9/30/22 Maroon-News

The Colgate Maroon-News

The

College

nsIde:

in America

University Celebrates 2022 Homecoming Weekend

By Emma BoultinghousE Staff Writer

Alumni, family and friends returned to campus last weekend to attend a vari ety of Homecoming festivities — includ ing tailgates, film screenings and concerts — and spend time with students and fac ulty members.

The weekend kicked off at the Colgate Inn with the Lampert Scholars’ Presenta tions Forum, during which students par ticipating in the Lampert Institute of Civ ic and Global Affairs presented their work and summer projects.

Senior Sophie Hart reflected on her summer working on Capitol Hill as a leg islative intern for Congresswoman Caro lyn Maloney. Hart focused on the impact of technological development on the me dia and how this shift relates to American political polarization. She commented on the rewarding experience of overcoming nerves to present her summer work.

“It was intimidating to get up in front of the crowd and present my research and summer internship, but it was definitely worth the nerves because it felt so reward ing to articulate my interests and hard work to the other members of Lampert and to the greater Colgate community,”

Hart said.

Hart also explained the challenge of presenting her findings in such a short amount of time.

“I think that the presentations went really well for everyone,” Hart said. “Af terwards, [the Lampert Scholars] agreed that it was a great challenge to have to articulate our summer experiences and re search in five minutes. While it was really

challenging, it is a really important skill to practice to identify what is relevant and worth sharing [...] in an encompassing and engaging way.”

The University sponsored numerous other events on Friday night, including the Harlem Renaissance Center (HRC) 40th Anniversary Reception and Dinner hosted in the Edge Cafe at the Bryan Complex.

As described on the Colgate website, the Harlem Renaissance Center is “a living and learning center for sophomores inter ested in African and African American his tory and culture.”

Established 40 years ago, the HRC was brought to campus in order to give stu dents an inclusive atmosphere and teach them about Pan-African heritage and cul ture. The reception was open to all stu dents and alumni.

On Saturday, after a lively tailgate, the football team went up against Holy Cross at Andy Kerr Stadium, losing 10-35.

Throughout the tailgate and game, fans had the opportunity to buy from a bake sale for the Leukemia and Lymphoma So ciety (LLS) that was put on by members of Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG). Senior Sarah Finton said the bake sale was a huge success.

“September is blood cancer awareness month and KKG wanted to raise aware ness and money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS),” Finton said. “We thought homecoming would be a great opportunity to spread the word and bring the community together and we were so amazed at all of the generous sup port from both Colgate and Holy Cross fans. We are proud and grateful to say that we raised $1,515 to donate to the LLS.”

On Saturday night, Echosmith — a sibling band most known for their 2013 hit “Cool Kids” — performed in the Hall of Presidents. The event was spon sored by the Student Activities Commit tee, Delta Delta Delta, Gamma Phi Beta and Kappa Kappa Gamma. Junior Han nah Rogan, Vice President of Organiza tion for Kappa Kappa Gamma, thought the event went well.

“Having an inter-sorority sponsorship for the homecoming concert was a great way to collaborate with different orga nizations and bring together the greater Colgate community,” Rogan said. “The concert was a huge success and Kappa was honored to contribute to such an awesome event.”

Despite the wide variety of fun events and celebrations that occurred, the uni versity’s COVID-19 guidelines for visi tors were still in effect. All guests had to be fully vaccinated in order to attend, barring religious or medical exemption. Those who are unvaccinated were required to wear masks.

Even with the looming thought of CO VID-19, alumni still had an enjoyable weekend full of nostalgia. Alumna Spen cer Seaman ‘22 said she was very happy to return.

“It was so great to be back on campus,” Seaman said. “I loved seeing so many fa miliar faces that I haven’t seen since gradu ation. It really reminded me of what a great and friendly place Colgate is. The campus events were great and seemed to be a success.”

Contact Emma Boultinghouse at eboultinghouse@colgate.edu.

HEDS Posts Survey Data

By annaBEl morris Executive Editor

In an email from Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Renee Madison and President Brian Casey, results from the Higher Education Data Survey Consor tium (HEDS) Climate Survey, completed in fall 2021, were released to the Colgate community on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 27. The email provided a comprehen sive analysis of the data after student and faculty groups, along with the Office of Eq uity and Diversity discussed and reviewed the results.

One of the major findings of the survey data was that on Colgate’s campus, those who identify as LGBTQ+, international students, women, or BIPOC often experi ence less support from the community than others. 66 percent of respondents claimed they felt satisfied with the overall climate on campus, but these numbers dropped when respondents were asked about the climate in regard to diversity and inclusion.

One statistic from the survey showed that only 31.5 percent of BIPOC faculty mem bers and 45.3 percent of BIPOC students felt satisfied with their sense of belonging on Colgate’s campus. Additionally, 100 percent of non-binary identifying faculty members claimed to have been discriminated against by a member of the community.

The report found that “the findings reinforce the need for a systematic institu tional effort to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion if all Colgate com munity members are to experience the same positive experiences that are enjoyed by those who belong to the majority of many social identity groups.”Recognizing the need for broad and institutional change, Madison and Casey urged the community to “continue to vigorously pursue the steps outlined in Colgate’s DEI Plan.” To achieve these goals, Madison and Casey outlined steps for students, staff and faculty to move toward a more inclusive campus environment including increased transparency in administrative appoint ments and greater representation in Greek letter organizations.

Contact Annabel Morris at agmorris@colgate.edu.

HEDS DIVERSITY & EQUITY CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

HAPPY HOMECOMING: Alumni returned to campus for this year’s homecoming weekend which featured sporting events, lectures and receptions hosted by various campus organizations.

The Pen is Equal to the Pipette B - 2

BAKER’S DOZEN Comedy Gold D - 1

SPORTS Men’s Hockey Preview S - 1

Colgate University Flickr

“ The findings reinforce the need for a systematic institutional effort to address issues of DEI if all Colgate community members are to experience the same positive experiences...

By alySha Mendez Contributing Writer

In a conversation hosted by the ALANA Cultural Center titled “No Human Being Is Illegal,” Assistant Professor of Spanish Osvaldo SandovalLeon spoke to members of the

Colgate community on Sept. 21 about the obstacles that an “illegal” person must endure to access opportunities that would be otherwise easily obtainable.

Sandoval-Leon came to the U.S. as a child when his family left Mexico City and immigrated 22 years ago.

NewS

ALANA Hosts ‘No Human Being is Illegal’ Q&A

“My parents were forced to migrate to Southern California in Orange County, where we found an important existing Latin American community there and had a cultural shock,” he said. “Personally, I had a really hard time adapting the first year, mainly because I didn’t want to come here — I was forced to come. I was ready to go back to Mexico by then, but little by little, I found my purpose here.”

Sandoval-Leon shared that moving to attend Michigan State University presented another challenging transition.

“In Southern California, you can feel a large Latino community there; you don’t feel that everywhere,” Sandoval-Leon said. “When I went to Michigan, going to a different community with many whites brought more awareness of the obstacles.”

Sandoval-Leon doesn’t consider himself an activist but has and will continue to dedicate his time to participating in activist work. He hopes to educate the student body on the disconnect minorities may experience in predominantly white environments.

“I don’t see myself doing that much of an active role, but I try to be an activist when I can,” Sandoval-Leon said. “I dedicated a lot of time in the past [to] doing activist work.”

After discussing his personal experiences, Sandoval-Leon opened the floor up for a Q&A moderated by sophomore Fredy Alvarado-Retana and junior Lara Shqair.

“I was driven to host the ‘No Human Being is Illegal’ conversation with Professor Leon because it is a topic that needs more awareness and discourse around campus,” Shqair said. “It is so crucial to share experiences as children of immigrants so students understand the stories, challenges, mental health barriers and even traumas that so many immigrants face.”

Among the attendees of the Q&A event, Spanish Lecturer Wendy Llorente shared her perspective on the experiences many have grown to endure.

Through a different lens, she shared a few thoughts on the topic during the Q&A, highlighting her personal experiences in Hamilton.

Llorente also spoke of how people’s environments have proven to be one defining factor of prejudices minorities face.

“This type of perception could only be seen according to the spaces in which we find ourselves, because if we are in a city where there is diversity perhaps those of us who are of color go unnoticed,” Llorente said. “However, in a space where there is a dominance of the white race, this space will create doubts about our identity.”

Events like these held by ALANA Cultural Center highlight obstacles minority students face and the determination they possess to face such obstacles. ALANA is open and available to all students, faculty and staff. Information on upcoming events held by ALANA can be found on the Colgate University activities calendar.

Contact Alysha Mendez at aamendez@colgate.edu.

SGA Holds Elections as Positions Remain Unfilled

By Sophie KarBStein Contributing Writer

Colgate University’s Student Government Association (SGA) has hosted its annual elections for various open positions across class years with 10 seats unfilled in the Senate.

The SGA Senate has 10 seats available per class year, giving the full Senate chamber 40 seats overall. This year, the first-year and sophomore class es filled all 20 of their seats, while the junior and senior classes had only 10 senators between them, producing a to tal of only 30 senators for the 2022-23 academic year.

While having less than a full set of senators was not ideal, its negative impact on the SGA was ultimately minimal, according to senior and Student Body President, Shane Knopp.

“Not having a full Senate does not have a huge impact on SGA operations beyond mak ing Faculty Governance Board assignments slightly harder and inevitably decreasing represen tation in policy and legislation votes,” Knopp said.

Knopp stressed that this year’s incomplete chamber was actually part of a multi-year trend and therefore predictable.

“Since we’ve been at Colgate, the upper-level Senate seats

have never been fully filled, so we expected to have about 30 Senators this year,” Knopp said.

As for the disparity between the number of underclassmen senators and upperclassmen senators, Knopp believes that it is due to the elevated nature of the academic, extracurricu lar and professional commit ments of upperclassmen.

“Juniors and seniors are more focused on career explo ration and their academic obli gations, which lead to schedule and workload conflicts with senior seminars, theses, and more,” Knopp said.

Junior Elina Sen-Ghosh, a senator for the Class of 2024, agreed with Knopp’s perspective.

“As you get older, you get busier,” Sen-Ghosh said. “I know many upperclassmen who were on Senate last year that decided not to run this year to prioritize their academ ic classes and commitments.”

Applying to the Senate re quires collecting a petition of 35 signatures, only 15 of which can come from the candidate’s own residence building. Sena tors are then elected by the student body of the candidate’s class year. Sen-Ghosh found the requirements uncomplicated.

“My experience running was relatively seamless,” Sen-Ghosh said. “Writing a ballot statement

was not very time-consuming […] I found collecting those 35 signatures manageable.”

The application process for the Cabinet is different from that of the Senate. Cabinet members are appointed by the SGA presi dent and vice president instead of being elected by their class student body. Applying to the Cabinet required submitting a 200-word personal statement as well as a resume.

According to SGA Vice President Parna Shakouri, some Cabinet positions were quite competitive in regard to their number of applicants.

“We were excited to receive about 40 applications in the first Cabinet cycle, with up to seven for some positions includ ing the Accessibility Advocate,” Shakouri said.

However, as Knopp and Shakouri wrote in an email to the student body on Sept. 11, they ultimately “decided to extend the deadline to apply for two remaining [Cabinet] positions: Chief of Staff and LGBTQ+ Life Coordinator.” Knopp and Shakouri wrote that all other positions had been filled.

According to the email, the Chief of Staff is a position that has a role in both the Cabinet and on SGA Executive Leader ship alongside the President,

Vice President, Liaison, Trea surer, Parliamentarian, and Speaker of the Senate. Due to its importance to the success of the SGA, Shakouri wanted to reopen the Chief of Staff ap plication in an effort to attract more competitive applicants.

The position of LGBTQ+ Life Coordinator was new this year and had failed to receive any applications in the normal round of the application pro cess. Nevertheless, SGA leader ship viewed it as an important position to be filled.

“We wanted to be sure to recruit someone who would be passionate and intentional in the pilot year of this new posi tion,” Shakouri said.

Shakouri confirmed that the two positions collectively received 12 applications in the second round, allowing her and Knopp to finalize the 2022-23 Cabinet in a satisfac tory manner.

Sen-Ghosh also offered up an idea about how to increase student interest in the SGA in the future.

“I think that it would be lovely to provide students with a fuller picture of what the Senate actually does, as I be lieve more people would run if they understood the role of a Senator better,” Sen-Ghosh said. “This might involve hav

ing certain meetings with a Q&A after for students who are interested in running, to both observe how the Senate functions and ask any perti nent questions.”

Despite the minor challeng es presented by this year’s ap plication process, Shakouri was enthusiastic and hopeful about the strength and capabilities of the new SGA class.

“Our goal and hope is to empower all Colgate students, whether or not they are a mem ber of the [SGA], to advocate for themselves,” Shakouri said. “We have an incredible group of students this year and we are excited to see what our team can achieve.”

Contact Sophie Karbstein at skarbstein@colgate.edu.

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: Student moderate a Q&A with Assistant Professor of Spanish Sandoval-Leon Alysha Mendez

9/19 MONDAY

10:34 AM Bewkes Center: Campus Safety responded to an open door and lights on at the cottage.

11:44 AM Persson Hall: Campus Safety re ceived a report of lost keys.

12:28 PM Case Geyer Library: Campus Safety received a report of a stolen laptop.

12:28 PM McGregory: Campus Safety re ceived a report of a stolen laptop which was recovered.

9/20 TUESDAY

8:50 AM 104 Broad St./Interfaith House: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was mari juana smoke.

11:33 AM East Hall: Campus Safety re ceived a report of an unknown male enter ing a room earlier in the morning.

11:44 AM 113 Broad Street Outside: Cam pus Safety received a report of a student injured while playing hockey; the student was transported to the hospital.

9:34 PM Read House: Campus Safety re sponded to a report of a fire alarm activa tion; the cause of the alarm could not be determined.

9:35 PM Parker Apartments: Campus Safe ty responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was cooking.

9:31 PM Stillman Hall: Campus Safety re sponded to a report of several small hand prints on the second-floor hallway (near the men’s bathroom) which appeared to be made in blood.

11:52 PM Parker Apartments: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activa tion; the cause of the alarm was marijuana smoke.

9/21 WEDNESDAY

12:19 AM180 Broad Street/Townhouse 9:

Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was cook ing.

8:46 AM 180 Broad Street/Townhouse 5: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was cook ing.

2:56 PM 76 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was aerosol spray.

11:43 PM Bryan Complex/Cobb House: Campus Safety received a report of an of fensive note left on a door.

9/22 THURSDAY

5:47 PM Burke Hall: Campus Safety re ceived a report of a student not feeling well; the student was transported to CMH by Campus Safety.

9/23 FRIDAY

1:29 PM Newell Apartments: Campus Safe ty responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was smoke from cook ing.

1:29 PM Facilities/B&G: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the

cause of the alarm could not be determined.

4:49 PM Parker Apartments: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was steam from the shower.

7:39 PM 76 Broad Street: Campus Safe ty responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was due to a hair straightener.

9/24 SATURDAY

12:43 AM 113 Broad Street: Campus Safe ty learned that SOMAC and HFD were re sponding to a report of an ill student who was transported to CMH by SOMAC.

10:09 AM 180 Broad Street / Townhouse: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was smoke from cooking.

11:21 AM Parker Apartments: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause was steam from the shower.

2:29 PM Parker Apartments: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was steam from the shower.

2:30 PM Academy Field: Campus Safety received a report of a student who was in jured during a rugby game and was trans ported to CMH by ambulance.

6:06 PM West Hall: Campus Safety re ceived a report of a student feeling ill; the student was transported by Campus Safety to CMH.

Alumni Parking Lot: At 9:47 PM Campus Safety received a request from a student to

be transported to the emergency room; the student was transported to CMH by Cam pus Safety.

11:47 PM 49 Broad Street: Campus Safety received a student report that another stu dent was experiencing pain and wanted to go to the hospital; the student was trans ported to CMH by Campus Safety.

9/25 SUNDAY

1:57 AM Drake Hall: Campus Safety re ceived a report of a student illness; the stu dent was transported to CMH by Campus Safety.

5:32 AM Frank Dining Hall: Campus Safe ty received a report of a fryer on fire. The fire was extinguished prior to the arrival of the fire department.

7:04 AM Lower Campus/88 Hamilton Street: Campus Safety discovered a fraudu lent driver’s license while conducting an in ventory of found property (phone w/card holder).

4:43 PM O’Connor Campus Center: Cam pus Safety responded to a report of a pro pane tank missing from the mailroom loading dock.

5:28 PM Bryan Complex 31: Campus Safe ty responded to a fire alarm activation; the cause of the alarm was smoke from cook ing.

8:59 PM Frank Dining Hall: Cam pus Safety and SOMAC responded to a medical illness involving a student.

Small Grease Fire Disrupts Frank Dining Hall

By AnnABel Morris Executive Editor

Associate Vice President for Emergency Management, Campus Safety, and Envi ronmental Health and Safety Joseph Her non announced to the Colgate commu nity on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 25, that a small fire in Frank Dining Hall was the cause of a delay in breakfast service.

In the email sent early Sunday morning, Hernon explained that a grease fire was put out quickly by Campus Safety, stating that limited breakfast options would be available by 8 a.m.

with regular hot food service resuming shortly after. There were no reported injuries to students, Frank Dining Hall staff, or campus safety officers related to the fire. Hernon’s message shared that Dining Services work swiftly to restore regular service within one hour, offering a continental-style breakfast in the meantime.

Initial causes of the grease fire were not shared with the community by officials. The extent of damages are unknown.

Contact Annabel Morris at agmorris@colgate.edu.

Alexa Davis

VoluMe clVi,

Ethan Cherry Josie Rozzelle editors in chieF

Annabel Morris executiVe editor

Aaron Silverstein Managing editor

Jesse Harris MultiMedia Manager

Sydney Henderson Business Manager

Aaron Notis • Andie Cook copy editors

Dylan Shi special projects Manager

Ryan Dugdale • Sophie Mack news editors

Nya Herron • Fabrizio Montisci coMMentary editors

Kristen Quinonez • Tate Fonda arts & Features editors

Ana Mashek • Lucy Hudson Baker’s dozen editors

Ryan Stuzin Sloan Martin sports editors

AssistAnt Editors

Lola Carino • Samantha Wotring Amy Grunther • Cooper Lowell Drew Fischer

The Colgate Maroon-News James C. Colgate Hall Colgate University 13 Oak Drive Hamilton, New York 13346

(315) 228-7744 • maroonnews@colgate.edu www.thecolgatemaroonnews.com

The opinions expressed in The Colgate Maroon-News are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Colgate Maroon-News or of Colgate University.

SUBMISSION POLICY:

The Colgate Maroon-News accepts commentary pieces regarding news coverage, editorial policy, University affairs and other topics pertinent to the students and campus community at Colgate University. We reserve the right to edit submissions based on available space and provided that they adhere to our style guidelines. We do not print open letters, and submis sions received in this format will be edited. We cannot guarantee publication of all submis sions received and we reserve the right to reject submissions based on style, punctuation, grammar and appropriateness. Defaming, denigrating or incriminating language regarding or directed at individual students and/ or student groups will not be printed. Submissions must contain identifiable and reasonable evidence, and their inclusion in the paper is at the discretion of the editorial staff. Self-promotion or solicitation on behalf of student groups will not be printed. Idiomatic profanity will not be printed. Offensive language may be printed as part of a report on the use of such language or related issues. Anonymous letters to the Edi tor will not be printed. Letters from alumni should include the graduation year of the writer and all writers should provide a telephone number for verification. All submissions must be received by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. for Friday publication.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION:

The Colgate Maroon-News welcomes paid advertisements. The deadline for copy is Mon day at 5 p.m. for Friday publication. We reserve the right to make final judgment on the size of an ad and whether it will be included in the issue requested.

PUBLISHING INFORMATION:

The Colgate Maroon-News (USPS 121320) is published weekly when classes are in session by the students of Colgate University. Subscription price is $60 per year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the above address.

Is The Line An Attainable Solution to Saudi Arabia’s Dependency on Oil?

By FaBrizio Montisci Commentary Editor

When the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) first revealed the design of “The Line”, millions were left astonished. A futuristic city of nine million people, only 200 meters wide and almost 170 kilometers long running on 100 percent renewable energy. How could this ever be possible in a world that seems to be on a disastrous environmental trajectory? As you may have guessed, all that glitters is not gold, and this utopian concept, as ambitious as it sounds, does not shine bright.

The Line is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 which, according to its website, is meant to “harness the strengths God bestowed upon us - our strategic position, investment power, and place at the center of the Arab and Islamic world.” In reality, and as this carefully worded introductory paragraph suggests, Vision 2030 is much more of a geopolitical strategy game than anything else and will tentatively shift Saudi Arabia’s dependence on its vast oil re serves toward a more sustainable approach to economic development and the financing of the welfare services it provides to its citi zens. The government of Saudi Arabia is, in fact, aware of the long-term cost that sticking to its oil-based economy could have on its ability to maintain such an expensive welfare state as well as its strategic position in global politics. While the Gulf state exports around 7.38 million barrels per day, according to Re uters, and “53 percent of the Saudi govern ment’s revenues were oil-based,” according to the US Energy Information Administra tion, the global community of oil importing countries is beginning efforts to move away from such a non-replenishable energy source. When seen through this perspective, Vision 2030 takes a more existential shape.

Nonetheless, one has to be careful when applauding such efforts. As awesome as it sounds, NEOM, the futuristic city in the Tabuk Province of northwestern Saudi Arabia which will host the Line, raises im portant questions surrounding the feasibil ity of its construction as well as its impact on the local natural environment. Built in modules, The Line will provide the most essential services, such as clinics and enter tainment venues, within a five-minute walk from one’s housing. In addition, high-speed trains will take residents end-to-end in less than twenty minutes while other automated services will be run by an unspecified artifi cial intelligence system. With temperatures that fluctuate between 40 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit, a mix of strategically-placed shades, green open spaces and ventilation tunnels will, if realized, achieve stable mi croclimatic environments while keeping residents comfortable.

However, a 2030 completion deadline and growing cost estimates, which place the total cost for the development at over a tril lion dollars, are putting the Crown Prince’s very own wonder of the world in danger, Wall Street Journal documents show. New details have since been revealed showing that what MBS calls a “civilizational revolution,” will have profound damaging effects on the Tabuk Province’s ecosystem and tribal com munities, demystifying the project’s monu mental significance. Some of the most direct effects that the Line would bring about are relatively easy to identify. For instance, how will the project’s developers solve the issue of the millions of migratory birds annually crossing The Line’s trajectory and the city’s 500-meter-tall walls? What systems have the developers ideated that will allow for lo cal fauna to cross The Line without having to sidewalk its 170 kilometers length? And again, how will The Line’s vertical farming provide its residents with sustainably sourced agricultural produce without impacting the residents’ living experience as well as the overall water supply? One would think that a one trillion dollar project would have clear and definite answers to such nerve-wracking questions but, to my surprise, I could not find them anywhere. As if this weren’t enough, the straw that breaks the camel’s back is an investigation by The Guardian which shows that the project’s development will likely cause the forced eviction of over 20,000 AlHuwaitat tribesmen that have lived in har mony in the region for generations. Despite such factors being a threat to the project’s reputation, the development of The Line is still standing strong, backed by a persistent House of Saud and leading me to one con clusion regarding the strategic need for such an improbable enterprise. The announce ment of The Line has successfully managed to distract the global community from the Crown Prince’s involvement in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the country’s persistent violations of the most basic human rights, a practice observed by Human Rights Watch in other Gulf countries.

While the current global energy crisis is replenishing Saudi revenues, it is my stron gest opinion that this development project should not continue. The Line does nothing to solve the global income inequality that is exposing the most vulnerable populations to the dangers of climate change. On the contrary, it exemplifies everything that is wrong with today’s state-driven environ mental policies, which cover up the lack of effective institutional environmental action we are witnessing in the 21st century.

Contact Fabrizio Montisci at fmontisci@colgate.edu.

SAUDI ENERGY: Saudi Arabia’s plan to build a futuristic city in the desert is raising

surrounding its sustainability and feasibility.

Danilo Martínez Gonzalez

The Crumbling Ideal of Canadian Healthcare

By dylAn Shi Special Projects Manager

Americans disenchanted with their nation’s inaccessible healthcare system frequently point to Canada’s system as a poster child, but any Canadian can tell you that our reality is far from ideal.

Even before COVID-19, we had grown accustomed to norms that would perplex many insured Americans. A trip to the emergency room could result in an all-night wait if your life didn’t appear to be in immediate danger. You could call every family doctor in your city and find that none of them accepted new patients. As the National Post notes, five million Canadians, or nearly one-eighth of the population, do not currently have a family doctor. Having recently aged out of my pediatrician, I count myself in this group. Mix in our markedly long surgery wait times and it’s easy to see why a lot of Canada’s patients are unhappy.

Although it’s undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled these conditions to the worst extremes, their root causes have long been in place. Forbes reported that in 2013, the average wait time for a medically-necessary procedure after a generalist’s referral was four and a half months long, two times longer than it was in 1993. In 2006, Fraser Institute fellow Nadeem Esmail highlighted how Canada’s physician-to-population ratio was already standing at a dismal 26th out of 28 countries with universal healthcare, with these figures set to worsen in coming years. This was due mainly to governmental restrictions on physician training and a significant portion of the workforce being at retirement age. Meanwhile, high overhead, unattractive

compensation and stressful hours are factors deterring new graduates from pursuing family medicine over more stable jobs in clinics or specialist’s offices.

Flash forward to the current decade, and issues of wait times and staffing have become disastrous. In 2022, emergency rooms across the nation saw a rampant number of closures, especially burdening Canadians living in rural areas. According to the Toronto Star, at least 86 closures occurred in Ontario alone between July and September of this year. As The New York Times writes, this stems from a nationwide shortage of nurses, many of whom have been pushed to their limits by unsafe working conditions, low wages and pandemic burnout.

As the fallout from this healthcare lag becomes increasingly apparent, more critics are vocalizing a desire for increased

parties are actively proposing to expand the province’s private healthcare network. Costs for patients at the planned centers will be covered through public health insurance while being privately owned and operated. Though there may be opponents who feel as if this shatters our national identity of completely “free” care, Canada’s refusal to embrace private options sets it apart from peer nations in a way that isn’t necessarily good.

In an op-ed for the National Post, Tristin Hopper highlights the two-tiered system in countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Norway, where free public and paid

private care are both options. In Canada, there is seldom a private alternative for patients awaiting publicly-funded care.

As Bacchus Barua of the Fraser Institute noted in 2017, a health policy survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund of adults in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States saw Canada rank last in many vital metrics. These included the ability to get a same- or next-day appointment when sick and waits for ER treatment, specialists and elective surgeries. Conversely, the countries that came out on top all managed to successfully integrate the private sector into their universal healthcare systems.

It’s imperative that we abandon polarized misconceptions about Canadian healthcare relative to that of the United States and accept that “private” is not always a cruel word. There is no value in Canada maintaining a completely public system if it inflicts this much hardship on its population. Ultimately, policymakers in both countries should be prioritizing access and quality of care, while placing less emphasis on arbitrary labels. Though Canada’s proximity to the U.S. makes it an easy scapegoat, the real models exist on the other side of the globe, and our nations on both sides of the border have an immeasurable amount of work to do.

Contact Dylan Shi at dshi@colgate.edu.

Hot Topic: The Pen is Equal to the Pipette

By AmAndA Krowitz Contributing Writer

Of the many reasons I chose to come to Colgate – the academic excellence, beautiful campus and friendly people – one of the main motivators behind my decision was that Colgate offers its students the opportunity to study anything. As a student who is currently undecided in the concentration realm, I appreciated that every discipline was accessible to me and I would be encouraged to explore and discover new interests. In fact, all students are required to explore a range of subjects to fulfill the Core Curriculum. Regardless of a chosen concentration, every student will have to take classes across three different areas throughout their time at Colgate. Even if a student intends to be a STEM concentrator (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), they will still need to take classes in the humanities. Similarly, humanities concentrators will have to explore the sciences as well.

When I came to Colgate, I assumed most students would be eager to take classes in these two different spheres, having chosen to come to a liberal arts institution. Surprisingly, this was not the case. In my first month here at Colgate, I have heard current and prospective STEM-concentrator students speaking begrudgingly about their humanities requirement. We often hear dismissive comments regarding these classes,

including identifying them as being  “a joke,” or claiming they “don’t count.”

Ultimately, humanities classes are looked down upon as inferior in favor of more STEM-based classes.

On the other side, prospective humanities concentrators have stated they feel they are not as smart as their STEM-concentrator counterparts. Not only does this rhetoric connote a lack of respect for humanities classes, professors and students, but it begins to shape mindsets on campus. It fosters a culture that dismisses one area of study in favor of another.

Based on these observations, I question how this belief started. Why is the pipette given more power than the pen? Why are hours spent in a lab seen as more grueling than hours spent studying a language, crafting an essay or engaging in debate?

The achievements of STEM students and the coursework they tackle should be praised; however, coursework done in the humanities must be given equal importance. Without a doubt, discoveries in science and technology have shaped our world drastically, but the written and spoken word has been instrumental in molding our current society. Was it not the speeches and writings of activists and world leaders that launched revolutions, mobilized nations and brought different groups of people together? Why is the power of the pen so easily dismissed?

I believe the answer to this question

partially lies in implicit bias. STEM concentrators are traditionally associated with men. Though the gender distribution of STEM classes today is largely balanced, especially at Colgate, this historical precedent causes us to associate STEM courses with more power and

advantage of this time to discover new interests and try out disciplines that initially seem foreign. This may take some students off of the trajectory they envisioned for themselves during their time at Colgate, and that should be celebrated. Don’t be limited to one area of academia. Take control of the pen

seems short-sighted. There is plenty of time to declare a concentration. Take

Emma Barrison

Emma Barrison

THE COOL KIDS: Sydney Sierota, one of three mem bers of the band Echosmith, performs onstage. The indie pop band lit up the Hall of Presidents with an illuminative performance of their top hits and a few covers. The concert was put on by the Student Activities Association, Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Echosmith Makes Homecoming Weekend ‘Bright’

By Emma mccartan Contributing Writer

At the end of this year’s Homecoming weekend, Colgate students proved that this is where the “cool kids” are. Hosted by the Student Activities Association (SAA) and in collaboration with the Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Kappa Gamma sororities, the Echosmith concert concluded another exciting homecoming in Hamilton.

In the Hall of Presidents, Colgate tradition combined with modern excitement as Echosmith played through a set list of rock-pop and indie-pop covers. The concert also featured audience involvement, as the crowd sang the background melody to “Diamonds.”

After performing one of their hits, “Bright,” lead singer Sydney

Sierota opened up about her struggles with anxiety over the past few years and invited members of the audience to share who helped support them during that time. One lucky student had the opportunity to go on stage with the band, where Sierota recorded a video message and invited the audience to cheer, “We love you Harrison’s mom!”

Sierota then told everyone to reach out to their loved ones — an important reminder during this first busy month back at school.

Colgate students were in for a treat as Echosmith shared an unreleased track titled “Hindsight,” featuring both rock and pop influences. The band also performed covers of fan-favorite songs, such as “Take My Breath Away” from this summer’s hit movie “Top Gun.”

After announcing that their new album will be released in the next

few days and their tour starts in October, Echosmith ended the night with their hit song, “Cool Kids,” which had the whole room singing and jumping along. Overall, it was a memorable homecoming for Colgate students new and old.

“Since I’ve never experienced any concert here, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised,” first-year Madison Elias remarked about her experience. “It was a really fun event to end an exciting game day and it was definitely a great welcome to Colgate Homecoming weekend!”

Echosmith’s concert displayed the range of experiences Colgate offers in the traditional HOP, which was lit up with neon concert lights.

“Homecoming concerts are the best chance to enjoy live music with friends and reconnect with alumni. I am so glad that Colgate partners

Living Writers: Imbolo Mbue Visits Campus to Discuss Novel

‘How Beautiful We Were’

By tEss DunkEl Staff Writer

An abundance of students and faculty filed into the Col gate Memorial Chapel to hear award-winning novelist Im bolo Mbue speak about her book, How Beautiful We Were, on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 22. As part of the Living Writers series at Colgate, led by Professor of English Jen nifer Brice, Mbue traveled to campus to speak to the Colgate community. She led a talk on her journey as an author and facilitated a discussion about her recently published novel, which served as the required reading for the class of 2026.

To begin the event, Brice took to the stage to introduce Mbue, highlighting her recent awards and providing a brief introduction to How Beauti ful We Were. Senior Adanya Jeudy, a student in the Living Writers class, also prepared a welcoming introduction.

“It means a lot to me that people are open to listening to the stories I tell,” Mbue said.

Published in the spring of 2021, Mbue’s sophomore novel opens a dialogue be tween America’s profit-driven destruction and ruination of small towns, environments, communities and interpersonal relationships in the African vil lage of Kosawa.

As a native of Cameroon, the author explained how shift ing cultures when she moved to the United States for college heavily influenced her work. With lighthearted and inven tive humor, Mbue recounted stories from her college years at Rutgers University in New Jer sey, and memories from living in New York. Her observations ranged from differing senses of self-esteem among Americans to class differences, politics and corporate culture, ulti mately inspiring her first two books, Behold the Dreamers and How Beautiful We Were.

“In addition to being from Limbe, I also had the advan tage of spending the first years of my life in a couple of vil lages where my mother worked as a community development

professional. The houses in which we lived never had elec tricity or running water. But I don’t remember wishing our lives were different. I had a very happy childhood,” Mbue said. “Other than that, many times I wonder if I would have become a writer if I had never come to America.”

“Having the opportunity to talk with writers like Im bolo Mbue about their writing process is an invaluable expe rience,”  junior Molly Rynne, another student in the Liv ing Writers class, recounted. “Mbue is very well spoken and hearing her talk about her work only adds more power to it.”

The book focuses on envi ronmental justice and the cor ruption of large corporations. However, Mbue stated that she views the novel more as an account of storytelling. The novel highlights which stories are told, and leaves the read ers wondering which may have been left untold.

Junior Kate Liu, a Living Writers student, noted that she enjoys having the opportunity

with organizations on campus to bring in artists that everyone is familiar with,” sophomore Katie Maratea shared.

From the packed Hall of Presidents, it was clear that Echosmith is a favorite for Colgate students of all class years. It was both a thrilling concert and a reminder of the lively community that surrounds students here at Colgate.

How was such a thrilling ending to Homecoming pulled off? It was primarily planned by the SAA Entertainment Committee, led this year by sophomore Elsa O’Brien. She started planning in June — O’Brien organized all the details, starting with securing an act and location.

“It was really important to us to get a venue accessible to students both up and down the hill, so we

were all happy to secure a location between both areas,” O’Brien said about the choice to host the concert in the Hall of Presidents in James C. Colgate Hall.

The artists were also offered a taste of Hamilton’s local businesses, so that they may bring a memory of the University on their way.

“We got Echosmith some local goodies. Indeed, we got them some bags of coffee beans and cookies from FoJo Beans,” O’Brien explained. “It doesn’t get more Hamilton than FoJo!”

Echosmith capped off an eventful Homecoming weekend, instilling excitement for a year of fun opportunities thanks to the SAA and other student leaders.

Contact Emma McCartan at emccartan@colgate.edu

to hear from writers directly after reading their work.

“Though How Beautiful We Were is an objectively sad book, its purpose and complexities captivate readers. I think it has a lot to teach us about facing the climate crisis, especially in international terms. Being able to hear from Mbue herself brought me a new admiration for the novel and her writing as a whole,” Liu said.

Mbue’s fierce writing style keeps readers on the edge of their seats; the novel’s fast pace achieves a dual emotional re sponse that makes the audi ence sad enough to grieve for the real communities affected and moved enough to take ac tion for a better future.

Contact Tess Dunkel at edunkel@colgate.edu

Emma McCartan

Felicia Paul

LIVING WRITERS: Professor of English Jennifer Brice’s series features dynamic writers such as Imbolo Mbue.

Welcome to ‘The Little House’ at Clifford Art Gallery

By Bri LiddeLL Staff Writer

Nestled within Little Hall’s Clifford Art Gallery, there sits a small white house containing two windows, two doors and five tiny portraits. While the structure itself, a one-room building with white painted wood, may appear simple from the outset, the complexity of emotions that most feel while standing within its four walls is anything but simple.

This exhibit, fittingly titled “The Little House,” is the result of a collaboration between Samuel Guy, art & art history lecturer, and Marissa Graziano, multidisciplinary artist. While Guy and Graziano have been creating art side by side since grad school, “The Little House” marks the first time that the two have combined their artistic specialties in order to create an intersectional installation.

While Guy specializes in painting and Graziano focuses on works across painting, drawing and visualization, their talents come together seamlessly in “The Little House” to create an installation far more impactful than if they had been working apart. Through Graziano’s ingenious blocking of the house from floor to nonexistent ceiling

and Guy’s striking portraits within, the exhibit comes to life as a space bordering between a gallery and a home, both unnerving and enchanting in its non-conformity to either label.

“The Little House is an alienated space,” explained Guy. “Structurally it’s a one-to-one replica of a living space, but it has all the character removed to preserve the sense that it is a gallery. In this way, it lives somewhere in between.”

The origins of “The Little House” began back in March of 2020 at a small lakeside cottage in Afton, N.Y. When Graziano and Guy first took up residency in the little cabin, they had no idea that the impending COVID-19 pandemic would make it their unexpected home for the next six months. In this state of limbo, Graziano experienced a shift in her way of thinking and viewing the world, which would ultimately serve as the inspiration for “The Little House.”

“During those six months, I had to sort of learn how to renavigate the world,” explained Graziano. “I couldn’t feel quite comfortable at the cottage, and I began to think about the lake in relation to traditional horror tropes such as surveillance.”

One night, Guy and Graziano were taking a long walk around

the lake and realized that most of their neighbors did not close their curtains and thus, the inner workings of their homes were visible to all.

“It was a fascinating glimpse into domestic life, and I wanted to create something that could emulate the sense of discomfort and fascination that one feels looking in on others and being looked in upon.”

One way that Guy and Graziano achieved this dynamic of being both the viewer and the viewed is through the installation’s two handmade windows. Despite being barely large enough to peer through, these windows were a source of much discussion and consideration between the artists.

In her previous exhibits, Graziano traditionally employed “peepholes” as a way for visitors to experience the installation in a unique and almost spectating way. On the other hand, Guy preferred not to have the portraits within the installation viewed in such a voyeuristic manner. As a compromise, Guy and Graziano instead chose to create small windows and place them parallel to important features of the room such as the main entryway. By using windows as a visual entry point for the installation, Guy and Graziano created a restricted

viewing experience similar to that of peepholes but without many of the negative connotations that accompany the term.

The highly anticipated opening of the installation on Sept. 14 was preceded by a lecture from Guy and Graziano giving background on their previous work, their inspirations behind the “The Little House” and their intentions while creating it.

Destiny Sambrano ’21 returned to campus just in time for this opening reception and gallery viewing and was particularly taken aback by the power of the windows to make her aware of the artists’ curated phenomena: that she was both observing the gallery around her and also being observed.

“Being inside of the room, I felt as if I was part of the art,” Sambrano said. “Perhaps what I appreciated most were the moments of connection that I felt as I peered out the windows and made eye contact with those looking in. Simultaneously, both I and they were the exhibit.”

Visitors can experience “The Little House “for themselves in Little Hall’s Clifford Art Gallery through Nov. 21. Additionally, more of Graziano and Guy’s work can be found in the Greene House Gallery in Brooklyn, N.Y., which they co-own and direct together.

Contact Bri Liddell at sliddell@colgate.edu.

Alternative Cinema: Films by Chloé Galibert-Laîné

By Jerry Pfeifer Staff Writer

On Thursday, Sept. 15, Little Hall’s Golden Auditorium screened four Chloé GalibertLaîné films as a part of the Alternative Cinema series and in anticipation of her planned arrival on the week of Sept. 26. Assistant Professor of Art & Art History Yi Cui hosted the event, and opened it by explaining that the films fall into the essay films category: a format that “transcends boundaries.” She articulated that essay film does not have set conditions like other traditional film styles, and that it is challenging to describe because its impetus is to be interpreted differently on an individual, subjective level. Cui detailed that GalibertLaîné’s essay film expanded her perspective on cinematography.

The four films shown were “Once Upon a Screen: True Enough” (2022), “A Very Long Exposure” (2020), “Reading // Binging // Benning” (2018), and “Forensickness” (2020).

The 2018 film, “Reading // Binging // Benning,” was coauthored by Chloé GalibertLaîné and Kevin B. Lee. Uniquely, none of these films besides the 2018 piece  had a

defined structure or purpose. Unlike the other films screened, this one clearly said, “Maybe when you’re watching the film, you’re already making it.”

“Forensickness,” the final film, was of the longest duration and featured a captivating subject matter.

Galibert-Laîné was inspired by Chris Kennedy’s “Watching the Detectives,” which, according to theworldviewed.com, was an observation of the reaction in online “chat rooms” to the Boston Marathon Bombing of April 2013. The group of users attempted to identify culprits, though much of the

work was harmful speculation. “Forensickness” assembled images of “Watching the Detectives” with various other media about the search from news outlets and other films, appearing to describe GalibertLaîné’s thought process about its production.

Sophomore Liz Armstrong praised the commentary made through “Forensickness.”

“I thought it was really interesting how [GalibertLaîné] decided to make a documentary exploring how through media the public reacts and can take hold of a devastating attack like what

happened in Boston and apply their own ‘detective work,’ and how sometimes it can be helpful, while in other cases it spreads false information and assumptions,” Armstrong said.

Senior Patrick Taylor added his thoughts on “Forensickness.”

“I enjoyed how the filmmaker delved into a very online subject but made it accessible for people who might not be totally in-the-know,” Taylor said. “The film focused on the bigger picture and significance of these interactions but also made sure the personality and minutiae of these threads [weren’t] lost.”

Sophomore Leila Bekaert compared Galibert-Laîné’s films to online video essays.

“I actually like watching video essays on my own time, typically through YouTube, so it was interesting to see an official screening be dedicated just to these essay film formats,” Bekaert said. “I love video essays in general, whether it be discussing an existing movie or just about a current topic because it presents a person’s interpretation and thoughts through an engaging format. I […] had to make a video essay last year for one of my film classes and enjoyed the experience of making a compelling argument through a video.”

When asked what they thought the primary aim of “Forensickness” was, Taylor and Armstrong gave differing answers.  This goes to show how open-ended interpretations of Galibert-Laîné’s essay films can be, and that they have no particularly defined agenda. Each viewer of Galibert-Laîné’s essay films will have a unique experience and interpretation.

Contact Jerry Pfeifer at rpfeifer@colgate.edu.

A LITTLE HOUSE IN LITTLE HALL: Artists Samuel Guy and Marissa Graziano built a house in Clifford Art Gallery to showcase their work. Bri Liddell

THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: Chloé Galibert-Laîné produces cinematography that invites the viewer to explore their unique interpretations of film.

Colgate University

Artist Spotlight: Vuong Hoang

By LJ Coady Contributing Writer

When asked to describe his art, the first thing junior Vuong Hoang said was: “sad Pinterest girl singing about the end of the world.”

Hoang is a photographer and videographer, and produces his own music under the name “goodwill jack.” He began creating music early in life and learned to shoot films because he wanted to make music videos. He came to photography later in his career, discovering his love for this medium between film projects a couple of years ago.

An industry multi-hyphenate, Hoang has experience across a wide variety of artistic pursuits. He worked as a creative director and videographer during a promotional video for a Vietnamese stationary company, was a production assistant on student films, consulted on sound engineering, composed music and made his own short films, photography series and songs. He gained the bulk of his production knowledge through experience, and he writes and edits all of his own music and film scripts.

Hoang counts Phoebe Bridgers, Bo Burnham and Sufjan Stevens as some of his main inspirations. Bridgers, especially, inspired Hoang’s obsession with the inevitability of the end of the world. His latest project is a music video for his song, “this is all there is,” exploring the beauty of ordinary life and the inevitable end. General darkness is present, metaphorically and literally, in almost all of Hoang’s art.

An international student from Hanoi, Vietnam, Hoang is concentrating in Economics and Film and Media Studies. He spent his first year at Colgate attending virtual classes in Vietnam as a result of the COVID -19 pandemic. The 11-hour time difference meant that he finished classes around 5 a.m. and slept during the day. Living the majority of his life at night had a major impact on his art.

“I became very nocturnal, which actually explains a lot about why a lot of my visual art is very night-based,” Hoang said.  “The moment I started shifting my focus towards visual art is also the moment I started […] waking up at 3 p.m.”

Hoang’s experience navigating cultural differences between Vietnam and America has also defined his art. His pseudonym, “goodwill jack,” came from a habit of giving the name “Jack” at American coffee shops and restaurants to avoid the hassle of explaining his real name. Hoang spent the summer after his sophomore year living

intensity further engage the listener throughout this song.

RIYL: The Strokes, MGMT

5. “Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls

This song took the world by storm in the late nineties. The melancholic tone and mes sage of this song reminds me of seasonal chang es in not only the weather, but life as well.

RIYL: Foo Fighters, Snow Patrol

BY MAYA EGAN Contributing Writer

1. “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),”

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift re-released this song and a short film to go along with it this past year. Recounting the emotional abuse coming from a relationship, many people resonate with the lyrics in which Taylor explains her heartbreak.

RIYL: Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo

2. “Home,” Hollow Coves

Hollow Coves, an Australian band, produces Indie folk music. The band of ten produces music pertaining to nature. This song articulates the feeling of yearning for home and the impact this has on one’s perception of the world.

RIYL: The Paper Kites, The Lumineers

3. “Romeo and Juliet,” Dire Straits

The simple melodies the guitarists and bassists play throughout this six minute song provide greater emphasis on the love story told and the impact of this relationship on the lead singer, Mark Knopfler.

RIYL: Steely Dan, Tom Petty

4. “Telescope,” Cage the Elephant

This song notably incorporates synthetic and natural acoustics, which aids in producing catchy beats, remarkable beat drops and tempo changes. Drastic changes in tempo and

6. “Still Beating,” Mac Demarco

This song speaks to Demarco’s undying love for a past lover and the impact that individual has on his day-to-day life. The combination of his lax demeanor and effortless talent calm the listener.

RIYL: Beach Fossils, Current Joys

7. “Softcore,” The Neighborhood

The Neighborhood consistently releases catchy songs about heartbreak, with “Softcore” being no exception.  Lead singer Rutherford details the impact that being a singer had on his relationship with himself and his loved ones.

RIYL: The Weeknd, Beach Weather

8. “Beige,” Yolklore

This love song encapsulates the joy of new beginnings with loved ones and within oneself. This song features  the use of banjo, along with the bass guitar as the members of the band allude to the naturalistic aspects of their music.

RIYL: The Lumineers, Sufjan Stevens

9. “Sedona,” Houndmouth

“Sedona” by Houndmouth, talks about changing the trajectory of one’s life. As I was preparing to move away from home and start my new chapter at college, this song taught me the importance of change and all of the potential I have in a new environment.

RIYL: Mt. Joy, The Head and the Heart

in New York and has not been back to Vietnam in over a year. Spending so much time in the U.S. has changed how he views the world and his concept of home.

“You either begin to see both places — the one where you come from and the one you’re coming to — as your home, or you start to see neither as home, and I’m more of the latter. I don’t think there’s anything particularly negative about feeling that way, although it does feel like you’re a bit uprooted all the time,” Hoanh explained.

That feeling of uprootedness is evident in many of his photographs. Hoang’s photograph series “Suburban Fairytale” shows Colgate’s campus soon after he arrived for the first time during his sophomore year. The pictures are gloomy and ethereal and capture the emotional distance he felt toward campus, a vastly different world than the one he left behind.

Contact LJ Coady at ecoady@colgate.edu.

10. “Yes I’m Changing,” Tame Impala

This song describes how change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Kevin Parker, under the alias of  Tame Impala, produces music that evokes a natural high in the listeners, all while he conveys that moving on allows him to develop as an individual.

RIYL: Glass Animals, MGMT

11. “Bloom,” Paper Kites

The use of banjo and acoustic guitar evokes a joyous tone within this song, as does the smoothness of the vocals, which emphasize the interconnectedness of nature to one’s personal well being.

RIYL: Caamp, Whitney

12. “Cold Little Heart” Michael Kiwanuka

Kiwanuka’s lyrics hit the listener especially hard; they encapsulate the mindset of a de pressed individual losing hope with not only the world, but himself as well. By the end of the song, a sense of hope is restored.

RIYL: Steve Lacy, Villagers

13. “Scott Street,” Phoebe Bridgers

Bridgers is known for her difficulty grappling with childhood nostalgia and the inevitability of growing old, making her music incredibly influential on young people. The musical outro in this song is es pecially impactful as it feels like Bridgers is having a coming of age realization.

RIYL: Gracie Abrams, Clairo

*RIYL = Recommended if you like.

Contact Maya Egan at miegan@colgate.edu

‘aisle browsing at price chopper’

By Harry SHook Contributing Writer

i push my squeaky wheeled cart through lanes of traffic;   crumpled bags of tortilla chips  wave at me, as my untied shoelace   is noticed by a mother of two,   grabbing peaches and plums.

i’m tethered to plastic celery  raised by foreigners – ripped from forgotten habitats of humanity.  preteens packaged and processed   to be adopted into broken homes  serving pits of french cuisine and gluttony.

twenty-three dozen eggs; freezing   in cages, these frustrated little chicks, cruelty and cage free, advertised  like an unpaid internship. they’re surrounded  by milks made from rusted nuts  that demand water like they’ve been burned.

why did i wear short-sleeves, bare legs,  goosebumps forming, a window breeze  after a thirsty shower. walking through frozen alleys; filled with ceaseless alternatives  for tireless bread makers and FDA certified  popsicles made from cigarettes.

i’m strolling by pounds of little debbies  that moisten my tongue, like the extra butter i was taught to order while at the cinema. snack, crackle,  and pop draw me into conversation,  advertising sugar free addiction.

macaroni products – that have neither  cheese or noodles – tease me with  side eyed winks and nutritional labels, situated next to the international sauces   shipped from the California coast, and  made with midwestern molasses.

i watch the butcher and baker,  behind foggy glass caskets, wearing  open toed shoes and saggy gloves,  attempting to sell pork shoulders that have never smelled fresh air  and cakes iced with clotted cream.

i tap my platinum credit card    of sopping wet privilege, to an  eyeless machine, that always asks for donations to a CEO’s paycheck, (naturally, i click yes), as i look up at the blinding LED’s gleam.

Contact Harry Shook at hshook@colgate.edu.

Do you have poetry you’d like to publish in The Colgate Maroon-News? Submit your work by emailing maroonnews.artsandfeatures@gmail.com.

THROUGH THE LENS: A still shot from Hoang’s music video shows his passionate vocals. Vuong Hoang

baker’S Dozen

Comedy Gold: Charred Goosebeak

By Richie Rosen Staff Writer

Dying is easy; comedy is hard.

So the saying has gone for decades. Standing in front of a group of people and trying to make them laugh is a really hard thing to do. Even if you’ve never actually stood up on stage and performed, think about a time when a friend turned to you and said, out of the blue, “hey, do something funny.” Don’t you always seem to draw a blank?

It takes some serious guts to do any form of comedy, but improv comedians are an especially different breed. The beauty of improv is that all of the humor is generated on the spot. Comedians can’t practice their jokes or their delivery, as everything is on the fly. Now, if you’ve never heard of improv before, you might be scratching your head and wondering how this is even possible. Well, three of Colgate’s best-and-brightest come dians, juniors Sophie Neugarten and Lizzie Nash, as well as senior Brennan Troy, discussed some of the tricks of the trade to provide some insight into all things improv.

Neugarten, Nash, and Troy are all members of Colgate’s premier improv comedy group, Charred Goosebeak, but they took very different paths to get there. Nash was a seasoned vet from the start.

“I did improv all [throughout] high school. My school offered improv classes as one of our arts [requirements], so I actually took improv freshman through senior year,” Nash said.

Neugarten, on the other hand, was the rookie.

“I had absolutely no experience with improv prior to Charred Goosebeak. I have an older friend

who goes here from my high school, and when I was coming to school she was telling me how one of her friends was involved with Charred Goosebeak. And I was like ‘that sounds so cool.’ I’m always looking for ways to be involved on campus, especially in ways that I think would be fun,” Neugarten said.

Troy was also new to improv when he started his junior spring.

“I joined Goosebeak because I always was interested in writing comedy and as a creative writing major, I was also interested in acting. After I met some of the senior members it was a no-brainer. I had never done improv before and was super nervous going into the audition. [It was] definitely nerve-racking, but at the same time hilarious. Anyone who tries out just puts themselves out there and it is awesome,” Troy explained.

Regardless of prior experience levels, these three have burst into the Colgate comedy club scene with gusto and bona fide skills. What’s their secret? Team chemistry. Neugarten, Nash, Troy, and the rest of the Goosebeak crew have developed a camaraderie that is absolutely essential for an improv group to be at its comedic best.

“One of the things that we pride ourselves on is having really good group chemistry,” Neugarten said.

“We hang out twice a week and go to social events with each other. It’s really nice because when you’re in a scene with someone, you know that you can trust them to carry on that scene; you know that they are going to support you, and that is really important in improv. Every single person in the group is just so awesome, and it’s really nice because we all are joined by our common love

of being funny and making a fool of ourselves. It just makes for very funny interactions between everyone.”

Like Neugarten, Troy also feels a shared sense of group chemistry and closeness to other members.

“Goosebeak’s culture is the best thing ever. Being a part of a club lets you tap into groups on campus you wouldn’t normally meet. I have met some of my best friends at Colgate through Goosebeak and I could not imagine doing anything else,” Troy said.

“Even when we’re not performing, the room that we’re in is never dull with [sic] laughter. Everyone is constantly cracking jokes; even if we’re just talking about our days, there’s always something that someone can spin into a joke or something like that,” Nash added.

Having that general comedic sense is an important skill for any aspiring improv comedian because off-the-cuff humor is the name of the game. Improv performances have a really unique dichotomy between the audience and the performers. Audience members play a major role in dictating what the comedians on stage are actually doing.

“In order to make [the comedy] authentic we’ll ask the audience  ‘hey give us a non-geographical location’ or ‘give us a relationship,’ and then we use that in the context of a structured game to guide the scene. We never want to say ‘okay we’re gonna be this’ because then there would be no authenticity [...] It’s cool because you just have to go on the spot, you have to go with what you’re given. You’re improvising,” Neugarten explained.

“Before shows, when we’re preparing, the only thing that’s set in stone is who is participating in what game. So we’ll have four games in

one show and we’ll be like: ‘Sophie is gonna participate in shift left and ABCs [both are types of games]. And so everyone participates in two of the games, but that’s the only deciding factor going into a show. Once we’re put up on that stage, even if we had been doing scenes about a carnival or igloos in practice, we could get up there and someone could say ‘funeral’ and we have to do a scene about a funeral,” Nash said.

Improv comedians don’t just have to roll with the punches, they have to tango with them. Dealing with nerves is one of, if not the most important thing that performers need to get under control. It isn’t an easy thing to do, but it can be incredibly rewarding in ways that go beyond the stage.

“One thing I would highlight is that, yes, being in Charred Goosebeak [is a commitment]. You have Thursday meetings, you have Sunday meetings, and you have shows. But what it actually gives you is so far beyond those four hours a week,” added Nash. “Every day, I go about my day and I feel like I’m able to speak on my feet quickly and problem solve […] I would really just highlight those and say [to someone

Passionate Living: Theme Housing

By sophie KaRBstein Staff Writer

Along Broad Street lies several unassuming structures central to Colgate community: theme houses. Theme housing at Colgate is a form of special interest housing in which students can build communities around shared traits or interests within the boundaries of University policy and practice. A few of the current theme houses include the Loj (70 Broad Street), the Sustainability House, Interfaith Social House (110 Broad Street) and the Pink Haus (102 Broad Street), the queer belonging house.

Senior Sebastian Coco, president of the Creative Arts House, further iterated that he believed theme housing was all about endowing passionate people and their fantastic ideas with the ability to construct their own living and learning space.

“The fact that students have the ability to manipulate their own space and manipulate their own community […] I think that’s the biggest strength of theme houses. Being founded out of university ideals, but really carried up, motivated

and pursued by student interests,” Coco said.

In its inaugural year on campus, the Creative Arts House offers an environment that enriches both students and their ideas.

The Creative Arts House has some ambitious ideas for this year including an a capella group riff-off, a revitalization of Broad Street Records, and support for various emerging student bands. They are also looking to use their new state-of-the-art sound system and stage in New Brehmer Theater more extensively. All things considered, the intention is to cultivate an inclusive social space for students to feel connected to their community.

“Everyone’s really excited to actually engage with the whole campus in a way that most Broad Street houses could do, but haven’t been doing,” Coco said. “We’re in talks about giving theme houses a more equitable representation on Broad Street and kind of a bigger, more equitable piece of the social scene.”

In order to expand the reach of his community and cement the existence of the Creative Arts House for the next several years to come, Coco knows that more awareness about its

presence as a social locale in the first place is certainly crucial.

Junior Raquel Marquez-Guerrero, a co-manager of La Casa Pan LatinaAmericana, feels similarly. While La Casa has a longer and more storied history at Colgate than the Creative Arts House, its community has been disrupted in recent years by both the pandemic and the change to a new location. The focus of La Casa’s leadership has been to engage a diverse group of students to rebuild the community. The house has started a flag project to decorate the house’s common room, where each student living there gets the flag of their home country displayed.

“Our mission is multiculturalism and promoting and celebrating different cultures. We try to get a variety of people [to live here], so we’re trying to get whoever wants their flag represented to have their flag represented to fit the whole house,” Marquez-Guerrero said.

In some ways, though, MarquezGuerrero finds the work needed to achieve her goals to be relatively light, as living in a theme house intrinsically produces a tight-knit community.

“I feel like every time I come down[stairs], I meet a new person,”

Marquez-Guerrero said. “So I think having that house feeling is really real here. I didn’t have to do anything to create that; it kind of just happened naturally.”

Senior Rachel Pittman, president of the Afrikan Diaspora House, voiced praise for the quick transformation of her theme house into a genuine home. This phenomenon, Pittman believes, is unique to theme housing in comparison with the typical dorm scenario found up the hill.

“There are people who I had never met before this year who are some of my closest friends now, because of living in this house. Even those who I’m not particularly close with are very friendly. We all give each other a smile and a good morning when we run into each other to brush our teeth,” Pittman said. “You feel like there’s something that unites you and all your housemates, so even if you don’t know people in the house, it’s very easy to get to know people.”

In fact, that united feeling is the very foundation upon which the Afrikan Diaspora House is built.

“I think most of the residents of the Afrikan Diaspora House live there because they want to share a space with other people who understand

thinking of joining] ‘yeah it’s a really goofy group of kids, we do this weird and funny thing,’ but also it has totally shaped the person that I am today.”

“I love that through Goosebeak, I am able to give my friends a solid hour of laughs and a unique experience that you would not be able to get anywhere else in Hamilton. You can go to any comedy club you want in New York City, but in Hamilton, we are it and that’s pretty cool,” said Troy.

“I wasn’t necessarily super comfortable in front of a large group of people before, and I definitely think that doing improv has changed me as a person because I’m not afraid to speak in front of a group of people anymore. I would say, if you’re looking for a group of people who are so genuine, down-to-earth, [and you] want to have a good time, crack jokes, it’s a great way to meet other people and get involved on campus,” Neugarten said.

Charred Goosebeak plans to host its first show the last weekend of September. Stop by for a good time.

Contact Richie Rosen at rrosen@colgate.edu.

the Black experience […] The Afrikan Diaspora House is a place where we don’t have to be educators,” Pittman said.

In the spirit of greater cooperation, each house also tends to work with an associated on-campus organization in a mutualistic relationship. For example, the African Student Union and Black Student Union might sponsor a party or social event at the Afrikan Diaspora House, using the House as a gathering place for their wider network; the same is true for the Latin American Student Organization at La Casa or the Creative Arts Society at the Creative Arts House. The result is to expand awareness of both connected organizations and foster a broader sense of belonging for all interested students.

In the end, Coco, MarquezGuerrero and Pittman all stress that theme housing is bigger than just playing host to exciting and inclusive social events for Colgate students.

“In just a few words, really just one word, it’s about collaboration,” mused Coco. “This is where community can be built.”

Contact Sophie Karbstein at skarbstein@colgate.edu.

Printed with permission of Lizzie Nash

GOOSEY GABBLE: The Goosebeak troupe poses together after a performance in Spring 2022.

Community Heroes: Students Stepping Up

By Reade FenneR Staff Writer

Colgate offers students numerous options to get involved with health services in Hamilton and the surrounding area, including the Hamilton Fire Department, Southern Madison County Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SOMAC), and Madison EMS. The Hamilton Fire Department offers assistance in fire safety situations as well as medical services to residents of the village. SOMAC is a non-profit organization that also serves the Hamilton community, focusing on medical calls. While Hamilton Fire Department and SOMAC take primarily Colgate students as volunteers, Madison EMS, which serves the Village of Madison and the surrounding Madison County area, has both volunteers and paid staff.

The Hamilton Fire Department enlists about 20 Colgate students, typically with five or six from each class year. Each student volunteer must undergo basic training their first year with the department, including Exterior Firefighting Operations (EFO) in the fall, and Interior Firefighting Operations (IFO) in the spring. Once both sets of training are completed, volunteers can help with jobs involving burning buildings and other fire emergencies around Hamilton.

Given that student volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, seven

days a week, senior Carter Hawthornthwaite explains that balancing school and firefighting can be difficult.

“[A challenge is] making sure you stay on top of all of your assignments and your classwork,” Hawthornthwaite said. “So that you can have the ability to get up and leave in the middle of either class or whatever it is you’re doing and have to potentially be on the scene of a house fire for six or seven hours.”

Though being on call 24/7 can be demanding for student volunteers, Hawthornthwaite explains that attendance is never an issue.

“The people that are in the department, we care about the work that we’re doing,” Hawthornthwaite explained. “It’s a volunteer department, so if we don’t show up, who is going to show up? Everybody’s dedicated and we all show up as much as we can. It’s never a problem getting people to show up to the calls. We just don’t have enough space on the trucks to fit everybody that comes.”

Sophomore Camille Goodhart, who serves as the Student Coordinator for the Hamilton Fire Department, agrees that the group functions as a supportive community:

“[We’re] really just a family. We’re all here to support each other because we’re equally passionate about what we do. I think that’s really special and not something you see in every community at

Colgate. Because the department is demanding in a unique way, it also is rewarding because of how demanding it can be.”

For SOMAC training, student volunteers must take an EMT class in their first year of involvement. Once certified, students do two four-hour shifts and an hour-long training each week. SOMAC typically has about eight to ten Colgate students per class involved each year.

Senior Sarah Hiranandani explains that working as the student coordinator for SOMAC has allowed her to interact with a diverse group of Colgate students.

“It is a really great program that offers a lot to various different people, so you really get to hang out with students that are pretty different from you and you maybe wouldn’t interact with all that much,” Hiranandani said. “Because it’s not just students that are interested in healthcare. It’s also students that are really excited about EMS specifically and like being able to volunteer for the community.”

Similar to SOMAC, the training to join Madison EMS requires students to take a class for two to three hours a week, plus their EMT test, which consists of the Practical Skill Exam (PSE) and a written test. Unlike SOMAC and the Hamilton Fire Department, Madison EMS is slightly less demanding, as students are only required to attend one three-hour

shift per week and a training session about once a month — although it’s still a serious undertaking.

Senior and student coordinator Danielle Goldbaum describes Madison EMS as a unique opportunity to get involved in the greater Madison County community.

“[Madison EMS is] more of an experience of calls in the real world because [Hamilton Fire Department and SOMAC] are obviously more campus-based because they’re closer to the area and we’re a little bit farther out,” Goldbaum said. “So you see a lot of calls from a different population … It’s been really nice to see a real impact and a real change on people

that you might not even know and are a little more removed from your regular circle and everyday bubble.”

Though the application process, training and involvement in Colgate’s health-related student organizations are intense, Goldbaum offers advice to any interested students.

“Make sure you’re passionate about [emergency healthcare] as a time commitment,” Goldbaum said. “They’re a lot of fun. Once you start the whole process, it’s a really long journey. Make sure you’re dedicated, but I think you do find that dedication along the way if you didn’t originally start with that.”

Contact Reade Fenner at rfenner@colgate.edu.

Literary Leaders: Filling the Creative Gap

By CoopeR LoweLL & ana Mashek Baker’s Dozen Editors

Both the recently revived Colgate Portfolio magazine and The Write-In, a club for creative writers, share a firm mission: establish community around creative literature and art.

Junior Marissa Bordonaro, the current editor of Portfolio, came to Colgate with a fair bit of publishing experience under her belt. She served as an editor for her high school’s literary magazine, where the editors received upwards of 200-250 submissions every semester.

Unfortunately, Bordonaro’s first year at Colgate was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that many student organizations faded out of the picture along with a sense of normalcy. There was no in-person club fair in 2020, and some students found it harder to find communities to join. Bordonaro’s attempts to get involved with Portfolio fell on deaf ears, as she never heard back from the former editors after reaching out.

While Bordonaro recalled that maybe one edition was published during her first year, Portfolio entirely vanished her sophomore year.

“I had kind of gotten fed up with the fact that there wasn’t a creative outlet for creative people on campus. So, I just kind of walked into CLSI [Colgate Office of Student Involvement]. And I was like, ‘Hey, does anyone know if Portfolio is a thing anymore?’” Bordonaro explained. “Leigh-Ann [Wenzel] [of CLSI] said it hadn’t been registered, and she said, ‘Do you want it?,’ and I said, ‘Absolutely.’”

Since then, Bordonaro has taken major strides in forming a community of literary lovers and publishing a comprehensive magazine.

“I am kind of trying to revamp [Portfolio] a little bit. I know there were some issues in the past where people felt like it was a little too exclusive,” Bordonaro said. “People were also complaining that it was also kind of getting forced into an aesthetic and I [...] want it to be a little bit more inclusive.”

Bordonaro wants to provide a space for fellow students to flourish and find belonging, especially given Colgate’s physical remoteness. Bordonaro doesn’t work alone to publish Colgate’s only student-run literary and art magazine that dates back to 1989. The magazine is divided into sections of poetry, prose, art and non-fiction, and lead editors generally oversee each one, with assistant editors working underneath them. These individuals put their heads together on a bi-weekly basis, workshopping submissions and editing the final magazine. The editorial team hopes to publish once a semester.

“I think my favorite part about [Portfolio] is just kind of working with other people, just to make something. I’ve been talking a lot to our lead editors about how their process works, because I’m going to rely on them a lot to actually go through submissions and edit them. But, I think the most fun part has really just been working with them trying to figure it out, and talking to professors— some of the professors on campus are super invested in this,” Bordonaro said. “There’s certainly no lack of talent on this campus, people are incredible. Like, I’ve been in creative writing workshops, and people write some really crazy stuff, and the same thing with art. You know, I feel like art is something that a lot of people do just kind of on the side […] so I feel like if people wanted to share that, they should be able to.”

Another literary leader creating writing communities is Professor of English CJ Hauser. Since coming to Colgate in 2016, Hauser has been

connecting student writers through her extensive work in the English department, but also through The Write-In: a weekly meeting where creative people come together, talk about whatever they’re writing and actually write. When Hauser first arrived at Colgate, like Bordonaro, she immediately noticed there was a hole where a creative community could be.

“I started at Colgate in fall 2016, and one of the first things I was trying to learn about [was] the community here. We had the senior exit interviews from graduating English [concentrators], and [at] my first department meeting we were talking about them. And the thing that all of the students said, again and again, was that they wanted a stronger sense of community with other English majors and other creative people,” Hauser said.

From there, Hauser started to meet students through her classes who were interested in cool and creative things, and simply created a space for them to meet and work together.

“So the idea was to have a weekly meetup, where people could come and meet other people who are doing creative stuff. And that also if people who weren’t in creative writing workshops, but wanted to keep writing in their lives, it’s a place to do that […] So yeah, we meet once a week, fluctuating, and I make tea. The teapot is the emotional support tea pot, it has been named by former students,” said Hauser. “There are snacks, my dog comes and distracts everyone, and we go around and we check in with our reading and writing goals.”

After the initial chit chat and tea, the writing begins. Rather than an intense workshop with strict guidelines, the environment is relaxed and open for writers to work at their own pace.

“Then I have a prompt. No one ever does the prompt, but I offer a prompt. And then we write, and then at the end we come back and share what we’ve written if people want to, and then we wash dishes and go home. It’s very simple,” explained Hauser.

The Write-In meets on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the lounge on the third floor of Lathrop Hall. Hauser stressed just how open the Write-In is. Anyone is welcome to just stop by, check out what’s going on and pet Moriarty, Hauser’s Bernese Mountain dog. It’s not just for students, either— truly anyone is welcome.

Senior Giorgio Rahal, a regular at Hauser’s club, reflected on his experience with the meetings:

“[The Write-In] is a great space for keeping writing alive on campus. Everyone comes. We share what we’re working on, what we’re reading and what we’re generally interested in. It’s pretty inspirational, because everyone is always talking about something interesting,” Rahal said.

Between Hauser and Bordonaro, the writing community at Colgate is in good hands. With such devoted members of the community, their fervency does not look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Contact Ana Mashek at amashek@colgate.edu.

FIRST RESPONDERS: Student volunteers pose in uniform outside of the Hamilton Fire Station.

Printed with permission of Carter Hawthornthwaite

DOG-GONE GOOD WRITERS: Professor CJ Hauser’s Dog, Moriarty, sits and supports the student creatives at The Write-In. Printed with permission of CJ Hauser

Men’s Hockey Enters Season Primed for Success

By Jack Donovan Contributing Writer

The Colgate Men’s Hockey team is set to kick off their season on Oct. 1 against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). RPI is set to be a formidable opponent, coming off a season in which they finished 1818-4 and made it to the ECAC semifinals. In a season of ups and downs, including a winning streak of 5 games in a row and a losing streak of 7 games, the Raiders ended the year strong by making a nice run in the conference tournament and eventually bowing out to Quinnipiac. The 2022 season marks a new start for the team, though, and expectations are high.

Junior defenseman Pierson Brandon commented on his expectations for the team this year.

“Let’s just say we expect a way more consistent year than last year. Not dropping as many games, staying in it with a more experienced group. We expect to go further than we did. I

think we grew as a team and we know what we need to do to get where we want to be,” Brandon said.

The team did well last year, but with high offseason expectations, it’s up to the team to continue to meet and even exceed their goals. It is a long season, and maintaining team chemistry and morale is immensely important, something that the team has placed a huge emphasis on as they’ve prepared to get the season underway. Junior goaltender Carter Gylander commented on the importance of team chemistry.

“The chemistry over the last two years has been great and we are carrying that into this year with our returners and our freshmen. You can tell when we’re at the rink that we’re all really excited for this year and have high expectations for what’s to come. Everybody is excited to be there on a daily basis and is looking forward to playing games every weekend,” Gylander said.

The exhibitions at RPI and the home game against Guelph will

SportS

provide a great opportunity for the team to catch their stride and start building up for the season. The first real games are a doubleheader against Northern Michigan on Oct. 7 and 8 here in Hamilton. The Raiders will look to have a successful nonconference schedule as they also take on Arizona State, Merrimack and Vermont before opening up ECAC play against Quinnipiac, the team that ended their season last year.

With 14 upperclassmen, this is an experienced group with key

playoff experience after last year’s conference semifinal run in Lake Placid. Although they couldn’t secure the win, the experience proved to be crucial in a potential postseason push.

When asked about the conference tournament run last year, Junior forward Ross Mitton said, “With a lot of guys coming back after what we went through in the playoffs and coming up just short in the ECAC playoffs, I think that is something that gives us a lot of motivation going into the season. More guys will be able to

step up and really play their roles and all of this experience will give us a lot of depth in the lineup.”

Expectations are high, but the team is ready to meet and hopefully exceed them. There are a lot of games to be played, but the importance of a strong start cannot be overstated. The team is looking to do just that, and fans are just as excited to see the men’s hockey team win some games.

Contact Jack Donovan at jfdonovan@colgate.edu.

Early Season Review for the Premier League’s “Big Six”

Arsenal’s manager, was definitely under pressure to have a strong season and restore the gunners to their historic heights after years of struggle. The club hasn’t won a Premier League title since their “invincible” 2003-2004 season.

Bruyne linking play and dictating the tempo, this iteration of Pep Guardiola’s team is on track to challenge for another title.

Tottenham:

By ian gisiger Contributing Writer

Every year, there are expectations put on the big six of the English Premier League (Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea) to not only outperform the rest of the league but also each other. Four match weekends into the 20222023 season, it is a fair time to give an initial analysis of each and every team and their performances so far.

Without further ado, here is an analysis of the beginning of the season for each Top 6 team:

Arsenal:

Not many people were sure what to expect with Arsenal coming into this season. Mikel Arteta,

The title-winning experience of new signings Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko coupled with the return of William Saliba seems to be the perfect injection of talent. Arsenal started red hot by winning their first four games. Jesus has proved to be the ideal fit for Arteta’s system contributing goals 7 times in 7 games played, a remarkable output for a socalled “reserve winger.” This new fluid style of play seems to suit Jesus and the young team around him.

Currently sitting at the top of the table with 18 points, there is no reason this team cannot be title contenders if Arsenal, Arteta, and Jesus can find an elite level of consistency.

Manchester City:

So far, City’s season has been about one man: Erling Haaland. The $63 million summer signing fee already looks like a steal, and Haaland has far surpassed anyone’s expectations. The 22-year-old already has 11 goals in 7 matches. I don’t think anyone doubted his ability to succeed, but few expected it to happen this quickly and at this magnitude.

The rest of the team, of course, is also firing on all cylinders. With four clean sheets by shot-stopper Ederson, and with Kevin De

After a massive summer spending spree that saw nine new signings join the club, Tottenham has quietly gone about their business in recent weeks. In his first full season with the club, Antonio Conte has brought a sense of confidence and composure to the Tottenham bench. Whether it’s through his intensive fitness tests or his testy but detailed-oriented personality, Conte has his squad in a good position to capture their first major trophy.

Compared to last season’s chaos under Nuno Espírito Santo, this must be a refreshing sight to many loyal Tottenham supporters. Conte has seemed to settle on a front three of England captain Harry Kane, HeungMin Son, and Dejan Kulusevski; all of whom have impressed so far.

What Conte and his well-drilled side make of the upcoming NorthLondon derby will be a true indication of their competitive strength this year.

Manchester United:

For United, all the offseason hype revolved around the arrival of manager, Erik ten Hag. After an almost flawless preseason, which saw ten Hag settle on a front four of Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Martial,

(meaning Ronaldo was relegated to the bench), United came out the gates flat, by losing their first two games. However, a resurgent and motivated United squad went on to win their next four, including wins against top-of-the-table Arsenal and historic rivals Liverpool.

A 4-0 loss to Brentford seemed to be a massive wake-up call for many of the United players. Inserting the recently signed 5’9’’ center-back Lisandro Martinez has reinvented the United backline that looked out of sorts for the better part of a year now.

Consistency is key for this United team. If they can maintain the levels they found in their previous four games, it seems they have a genuine shot at not only the top four but also the title. However, displays such as their first two games will shackle the team and leave them searching for more.

Chelsea:

Oh dear, what has gone wrong at Chelsea? Only 16 months removed from winning the Champions League, manager Thomas Tuchel was sacked after a lackluster start to their season. Barring some spectacular individual performances from Raheem Sterling, this Chelsea team just hasn’t clicked. They lack a focal point in attack, and their once formidable defense seems shaky.

Many will point to the sale of the team by Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovic as a reason for the team’s issues. Almost instantly after purchase,

it felt as if new owner Todd Boehly was looking to leave his mark on the club. However, many argue that sacking a Champions League-proven manager this early in the season is foolish and reckless. On the bright side, Chelsea has been able to lure away Graham Potter from Brighton who has overachieved in the past. He is more than capable of leading Chelsea in the future.

Liverpool: This Liverpool squad somehow seems to be snake bitten. A strong team on paper, they have been dropping easy points to teams they should be beating comfortably. It seems that losing Sadio Mane hurt them a lot more than expected. Darwin Nunez has shown he needs some time to adjust to the rigors of the Premier League, and while I don’t doubt he’ll perform to his potential, Liverpool seems to be lacking that alternative threat to Mo Salah they had with Mane.

Another issue for Liverpool has been injuries. Thiago, one of the best midfielders in the world, cannot be sufficiently replaced with a 35-yearold replacement in James Milner. Still, Liverpool should not be constantly drawing with the likes of Everton, Crystal Palace, and Fulham. Right now Liverpool is looking for some consistency to catapult them back into at least top-6 contention.

Contact Ian Gisgiger at igisiger@colgate.edu.

HAMILTON HUDDLE: The Raiders huddle up after scoring. They posted an 18-18-4 record in 2021, with 10 wins on home ice.

Connor Griffin / Colgate Athletics

Finals

Week 4 Picks

For more stories, go to thecolgatemaroonnews.com

GOLDEN GABRIEL: Gabriel Jesus performs his signature celebration after netting a goal Alexander Hassenstein

Aces Dominate to Win Their First Championship

By Kane edwards Contributing Writer

The Las Vegas Aces, led by guards Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray, along with forward A’ja Wilson, took down the Connecticut Sun in a bestof-five series to secure their first WNBA championship. The Aces impressed, closing the series out in four games in dominating fashion on Sunday, Sept. 18.

This run to success was nothing short of the Aces’ expectations. In a competitive Western Conference, they held the top seed, sitting at 26-10 and holding a 15-3 conference record. Going into the playoffs, they had great momentum as they won their final four games of the regular season, with two victories over the Seattle Storm, a victory over the Atlanta Dream, and a victory over the Chicago Sky. Their first-round opponent was the Phoenix Mercury, who the Aces made quick work of, winning both games by a margin of 26.5 points. Moving onto the second round, they faced their Western Conference rivals, the Seattle Storm. The Storm got the best of them in Game 1, boasting a 76-73 victory. The Aces remained determined, however, and took three straight victories, propelling them into the Finals against the Sun.

Vegas opened the series at home in Michelob Ultra Arena

against a consistent Connecticut Sun team that was also hungry for its first championship. Game one was a nip and tuck battle, but the Aces scraped away with a 67-64 victory. Game two had a little more separation, with the final score ending in an Aces’ 85-71 victory. The Sun didn’t go down without a fight, as they blew the doors off the Aces in a Game three 105-76 win. Eventually, the Aces proved their dominance, closing out the Finals with a 78-71 Game four series-clinching victory led by Chelsea Gray’s 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea Gray was named the WNBA Finals MVP after averaging 18.3 points and 6.0 assists per game. In the heat of the moment, Gray’s championship experience showed. Gray became a WNBA champion with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016 and has played at a championship level throughout her career.

Credit should also go to Becky Hammon for winning the championship in her first season as a WNBA head coach. Hammon was hired by the Aces in 2021 after her long tenure with

the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, where she worked as an assistant to the legendary Greg Popovich. In fact, Hammon became the first female acting head coach in NBA history when she stepped in for Popovich after his ejection against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. Certainly, Hammon already looks the part in her first season as a WNBA head coach.

Hammon not only has an amazing pedigree as a coach but also played in the WNBA from 1999-2014; earning six WNBA All-Star selections during her time as a player. She played her best years for the Las Vegas

Aces franchise (formerly known as the San Antonio Silver Stars), who retired her No. 25 jersey in 2016. “Big-Shot” Becky’s previous history with the franchise makes the finals victory that much more special. Hammon never won a WNBA championship as a player, but now she can add it to her impressive coaching resume. Perhaps even more impressive than winning the Finals was their record throughout the entirety of the playoffs. Their final playoff record ended with eight wins and only two losses. Their competitive spirit and pure dominance were on display all season, and both quickly carried over to the playoffs. Moving into the 2023 season, the Aces will have a huge target on their back as the defending champions. But if this season is any indication of how good they will be next season, the rest of the WNBA is in for trouble.

As we near October, one of the most exciting times of the year is almost set to begin: the start of the NBA season. There is a saying that as one door closes, another one opens. The NBA door is only moments away from opening, while the WNBA door has just recently had a very exciting close, with the Las Vegas Aces having the last laugh.

Contact Kane Edwards at kedwards@colgate.edu.

The Sports Editors’ Week 4 NFL Picks

Notis: Tennessee Titans (+3.5) vs. Indianapolis Colts

There are two, equally possible outcomes for this pick. The first is the Titans get blown out at home. Tennessee’s defense is supposed to be top-tier but has proved otherwise in these first three weeks of the season. They were barely able to squeak past the weak Las Vegas Raiders and needed an incredible game from running back Derrick Henry to do so. When Henry can’t get going, the Titans offense looks more like the Titanic offense, crashing to its demise. If Colts quarterback Matt Ryan can turn back the clock, and if running back Jonathan Taylor can continue to produce, the Colts will stampede over the Titans.

On the flip side, the Titans very well could just hit their stride and take down the Colts. Against the Raiders, Henry bulldozed linemen and it opened up the passing game. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was able to hit receivers in stride and put together great drives. The defense was able to shut the Raiders down when they needed to. Colts quarterback Matt Ryan has struggled early in the season and, with wide receiver Michael Pittman’s injury status unknown, he

is without a primary target. Whatever the outcome, look for a Week 4 blowout in Nashville.

Silverstein: Buffalo Bills (-3) at Baltimore Ravens

Bills Mafia should be heading into this heavyweight AFC showdown with a bad taste in its mouth. Last week in an important divisional matchup with the undefeated Dolphins, Josh Allen threw for 400 yards, the Bills more than doubled the Dolphins’ total yardage and ran 51 more offensive plays. But still, Buffalo somehow lost. The Bills had the highest time of possession in a regulation loss since the Jets lost to the Patriots in the 2014 season. Despite the bitter defeat, the Bills are still the Bills, and last week should be an outlier in an otherwise dominant start to the season.

Meanwhile, the Ravens were able to pick Mac Jones off three times en route to a win over the Patriots, but the defense still ranks worst in the league in pass yards and points allowed per game. This could potentially turn into a highscoring contest, but give me Buffalo on Sunday and a stark reminder of why they are one of the league’s juggernauts.

Martin: New York Jets (+3) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Since T.J. Watt was drafted in 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 0-6 when the star passrusher does not play. Without Watt in the lineup, the Steelers do not pose the same defensive threat for which they have earned a reputation. Moreover, quarterback Mitchell “NVP” Trubisky looks awful and has stunted the Steelers’ offense through their first three games. Frankly, the Steelers need their defense to carry Mitch which is a hard task given the loss of Watt.

Maybe I am too optimistic as a fan, but this matchup seems winnable for a young New York Jets team. Finally, second-year quarterback Zach Wilson looks healthy enough to return to the lineup and replace backup Joe Flacco. Wilson is certainly the wildcard in this game. While some have already deemed Wilson a “bust,” I was impressed by his performance in his last seven games. I think Wilson will be an upgrade over the immobile Joe Flacco, who has missed stud receivers Garrett Willson and Elijah Moore on multiple plays. If Zach Wilson is unable to start this Sunday in Pittsburgh, then I am less confident in Gang Green.

Stuzin: Miami Dolphins (+3.5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals

This one is a bit of a toss-up. Both offenses were firing on all cylinders in Week 3, and this is certainly shaping up to be a high-scoring game. The Bengals, who struggled in Weeks 1 and 2, came back and blew out the Jets. Quarterback Joe Burrow finished with three passing touchdowns and a QB rating (QBR) of 114.9, so clearly the offense is back. At the same time, the Dolphins defeated the seemingly-unstoppable Buffalo Bills last week, with QB

Tua Tagovailoa finishing with a QBR of 123.8. This will be a close matchup, but I expect the undefeated Dolphins to narrowly beat this spread.

Contact Ryan Stuzin at rstuzin@colgate.edu.

Must be 21+ and physically present in New York to place wagers. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, text HOPENY (467369) or call 877-846-7369.

ACES ACQUIRE ACCOLADES: Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson holding up the championship trophy, celebrating with her teammates after their win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, Sept. 18 Jessica Hill/AP Photos

FUMBLING FANATIC: Dolphins safety Jevon Holland forces one of three of Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s fumbles.

Associated Press