that is holding a gubernatorial election in 2018.
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P o l i t i c s |8
In this race, there have been class schools and upper-class schools. speech, Collins talked about how Dr. many candidates across the political Unfortunately for Molinaro, he Ford’s testimony was very moving, but spectrum. Current New York State is not a well-known political figure in lacked corroborating evidence, leading governor, Andrew Cuomo, is running on New York State. However, he was Collins to believe that Kavanaugh did the Democratic ticket after defeating able to appear on Fox News before not commit the assault. Collins also Democratic Socialist and "Sex and the the primaries, discussing Cuomo’s mentioned the #MeToo movement and City" star, Cynthia Nixon, in the Sept. comment that “America was never that said that even though, in this instance, 13 primary. On the Republican ballot, great,” responding to President Donald she did not believe the woman, the Dutchess County Executive, Marcus Trump’s signature label. Molinaro went movement was still “real” and senators Molinaro, is running to unseat Andrew on Fox News, demanding that Governor and the nation should continue to listen Cuomo. Aside from the two main Cuomo apologize for his words and to to victims in future cases. parties, there are multiple candidates take back what he said. On Monday, Oct. 8, Brett running on third-party tickets. However, Molinaro might have Kavanaugh was sworn in by the According to AMNewYork, there are a little bit of leverage in this race. President as the newest Associate three third-party candidates. Running Republican voters tend to turn out Justice of the Supreme Court in the on the Independent Party ticket, one in larger numbers in gubernatorial “official” ceremony, as it was labeled candidate is former Syracuse mayor, election years while Democratic voters by Trump. All the sitting justices were Stephanie Miner. On the Green Party tend to show up to the polls in larger at the ceremony along with all the bigticket, Howie Hawkins is running. The numbers in presidential election years, name Republicans, including Mitch most well-known, third-party candidate as noted on Spectrum News. McConnell, who entered the room is New York businessman and Marine With every seat in the House of to roaring applause. Normally, the Corps veteran, Larry Sharpe, who is Representatives and 1/3 of the Senate newest justice is sworn in by the Chief running on the Libertarian Party ticket. up for re-election at the federal level, it Justice, and the retiring justice when Being a two-term governor is possible that more Democratic voters applicable, but Trump decided that such hoping to secure a third term, Governor could turn up at the polls, offsetting an a ceremony would not suffice. Since Andrew Cuomo has a huge advantage increase in Republican voters. most people are active on Saturdays, over his opponents. The Cuomos are A Siena College poll taken Oct. 1 especially on a holiday weekend, Trump also a politically active family. Andrew shows Cuomo leading with 58 percent decided to schedule Kavanaugh's Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, served of potential voters with Molinaro trailing “official” swearing in on Monday night, as New York’s governor from 1983- behind with 28 percent of potential when most families are expected to 1994. Also, Chris Cuomo, the brother of voters. Third party candidates, which be watching their TVs and staying at Andrew Cuomo, has his own nighttime include Sharpe, Hawkins, and Miner home. Sources claim that this was not talk show, “Cuomo Prime Time” on have 2 percent, 1 percent and 1 percent only because Trump is a former TV star CNN. of potential voters respectively, and loves a big event, but that he also Andrew Cuomo has had his name according to ballotpedia.org. wanted to make the finale a beautiful branded even before he launched Come Nov. 6, it appears that ceremony accompanied by family, his political career. On his side, he Governor Cuomo will secure a third so that the final image of Kavanaugh has a large sum of campaign funds. term. Anything could change, though, would be of a noble family man serving According to the New York Times, in our current political climate. his country, rather than the image Governor Andrew Cuomo has $9.2 imposed on him in the prior weeks. million in campaign funds compared Trump claimed that the By Elizabeth Vinal, Staff Writer to Marc Molinaro’s $210,000. All of the confirmation protesters were On Saturday, Oct. 7, Brett third-party candidates have less than actually paid crisis actors. The person Kavanaugh was confirmed to the $50,000 on hand. supposedly paying them is known crisis Supreme Court and was sworn in Unfortunately for Marc actor employer, George Soros. Trump, by Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Molinaro, the New York State GOP is in some of his tweets, almost sounded Kennedy. This vote came after the FBI more concerned about funding the as if he felt bad for the actors, saying finished their investigation of the sexual State Senate elections, of which the they obviously "had not gotten their assault allegations that were presented Republicans only hold a majority by most recent paychecks," because they in front of the Senate earlier that week. one seat. According to the New York were acting so unprofessionally in the Before the investigation was finished, Times, a blue wave movement and elevators and during the vote. Take the votes were still up in the air for a large number of Republican state this information as you may, but it is some Republicans, who were waiting senators who are retiring have the New very interesting to see that the sitting to see what the investigation found. York State GOP more concerned about president might honestly believe that For others, the investigation would not senate elections. people do not feel genuinely upset have changed their vote much, either Although Andrew Cuomo won about Kavanaugh's confirmation. way. the Democratic primary against Cynthia The investigation was finished Nixon by a large margin, he had to further shift his political ideology to and presented on Friday and the vote the left to gain more support from self- was scheduled for Saturday, but there was still not a final count of the votes. proclaimed Democrats. Marc Molinaro, who ran One voice that stood above the other unopposed in the Republican primary, senators was that of Senator Susan attacked Cuomo on some of his weaker Collins (R-ME). She stated that she By Samuel Shulman, Staff Writer On Oct. 9, 2018, President spots, including the failing subway would vote yes for Kavanaugh and gave system in New York City and a disparity an hour-long speech about why she Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, in educational funding between lower- made the controversial decision. In her resigned. She is another person in the
Kavanaugh Finale
Nikki Haley Resigns from UN Ambassador Position
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long list of people who have resigned from the Trump White House. The news of Nikki Haley’s resignation happened just weeks after President Trump gave his address to the UN on Tuesday, Sept. 25. According to CNN, Trump bragged about himself to the UN and said, “In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country." The response from the UN was that of laughter, which prompted Trump to then respond, “So true. I didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK.” According to CNN, President Trump gave the announcement, and praised Haley as a “fantastic person” and said, “ According to CNN, President Trump gave the announcement, and praised Haley as a “fantastic person” and said, “She's done a fantastic job and we've done a fantastic job together. We've solved a lot of problems and we're in the process of solving a lot of problems.” There has been speculation about why Nikki Haley resigned as the UN Ambassador, and two sources familiar with Haley’s relationship with President Trump informed CNN that, “she had lost clout with the President in recent months.” One White House official told CNN that President Trump has begun working on a list of people to succeed Haley as UN ambassador, but has not shared it widely. Some of the names tossed around as Haley’s replacement, according to CNN: “Trump's former deputy national security adviser, Dina Powell, U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell and senior adviser and daughter of the President, Ivanka Trump.” This new revelation has changed the United States' relationship with the UN, and their relationship has already been off to a rough start. One of the major things that caused a shift in the relationship between the UN and U.S., prior to Nikki Haley’s resignation, was the announcement that the U.S. was leaving the UN Human Rights Council in June of 2018. The U.S. withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council on the basis of the Council being biased to the U.S. and its ally Israel. Even before that, in 2017, the U.S. relationship changed with the UN, when President Trump announced the U.S. was leaving the Paris Agreement after Syria embraced the Paris Agreement, according to the Washington Post. The Paris Agreement was a landmark agreement met in 2015
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October 19, 2018
Editorial Policy to combat climate change and help spur investment in a sustainable, low-carbon future. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement's aim is to, "strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.” Nikki Haley’s resignation as the U.S. Ambassador for the United Nations is just another bump in the road in the relationship between the UN, the U.S. and President Trump. In the coming weeks, President Trump should be cautious and listen to his advisors as he begins the process of selecting a new UN Ambassador.
I Was Never A Fan of the “Circus” Anyways
By Nicole Commisso, Staff Writer Brett Kavanaugh, now Justice Brett Kavanaugh, has (finally) been confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy who has retired. This confirmation process has been a complete “circus” from the start. Many Democrat Senators, like Chuck Schumer, had already decided they would be voting "no" the moment President Trump announced his nomination for the empty seat on the Court. Schumer said that he was going to fight the Kavanaugh nomination “with everything I’ve got” the very same day that President Trump named Kavanaugh as his nominee: how openminded and tolerant of him. The Democrats' failed attempt to delay the confirmation of Kavanaugh until midterm elections to possibly have the advantage in the Senate afterward is despicable. Having said this, to (1) secretly hold on to a letter from a woman accusing the then-nominee of sexual assault 30+ years ago at a party (in which she could not remember the basic details of); (2) leak the letter just before the vote to confirm Kavanaugh; (3) jump at any and all allegations as well as assume Kavanaugh’s guilt based on accusations with zero corroborated evidence - is outright disgusting. It is incredible, and yet not surprising to me at all, that this turned into a man-hating, race-baiting, guilty
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.
by accusation, mob mentality of “believe all who accuse men of sexual assault or you hate women and love rapists” scam. This is exactly why I have major issues with the #MeToo movement; rather than sticking to the mission of giving all “survivors” a voice and the courage to speak up about their experiences, it turns into all who are accused are guilty because “Why would a woman lie about being raped?” The question I have when hearing this argument is, “Why do people do lots of bad things? For example, why do people commit crimes, cheat, kill people, etc.” It’s a terrible argument because the fact of the matter is, there are women who falsely accuse men of doing these horrible things. There have been men put away for years in prison doing time for a crime they did not commit in which they were falsely accused. Even if it is a low percentage, even if it is one out of a million who are falsely accused (which it is not), are we really willing to throw away due process and the essential principle of this nation that is 'you are innocent until proven guilty' just to appease those who are angry and hostile about this topic? For the record, I am not downplaying sexual assault or sexual assault allegations at all. I firmly believe every accusation should be taken seriously and fairly for both parties involved. Senator Lindsey Graham (R – S.C) said it perfectly during the
October 19, 2018 Kavanaugh hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as well as the entire country, when he explained how repulsively polarized we have become in politics. Senator Graham stated, “I voted for [Justices Sonia] Sotomayor and [Elena] Kagan, never thought twice about it. I could never imagine me engaging in anything like this to take them down.” He voted “yes” for both of Obama's Supreme Court appointees, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, who will serve a lifetime tenure unless they resign, retire, or are removed from office. To this day, there has never been a Supreme Court Justice removed from the court in the history of this nation. As I explained, these types of situations with zero corroborative evidence and people in power deeming we should all instantly believe those who make allegations against people; I agree completely with Senator Graham who stated on the Senate Judiciary floor, “This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward because of this crap.” I could not have said it better myself. Congratulations to the newest member of the Supreme Court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh. I hope for our nation’s sake, he will follow the Constitution and be a fair and honest Justice as many close to him as a judge have claimed he will be.
It’s Been a Year Since #MeToo Hit Headlines, But It’s Not Done Yet
By Alyssa Guzman On Oct. 5 last year, the New York Times published their Harvey Weinstein article that would change the nation. This past year has been a blur of sexual assault cases against powerful men. From Harvey Weinstein bringing the movement to the forefront of international media to Bill Cosby being sentenced to jail for drugging and assaulting women to Larry Nassar’s years of abusing young gymnasts (both male and female) to the recent chaos surrounding the Supreme Court confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh. To say in the least, this year has not only brought empowerment to women (and men) to seek justice for the horrible things that have happened to them, but it has put pressure on the men to be more accountable and aware of the situations they put themselves in. To be honest, it’s about damn time and I'm proud of what this movement has accomplished so far. And it shouldn’t stop anytime
The Promethean soon. #MeToo and Time’s Up have finally put women on the road map of empowerment, recognition, and most importantly, giving women a voice they never thought they would have against their assaulters. It is so important for women to finally begin taking back their agency and demanding respect. But it is more important that women are finally starting to get the respect they deserve. It’s only been a year since this movement started, but it’s only the beginning. This movement was a huge step for women and men who have been hiding their stories because of embarrassment and fear. It’s time every single person owns up to their narrative. It's time we, as a country, stop giving high profiled and very important jobs to people who don’t even have the decency to respect another human being, let alone an entire industry, sport or country. It’s time to continue to demand respect and stop recognizing assaulters, harassers and rapists as “good people.” As the movement goes forward, I would like to see people stop standing behind people because “they never knew that” or “he would never do that” and instead demand the truth, allow them to be tried and pressured. To stop people from acquiring such a high status and using that to their advantage. It’s time that respect and consent are everyone’s priorities. #MeToo has opened so many doors so far and it needs to keep opening more until we can get to a world where women aren’t afraid of walking alone and aren’t asked for sexual favors in order to rise up the corporate ladder or be told they “asked for it.” The time has come in the last year, women are putting their foot down. And it’s a beautiful thing. Time’s up.
Human Workers Offer Ethical Alternative to Jobs in Industries Dominated by Machines
By David Le Blang, Staff Writer Technological inventions are, for the most part, hailed as striking innovations and occasionally even landmarks of human achievement. In a world where the objects and interfaces we predominantly work with and communicate through had not existed even a full century ago, we are clearly
O p i n i o n |10 advancing at a more rapid rate than we can control. While the things we have accomplished as a human race are incredible, it has reached a point where it has created a culture where productivity and efficiency are valued heavily over the members of our own kind. The constant buzz about businesses cutting back employees, processes being automated for a more ‘seamless,’ or ‘faster’ completion, or prominent ventures folding because of rising costs and decreased revenues, all have one thing in common: efficiency. I think it is clear that we have surpassed the threshold of human efficiency, and have forgotten how to value the lives of one another over the work a machine can do. The idea of technological advancements leading to the demise of mankind is not a new concept by any means, but I want to highlight a more focused yet very broad problem: capitalism. While living in a country built on a laissez-faire capitalist economy, the general concept of an individual’s sole contribution to society is not hard to grasp: an agent sells their expertise and hours of their time in exchange for compensation from their employer, and this typically happens for the larger majority of an individual’s life, sometimes even until death. This is commonplace for a capitalist economy, where individuals have the opportunity to advance their well-being by making sound and profitable financial choices and investments, whether it be in things to increase their personal capital, or to support other prospective businesses. Being established as a free country to pursue in the enterprises which you deem are the ones which make you happy is what being an American is supposed to be about. However, a problem lies deep within this structure, which has only recently come under attack due to the aforementioned technological advances. Simply put, when humans lose the ability to front their labor in exchange for wages, the entire system falls apart, and the only ones who survive are the ones at the top. Going back only a mere 50 years, the enterprises which yielded the most in terms of profit, and in making their founders staples in American history as some of the wealthiest people to ever live, were all in the oil and steel industries. These industries were full of hard-working people, who would toil for days on end, doing the same menial, rough tasks in order to make a living. This was back in a time when the most advanced technology available were
11| Sports devices or machines made for man to either be able to do their jobs or to do them more efficiently. To contrast, look at some of the most prominent startups today, both of which I am sure my humble reader has used at one point or another: Uber and Airbnb. The amount of capital required to be put in by the founder is absolutely naught. The fact that two people, each with an idea and a bit of computer science skills, can build an empire which is toppling ageold institutions, and advance them to the point where humans are not even needed to run them (self-driving cars, the multitude of automated processes which can go into making a hotel nearly self-running) is astonishing, and frightening. Clearly, one could come up with a plethora of examples of how integrating artificial intelligence within a business’s structure would be a decision simply unmatched by the option of hiring a human worker. One easy example would be a high-powered calculator. While it would take a human a number of hours to calculate one hundred separate numbers all multiplied by each other by hand, a computer could process that information in (probably) a couple of seconds, outclassing its competition 100 times out of a 100. In addition to this, a human has even more drawbacks than a machine: a human gets tired, has to go to the bathroom, needs to eat, etc. In terms of raw efficiency, which in a capitalist economy translates to cost, humans are becoming obsolete. Logically, in the name of efficiency, there is no reason to choose a human to do processes that a computer could do. We have become outmatched by the very things we’ve created. As more advances are made in fields such as computer science, mathematics, logistics, etc, less and less jobs will be required to be done by human hands. While one may think that there will always need to be someone behind the robots in order to make, manufacture and repair them, it is wise to look at advances made in deep learning. The idea of creating artificial intelligence in a closed system with the potential to teach itself information at a rapid rate, and to carry out task-specific algorithms of its own volition has become a reality. Regardless, the amount of pure intelligence and working knowledge of these machines needed to work at a level even merely relevant to securing a living off of it is rising higher and higher by the year. The fact of the matter is, with myself and my intended audience included, we are the rising generation of people who have to seriously take
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Sports
into consideration the choices we make for a career, for in ten to fifteen years, the entire field which we have spent four or more years studying might not exist. Examples such as Amazon’s automated warehouses signal an imminent demise of the warehousing and factory industry, the slow death of banking tellers via automated teller machines, financial advisers bring replaced by algorithms which can predict certain financial forecasts and market trends, kiosks replacing customer service representatives, the push from Uber to develop a self-driving car to eliminate the need for a human driver, and even major advances in language and structure comprehension allow AI to create written reports, putting the jobs of journalists and even potentially reporters at risk. Regardless of our innate desire to venture into the unknown and to make the impossible possible, the limits and needs of the system we have created for ourselves as a society must come before all. Although the advances we have made in the realms of artificial intelligence and computer science are unfathomable in comparison to anything we've accomplished, I think it is wise to remember who it was who made this all possible in the first place, and to not replace members of our own kind with objects that can simply do something 'better.' Sometimes, I think, the element of human error is what makes things interesting, and worth doing. Striving for perfect, unattainable standards is what will cause us to sacrifice anything in our path to get there, and that, I believe, is inhumane.
MAAC Choices Tailgate Offers Safe Alternative to Traditional Tailgating
By David Le Blang, Staff Writer Before a Men’s Soccer game against Marist, Siena students had the option of visiting the MAAC Choices Sober Tailgate event, held in the parking lot right outside of the turf field. Intended to be a safe and informative alternative to an alcohol-fueled tailgate, the MAAC brings this event once a year to all eleven schools in the MAAC before select sporting events. Due to the nature of the event to promote alcohol
awareness and bystander intervention, students across the entire student body are encouraged to attend, not just student-athletes. Beginning three years ago, the MAAC Choices Tailgate was proposed to tie in sporting events with a case for alcohol awareness. Given that the MAAC is a very athletics-heavy conference, and sporting tailgates are common areas for college students, as well as people of all ages, to potentially abuse alcohol before an outing and put themselves or others at risk, this seemed to be a perfect tie-in for a good event. After a largely successful first season covering only basketball games, the MAAC was awarded with the NCAA Choices grant, allowing them to expand the scope of the event to sporting events across all sports in all MAAC schools. Visiting colleges throughout the conference, the MAAC hopes to be able to alter the choices made by a much larger number of college students, as opposed to a singular campus campaign. At Saturday’s event, students enjoyed things such as raffles for gift cards to a few local stores, backyard games such as cornhole and spikeball, food and drinks, and also a chance to learn about alcohol misuse. Even though students had a chance at enjoying themselves in a safe environment before a sporting event, the main goal is for the students to be able to walk away with more knowledge and intuition about being in an environment where alcohol is used, and learn about being an active bystander. In addition to this was a stand for the Siena Student Athlete Mentors (SAM), whose purpose is to serve as a support system for students and prevent substance abuse. Also helping freshman transition into
October 19, 2018 the hectic life of being a college athlete, the Siena's SAM program provides leadership to student-athletes. Although college campuses throughout the MAAC and across the country hold their own alternatives to drinking programs and informational sessions, event organizer Tamara Perea stresses that there is more to this tailgate than that. By combining sports and tailgating, she hopes this event can not only educate students on how alcohol consumption affects your body but also, “how it affects you as an athlete, and then how it affects your social norms on campus.” Additionally, Perea hopes that when students stop by the sponsored tailgate, they’ll, “hopefully just take something out of it, and walk away with one fact, one tip on how to increase bystander intervention, or take away safety habits.” In addition to all of their current efforts, the MAAC Choices campaign chose to increase their social media presence heavily this year, posting pictures of all of the tailgate events, as well as promoting other initiatives by schools across the MAAC. For those interested, you can follow them, @ MAAC_SAAC, on Twitter.
Siena Soccer's Star Goalie
By Julianna Sebastian, Sports Editor Taylor Dorado has been protecting the goal for 10 years. She knows a thing or two about saving shots and being a major contender in helping her team win games. The field players can assist all they want, but once the opponent shoots at the net, it is all up to Taylor. And Taylor protects the goal exceptionally well, this year alone she has earned three MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. In her three years being on the team so far, she has received this title seven times. Also, she was nationally nominated last month for Hero Sports Soccer’s goalie of the week. During recent games, Taylor has completely shut out the other opponent, and is ranked 2nd in MAAC goalies but is also ranked 13th out of all the women’s soccer goalies in the country. On the field, Taylor is definitely in control of her game. While Taylor is not saving every goal being shot at her, she attends classes and is also a normal college student. She is majoring in psychology, and when she graduates she is looking to pursue physical therapy. Specifically, Taylor wants to help other athletes like herself get through their injuries and recover fully from them. So when Taylor is off the field, you can usually find her
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in the Standish library doing work for the next day. Being a psychology major, this semester Taylor is taking Health Psychology and Lifespan Development. Both being 200-level classes, they demand much of Taylor’s time. Even though the women’s soccer season does not look long on paper, the team plays over 20 games in two months. Every weekend is filled with games against conference and nonconference opponents. Taylor admits that one of the hardest things about playing soccer is that they miss a lot of classes for games. Despite having games on the weekends, the soccer team frequently plays on Wednesday afternoons. When games start at 2 or 3 o’clock, players often have to miss class so they can either travel to the game or head down to the Siena fields to meet their opponent. If the team travels for a Wednesday game, they often leave the day before which can lead to more classes being missed. Along with taking psychologyintensive courses, Taylor has to take General Physics and other science classes to earn her degree. Taking General Physics this fall, missing one of these classes because of soccer can make future classes much harder. Also, soccer has made Taylor miss Physics labs, which she then has to make up on her own time. One of the things that keeps Taylor motivated during the season is her team. She states that her Siena team is what makes soccer still enjoyable after a decade of playing. The atmosphere that the team has in the locker room, during practice, and before and after games is what keeps Taylor getting up in the morning for practice and having
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the right attitude during games. Being recognized for her accomplishments Taylor admits is rewarding, but she is just glad that this season she has helped her team to a 4-12 record in the MAAC. Getting the ball past her at conference championships will be a serious challenge for other teams. With all of Taylor’s achievements on and off the field, it is easy to see why she is a perfect example of a studentathlete.