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Volume 89, Issue VIII
Donald Trump Wins Presidential Election in Striking Upset Story on Page 3 - Editorial on Page 9
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE
• SUNY New Paltz Addresses Budget Deficit ..............Pg 4 • Kevin Guerrero Indicted on Sexual Assault Charge ....Pg 5 • Facilities Addresses Recent Power Outages ............Pg 6 • John Faso Wins 19th Congressional District Race ......Pg 8
Kristen Warfield Editor-in-Chief
Jack O’Brien
Managing Editor
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Melanie Zerah News Editor
Amanda Copkov Features Editor
Sam Manzella
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Melissa Kramer Sports Editor
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Holly Lipka Jeannette LaPointe Matt Nash Photography Editors
Luke Benicase Cartoonist
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The New Paltz Oracle is the official student newspaper of SUNY New Paltz. Our circulation is 2,500. The New Paltz Oracle is sponsored by the Student Association and partially funded by the student activity fee. The New Paltz Oracle is located in the Student Union (SU) Room 417. Deadline for all submissions is 5 p.m. on Sundays in The New Paltz Oracle office and by email at oracle@hawkmail. newpaltz.edu. All advertisements must be turned in by 5 p.m. on Fridays, unless otherwise specified by the business manager. Community announcements are published gratuitously, but are subject to restriction due to space limitations.There is no guarantee of publication. Contents of this paper cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. The New Paltz Oracle is published weekly throughout the fall and spring semesters on Thursdays. It is available in all residence halls and academic buildings, in the New Paltz community and online at oracle.newpaltz.edu. For more information, call 845-257-3030. The fax line is 845-257-3031.
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Donald Trump Makes Election History By Melanie Zerah
News Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
President-Elect Donald Trump has clinched the presidency with 279 electoral votes and 47 percent of the popular vote as Republicans retain the House and Senate. Trump remade the political map—turning historically blue states a new shade of red. Critical swing states such as Florida and Ohio that won President Barack Obama the presidency in 2012 flipped in Trump’s favor in the later hours of last night. “I pledge that I will be a president for all Americans, this is so important to me,” Trump said in his victory speech early Wednesday morning. “If you chose not to support me, which many people did, I am reaching out to you for guidance and help to work together to unify our great country.” Voters disappointed with the results have taken to social media to express their outrage and frustration, urging those who feel threatened by a Trump presidency to “stay strong” and articulate their emotions. It is the sentiment of Trump’s opponent Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Obama to reassure those distressed voters that America must give Trump a chance to unify the country as he claims he will do. “I hope that he will be a successful president,” Clinton said in her concession speech. “I’m sorry that we did not win this election for the values we share and visions for our country. Our campaign was never about one person or election. It was about the country we love.” Emotional and teary-eyed, Clinton advised America that “we owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.” Today Obama came out into the White House Rose Garden to address America and the press to say that he could not be prouder of Clinton and reminding the nation that “she has lived an extraordinary life of public service.” Obama explained that he called Trump at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday to congratulate him and to invite him to the White House on Thursday to discuss a smooth and successful transition. “Trump and I have obvious significant differences,” Obama said. “But remember that President Bush and I had significant differences, but he and his team were professional and gracious for a smooth transition between our presidencies.” Obama benevolently encouraged America to accept and support the man who questioned his legal eligibility to hold office and who Obama once called “uniquely unqualified for presidency.” “The presidency and vice presidency is big-
ger than all of us,” Obama said. “We are rooting for Trump’s success in uniting and leading the country.” New Paltz Town Supervisor Neil Bettez said that although he is extremely disappointed with the results, he grew up in a working class family and watched Democrats abandon the people that Trump found his support and endorsement in. “This is where people who are upset with the way things are find solace,” Bettez said. “The Democrats will need to reassess where our priorities are going forward as a lesson of this race.” Bettez discussed his concerns of the Republican party holding the future of affordable health care in their hands in regards to those who have felt vilified and fearful by a Trump presidency. “Yet, New Paltz will be fine through all of this,” Bettez said. “We are in control of what happens at the local level and what is decided. We don’t get a ton of federal aid anyway, no one has been plowing money into any possible decaying infrastructure that we may have.” New Paltz Village Mayor Tim Rogers was at Zephyr Teachout’s election watch event in Rhinebeck when he and others from New Paltz quickly realized “things were not headed in the right direction, and that all the ‘too early to call’ announcements were bad.” “We turned to each other and said, ‘If this is going to be disappointing we would rather be in New Paltz with people we know,’” Rogers said. Rogers explained that he initially felt Trump didn’t want to be president, that he seemed to simply just enjoy the spectacle, enjoy the attention and remain preoccupied with his brand and being an affluent celebrity. “I have thought about it and I felt like there’s no way he’s as racist as he is behaving or is true to all his pandering to the all right,” Rogers said. “It was pandering— he identified a way to get support and he built it for all its worth. You can say that it is somewhat reassuring that he’s not that racist or bigoted or sexist, but from that vantage point he is now this bizarre, amoral person who would do that type of pandering for votes. So, really which is worse?” Rogers said that in response to someone who may feeling completely politically discouraged by the results, choosing to either take a step back and say “political activism isn’t for me” or to roll up one’s sleeves and get even more involved is a choice to be slept on. Rogers described those who voted for Trump as people who felt they were not being looked out for by the current system. Although Rogers recognizes that there are bigoted and racist people, he has neighbors who voted for Trump who are not,
PHOTO COURTESY OF EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR President Elect Donald Trump will be inagurated into office Jan. 20, 2017.
and that they may have unfortunately overlooked his disturbing messages out of frustration for the current system. “I think what’s important is his message is very disturbing, but I’m not completely disheartened by results,” Rogers said. “We know that Bernie was resonating with millions of people and I think Trump is resonating with lots of people for many of the same reasons. I’d like to have more faith in humanity and my neighbors.” Former New Paltz Town Supervisor and current Bio Executive Director of Hunger Action of New York State Susan Zimet said that she felt very excited on Election Day to exercise her right to vote as a woman. “I was giddy, dressed in white and wearing a yellow rose to represent the women who fought for my right to vote less than 100 years ago,” Zimet said. “I was elated to vote not just for a very capable and confident woman, but one of the best candidates prime to step into this position, who happen to be a woman.” Zimet said that as a woman who has worked in politics since the 90s, she has experienced the misogyny that exists within politics first-hand. Zimet was the first woman to take office as town supervisor in New Paltz in 1999. “I’m telling my daughter and other women that although this was a big loss, women are capable of everything and anything as long as we remain confident in our cause,” Zimet said. Marine Corporal and former SUNY New Paltz student David White offered his unique view that without Hillary as president, the country will
Thursday, November 10, 2016
be less likely to engage in conflict with Russia. “I write so much about how we shouldn’t be provoking Russian aggression, I believe that she would have provoked it with her hawkish nature,” White said. “Hillary was the center-piece of larger organization of people who were extremely selfinterested.” Born in Ireland, White only recently received his United States citizenship. White assured that despite the discourse caused by this election season, he remains happy with his choice to be in America and serve for the people who make America “still a good place to be.” “It was the Democratic Party’s fault for propping Clinton up,” White said. “She would have balked on all these promises, people knew that and I believe Bernie would have won the election if he were the candidate.” Twenty-year-old journalism student Liesanne de Haan from Groningen, Netherlands weighed in her opinion from an outside perspective: “Everybody over here is shocked how this could happen,” she said. “Most of the people here saw him only as one big joke. And I’m really, really shocked and worried about the fact that such a hateful stupid man will be the most powerful person on Earth.” It is clear that the entire world is stunned at the results of this historic election, and a close eye will be set to the Trump presidency, with hopes of unification that he has shown intent to achieve.
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SUNY New Paltz Faces Budget Deficit
AFRICA’S FEMALE PRESIDENT SADDENED BY CLINTON’S LOSS Africa’s first elected female president is calling Hillary Clinton’s electoral defeat a “missed opportunity” to advance women’s rights. In an interview with the BBC, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia said Wednesday she is “extremely saddened” by Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump, though she expects her West African nation to maintain good relations with the U.S. Sirleaf was elected in 2005 as Liberia was emerging from 14 years of deadly civil conflict. As secretary of state, Clinton attended Sirleaf’s inauguration for a second term in 2012. MEXICO RESPONDS TO TRUMP’S ELECTION VICTORY Mexico’s treasury chief says the country has been working to solidify its finances in preparation for external shocks such as the election of Donald Trump. Treasury Secretary Jose Antonio Meade says Britain’s Brexit vote was one shock, the U.S. election result another and the Fed’s decision on interest rates in December is yet another possibility. Trump’s policies would slam the Mexican economy. TRUMP WIN RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT CLIMATE DEAL The election of a U.S. president who has called global warming a “hoax” alarmed environmentalists and climate scientists and raised questions Wednesday about whether America, once again, would pull out of an international climate deal. Several scientists warned that Earth will likely reach dangerous levels of warming if President-elect Donald Trump fulfills his campaign pledges to undo the Obama administration’s climate policies. Many people at U.N. climate talks in Morocco said it’s now up to the rest of the world to lead efforts to rein in greenhouse gas emissions. Others held out hope that Trump would change his stance and honor U.S. commitments under the Paris Agreement. Compiled from the AP Newswire
PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA It is unclear whether the budget deficit will result in staff or program cuts.
By Rachael Purtell
Copy Editor | Purtellr1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
SUNY New Paltz is facing an estimated budget deficit of $2 million. According to Vice President for Administration and Finance Michele Halstead, the deficit stems from increased expenditure needs, such as minimum wage increase and lack of new revenue, as SUNY did not raise tuition and there has been no additional state taxpayer support. Another contributing factor is the drop in graduate enrollment in certain programs, such as education, consistent with national trends. Additionally, while the state funds construction of new academic buildings, the campus is responsible for the cost of operating the new building coming online. Halstead said that long-term solutions for the deficit must be developed. “The college has a reserve fund that will bridge the gap this year, but we must adjust our economy going forward,” she said. “Outside of increases in state support or tuition, the campus must look to increase revenue and at the same time look to see where we can reduce expenditures.” The college does not have the ability to raise tuition, so unless there is a change at
the state level, tuition costs at SUNY New Paltz will not be impacted. Additionally, room and board budgets are separate from the budget impacted by the current deficit, according to Halstead. It is unclear at this time whether this deficit will result in staff or program cuts. “Decisions have not yet been made, but the college always prioritizes non-personnel reductions over cutting staff,” Halstead said. Halstead said that the 2017-18 fiscal year budget, which begins July 1, 2017, will not be finalized until spring 2017, after the state budget is finalized. “It is important that our approach to a long-term solution be thoughtful,” she said regarding the school’s timeline for rectifying the deficit. “As such, we view this as an ongoing process throughout the year.” The college has faced similar deficits in the past, the most significant being $6 million in 2008-09 and another $6 million in 2010-11. According to Halstead, the campus operating budget comprises tuition and state taxpayer support and the latter declined in 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12, and was essentially flat since 2011-12. “During the last five years, we’ve invested tuition increases in expanding ser-
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vices and opportunities for students, but there was no such increase this year, contributing to our budgetary challenge,” she said. “The percentage of state taxpayer support continues to decline, so that now for every dollar we have to spend in our core budget, only 23 cents comes from state support and 77 cents comes from tuition.” Halstead added that an increase in either state taxpayer support or tuition would greatly improve the college’s budget situation. The college has managed its budget deficits in the past and Halstead believes it is capable of continuing to do so. During the 2008-09 and 2010-11 deficits, the campus took advantage of an early retirement incentive, which created vacancies in a variety of positions across campus, which allowed for the college to realign its work force to meet its needs. The college was also able to increase revenue and reduce expenditures during those academic years. “Over the course of my 26 years at SUNY New Paltz, I’ve seen the campus face and overcome many financial challenges,” Halstead said. “Through this budget process, I am confident that we will position the institution for continuing success.”
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Suspect Indicted for Off-Campus Sexual Assault Case By Melanie Zerah
News Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Lance Cpl. Kevin Guerrero, a Marine stationed at Stewart Air National Guard Base, has been indicted for sexual abuse in the first degree and multiple counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary, as handed up by the Ulster County Grand Jury last week. These charges come from a series of off-campus break-ins that occurred over Labor Day weekend. In addition to accounts of burglary and attempted burglary, Guerrero was initially arrested under charges of rape in the first and second degree. However, due to a lack of sufficient evidence presented to the grand jury, an indictment of rape was not warranted, according to Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright. Only one indictment has been made at
this point, however there are other charges still to be presented to the grand jury in pending, according to New Paltz Police Department Chief Joe Snyder. In New York State, a felony charge is presented to a grand jury, who then reviews evidence and looks for probable cause to hold the matter over for indictment. Preceding this is the preliminary and initial investigation which provide a cause for arrest. Snyder said it is common that not everything will be indicted on the initial presentation to the grand jury. The defendant will be arraigned on this current indictment; if he files not guilty with the court then the case will proceed through to a hearing than trial. “We are months away from a trial,” Carnright said. “Seeing a trial for this occur in six to eight months is the best case scenario.”
Copy Editor | Purtellr1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
The proposed nine month moratorium for the development on Route 299 and North Putt Corners Road was highly favored at a recent public village hearing on Nov. 3. This section of town has been called vital for cyclists and those who use wheelchairs, but this moratorium puts hold on other potential projects. Under the proposed moratorium covering about 25 parcels included in the area covering more than a mile of Route 299 going east from ShopRite Plaza, officials would not be able to review any site plan, special permit application, area variance or sub divisional proposal except for residential developments of five units or less and non-residential structures of 2,500 square feet or less. New Paltz Town Supervisor Neil Bettez said that many people have attended public meetings and spoken in favor of the moratorium over the past six to eight months. If the moratorium were to be implemented, the public would be heavily involved in further planning. “During the nine months we’d like to hold a series of public meetings and through engaging the public we would have an idea of what sort of zoning
changes, if any changes at all, the public wants to see in that area,” he said. Among the moratorium’s supporters is the New Paltz Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee. In a statement unanimously endorsed by the committee in their meeting in April 2016, they referred to the area as the gateway section of town for those entering from the east and believes that conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and those in wheelchairs are already unsafe and any further development without careful planning could worsen these conditions. “These conditions will not improve, and will quickly deteriorate, if any new developments are approved without careful attention to infrastructure that supports non-motorized transportation,” according to the statement. “Before any developments are approved for this section of town, it is important that the town give serious consideration to and adopt a vision for the Exit 18 Gateway corridor. A temporary moratorium will allow for this crucial planning to occur.” The committee is also concerned with the effect that developments will have on the 100+ mile trail network being championed by Ulster County Commissioner Mike Hein. The trail will reach from the Ashokan Reservoir across the Walkway over the Hudson all
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TRUMP BEGINS CATCH UP ON TRANSITION TO WHITE HOUSE The true test now begins for Donald Trump. The Republican presidentelect paid little attention to transition planning leading up to his stunning victory. With 72 days before he takes control of the executive branch, Trump and his senior team on Wednesday immediately began the herculean task of picking a Cabinet and tapping hundreds of appointees to senior roles in key departments. Kevin Guerrero. Photo courtesy of NPPD.
There are still additional charges pending at this point against Guerrero, who remains held without bail at Ulster County Jail.
9-Month Moratorium Proposal Met with Little Opposition By Rachael Purtell
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the way to the Hopewell Junction depot and promises to be one of the most used networks in the United States. “One of the few remaining gaps in this trail network runs right through the Exit 18 Gateway corridor,” according to the statement. “It would be an utter travesty if development proceeded in this section without the utmost concern and planning for this valuable trail network.” Councilman Marty Irwin stands in opposition to the moratorium regarding the potential impact on property taxes for residents of New Paltz and believes what the town really needs is to update its Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Laws, on a town-wide basis. “My financial analysis suggests a moratorium, including possible litigation, may cost us over $300,000, and this amount does not include costs for the town to defend any appeals should the court find in favor of the town,” he said. Among other proposed projects potentially affected by this moratorium the Wild Berry Lodge water park and hotel property on South Ohioville Road. The hearing has been recessed until Dec. 15.
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SOME MINORITIES FIND ‘PRESIDENTELECT TRUMP’ SCARY PROSPECT Across America, many members of minority groups awoke Wednesday to something that had seemed an implausible nightmare just a day earlier: President-elect Donald Trump. After a race that shattered norms of civility and restraint, Trump’s ascendency to the White House on the power of overwhelming white support left some with the sinking feeling that they now live in a country where they simply don’t matter. US STOCKS SURGE FOLLOWING TRUMP VICTORY It turns out that President Donald Trump may not be bad for the stock market after all. Asian stock markets stumbled shortly after Trump overtook Hillary Clinton in the presidential vote count early Wednesday. From there, Wall Street appeared set for a slump of its own, only it never materialized. Global financial markets soon steadied as Trump delivered an acceptance speech pledging to unify a deeply divided nation. SANDERS SAYS THAT HE WILL WORK WITH TRUMP ON SOME ISSUES
Bernie Sanders says he’s prepared to work with Donald Trump to help the working class, but will “vigorously oppose” other policies promised by the president-elect. Compiled from the AP Newswire
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UUP Examines New York State Fiscal Policy By Meg Tohill
Copy Editor | Tohillm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Members of United University Professions (UUP) and students alike gathered in Sojourner Truth Library to discuss and examine the truth behind New York State’s fiscal policy toward SUNY, on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Every year, students are being expected to pay more towards tuition and every year, state aid towards SUNY education decreases or plateaus. Last week, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations Stephen Pampinella led a group discussion explaining the guise that Gov. Cuomo has pulled over the eyes of the public. With the lack of money that each school is provided with, there
is major “compensation.” The discussion raised an issue that administration is shifting teaching pressures to adjunct professors rather than full-time professors due to a lack of funding, according to Pampinella. Pampinella said that while the quality of work performed between the two types of educators is arguably the same, adjunct professors typically pick up more classes to just pay the bills and their time is more divided, leaving less time for each individual student. Pampinella made a point to remind the audience that “we shouldn’t blame administration, we should blame Cuomo— he is wasting their time. Adjunct professors face greater stresses which impacts their ability to help students.” Later on, the discussion shifted
to the well-being of each individual student. As of 2015-16, student revenue, including tuition and fees, was marked at 64 percent whereas state aid was left at 36 percent. Out of context, these numbers are just numbers but back in 2007, state aid was just below 1.4 billion dollars. As of last year, it has decreased to a little over 900 million dollars. In contrast, student revenue increased from over 900 million to above 1.6 billion dollars. When glossing over the numbers, exclamations from the audience ranged from laughter to outbursts like “how are they expected to live?” The audience, compiled largely of professors employed at SUNY New Paltz and a few community members, was in incredibly concerned over the future economic stability of students.
Pampinella joked, “no wonder students are all so tired; most of them are working 30 hours a week on top of taking five classes.” First-year psychology major Rebecca Walsh commented on how much the entire discussion had opened her eyes. “It was always obvious that prices were getting steep, but this is foreboding,” Walsh said. “It’s important for all students to understand what is going on.” The discussion was the first installment of three discussions all revolving around SUNY policies. Future discussions will continue throughout the month of November. For more information, Pampinella can be reached at pampines@ newpaltz.edu, and SUNY fiscal policies can be found at governor. ny.gov.
Recent Power Outages Declared Not a Concern By Rachael Purtell
Copy Editor | Purtellr1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Last month the campus experienced two power outages, one briefly during the day in early October and a longer one at night on Oct. 17. Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management John Shupe said that both outages were related to their provider, Central Hudson. The first outage was caused by an issue in Central Hudson’s system and the second was the result of a major transformer burning up. Fortunately, in the past 15 years Facilities Management has proactively installed back-up generators in almost every building in order to keep the buildings lit and heated. “They’re really designed to keep the
buildings lit, somewhat, and heated because you don’t want the worst problem to have, a building that freezes; when it’s really dead of winter and it’s below zero and you lose power for a number of hours you don’t want to see frozen pipes in the building,” Shupe said. “It’s basic emergency power.” Shupe said that the relationship with Central Hudson is solid and they have direct contact with the local area representative if the campus ever has an issue, although they elected not to make contact during the Oct. 17 outage. The Central Hudson website also has an outage map which provides information on what areas affected by outages and estimations regarding restoration time.
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“If you look at it almost every day there’s an outage of some kind somewhere and it tells you how many customers are affected,” Shupe said. “We’re one customer, but we’re a big customer.” About eight years ago, Central Hudson installed new dedicated electric lines directly from the high tension lines about two miles south of campus. For a cost of just below $12 million, Facilities Management completed phase two of this project and replaced all of the campus’ underground high voltage electrical system. “It was one of those projects like you don’t see a new building going up but it’s a project that we’ve had some issues in our underground lines,” Shupe said.
“They were 40-50 years old and it was time to replace them, so that’s what we did.” According to Shupe, apart from the blips here and there, the improvements have led to a system that is very reliable and power outages are a rare occurrence. The campus’ emergency response team is occupied 24 hours a day, seven days a week and everyone is immediately notified in the event of a power outage on campus via broadcast system. “We know normally if it’s during the day, during work hours we’ll see that kind of issue,” Shupe said. “But in the evening, the emergency management team is notified within minutes of this happening and we have protocols to deal with it.”
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Faso Wins 19th Congressional Ticket
By Melanie Zerah
News Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Nineteenth District Congress elect John Faso won this year’s congressional election with 55 percent of the popular vote. “Congratulations to Zephyr Teachout on a hard fought race that was closely watched not only by those living in the 19th Congressional District, but by people all over the nation,” Faso said in his statement. “What we’ve heard today is that citizens are deeply concerned about our country; that they care about its future; and they want a government that works for them and gets things done. They’re tired of gridlock, games and the 24-hour spin cycle and punditry. To those people, I say, I hear you loud and clear.” Faso furthered his acknowledgment of
voters who are unhappy with the current system by saying he plans to influence other politicals to put aside “partisan impulses and work for the common good of all.” New Paltz Village Mayor Tim Rogers said he felt particularly in the 19th district there may have been an opportunity for Teachout to continue to do well if she got Trump supporters from people who view him as an outsider candidate, and as someone who is critical of trade deals, status quos, corporations “having a seat at the table” and politics as usual. “There are many Trump supporters who respected and appreciate Bernie messages,” Rogers said. “I was hoping in the district that those who are registered with no party and even some Republicans would come together and say, ‘we like Teachout’s value set.’”
In her concession statement, Teachout expressed her gratitude and pride for those who stood behind her and supported her throughout the race. “We gave the billionaires trying to buy our elections a real run for their money, faceless men, cowards who spent $6.7 million to shut us up but we barked back with an average contribution of $19,” Teachout said in the statement. “It’s because of the parents, teachers, veterans, farmers and small business owners in the 19th Congressional District that this race was as close as it is. We showed them that we the people will not be dictated to, and our fight continues. Once a century a generation is called on to restore American democracy. Today our generation is called.” Teachout’s statement instills a call to action to those who still find enthusiasm in
the issues she has stood up for, and encourages these individuals to continue their local activism. Former New Paltz Town Supervisor and current Bio Executive Director of Hunger Action of New York State Susan Zimet said that she viewed Teachout as the perfect person to follow in the steps of former New York Representative Maurice Dunlea Hinchey. Despite an initial disappointment, Zimet said she wishes to work with Faso on hunger issues such as working to oppose Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan’s plans to cut $23 billion in federal food stamp funding. The 19th Congressional district will maintain its Republican majority, following up former Congressman Chris Gibson with Faso.
Students Hold Vigil in Response to Election Results By News Editor Melanie Zerah and Copy Editor Jackson Shrout
It seemed obvious that there would be civil unrest and controversy no matter who won the Nov. 8 election for President of the United States. Following the announcement of Republican candidate Donald Trump’s victory early Wednesday morning, frustrated citizens nationwide took to the streets to voice their discontent over the final results. SUNY New Paltz’s campus played host to such protest outside the Atrium, a rally on campus grounds organized by the Black Student Union against the impending Trump presidency. Passionate students addressed fears of deportation, racism and LGBTQIA+ discrimination as described by Student Association President Yaranny Reynoso. “I identify as a lesbian, and with that, I have fears about this presidency,” she said. “I am weary of what this government under Trump and [Vice President-elect] Mike Pence will implement.” During the vigil, a student entered the rallying circle, asking Haitian students to raise their hands. “My family worked their asses off so my siblings and I could have an education,” he said. “I have not seen the American dream promised all those years ago in elementary school. I have not seen the land of the free and home of the brave. If you are surprised that this election went to Trump, you have had your eyes closed this entire time.”
Third-year political science major and vice president of the political science club Oren Koralashvili said that many students are interested in fundraising money to hire coach buses to bring SUNY New Paltz students to the inauguration in D.C. to protest. However, not all vigil attendees were anti-Trump. Wearing his “Make America Great Again,” red baseball cap, first-year computer engineering major Jared Raber received disappointing and disagreeable glances from attendees. “I am one of seven in a working class white family,” Raber said. “My father works seven days a week and we barely make our bills. Trump offers a chance to fix our economy.” Raber qualified that although he does support Trump, he does not agree with nor justifies any of Trump’s hate speech or beliefs towards the LGBTQIA+ community, immigrants or any other minority group. “I’m not supporting Trump to be an asshole,” Raber said. “I am here because I can be here and I am very happy everyone is speaking their mind and saying what they feel.” Raber said that the college campus is the pinnacle of open thought, and that being asked to leave the vigil qualifies as ideological discrimination. Raber’s twin brother, Joshua Raber, also a first-year and computer
science engineering major, expressed that he and others who are “alternative right-wing” give respect to Democrats and liberals but do not receive it back. Reynoso described those in attendance wearing Trump paraphernalia as triggering to those who are feeling emotionally outraged by and fearful for a Trump presidency. “No one cares to hear his opinion in this space right now,” she said. “He is 100 percent entitled to his opinion, but if it’s causing others to feel hurt and frustration in
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a space they are supposed to feel safe in, I don’t respect that.” The vigil ended with an invitation to Room 100 of the Student Union Building (SUB) for a panel discussing the issues that underrepresented students may face under a Trump presidency. Protests across the country, both peaceful and contentious, show no sign of slowing down. Donald Trump’s term as President of the United States will officially begin on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PUBLIC DOMAN PICTURES
Opinion
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Student Voice “Your opinion loud and clear!”
“Fuck.” “What the hell is wrong with people?” “How did we let this happen?” “Are you kidding me?” “Who do I know in Europe that can take in my family and I?” “What do I need to do to move to Canada?” These are just some of the thoughts that flew through my mind after waking up Nov. 9, 2016 and reading the news. The results of the election did not just upset me; they infuriated and worried me. Later in the day, my wife described her reaction as being analogous to the stages of grief and that she had been moving back and forth between stages all through the day. “That’s the thing about the stages of grief that people don’t always seem to understand,” I replied. “They’re not so much a linear process as they are a cyclical one. It’s more like the Chutes and Ladders game of grief. Even if you climb all the way up to the top, you might get sent hurtling back down to that first stage of anger all over again.” The more time I spent dwelling on my negative emotions about the outcome of the race, the more I felt that I needed to stop that. Running to another country was not a real solution: there would still be millions of Americans, some of whom are friends and family, who would be here in the states living with the consequences. Removing my family from the situation would get us away from it, but it wouldn’t be helping any of the other people I care about. Anger was certainly not going to offer a viable solution. Anger, divisive rhetoric and ignorance
are what got us into the situation we woke up to. I’ve been an angry youth that railed impotently against the system and that wasn’t the person I wanted my children to see me as: I wanted to be able to set a better example for them. So that’s what I’ve decided to do. I will try; in whatever way I can, to make the best of this situation. I have chosen to strive for greater patience and understanding in my own behavior. Hopefully, through my example, my children will grow and develop as part of a better generation. To Hillary Clinton, Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, and other establishment Democrats: I truly hope that you take this opportunity to perform some legitimate introspection. A large portion of the blame for the results of this election lie on your shoulders and you need to own that. You disregarded the will of the people you claim to serve and in so doing you divided the vote that would have gone against President-Elect Trump. Through your political maneuvering, back room deals and corporate financed decisions, you showed a lack of character that drove away potential supporters by the thousands. You cannot blame the Bernie-or-bust movement or the Jill-not-Hill supporters. You yourselves are responsible for dividing the Democratic vote and driving disenfranchised voters towards third party candidates. In one fell swoop you cost yourselves the White House, the Senate, and the House. After paying such a hefty price, I hope you take away some valuable insight
from this costly lesson. To President-Elect Trump: I did not vote for you. My initial reaction to my brother voting for you was to angrily wish we were not related. I still do not understand the choice made by so many people that led to your election. But being angry does not change that fact. My hope for you is that now that you have received this high honor reality settles on your shoulders. Do not focus on the fact that you won. Do not focus on how many more electoral votes you had over Clinton. Focus on the fact that you did not win the popular vote. Concern yourself with the fact that you won because of a broken electoral system. Realize that the Americans that voted against you, either for Clinton or for Jill Stein, outnumber those that voted for you. The socially progressive population of America does outnumber the conservative side. Please take note of that and do not try to set back civil rights. You are in a position to reevaluate some of the hateful statements you made during your campaign. If you want to make America great, realize that our greatness can only come out of our diversity. If you divide that diversity rather than unifying it, you will only make us weak. To those who voted for Trump: Statistical data indicates that there are a very high percentage of you that are not college educated. I am asking you to please spend some time reading through some history books. I want you to understand why your chosen candidate has so many people concerned. The clear
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historical lines of comparison to be drawn are frightening. I understand you not wanting to vote in another corrupt politician, but I do not believe you could happily vote for Trump if you were aware enough of what similar personalities in our past were responsible for when left unchecked. To all of the female, LGBTQIA+, black, Hispanic or Muslim citizens worried about your future: I am sorry for what you are going through. This situation is especially worrisome and frightening for you. Please know that there are people you can talk to, there are people who support equal treatment and rights and that we will not stop caring for you as fellow human beings. I’m still unhappy with these results. I do not know when I will reach acceptance and be able to stay there. But I want to hope that there is enough good in the world that we will continue to make progress as a nation, as a species, as a world. For now, I will continue to strive to meet division and hatred with love and acceptance. I see no other way forward. Jeremy Hartwick Fourth-year, History SUNY New Paltz The views expressed in letters and student voices are solely those of the person who wrote and submitted it. They do not necessarily reflect those of The New Paltz Oracle, its staff members, the campus and university or the Town or Village of New Paltz.
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Cosmic Creations Story on page 2B PHOTO BY VAL WALIS
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FEATURES
Queen of the Cosmos LOCAL JEWELRY ARTIST HANDCRAFTS THE STARS By Amanda Copkov Features Editor | Copkova1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Deep within the Shawangunk Mountains, there is a special place where herkimer crystals grow out of the ground, sparkling, waiting to be found. This place is something of a secret and unbeknownst to many; but not to Val Walis, a fourth-year visual arts student who has her own jewelry business: Orion Jewelry Design. According to her Facebook page, all creations are handmade “in hopes of enhancing energy flow of the wearer or room.” Very much inspired by and interested in the cosmos and astrology, Walis said that the name of her business is derived from the beauty marks down her face that resemble Orion’s belt, also associated with the orientation of home and being the first recognizable constellation on this side of the western hemisphere. The 22-year-old artist has been fiddling with wire wrapping for five years now, selling for three, and began this practice to fill her time in the spring, counter to her busy winters spent as a ski instructor at Hunter Mountain. When she was first starting out during the winter of 2011 in Hunter, New York, she would walk down to the stream to collect anything she could — oftentimes stones and even seaglass.
“At first I was using whatever scrap stuff was around and that I had,” Walis said. “Those pieces are really special to me because they’re just so experimental, and from that I’ve just been looking at what I have and developing [my jewelry] from there.” From year to year, there is a constant evolution with her collection. The merchandise she sells today is a very different variation of the jewelry she’s had in years past. “I want my inventory to be this ever changing upheaval of things,” she said. Orion Jewelry Design specializes in wire-wrap bijoux, from necklaces to rings to bracelets and more. The process of making her creations is messy: she looks through her drawers full of beads and stones, sees which ones would fit well together based on color and significance, mixing and matching to find the perfect combinations. For one of her closest friends, born under Taurus, Walis created a set that would help her during a time when she was quitting her job at a corporate radio station to bartend and make jewelry. “I made a bracelet with all of the Taurus stones and made a necklace with malachite for courage and strength and lapis lazuli, which is associated with communication,” she said. “To have something on
you that is a physical thing, you can feel it on you and have it remind you that we have the ability to access more than we think we know, that’s really it for me, to give an extra push in the right direction.” Over the past year or so, Walis said that she has tabled in several marketplaces and festivals to get the word out about her business. She recently tabled at Student for Sustainable Agriculture’s Fall Fest on the SUNY New Paltz campus, as well as at their Farm Fest last spring. She continues to table at the farmer’s market in Tannersville, approximately one hour north of New Paltz, and has participated in several festivals and markets between New Paltz and Hunter, including last summer’s Cosmic Alignment festival in Saugerties. After graduation in May, Walis plans to travel the country in hopes of selling her jewelry from state to state. Walis said she’s noticed that labradorite, a gray, somewhat translucent stone with a blue reflection, is one that most people are immediately drawn to, and it is one that she works with often. “It’s a really magical stone,” she said. “It’s connected to your psychic abilities and strengthening your intuition.” Aventurine, a “lucky,” light green stone, is one that people are also often drawn to — especially children. This is interesting, Walis said, given that aventu-
rine is also known for being a protective stone for children. Her motivation may lie in making some profit from her business, but it is mostly derived from her desire to help people and to give. She recalled an encounter with a woman she knew local to Hunter whose mother had passed away a few days prior, saying she came to her in the form of a butterfly. “I had these little stone-carved butterflies and a little pendant,” Walis remembered. “She didn’t have enough money for it and I just gave it to her, and it got me to tears. It was so special, and being able to give something that will brighten someone’s day every time they look at it, that’s really powerful. That’s why I do this.” A struggle she’s faced with her business is having to let go of so many pieces that mean so much to her, but this practice has helped her as an artist and in general. “You put so much time and energy and your whole self into something and then have to let it go,” she said. “I finish a lot of pieces and say, ‘This is priceless to me,’ but then you have to be able to let it be someone else’s.” Orion Jewelry Design can be found on Facebook for orders of any kind, including custom, perfect for gifts and good luck charms.
PHOTOS BY VAL WALIS Worry bears (far right) represent power, healing, self-sufficiency, dreaming, a free spirit and sense of unpredictability. Bear’s medicine includes introspection, healing, solitude, wisdom, change, communication with spirit, death and rebirth, transformation, astral travel and shamans and mystics. Pendants are available in fluorite, opalite, rhodonite, jasper and goldstone.
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Your Local “Geek Squad”
COMPUTER HUT THRIVES AFTER FIRST YEAR IN NEW PALTZ By Matt Apuzzo Staff Writer | Apuzzom2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Computer Hut may turn just a year old on Nov. 10, but the skill and experience behind its counter speak volumes about how it operates. Located at 71 Main St. in New Paltz, Computer Hut opened in 2015, and occupies one half of the partitioned space previously occupied by Earthgoods. Owner Jeremy Shapiro, together with his girlfriend Samantha Marrero, have run the business since opening day, selling computers, tablets, TVs and other electronics while taking broken or damaged devices for repair or trade-in. “We have gained some popularity and thus been busier than ever,” Marrero said about the store’s progress. “Our product selection has grown, and so have the repair services we offer.” Besides trade-ins, Computer Hut’s inventory includes used devices from Craigslist and eBay, supplemented with surplus lots purchased at auctions. Whether he finds a computer or a trade-in customer finds him, Shapiro refurbishes whatever he buys, and the store’s back room — packed with hundreds of devices in mid-repair —
shows that Computer Hut is serious about sales. Marrero said that testing trade-ins is one of the best parts of working at Computer Hut. “We can definitely repair computers, solve software and hardware issues, and we try to have affordable rates,” he said when asked what Computer Hut can offer New Paltz’s student population. “I don’t feel like we are in competition. As far as I know, there is no place nearby selling used electronics. I think customers like our downtown location and that we are open on weekends.” Once a computer is fixed and ready to be priced, Computer Hut goes out of its way to give customers the area’s best rates. “CeX in Poughkeepsie is probably the closest store similar to us,” he said. “They don’t do any repairs, but in terms of buying and selling goods, we sometimes look at their website to see what they’re giving and pricing, and we try to be more competitive than them.” Unless new parts need to be ordered, Computer Hut’s repairs are done immediately. “We see cracked iPhone screens all the time, followed by MacBook Pro repairs,
then PC viruses,” Marrero said. Shapiro added: “For computers, it’d take us one or two days, and phones get done on the spot in 20 to 30 minutes.” Computer Hut gives free estimates except in cases of heavy damage, an uncommon policy among repair shops. Despite the store’s emphasis on displaying Apple products, it is also registered as an authorized refurbisher of Microsoft products. Building Computer Hut and the experience behind it wasn’t an overnight event, the owner said. He said that he has worked on computers for over a decade, and in 2012, re-
ceived A+ certification from CompTIA, a recognition that requires the equivalent of 500 hours of hands-on experience. “Learning new skills, keeping up with all the changes in technology... with all these new models, they make it harder and harder,” Shapiro said. “I’ve taken a few [computer] classes in the city, but other than that, it’s mostly on my own.” Shapiro gave some advice to computer entrepreneurs: “I would say start small, work on your own projects, and then if you get good, you can take in some customers and help your friends and family, fix up stuff and progress from there.”
PHOTO BY MATT NASH Computer Hut will price match to give its customers the best price available and even provides loaner laptops.
A Piece of Mind
EXPERT DISCUSSES TECHNIQUE FOR SELF-DISCOVERY AND HARMONY By Tom McCarthy Contributing Writer | Mccartht2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu The New Paltz community center hosted another segment of its monthly seminar series with the Education Annex of Wellness Embodied: A Center For Psychotherapy and Healing on Wednesday, Nov. 2. This month’s guest speaker was Elizabeth Castagna, an expert on the Alexander Technique, which focuses on self-discovery and finding inner harmony within one’s body. According to the Wellness Center’s website, “The Alexander technique is about self-discovery and feeling good in your body. It’s a process that allows you to coordinate mind and body to re-learn movement, deepening our understanding of how we’re designed to move.” The technique was created by actor F.M. Alexander.
The seminar, which was attended by New Paltz locals, was initiated by Meredith Johnson, the programming coordinator of Wellness Embodied and a graduate from the SUNY New Paltz grad school. She urged the participants to take a minute of meditative relaxation and introduced Castagna to the room. Castagna, who received her qualifications to teach the Alexander technique from Alexander Technique International, stated at the beginning of the seminar, “Everything begins with awareness,” as she had the participants engage in activities such as walking around the room, massaging their heads to relieve tension, balancing peacock feathers on their hands and were urged to focus on parts of their body that seemed off and felt uncomfortable. “With this technique you begin to notice the impact your thoughts have on your
body,” she said. “We begin to recognize habits we have about ourselves.” Castagna said the brain tends to live in the neo cortex, or as it is colloquially called “the fight or flight” part of the brain, and that one should find ways to become more self-aware and resist the nature of this part of the brain. With awareness, one can notice “tensions and habits” in the body. “The first step is awareness,” she said. “Allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling with no judgments.” She delivered a seminar on the Alexander technique last year at the community for Wellness Embodied and has dedicated her life to helping others and spreading the ideals of Alexander. Johnson, as programming coordinator, is in charge of the events going on the community center via Wellness Embodied. The
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community center will be hosting another Wellness Embodied program next month entitled, “Sweetness Without the Sugar.” Along with founder and director Doree Lipson, Johnson is in charge of Wellness Embodied. According to the Wellness Embodied website, the Annex is an arm of the center and provides programming, groups and engagement within the therapeutic realm to further the physical, psychological, spiritual, emotional and overall well-being of our community in the Hudson Valley. The organization offers various workshops based around different aspects of psychotherapy. They offer various workshops at their central location as well as at the New Paltz community center and in the Hudson Valley as a whole. For more information, visit wellnessembodied.com.
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Confronting Climate Change RESEARCHER-CUM-ACTIVIST SPEAKS OUT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE By Briana Bonfiglio Copy Editor | Bonfiglb1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
New York State banned fracking over one year ago but the dangers of fossil fuels continue to infiltrate the state. Biologist, author and climate change activist Sandra Steingraber co-founded New Yorkers Against Fracking, an advocacy group for the statewide ban of fracking, which became successful in June 2015. She was the keynote speaker at the first New York State Sustainability Conference, which was adapted from the SUNY Sustainability Conference and included private colleges beginning this year. Steingraber’s speech, held in Lecture Center Room 100 on Wednesday, Nov. 2, was cosponsored by the Office of Campus Sustainability and the Environmental Task Force. As a former research biologist and cancer survivor, Steingraber has studied the effects of fossil fuels on human health at length. According to Lisa Mitten, Campus Sustainability Coordinator, “[she] is a world-renowned authority on the links between the impacts of petroleum products throughout modern society on human health.” Co-chair of the Environmental Task Force and biology professor, Michael Boms, worked with Mitten to bring Steingraber to campus. “Companies are putting out all these
chemicals for no reason other than to gain a profit,” he said. “She is an outspoken person against that and it’s important.” Addressing students, professors and conference guests, Steingraber delivered a comprehensive overview on how the world views climate change and the surrounding issues, including current proposed pipelines and oil storage projects. The activist named companies that are going forward with such projects, notably Crestwood in Texas which now brings oil to New York State and is joining forces with electric company Con-Edison to create underground fossil fuel storage. According to Steingraber, the infrastructure would infringe on the salt lines of a lake that provides drinking water to 100,000 people. “Maybe you’ve heard of this lake,” Steingraber said. “It’s named Seneca.” She continued by explaining the definitions of sustainability, the chemical impact of fossil fuels and the environmental, health and financial effects of climate change. She also pointed to grassroots movements that have formed to prevent climate change and advocate for sustainable energy sources. “Our state is a battleground between the past and the future. The past has been everything we’ve ever known and involves digging fossils out of the bedrock and lighting them on
fire,” she said. “The future is the vision where we look up instead of down for our energy to wind, solar and water.” Steingraber’s talk arrived at a time when protesters are standing against the Dakota Access pipeline at Standing Rock, North Dakota, which came into the public eye through Facebook posts last week. She likened the protests to local issues, such as the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline that would would run from Albany to Linden, New Jersey. “The eyes of the world are now on the Standing Rock as they stand against the crossing of that pipeline through sacred land,” Steingraber said. “True to the name, they are standing like a rock against that access pipeline.”
She then addressed ways that universities can fight against climate change, such as integrating the topic into course curriculums, divesting from fossil fuels and encouraging more sustainable energy projects on campus. She commended Ithaca College sustainability coordinator Greg Lischke, in the audience, for helping create a solar farm that now provides 10 percent of the institution’s energy where Steingraber currently teaches. Finally, she displayed photos of New Yorkers who have protested proposed oil storage infrastructure and pipelines, including groups of women, doctors and veterans. “These are some examples of the standing rocks of New York,” she said. “There are standing rocks going on all over.”
PHOTO BY BRIANA BONFIGLIO Steingraber’s book “Living Downstream” documents her journey tracing the environmental causes of her bladder cancer and was both published and adapted into a documentary in 2010.
A Spoonful of Journalism
MEDICAL EDITOR DISCUSSES HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS
By Jack O’Brien Managing Editor | Obrienj2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
As a young girl, Holly Atkinson was told by her mother that she could be more than a nurse: she could be a doctor. Now, after an accomplished medical and journalistic career, Atkinson is trying to inspire the next generation to pursue their loftiest goals. On Thursday, Nov. 3, Dr. Holly Atkinson, senior on-air medical correspondent and chief medical editor at HealthiNation, came to campus for a meeting with about 15 students before delivering her lecture entitled, “Health and Human Rights.” The presentation, held in Lecture Center room 100, was part of the annual SUNY New Paltz Distinguished Speaker Series, which has brought two speakers to address the campus community each year since 2008. Pat Sullivan, director of the SUNY
New Paltz Honors Center, introduced Atkinson at both events, acknowledging her status as a well-known media communicator on wellness and describing her as “fascinating in all sorts of areas.” At her pre-lecture discussion with students, most of whom were either media or biology majors, Atkinson discussed how she was able to blend her talents in medicine and journalism into a successful career. She discussed how students should “dream bigger than themselves” and encouraged them to follow their passions. At both events, Atkinson emphasized the power of “just showing up,” her belief that if the audience accepted invitations for events, then they could lead to new opportunities. Continuing on similar themes at her lecture, Atkinson said that she was drawn into journalism due to passion as well as her persistent status as a minority in medical school.
Additionally, she explained how she had been exposed to the school’s ignorance of what we know regard as the social determinants of health. These included African Americans and minorities not having access to healthcare or receiving adequate care from doctors. “Communication is key,” she said. “If we can’t hear people’s stories, then we fail. That’s the power of narrative.” Atkinson talked about how stories and images can move an audience to action, citing photographs that have emerged from the Syrian refugee crisis. In those instances, Atkinson said that it is the responsibility of the journalist to answer the question, “Why should the audience care?” She also addressed the abuses to human rights that affect physical health in the world as well as in the U.S. Atkinson spoke as authority due to her experience as the past president of Physicians for Human
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Rights, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for its “effort to eradicate landmines.” She relayed how communication in the science fields is “desperately missing,” noting that many effectively-conveyed movements, such as the landmine removal effort, have resulted in change that has bettered human life. Atkinson’s final thoughts centered on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1967 speech entitled, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.” The speech served as King’s first explicit remarks on the Vietnam War as well as explained his view of armed conflict. Atkinson concluded with a section where King posed the question of war as a moral issue meant to stir action from his followers: “Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response.”
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A Taste of Asia
APISA DELIVERS NIGHT OF STREET FOOD DELICACIES By Erica Ascher Copy Editor | Aschere1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
A fun and interactive way to learn about different cultures is to try their food. Students of the New Paltz Asian and Pacific Islander Student Alliance (APISA) held Culinary Night on Nov. 1 with the theme of street food. Students gathered in the kitchen of Dubois Hall to try samples of traditional cuisine that can be found in Asian countries. APISA discusses a wide range of topics concerning Asian countries, such as culture, politics, food, language, clothing and social life for Asians and Asian-Americans. Co-President Anny Chen, a fourth-year sociology major with a concentration in human services, was interested in getting more involved on campus when she was a freshman, so she joined APISA. She found the club to be interesting and enjoyed meeting new people to deliberate on cultural issues.
“We recently did an adoptee panel where we had a girl from China and a girl from Korea come to talk about their experiences as people who have been adopted,” Chen said. “Next week we’re having someone do a presentation on Nepal because that’s where she’s born. We try to experience and understand that as outsiders.” For Culinary Night, APISA decides on a theme and what food to make and serve using a poll in their Facebook group for members to vote. They decided on four foods that represented different Asian countries: ddeokbokki, chicken skewers, veggie summer rolls and turon. Ddeokbokki is a spicy Korean dish that is made with rice cakes, which looks like a thick noodle, with hot pepper flakes and hot pepper paste to give it a fiery kick on your taste buds. Chen considers the chicken skewers to be a Chinese street food because she’s seen it served in places around Chinatown. It’s a familiar taste to
A veggie summer roll: a native street food to Vietnam, made with nappa cabbage, cellophane noodles, cilantro, carrots and red cabbage.
people who’ve bought chicken teriyaki at a food court or at a Chinese restaurant. A table was laid out with the ingredients for the veggie summer rolls, a vegetarian Vietnamese dish, for people to make their own. You start out by soaking a piece of rice paper in water until it’s soggy, then you place cellophane noodles, napa cabbage, carrots, lettuce and cilantro and roll it up like a burrito. Last on the menu was turon, a Filipino-inspired dessert of fried plantains rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Co-President Vivian Chow, a fourth-year double major in organizational communications and digital media management and programming, enjoyed Culinary Night because of the coming together experience. “There were people that joined the event that do not usually come to our meetings, but I was glad to see new faces of our campus come together to learn about the different cultures and
cuisines,” Chow said. Amanda Maldonado, a student going for her masters in professional studies for the humanistic multicultural education program, heard about the event through Chen. She said her favorite dish was the turon. “The fried plantains were amazing. It was flavorful and so easy to make,” Maldonado said. “I hope to try making the ddeokbokki in the comfort of my own home.” Chen hopes to turn Culinary Night into a similar learning experience like the Multicultural Fair, where there are people representing different countries that you have to listen to and collect enough stamps to exchange for food. “We’re a social cultural club and we’re here to spread awareness, knowledge and education on Asian communities and cultures,” Chen said. “There are a lot of social cultural clubs on campus and if they weren’t here, no one would really know about these issues.”
PHOTOS BY ERICA ASCHER Fried plantains made for the turon dish, native to the Philippines. These are rolled in cinnamon and sugar after they are fried in oil.
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Serving Those Who Served
A Q&A WITH VETERAN’S OFFICE COORDINATOR JASON GILLILAND
SK E D Y COP KOFFD: ESK COOOPY F F:
C KO O O C Doomsday Chocolate Rum Cake!
By Kristen Warfield Editor-In-Chief | Warfielk1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Straight out of a rural New York high school, young Jason Gilliland, like many with cold feet about going to college, joined the military instead. At 19, he served his first deployment in Nicaragua — and within six months of returning, he was deployed to Kosovo at the height of the Serbian and Albanian conflict. Two years after 9/11, Gilliland’s final tour brought him to Iraq, where he served in the invading forces that signaled the start of the Iraq War. But at 26, he had to face an obstacle different from any others he had previously faced: starting college as an adult veteran. With over 19 years of total military experience and training in higher education administration, Gilliland now serves as the coordinator of the SUNY New Paltz Office of Veteran and Military Services to help student veterans achieve their goals and assimilate into university life. The office provides assistance to over 330 student veterans, active service members and their dependents through events, academic advising, work study programs, and above all, a great sense of comradery. The Office of Veteran and Military Services opened two years ago, with you at the helm, and within that time the campus has earned national recognition for being military friendly. What impacts have the office made on the students involved? We’ve had students choose New Paltz over private schools they’ve had scholarships to because the word of mouth about the veteran experience here was of more value than knowing that they simply have their tuition paid for. The students know we care and understand what they could be going through, some of which are very tough and trying situations. I had one student whose friend was killed right next to him while serving in Iraq and the anniversary of his friend’s death every year was just a very hard day for him to deal with. It didn’t seem to matter where he was or what he was doing, when that day came he had a tough time coping. Many veterans start their college careers as adults, as you did. What was that like? Being 10 years older than kids I was sitting next to was very hard to relate. Sometimes their biggest concerns in life are which shoes to wear that day or the struggle they had to get out of bed to make
The New Paltz Oracle
By Kristen Warfield Warfielk1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
One of the members of The Oracle shares their culinary chops with you. Bon appetit!
PHOTO BY KRISTEN WARFIELD After serving three tours in the U.S. Military, Gilliland now helps student veterans on campus.
it to class five minutes late. I had a couple of friends, but at the time there wasn’t any kind of veterans office to keep all of us veterans together — this was all before veteran affairs offices got popular. I would go to class, do my thing and go home for the day. I kept my mind on graduation. You traveled over 3,000 miles away from home to Nicaragua for your first deployment. How did that make you feel? Coming from a very rural farming background, I had never even heard of Nicaragua, so I felt really excited by the novelty of it all — going to this exotic place in the jungle. It was a humanitarian effort after Hurricane Mitch devastated Central and South America. The country was beautiful and the amount of gratitude the locals had for us being there was nice. It made me feel like going out and helping people was what I joined the military for. But the reality set in very soon. Entire villages were covered in landslides and complete roadways and bridges were leveled, which was very sad. That part of it was tough, but I think some was overshadowed by the good feelings I got when we were helping out the locals. Any particular people you encountered there that stuck with you? There was a stadium that was not far from the base that we were staying in and we were allowed to go there for some downtime. This 10-year-old kid lived underneath the bleachers, and made his living shining shoes. We had to wear boots as part of our uniforms. So when he saw hundreds of our guys coming, he made out like a bandit! This kid would sit there, at 10
years old, smoking a cigarette and shining people’s shoes. And that was his routine. I’ll remember him for the rest of my life. In March of 2003 you were deployed to Iraq and spent 12 months there. How did the military experience change post-9/11? Once major units started getting into Afghanistan, a lot of guys would not come back. If they did, many would return maimed, with missing legs or arms. When you’re in a peacetime environment, you focus on training and at moments you might actually start to feel bored. But after 9/11, the tempo of everything changed. Friends were not coming back, and when you went, you didn’t know if you’re going to come back either. I’ve lost a lot of friends over the years, either to Iraq or Afghanistan. I’ve also lost some that did come back but mentally are just not there anymore and struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injuries. After a while, you almost get desensitized from it. You see it so much that it just becomes the norm. What influence has the military had on who you are today? The military gave me a sense of purpose that I never had—a sense of belonging of something that was much bigger than myself. I was not on a good path in high school. It took me four schools to graduate and I had been arrested once before joining the military. I was headed for some very bad and dark roads. The military changed me as an individual. It provided me with a path, a way to grow and taught me to be a positive influence and somebody that my father could be proud of. I’m thankful.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
If there are two things America needs after the stress of this election, it’s chocolate and alcohol. Luckily, you don’t have to choose one over the other because I’ve got a delicious recipe that combines the two seamlessly. Turn off CNN, pour yourself a glass and try to unwind with this tasty treat before it’s too late. Ingredients: One (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix One (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix Four eggs 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup white rum 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup butter 1 cup white sugar 1/4 cup white rum, measured separately 1/4 cup water Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease one 10-inch Bundt pan. Place chopped nuts in the bottom of the Bundt pan. With an electric mixer beat cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, 1/2 cup of the water and 1/2 cup of the rum on high speed for two minutes. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan over the top of the chopped nuts. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes. To make rum glaze: In a saucepan combine the butter or margarine, sugar, 1/4 cup of the rum and 1/4 cup of the water. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for two minutes. Pour immediately over still warm cake. There you have it: the perfect blend of two of the world’s most favorite things. Just don’t forget to turn off the oven afterwards, or the world might burst into flames. Actually, that might happen anyway. In that case, enjoy the cake while you still can.
oracle.newpaltz.edu 7B
The New Paltz Oracle
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT No Questions Asked
STUDENT ARTIST EXPLORES THEMES OF PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE By Sam Manzella
A&E Editor | Manzells1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
It’s a quiet, sunny morning on Tuesday, Oct. 25. My morning coffee in hand, I scroll through my Facebook feed and stumble upon a post from my friend Connor Henderson, a fourth-year photography and art education major. Henderson posted about his recent project, an art installation featuring an assortment of zoomed-in portraits displayed prominently outside of SUNY New Paltz’s Humanities classroom building. The kicker? None of Henderson’s subjects knew they were being photographed, nor did they know that their visages would later become part of the photography student’s most controversial project to date. The project was part of an assignment for Henderson’s Photobooks and Illustration class, the artist said. As a multi-platform artist who approaches his work from a “critical feminist lens,” Henderson loves to make people question the things they take for granted through his art. “In creating this piece, I was definitely trying to do exactly that,” Henderson said. “We all had to create installations involving the ideas of ‘public v.s. private’ and ‘surveillance,’ so the project itself was for a class, [but] the idea for the project and the concept behind it came from me.” About a week prior to the installation, Henderson took “hundreds of photos” of students, faculty and other campus community members walking through the academic quad. Around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, Henderson assembled the installation outside Humanities. He didn’t try to be discreet, he said. After all, the location is a highly public space outside the campus’s main academic building. Regardless, Henderson didn’t attract much attention during the setup process. “Not one person asked me what I was doing,” he said. Henderson didn’t obtain permission from any administrators or facilities staff to set up his installation. Prior to the assignment’s due date, the artist told his professor about the project, and the professor saw no issue with his plan. However, soon after Henderson and his classmates installed their artworks, university police
alerted the class and the professor that special permissions are required to install art installations on campus. It’s something Henderson, his classmates and his professor plan to take into consideration for next time, he said. Like many of us, Henderson wondered if “we truly have any privacy” in today’s hypersurveilled world. Omnipresent security cameras, traffic light cameras and even cell phone cameras constantly capture still images and video footage of public spaces. It’s an uncomfortable and slightly Orwellian concept, sure, but Henderson believes it’s our reality. “I feel like most people just don’t really realize how much surveillance we have in our society,” he admitted. “We really are always being watched.” Dr. Rachel Somerstein, a visual culture scholar and assistant professor of journalism at SUNY New Paltz, explores similar themes of privacy and surveillance in her digital media and journalism course called Picture Culture. According to Somerstein, surveillance is a deeply ingrained part of our societal order. The 18th-century concept of the panopticon encapsulates this idea. Popularized by French theorist Michel Foucault, the panopticon in a figurative sense is a simple concept. “We’re all always being watched all the time, and we’re also always doing the watching,” Somerstein explained. In a more literal sense, the panopticon is an architectural design with a central tower for authorities or people in power. The concept is the same, Somerstein said: authorities could watch anyone in the structure’s vicinity, but people being watched couldn’t tell when they were under scrutiny. It’s a method for control, Somerstein explained. “There’s the potential that you’re always being watched,” she said. “You aren’t always being watched, but you might be being watched. And that’s what’s supposed to encourage ‘good behavior.’” How does the panopticon hold up in the digital age? For one thing, the architectural panopticon is still a standard model for building design in some institutions, such as hospitals, prisons or schools. Meanwhile, Somerstein believes we’ve all internalized the concept of the
HENDERSON’S INSTALLATION PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEANNETTE LAPOINTE
panopticon, whether we realize it or not. The fear of being watched keeps us in line, reinforcing order and law in our society. “It’s why we don’t run a red light, even in the middle of the night when there’s nobody on the road,” Somerstein said. Like Henderson, Somerstein believes the core concept of a “surveillance society” is very much alive. After all, it’s nearly impossible to “disappear” from the public eye in a world filled with millions of iPhone snapshots and countless hours of security footage. Like the underlings stationed beneath a tower in an 18thcentury panopticon, we just don’t always know if, how or when our actions are being watched or documented. Bearing the panopticon in mind, it isn’t surprising that Henderson’s art installation elicited such a visceral reaction from spectators: the artist received multiple reports of subjects featured in the installation ripping down the photos and destroying the collective installation, he said. “I assumed that people would probably be a bit shocked, confused and possibly curious,” Henderson said. “I honestly didn’t anticipate any type of reaction near the volume that I received. [It’s] really awesome, in my opinion, to have so many people talking about a piece of
Thursday, November 10, 2016
art I created.” Despite his surprise at the intensity of the campus community’s reaction to his project, Henderson wasn’t at all upset by the response. He even received some angry messages from fellow students. Some people were “quick to jump to conclusions,” he said, especially since nothing he did as an artist breached any sort of privacy laws. “There are actually very specific laws that protect photographers and artists and state that you can photograph anyone you want in public spaces, whether they want their photo taken or not,” he noted. In fact, according to Somerstein, Henderson’s project is hardly unmarked territory: photographers who, like Henderson, documented people in public spaces have faced similar backlash from the people featured in their artwork. “Each time [these cases were brought to court], the rulings were found in the photographer’s favor for the reason that you can take pictures in the United States of people in public space without asking,” Somerstein said. “It’s legally OK, [but] I think that it’s very provocative. It speaks to the fact ... that there’s something more than a picture taken when you have your picture taken.”
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Arts & Entertainment
The New Paltz Oracle
My Top 10: Loved/Hated Composers By Erica Ascher
Copy Editor | Aschere1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
I’ve been surrounded by music and playing the flute my whole life. Throughout the years, I’ve played in ensembles throughout Long Island and around the Hudson Valley area, including the Nassau Suffolk Performing Arts Concert Band and the SUNY Ulster Wind Ensemble. There are some pieces of music that I absolutely love, but felt that the composer had no idea how to write for the flutes. The list could be longer than just 10, but here are my top composers that I love, but despise. 10. Václav Nelhybel Originally born in Polanka, Czechoslovakia, Nelhybel composes monstrous and magnificent works that leave you breathless – literally, because he gives you barely any moments to breathe. The entirety of “Trittico” is difficult to play and was composed in octaves that no instrument should play in. 9. Samuel R. Hazo An American composer, but every single one of his compositions sounds the same. Don’t get me wrong, I love his modern works that sound
pretty, but change time signatures every 10 measures. Listen to “Ride,” then listen to “Rush” and finally listen to “Enchanted Spaces.” They all sound the same. 8. Eric Whitacre In my opinion, Whitacre is the master of harmonization. He creates harmonies in keys that I would never imagine and they all sound beautiful. Although they may sound pretty, take one look at the music and you’ll be nauseous. “Equus” is the epitome of a Whitacre creation that’s fun to listen to, but is nearly impossible to play. 7. Gustav Holst Mostly famous for his composition, “The Planets,” I believe he has more impressive works, such as “First Suite in Eb.” However, I will never forget when I performed a marching band version of “Mars: The Bringer of War” from “The Planets” in my junior year of high school. We had to march in a 5/4 time signature, which was difficult. 6. Percy Grainger Born in Australia, but spent his life in upstate New York, Grainger specializes in folk songs. Similar to Nelhybel, Grainger likes to
write in octaves that flutes should never play in. You can hear the horrifyingly out-of-tune playing in beautiful pieces such as “Children’s March” and “Lincolnshire Posy.” 5. Ralph Vaughan Williams I learned that people only refer to him as Vaughan Williams and leave off his first name. I also have nothing bad to say about his work because I love it all. I always get excited when my conductor wants to rehearse “English Folk Song Suite.” I can’t wait for the day when I get to perform “Fantasia on Greensleeves,” which is practically a flute solo. 4. Mark Camphouse I consider Camphouse to be the modern day Beethoven because he writes powerful, emotional music. His pieces have very dark, sensitive meanings behind them, such as “Watchman, Tell Us Of The Night,” which is a tribute to the survivors of child abuse. You have to put your heart and soul into his music to truly play it. 3. James Swearingen This is the only composer’s music you will ever play in middle school. He does not compose anything harder than a level four New York State
School Music Association (NYSSMA) piece. I think the last piece I performed was “Flight of Valor,” in my freshman year of college, which was painful to play. 2. Alfred Reed Another one of those composers who writes big, incredible pieces of music, but doesn’t give the flutes time to breathe. I remember seeing the Hofstra University Symphonic Band perform “Russian Christmas Music” when I was a freshman in high school and I told myself that I couldn’t die before playing that piece. Thankfully, Dr. Joël Evans, conductor of the SUNY New Paltz Symphonic Band, had us play it for our 2015 winter concert and I loved every minute of it. 1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart I will never forgive Mozart for his compositions that always cadence and sound like he’s about to end the phrase, but no, it continues. I played “Mozart’s Concerto for Flute in G Major” for NYSSMA in my freshman year of high school and I remember telling my flute teacher that certain sections of the piece sounded like they should have ended, but they didn’t.
Seymour Plays Goodbye Show
By Jess Napp
Copy Editor | Nappj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
During his 50th birthday celebration concert at Madison Square Garden, David Bowie said, “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” It’s a tried and true mantra of artists that change is good. Unfortunately, for fans, this can mean the end of an era, but Bowie’s persona of the Thin White Duke replaced Ziggy Stardust and the album “Blackstar” debuted last year, so our beloved artists always provide. On Nov. 4, local indie rock band Seymour played their final show at Snug Harbor (Snugs) relaying a similar message to Bowie. After years of jamming together at basement shows, bars and campus events, the band is calling it quits, for now. “We are taking different directions in life right now and taking some time to pursue our own interests and careers,” co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and bassist Steve Geary said. “This isn’t necessarily the end for Seymour, we’ll just have to wait
and see what the next step is.” According to Geary, he started the band with vocalist, guitarist and bassist Avery Maracek approximately four years ago. The original line-up featured Maracek on drums and singer-songwriter Alex Figura. That band broke up, leaving just Geary and Maracek before they recruited lead guitarist John Morrison and drummer Brandon Bera both of The Other Brothers band. Maracek can recall countless favorite Seymour memories including performing at a gig five hours away and not returning to New Paltz until 7 a.m. the next day. Yet, a particular highlight remained recording their self-titled nine-track album “Seymour.” “Recording the album ourselves was a lot of work, but definitely something that I’ll always remember,” Maracek said. The all SUNY New Paltz alumni group’s name derives from their song “Seymour,” which happens to be the first song on their album. Therefore, at 12:30 a.m. on Friday it seemed fitting that the band opened with their namesake song.
“So syrup sweet it tasted bitter / Don’t act like he’s the only one / Now Seymour’s with the babysitter / Surveying all the damage done.” The opening lines and vibrant guitar chords erupted throughout the space previously occupied by intermittent Seymour sound checks. A belligerently drunk man shouted, “Play something already!” and as if that was their cue, the band began. A range of Snugs’ characters started wildly dancing like they were witnessing the first rainstorm after a drought. Among the crowd stood recent SUNY New Paltz graduate Joe Zwikelmaier, who attended many previous Seymour shows. Zwikelmaier’s favorite Seymour track happens to be the band’s namesake tune. “Not many bands can pull off a selftitled song, except Seymour,” Zwikelmaier said. “Long live Seymour.” Midday host on Radio Woodstock 100.1 MK Burnell also showed up for the group’s farewell concert. Burnell runs an original music show called “Locally Grown with MK” and Seymour was one of
Thursday, November 10, 2016
the first bands to submit music to her program. She played their song “Calamine” on her first broadcast and hosted them for an in-studio set last May. “That’s when I was really blown away by them, when I saw them play together in person,” Burnell said. During their last set at Snugs the band performed originals like: “Seymour,” “Collar,” “No Talkin,” “Hypocrite,” “Calamine,” “Bleeding Heart,” “Mr. Odomus,” “Tethered,” “The Wolf,” “Fireworks,” “Cornfield” and covers such as “Soma” by The Strokes and Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes.” The night ended with ear shattering applause and demands for an encore causing Macarek to remark that they already played all of their songs. “I don’t think any of us would hesitate to do a reunion show, but at the moment we each have other priorities,” Macarek said. Fans can check out Morrison and Bera’s band The Other Brothers on their Facebook page and Macarek’s new solo project called Schamve also on Facebook.
The New Paltz Oracle
Arts & Entertainment
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Ben There, Done That
9B
SINGER, SONGWRITER AND CARTOONIST TALKS TO THE ORACLE By Melissa Kramer
Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
He left Melbourne, Australia with just a suitcase and now travels the globe, drawing. Ben Montero, 39, wears many hats, among them being an artist, songwriter and pop singer. “It sounds corny, but expressing myself and connecting with other people,” said Montero, on what he enjoys the most about making art and music. “It’s a way to deal with each day and it’s a way to make yourself and others not feel so alone.” Within the past year, Montero has been living in Greece, with stops in Poland, Spain and Morocco. Currently, he can be found in New Orleans, with hopes of returning to New York in the near future. For as long as Montero can remember, he has created cartoons, sometimes with stories behind them. But in the past few years, it has taken the spotlight as the major focus in his life. Originally, sketching cartoons for himself, Montero was asked for drawings and artwork, which blossomed into a full-time opportunity. Drawing comics to entertain his various bandmates led to making posters for shows and doing album artwork, to designing T-shirts for various bands. Among the album artwork in his repertoire includes Australian psychedelic rock band Pond’s 2015 album, “Man It Feels Like Space Again,” a tribute to Cheap Thrills’ 1968 release “Big Brother and the Holding Company’s” album artwork, made by Robert Crumb, a man who is a significant influence for Montero. “Everything inspires my artwork,” Montero said. “It’s hard to know because I’m just drawing from the well filled with all the junk I love and have collected over the years. A good artist knows how to juggle the junk and is confident to utilize the power that the junk radiates.” Montero has had art exhibitions
CARTOONS BY BEN MONTERO
in his native Melbourne, London and Athens, Greece. The multitalented world traveler said he would have generated more artwork, but sells it all online to be able to keep traveling. Without a website, Instagram and Tumblr are where his colorful and vibrant creations can be viewed for the time being. Whether it be in bars or elsewhere, Montero draws his occasionally relatable cartoons wherever he can find a vaguely-flat surface. “Mostly I treat it as a diary for myself to work through whatever is in my mind at the time,” he said. “It helps to work through loneliness and fears and funny thoughts that pop into my head.” Montero’s other outlet, music, is a critical part of his life. Now, the frontman of his current band, “Montero” he described the sound as “romantic soft rock top 40 gentlemen’s lounge psychedelia” along with “touching on other forgotten areas of past and future top 40’s.” Their first album, “The Loving Gaze” debuted in 2013. Last month was a historic time for Montero, who played their first three shows in the United States, with all
dates in the New York City area. In the finale of the Big Apple tour, Montero brought in some new revolving members. MGMT’s James Richardson, Jay Watson of Tame Impala and Pond fame, and Will Berman, teamed up with Montero for a show at Union Temple in Brooklyn on Oct. 29. Montero’s former housemate, Watson, who collaborated with the band on their upcoming album “Performer,” made his Montero debut playing lead guitar. “Mark E. Smith from the Fall said ‘if it’s me and your granny on bongos it’s the Fall,’” Montero said. “That’s pretty much how it rolls for me. Whoever is around. I’d love to keep James [Richardson] and Will [Berman] and Jay, but they’re busy guys. I love those guys.” Also on the radar for the band are more live performances, in which Montero jokingly hopes will lead to a Super Bowl performance. In regards to live shows, Montero said he enjoys them a lot more these days. While younger, performing used to make the journeyman musician very anxious and nervous. “Everything in the world can
Thursday, November 10, 2016
make you anxious, so why let that one particular area be like the rest of the world?” he said. “It should be your own world. Also, I don’t have to carry any instruments or set anything annoying up which is a bonus. I can just sing.” Alternating sketching with commissioned work and juggling it with mailing out jobs that he is usually late with, Montero said he tries to avoid other vices. “I’m still working on the best ways to communicate via drawing, so it’s a developing process that I don’t mind people witnessing,” Montero, who alternates sketching with commissioned work said. “Yeah sometimes there’s stories [within my sketches]. That’s a primal thing to tell stories and it’s a primal thing to want to hear stories! So both the audience and creator can both make a little sense of the cosmic nonsense or be able to laugh at it for a few moments.” As for advice for others paving their creative paths, Montero lacks words. “I forget sayings,” he said. “All those corny sayings are true.”
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Arts & Entertainment
The New Paltz Oracle
Mimlitsch-Gray’s “In/Animate”
ART PROFESSOR EXHIBITS RECENT WORKS AT THE DORSKY Photo and Story By Jackson Shrout
Copy Editor | Shroutj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
This semester, SUNY New Paltz’s Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art has been exhibiting “In/ Animate: Recent Work by Myra Mimlitsch-Gray,” a collection of metallic sculptures by the renowned metalsmith and head of the SUNY New Paltz Metals Program. The pieces adorning the white walls and tables of the bright white exhibition room reject traditional geometric standards, lending an air of surreality to the space as a whole. Much of Mimlitsch-Gray’s work emphasizes liquidity and malleability, what she refers to as the work’s “shifting identity,” evident in the twisting and slicing of sheet metal. “I have, through years, worked my way from exploring the traditions of the field to this place that deviates from that for various reasons,” she said. “[Liquid states and malleability are] part of the way of referring to things changing out from under us, causing us to question where they’re going, where they were.”
The exhibition features numerous different metals, including silver, vermeil, bronze, copper, brass and cast ductile iron. The type of metal Mimlitsch-Gray uses largely driven by what it provides structurally. “Brass is less malleable and more resistant to change than copper, so if you need something to be strong in a certain way, you might choose brass over copper,” she explained. Different metals express different artistic values as well; silver, for example, is more expensive than other metals and exudes a degree of preciousness. For as in tune with the art of metalwork as she is, Mimlitsch-Gray actually grew up thinking she would be a painter. As part of a pre-college art program recommended to her by her high school art teacher, she forayed into metalwork briefly in the form of a two-week jewelry-making course. It stuck with her, she said, “but I didn’t think of it as being so integral to my creative being.” She would return to jewelry-making as a college freshman, having been locked out of her first-choice paint-
ing class. “There was no room in painting, but there was this jewelry class that had a space in it, so I thought, ‘I remember that, I think I’ll try that,’” she said. “And then the hook was set. After that, I just realized that this was it for me.” That hook was the added challenge of working with metal. A clay bowl, Mimlitsch-Gray argued, could be roughly formed by a layman with a basic understanding of a bowl’s shape. Metal, on the other hand, would leave the layman “scratching their head trying to figure out how to proceed.” Unlike highly-moldable clay, metal requires specific tools and processes to be properly sculpted. “It is a very demanding material that I enjoy being able to have a conversation with,” she continued. “Sometimes it’s definitely telling me what to do and then other cases, I get to tell it what to do.” That difficulty comes with it a slim margin for error, as timing is often key. But MimlitschGray uses those errors as learning experiences.
“I’ve reached this point in my career where I know how to do a lot of things,” she said. “But I have set myself up for discomfort and unexpected outcomes as a way to continue to grow. I’m always putting myself into a position of being a student again.” “In/Animate” opened on Aug. 31 and will remain open until Dec. 11. For more information, call 845-257-3844 or contact the museum staff at sdma@newpaltz.edu.
Nintendo Switches It Up
GAMING AND SOFTWARE COMPANY UNVEILS NEW CONSOLE By Matt Apuzzo
Staff Writer | Apuzzom1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Though it was unveiled in October, the Nintendo Switch continues to spark conversation and conjecture among gamers. Planned for a March 2017 release, the console’s selling point is that it can be used as both a portable gaming platform and a home console. Users can switch to portable mode by removing the Switch from its dock and sliding a two-piece controller into either side, allowing for a setup similar to the Wii U’s GamePad. Alternatively, the controller pieces can be held separately and used like the Wii’s WiiMote. At home, the Switch’s screen shuts off and it rests in a dock connected to a TV. The two-piece controllers can slide into a grip that allows them to be used as a traditional controller, or players can use a Pro controller that has a button and stick layout almost identical to an Xbox controller’s. The trailer did not demonstrate whether
the Pro controller can be used in portable mode. Besides demonstrating its hybrid capabilities, the Switch’s reveal trailer showed gameplay footage. The games demonstrated were “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” “NBA 2K17,” “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” and potential new installments in the “Mario Kart,” “Super Mario Bros.” and “Splatoon” franchises. Hard data such as battery life, graphics capabilities, and hardware specifications were not addressed. Though the trailer’s credits claim that the games demonstrated are subject to change, some of those chosen stand out from Nintendo’s usual fare. “Skyrim” and “2K17” appeal to fanbases that Nintendo’s flagship franchises tend to ignore, and “Splatoon,” a Nintendo original, was depicted in the competitive context of stadium E-sports. Additionally, the trailer’s actors portrayed independent young adults or older teenagers, suggesting that the Switch
is targeting a college-age fanbase. The trailer’s inclusion of professional gaming stood out to Connor Gulick, a competitive gamer and fourth-year at SUNY New Paltz majoring in English and psychology. “The direction they want to take the console is more important than the console itself,” said Gulick, who competes with others in the New Paltz Smash Club. “I think they’re looking to include competitive gamers in their demographic. I still don’t think they’re the focus, but I think they’re being considered.” Konrad Osiowy, a fourth-year English major who identifies as a casual gamer, had different concerns about the Switch. “They haven’t had a strong console launch library since the Wii,” Osiowy said about Nintendo. “I want new titles that aren’t just remakes. I don’t want HD remakes.” Osiowy also said that the Switch would likely have to choose between long
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battery life and high-quality graphics when in portable mode. The Switch’s game format was of particular interest to Dennis Vilensky, a fourth-year digital media management major and competitive gamer. “Cartridges are easier to lose and different from other media, and eliminate backwards compatibility,” he said. “If there’s no way to use discs, there’s almost a guarantee of no backwards compatibility.” Ian Handschuh, a third-year accounting major who identifies as neither a casual nor competitive gamer, predicted that the Switch could cause serious industry change. “You have the Switch basically consolidating their handheld into their console. Handhelds will basically have to do what the Switch does, or it’ll just be mobile, cell phone gaming,” Handschuh said. “Handheld gaming, as we know it, is basically going to die with the Switch.”
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Arts & Entertainment
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11B
“School of Rock” on Broadway
PURTELL REVIEWS BROADWAY ADAPTATION OF CLASSIC MOVIE By Rachael Purtell
Copy Editor | Purtellr1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
This past weekend I had the privilege of seeing “School of Rock,” the musical on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre. I want to preface this review with the fact that I have never seen the movie starring Jack Black, allowing me to evaluate the show purely on itself rather than in comparison to the 2003 film. Act 1, Scene 1 opens with the performance of “I’m Too Hot for You,” by No Vacancy and our protagonist Dewey played by Eric Peterson. After showboating on the guitar, Dewey is kicked out of No Vacancy and we next see him in his best friend Ned’s, played by Spencer Moses, apartment where he sings “When I Climb to the Top of Mount Rock.” Right off the bat, the show and the music were fun and sparked an innate desire in me to headbang and play the air guitar … thank God I was in the back row. Next, we meet the students and staff of Horace Green. The stage is set perfectly for the stuffy, strict institution that is about to be flipped on its back by Dewey when he im-
personates Ned to obtain a teaching position that will allow him to pay rent. In Scene 6, Dewey gets the brilliant idea to mold his class into a band in order to compete in Battle of the Bands and get himself back into the rock world. “You’re in the Band” was another fun number and it allowed the audience to see the incredible musical talent the children in the cast would astound us with for the remainder of the show. This musical is not all fun and games, however, in Scene 7 we see how the children act at home with their families. The kids are trophy children with their parents’ sole focus being to mold them into better versions of themselves and it was difficult not to get a little emotional when they sang “If Only You Would Listen.” The show quickly picks back up with band practices in the classroom and the first performance of the band’s first song “In the End of Time” and my personal favorite number of the show, “Stick it to the Man.” Finally, the School of Rock gets to audition for the Battle of the Bands at the end of Act 1, but only after they are forced to lie to the judge about their rare medical condition,
“stickittothemanis.” After the audition, the band is official and we hear the reprise of “Stick it to the Man” as the curtain drops for intermission. When the cast returns to the stage, we have to sit through a few sort of housekeeping scenes showing the dynamics between Dewey and the rest of the faculty at Horace Green, particularly Rosalie, played by Jenn Gambatese. In the next scene, one of the students Tomika, played by Bobbi Mackenzie, finally comes out of her shell and announces that she would like to be the lead singer. After Dewey blows her off and goes back to instructing the rest of the students, Tomika blows the character and the audience away with a performance of “Amazing Grace” that gave me goose bumps. After a near miss with Rosalie when she storms into the classroom unannounced, Dewey convinces her to get a drink with him at a dive bar. Everything about Scene 4 just screams “Broadway,” Rosalie’s number “Where Did the Rock Go?” is so corny that it was impossible to take seriously, but at least we get to see this character open up
after being so rigid for the entire show thus far. In Act 2, Scene 6, Dewey’s illusion is finally shattered in the middle of Parents Night when Ned’s girlfriend Patty (Becky Gulsvig) rushes in and exposes him with Ned at her heels. Dewey’s first instinct is to run back to the apartment and hide, but the children storm his bedroom and convince him to come to Battle of the Bands with the reprise of “If Only You Would Listen.” After Dewey and the students perform “School of Rock” they wait anxiously backstage, greeted by their now proud and supportive parents, to hear whether or not they won the competition and the prize money. Unsurprisingly, they did not see the fruits of their labor, but were called back onstage for another performance of “Stick It to the Man.” When it comes to Broadway performances, I’m definitely loyal to classics like “Phantom of the Opera” and “Chicago,” but the humor and music in “School of Rock” was refreshing and the talent in such young actors and actresses and musicians was overwhelming.
“This House is Not For Sale”
BON JOVI RELEASES NEW ALBUM, WORLD STILL TERRIBLE By Jackson Shrout (with Jack O’Brien)
Copy Editor | Shroutj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
It’s tiring to think about 30 years of Bon Jovi. That’s how long it’s been since their album “Slippery When Wet” brought them to the level of superstardom at which they would plateau creatively. Since then, we’ve seen the band hold steady as both a vestige from the hair rock era and your dad’s friend’s favorite band. But even in the ‘80s, Jon Bon Jovi was no Bruce Springsteen. Both artists wrote blue collar anthems, but where The Boss painted an earthy Americana portrait through grounded storytelling, Bon Jovi resigned to meaningless banalities — “Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear,” or “It’s my life / It’s now or never” — in place of any sort of musical substance. Springsteen was the stuff
of life. Jovi was the stuff of bad movies. Both, as it turns out, sell remarkably well. But after three decades of playing sold-out arenas and swimming in pools of DirecTV money, it would appear Jon Bon Jovi still hasn’t learned anything new. The music may sound different — trading the corny glam rock of the ‘80s for a more radio-friendly Daughtry-esque pop rock influence — but Jovi has done little to prove that he can write more than one song. “This House is Not for Sale” tones down the shades of nostalgia and softens what little edge the band already had. The album opens with its title track, Jovi defiantly exclaiming that he “set each stone” and “hammered each nail” in building his relationship, and that he’s not ready to give up on it; “This house is
not for sale” he sings, striking a perfect balance of simultaneous mawkishness and lifelessness. “Roller Coaster” is another standout dud, with Jovi astutely observing that “Life ain’t a merry go round / It’s a roller coaster.” It’s amazing that no one thought of that before. “Knockout,” meanwhile, harkens back to the “classic” Bon Jovi sound, but if Long Island dads want to reminisce about their peak high school and college years, they already have a catalogue of Bon Jovi music with which to do exactly that. It’s unclear just for whom “This House is Not for Sale” is intended. The ‘80s “Livin’ on a Prayer” camp is noticeably absent from this album, replaced with a self-seriousness that dulls every would-be anthem about love, destiny and working to achieve your dreams. Jon Bon
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Jovi’s lyrics deal almost exclusively in hackneyed clichés, and the instrumentals entrench themselves firmly in formula. “This House is Not for Sale” is a bargain bin album by a bargain bin musician. It’s a cheap fortune cookie of a project: mass-produced nothingness masquerading as a beacon of wisdom and insight. A case could potentially be made that Bon Jovi operated with a modicum of selfawareness in the ‘80s — it’s difficult to imagine anyone writing “You Give Love a Bad Name” sans at least some degree of irony — but not a morsel of that higher thought is to be found on this new album. Jon Bon Jovi didn’t so much “promise me Heaven and put me through Hell” as he did promise me Newark, New Jersey and put me through Newark fucking New Jersey. But that’s what we’ve come to expect from him, isn’t it?
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HIGHLIGHTS Hawk Dollars Now Accepted Through The Bookstore Website!! • Changes to Price Match for the spring semester: we will no longer price match with Chegg. We will continue to price match with Amazon and Barnes & Noble. • Instagram- Follow us on instagram at newpaltzbookstore. This week we just hit 1000 followers! Thanks to everyone of you who follow and stay tuned for ways to win prizes. •
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Are you a student worker for the Bookstore or Food Service on campus? Have you applied to the Jim Fredericks Scholarship? Well if not, you may qualify!!! APPLY NOW! www.newpaltzcas.com/jfs.html A club to support positive body image, self awareness and authenticity. Also a great support to eating disorder recovery! Weekly meetings Monday nights at 6pm in the AWC Conference Room. Drop in, no pressure! Run by Campus Nutritionist, Emily Ferencik. Email:ferencie@newpaltz.edu for more information
www.newpaltzcas.com Thursday, November 10, 2016
Tuesday 1st World Vegan Day
Monday 14th National Pickle Day
Wednesday 2nd International Cuisine Night
Tuesday 15th Thanksgiving Dinner Hasbrouck
Wednesday 3rd Happy National Sandwich Day
Wednesday 16th Art Show - Opening at Hasbrouck
Sunday 6th Don’t forget to treat yourself at The Sweet Shop
Wednesday 17th Check out the Roost for the best sandwiches on campus
Monday 7th Mindfull Mondays
Friday 18th Hasbrouck Trivia at Dinner
Tuesday 8th Open Mic Night Hasbrouck
Saturday 19th Pancake Bar at Lunch
Wednesday 9th Chef Celebration Thursday 10th Salad Toss and Hale and Hearty Soups Open until 10pm Monday - Friday Friday 11th Hasbrouck Trivia at Dinner Saturday 12th Sodexo Stop Hunger Iniative Sunday 13th Special Bagel Bar Brunch at Hasbrouck
Sunday 20th Winter is coming! Warm up with Starbucks Monday 21st - 22nd Order seasonal holiday pies to take home! Available at Nesters! Wednesday 23rd - 28th HAPPY THANKSGIVING Tuesday 29th Soft Serve Ice Cream Wednesday 30th New Orleans Cuisine Hasbrouck
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“We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent.” - J. Robert Oppenheimer After a trying election cycle for voters on both sides of the aisle, businessman Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States on Tuesday. Roll up your sleeves, America, because there’s serious work to be done if we want to preserve the social progress we’ve made over the past century. While Trump has drawn such divisiveness in his campaign rhetoric, we at The New Paltz Oracle urge the American people to continue the fight for the progress that so many before us have made sacrifices for. While we must be confident in checks and balances to some degree, we cannot afford for groundbreaking legislation and policies to be overturned that negatively impact the lives of religious and racial minorities, women, survivors of sexual abuse and the LGBTQIA+ community. Trump needs guidance, and we need to voice our values and concerns with pride and conviction. This all starts with our political involvement as young adults. From our town board to our state senators, every level of government can make an impact in the lives of others. The potential financial and social impact of the decisions made by local, state and Congressional representatives is tremendous. Yet there was the impression that most Millennials didn’t know who they were voting for on the ballot aside from the presidential candidate of their choice. Some did not know who the 19th Congressional winner, John Faso, was, or some thought Zephyr Teachout was the name of a publishing company. Millennials, as well as every other generation of voter, should have spent the time researching down ballot candidates and referendums. That argument is exclusive to New York state alone. Massachusetts had a measure that passed to legalize recreational marijuana, as did California and Nevada; all successful efforts bolstered by a significant amount of Millennials turning out to vote. By contrast, educational referendums, like the failed legislative efforts in Massachusetts concerning charter schools, did not get nearly as much traction or attention and it certainly showed. An attitude like that toward voting is both dangerous and inexcusable. Voters should be responsible for being as educated on the issues as they can be.
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Cartoon by Luke Benicase
This election also proved that Millennials, (ages 18-29), vote alike. As was the case of the Brexit election in June, where young Britons predominantly voted to stay, (75 percent), rather than leave, (25 percent), the European Union, Millennials overwhelmingly voted for Clinton, (55 percent), over Trump, (37 percent). However, Millennials simply do not participate at the same rate, (19 percent), as older generations of voters (69 percent in 2012), which undermines the causes they support. We agree with Hillary Clinton’s assessment in her concession speech: we owe Trump the chance to lead. Trump is no longer spewing outlandish ideas for the sake of getting elected as the oval office will soon be his. Come Jan. 20, his Inauguration Day, we hope that he will show the American people that he is dedicated to the promise he declared during his victory speech early Wednesday morning. “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be President for all of Americans, and this is so important to me,” Trump said to a crowd of
his supporters in New York after the win. “For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country.” We at The Oracle are not scared of Trump. Instead, we fear the vehement hatred and blatant bigotry he and his tactics have elicited from the American people. As this election has unfolded, our country has stood witness to a disregard for the safety, well-being and quality of life of the general American public, both on a national and a local level. These are not matters to be taken lightly, nor are they actions that we as members of this great nation should condone or tolerate. Our diversity is what makes this nation already the greatest country in the world, and we must show our unfaltering support and love toward our fellow American citizens that feel paralyzed with fear over the reality of a Trump presidency. We are Americans, and we still hold and possess the rights afforded to us as citizens
Thursday, November 10, 2016
as valued and valid. Continue to participate in activism for causes you believe in. As Trump noted in his speech to his supporters, now is the time for America to bind the wounds of division. He needs to show effort and determination to unite the entire nation, so that no matter who you may be, you will feel nothing less than safe and secure in the land you call home. It will take a lot of followed-through promises to even gain an ounce of the trust of his non-supporters. Many, many bridges have been burned and it will take an eternity to truly have them built up again. Editorials represent the views of the majority of the editorial board. Columns, op-eds and letters, excluding editorials, are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The New Paltz Oracle, its staff members, the campus and university or the Town or Village of New Paltz.
OPINION
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ANTHONY ORZA COPY EDITOR Mitthaua1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
I know that when people first meet me, they quickly become aware that I am a New York Islanders fan. If I had a penny for every time I heard the phrase “the Islanders suck,” or that they were only good during their dynasty run, I’d probably have enough money to buy typically overpriced Rangers tickets for a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. For those that are unfamiliar with hockey, that team has never advanced past the first round of the playoffs, yet the tickets still cost a fortune. Everyone has their favorite team, or even a team to just hop on the bandwagon with. But there’s something about the Islanders, who haven’t seen a championship since the early ‘80s, that I don’t see with other professional sports teams. There are not many professional teams out there with players so involved with the community as much as the Islanders, or fans taking victory laps around the building after a normal win (it’s even better when they make the playoffs… occasionally). I remember back in 2008, I went to my first hockey game at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale for my friend’s birthday. I remember the run-down scent of the place. That day I bought my first of many hats — which un-
THE
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fortunately barely fits me now, but that’s okay — and watched the goal horn go off five times en route to an Islanders win. After that day, I watched the Islanders on television in an attempt to grasp the concept of hockey. It wasn’t long until I started scraping up whatever money I had on me to buy hockey tickets. Over time, I met many of the welcoming fans, which eventually led me to Section 329. An outsider may view the fans in this section as wild, drunk lunatics who dedicate most of their lives to chanting for the team, but there were people of all ages in this section ready to Rock The Barn. They instantly became a hockey family to me and changed my perspective on the sport. I ended up getting better deals on hockey tickets through them, which allowed me to go to more games. I participated in all-day tailgates that consisted of street hockey, barbecues, talking, or just constantly going in and out of the Marriott hotel next door for warmth during the chilly winters. Sometimes Islanders players or players on the opposing team would walk out of the Marriott before games and you could have a conversation with them, which was more valuable to me than an autograph or a picture. With puck drop being at 7 or 7:30 p.m.,
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we would all grab our tickets and head in for warmups, where we would go down to the rink and hold our signs up or just try to grab the attention of our favorite players. Then, it was game time. We would walk up to our seats and once we were all settled, Tom, the leader of the section, would scream “what time is it!?” and the rest of the section and surrounding ones would scream “GAME TIME,” repeating ourselves three or four times in order to energize the crowd for games. From there, fans would do the “Let’s Go Islanders” chant or sing a variety of songs that even first-time hockey goers in the crowd caught on to. To be told by fans from around the building — and even players — that we sound good up there was truly a rewarding feeling. To experience games without hearing the goal horn is always a tough night to deal with, but it’s never a waste of money, because being around the fans is always a truly wonderful experience. I would accept them losing some games, but to see them have winning seasons now is something truly special as a fan. One of my most memorable wins was in the 2013 playoffs against the Pittsburgh — my first playoff game. I got tickets for $43, which is a steal compared to spending over $100 for a playoff ticket now.
The game was back and forth and tied at four going into the final few minutes. With under two minutes remaining, fans were on the edge because the Penguins had enough time to tie the game. However, Casey Cizikas came up the ice and squeezed the puck in to give the Islanders the win and two goal advantage. The fans in the section actually dogpiled on top of each other. Many probably lost their voices in what was the most relieving goal for any young fan’s under the age of 40. This was the start of a new beginning for the team. Last season, the team made the unfortunate move to Brooklyn to play at the Barclays Center due to contractual reasons, and the commute and the move itself has been more of an inconvenience for many. There’s nothing that can replace the environment of the Coliseum. I hope one day the team can move back there, although it wouldn’t be the same. With all being said, to put all of my experiences as a fan of a historically mediocre team into one article is impossible. As hockey legend Wayne Gretzky once said “you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take,” there’s many shots I took to get involved with a team and a bunch of fans, and I don’t regret any of them.
Anthony is a third-year student double majoring in journalism and public relations. This is his fourth semester on staff. He is also a big fan of the New York Islanders.
STUDENT VOICE “Your opinion loud and clear!”
At age 13, I started high school and entered puberty. I was admitted into a fairly reputable and competitive high school, and the students in that school were of admirable intellectual quality. However, this did not stop a boy, who at the time claimed to be a friend, from one day, reaching under the desk and grabbing my genitalia. I was so shocked by the action, that I didn’t react. This continued to happen until our schedules finally changed. At the time, although I knew in theory his actions were wrong, I didn’t know how to express how I felt to trusted adults. In my South Asian culture, talking about such things was
taboo, and thus resulting in silence for those actions. Fast forward many years later, I would find myself in multiple cases of sexual abuse/ rape, that went silent, for fear that it would ruin my potential career. At 17, unrelated to sexual incidents, I grew tired of my own father hitting me and threatening excessive violence when angry, so I confided in a friend, which resulted in my dad getting into some serious trouble, as I was still a minor. However, in my society, it is a norm to have such control over kids into their adulthood, and thus, at home, I was shamed for standing up for myself. I decided to push it behind and continue
into college, where I would be raped a couple times by different men. One of the last times, it happened, I was lost in a foreign country, with nothing but a phone and key (no I.D., money or passport). It was broad daylight. I didn't drink nor was I intoxicated. The locker room talk that Donald Trump joked about, became my reality. I was in an alleyway and a man saw me, did what he wanted and left me there with a ripped dress. When filing a report in the police station, I was laughed at because I was mistaken as a gypsy/refugee. Those police officers used the same locker room talk that Donald Trump used to make fun of my
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case, and in fact, not make a note of it at all. To my peers, I am a high achiever, everything is perfect in my life and I don’t engage in “risky sexual behavior.” However, there are days in which I find myself searching for my last ounce of confidence and dignity, to feel pride in my body. The election of Trump has proven that these forms of sexual violence are acceptable and that I should expect nothing different to happen with my body. It opens so many painful wounds and reminders that I have tried to suppress for the past few years. Anonymous Alumni SUNY New Paltz
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15 MAKES
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PHOTO BY AUDREY MALEK
The New Paltz Rugby Football Club (NPRFC) allowed a season-low 13 points in their 55-13 win during the Tri-State Conference National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) championship game on Nov. 6.
By Jack O’Brien
Managing Editor | Obrienj2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
For the first time in their history, the New Paltz Rugby Football Club, (NPRFC) are Tri-State Conference champions. The Hawks defeated their crossHudson rivals Vassar College, 55-13 in the Tri-State Conference National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) championship game at Siena College on Sunday, Nov. 6. They previously beat Vassar 44-32 on Sunday, Oct. 16. The Hawks led 22-8 at halftime before extending their lead, incorporating scores from fourth-year flanker James Evan and fourth-year inside center Kevin Menyhart. Vassar added a late score but the Hawks were able to hang on with a disciplined defensive approach that slowed down their opponent’s ability to move down the field. In an interview on “The Opinionated Oracle” radio show on 88.7 WFNP The Edge, fourth-year 8-man Dean DeVitis and fourth-year fly-half Tim Stanson both talked about the confidence the
team had entering their rematch with Vassar. DeVitis commented that they felt the game was theirs “from the moment we walked on the field,” with Stanson saying that “the energy of the game had a different feel.” DeVitis added that one of the best parts of the game occurred after the final whistle, when head coach James Fryer, ‘16, was presented with the championship trophy by Tony Brown, Vassar’s head coach and the conference’s commissioner. Peter Randazzo, a third-year scrumhalf, attributed the team’s success to their stingy defensive play, which held Vassar to a season-low 13 points. Randazzo cited the play of second-year prop Tom Roy and DeVitis as solidifying the Hawks’ defensive strategy which stopped Vassar’s forward attacks and allowed the team to singularly defend the line. “The backs supported this line,” Randazzo said. “As our saying goes, ‘15 makes one.’ I guess it was kind of because of this unison mindset that we were so capable during the game. We
all really wanted it and we all worked together through every play to make it happen. That and Tim [Stanson] didn’t make a bad play call all game.” The championship also marked the return of Ian Gill, a second-year flanker, who had missed the two previous games. Gill reflected on how important the victory was, considering the longstanding rivalry NPRFC has with Vassar, dating back years before he joined the team. “We capitalized on their weaknesses and that showed by the scoreboard,” Gill said. “I had a lot of aggression and motivation built up from having missed those games, and I think that showed in performance. This was the biggest game of our lives, and passion, fearlessness and trust in one other brought us to victory.” The Hawks now move on to playthe New England Conference champion University of Maine-Orono, in the regional round of 16, which will be held at Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday, Nov. 19. If they win, the Hawks will advance to the quarterfinals the next day, with a chance to qualify for the national championship to be played
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next April at Glendale, Colorado. “Every game could be our last from here on out, and if that’s not motivating I don’t know what is,” Gill said. “The veterans have put in so much work to get us here, and I would love to win a national title with those guys.”
What’s Next? • the New Paltz Rugby Football Club (NPRFC) will play the University of Maine-Orono in the regional round of 16 at Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday, NOv. 19 • If NPRFC wins, they will advance to the quarterfinals the next day, with a chance to qualify for the National championship to be played Next April in Glendale, Colorado
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Sports
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New Paltz Takes on NYC Marathon By Melissa Kramer
Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
New Paltz resident Harbert Okuti is always taking strides to improve his time to the finish line. Okuti was one of the many New Paltz alums and residents who took to the streets of Manhattan, running in the 2016 New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 6. The 31-year-old recorded a 20th place finish out of over 51,000 finishers in the 26.2 mile race in 2:21:27—running a 5:24 time per mile. The marathon’s previous largest finisher total was 50,530 runners in 2014. After falling short of a finish in last year’s Marathon due to sciatica—pain going down the leg from the lower back, during Mile 23, and a setback in his first appearance in 2014, Okuti, who ran through the grueling course laced with potholes, graced the finish line with a feeling of euphoria, triumph and fulfillment. “I felt finally have finished New York City, I have crossed the line for the first time,” said Okuti, who has ran in a total of six marathons in three years. “It was very overwhelming. Knowing that I have finished [New York City] for the first time, it’s very much encouraging that next time I can actually finish again and do better, so that’s the goal. That’s what I’m going to keep in mind when training, and hopefully come back and make it happen.” The hopeful second-time member of the Ugandan National team and former Iona College Gael, described his day soaring across the concrete jungle as “very disappointing.” However, Okuti, who spends his mornings running over 20 miles through the rail trails and mountains and at least another 10 in the evening, said seeing the results from all of the effort, time and energy spent is what motivates him. “It’s also just to see how far you can push yourself, and to try to measure your ability as a human being,” he said. “Those kind of things keep your legs rolling. Sometimes you don’t get the result you want and sometimes you do, but whatever the outcome is, you have to embrace it. Though it can be disappointing, that’s the nature of the sport. You embrace it. If it’s very disappointing, you have to accept it and move on for the next one.” Past members of the New Paltz Hawks cross country team also got in on the action. Harry Collins ‘15, a former member of the New Paltz Hawks cross country team from 201011, 2014, under head coach Mike Trunkes, finished his second New York City Marathon with a time of 3:08:48. “The energy in the city is amazing on race day,” Collins said. “What makes the Marathon so
amazing are all of the volunteers, spectators and amazing charities that people run for. It is a day that brings out the best in people.” Along with Collins, former Hawks teammate Dave Lukas, 24, who was a member in ‘10 and 1214, placed 87th overall in his second NYC Marathon at 02:38:02 and the New Paltz runner-up on the scoreboard. Collins credits his time on the team for teaching him discipline and maximum effort. “You have to be disciplined to run a successful 26.2 miles,” he said. “[New Paltz cross country] instilled hard work and the desire to keep running after college. I am still close to my college teammates and it’s always fun seeing one or two of them at a big race like Sunday’s. Cross country was one of the best parts of my four years at New Paltz.” Other SUNY New Paltz alums on the bill included 24-year-olds Maggie Mocete ‘14, and Stephen Dowd ‘13. For others with New Paltz ties like Dowd, the Marathon had them wanting more. “It felt amazing through the first 21 miles before I crashed and burned,” Dowd said. “It was my first time. I did finish, but in a far slower time than I set for my goal. I am happy to have finished but I desperately want to run again to do better.” While trekking through hills on bridges, multiple turns and more during the trying New York City Marathon course, the hardest challenge for Okuti was realizing the race was not going well, and having the willpower to realize the notion and overcome it—even with tired, hurting legs and miles ahead remaining. “Bringing that effort to go through not getting demoralized is a very hard thing to do,” he said. “Dismissing all the pain you have it gets to the point where you cannot ignore that pain. It’s constantly there, it’s almost the hardest thing for you to not acknowledge.” The experienced runner will be spending the next four months in his home country of Uganda, training for the national qualifiers to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March 2017. Until then, Okuti will continue to push himself toward the highest level. “You cannot dismiss bad results, because that’s the product of your effort, what worked for weeks and months!” he said. “To accept that, it’s a step toward making it better, and that you’re willing to do something to change the outcome from worse to better. If you only accept good results and ignore bad ones, then you’re missing something and you’re not going to learn anything from the sport, because everyday is not sunshine when you’re out there competing!”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW MUISE
New Paltz resident Harbert Okuti (right) previously ran five other marathons, including the 2015 Boston Marathon.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA ALLEN
SUNY New Paltz alum Stephen Dowd ‘13 reacts to seeing a sign created by his friends.
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Women’s Volleyball Drops Championship Rematch
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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Matt Misser SPORT: Basketball YEAR: Second MAJOR: Finance HOMETOWN: Smithtown, NY
H OW DID YOU FIRST START PLAYING BASKETBALL? I first started playing basketball when I was about seven years old. My dad played throughout college, and I always loved watching basketball on television and shooting hoops when I was really young, so that was a pretty strong influence on me. I started playing in small leagues with some of my friends, and I have had a passion for the game ever since. OUTSIDE OF PLAYING BASKETBALL, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO? PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA
Hawks third-year libero Veronica Matedero recorded a season-high 30 digs in the team’s SUNYAC Championship match loss against The College at Brockport on Nov. 5.
By Anthony Mitthauer-Orza
Copy Editor | Mitthaua1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
For the second year in a row, the women’s volleyball team was unable to defeat The College at Brockport in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament Championship match, losing with a score of 3-1 (21-25, 19-25, 26-24, 14-25) on Saturday, Nov. 5. This is the fourth year in a row the Hawks participated in the final round of the tournament, which they last won in 2014. They finished their season with a 19-14 record and Brockport clinched an automatic berth into the NCAA Div. III Tournament. Hawks head coach Matt Giufre said that despite the losses in consecutive final appearances, the team managed to stay confident and avoid distraction. “Something that we did a lot better than last year’s finals was that we handled the moment, mentally and emotionally,” he said. “We were very calm and confident going into the match. Brockport had a really great crowd and we didn’t let them distract us. We focused on our gameplan and ourselves and I thought that was a big difference from last year.” Veteran leadership The Hawks saw five fourth-years play their final collegiate games. Outside hitters Morgan Roessler and Anna Paulik, middle hitters Brittany Tyack and Chantal Ramhorst and libero Meg Kinee are among those student-athletes.
The Hawks won one set for the match and it proved to be a close one, as the Hawks won 26-24. Late in the set, Brockport took a 22-21 lead after going on a 6-1 run. The Hawks tied the score at 23 and used senior leadership down the stretch as Roessler and Ramhorst notched several kills to keep the Hawks alive, winning 26-24. “I think [leadership] has something to do with how we played,” Giufre said. “The team this season was a more composed team overall. We’ve had great veteran leadership and that really set the tone for the tournament. One of our leaders said to the team, ‘rather than fight the nervousness, embrace it and let it drive you,’ and I thought that was a great line because the [younger] players used that to their advantage.” Other notable performances came from third-year libero Veronica Matedero and third-year setter Maddie Zwickl. Matedero contributed 30 digs on defense while Zwickl notched a double-double with 35 assists and 16 digs. Because of their performances, Roessler and Zwickl were named to the All-Tournament Team. “[Brockport] is such a balanced team,” Giufre said. “There’s really nothing that I say we could have done differently this year other than sometimes you don’t have your ‘A’ game. It’s through no fault other than being a human being and that’s what it came down to. It’s disappointing to not go out playing your best,
but Brockport had a lot to do with that.” Graduating player impact In her two seasons, Kinee finished with 526 digs, averaging 2.21 digs per set. Roessler finished her four-year career being named team Most Valuable Player (MVP) as a junior, and delivered 1266 career kills and 179 digs. Paulik finished her four-year career with 713 kills and 1356 digs, Ramhorst finished her four-year campaign with 249 kills and 134 digs and Tyack finished with 373 kills and 74 digs in her career. “This team had great character, great work ethic, no drama, great communicators,” Giufre said. “This was one of the best teams we’ve had. I thought our five seniors did a good job of being a role model of what we want our players to be all about. The freshmen assimilated themselves right away and I think it’s because the veterans created an open path for them to do that.” What’s ahead The Hawks will have three fourthyear players on next year’s team and will look to win a third championship under Giufre’s term. “I don’t really look at any season as a rebuilding season, I look at it as we have to retool and reload and compete for another championship,” Giufre said. “It will be with different personnel, so it will be with a different type of system. I expect to have another team full of great players and get them to come together and play as one like any other year.”
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Outside of basketball, I really enjoy other sports, such as football and baseball, but I also love listening to music and traveling, which I plan to really pursue after I finish my time here at New Paltz.
WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST ROLE MODELS? My biggest role models are definitely my parents, for they have always been there for me no matter what and they have inspired me to work hard and to reach for my goals since a very young age. Their hard work, dedication and resilience has definitely rubbed off on me and I strive to make them proud each day.
ARE YOU A FAN OF ANY PROFESSIONAL TEAMS? I’m a big fan of the New York Knicks, New York Giants and New York Yankees. I’m most passionate about the Knicks and Giants, however, because I prefer watching basketball and football over baseball.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPORTS-RELATED SUPERSTITIONS? Some sports-related superstitions I have are that I listen to the same music playlist before every game and I can never leave a gym without making my last shot.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS MEMORY? Being a big Giants fan, and a not so big Patriots fan, my favorite sports related memory is when the Giants upset the undefeated Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl. That will go down as one of the best moments in sports history.
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Recently in MLB, Commissioner Rob Manfred has dealt with domestic abuse charges placed on some of his players. This past season, Aroldis Chapman and Jose Reyes were handed out suspensions for their domestic abuse scandals. Yasiel Puig was also involved in a domestic abuse case last year, but did not face a suspension. On Oct. 31, Jeurys Familia was arrested for his own domestic abuse incident. Ironically, that day last year was when Reyes was arrested for assaulting his significant other. The New York Mets have already resigned Reyes for next season, and it’s very likely that they will hold onto Familia despite his putrid act. As a Mets fan, this sickens me. I understand that Reyes issued an apology to the media and Familia likely will too, before the start of next season, but an apology is not enough. The fact that there have been instances where professional athletes can physically beat their significant others, simply say that they’re sorry and then proceed to keep making millions of dollars is a shame to the game of baseball.
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No Excuses Yes, Chapman and Reyes served 30 and 51 game suspensions, without pay, respectively. I do give Manfred credit that he handles domestic violence cases much better than NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Let us not forget that Goodell wanted to suspend Ray Rice for a measly two games after news broke that the former running back beat his wife in an elevator and then dragged her out of it. That being said, I do not believe that Manfred’s punishments are severe enough. In general, I don’t believe that the issue of domestic violence in sports is taken seriously enough. You’ll hear fellow players, coaches and general managers defending these domestic abusers and still hoping to acquire them for their respective teams. Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said in an interview regarding Chapman that “We don’t know him, he doesn’t know us, and he really doesn’t know the language. My best advice, and for me, too, is to attempt to build a relationship.” Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said of Reyes, “He’s a good kid. But people are going crazy and want to judge him. We’re not perfect. We all make mistakes. That’s no
excuse, but people are judging him without knowing everything.” Yes, we are not perfect and we do make mistakes. But certain things in life are inexcusable, and domestic abuse is one of them. To the extent of our knowledge, in none of these cases were any of these players being physically threatened. If that fact stands to be true, those defending these scumbag players are no less ignorant than the domestic abusers themselves. During broadcasts of games, it is not always brought up as to why a player involved in a domestic abuse scandal was suspended for a certain amount of time. Yet if a player takes performance-enhancing drugs, it is talked about nonstop and they are viewed at as a villain and awful human being. Player such as Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are hated by baseball fans for their steroid scandals, yet we see someone like Chapman, who just recently was a part of the Cubs’ first championship team in 108 years, being celebrated. The fact that substance abuse is taken way more seriously than domestic abuse is a disgrace. These are not players that should be hon-
Thursday, November 10, 2016
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ored or looked up to by younger fans, and MLB is not doing enough to raise more awareness of this issue. Stricter punishments need to be implemented. An example of a possible suitable punishment comes from the NFL. Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson played one game of the 2014 season before being suspended without pay for the remainder of the season. He was ordered to 80 hours of community service as well as attending counseling for beating his then four-year-old son. Goodell may have botched the Rice case, but this scandal was handled much better by the controversial commissioner. I urge a similar punishment to be placed on any player in any sport that commits domestic abuse. There is no way to entirely prevent everyone from physically harming their significant other. There are always going to be terrible people doing terrible things. But at the very least, those who are involved in a domestic abuse scandal should not be celebrated and should have to endure a very strict punishment, regardless of their athletic talent.
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