Concordiensis T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F U N I O N C O L L E G E S I N C E 1 8 7 7 Volume. CXLIV, Issue XVII
concordiensis.com
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Professor Berk talks on history of Israel-Palestine conflict By Dante Sasso Jr. Editor-in-Chief
At an event held by Union College’s Chabad on Thursday, May 13th, Professor Stephen Berk urged students in attendance to “not be afraid to stand up for the State of Israel.” He stated that if “you are threatened physically… if you see antisemitic diatribes, report it to the administration.” According to Berk, “the notion that Israel is an apartheid state is nonsense,” and that “stating that Israel is committing genocide is coming close to the line of antisemitism.” Chabad’s webinar, titled “Israel in Crisis,” was held in response to the recent renewed focus on the Israel-Palestine conflict after increased violence in the Gaza Strip and at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Ac-
cording to Statista, from 2008 to 2020 there was a total of over 5,000 Palestinian deaths and over 110,000 Palestinians injuried due to the ongoing fighting, and there was a total of 251 Israeli deaths and over 5,500 Israelis injured. After initial prayers led by Joshua Azoulay ’24, Chabad’s co-Directors Laiky Rubin and Rabbi Shmuly Rubin introduced Professor Berk to the audience to talk on the Israel-Palestine hostilities. Professor Berk is the Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Union College. He teaches HST 158: The Holocaust, which is one of his largest classes at Union, and he is internationally acclaimed for his teaching, writing, and research about the Holocaust, Antisemitism, Russia, and the Middle East. In an interview with the Concordiensis, Berk
stated that he has been teaching at Union for approximately 55 years now. Professor Berk began the night by explaining the historical origins of the conflict, explaining that today “Israel is under siege.” He attributes the start of the conflict to a “real estate dispute” in Jerusalem, explaining that both Palestinians and the Israeli police were inflammatory in their initial actions. He later discussed more about this “real estate dispute.” He spoke about the British in 1947 having the mandate for Palestine and being unwilling to commit to financially supporting it, they “threw it over to the United Nations.” The United Nations came to the conclusion that “there is no possibility Jews and Arabs can live peacefully in a bi-national state.”
Courtesy of Union College Professor Stephen Berk, Union College’s Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies
See ISRAEL on page 2
Jenna Smith ’20 talks about succeeding in the publishing industry By Sydney Lewis co-News Editor
Jenna Smith ’20 joined students with an interest in publishing on Thursday, May 13 2021. She is currently working as a Publicity Assistant for Penguin Random House — one of the biggest book publishers in the world. This event was co-sponsored by the Becker Career Center, Sigma Tau
Delta, the English Department and the GOLD Network. While at Union, Jenna was an English and Geology I.D. major, field hockey player, RA, Concordiensis managing editor, and member of Sigma Tau Delta. Smith touched upon various parts of the industry such as the big five houses in publishing. These include Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan. Penguin Random House is
where Smith has always aspired to work, and her position as a Publicity Assistant has allowed her to combine the love and passion she has for books with her communication skills. She said, “Getting books out into the hands of young readers and sparking that same love for reading in others, while sharing ideas and amplifying under-represented voices and stories is so important, and it’s also so rewarding directly helping authors get their finished books out into the world.”
The importance of organization, time management, and even a thank you note after an interview or phone call were stressed throughout her presentation and she shared a set of tips and tricks to get involved within the industry. Smith wanted to start advertising for the publishing industry with fellow Union students as she felt as though she could have used a little more insight prior to graduation. When asked what her day to day schedule currently looks like, she said the fol-
lowing: “I work 9-5, and since we’re currently remote, a lot of my work revolves around my inbox. I fulfill administrative duties like coordinating book mailings, answering general requests from media, authors, and booksellers, drafting press releases and pitch materials for select titles,liaising with bookstores to set up (virtual) author events, and updating our digital database with media contacts. See SMITH on page 2
We’re beautiful on the inside, too
Opinions. page 3 Union’s wellness days aren’t useful
Sci/Tech. page 5 Genetically modified mosquitoes in U.S.
807 Union St., page 7 Painting the Idol: the end to a tradition?
World, page 4 Associated Press bombed in Gaza conflict
Sports, page 8 Dutchmen fall short at Liberty Leagues
Thursday, May 20, 2021 | Concordiensis
SMITH Continued from page 1
I am essentially a ‘publicist’ for my assigned titles, while assisting my director with her titles by authors like
ISRAEL Continued from page 1
Berk then stated that the United Nations’ Resolution 181, which would create a Jewish and an Arab state west of the River Jordan, was rejected by the leaders of the Palestinian world. Berk claimed that this was the issue that caused initial conflict. Berk went on to state that the more recent spikes in conflict were due to the Palestinian Sunni-Islamic group Hamas, as they had launched rockets at Israel. Berk stated “there is no reason to indiscriminately launch rockets against civilians” in the East Jerusalem area, regardless of whatever initial conflict there was. Berk said “Hamas wants the destruction of Israel… [it] doesn’t want Israel to exist.” During a later Q&A segment, Berk stated that “if the Arabs occupied Israel, they would slash the throats of every Jewish man, woman, and child.” In an interview with the Concordiensis, Berk spoke further on the statement; he said that he was not referring to Arabic people in the United States or outside of the Middle East, but rather “Arabs living in the Middle East in the area surrounding Israel.” He also specified that he did not mean every Arab in the Middle East would do this, but a large number of them would. In Berk’s words, “what the Syrian government and its supporters have done to [the] Syrians that oppose the regime of Bashar al-Assad” is an omen to what they could do to the Jewish population of Israel. “They have carried out atrocities against men and women… If this is what the Syrian government and its supporters have done to their own people, there is no doubt in their minds that they would do the same things towards the Jews.” According to Berk, “the antisemitism in the Islamic world is tremendous… if, god
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Max Greenfield (from New Girl) and Jessica Goodman, whose YA thriller comes out in July.” When asked what advice she would give to an aspiring publicist Smith said: “Network, learn about the department and the role, do your research
about a company and figure out what you specifically like about them, and start figuring out those transferable skills! Being a publicist is all about organization and communication – so use your time at Union to build on that experience. Be a Communications
Chair for an org, send out campus events emails, do social media for an org, get involved using reading/writing skills with a student newspaper, become a ‘bookseller’ by working at a local bookstore for a summer, help with ‘event coordination’ by being an RA
– these are all ways to add directly applicable experiences to your resume that highlight skills they’re looking for in the job description. Good luck!”
forbid, Israel was destroyed… large numbers of Jews would be slaughtered.” Berk also stated “when one man said he was going to kill all of the Jews of Europe, and the people scoffed at it… Adolf Hitler did it… When Hamas says ‘between the river and the sea…’ ‘the Jews have done all sorts of terrible things…’ I believe with that type of rhetoric… that can lead to catastrophe.” In Berk’s words, “If Israel were to withdraw from every settlement… it would make no difference for Hamas.” In reference to this, he mentioned a New York Time article from nearly 20 years ago. This article shared the story of a reporter who had gone to Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder of Hamas, and asked if Hamas would surrender if Israel withdrew, to which the reporter received no response. “For Hamas, the issue is the existence of the state of Israel.” Berk stated that Hamas is only able to strike at Israel due to aid it is receiving from Iran, which Berk labeled a “renegade state.” Iran, in Berk’s words, wants the destruction of Israel and supports other organizations and countries that want Israel’s destruction. In addition, Berk told the audience that “Israel’s cause is just… [it] is the only Democratic country in the Middle East.” He claimed that Israel allows people of all faiths, allowing access to the holy places such as the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Berk touted that Israel has “freedom of speech, freedom of the press, [and] freedom of religion,” even though he also stated that the Israeli political system is very pluralistic and that they haven’t fully mastered democracy yet. “If the Israelis mastered democracy… they would vote for the one man who could overthrow Netanyahu” rather than split their vote across parties. “If Israel wanted to kill large numbers of Palestinians, the Israeli air force could im-
molate the whole area… Israel is responding as any country in the world would. You defend your citizens, that is the bottom line for any government.” Berk did also criticize Israel’s actions, such as Israel’s attempts at evicting Palestinians from homes as well as the initial actions of the Israeli police when the settlement of Israel occurred. He also said that the Palestinian Refugee Crisis isn’t due to the “Jews being braver than the Arabs,” but because the Palestinian civilians want to get out of the line of fire “as any civilian would.” The reason the Jewish people stayed through the conflict was, in Berk’s words, “because [they] had nowhere else to go.” Berk later said during the Q&A part of the event that “it’s not easy to be an Arab in Israel,” explaining that the ongoing internal violence in Lod had some justified grievances from the Arab population of Israel. “There is some social discrimination against Arabs in Israel.” He later did state that it was not a racial issue, as “more than half of the population of Israel is colored people… More than 50% of the Israelis come from the Arab lands.” During the Q&A session, Berk stated that he found it interesting that at the time U.S. President Joe Biden had not made any large statements on the matter. His Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said that “Israel has the right to defend itself,” which Berk stated he felt “was the right response.” President Biden did state that Israel had a right to defend itself on May 12, in a video released by the Associated Press. Berk also stated that he is “very disturbed” by the behavior of some of the members of the United States’ Democratic Party. Recently, there has been a large amount of criticism among United States congressional members on Israel’s retaliation at
the Gaza strip. Berk pointed out that Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has repeatedly been critical of Israel, with her recently stating that “apartheid states aren’t democracies” on her Twitter account in reference to Israel. Berk also labeled Congresswomen Rashid Tlaib and Ilhan Omar “bonafide antisemites.” He said that they are “trying to make antisemitism mainstream.” On the subject of the recent conflict at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Berk stated that due to the limited news coverage from unbiased sources, “it’s a mystery. It all depends on who you read.” In addition, Berk also expressed his general dissatisfaction with media coverage of the overall conflict, referencing the Associated Press and the New York Times, calling the latter of the two a “sophisticated tabloid” with strong biases. He stated that the coverage only gives Palestinian civilians a voice, and that Israeli civilians are rarely, if ever, given any interviews or chances to make statements. Towards the end of the Q&A session, Berk was asked “what should [Union students] do about the antisemitic posts circulating on social media?” Berk responded by saying that “there is valid criticism of Israel… there are Israelis who criticize their own government.” Berk did state, though, that the line is crossed “when you hold the Israeli government to a higher standard than any other government. When you say that it’s ‘genocide…’ when you don’t recognize the Hamas strikes against Israel… when you call Israelis ‘Nazis,’ that’s crossing the line.” Berk did state that he is okay with protests in the United States on either side of the conflict, stating that “it’s a free country, you can demonstrate all you want.” He further said that “it is the function of the police… to make sure the demonstrations don’t lead to violence… physical vio-
lence… cannot be tolerated.” In a statement to the Concordiensis, Laiky Rubin stated the following about the event: “Chabad invited Professor Berk to share his thoughts on the Israeli-Hamas conflict because many distraught students turned to us for guidance and support during this extremely challenging and sensitive time… [On Tuesday, May 18th] Rabbi Shmuly… was outside the Chabad House on Seward Pl, and a car drove by and the passenger shouted “F–– you, Jews!” This is our first personal antisemitic experience in our 13+ years in Schenectady. Many Jewish students feel that there is a virtual pogrom right now on social media and they are being silenced and/or afraid to share their support of Israel… This talk was to provide historical context to the conflict in Israel, to give students the opportunity to learn and ask questions, and provide moral support. We hope and pray that there will be peace in the region and that Israelis and Palestinians will be able to coexist in peace and harmony.” Approximately 165 people attended the event live on Thursday night. It lasted for approximately an hour and 20 minutes. The event has drawn some criticism from students of Union College on social media, who feel that Israel’s involvement in the ongoing conflict isn’t appropriate. Some students also claimed that Berk was trying to silence discourse on the subject, in reference to his statement that individuals should be reported for antisemitic conduct such as calling Israel’s actions a “genocide” or reffering to Israel as an “apartheid state.” Past Concordiensis editions can be viewed at concordiensis. com/virtual-newspapers or by scanning:
Sarah Davenport
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davenpos@union.edu
The important purpose of science outside of COVID-19 By Sarah Davenport Opinions Editor
Life is an amazing, beautiful mystery; one that I contemplate daily. As I have grown older, I have experienced an increasing number of inexplicable moments; moments that make me think endlessly about my existence and the world in which I breathe. Whether it be certain emotions, situations of unwarranted luck, or encounters with the truly strange and unimaginable, I am always searching for how these elements relate to my life, often turning to science for answers. As we have endured the tormentuous wrath of COVID-19, my respect for the beneficial nature of the scientific world has grown tremendously and consumes much of what I think about. However, after taking my Philosophy of Science course,
here at Union, the true purpose of science has become more ambiguous to me; seemingly more broad and harder to define than I originally thought. It is obvious that science is a prevalent entity, one that exists within every crevice of the modern world. It exists in classrooms, research labs, hospitals, as well as visual and auditory media. In existential terms, It governs our daily routines, controls our notions about the world, and helps us form ideas regarding the purpose of life. I believe the nature of science lies in curiosity that aims to answer questions about humanity, and although it often presents itself as ambiguous conjecture and scientific jargon, it is an extremely valuable resource. Using science to examine the physical world and explain existence, in my opinion, is its most important function. It helps us obtain knowledge and give meaning to life. Knowledge and sci-
ence are both hard to define, but looking at it through an empiricist lense makes these ideas easier to conceptualize. People often view the field of science as extensively complicated and solely consisting of biology, chemistry and physics, however, it is not always that dynamic. According to the laws of empiricism, science at its core, is based on experience; we gain knowledge through our senses. This makes sense, as the term empiricism is derived from the Greek word empeiria, “experience”. It is indeed a simple concept to grasp, as using our senses in an attempt to understand the world is innate behavior, however there are multiple definitions of empiricism that are important to note. The first has already been stated: all concepts originate in experience. The second is: all concepts are about or applicable to things that can be experienced. This central idea
that concepts can only be understood and applied to the world is said to be “a posteriori”, meaning things are “knowable” only on the basis of experience. To wrap these notions into a theorized way of thinking, we present the third definition of empiricism: all rationally acceptable beliefs or propositions are justifiable or knowable only through experience. We use this definition to justify why we “know” the things we claim to know. For example, we determine flowers have a sweet scent or that the sky is blue solely on the basis that we smell and see these things; we experience them. We then use these things to help us create universal patterns/ laws and predict future events. We are, at our simplest stage, creatures of the earth. We are organisms who are born eager to understand the world around us. As infants, we exist solely to explore the world, obtaining knowledge through our ignorant ac-
tions and experiences. Although we may typically use science in a more sterile and academic context, especially as we try to fight the pandemic, it is important to look at it in a way that is more focused around the human experience; in a light that is not so serious and frightening. Science will never give us all the answers to our many questions or completely fulfill our endless eagerness to learn, or cure society’s every encounter with misfortune, however, it will forever facilitate the growth of our curious minds as we travel from birth into death.
Union’s wellness days: a useless gift to tired students By Leanna Dalessio Contribution Writer
This academic year, for everyone, has been an extremely strenuous and outrageously taxing experience. The previous “work hard, play hard” attitude of the Union student body has dwindled into one that just consists of working hard, very hard. We have had virtually no down time, and although I understand the safety precautions around not having a spring break this year, I don’t think these mental health days are benefiting the study body as strongly as administration had hoped. We just endured our second, and last, “wellness day”, however, without having a proper break in between terms this day seems entirely useless and futile. It was just another Tuesday, a single day that provides no reprieve from the scholastic weight I, and others, are experiencing. I feel
like I’m starting week eighteen of winter term, rather than week eight of the spring term. This has been an especially mentally draining year for us all as we have tried to navigate COVID-19 and I think taking time to benefit your mental health is extremely important. However, I’ve found that these mental health days are only a short term solution to the problems students are facing: burnout and mental health struggles. Getting a random Tuesday off in week eight of a term doesn’t do more than put up a momentary veil of ignorance; and for most students this isn’t even the case. Most students, in hopes to enjoy this work-free day gifted by the college, have to essentially use unavailable time doing work and struggling to get assignments done. This is stressful and usually carries over into the time where they should be relaxing. Before students know it, their “wellness day” is over and they are completely slapped back to
reality when they wake up the very next morning. As much as professors praise these “wellness days” and encourage students to take time for themselves, they still assign work due the next day or expect students to be able to then take an exam later in the week. It isn’t the professors’ fault that they need to get these grades in by the end of the term, but I think it’s unfair to have students choose between falling behind in schoolwork and prioritizing their mental health and opportunity for enjoyable, fun rest. I don’t think there is any perfect solution on how to most benefit the study body and their needs, but I do think these days off could have been handled better. I think putting them on Fridays or Mondays and giving students a long weekend would have been a more effective use of the calendar. This way, students
would have three days to pick and choose when to manage schoolwork and when to relax.
This would also alleviate some of the stress for teachers and their ability to plan and work around these days. Overall, I think we need to take this opportunity to evaluate our ability to effectively support students’ mental
health. As with everything in the future, the continuation of the pandemic is unknown and as we move forward I hope a true, realistically beneficial, and sincere consideration of students’ well being is taken into account.
Concordiensis Vol. CXLIV, Issue XVII, May 20, 2021 Dante Sasso Jr. Editor-in-Chief
Megan Brown, News Editor Sydney Lewis, News Editor Ariel Cooper, 807 Editor Isabelle Yee, Sports Editor Kari Kimball, Sci/Tech Editor concordiensis.com Email: concordiensis@union.edu Office: 406 Reamer Campus Center
Sarah Davenport, Opinions Editor Chris Doyle, World/Business Editor Trey Everett, Photo Editor Mail: Concordiensis Box 2577 807 Union Street
Do you have something you want to say? The Concordiensis is now accepting Letters to the Editor. Share your thoughts about campus, news, trends, or anything you want to write about! All letters should be sent to sassod@union.edu. They should be less than 250 words in length and must include the writers full name and email address. Any letters longer than 250 words may be edited for length, word choice and accuracy.
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World / Business Thursday, May 20, 2021 | Concordiensis
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Associated Press bombed as conflict in Gaza continues By Chris Doyle World and Business Editor
On May 15, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) bombed the al-Jalaa tower in the Gaza Strip that was housing the Associated Press (AP), Al-Jazeera, and other outlets. Israel claims the building was targeted as part of its operations against Hamas. In a statement released by AP CEO Gary Pruitt, he described being “shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations in Gaza. They have long known the location
of our bureau and knew journalists were there.” Pruitt acknowledged the Israelis warned the residents the building would be targeted, and that they had information linking the 11-storey complex to Hamas, but Pruitt called on Israel to share the intelligence, arguing that the AP had been using the building for 15 years without any sign that Hamas had any presence. In their own statement, Al-Jazeera “condemns in the strongest terms the bombing and destruction of its offices by the Israeli military in Gaza and views this as a clear act to stop journalists from conducting their sacred duty to inform the world and report events
on the ground.” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted the White House has “communicated directly to the Israelis that ensuring the safety and security of journalists and independent media is a paramount responsibility.” The conflict began on May 6 after riots broke out in East Jerusalem over plans to evict Palestinian residents to build settlements deemed illegal by the international community. Since then, some suspect that the IDF has used the media in its war against Hamas. Major news outlets reported an Israeli invasion of Gaza after the IDF tweeted that “IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking the Gaza Strip.” The Israelis later confirmed
that there was no movement inward into Palestinian territories. Israeli news reports indicate this was part of a bigger strategy to fool Hamas into deploying fighters to engage the IDF in the open, allowing them to inflict greater militant casualties, according to the Seattle Times. The Israeli Military denies this. Since 2001, 18 journalists have died while on assignment in Israel and Occupied Palestine, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Of that number, 14 were killed in crossfire, one was murdered, and three were listed as casualties to “Dangerous Assignment”. Three freelancers were arrested in 2020. All were placed under
Israel’s “administrative detention”, allowing the government to hold them without publicly expressing the charges or giving the detainee a swift trial. On May 11, the CPJ reported that eight journalists were injured by security forces while covering the protests in East Jerusalem. In addition to the AP and Al-Jazeera bombings, Israel has destroyed buildings housing local media, and international syndicates from the UK, Iraq, Jordan, and Qatar through the war, according to the CPJ. Since the conflict broke out, 188 people have been killed in Gaza and 1233 were injured, and 10 people in Israel have been killed, according to the BBC.
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster: 35 years since meltdown By Jing Chen Staff Writer
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant—located in Pripyat of Soviet-Ukraine—exploded. According to National Geographic, Reactor Number Four was located 11 miles from town, and the force of the explosion was equivalent to 66 tons of TNT, or 500 Hiroshima bombs. Reactor Number Four exploded twice; the radiation detonated the reactor’s building, and emitted 28 tons of radioactive chemicals and debris into the nearby environment. The fire caused by radioactive materials burned
for two weeks into further villages as well. Mass evacuations followed, and the nuclear disaster cost thousands of lives, smoldered homes, and exposed survivors to disease. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chernobyl explosion is considered one of the most catastrophic nuclear explosions in history, comparable to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan caused by an earthquake and tsunami. According to Fox News, 18,000 people were hospitalized immediately after the explosion. Serhii Plokhii—Director of Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute—told Fox News on April 30 of 2021 that first responders on the scene “didn’t know they were fight-
ing a radioactive fire.” According to Science Magazine, two plant workers died directly in the explosion and 28 firefighters died from radiation poisoning. Dr. Alla Shapiro, a physician among the first responders writes to USA Today that none of the physicians were given protective gears or specific instructions, and that “distressing images of the destruction still haunt me.” To study the effects that the nuclear disaster has on the people that might have been exposed to radioactive chemicals but survived, a group of scientists at the National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine in Ukraine and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) gathered to analyze the aftermath of the explosion. Di-
rected by immunologist Dimitry Bazkya, the team is interested to determine whether radiation exposure mutated eggs and sperms and potentially increases the chances of offsprings to genetic disorders and diseases. The researchers looked for the de novo mutations (DNMs) among children—the only proven risk factor and gene that might be passed down, causing some forms of autism and other developmental disorders. Researchers monitored participants who were born between 1987 and 2002, and whose parents engaged in the clean-up after the explosion. Fortunately, scientists did not find any notable increases in de novo mutations, suggesting that there is a min-
imal impact on parent’s exposure to their children. This study could also allow survivors of the Fukushima nuclear accident to learn about the transgenerational effects of radiation. Professor Gerry Thomas—a specialist in cancer biology— from Imperial London College explains the importance of this study. She says that “people who were scared to have children after the accident at Fukushima because they thought their child would be affected by radiation they were exposed to. It’s so sad. And if we can show that there’s no effect, hopefully, we can alleviate that fear.”
60-Second News
CDC suggests end of public mask mandate for people who have recieved both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, except for public transporation and medical facilities
Chile elects members of Constituent Assembly to write a new constitution. 50% will be women, and 17 seats will be reserved for indigenous people
Ethiopia’s election commission has postponed a June 5 parliamentary election due to “logistical issues.” An election last year was canceled due to COVID-19
Kari Kimball
Sci/Tech
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kimballk@union.edu
Yucatan mangroves store carbon & other natural materials By Avanti Khare Staff Writer
Mangroves, which are a cornerstone of the ecosystem of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, benefit not only the wildlife, but the people who live along the coast as well. To combat rising sea levels, mangroves are known to “climb” up deposited sediments and move further inland in order to keep their roots from drowning. They hold onto soil with their roots in coastal areas and consequently prevent coastal erosion. This phenomenon requires mangroves to grow new, deeper roots which trap carbon taken out of the atmosphere. Thick lines of mangroves also dampen the destructive effects of storm surges––According to a pa-
per published in PLOS One, mangroves growing in coastal areas around the world constitute “natural infrastructure” in the form of barriers to storm surges that help between 3.4 and 5.3 million people inhabiting those areas. Although they are commonly associated with their presence on the oceanside, mangroves often grow in dense tangles around sinkholes. They often hold massive amounts of organic matter in their roots converted from the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. There are thousands of these sinkholes, or cenotes, around the Yucatan peninsula. According to recent work done by a research team of wetland scientists from Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, three cenotes were measured to contain on average 1,500 metric tonnes per hect-
are of organic matter. One cenote, Casa Cenote, contains over 2,972 metric tonnes per hectare of organic matter. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), mangroves hold what is considered “blue carbon,” which is a catch-all term for the carbon stored in the world’s oceans and coastal forests. Mangroves can hold as much as five times more carbon than most other terrestrial forests, according to a recent article in Biology Letters. Mangroves achieve their carbon sequestering power by transferring the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the soil they inhabit. This unique power gives mangrove trees an important use in the fight against climate change. Effectively utilizing the power of the mangrove trees could prove to be an
important resource for nations to achieve carbon neutrality, where the amount of carbon. There is a risk that mangroves might not be able to stand up against the rise in sea level if global carbon emissions stay where they are. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea levels are currently rising at an average rate of 3-4 millimeters per year. However, they say that this rate is projected to increase to between 5 millimeters per year and 10 millimeters per year by 2100. A recent report from Science shows that mangroves might not be able to sustain their steady inland migration once sea levels increase past 7 millimeters per year. It is clearly not sustainable to use mangroves as the only source of carbon recycling and not include other
changes to reduce carbon emissions. According to Science News, the most current avenue of research in studying mangroves is to understand the threshold of sea level rise that mangroves can thrive under. This has proven especially difficult because the data that scientists currently have for sediment deposits on coasts lined with mangroves only spans the last decade or two. It is imperative for scientists to figure out as soon as possible how long the mangroves will be able to keep up this balancing act and how we can best help them continue their carbon-sequestering efforts. This could mean setting up protections for specific species of mangroves or standards for areas of the world that are seeing the most rapid rates of sea level rise.
First genetically modified mosquitoes released in U.S. By Kari Kimball Sci/Tech Editor
A genetically modified mosquito was created by a biotech company called Oxitec in efforts to fight against a Florida invasive mosquito species that is spreading Zika and dengue. These genetically modified mosquitoes have reached the age of mating, signaling that they are ready to be released into the wild. Experimental monitors confirmed on May 12 that the males had matured enough to be released to find American female mosquitoes to
mate with. Eggs of this group have been modified so that they can be sent from Oxitec’s base lab in Abingdon, England to anywhere around the world in a phase of suspended development. While this is the first time these mosquitoes are being used in the United States, they have already been deployed in Brazil and shown promising results. This group of mosquitoes was engineered to shrink local populations of Aedes aegypti, a mosquito species that spreads dengue and Zika. Now that the male mosquitoes have reached mating age, they should be able to start eliminating the population. The genetically modified
mosquitoes have a leg up over the competition because they were engineered to be better choices as dads. This was done by giving them the genes necessary to have distinctively masculine antennae, meaning they are extra fluffy. This modification makes them more appealing to the females but in turn, reduces the fertility of the females. The genes passed down to the female larvae should prevent them from surviving to adulthood, says molecular biologist Nathan Rose, Oxitec’s chief of regulatory affairs. Half of the male larvae will develop into adults and maintain the daughter-killing trait while the other half will be normal.
Aedes aegypti is the exclusive target of these genetically modified mosquitoes. While there are other mosquitoes that also have the ability to spread Zika and dengue, none are as prevalent in the United States as Aedes aegypti. These mosquitoes are in the top three in the world for the number of diseases it can spread, according to Don Yee, and aquatic ecologist at the University of Southern Mississippi. Yee’s lab has been focusing their studies on this species of mosquitoes, finding over three dozen human pathogens being carried by them. The Florida Keys are riddled with mosquitoes that
have developed pesticide resistances. According to chemist Phil Goodman, who chairs the local mosquito control district’s board of commissioners, this pesticide resistance is driving the interest in the use of genetically modified species. Scientists are not worried about ecosystem repercussions from the elimination of Aedes aegypti because they invaded North America within the past four centuries. It is believed that this is too short of a time for them to become necessary for the survival of any of their native North American predators or plants.
Less than 1% of the world’s forests are costal mangroves, yet they store 10x more carbon.
If we continue to lose mangroves at the current rate, they will be gone by the next century.
60-Second Sci/Tech
Electricity and heat production accounts for 49% of carbon emmissions.
Transportation and manufacturing industries carry the same burden in carbon production at 20%.
Carbon is classified as one of the greenhouse gas emmissions.
PICTURES OF THE WEEK
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Courtesy of Trey Everett ’22 | Concordiensis A student using the zip line featured at Fun Fest 2021 (Left), and a student enjoying the inflatable axe throwing stand at Fun Fest 2021 (Right).
CRIME & FIRE LOG 05/14/21 - 05/20/21
05/14/21 8:04 a.m. Unauthorized entry into unlocked vehicle - nothing taken - occurred approximately 5:10 am. Case Closed. Facilities Lot. 05/15/21 2:05 a.m. Vandalism to gate - occurred at approximately 11:35 pm. Closed. No suspects or witnesses. South Lane. 3:00 p.m. Student reports being stalked by another student. Referred to Title IX. Bailey Field 3:09 p.m. Student reports being stalked by another student. Referred to Title IX. Bailey Field 05/17/21 8:08 a.m. Vandalism to building reported - time of occurrence unknown. Closed. Referred to Department. Golub House. 2:02 p.m. Vandalism to window reported - time of occurrence unknown. Closed. Referred to Department. Raymond House. 6:38 p.m. Theft from unlocked vehicle reported - occurred between 1 pm and 5 pm. Open Investigation. Raymond / Potter Lot. 7:15 p.m. Vandalism to vehicle - occurred approximately 4:45 pm. Open Investigation. Boathouse. 05/18/21 2:14 a.m. Vandalism to vehicle parked on public street discovered - notified police department. Closed. Referred to Police. Roger Hull Place / Seward Place.
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Ariel Cooper
Thursday, May 20, 2021 | Concordiensis
coopera2@union.edu
Painting the idol: a Union tradition that may be stopped soon Alex Appel & Daniel Wilcox Emeritus Editors-in-Chief
After 145 years, the tradition of painting the Idol may come to an end. Currently, the Sub-Committee of History and Symbols is evaluating the role that the statue should play on campus, if it should be moved and if the painting of it should continue, according to Sub-Committee Member and Art history Professor Sheri Lullo. Painting of the Idol is one of the oldest Union traditions. Presbyterian missionary Reverend John Farnham ’56 gifted the Idol to Union in 1874. While in Shanghai in 1964, he acquired the Idol from a Chinese officer. Farnham had to bribe a wealthy Chinese family with $20 to sneak the statue outside of China and into the United States, Wayne Somers’s Encyclopedia of
Union College stated. When Farnham sent it to Union it was put into storage. It was taken out in 1876 in anticipation of Farnham visiting the College. Within 24 hours, Frank A. DePuy ’78, a junior at the time, and two friends the year below him, stole paint from the construction site of the Nott Memorial and painted the body of the statue white, the base of it black and its mouth red, according to Somers’s book. At the time, the College considered this a serious crime, but a Concordiensis article from 1879 made it clear that painting the Idol had become a common occurrence by then, Somers wrote. During the subsequent decades, painting the Idol became a cultural phenomenon at Union College. Freshmen and sophomores competed in covering the Idol with their class colors, fraternities made recruits paint it with their bare
hands as a form of hazing and eight foot tall plaster statues of the Idol were sold as souvenirs, according to Somers. The statue in question is of a lion and was most likely created in the fifteenth century, Lullo said. These statues began to appear in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) and were originally used to guard graves. By the fifteenth century, lion statues were common across continental Asia and Japan, according to Lullo. The Idol used to have a cub, however it was chiseled off overtime, possibly during one of the more serious acts of vandalism, according to Lullo. A survey sent out by Lullo and Chinese Language Assistant, Ting-Fang “Katrina” Wang, aimed to gather the opinions of the campus community with regards to the Idol. In response to whether the respondents knew of the Idol being a stone lion from
China, 69.6% of the 23 responses said that they did, while a majority of the respondents, 82.6% said that they had not personally participated in any painting activities at the Idol. Wang explained that the survey was made in order to communicate with the administration the thoughts of students toward the Idol and the activities that have traditionally been held around it. She explained that she saw the survey as “very interesting” because it demonstrated the “spectrum of thoughts ranging from not caring to understanding how it may be seen as unconscious racism against Asians.” Co-president of the Asian Student Union, Jia (Scarlett) Wei ’23 explained her hope that the statue will be protected going forward, as well as education around the Idol being more widespread. Noting the important symbolism of the stone lion in China, as well
as it’s age and origins, she explained that she believes that it is “not appropriate to paint on it.” There have been many destructive attacks against the Idol. In 1919, one of the legs was broken and the statue was spray painted “RPI.” This caused the College to halt relations with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, according to Somers. In 1935, 1941 and 1947 the Idol was tipped over, in 1964 Phi Gamma Delta fraternity tarred and feathered it and in 1985 the Idol was broken into pieces with a sledgehammer, Somers wrote. Painting the Idol is also damaging. Every few years, inches of paint are power washed off of it, which erodes away the stone surface. Director of Media and Public Relations Phil Wajda did not comment on when the Sub-Committee will come to a decision.
Union College’s Woman of the Week: Sophie Hurwitz ’21 Marcy Forti Staff Writer
Class of 2021. Thesis student. Vice President of Chem Club. Heavily involved in the theater department. Nominated by: Bari Roberts Nomination: She has been a rock star balancing school work, thesis, and extracurricular activists while also applying for Grad school. She’s been interviewing for prestigious schools such as UCSD in California and University of Washington in Seattle for a PhD in biochemistry. She deserves to be recognized for all her hard work since freshman year to now to maintain this balance and be an awesome woman. I wish her so much success in the future and can’t wait for her to decide where she goes. What are you passionate
about? I’m passionate about helping women in STEM and diversifying STEM and making sure underrepresented groups in STEM feel they have a voice when discussing STEM. Something I think can be key is mentorship and the role we have as women to help other women make sure they have a voice. Additionally, I think we need to highlight the work of underrepresented groups in STEM. Most people who are not a straight white man in STEM have likely not learned about a scientist that looks like them, which needs to change as representation is key in diversifying STEM as it’s hard to believe that we are capable when we never see someone like us succeed at what we are aiming for. What are your proudest accomplishments? One of my proudest accomplishments is that I recently just got into graduate school and was accepted into
PhD programs from Biochemistry. It’s really exciting to get to continue research in the field and be recognized for the work I have already done. Who do you look up to? I look up heavily to my mother. She’s a breast surgeon and works extremely hard to make sure her patients get great care and tries to make them as comfortable as possible. From a young age I remember her calling patients the night before surgery just to calm them down and assure them that things will go well. I used to think this was something all surgeons did when I was little, but it’s just something she thinks is important to look out and treat people as people and not just the surgeries she has to perform. This drive to do good work, while using kindness for others is why I look up to my mother. What does being a woman at Union mean to you? Being a woman at Union
Sophie Hurwitz ’21 means that I am surrounded by a community of driven women. I have seen this through the strong female leadership in STEM and research, which has given me more confidence in the lab and inspires me to hopefully
Courtesy of Women’s Union one day get to help others the same way. I have also seen this community through just talking to my friends and seeing everything that they hope to accomplish and aim for and the way they support me to go after what I want.
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Isabelle Yee
Thursday, May 20, 2021 | Concordiensis
yeei@union.edu
Lacrosse and Tennis Teams earn Liberty League honors By Isabelle Yee Sports Editor
Multiple members of the Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse teams and Tennis teams earned Liberty League honors. Ten members of the Men’s Lacrosse team earned Liberty-League All-Conference honors. Quinn Helmig ‘21, Ryan Puglisi ’21, Keaton McCann ’22, and Kieran McGovern ’22 were named to the first team. Helmig ranked fourth on the team with 21 ground balls and finished sixth in the league with 12 caused turnovers. Puglisi caused seven turnovers and grabbed 10 ground balls. McCann had a team-leading 26 goals with six assist, scoring 42% of his shots. He finished the season second in the conference with goals per
game and points per game. McGovern scored eight goals with five assists, picked up 10 ground balls, and caused a pair of turnovers. Aidan Flood ’21, Hayden Frey ’21, Chris Kelly ’21, Matt Belluche ’22 and Brian Davis ’22 were named to the second team. Flood ranked fifth on the team in scoring and ranked fourth in the conference in assists per game. Frey ranked second on the team with 17 goals and eight assists, finishing withing the top-10 in the Liberty League in goals per gam and points per game. Kelly had six ground balls and caused four turnovers, and scored his only shot of the season. Belluche picked up 10 ground balls and cause three turnovers. Davis scored 10 goals and finished second on the team and ninth in the conference with 11 assists
. Sam Byrne ’22 was recognized as an honorable mention. He is ranked fifth in the conference by winning 57.1% of his draws and finished third among Liberty League players by averaging a team-leading 5.75 ground balls per game. Four women on the Women’s Lacrosse team earned Liberty-League All-Conference honors. Lindsay Gerrato ’21 and Elizabeth Hernberg ’22 were named the All-Conference first team. This is Gerrato’s second time being named to the All-Conference selection. She ranked sixth in the league in points per game, ending the season with 26 goals with 11 assists for 37 points in nine games. She is also ranked 11th in Division III by averaging eight draw goals per game. Hernberg lead the team with 23 groundballs in nine
games and ranks seventh in the conference in ground balls per game. She is also ranked second with eight caused turnovers. Sydney McPartlon ’23 and Dana Truini ’23 earned spots on the All-Conference second team. McPartlon lead the team with 27 goals, ranking ninth in the conference for goals per game. Truini ranked fifth on the team with 12 goals and finished second on the team with eight caused turnovers and 23 draw controls. She is one of the most accurate shooters in the country this year, scoring 12 times on 15 shots, finishing third in shooting percentage among players with at least 10 goals. On the Men’s Tennis team, Ioannis Binopoulous ’23 was selected as an All-Conference player and given an All-Liberty League honorable men-
tion. He had a 1-5 record, and took one match to three sets and lost four sets by a single break. Throughout his Union career, he has 11 singles victories and 18 doubles victories. On the women’s tennis team, Megan Brown ’21 and Marilena Karadimou ’23 earned sports on the All-Liberty League singles team. Brown was named to the All-Conference second team. She had a 2-4 singles record where all four matches were against competitors on teams who made it to the conference tournament. Karadimou earned honorable mention as she had a 3-4 record.
Dutchmen fall short in Liberty League Title Game By Tyler Mar Staff Writer
The Dutchmen of the Union College Baseball team fell to the top-seeded University ofRochester Yellow Jackets in the Liberty League Tournament final on Saturday afternoon, May 15, at Towers Field. Union fell short in their bid to secure a second Liberty League championship, losing 19-4 to the University of Rochester. Senior Joey Palko ’21 led the Dutchmen in his final collegiate appearance, hitting 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. Fellow senior Jack Koch ’21 also had a hit, drove in a run and scored once as well. The Yellow Jackets sported the Liberty League’s top offense heading into Saturday’s matchup and proved it so by scoring eight runs in the first two innings. Rochester came out of the gates swing-
ing. Starting with a single, a double and a home run to put the Yellow Jackets up 3-0 in the bottom of the first. By the end of the second inning, Rochester turned up the heat on Union’s defense as their lead ballooned to 8-0. Stunned by Rochester’s offense, Union went hitless through the first four innings before letting the bats come alive in the fifth inning. Senior Elias Kuhns ’21 led off with a single and camehome on an RBI double by classmate Jack Koch. Palko followed with a single to score classmate Chris Symington ’21. Further support came from senior Matt Toy ’21, who contributed an RBI single. The Dutchmen plated four runs to finish the fifth inning. Rochester responded with a volley of four runs in the bottom of the fifth and added four more in the seventh to put the game away at 19-4 for the final score. Despite the loss, this was the team’s fifth time in pro-
gram history to play for a conference title. Furthermore, this was the seventh time in the last eight seasons under 11year head coach Paul Mound that the Dutchmen made it to the conference tournament. Saturday’s game marked the final game for graduating senior class. The Dutchmen will lose Chris Symington a Political Science major from Ridgewood, New Jersey, Matt Toy a Managerial Economics major from Niskayuna, New York, Chris O’Brien a Mechanical Engineer from Williston, Vermont, Colin Kelly ’21 an Economics and Spanish double major from Old Greenwich, Connecticut, Charlie Hoover ’21 a Political Science major from Southport, Connecticut, Joey Palko a Mathematics major from Waterford, New York, Jack Koch a Managerial Economics and Spanish double major from St. Paul, Minnesota, Will Bellamy ’21 a Sociology major from Lafayette, Louisiana, Kevin Chaimowitz ‘21 a
Courtesy of Union Athletics Joey Palko ’21 at bat in an earlier game this season. Managerial Economics major from Bellmore, New York, and Elias Kuhns ’21 an Economics major from Chicago, Illinois. The group of 10 seniors have a long list of accolades including Liberty League All-Academic Honors, various academic honor societies, All-Liberty League First and Second Team Honors, Liberty League Player of the Year, CoSIDA Acadmic All-Distrcit
First Team, All-America Second Team, ECAC Div.III Player of the Year, ABCA/Rawlings All-New York Region First Team. Other Union related accolades include William A. Pike ’60 Award, Harold R. Moore Sophomore Athletic Prize and the Freshman Athletic Prize.