11/11/22 Maroon-News

The Colgate Maroon-News

Search for New Title IX Coordinator

By Rio Lacey Staff Writer

On Monday, Oct. 31, Renee Madison, the vice president for equity and inclusion, sent an email to the Colgate University community an nouncing the start of a search for a new Title IX Coordinator. The email explained that Tamala Flack, who had held the position since the sum mer of 2021, decided to leave Colgate in order to explore other interests.

Before serving as the University's Title IX Coordinator, Flack served as Colgate's Executive Director for Equity and Inclusion, overseeing affirmative action and equal employment opportunities. Both this position and the Title IX Coordinator are under the Office of Equity and Diversity.

First@Colgate Organizes Week-Long

First-Generation Student Celebration

By Reade FenneR Staff Writer

From Friday, Nov. 4, to Thursday, Nov. 10, First@Colgate hosted a First-Generation Cel ebration Week to honor these individuals. The program provides support to students who are the first in their families to attend college. Based around National First-Generation Celebra tion Day, which is established throughout the United States as a way to honor first-generation college students, the week included a variety of events and activities that aimed to support and celebrate first-generation students.

The week kicked off on Friday with a bowling night in partnership with the Office of Student Involvement. At the event, students were shuttled from Colgate to a bowling alley off campus, with the goal being to allow firstgeneration students to gather as a community and enjoy themselves.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, First@Colgate partnered with the COVE to participate in community service alongside the Colgate caretakers, an organization that partners with Crouse Community's Hamilton Adult Day Health Center to provide support to adults with long-term diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. With these patients, First@Colgate organized activities involving origami and cards that were sent to patients at the Health Center.

In an effort to bring exposure to the experiences of first-generation students at Colgate, students were encouraged to share their stories via Instagram on Sunday. Tabisha Raymond, the assistant director of First@ Colgate, hopes that through this social media campaign, students will become more comfortable sharing their identity as firstgeneration students.

“It's very easy to forget that we go through a bunch of different trials and tribulations that a student who had both parents obtain degrees

might not have gone through in terms of lack of support, financial support, and an array of other things that take place in the communities that we've come from,” Raymond said. “[This cam paign] is an opportunity to reflect on how far the students have come, why they're proud to be here, and why they're proud to be first.”

On Monday evening First@Colgate celebrated the achievements of first-generation students at Women’s Basketball’s first game of the season against Cornell. Attendees were presented with the opportunity to enter raffles and answer trivia questions throughout the game. First@ Colgate especially wanted to honor junior Tiasia McMillan, a member of the First@Colgate staff, who is not only a first-generation student, but also plays on the Women’s Basketball team.

Dean Rajhai Spencer, assistant dean for administrative advising and director of First@ Colgate, explains that First@Colgate chose to support this game and to organize the art showcase for first-generation students on Wednesday, in an effort to highlight the multifaceted identities of first-generation students.

“This event is significant because we're not only recognizing that we've expanded to include offers to students, but that first-gen students carry multiple identities on campus,” Spencer said. “They walk in different circles, and some of them overlap multiple times. But we're all a part of a larger community together and we're here to support each other.”

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, National FirstGeneration Celebration Day, First@Colgate hosted a reception honoring not only the current first-generation students of Colgate, but also first-generation staff, faculty, and alumni.

Spencer explains that this event could serve as a networking opportunity for first-genera tion students and allow them to see examples of first-generation success.

“A lot of students often think they're all alone and it's hard to see the finish line at times,”

Spencer said. “But if you can see an example of a professor who's gotten a PhD in physics, or sociology, or whatever the case is, and hear a little bit about their story over lunch, that's a great opportunity to network and build connections.”

The week closed with a "Marketing Me" Workshop hosted by Career Services on Thursday. During this event, students learned about how to use LinkedIn and share their past experiences with the professional world.

Raymond explained that the workshop’s goal is to teach first-generation students to articulate their accomplishments, even those they do not see as important.

“[The goal of this workshop] is trying to encourage [first-generation students] to talk more about their experiences,” Raymond said. “Especially the experiences that they undervalue or they don't appreciate as much because they don't feel as though it's significant. But, everything that they've done up until this point is of significance and will continue in their professional development.”

With First-Generation Celebration Week, First@Colgate aimed to celebrate the accom plishments and experiences of Colgate’s firstgeneration students. First year and first-genera tion student Ashley Espinal Núñez, who served as a program assistant, hoped this week shed some light on the first-generation experience.

“I hope that nobody ever diminishes other people's feelings,” Espinal Núñez said. “We're all going through different things and under take them differently. It's all about learning from your mistakes and growing. Some people defi nitely have it easier than others, but we're all here to succeed. No matter where we come from, no matter our income. It's all about reaching out for help and being assured that you're not a soldier that was left behind.”

Contact Reade Fenner at rfenner@colgate.edu.

Madison emphasized the impact of this position, as well as the search process, in describing Flack's commitment during her time in the Office of Equity and Diversity.

“In each of these roles, [Flack] brought compassion, a commitment to fair and equitable practices, and an extraordinary work ethic,” Madison said. “But the most common theme that you will hear, in reference to Tamala, is that she took the time to really listen to you.”

Although she only served as the Title IX Coordinator for one and a half years, Flack left a positive impact on both the Office of Equity and Diversity and the Colgate community at large, according to Madison. Now, the office must evaluate new candidates who will effective ly carry out the same responsibilities that Flack previously did.

As outlined by Colgate’s Non-Discrimination and Title IX Policy, “the Title IX Coordinator and Equity and Diversity Officer oversee implementation of the policy and processes for responding to complaints of sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination, discriminatory harassment and other violations of this policy.”

In looking for replacement candidates, Madison said she and her team plan to look to members of Colgate’s community for help in narrowing down possible individuals.

FIRST-GEN FUN: First@Colgate honored National First-Generation Celebration Day (Nov. 8) with a week-long celebration including athletic events, bowling and a keynote speaker — all to commemorate the impact of first-generation students at Colgate. Ashley Espinal Núñez

NEW TITLES: Madison became acting Title IX Coordinator amid the vacancy.

Colgate University

New Ray Bros. Pop-Up Smokin’ Brothers Inc. Opens in Hamilton

By Emma mccartan Contributing Writer

Ray Brothers BBQ’s new pop-up shop, Smokin’ Brothers Inc., opened last weekend on Oct. 28, adding a new dining option to downtown Hamilton.

Brothers Tucker and Colin first opened Ray Brothers BBQ in 2014 in Bouckville, N.Y. Ray Brothers is known for their au thentic ribs, smoked for up to 14 hours, that won “Best Ribs in New York” by Food Net work. Now, Colgate students and Hamilton residents can get a taste of Ray Brothers at their new sandwich shop at 22 Utica St. Featuring burritos, bowls, tacos, sandwiches and more, the shop offers a variety of options for downtown diners.

During the 2022 Fall Fest, Ray Brothers hosted a table where students could get quick bites, unlike in the restaurant which is oriented toward sitdown meals. Ray Brothers’ of fice manager, Jami Canetti, likened that booth to the new downtown location.

“The sandwich shop is walkin only — easy and quick. We wanted to have more of a graband-go feel, similar to how we operate when we vend up on campus,” Canetti explained.

Junior Kieran Keel, a selfproclaimed barbecue enthusiast,

boasted that he was Smokin’ Brothers’ first customer.

“I require a photo on the wall at Ray’s […] I think it would be funny,” Keel said. “My friend was talking a big game about being first and I thought it might be funny to take the title from him. I was the superior barbecue enthusiast.”

The menu changes at this pop-up location are a surprise to students who have dined at the original location, according to Keel.

“It seems like they mostly do sandwiches and burritos, where as the [original] mostly does just BBQ on a plate,” Keel said.

Canetti gave further insight into the menu differences at the pop-up.

“We prep almost everything at the restaurant so we still provide smoked, grilled and marinated options in the RBQ style but [Tucker and Colin Ray] wanted to provide a more ‘Build Your Own’ menu which includes burritos and burrito bowls, some signature sandwich options and more. Soon we will have daily specials to choose from as well,” Canetti said.

The sandwich recipes offered at Smokin’ Brothers originate from the first location, which allows long-standing custom ers to still enjoy their favorite menu items.

“We have not posted the menu online or on our social media, but at this point, I don’t think we will change it. The daily menus will be revolv ing once we start rolling them out,” Canetti said.

Senior Shannon Keefe remarked that Smokin’ Brothers is a great new downtown dining option for students.

“I think a really smart decision is that they’re open on Mondays and a lot of places [in town] aren’t,” Keefe said.

Keefe also noted the many restaurants had been in the space previously and commended the restaurant’s reasonable prices.

“It’s kind of within the price range of most things in town, it’s fast and easy and that space has had a lot of turnover — I know it’s only going to be there for a year but it’s nice to have

some options cycle through,” Keefe said.

Colgate’s dining staff shortages at the beginning of this school year were one of the main issues the owners wanted to address with the opening of Smokin’ Brothers, according to Canetti.

“Colgate originally reached out to us with this opportunity to provide another dining option for the community, especially for its students, faculty and staff,” Canetti said. “This is purely a pop-up and we will only be running this operation until the end of the spring semester. We certainly encourage students to bring their families over to get a bite to eat whenever they are in town because we won’t be there for long, sadly.”

Although Smokin’ Brothers may not be open for long, Ca netti shared that there are already

get to the academic centers of Colgate’s campus and the major dining venues.

Although the online cruiser schedule timetables — avail able on Colgate University’s website and the TransLoc app — were changed, junior So phia Yee said she was dissat isfied with how the schedule change was handled.

“I feel like it inconveniences a lot of people who live offcampus and in the townhouses, especially in the mornings. And there was no warning about it,” Yee said. “I feel like the school definitely could have handled this change better.”

Cruiser Riders Report Schedule Issues Amid Changing Traffic Patterns

By conor Burns Contributing Writer

New campus construction has recently interrupted Col gate’s cruiser transportation system, leaving students un sure of pick-up times. Col gate University officially broke ground on the construction of

the Benton Center for Creativ ity and Innovation on Sunday, Sept. 30, and the site — locat ed between Dana Arts Center, Little Hall and James B. Col gate Hall — has temporarily closed a portion of Lally Lane, forcing the closing of the Dana Arts Center cruiser stop. The closure has changed traffic pat

terns across the Lower Campus as Lally Lane has ceased to be a continuous roadway, now act ing as two separate extended parking lots.

This change has affected several cruiser routes including the townhouse and apartment routes, which help students liv ing in lower campus residences

First Transit, which operates the Colgate Cruiser, did not immediately respond to multi ple requests for comment from The Colgate Maroon-News

The sudden switch also caused fear of being late to class and the potential academ ic ramifications that may come with not getting to class on time, junior Abbie Sloan said.

“There is no warning if the cruiser time changes. It makes me late to class and appear dis organized and uncaring to my professors but it is a situation out of my control,” Sloan said. “Students deserve a reliable source of transportation.”

ideas for further involvement on Colgate’s campus.

“We have some ideas rolling around about possible nighttime gatherings at the Smokin’ Broth ers Sandwich Shop but we’re still getting a feel of the location and the type of business we are pulling in,” Canetti said.

The Cuban sandwich is one of the best additions to the new menu, according to Keel and Keefe, who both noted the high quality of the bread. Open until May 2023, Colgate stu dents have until the end of this academic year to try Smokin’ Brothers. It is open Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contact Emma McCartan at emccartan@colgate.edu.

According to sophomore Sabikun Orpita, the TransLoc app has also been troublesome for students that still live on campus.

“The cruiser never arrives on time. Once we went to Price Chopper on a Sunday and it abandoned us in the middle of a rainstorm and we had like 3 bags of groceries,” Orpita said. “We waited for 30 minutes be fore the app updated and told us the scheduled cruiser isn’t coming anymore and we had to walk back to campus.”

Orpita also noted how the cruiser and app have changed from her experience during her first year on campus.

While the Colgate Cruiser’s schedule is subject to change based on availability, weather, time and drivers, students felt that these changes were different than normal operational adjustments.

“I think last year they at least used to give factual updates on the TransLoc app [...] now we’ll have to wait 45 minutes for a scheduled cruiser and it never arrives,” Orpita explained.

Conor Burns at ctburns@colgate.edu.

BRINGING THE BBQ: Customers lined up to order at the new Ray Brother’s pop-up at 22 Utica Street. Smokin’ Brothers serves grab-and-go style fare including sandwiches and burritos.

Instagram/@raybrothersrbq

Contact

TEDIOUS TIMING: Riders of Colgate’s Cruiser system, which is operated by First Transit, have noted flawed schedules and changes to stops resulting from construction and road closures.

Colgate University

BLOTTER COLGATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS SAFETY REPORT

10/31 MONDAY

9:20 AM Academic Quad: Campus Safety responded to a lost property report.

9:57 AM Lathrop Hall: Campus Safety re sponded to a medical injury and the stu dent was transported to CMH by Campus Safety.

11:24 AM West Hall: Campus Safety re sponded to a fire alarm activation and the cause was burnt food

12:00 PM Case Library: Campus Safety received a report of a minor motor vehicle accident.

1:10 PM Pinchin Hall: Campus Safety re sponded to a fire alarm activation and the cause was undetermined.

1:53 PM Reid Athletic Center: Campus Safety responded to property damage.

7:35 PM Frank Dining Hall: Campus Safety responded to a medical injury and transported a student to CMH.

7:50 PM Campus Safety Office: Campus Safety received a report of a student receiv ing a possible fraudulent hiring scam.

8:05 PM 66 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a stolen property report.

11/1 TUESDAY

12:25 AM 110 Broad Street: Campus Safety

responded to a fire alarm and the cause was cooking.

2:30 AM 180 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a medical injury and the stu dent was transported to CMH by Campus Safety.

4:40 PM Oak Drive: Campus Safety re ceived found property.

6:22 PM College Street: Campus Safety re ceived a report of a motor vehicle accident, no injuries reported.

11:02 PM Stillman Hall: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was from humidity.

11:02 PM Stillman Hall: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was from humidity.

11/2 WEDNESDAY

4:40 PM Oak Drive: Campus Safety re ceived found property.

6:25 PM 88 Broad Street: Campus Safety received a report of an object (air mattress) in Taylor Lake.

11/3 THURSDAY

1:05 AM 80 Broad Street: Campus Safety received a report of suspicious activity that occurred on 11/1/22.

12:28 PM 110 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was an air freshener.

4:19 PM Alumni Lot: Campus Safety responded to a motor vehicle accident (hit and run).

9:16 PM Russell House: Campus Safety responded to suspicious activity.

11/4 FRIDAY

12:01 AM 180 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was from cooking.

7:52 AM Facilities: Campus Safety received a report of suspicious activity that occurred on Saturday, 10/29/22.

11/5 SATURDAY

2:33 AM 110 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was a discharged fire extinguisher.

5:31 PM Curtis Hall: Campus Safety responded to a concern for welfare report; the student was located and safe.

6:25 PM Ho Science Center: Campus Safe ty responded to a semi-conscious student, SOMAC responded and transported to CMH.

11:06 PM 180 Broad Street: Campus Safe

ty responded to a report of an intoxicated student, SOMAC responded and the stu dent was released by SOMAC.

11/6 SUNDAY

1:02 AM 66 Broad Street: Campus Safety responded to a trouble alarm and the cause was an unknown individual pulling the de tector down, which disconnected the wires, PM responded and reattached the wires.

1:45 AM Gate House: Campus Safety responded to a report of an intoxicated student, SOMAC responded and the student was released by SOMAC.

1:16 PM Newell Apartments: Campus Safe ty responded to a distressed student and SOMAC responded and transported the student to an area hospital.

3:38 PM O’Connor Campus Center: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was from heat and humidity.

7:33 PM O’Connor Campus Center: Campus Safety responded to a fire alarm and the cause was heat from the pizza oven.

8:01 PM General Use Lot: Campus Safety responded to a suspicious activity report and transported the student to their resi dence.

Title IX Vacancy Prompts National Search

Continued from A-1.

“We have already posted the position on our website, and will soon be looking to identify members of the search committee in short order and aim to have representatives from the Dean of the College and students to help search for a new Title IX Coordinator,” Madison said.

Madison noted that the office expects to have its new Title IX Coordinator by the 2023 spring semester. In the meantime, Mad ison will serve as the acting replacement for this position.

“While the title of Acting Title IX Coordinator is a new one for me at Colgate, I have significant experience earlier in my career serving as a Title IX Coordinator [at DePauw University], and I have been engaged in conversations about Title IX since my arrival at Colgate,” Madison said. “However, now I will be more directly involved in our efforts to respond to concerns raised about sexual harassment, assault and relationship violence, and overseeing our adjudication process, as well as prevention and bystander education and training.”

In the Oct. 31 email, Madison emphasized that during this transitional period, there are a number of resources available to students for the prevention and adjudication of sexual vio lence. The Deputy Title IX Coordinator po sitions will be filled by Kim Taylor, dean for administrative advising and student conduct, and Kimberly Keenan-Kirkpatrick, Esq., in terim head cross country coach. According to the email, the responsibilities of this posi tion will be split; Taylor will be available to students for questions on reporting, resources and support, while Keenan-Kirkpatrick will field student questions about the formal ad judication process.

In addition to these officers, other confidential resources are the Prohibited Conduct Response Group (PCRG), Colgate’s sexual violence survivor support center, the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services, the Office of the Chaplains, Student Health Services, Help Restore Hope and the staff at Haven.

The Assistant Director of Haven, Michele Passonno, emphasized Haven as a continued resource for students on campus amidst fac ulty change in the Title IX Office.

“The Haven staff remains steadfast in our responsibility and commitment to support ing survivors and want to make sure students know that we remain available to them re gardless of this change in staffing,” Passonno said. “I know my colleagues in the Counsel ing Center, Administrative Advising, Student Health Services, and the Chaplaincy would also want students to know that this transition in the Title IX Coordinator doesn’t change the level of support they offer to students.”

In addition, sophomore and Haven ambassador Meghan Subak expressed her confidence in the resources available during this transition.

“Haven does so much work to serve as a safe resource against sexual violence for the community,” Subak said. “So along with the other organizations and Madison as an acting Title IX officer, I hope that Colgate students will still feel supported.”

Madison reiterates this hope, and as the acting Title IX Coordinator, she said she looks forward to the opportunity to work with stu dents and colleagues in their efforts to elimi nate sexual violence.

Contact Rio Lacey at rlacey@colgate.edu.

Student-Led Organizations Work to Increase Voter Turnout for Election Day

By AnAstAsiA thumser Staff Writer

Amidst historically low voter turnout among younger age groups, student-led organizations like Democracy Matters and the Colgate Vote Project encouraged Colgate students to vote this week for the midterm elections on Nov. 8.

Sophomore Owen Fahey, coleader of Democracy Matters, described the organization’s efforts.

“Democracy Matters works towards informing the student body on how to vote, how to register to vote and what they can expect to be on their ballot,” Fahey said. “The main task we have been doing recently is tabling at the Coop, which allows any student passing by to either request a ballot or register to vote in five minutes or less.”

In addition to Democracy Matters, the Colgate Vote Project (CVP) is run by student volunteers that encourage political activism and increased voter participation. The group works to ensure that students are civically engaged and aware of the online resources that can supplement their political knowledge and participation.

Sophomore Sarah van Dyke, co-leader of CVP, spoke about how the organization promoted student civic involvement.

“Colgate Vote Project has been working hard the last several months to ensure that Colgate students were aware of voter registration deadlines, absentee ballot regulations and how to vote! Through [first-year seminar] visits, tabling events and mass emails, we hope to have reached a large portion of the student body,” van Dyke said.

While student-led organizations provide the basics in terms of civic engagement and voter registration, some students believe that outside knowledge and personal motivation are key factors in a student’s decision to vote, rather than university efforts.

First-year and New York resident Danielle Spyra said she was unsure of how to request an absentee ballot, so she went home in order to ensure that she voted before Election Day.

“I wasn’t aware of the deadlines of when I could switch my registration address or request an absentee ballot, so I couldn’t vote [from] Colgate,” Spyra said. “However, since I was going home this weekend, I went and voted early. This process of voting in-person in my county was not complicated at all.”

Sophomore Kennedy Barton, who voted in her home state of Texas, said that being at Colgate did not encourage nor hinder her voting plan.

“For me, the voting process was super easy. I looked up how to vote by mail, and Vote.org provided steps and a checklist to vote out-of-state,” Barton said. “The one thing that made voting difficult at Colgate was knowing when to check my mailbox [for the mail-in ballot]. Other than that, I did my own research, as I am fairly passionate about voting [Texas Governor Greg Abbott] out.”

While Barton was eager to cast her vote, Fahey acknowledged that most of the student body does not necessarily share such a passion.

“Many students seem to have a disinterest when it comes to politics,” Fahey said. “I believe that a large portion of this has to do with students living in ‘safe districts,’ which means they think their vote doesn’t matter.”

But Fahey continued that Democracy Matters has initiatives to combat such issues and encourage increased voter turnout.

“[Democracy Matters] works towards changing this narrative [that votes don’t matter] by educating the student body on any other additional things that might be on their ballot,” Fahey said, “as well as possibly switching their residency to Hamilton, which is not [in] a safe district.”

Organizations such as Democracy Matters and the

CVP have contributed to the encouragement of civic engagement. According to CVP’s Instagram, Colgate’s voter turnout increased by 22.4 percent between the 2016 and 2020 midterm elections. However, many believe that the University needs to take a more active role when it comes to increasing voter turnout.

“I believe that Colgate does a good job of informing the student body [about the voting process], such as through COVE events,” Fahey said. “However, there needs to be a bigger publicity push for students to vote, rather than just outreach clubs taking on the task.”

Spyra agreed, adding that she believes that the average Colgate student cares about civic engagement but needs an extra push to get to the polls.

“Voting is important to me,” Spyra said, “and although I know the extent to which voting matters is different for everyone, I think, for the most part, voting is important to other students, too.”

IR Speaker Series Hosts Talk on Political Violence in Pakistan

places around the world, and, you know, even happened here just very recently, so I think everyone finds it to be a scary phenomenon,” Koter said.

In the case of Pakistan, political violence has been prominent for a long period of time, Koter ex plained. She believes it’s important for people to understand the rea soning behind this violence, which Siddiqui covered in her talk.

By ellie WeBer Staff Writer

The International Relations speaker series hosted “Under the Gun: Political Violence in Paki stan” on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The speaker, Niloufer Siddiqui, is an assistant professor of political sci ence at the University of Albany. She presented the research from her new book of the same title as this lecture.

The speaker series is run by Harvey Picker Professor of International Relations Fred Chernoff. Chernoff works with the political science faculty to gather ideas for scholars partaking in

research, and usually brings in two or three speakers each semester.

This event was co-hosted by Associate Professor of Political Science Dominika Koter, who had personally suggested bringing in Siddiqui.

“I was familiar with her work.

Cambridge University Press asked me to be a reviewer of her book manuscript,” Koter said. “I thought it was really fascinating, so I thought that would be interesting for students as well.”

Political violence is an important topic for students to be informed about, according to Koter.

“Obviously, political violence is something that happens in many

“Sometimes we look at political violence, or any violence, and think that it’s not rational. It’s just people committing violent acts,” Koter said. “Political scientists have shown over the years that violence and political violence can be very strategic. It’s used to fulfill certain specific goals. That’s always something that I want students to appreciate, this instrumental use of violence and who is in the role of politicians and political parties in directing that violence.”

Koter was impressed by the engagement of the students in attendance.

“In comparison to other talks over the years, I actually thought there were a lot of questions coming from students at a steady pace,” Koter said.

After the talk, Koter said that Siddiqui was also impressed with the questions students proposed.

“She found them really relevant, and these were smart questions,” Koter said. “She really appreciated that.”

Sophomores Natalie Schonfeld and Jane Garrity both attended the talk, having heard about it from their Fundamentals of International Relations class.

“I learned a lot about the different parties in Pakistan and the violence and the different types of violence, whether it’s outsourced or direct, or alliance-based which is pretty interesting,” Schonfeld said.

Garrity was also interested in Siddiqui’s presentation and found it informative.

“I learned just about violence and elections in general, and how the rise of democracy has been joined with the rise of violence with elections,” Garrity said.

Neither of the students were informed on the topic beforehand, and came out of the talk with a new appreciation for the subject.

“I think it’s important because [in class] we talked about emerg ing democracies and learned about how there’s still a lot of violence and it’s still prevalent, even with the in

crease of democracy. It’s important to learn about it and figure out how we can possibly stop violence,” Schonfeld said.

Garrity elaborated on why she thinks it’s important to learn about political violence.

“I think it’s also easy to judge from afar, like when you hear that there’s violence and instability in another country, and then learn ing about the specifics within each party and within each country and why there [are] so many issues with their democracy and corrup tion and just knowing that there’s so much more going on behind the scenes,” Garrity said.

Koter explained why she thinks it’s beneficial for students to come to these types of events in general.

“I think it’s important for students to meet the researchers to get some insight into the research process,” Koter said. “I had a chance to talk to my students the day after the talk, and they said they really appreciated learning more about who is doing this type of research, what are the dangers, the constraints, and to actually hear it from a human being.”

Contact Ellie Weber at eweber@colgate.edu.

Contact Anastasia Thumser at athumser@colgate.edu.

MIDTERM MADNESS: Student groups such as the Colgate Vote Project and Democracy Matters stressed the importance of vot ing leading up to the midterm elections on Nov. 8.

PAKISTANI POLITICS: Albany professor Niloufer Siddiqui discussed her book and research on political violence in Pakistan.

Niloufer Siddiqui

Sophie Mack

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By Michael hanratty Staff Writer

Each month, Gallup asks Americans whether or not they approve of the work Congress is doing. Each month, fewer than a quarter of them respond in the affirmative.

For nearly a decade and a half, Congress’ approval rating has been in the tank. The causes are myriad: a screeching halt to legislative activity, intense partisanship and an increasingly performative and governing class are just a few. In the last year, though, something curious has happened. On three major issues of national importance – infrastructure, guns and science and technology – Congress passed significant bipartisan legislation. And they may act on election reform and gay marriage before the year is over. For the first time in years, Congress is passing bipartisan bills supported by clear majorities of the American public. Is it a mirage? Or, beyond belief, have we made Congress great again?

The first sign of a changing wind in Congress came during the summer of 2021, as a group of ten moderate senators produced a compromise infrastructure proposal to spend $550 billion over ten years. For Democrats, it represented an opportunity to fulfill a key campaign promise and get President Biden his first legislative “win.” For Senate Republicans, the infrastructure deal was a particularly enticing way to prove that Congress could still do big, bipartisan things while the filibuster remained in place. The bill was exactly the sort you might expect Congress to pass with regularity – it enjoyed support from more than 60 percent of the public, including nearly half of Republicans, according to a Navigator Research poll. The bill passed the Senate with nearly 70 votes, then passed the House comfortably after progressives dropped their demand that the bill is attached to the President’s Build Back Better plan. It strengthened trust among moderates of both parties that even in today’s polarized age, there are still legislative deals to be had. That trust proved important after mass shootings in Texas and New York during the spring of 2022. This time, an even smaller group of senators went to work to see where there could be bipartisan agreement on federal gun legislation. They came up with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which expanded background checks to gun buyers under the age of 21 and enticed states to implement “red-flag” laws, which allow a court to temporarily take

Democrats and Republicans agreed to limit the scope of the bill — to pass something that included everything they agreed on, and nothing else. It was Congress as it should work, and to many Americans, it was refreshing.

Finally, just a few months ago, a $250 billion package investing in American semiconductor manufacturing and broader scientific research and development passed the House and Senate with votes from both parties. For several years now, there has been an emerging bipartisan consensus about the need to be “tough” on China and prepare for a “new Cold War.” The CHIPS and Science Act, passed in August, was perhaps the first major legislation to reflect that consensus.

Senator Todd Young, one of the lead Republican supporters of the bill, called it a “national security imperative” and hailed it as a major shift in U.S. strategy toward China. Congress’ spate of bipartisan activity might not be over just yet, either. Lawmakers have hinted at acting on two major issues in the “lame duck” session of Congress before the end of this year. A bill legalizing gay marriage at the Federal level passed the House over the summer with significant Republican support, and there are indications that the bill may have the requisite ten Republican votes to break a Senate filibuster. Likewise, a bipartisan group of senators including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is supporting a deal reforming the Electoral Count Act and making it more difficult for Congress to overturn the results of a presidential election.

There are important reasons to doubt whether Congress’ recent flurry of activity is sustainable, though. None of the three deals mentioned above went through the committee process – each of them was the product of a roving gang of senators teaming up on a particular issue. As senators come and go and political incentives change, it’s fair to question whether the bipartisan successes of this Congress can be replicated. And it’s important to consider the nature of these bipartisan agreements – the infrastructure deal and the CHIPS Act were essentially pure spending bills. Congress does little better than spending other people’s money. When it comes time to make the tough fiscal decisions our future requires, will compromise be so easy?

Congress has a long way to go – a few important bills cannot obfuscate the fact that real challenges lie ahead if it seeks to reclaim the bipartisanship and productivity of an earlier time. As an institution, Congress is still broken in significant ways. But for the first time in a decade, there is cause for hope. During this 117th Congress, serious legislators proved that they can still craft consensus policy on issues of

Michael Hanratty

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Pennsylvania to Vote After Oz-Fetterman Debate

RIGHT BEING LEFT WHAT’S

By Josephine DeBono Contributing Writer

On Tuesday, Oct. 25, John Fetterman (D) and Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) squared off in their first and only debate for a seat as Pennsylvania’s senator.

John Fetterman, a graduate of the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, a seasoned member of the Democratic Party, 34th lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and mayor of Braddock county, is running against Dr. Mehmet Oz, a celebrity surgeon famous for his 12-year running television series, “The Oz Show,” which seeks to give everyday Americans health advice through their screen. Upon the airing of their only debate for a U.S. Senate seat, Pennsylvanians were left questioning not only the candidates’ unclear stances on hotbutton issues but also Fetterman’s competency to hold public office having just suffered a stroke in May. While Fetterman has released a letter from his physician clearing him for holding public office, he has refused to release any other medical records. His struggles during the debate to answer coherently, timely and with relevant information, despite accessibility accommodations made for his speech, coupled with his hearing difficulties leaves many questioning whether someone the public considers cognitively impaired is equipped for the taxing office of senator. His responses to questions were often awkward, instead resorting to ad hominem personal attacks regarding Dr. Oz’s wealth, lifestyle and weak ties to Pennsylvania. Dr. Oz, on the other hand, was able to articulate his stances and plans should he be elected even if many disagreed with him, ultimately allowing him to supersede Fetterman in the polls for the first time, according to the New York Post. Yet, Dr. Oz’s success doesn’t make him right to serve as Pennsylvania’s senator.

To truly evaluate the fitness of Dr. Oz as a holder of public office we should start by looking at his history of putting profit before public health during his tenure as ‘America’s favorite doctor.’ On his famous show, Dr. Oz often gave medical advice that wasn’t based on evidence or the caliber of scientific study that his degree would warrant, in order to maintain

lucrative sponsorships. For example, Dr. Oz supported the use of Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 on Fox & Friends, even though only anecdotal non-peer-reviewed evidence existed to support its efficacy, most probably because he held stocks in companies that manufacture and distribute the drug, as CNBC reports.  A Business Insider Article reveals he also promoted the benefits of astrology (a pseudoscience) in understanding our health in a since-deleted tweet. Most famously as also detailed in Business Insider , he has touted the miraculous benefits of green coffee bean extract for weight loss, the extract produced by a company in Texas that then faced a lawsuit by the FTC. There were no proper studies accounting for the benefits of the extract and thus Dr. Oz was called to testify in front of the Congressional Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and insurance in 2014. So egregious have been his violations of the Hippocratic oath that Columbia University, where he completed his residency in Cardiothoracic surgery, has publicly cut ties with him, according to WebMD. It’s extremely unsettling that a man who has used his power and the public’s trust in his credentials to further his own interests at any expense will be shaping public policy and law.

Dr. Oz’s candidacy for Senate is also increasingly dangerous when we consider that he has committed himself to fight for a Republican’s vision for a utopian America when so many issues will be up for discussion in Congress. Dr. Oz is against abortion access, claiming the federal government has no right to intervene in a state’s decision regarding abortion law and is thus supporting the overturning of Roe V. Wade except in cases of rape, incest, and the danger posed to the mother’s life, according to CNN. Furthermore, as the effects of police violence are felt throughout the nation, Dr. Oz has pledged to fund the police and is endorsed by the Philadelphia Police Union, according to NBC Philadelphia. His problematic approaches to high-stakes issues can be perfectly summed up in the fact that he is endorsed by disgraced former president Donald J. Trump.

Story continues online.

By nate Biller Staff Writer

On Oct. 25, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman (D) and Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) met for the first and – at the firm insistence of the Fetterman campaign – only time, to face off ahead of the impending election for Pennsyl vania’s open Senate seat.

This one-sided demonstration should put to rest any question of whether Fetterman is medically sound to serve in the office these two men are vying for. It was a given that he would have difficulty stringing his sentences together throughout the debate, as has been the case ever since his stroke six months ago. But his performance erased any doubt that his lack of cognition is as much as his lack of lin guistic ability.

His inability to comprehend the mod erator’s questions without the assistance of two closed captioning monitors – an accommoda tion generously agreed to by the Oz campaign, Politico reports – was proof enough that his re covery was progressing more shakily than he’d let on. And his signature word salads were far more jumbled than usual. But his refusal to dis close his medical records regarding the stroke further confirms this.

Whatever doctor cleared Fetterman to go on that debate stage, let alone run for Senate, should be sued for malpractice. Pennsylva nians should have been skeptical already when news broke, per the Washington Examiner, that this same doctor, Dr. Clifford Chen, was a donor to his campaign.

However, it is too easy to pin Fetterman’s abysmal performance on his health. Anyone paying attention already knew that he was more impaired than he would ever admit, and those who ignore this fact default to accus ing those expressing concern of bullying the poor lieutenant governor. The real takeaway from this debate is just how flawed Fetterman really is, even absent his condition.

It was clear that he’d come woefully under prepared that night, struggling with even the most basic policy questions. He was left frozen like a buffering computer when asked to ex plain his contradictory statements on fracking,

having previously said in a YouTube interview, “I don’t support fracking at all and I never have.” Eventually realizing he could not reconcile his own words, Fetterman stumbled through his answer: “I do support fracking, and I don’t, I don’t – I support fracking, and I stand, and I do support fracking.” Inspiring words from the lieutenant governor.

Fetterman embraced a few white lies across the debate to discredit his opponent. Such was the case when they talked about healthcare. Oz, a professed moderate and for mer heart surgeon, lambasted the lieutenant governor for supporting the socialized medi cine platforms of other such progressives as Senator Bernie Sanders.

“Again, it’s the Oz rule, he’s on television and he’s lying,” Fetterman retorted. “I never supported any of that thing.” This late in the debate, it had already become abundantly clear that Fetterman had done less than the bare minimum to prepare, but you could be forgiven for thinking that he would have at least read his own website, where it states, “In the Senate, I will support any legislation that gets us closer to the goal of universal health care coverage.”

This was a regular occurrence throughout the night. Cognizant of the fact that he couldn’t compete with Oz on the debate stage, Fetter man often defaulted to accusing his opponent of lying without any actual rebuttal, trying to get the ball rolling on a term he dubbed “the Oz rule.” But, like fetch, it’s never gonna happen.

In contrast to the disheveled lieutenant governor, Dr. Oz made succinct, professional arguments throughout the event. He stayed true to his marketing as a moderate choice for the people of Pennsylvania, staunchly op posing the interference of the federal govern ment on the state’s way of life in all manners discussed. He even openly acknowledged this would put him at odds with his own party on major issues, such as abortion. “I am not gon na support federal rules that block the abil ity of states to do what they wish to do,” Oz said of fellow Republican Lindsey Graham’s recently introduced anti-abortion bill.

Story continues online.

Truth, Verification and Elon Musk’s Twitter

By aBBy harn Contributing Writer

If you’ve been on social media in the last decade, then you’ve probably noticed a little blue checkmark next to the handle of your favorite celebrity or influencer. This badge is a symbol of verification, a vetting process that has been introduced to platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok over the past several years to provide an extra layer of protection. Becoming verified looks different on every platform, but the end goal is the same. With the unprecedented rise of dodgy internet scammers who pose a real threat to users’ digital security, social media platforms are using this process to distinguish influencers from imposters and big brands from frauds. When users spot a check, they know that any information coming from that verified source is authentic. This way, if a scammer tries to pose as a celebrity and post misinformation, users have the ability to “verify” the accuracy of that post by looking for a check. If a check is the virtual equivalent of a green flag, not having one can definitely be a red flag. It is a vast understatement to claim that these checkmarks are a big deal for

cybersecurity. In today’s digital age where half of our lives are spent online, this ittybitty icon is a symbol of extraordinary power. Not only does it signify that you are in tune with your virtual presence, but it can also translate over to real-world success. Businesses that are verified on social media tend to have an advantage over their unverified competitors due to increased platform visibility, according to Forbes. The check can drive customers to a business’s digital pages, often resulting in more likes, hits or retweets. But what it all boils down to is trust. Being verified is a signal to users that they can trust you. The ability to create a safe space founded on trust might just be the difference between fame and failure.

But don’t just take my word for it. The power of the checkmark was recently acknowledged by business mogul Elon Musk, who paid $44 billion dollars to purchase Twitter and monetize its verification service. Originally, it was reported by The Verge that Musk would charge a monthly subscription fee of $20 to users who wanted to maintain their verified status. But when author Stephen King responded with outrage, Musk

dropped his price to $8. The billionaire has been justifying his so-called “Twitter Takeover” by explaining that monetization would decrease the company’s dependence on ad revenue and enable content creators to earn a living on the platform.

What does all of this mean for the future of Twitter’s little blue check? Many users are worried that the standards for achieving verification may be lowered to accommodate anyone who’s willing to pay. Turning Twitter into a revenue stream could put the check and the company’s reputation on the line. If scammers and frauds were able to pay their way to verification, they would be lumped in with all the reputable users who were verified before restrictions were eased. Twitter could quickly descend into chaos and confusion.

That was a lot of “ifs.” It is also possible that new features and increased transparency

about Twitter’s content moderation could discourage malicious behavior. Speaking of content moderation, a hot topic in and of itself, Musk has repeatedly expressed his goal of promoting free speech on Twitter. His claims have understandably been met with fear and criticism from those who worry that de-moderation could turn Twitter into a hotbed of hate speech and lies. But what if users were given resources that explained how and why the moderation algorithm works? With a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes, users would be able to call out any errors in the algorithm and hold each other accountable. The potential result: a stronger, safer Twitter community.

The jury is still out on whether Musk will corrupt the little blue check with his profit-seeking intentions or make way for a transparent and truthful Twitter of tomorrow. What can we do in the meantime? Just keep tweeting.

Contact Abby Harn at aharn@colgate.edu.

Arts & FeAtures

Hidden History: Nona Faustine’s “White Shoes”

RobeRt “JeRRy” PfeifeR Staff Writer

A Black woman in white shoes with various layers of clothing ranging from entirely bare to fully clothed took photographs at different locations in New York City’s five boroughs; she perceives these regions as significant to the history of slavery, and argues that they have been largely unrecognized. Nona Faustine is an award-winning, Black feminist photographer and activist from Brooklyn, N.Y. From Nov. 6 to Nov. 18, seven large-scale photographs from her “White Shoes” collection are displayed in Colgate University’s Picker Art Gallery in the Dana Arts Center.

Curators at the helm of the Picker Art Gallery, who made the opportunity possible and worked with Faustine to curate the exhibition, spoke about the knowledge this process has allowed them to gain.

Curatorial assistant Kali

Steinberg explained some of the elements that influenced “White Shoes” and the meanings that she takes from them.

“There is this series of daguerreotypes [the first publicly available photographic image type] where enslaved people were photographed [naked or partly naked] from the front and the side as if they were specimens, dehumanizing them [...] so, basically, [Faustine is] responding to these photographs while simultaneously uncovering the history of slavery in New York by photographing herself in sites around the city that were significant to the transatlantic slave trade. She’s not necessarily portraying an enslaved person, but it’s a way of memorializing those who were bought and sold, whose bodies were exploited. She’s using her body as a monument. The difference between the slave daguerreotypes and Faustine’s pictures are themes such as

consent, self-determination, and agency. Hence, she chooses to use her own body instead of a model’s because that might be perceived as another form of exploitation.”

A different exhibition is displayed in the first section of the Picker Art Gallery: “A Wicked Commerce: The US and the Atlantic Slave Trade Through the Lens of William Earl Williams.” This exhibition also aims to bring transparency to the history of slavery by shedding light on lesser-known facts. Still, there is a stark contrast between Williams’ and Faustine’s work; all of Williams’ photographs were desolate of life and were exclusively in black and white. Steinberg discussed why she chose to display Faustine’s collection.

“So, we knew we were showing the exhibit by William Earl Williams about the transatlantic slave trade and [another artists work] dealing with that. [Faustine’s] focus is also very

specifically on New York City. It’s very much about how two artists look at the similar subject matter differently. Her work is about putting her body into these spaces and histories, while his work is very much about the absence of Black histories and people are absent in his photographs,” Steinberg said.

Steinberg also noted that the Picker Art Gallery helps students and other community members as an additional form of educational experience.

“We’ve got a lot of class visits. It’s been a great jumpingoff point for students to discuss what they’ve been learning in their own classes, allowing them to encounter material from outside the classroom that gives them different perspectives. We want professors and students to use the art museum to enhance their education.”

Contact Robert “Jerry” Pfeifer at rpfeifer@colgate.edu.

Colgate Hosts Symposium on Tamil Yogini Goddesses

bRi LiddeLL Staff Writer

This past weekend, on Nov. 4 and 5, Colgate University hosted a symposium entitled “Reuniting the Tamil Yoginis II: Planning The Exhibition,” in which art history scholars from around the globe gathered to discuss the future exhibition of 14 Yogini goddess sculptures from the 9th and 10th century. The discussion was led by Colgate Professor of Art & Art History Padma Kaimal, Detroit Institute of Arts curator Katherine E. Kasdorf and Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art curator Emma Natalya Stein. The speakers at the symposium delved into the Yogini goddess statues’ complicated and deeply interconnected history and outlined how truly remarkable an exhibit centered around them would be.

Unlike ordinary exhibits whose central purpose is to share collected works with the rest of the world, the Tamil Yogini exhibit would have two purposes: to share the goddess statues’ power with the rest of the world but also to reunite them with one another after centuries apart.

In “When the Yoginis are together, a story begins to unfold that is imperceptible when they are apart,” explained Kaimal. “When brought together, you begin to see them as a crew, as a dynamic gang who are surging quietly on their perches and dancing to the song that Shiva is playing on his veena. When visitors come to see the exhibit, we want them to be able to stand within the circle of Yoginis

and experience it both in terms of the rich visuals but also in a deeply personal and somatic way.”

Their story states that the 14 tantric goddesses began their lives together more than a millennia ago in the same Kanchipuram temple in Tamil Nadu, India. Arranged in a circle around the edge of the temple, the goddesses sat crosslegged and often with multiple arms outstretched, waiting to be worshiped by the people who came from far and wide to pray to them about various topics from strength to courage to fertility. For many lifetimes, the goddesses remained together in the Kanchipuram temple. However, this all changed when, in 1927, French archaeologist Gabriel Jouveau-Dubreuil endeavored to purchase them on behalf of the Chinese art collector C.T. Loo who wished to display the goddesses in his gallery in Paris. In order to obtain the statues, Jouveau-Dubreuil engaged in questionable purchasing tactics, not the least of which was going door to door until he felt he had obtained enough permission to take the statues.

Once Jouveau-Dubreuil had come to an agreement with the temple, the statues were pried from the walls to which they were fastened and shipped to Paris. This, however, is not where the statues’ journeys ended; within a few decades of entering Loo’s gallery, they had been separated once more and sold to museums around the world ranging from the nearby Musée Guimet in Paris to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to a prolific collector in

Zurich, Switzerland. Today, these seven statues remain scattered across the globe, but they are not the only Tamil Yogini statues to have endured such a journey.

At the same time that these seven Yoginis were being dispersed by Jouveau-Dubreuil and then Loo, so too were the remaining seven Tamil Nadu Yoginis being separated from their temple and sent to collectors near and far. Like the first seven, the majority of these made their way into the hands of European and American collectors with only one remaining in its Tamil Nadu homeland where it continues to be worshiped to this day, albeit as a general goddess as opposed to a Yogini.

Curator Emma Natalya Stein only recently discovered one of the lost Yogini goddess statues. When Stein first viewed the statue, it was cloaked in a vibrant orange sari, draped with floral garlands or “mala,” and coated in decades worth of sacred substances, which changed its appearance from the gray stone color of its sister goddesses to an oily black color unique unto itself. Despite these differences in appearance, Stein could not shake the goddess statue from her mind and after careful investigation, she concluded that it must be one of the lost Tamil Yoginis, removed from its original context.

“Once I recognized the goddess statue as a Yogini goddess and it began to be cleaned off, it was like watching a polaroid picture developing before my very eyes,” said Stein. “Suddenly, I could see these details that weren’t visible before, and it crystallized in my mind that the face before me was

the same Yogini face I had stared into so many times before.”

Junior Emma Attar, who attended the symposium for her art history course, Housing the Sacred in Ancient India, was deeply affected by the power of Stein’s story and remarked on the different ways that the Yoginis are viewed inside and outside of their original contexts.

“What struck me most is that priceless pieces of art may not appear special in the way they are perceived by historians or curators when seen out of context,” Attar said. “When Stein told the story about the missing Yogini being worshiped as a general goddess as opposed to a Yogini, it made me wonder what other missing art pieces may be hanging in people’s houses or simply existing

elsewhere. It served as a reminder to me that the use and importance of a thing can change over time depending on peoples’ needs.”

This most recent gathering was the sixth symposium that Kaimal, Kasdorf and Stein held for the planning of the exhibit, but in the future, they hope to hold even more. Reuniting and exhibiting the Tamil Yogini goddess statues will not be an easy task, but after recently receiving a planning grant, the trio is now one step closer to their goal. The exhibition has been tentatively scheduled for 2027-2028, with many more opportunities for planning and collaboration in the future.

Contact Bri Liddell at sliddell@colgate.edu.

A CONCEALED PAST: Nona Faustine’s “White Shoes” exhibit looks to explore the underrepresented theme of Black women’s consent.

DEEP CONNECTIONS: The Yogini goddess statues have a complicated and deeply interconnected history. Colgate Events Calendar

Robert “Jerry” Pfeifer

Book Review: ‘My Year of Rest and Relaxation’

By Samantha Wotring Assistant News Editor

In a post-COVID-19 world, Otessa Moshfegh’s “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” found its target audience. Released in 2018, the critically-acclaimed book skyrocketed to even more fame outside of the literary world thanks to its social media popularity, its early 2000s aesthetic and a widespread curiosity about mental health. The premise of the book is remarkably in tune with pandemic literature, considering Moshfegh published the book in 2018.

The narrator, who is never named, is a Columbia graduate living in Manhattan and working at an art gallery. She lives her life supplemented by sleeping and consuming anti-anxiety medication or any other pills she can get her hands on. She becomes annoyed that her everyday life (work, her best-friend Reva and her on-and-off boyfriend Trevor) is getting in the way of sleep. So, with the aid of an experimental artist and forgetful therapist, she sleeps for four months, waking up

every day to eat, shower and ingest sleeping pills. The artist brings her pizza and shampoo in exchange for the ability to create whatever he likes in her empty apartment and with her sleeping body. She wakes up with a moderately better outlook on life.

This all takes place from 2000 to 2001. The novel ends on September 11, 2001, with the destruction of the twin towers and Reva’s death in the collapse.

I saw this in a bookstore, it had hot pink print and a sad-looking Victorian woman on the cover. It was in the Book Tok section of Barnes and Noble. This was all I needed — I bought it.

I was expecting to be wowed; I found myself disappointed.

This isn’t to say the book was bad. The writing was captivating and I laughed out loud at parts, but I found myself being pulled through the novel at a sluggish speed. It felt like I was thinking the narrator’s thoughts for her. The problem was the narrator herself, and not because I don’t know what Moshfegh was doing. I understand the push to prove

as the sample to one of the most prolific tech house songs of all time. Eric Prydz uses the chorus of “Valerie” in his song “Call on Me,” an unforgettable and catchy tune.

RIYL: Steely Dan, Don Henley

3. “Kiss of Life,” Sade (1993)

FAMOUS SAMPLES

BY DANIEL BERNSTEIN Staff Writer

Sampling music is the practice of taking a preexisting song, sound, or snippet and putting a creative spin on it in order to incorporate it into a new piece of music. In this week’s 13 Beats, I set forth a list of commonly sampled songs that you may have heard in work by popular artists.

1. “Itinerario romantico,” Rigol (1973)

“Itinerario romantico” is a fully instrumental track that was sampled in Travis Scott’s 2015 track, “90210,” one of the most celebrated songs in his discography. The song uses much of Rigol’s piano performance from “Itinerario romantico,” after the beat switches.

RIYL: John Coltrane, Miles Davis

2. “Valerie,” Steve Winwood (1982)

Steve Winwood, one of the more dominant vocalists of the 1980s, performs at his best for “Valerie.” Encapsulating the classic synths of the era with great vocal performances makes it clear why this song was chosen

The soothing voice of Sade and touching piano melodies come together to make a timeless track from one of the best female vocalists of the time. The unforgettable chorus and piano were used in the iconic MF DOOM track, “Doomsday,” where he outlined his own death and journey through the music industry.

RIYL: Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu

4.“Shape of My Heart,” Sting (1993)

Combining great storytelling and legendary guitar riffs is what led Sting to be a household name, and solidified his status as one of the best guitar players. This is evident in “Shape of My Heart,” one of the most recognizable songs from his solo career. Both Nas and Juice WRLD used this song as the lead melody for their songs “The Message” and “Lucid Dreams” respectively.

RIYL: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins

5.“Gyöngyhajúlány,” Omega (1969)

Used in the soundtrack for the 2018 film Mid90s, “Gyöngyhajú lány” is the most popular song from the Hungarian band Omega. The song is also sampled in Wiz Khalifa’s “Buss Down.”

RIYL: Led Zeppelin, Cream

that female main characters can be unlikeable. I get the commentary on pre-9/11 New York City, and the privileged people that flocked to it.

The narrator dislikes her best friend Reva, insulting her looks, attitude and every word. She’s comically bad at her job, sleeping in a closet and forgetting tasks. But she is bankrolled by her deceased parents’ money and unemployment. The narrator is the epitome of everything shallow and terrible about the privileged elite of New York in the early 2000s.

All of this is fine. If the book were just a look into and criticism of a rich addict who is also a depressed insomniac, I wouldn’t be mad. But the last 10 pages or so make it a story of redemption; when Reva dies in the events of the 9/11 attacks, the narrator is reminded of the fragility of life.

The narrator’s self-improvement is aggravating. She becomes a better person because she essentially overdoses on sleeping pills, doesn’t die and then sees her best friend, who she has only recently started liking, die in a terror attack.

6.“Silver Soul,” Beach House (2010)

Pioneers in the dream pop space, Beach House, have one of the most consistent and celebrated discographies of this century. Only a few short years after the release of “Silver Soul,” hip-hop icon Kendrick Lamar reversed the song and used it as the base for his song “Money Trees.” Two beautiful songs in their own right, there is no doubt that Kenrick’s “good kid, m.A.A.d city” might not have been the same without Beach House’s influence.

RIYL: Cults, Grizzly Bear

7. “Ostavi Trag,” September (1975)

“Ostavi Trag’’ by September features some of the most beautiful vocals and production in a song, ever. The European band delivers a calming and tasteful masterpiece, despite not singing in English. The smooth and stunning intro was used in one of the best tracks from Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prizewinning album, “DAMN,” being one of many samples used on the track “DUCKWORTH.”

RIYL: Rammstein, Cortex

8. “Let Me Blow your Mind,” Eve, Gwen Stefani (2001)

It is no surprise that a beat made by two of the greatest producers of all time, Dr. Dre and Scott Storch, inspired countless remixes and reuses of the song. The most recent is the chart-topping “Doja” by Central Cee, the breakout track for the UK rapper.

RIYL: Missy Elliott, Lil’ Kim

I understand why “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” is popular and acclaimed. But, to redeem a character whose whole persona is a mean, New York socialite with an addiction

9. “Straight to Hell,” The Clash (1982)

One of the more creative and genre-bending samples comes from “Straight to Hell ‘’ by The Clash. A slightly repitched intro from the song forms the main melody for “Paper Planes” by MIA, one of the most recognizable pop songs from recent memory.

RIYL: Ramones, Caesars

10. “So

(1998)

who takes a ‘life-changing’ nap is a lot to pull off.

Contact Samantha Wotring at swotring@colgate.edu.

12.“Bam Bam,” Sister Nancy (1982)

Into You,” Tamia

Pop Smoke used many elements from “So Into You” by Tamia in his posthumous release, “Something Special.” Tamia puts together one of the prettiest songs from the late nineties, with smooth vocals and bouncy bass. The subtle harmonies of the chorus tie the track together perfectly and make this a perfect R&B song.

RIYL: Monica, Kelly Price

11.“The Way It Is,” Bruce Hornsby, The Range (1986)

“The Way It Is” was used in Tupac’s track “Changes,” discussing the struggles due to racism, police brutality, and the war on drugs, among other things. The original track by Bruce Hornsby and The Range combines the iconic piano riff with subtle supporting synths in the background that give the track a full-bodied feeling. Other artists besides Tupac have drawn inspiration from the song, like Polo G and Snoop Dogg alike.

RILY: Marc Cohn, Hall & Oates, Elton John

This classic reggae song combines mesmerizingly echoed vocals, a funky bassline, and a groovy melody that gives the song a timeless feel. Many of these reasons are why artists have chosen to use elements from “Bam Bam” in their own works. Jay-Z enlisted the help of Damian Marley on his similarly titled track “Bam” which uses Sister Nancy’s songs as a solid foundation for the track.

RIYL: Junior Murvin, Johnny Osborne, Dawn Penn

13.“I Gotta Find Peace of Mind - Live,” Lauryn Hill (2002)

A$AP Rocky’s use of the live performance by Lauryn Hill is one of the more creative uses of sampling from the past few years. Rocky uses instrumental and vocal samples, as well as matching his vocals to those from the original track. Lauryn Hill has inspired many artists to follow in her footsteps.

RIYL: Fugees, Solange

*RIYL = Recommended if you like

Contact Daniel Bernstein at dbernstein@colgate.edu.

A LIFE-CHANGING NAP: The cover of Moshfegh’s 2018 book is a 18th century portrait by Jacques-Louis David.

National Gallery of Art/Jacques-Louis David

Amy Leventer: Igniting Actionable Change in the Arctic

By Lucy Hudson Baker's Dozen Editor

In the small town of Hamilton, N.Y., which is surrounded by rolling hills, fields of cows and horses, forests, lakes and ponds, it is easy to forget about the world outside of our bubble. The broader environment outside this microcosm is increasingly threatened by global warming. Amy Leventer, Professor of Geology at Colgate, has witnessed the first-hand effects of climate change through her dedication to researching deglaciation in the Arctic.

“I try to understand how Antarctica loses ice and I do that by studying the last time that Antarctica lost a lot of ice, which was maybe between 10 and 15,000 years ago. I study this in different areas of Antarctica to see if there are different rates of ice lost in different areas. I try to estimate how much that might impact sea level. Then, I use that information to apply it to the modern day to try to understand two big questions: how much [ice is melting] and how fast?” Leventer explained.

Through this research, Leventer works to provide actionable recommendations within the ever-pressing issue of sea level rise. She focuses on human time scales in which the past sea level has changed or risen significantly on a time scale of hundreds of years. So, Leventer looks to the past to help inform the suggestions for the future to adequately prepare for and prevent environmental disasters associated with a warming climate.

With a passion for the outdoors and environmental research, Leventer has never been afraid to step out of her comfort zone and try something new.

“When I was in college, I did a whole bunch of research projects and just tried a bunch of things out. Most of them were things that seemed more interesting than when I did it. I was like ‘okay, well this isn’t exactly what I thought it was.’ Then, in my last year I started working on a project with climate scientists; I loved it. I

felt like no matter how tiny my project was, it fit into a really big picture to understand how climate works and how climate changes,” Leventer explained.

After participating in this research project, Leventer’s interest in the intricacies of climate change was magnified. She went to graduate school and eventually became involved in another project focused on understanding how North America went through deglaciation following the ice age millions of years ago.

“I tried to understand at that time how quickly ice was lost in North America and where [all the water went]. That kind of hooked me on that as a process. I actually have been studying deglaciation ever since,” she said.

Leventer has devoted herself to the study of deglaciation since the late 1970s and has earned herself a front-row seat in the research process as a leader and mentor in her field.

“The last time I was in Antarctica was in January [of] 2020. I was there for a month and I was working with a lot of different countries. In this specific case I was working with the Spanish. Before that I had a project in December of 2018 through January of 2019, that [involved] hot water drilling a hole through the west Antarctic ice sheet to access a lake that exists between the bedrock and the overlying ice.”

The environment is a complex, interconnected system. In Antarctica, there is a whole network of lakes and flow paths between lakes that makes the work that Leventer does all the more complex as she uncovers the intricacies of the Arctic environment.

“The main thing I was working to contribute was looking at sediments that collected in the lake and using the ages of fossils to tell me the last time the lake was overlain by ice. You won’t get any photosynthetic organisms living in a lake that is covered by a mile of ice.”

One of the most important things when conducting research, Leventer explained, is to make sure that the process is

clean, ethical and not invasive to the local land that has yet to be touched by humans.

“We did not want to contaminate the lake with ourselves," Leventer explained. "So we did three things: 1) every instrument that was put down the hole was bathed in peroxide to kill anything living on it, 2) if that was not enough, we had every instrument that went down the hole bathed in ultraviolet light, which was very strong, and 3) we had to wear Tyvek suits and gloves when handling any sample we collected to keep our genetics off of it.”

Although Leventer has already done so much to discover actionable ways to reduce deglaciation and mitigate the effects of climate change, she continues to encourage others with a shared passion for her research to take on a hands-on role.

“I love bringing students to Antarctica or finding an opportunity for them to go to Antarctica. I have one former student who will be going to Antarctica in about a month on a research cruise. She is a graduate student now at SUNY Binghamton, working with a former Colgate student of mine who is a professor at SUNY Binghamton. So that's really great — continuing the legacy!”

Leventer does not shy away from imparting wise advice to those younger than her as through the years she has become very aware of what it

is she believes students need to learn. She advises students to take a step back from all the details and really think about the big picture.

“I want students to understand that there are facts that support the science and that the science really matters. It is very easy to get caught up in some kind of passion for sustainability, but not actually have solutions to the problem," Leventer said. "So my job [as a professor] like in [my] oceanography [course], is to say ‘okay, here are the problems, now let's come up with the solutions.’”

Leventer’s determination in finding actionable solutions is what makes her such an inspiring professor.

“My job as a professor is to try to get students to understand that we have this huge problem breathing down our necks, but we are not powerless. We can do things. This is happening over a time scale that we can work with. So I hope that everybody does something with it,” Leventer encouraged.

Additionally, Leventer encourages students to vote as a step towards enacting change and protecting the environment for future generations to come.

“Voting, for example, is one of the most important things students can do. Do not forget to vote. Not voting is voting for somebody else. Remember that all these [environmental] issues that we face are fact-based and they are not political. Sea level

rise does not care if you are republican or democratic, so just go back to the science,” Leventer said.

She also wants to motivate students to step outside of the Colgate bubble and reflect on the turmoil that is occurring around the world due to various environmental disasters.

“Remember that we are all part of this super interconnected world and we have a responsibility for more than just ourselves. It is easy to become complacent when we do not experience the direct effects [of global warming] — we are not being flooded, we do not have extra hurricane activity right here — so it is easy to forget that there is a lot of misery in the world.”

While it may feel daunting to feel the need to tackle all these issues at once, Leventer said to choose one.

“You can’t do everything — you can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Pick something that you really feel is important and do what it is you can.”

While you may not choose to take a research trip to the Arctic like Leventer, you can take concrete steps in your day-to-day life to protect the environment. Which route will you choose?

Contact Lucy Hudson at lhudson@colgate.edu.

RENOWNED RESEARCHER: Leventer cleanly drills a hole through a West Antarctic ice sheet to check the current in the water below.

Printed with Permission of Amy Leventer

Professor Roller’s Investigation into the History of Agrichemicals

By Madison Ballou Contributing Writer

Ever wonder what exactly goes into the production of your food? History professor Heather Roller sure does — she is currently conducting research on agriculture and pesticide usage to explore this question further. Roller has long been interested in how farmers decide to use agrichemicals, so her research aims to investigate farmers’ perspectives on the possible toxicity of these chemicals.

This past summer, Roller hired two environmental studies concentrators to act as research assistants in her new book project, “A Social and Environmental History of Agrichemicals.” While collaborating with these students, the group realized that they needed to go beyond archival documents and talk to people.

Roller had previously completed training in oral history, but she had never actually used it as a part of her research process. The group completed almost 20 interviews locally using snowball sampling. The research group interviewed conventional farmers, organic

farmers and individuals who grew up around farming operations.

“It was neat to see how many different ways people have been thinking about these substances and how they might be affecting the region,” Roller said of this initial interview stage.

Prior to her work on the history of agriculture and agrichemicals, Roller published two books concerning indigenous history in Brazil. To gather sources, she spent time in Brazilian archives studying colonial-era documents in Portuguese. For her current book project, she is conducting research in the United States in English — a completely different experience from her past work. Regarding this shift, Roller is grateful to Colgate for giving her the flexibility to explore new research terrain.

“I think the biggest perk of working at Colgate, for me, is that I have had the freedom to experiment with different fields of inquiry and new methods of doing history. My department and the institution as a whole have been supportive of my interests as they have evolved,” she explained.

In addition to publishing academic work, Roller has recently begun exploring fiction writing. Last spring, she wrote a book surrounding environmental and historical themes for middleschool readers. Roller hopes to publish a fiction novel concerning similar themes in the future.

“My fiction writing and academic work feed each other in interesting ways, and there are a lot of themes in environmental history that I was able to explore through the draft of this novel. The fiction writing got me thinking about things I would also like to explore in my research,” Roller said.

Outside of an academic setting, Roller connects with her environmental work at home. For the past 13 years, Roller’s family has been growing vegetables in their own backyard. The possibility of growing some of their own food convinced the family to move from Berkeley, Calif. to upstate New York.

“[My farming experience] has definitely made me think a lot about all of the inputs that go into creating fertile soil. I have learned so much about growing crops […]

It has shaped my interests in a lot of ways,” Roller said.

Students interested in further connecting with Roller’s work have several exciting opportunities. Roller will hopefully be hiring two more summer research fellowship students for the summer of 2023. These students will spend time locally conducting research and might get the opportunity to travel to the Midwest for a few weeks to administer oral interviews in a new location.

Students can also connect to her work in the classroom during the academic year. Roller works with students to analyze primary sources of historical documents found online.

Be sure to look out for these exciting opportunities to explore your own interest in environmental studies, or learn more about the environmental impacts of your own consumption decisions.

Contact Madison Ballou at mballou@colgate.edu.

Professor Galaj on Treating Drug Addiction and Abuse

By lizzie nash Contributing Writer

With the rising opioid epidemic across the United States, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Ewa Galaj’s research on drug addiction and reward pathways is pertinent to today’s climate. Galaj is pursuing three lines of research at the moment concerning drug addiction and the neural pathways involved. She looks at addiction through the lens of a

pharmacological or behavioral approach, mapping the parts of the brain that are involved in addiction, and looking to the brain’s neuroplasticity as the last line of research to understand how the brain changes over time as a result of alcohol and other drug use.

“The first question that I’m asking is really looking at novel pharmacological or behavioral approaches that could be used to treat addiction because for certain types of addictions, like cocaine

addiction or methamphetamine, we really don’t have the FDA approved medications. So [I am] testing different novel compounds, hoping that one day they will go into clinical trials and they can be effective treatment for people who will suffer from addiction.”

Through this first line of research, Galaj attempts to find the compounds that can help find key breakthroughs into advancing potential drug and other behavioral therapy for those who suffer from addiction.

“The second line of my research is really looking at the pathways and circuitry of which brain regions are involved in opioid taking, relapse withdrawals as well as pain,” Galaj said. “So, currently I’m focused on two brain regions that are really connected: the substantia nigra and thalamus.”

Galaj notes that these pathways were not always known to be involved in drug addiction and drug administration processes in the body.

“For a long time we thought that these pathways were motor pathways involving motor behaviors and Parkinson’s, but we now know that’s only partially correct. This pathway is also involved in drugs of administration. We actually found that it’s also involved in pain and in opioid induced analgesia. So I’m trying to map the circuitry to really answer the questions of which of the pathways or circuitry are involved in opioid addiction.”

Galaj examines the brain from different levels of analyses

to understand drug addiction as a whole.

“The third line of my research is looking at neuroplasticity. So how the brain changes after chronic exposure to alcohol or heroin, for example. We found that early adolescence alcohol exposure has a profound impact on cholinergic interneurons in the nucleus accumbens and other parts of brain regions. So basically alcohol destroys these cholinergic neurons, and currently my students are looking at whether CRF [corticotropin-releasing factor] receptors are affected by chronic heroin exposure. So we’re looking at neuroplasticity in different brain regions after an alcohol or drug exposure.”

Understanding the brain and how it changes over time is important to gaining a more holistic view of just how longlasting the effects of drug use are and how relevant this research is in the current climate.

“Currently we have not only a pandemic but also an opioid epidemic. And so many people are overdosing on drugs. People fool around with different drugs, not only opioids – sometimes it could be cocaine, sometimes it could be methamphetamine,” Galaj explained. “And oftentimes, they don’t even realize that these drugs are laced with fentanyl, a deadly drug. Right, so it’s all really relevant to what is happening.”

Galaj has been passionate about neuroscience in both her collegiate and professional life and her focus has always been on

drug addiction. She completed her postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Drug Abuse and continued her studies at Binghamton University. Galaj graduated from SUNY Graduate Center in New York City.

Galaj explains that her interest in drug addiction took off while she was at SUNY.

“In the graduate center, I was in the neuropsychology program basic track and I joined a lab that specializes in drug addiction, learning, and motivation. It really opened my interest to drug addiction and then the follow-up postdoctoral trainings were also in drug addiction. So that’s really how it all started.”

Looking at the bigger picture, Galaj hopes that her research will make a meaningful breakthrough in her field and that one day we will be able to discover some effective treatment for addiction.

In the meantime, however, she hopes to inspire college students to pursue careers in neuroscience.

“If you like research you should pursue your career in neuroscience. Go for your PhD. It’s very rewarding. I strongly recommend looking for a research opportunity as early as possible in the summertime, as well,” Galaj recommended.

More information about summer research can be found on the Colgate University website.

Contact Lizzie Nash at ehnash@colgate.edu.

Printed with Permission of Heather Roller

ROCKIN’ AND ROLLERIN’: Professor Heather Roller explained her recent research in the environmental studies department.

FASCINATING FINDINGS: Professor Ewa Galaj researches the neuroscience of addiction and shared her experience mapping brain circuitry. Colgate University

By Sloan Martin Sports Editor

Since 1965, the Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) has gained esteem as the ultimate competitive rowing experience. Held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the rowing event is the largest three-day regatta in the world — hosting over 789 rowing clubs this year. Competitors range from colleges, high schools, and clubs from around the world. This year, the famed event took place from October 21st-23rd, with both Colgate rowing teams making the trip to Cambridge.

“The Head of the Charles is an iconic rowing regatta that has been going on for almost 60 years. It is one of the only races that brings together rowing from all different levels – high schoolers, collegiate, masters, and everything in between. It really embodies the nature and excitement of the sport, and is by far my favorite race,” said senior women’s rower Carla Perdomo.

The rowing race has an incredible draw, which contributes to the overall notoriety of the event. The

Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau states that the race brings about 225,000 people to the Greater Boston area and $72 million to the local economy. The gathering offers lots of food (and beer) vendors, including many local favorites. Senior women’s rower Deanna Michaels discussed her enthusiasm about the race.

“[HOCR] is such an amazing experience,” she said. “I often joke that it is the one time rowing is relevant, but it really is an electric and vibrant environment. At no other race are there as many supporters as at the Charles. There was never a silent portion of the race, which is really different from the norm.”

Aside from being the largest three-day rowing race, the Head of the Charles also presents a unique challenge to rowers.

Junior men’s rower Harrison Ziegler provided insight into the intricacies of the race.

“What makes the Head of the Charles Regatta so special is the level of skill required to win,” Ziegler said. “A normal rowing race is a 2000-meter straightaway sprint from the

SportS

start to the finish. However, the Head of the Charles is unique. The distance is more than twice as long as a standard rowing race. The course is not a straightaway and requires excellent steering and maneuvering in order to navigate the course successfully.

A crew must pass other boats and go under bridge after bridge, ensuring that while doing so, they maintain their boat speed and avoid any collisions. Crews do not start at the same time as in a standard rowing race.

Crews start about 20 to 30 seconds apart from one another, meaning that during the race, you are racing against the clock.”

The women’s rowing team 1v8 boat earned their best finish since 2005 with a time of 17:10.910, competing well against highquality teams. This finish put them 12th out of 40 teams, atop the likes of Columbia University and Boston University. The 1v4 boat placed 32nd out of 55 teams with a time of 19:46.002. Overall, the women should be very proud of their showing at the Charles. Another reason for excitement: head coach Jessica Deitrick just finalized a contract extension through 2025.

Perdomo elaborated on the team’s impressive finish.

“We had been preparing for this race the entire fall season and it was great to see our hard work pay off. We hit our goals and more importantly, improved significantly from the previous race. Personally, I was very happy with my own performance and I know I definitely gave it my all.”

Michaels added to this sentiment, and talked about the team’s improvement.

“In all of our events, we were faster from our times last year and beat teams that are usually a toss-up for us! The competition is always tough at the Charles due to how difficult it is just to get a bid to race. It was definitely different being on the water with so many other boats (way more than what we’re used to at a normal collegiate race). We definitely are proud of our performance and are continuing to gain speed.”

In addition to the women’s team, the men’s team also put on an impressive performance in Cambridge. The men’s Collegiate Eights boat finished with a strong time of 14:46.790, which put them seventh out of 41 teams — being

beaten out by Tufts University and St. Joseph’s University by just five seconds. The men’s Lightweight Fours finished 13th out of 16 teams. With a lot of youth on the team, the men’s team should be excited about its long-term future.

“I’m proud of the hard work which paid off for our Men’s 8+ at the HOCR. It’s rewarding to watch the seniors, in particular, have such a great race with a strong placement to kick off the racing season.  I feel confident that next year, the Men’s 8+ will continue to build on the success and legacy the seniors left at the HOCR this year. Our team’s performance in the Lightweight Men’s 4+ was not what we had hoped for, but with three 18-year-olds in the boat, we have a young crew with a ton of potential going into next year,” said Ziegler.

With both teams wrapping up their fall season at the beginning of November, these results will look to encourage the Raiders for their spring season.

Contact Sloan Martin at swmartin@colgate.edu.

RAIDERS AT THE CHARLES: The men’s rowing team placed seventh in Collegiate Eights and 13th in Lightweight Fours. The women’s 1v8 boat finished 12th out of 40 teams — their best since 2005 — and the women’s 1v4 boat placed 32nd out of 52.

HigHligHtS:

Colgate Rowing Shows Out at the Head of the Charles Regatta

Editor’s Column: The Brooklyn Nets Are a Failure

By AAron notis Copy Editor

I discovered basketball by accident.

I was seven years old and the only sport on my mind was baseball. Year-round, I would watch as the Yankees defeated everyone in their path and then pay their way back to the top. The Yankees-Entertainment-Sports (YES) Network was one of the only channels watched. No matter the time of year, I would turn to YES to get my Yankees content and feed this childhood obsession with baseball.

One cold, January evening, I switched over to YES expecting to see another episode of “Yankees on Deck” and maybe learn about the eccentric Joba Chamberlain. What I arrived at was a New Jersey Nets basketball game. Confused, I watched, fascinated by the pace and movement of the sport. Although the Nets were terrible, I was hooked. I was from that point on a New Jersey Nets fan, a decision that has haunted me since that day.

Then they moved to Brooklyn. The now Brooklyn Nets left me without this childhood curiosity and joy for basketball, making the team and the sport unwatchable. I watched the Nets struggle through terrible rosters, trading over-aged superstars, running efficient rebuilds and signing superstars to max contracts. At

this point in Nets’ history, they probably should have won a title. The summer 2019 signings of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were supposed to be the turning point — the light at the end of the dark tunnel that is Nets fandom.

Now, following the Nov. 1 firing of head coach Steve Nash, the team’s response to Irving’s hateful promotion and the potential hiring of suspended Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, the Nets are demonstrating the problems associated with inept leadership and a lack of accountability.

Kyrie Irving’s recent tweets promoting “Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” — a 2018 film with strong, hateful, antisemitic propaganda that supports the myth that the Holocaust never happened — are particularly sour considering the location of his employment.

According to the Jewish Agency for Israel, Jews make up 0.2 percent of the global population. More than one million reside in New York City and, per the New York Times, roughly 60 percent live in Brooklyn. Irving made these comments and then proceeded to play basketball the next day in a significantly Jewish community.

Irving’s comments, and his reluctance to apologize for them, are unacceptable. The Nets gave Irving every opportunity to walk back his comments. After the Nets forced a meeting between Irving and the Anti-Defamation

League (ADL), Irving, according to NBA insider Stefan Bondy, bailed, sending his father and stepmother — who doubles as his agent — in his place.

Irving is 30 years old. He is an adult. And he sent his parents to meet with the ADL. Hate of any kind should cause a player to be out of the league. However, Irving, an immensely talented basketball player, is being given another chance. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Nets are laying out the steps for Irving to get out of his suspension. He’s to follow step-by-step instructions to play basketball in Brooklyn again. Like he’s a child. The Nets have struggled to gain and retain fans for the entirety of their existence. Moving to Brooklyn, the Nets were hoping to radicalize a historic basketball community and establish a fan base to support the franchise. This treatment of Irving aptly reflects the lack of identity the Nets feel within Brooklyn.

After the firing of Nash, the first rumored candidate to replace him was Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who spent the 2020-2021 season with the Nets as an assistant on Nash’s staff. After leading the Celtics to the finals last season, Udoka now faces a team-issued year-long suspension for workplace misconduct and unwanted comments toward female employees. In the midst of a forest fire, the Nets wanted to hire

this guy? Yes, he’s familiar with the system. But he brings overweight luggage in the form of more issues than the Nets can manage, all while potentially ruining the workplace environment within the franchise. After all, who would want to work with someone who’s suspended for workplace misconduct and harassment of any form? Hopefully, this hire never happens.

Now, to the entire reason the Brooklyn Nets organization exists: basketball. They’re playing poorly. Recent acquisition Ben Simmons does not look comfortable on a basketball court, constantly passing up open layups and refusing to drive to the basket. And Simmons seems to be the only player who knows how or when to pass the ball, even if he can’t actually shoot hoops. Per the NBA, the Nets are 21st in defensive rating, and that horrible ranking

is obvious when watching five minutes of Nets basketball. Nobody is trying to win. The play looks disastrous.

Since Irving’s suspension, the Nets started to gel under interim head coach Jacque Vaughn, winning a back-to-back against the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets. The Nets probably aren’t contenders for a championship. They paid so much money to create a competitive team and are a complete failure. This was the one situation where money was supposed to buy every Nets fan’s happiness. I may have fallen into Nets fandom by accident, but I’m stuck with it. Now, as I watch this soulless team trot down the court for 48 minutes a night giving a detached, heartless effort on both ends of the court, I wonder “Why isn’t baseball a year-round sport?”.

The Sports Editors’ Week 10 NFL Picks

enough; he has 1,999 yards passing through eight games (which ranks 13th among all QBs) and 13 passing TDs (which ranks ninth). Running back Dalvin Cook has also looked great so far (as always), posting 608 rushing yards (ranks ninth) and five rushing TDs (ranks tenth).

The Bills, on the other hand, seem to have slowed down. It’s hard to deny that quarterback Josh Allen is one of the best in the league, as he has 2,403 passing yards (ranks fourth) and 19 passing TDs (ranked second). However, Allen threw two interceptions last week – a rare sight from such a consistent passer. Plus, his elbow injury is destined to be a major setback for Buffalo.

victory to have any hope for a playoff push and will get the job done. With rookie quarterback Malik Willis projected to be under center again, the Titans’ pass game has struggled to efficiently operate and will continue to do so in this Music City showdown.

Notis: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (-3)

There’s a method to my madness. This method: picking against the Arizona Cardinals.

electrifying passes on offense. Expect the Rams to slaughter the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

Silverstein: Los Angeles Chargers (+7) at San Francisco 49ers

Martin: Seattle Seahawks (+2.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They wrote off Geno Smith, but as Geno said it best: “I ain’t write back though.” On a more serious note, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has continued to outperform expectations on his new team, despite being labeled as a “bust” earlier in his career. It is time to stop underrating Smith. Under Geno, the Seahawks’ offense has been firing on all cylinders to a 6-3 record and 1st place in the NFC West.

On the other hand, the Buccaneers have started the year flat with a 4-5 record, and quarterback Tom Brady

may finally be declining at age 45. While the Buccaneers are technically the home team, do not forget that the game is being hosted on a neutral site in Munich, Germany. Even after a 16-13 victory against the Los Angeles Rams last week, I am not convinced the Buccaneers will do enough to beat the Seahawks.

Stuzin: Minnesota Vikings (+5.5) at Buffalo Bills

It’s shocking to me that the 7-1 Vikings were given a +5.5 spread, regardless of the opposing team. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is far from elite, but he plays his role well

Fischer: Denver Broncos (+3) at Tennessee Titans

If there was ever a time for Russell Wilson to live up to his offseason hype, it is now. After a bye week of doing high knees on the plane and making TikToks, Wilson will rise to the challenge and lead the Broncos to victory. Even after dealing Bradley Chubb, a key defensive stud, to the Miami Dolphins, the addition of Chase Edmonds may revitalize the Broncos backfield and push the squad closer to .500.

Although the Titans pushed the Chiefs to overtime during Sunday Night Football, the Broncos need a

The Cardinals have been a trainwreck this season. Quarterback Kyler Murray is doing everything in his power to keep this team marginally respectable. At every turn, it seems as though the Cardinals don’t know how to fly. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has not been the offensive mastermind he was hired to be. Without edge threat Chandler Jones, the defense doesn’t put pressure on the quarterback and has no way of stopping the opposing offense. Without any offensive or defensive attack, the Cardinals are easy to defeat, even with their dynamic quarterback.

The Rams have too many stars to keep losing. The defense, headlined by Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, should be able to bulldoze through the Cardinals’ line and keep Murray in the pocket. Without any pressure, quarterback Matt Stafford should have enough time to make

Do teams’ records matter anymore, Vegas? I am genuinely curious, considering the 5-3 Chargers are touchdown underdogs to the 4-4 Niners. Yes, the blockbuster trade for Christian McCaffery a few weeks back is generating a ton of hype for a San Francisco team that has a ton of talent on its roster and is coming off a trademark win over its rival Los Angeles Rams. But seven points? Say what you will about the Chargers and their close wins over some mediocre opponents; the bottom line is that they have been finding ways to win, and their star-studded offense ranks in the league’s top ten in yards per game. Heading to Levi’s Stadium and leaving with a win is always a tall task, and I’m not saying the Chargers will be victorious. But the combination of Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and a finally healthy Keenan Allen will be able to keep any game close. Give me the Chargers to cover the spread in an enticing California showdown.

Contact Ryan Stuzin at rstuzin@colgate.edu.

Contact Aaron Notis at anotis@colgate.edu.

KYRIE: The Brooklyn Nets have been embroiled in recent contro versy, with Kyrie Irving’s unapologetic antisemitic tweets and the possible hiring of Ime Udoka.

John Minchillo/AP Photo

JUBILANT JEFFERSON: Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson celebrating a first down in his 125-yard game in Week 9. NFL