Concordiensis - September 24, 2020

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 COLLEGE SINCE 1877 Thursday, September 24, 2020

Volume. CXLIX, Issue II

concordiensis.com

Covid-19 case breakdown among students and staff/faculty on campus

By Daniel Wilcox Editor-In-Chief

On Wednesday, September 16, the first positive case of COVID-19 in a Union College faculty/staff member was returned. It is currently unclear whether this member of the staff/faculty has been present on-campus, or has been working remotely during the term.

Additionally, one student was found to have tested positive. This was the first positive result to be tested in a student since September 8, and has brought the total number of students who have tested positive to seven. As of writing, the number of students in isolation stands at twelve, with there being three active cases/individuals in isolation.

That is made up of the faculty member and two students.

In nearby Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, the total number of positive cases so far has been three, with one case being active. The college is at ‘Alert Level 1’, which is the lowest out of a possible five levels. This is explained as meaning that any positive cases can be “contained, isolated and controlled,” according to the Skidmore Website.

Moreover, according to the SUNY Albany website, from September 12 to the present, there have been 50 positive test results among students at the college. SUNY Oneonta meanwhile moved to a completely online-term on September 3, after beginning term on August 24, with there currently being 672 positive cases found at the college, according to the col-

We’re Beautiful on the Inside Too: 807 Union St., page 6 Six Years at Union: Sexual Assaults at Union

World, page 4 How are European colleges handling the second wave of coronavirus?

Opinions, page 3 Are students following COVID-19 rules?

Arts, page 8 Creating art during a pandemic

Sports, page 9 Swimming and Diving Team announce new captains

COVID-19 case breakdown as of Sept. 23, 2020

lege’s COVID-19 dashboard.

In Schenectady County as a whole, there have been a total of 1,374 positive cases, with two new cases being found on September 18, according to the New York State Department of Health COVID-19 tracker.

Union College Spokes-

Photo courtesy of Union College COVID-19 dashboard

person Phillip Wajda, when contacted questioning whether the new Union cases were transmitted on-campus, explained that “in order to protect the privacy of any individual who may test positive, we will limit sharing any information that could help identify the individual.”

According to the college’s Covid-19 dashboard, “When a member of our community tests positive ... we will work closely with the Department of Health to follow comprehensive protocols ... contract tracing, isolation and quarantine for the individual and close contacts.”

Title IX office during remote learning

By Alex Appel Emeritus Editor-In-Chief

Remote learning has been a game changer for the expectations and limitations of all administrative offices, including the Office of Title IX. 1722 students are participating in in-person classes, while 1471 students are living in college housing, according to Director of Residential Life Amanda Bingel.

Since the College cannot be responsible for incidents that occur in off-campus buildings, in compliance with New York State and U.S. Federal law, the majority of students live outside of the Title IX Office’s physical jurisdiction. However, remote learning environments are a part

of the scope of the Office of Title IX, according to the new policy released on August 14.

While remote learning environments are still a part of the scope of Title IX, according to the new policy released on August 14, the College cannot be responsible for incidents that occur in off-campus buildings.

Almost 28 percent of students live outside of Union’s residential facilities and 16 percent of students are only taking remote-classes, according to Director of Residential Life Amanda Bingel. These students are physically outside of the Title IX Office’s jurisdiction, but they are still protected by Title IX while in class.

Continued on page 2

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Megan Brown & Sydney Lewis

Title IX Continued from page 1

“Speaking only to my own professional experiences, I have generally found that when it comes to gender-based misconduct relative to online classes, there are definitely common fact patterns: inappropriate language or discriminatory responses in virtual discussion boards, individuals not dressing appropriately when participating in a video conference, or folks making inappropriate comments utilizing chat functions,” Union College’s Title IX Coordinator Mary Simeoli wrote in an email to Concordiensis.

The College’s Title IX policy states that it will accommodate students who face discrimination by allowing the victimized party to change

Thursday, September 24, 2020 | Concordiensis

remote classes regardless of the time in the term, as well as providing assignment extension, tutoring and counseling services if needed.

If a student reports sexual assault, they will not be penalized for minor breaches of the student conduct policy, including violatiions social distancing policy, as well as drinking and drug use, according to the email Simeoli sent to Concordiensis.

“Our priority is the safety and wellness of our students and a minor violation should not be a barrier to someone getting connected to the help, support, and resources they need,” she wrote.

The students living on and near campus are currently in the “Red Zone,” which takes place during the start of the scholastic term and extends until Thanksgiving break, according to an email the Office of Title IX sent to the college

on the first day of classes, September 9. During the “Red Zone,” first and second year students are most likely to be assaulted, the email stated.

“Given that delayed disclosures are more common in sexually violent experiences, it is likely that both Union and our greater national community won’t be able to determine the true impact of COVID on this year’s ‘Red Zone’ until next year or beyond, but that does not mean we can slow down our efforts to prevent and educate students on sexual assault,” Simeoli informed Concordiensis.

Simeoli, who prior to her employment at Union was the TItle IX Coordinator for Springfield College in Massachusetts, stated that she will have to introduce herself to and connect with students in ways she has not done in the past.

“I am relying very heavily on social media and other forms

brownm3@union.edu | lewiss4@union.edu

of digital communication—as we all are in this time—to get information in the hands of students, faculty and staff,” Simeoli wrote. “I want to create programming, tools, and material that is accessible to all of our community members, including those that are engaged in virtual learning and/ or living off-campus this term.”

According to the email sent to campus on September 9, one of these programs is titled “U and ME,” which aims to “eradicate” sexual harassment, discrimination and assault by promoting “collective responsibility.”

According to the school’s policy, Resident Advisors are the only students who are mandated reporters.

Colleges have been torn about how to proceed with Title IX cases during these past few months, especially those pertaining to sexual assault, according to Inside Hire Ed (IHE).

Sarah Nesbit, a State Organizer for Know Your IX, an advocacy group founded around the principle of helping victims of sexual assault on college campuses, told IHE that delaying Title IX hearings is both traumatizing for alleged victims and beneficial accused assaulters.

In that same article, Andrew Miltenburg, the attorney representing an anonymous Jane Doe in a lawsuit against Union, said that processes should be postponed as schools are adjusting to remote learning.

Although Doe is suing the school for allegedly mishandling her Title IX case after she claimed that she was raped, most of Miltenburg’s clients are on the other end of the process—they are men who believe that they were unfairly treated after being accused of committing sexual assault.

Recruitment for Greek life on campus persisted through pandemic

By Megan Brown News Editor

A virtual sorority recruitment was held September 11 to September 13 for students wanting to join Greek life on campus. Beginning on Friday night, over one hundred women attended zoom meetings at each sorority and started to narrow down which organization they may want to become a part of.

Jojo Sosa ’21, Senior Recruitment Chair for Sigma Delta Tau mentioned how though conducting a virtual recruitment came with its challenges, she was pleasantly surprised at the outcome and flow of each night.

“I was a bit nervous to watch our virtual plans play out. We were very prepared, but technology can be quite unexpected and one mishap could really unwind the whole night.”

Sosa emphasized how not only is joining Greek life a great way to meet people and gain a new family on campus, but with Covid-19, still being able to have a full recruitment

Photo courtesy of Union Greeks Bid day for sororities Delta Phi Epsilon, Gamma Phi Beta and Sigma Delta Tau was a great opportunity for the younger students on campus to still have that crucial social interaction. Likewise, Alex Merrill ’21 was a recruitment counselor which meant that, during the recruitment process, while her affiliation to her sorority remained anonymous, she was there to help talk things through with potential new members and answer any questions they may have throughout the weekend.

“This was my first time being a recruitment counselor and

being that I found out about this role in the winter, I really didn’t know what it would entail once I knew it would all be online.”Merrill explained how she was surprised at how organized the whole process was, how eager, yet calm the potential new members remained and how she was glad she could play an important role in helping this new crowd of individuals become more immersed in the campus community than they were before.

Each night of recruitment was

intended to resemble how it would transpire if it were all in person. Friday night was an introduction to each of the organizations. Then, on Saturday the potential new members were introduced to each sorority’s associated philanthropies. Finally, the last night was the conclusion night where participants were able to obtain a final sense of what each organization was like, and where they could best see themselves fitting in.

Addy Nowicki ’21, the pres-

ident of Sigma Delta Tau said, “I was pleasantly surprised at how the virtual recruitment process went this fall. The Panhellenic community worked tirelessly to make the process as seamless as possible.”

Nowicki went on to add that she is “proud to be a part of such a great organization and to welcome all of the new members in Union’s Panhellenic to Greek Life as a whole.” The recruitment process this time around was definitely unconventional and came with many challenges, but between the members on the executive boards, to the recruitment counsellors, to the participating members, each student tried to make the process as easy and as comfortable as possible for the potential new members. “It felt pretty real this year, despite the circumstances,” Sosa mentioned. “I believe that each organization became more full with amazing girls that will help these sororities thrive and develop in new, fun and innovative ways” Sosa added.

Going Greek at Union was not only made possible through a pandemic, but also made enjoyable and memorable.

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Opinions

Thursday, September 24, 2020 | Concordiensis

Are students following the COVID rules and regulations?

By Kelsey Delaney Staff Writer

From what myself and my peers have observed, yes and no.

On campus, every single student and faculty member that I have seen have been following guidelines perfectly. I see everyone wearing masks, making sure to sit six feet away.

Given the fact that there have only been 8 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on campus since August 17th, I would say that the Union College community has done a great job of keeping a large spread of COVID-19 at bay. There have been 7 positive students and one faculty member.

In regard to off-campus activity, I have personally seen and heard that individuals are being more relaxed with following the guidelines. But honestly, I really do think that the restaurants and bars are the ones to blame for the overcrowding. There are many places in

Stephen Nadler ’21 | Concordiensis Masked students sit on the quad in front of the Nott memorial.

Schenectady that are being strict in enforcing the guidelines, as they should be! The Schenctady location of Wolff’s Biergarten recently shut down and lost its liquor license because they were not strictly enforcing the guidelines.

While a lot of Union Students go out to the same bars, and even though we are getting tested weekly there is still a risk because of the outside community, that are not getting tested weekly. It is a risk because if Union students

are not sitting at their tables when they go out, and walking around with their mask underneath their nose, they are at risk of coming into contact with COVID-19. According to the New York Times in Partnership with the COVID Track-

ing Project, there have been 1,383 positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic, but recently the daily number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19 have dramatically decreased to only a few cases each day. This is a good sign for the Schenectady and Union college community.

As long as everyone that does leave campus, sits at a table with 10 or less people, orders a meal and makes sure to wear their mask when they get up from that table, I believe that the number of COVID-19 cases will remain low.

No one that chose to come back on campus for fall term wants to get sent home early, and the number of cases on campus heavily reflects that. I have spoken to multiple peers about their feelings surrounding COVID-19 and how they think it is being handled. The overwhelming majority of people were just glad to be back on campus, and willing to follow the guidelines to stay on campus.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Loss of a feminist icon

By Kelsey Delaney and Sydney Lewis Staff Writer and News Editor

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on 18 September 2020, adding to the many tragedies that have happened in 2020. She was 87 years old.

Ginsburg served on the Supreme Court for a total of 27 years, headstarting the fight for women’s equality.

Ginsburg graduated from Cornell University in 1954 and received high honors in government. She then went on to attend Harvard Law School and Columbia Law School. She also became Columbia Law School’s first

tenured female professor.

Ginsburg’s death has left the entirety of the United States wondering what the fate will be for the country’s justice system. There is now an open seat in the Supreme Court meaning that President Trump is looking to nominate an additional Supreme Court Justice. If President Trump’s nominee is confirmed, there is the potential that decades of change in regards to women’s rights could be reversed.

In 2016 Mitch McConnell, the current Senate Majority leader, would not allow former President, Barack Obama to nominate a Supreme Court Justice because he was leaving the office in almost a year. Now, in 2020, McConnell is saying that the Senate would vote for whichever nominee that President Trump puts forward.

This has been an extremely

controversial statement given that Trump only has a few months left of his Presidency.

In 2016 NPR quotes McConnell, “I believe the overwhelming view of the Republican Conference in the Senate is that this nomination should not be filled, this vacancy should not be filled by this lame duck president” (NPR).

Now in 2020, McConnel says that “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate (Washington Post).

This has left many people that live within the United States concerned about this potential nomination, and what could happen to the various monumental court cases that protect women’s rights, like Roe v. Wade, for example.

Rest in Power, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Concordiensis Akriti Dhasmana & Daniel Wilcox Editor-in-Chief Matt Farr,Managing Editor Megan Brown, News Editor Mitchel Famulare, Arts Editor Isabelle Yee, Sports Editor Dante Sasso, 807 Onion St. Editor Kari Kimball, Sci/Tech Editor Tim Fagan, Webmaster concordiensis.com Email: concordy@union.edu Office: 406 Reamer Campus Center

Mitchell Famulare, Managing Editor Sydney Lewis, News Editor Chris Doyle, World/Business Editor Chris Simmons, Business Manager Stephen Nadler, Photo Editor Mail: Concordiensis Box 2577 807 Union Street

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Chris Doyle

World / Business

Thursday, September 24, 2020 | Concordiensis

doylec@union.edu

Potential banning of popular Chinese apps postponed

By Daniel Wilcox Editor-in-Chief

An executive order made by US President Donald Trump is set to result in the removal of the popular video sharing app TikTok from US app stores on September 20, 2020, according to The Financial Times.

This comes at the end of many months of speculation that the Trump Administration has been working to completely ban the TikTok app due to perceived concerns of the role of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, and the ability to access American’s private information. ByteDance, the Chinese owners of TikTok

have frequently denied that the private data of Americans is being made accessible to any other entities, explaining that the company “stores all its data in servers in the US,” according to Business Insider.

This executive order follows the Indian Government’s ban on TikTok and other apps that were made by Chinese companies. BBC News reported that the Indian Government had banned the apps because, according to them, they were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.” India was at that point the biggest foreign market for TikTok, totalling around 120 million users, according to the BBC.

Discussing how the removal of the TikTok app will affect Americans, the US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross told Fox Business that users would be able to continue using the app until November 12 with a “gradual degradation of service,” after which point the app would be unusable.

However, with talks between the American computer technology company Oracle, and ByteDance continuing, there is hope that the app could remain active if the Trump Administration is happy with the terms of the deal, according to the Financial Times.

With mainly young people using the app, some experts have questioned why TikTok has been singled out

Courtesy of Unsplash TikTok has grown popular during the crisis. by the Trump Administration.

WeChat, the mobile messaging app that currently has around 1.2 billion users around the world, according to Statista, is also going to be banned for download on Sunday.

(09/21/20) UPDATE : According to The Verge, the banning of TikTok downloads has been delayed by a week, due to President Trump giving his “blessing” to a proposed deal between TikTok,

Schools react as second COVID-19 wave hits Europe

By Chris Doyle World News Editor

While the United States continues to grapple with the lethal reality of the coronavirus, colleges and universities across the country have varied in their response to how to go about the fall semester. Those that have chosen to reopen have met equally varying degrees of success in staying open. Across the Atlantic, however, the story looks similar to that of March, 2020 when students made an exodus from their dorm rooms to their bedrooms at home.

According to The Econo-

mist’s COVID-19 datatracker, several European states have seen an uptick in confirmed cases that began towards the end of July and expanded into the fall. The timing for the Second Wave to hit meets in conjunction with the beginning of the fall school semester for many European institutions, and has affected their ability to have in-person class arrangements for the term.

“The term (at our Faculty--it’s not the same for the whole [university]) starts on the 28th of September. The government announced that Prague, as the capital and the region worst hit by COVID, has to switch back to online classes by Friday the 18th,” says Lucia Kapitanova, a graduate

student in particle physics at Charles University, Prague.

“It wasn’t too surprising,” she finished. European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) publications show that cases in the Czech Republic have been on the rise since July, and spiked by the time that September rolled around. An explanation to the spike was passivity after the first wave was managed successfully. Young people in particular, who have shown to be less affected by the virus, are also commonly blamed.

“Most of the [students] I see are acting accordingly to the crisis inside the school buildings by always wearing their masks, but tend to be more careless outside,” says

Eleonore Marechal, a thirdyear at the Institut Supérieur Européen de Gestion (ISEG) in Paris. “For example, they regroup themselves to have a smoke between period, forming a maskless group that you have to pass through to go home.” As of September 14th, ECDPC data still shows a rise in case numbers in France with no sign of leveling off.

Both Marechal and Kapitanova aren’t strictly online.

Kapitanova is allowed, along with fourteen of her classmates, to participate in labs in-person when it is required.

Marechal started the fall term with “an alternance between in-person and virtual classes”, but is now strictly online due to the continued increase

in cases. Both of them feel that their learning has been hindered by going online.

“I feel like the last semester [online] was much more work and less efficient than most of the previous ones. I really miss the personal contact, for me, personally, it is really beneficial to attend the lectures, take notes, and listen to someone talk about the stuff,” said Kapitanova. Marechal concurred that she finds her “focus is harder to maintain” when in virtual session.

She feels people are “globally less involved in learning” when classes are online. According to the ECDPC, there were 2,966,428 cases reported in the EU/EEA and the UK as of September 18, 2020.

60-Second News

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September 18 after battling of cancer. She spent her career advocating for equality and female empowerment.

The Death of Justice Ginsberg creates Senate battle for confirmation of a successor with less than two months before the election

300 whales washed ashore in Australia’s most numerous beaching

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TENURE COMMITTEES FORMED

Ad-hoc committees are reviewing the tenure of five professors: Ellen Gasparovic, Nelia Mann, Jennifer Mitchell, Laini Nemett and Heather Watson. Members of the Union Community may submit written comments on their teaching, service and scholarship to committee members preferably by Friday, October 16, 2020. Committees (with chairs listed first) are: Ellen Gasparovic (Mathematics) William Keat, Chair (Mechanical Engineering– keatw@union.edu) Roger Hoerl (Mathematics) Quynh Chu-LaGraff (Biology) Michele Ricci Bell (Modern Languages & Literatures) Nelia Mann (Physics and Astronomy) Kathryn Lesh, Chair (Mathematics – leshk@union.edu) Rebecca Koopmann (Physics and Astronomy) Aaron Cass (Computer Science) Mark Dallas (Political Science) Jennifer Mitchell (English) Joyce Madancy, Chair (History – madancyj@union.edu) Claire Bracken (English) Cheikh Ndiaye (Modern Languages & Literatures) Daniel Burns (Psychology) Laini Nemett (Visual Arts) Charles Batson, Chair (Modern Languages & Literatures – batsonc@union.edu) Louisa Matthew (Visual Arts) Cigdem Cidam (Political Science) John Garver (Geology) Heather Watson (Physics and Astronomy) Laurie Tyler, Chair (Chemistry – tylerl@union.edu) Chad Orzel (Physics and Astronomy) Nicholas Webb (Computer Science) Jenelle Troxell (English)

Kari Kimball

Sci/Tech

Thursday, September 24, 2020 | Concordiensis

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kimballk@union.edu

Apple’s Surprise Launch Event: Spoilers! No iPhone 12!

By Kartik Nath Staff Writer

Apple fans had been awaiting the launch of the first 5G device in 2020, but were left disappointed after the tech giant announced new products on Tuesday, September 15th, 2020. It has been a tradition, dating back to 2012, that Apple unveiled a new iteration of the famed iPhone in a September special event. However, with 2020 being the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, delays in the iPhone production have occurred. Despite the disappointment, the tech giant released exciting new products and services: Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE, iPad Air, iPad 8th generation, Apple Fitness+ and Apple One. Here is a short

summary on all the new products and services announced in their “Time Flies” special event.

To start in the wearables category, Apple announced Watch Series 6 and Watch SE. Establishing the Series 6 as the high-end model, Apple added a blood oxygen sensor, which works through an app in the WatchOS 7, where the watch can “take on-demand reading of your blood oxygen”, according to Apple’s website. With more emphasis on health, Apple also added an ECG app where the watch “is capable of generating an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram”, according to Apple. With a brandnew S6 processor, the Series 6 is an advanced health and fitness device that will attract new Apple fans. In addition, Apple launched a cost-effec-

tive watch called the Watch SE, which shares many features including an always-on display, but does not have the advanced blood oxygen sensor and ECG app. Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $399, while Watch SE starts at $279.

Moving on to the tablet world, Apple released a brand-new iPad Air and iPad 8th generation. The new iPad Air shadows the iPad Pro design, accompanied by the A14 bionic processor, one of the most advanced chips yet in an Apple tablet. A fascinating feature on the iPad Air is that the Touch ID fingerprint sensor is integrated into the lock button. The iPad Air can be used with the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil 2 generation, poised to compete with the iPad Pro. Additionally, Apple announced an update to the entry level iPad

8 generation, with a new A12 bionic processor and support for the Smart Keyboard. With the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro, Apple seems to be catering to everyone by offering a variety of quality tablets. The iPad starts at $329, while the Air starts at $599.

Finishing with the services business, Apple launched Fitness+, a fitness streaming service competing with companies like Peloton and NordicTrack. According to Apple, Apple Fitness+ will offer workouts and classes taught by trainers that can be viewed on the iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. Furthermore, the Apple Watch can be used to take vitals such as heart rate and keep track of distance and other statistics. To round out the services, Apple launched Apple One, a bundle that includes multiple services for

a flat price per month. According to Apple, an individual subscription is $14.95 and comes with Apple Music, TV+, Arcade and 50 GB of iCloud storage. The family plan is $19.95 per month and comes with Apple Music, TV+, Arcade and 200 GB of iCloud storage. The premier plan is $29.95 per month, and comes with Apple Music, TV+, Arcade, News+, Fitness+ and 2 TB of iCloud storage.

The anticipated iPhone 12 may appear in an October special event, where we will hopefully see Apple release their 5G competitors to Samsung and other Android device manufacturers. With phones like the OnePlus 8 Pro and Galaxy Note S20, Apple needs to step up and amaze the world with revolutionary technology in the iPhone 12.

Endangered Species Series: “living fossil” Black Rhinos

By Kari Kimball Sci/Tech Editor

Rhinos are considered living fossils because they are one of the oldest groups of mammals still roaming the earth.

Diceros bicornis, also known as black rhinos, have an astonishingly low population of about 5,500, according to the World Wildlife website.

This low population level makes black rhinos a critically endangered. Animals earn the title of being critically endangered when they face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. African rhinos consist of two species known

as black rhinos and white rhinos. It is easy to distinguish between the two by their size.

Black rhinos are smaller in size than white rhinos and display a hooked upper lip. Black rhinos use their hooked upper lip to help them feed on leaves from bushes and trees.

White rhinos do not need the hooked upper lip because they feed on grass instead of leaves from bushes and trees.

Black rhinos generally have two horns but occasionally have a third, small posterior horn. Adult black rhinos have an average height of 5.2 feet and weigh in anywhere from 1,760 to 3,080 pounds. Black rhinos are seen in habitats that include Semi-Desert Sa-

vannah, woodlands, forests and wetlands in Central and Southern Africa. Population of black rhinos has drastically decreased in due to European hunters and settlers coming into Africa. From 1960-1995, the population dropped by a staggering 98 percent to less than 2,500. Black rhinos population numbers has since doubled thanks to numerous conservation efforts across Africa. With that being said, there is still a long way to go to be able to take black rhinos off the critically endangered list.The extinction of black rhinos would be detrimental to their usual habitats and the income of countries like Namibia, where they display

Courtesy of Unsplash Two Black Rinos at the Okapuka Game Ranch in Namibia

the roaming animals for ecotourism. Large plots of land were dedicated for conservation purposes in attempt to save the black rhino population. This dedication of land

has also immensely benefited many other species, such as elephants which also have low population numbers.

60-Second Sci/Tech

Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

Apple was the first company to make a digital color cammera.

Apple is the largest company in the United States that has public stock shares.

Apple has about $155 billion in cash on hand, if an equal portion of that money was given to every American, each American would get $490.

The name ‘Apple’ came from founder Steve Jobs’ like of the fruit

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Dante Sasso

Thursday, September 24. 2020 | Concordiensis

sassod@union.edu

Six Years at Union: Sexual assaults at Union College

By Dante Sasso 807 Editor

On September 7, 2020, Tina Tully ‘21 made two posts to her Instagram page @artbytinatully; one was a video and the other a few slides related to the content in the video.

Tina’s post centered around an art piece she created titled “Six Years at Union College.”

Tina Tully is a senior at Union College majoring in both Mathematics and Studio Arts. She was born in New York City and raised in New York and London. She has exhibited at the Wikoff Student Gallery on Union’s campus and has been working on themes involving women’s empowerment. From September 7, 2019, to February 7, 2020, Tully along with Lilith Haig ‘21 hosted an exhibition titled “The Weight of This.”

“Six Years at Union College’’ depicts the campus map of Union with over 77 red x’s painted on it. Each red x represents a sexual assault that occured where the x was painted. Tully says that her

inspiration and anger for this work came from another art piece known as “Three Weeks in May,” created by Suzanne Lacy. “I first learnt about this project and artist this past winter term, in the art history class “Visual Culture, Race and Gender”, which is taught

by Lorraine Cox. In her piece, Lacy marked the police reported rapes that were occurring in Los Angeles over the span of three weeks on a map,” Tully explains. It is important to note that Tina collected the responses for her piece using a social media survey, so it is likely that there are more sexual assaults that weren’t reported for the piece due to the nature of social media and algorithms. The reports collected for this piece all fell between 2014 and 2020.These numbers are starkly different from those presented in the Clery reports for years 20142019 documenting the crime reports from 2013-2018. According to the Title IX Coordinator Mary Simeoli, the annual Clery report documents all crimes reported by students in spaces owned or operated by the college for educational purposes. Amongst the crimes

reported on these documents, the Title IX related crimes are considered to be rape, statutory rape, fondling, stalking, dating violence, and domestic violence. According to the Clery reports, only 46 cases of rape, fondling, statuatory rape, dating violence and domestic violence have been reported in the past five years.

The Clery report only documents the crimes reported the given year regardless of the date of occurrence of the incident which means that the report doesn’t accurately represent the number of such cases that might have actually taken place that given year.

This in turn insinuates that a lot of instances of sexual assault go unreported at Union.

In addition, only one case of sexual assault off-campus was reported over the five year period, which again contradicts the amount of red X’s on Tully’s piece reflecting the off-campus assaults. Another important visual to note is that the X’s on Tully’s piece are centered around mostly freshmen and greek housing, with West College, Davidson, Fox, Raymond, and Potter all having the highest

concentration. When asked if she believes Union College is handling sexual assault cases in an efficient and helpful manner, Tully responded saying “Since I have not myself reported a sexual assault to Union College, I think that instead of hearing my opinion about the handling of sexual assault cases, it would be more powerful and important to hear the opinions of those who actually have.” She then went on to give us just a few of the stories of those who did report these sexual assaults to Union, which are listed around the images attatched to this article. Tully hopes the culture at Union changes for good.

“My heart and love goes out to everyone that submitted self-reports to my survey and everyone who has been sexually assaulted at Union. We need to continue to support victims of sexual assault and continue to amplify their voices. They deserve and need to be heard. We need to stand with them. Always.” Tully also credits Cameron Dreher ‘21, Maddy Schwartz ‘21, Chrissy Foo ‘21, Maya Stevenson ‘21, Jane Cataldo ‘21, Bella Dworkin ‘22 and Sarah Vanasse ‘21

for helping create the art piece.

As a final note, Tully added that “[she] had the opportunity to meet our new Title IX coordinator, Mary. She is helping me and Sarah Vanesse with a course about social justice issues, which Sarah Vanasse, Cam Dreher and Peter Dranow organized. This course is the new member education for all new members of greek life this year. Sarah and I are leading the portion of the course that is about sexual assault. Mary, Sarah and I talked about sexual assault on our campus, and Mary is helping Sarah and I create a “lesson/conversation-plan” about sexual assault, which will be one part of the whole course. The whole course is about a variety of social justice issues. Part of the course-plan for the sexual assault portion is having critical conversations about consent, sexual assault, and action steps to take to help our campus community fight against sexual assault and rape culture. The group will also watch my video project about sexual assault during the course.”

“Union is a very small school and all the victims who were brave enough to report either their rape(s), sexual assault(s), and/or unwanted sexual advance(s) didn’t have their identity protected by the school during their investigations.”

“I didn’t believe that Union would have helped me and it made me feel even more helpless.”

“When I filled out a lengthy report form as soon as we finally got a sexual assault coordinator this year, she did not respond, instead an assistant working in the title ix office responded asking

Above: Tina Tully ‘21 Left: Six Years At Union College,

by Tina Tully

me if I would like to submit a report. This was extremely frustrating as the process had been very triggering to relive and it seemed I had not even been heard, and I had waited so long to report as I was

close friends to a student who had terrible experiences with Melissa Kelley. I am not the only survivor of sexual assault at Union who believes that the administration used Melissa Kelley as a scapegoat while

refusing to make any actual change. After I was raped I was worried reporting would get me kicked out and /or ostracized as I knew very little students as I was a freshman.

I also didn’t know what a rape

kit was, so I didn’t do one that could have helped me seek justice. I think more education needs to go out about potential processes students can seek after being assaulted.”

These accounts were shared by Tully from her survey. Concordiensis doesn’t take responsibility for the veracity of these claims.

Thursday, September 24, 2020 | Concordiensis

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Chabad helps students celebrate Rosh Hashanah safely

By Hannah Monack Contributing Writer

Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year is one of the most important holidays in Judaism. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic going on, many of the traditions on campus could not continue as they normally would.

However, despite these circumstances, Union Chabad on campus was able to make sure the Jewish holy days were celebrated in a safe and meaningful way.

Starting on Wednesday, September 16, students were invited to participate in a virtual “Honey Mug Cake Bake”. At this event, students were pro-

vided with Chabad branded mugs with all the ingredients required to make a delicious honey cakes from the comfort and safety of their own dorms.

As it is traditional to eat apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah, this was a safe way to keep the culture of the holiday alive even though participants had to stay separated. There were over a dozen participants.

Following that, on Friday, September 18, to celebrate Erev Rosh Hashanah (or the night before Rosh Hashanah), Chabad hosted a service and dinner combination in their backyard. In order to keep everyone safe and 6 feet apart, they split the event into two smaller groups: one meeting at 5:45 PM, and one at 7:00 PM. In total, almost 40 stu-

dents were able to participate in services and enjoy homemade brisket and matzah ball soup.

Over the weekend, services were held throughout the day to allow as many people to participate as possible.

Sunday was the main event, where Chabad set up in the tent near the Memorial Chapel to blow the Shofar. Bagels and lox were served to keep the authenticity of a traditional Jewish Holiday.

If you want to get involved with Chabad events this year, there is a text-based RSVP system in order to plan accordingly and stay safe. You can text SHALOM to 1-(518)559-0770 to be informed of any Chabad run events on campus and RSVP.

Courtesy of Laiky Ruben Danny Cannon (L) & Jeremy Rausch (R) celebrating the holiday

First woman of the week of 2020: Erynne Blackburn

By Marci Forti Contributing Writer

Nominated by: Rebecca Tegiacchi Nomination: Erynne started working at the Kenney Center in the winter, and the first day I met her she made me feel comfortable. I am a first year work study student at the Kenney Center, and Erynne made me look forward to being there each week.

She encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone to help with a program called “Junior Science,” but most importantly, she was a great role model. She made it so easy to talk to her about anything, work related or otherwise. She made sure we were all comfortable and happy, and never failed to put a smile on my face.

She genuinely cared about all of the students that work at the Kenney Center, and even despite the virtual nature of

spring term, continues to be there to support us and answer any questions. Erynne has definitely been one of my favorite people on campus, because I know I am always able to talk to her about anything.

growth – I’m an avid reader and enjoy taking online classes from Mindvalley.

Organization – Just ask anyone at the Kenney Center! #thinklikemariekondo

Proudest Accomplishments:

I look up to my two yoga teachers and mentors who own a little studio in Rochester, NY called Bodhi Tree Yoga. Theirs is the story of two women who set out to do what they love and ended up having a huge impact on their community.

In a world that often teaches us we must do more, move faster and push through in order to be successful, these women have instead built their success from a place of intentionality, mindfulness, and ease.

My proudest accomplishments are the relationships I’ve built and nurtured. I’ve been in a loving marriage for eight years, have strong family connections, and maintain friendships that have withstood the tests of time and distance. These relationships all bring a great deal of joy to my life.

Passions: My passions tend to fall into one of three buckets.

Health and wellness – I have a dedicated yoga and meditation practice, and I love to learn about Ayurveda and nutrition.

Learning and personal

Who do you look up to?

What does being a woman at Union mean to you?

For me, being a woman at Union is a reminder to stay open to the possibilities. My path to Union was a bit un-

Courtesy of Laiky Ruben Erynne Blackburn (L) & Suzanna Bornn (R)

expected (I began my career as a fourth-grade teacher).

I’m grateful to be a part of this campus and community where I work with a number of strong women, both staff

and students, who I see as sources of inspiration. Union reminds me that we’re constantly evolving and always get to choose the next best version of ourselves.

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C ARTS

Mitchell Famulare

Thursday, September 24. 2019 | Concordiensis

famularm@union.edu

Union’s faculty artists discuss creation in times of crisis

By Marie Lindsey Staff Writer

The COVID-19 crisis has touched the lives of countless artists across the globe.

During this era of uncertainty, creatives have had to adapt to accommodate for economic devastation, physical or mental stress, and altered working spaces.

The Concordiensis has had the opportunity to discuss the importance of artistic creation during times of adversity with Union’s faculty artists shortly before this past summer.

Artists were asked questions about a potential surge of creation post COVID-19, art activism, and current inspirations.

Randy Wyatt, Union’s Theatre Department Chair; Artistic Director, and Playwright My first impulse was to create, but my next impulse was to reel from the shock and uncertainty of the future. Several projects I was working on such as Elephant’s Graveyard here at Union and “#thewaterproject” at Actors’ Theatre in Grand Rapids, MI have been shelved indefinitely. I’m currently creating some short Zoom performances with some Union students and a few actor friends called “Disruption,” devised from how Union students feel about our current context.

I’m curious what artists from other fields think about this, but I know that the general consensus among theatre artists is that this will result in something seismic going forward. Theatre has been in need of change for a while now- there has been economic gatekeeping, and a siloing from “regular people.”

Artistic directors are now talking about Brooks and Grotowski and discussing a return to stripped down storytelling. Theaters are going to

be one of the last institutions opening up, since social distancing is particularly hard in a theatre. Some theatres are talking about spreading out seating or having concessions pre-bought and waiting for patrons. I’m currently writing a play for young people called The Zephyr that can take place all on Zoom if necessary. I still struggle with whether this is actually theatre, but it will at least allow young people a taste of performing.

But what is theatre postCOVID? We are all holding our breath to find out. The Zephyr is about a purple interdimensional hotel that appears in the backyards of people about to change history, so they can think, relax and be refreshed before going back to make decisions. I think I’m in my own personal Zephyr right now.

Sandra Wimer, Senior Lecturer in Visual Arts & Printmaker My practice is now confined to the back room of my apartment. I haven’t done much work of my own so far this term as I have had to concentrate on teaching. However, I am getting to the place where I am more comfortable with the online class situation and I am just now able to engage in a more active way in doing my own work. Since I am a printmaker, it makes me reconsider all the tools and equipment I usually rely on to make my work.

At this time I am working on a series of drawings that I hope to make into lithographs when I am able to use the presses at school. This time of isolation reminds me to keep it simple and to not make things too complicated in terms of materials. I have no doubt that many artists will respond to the government’s inadequate handling of this pandemic as well as to the horrible disease itself. I’ve already seen this kind of work being made.

The current situation has un-

earthed other gaping wounds in our society: health care for some and not all, inability to receive unemployment benefits, and more.

Jordan Smith, Edward Everett Hale Jr., Professor of English

I do see lots of pandemic poems online. It reminds me of the surge of poems in response to the Vietnam War, and it makes me both glad that poets are finding the time and energy to react and a little leery, since not a lot of the anti-war poetry has held up all that well.

What has lasted, poems by Adrienne Rich and W.S. Merwin especially, is still with us because the poets understood that an immediate crisis is also an ongoing struggle with consciousness, with who we are as well as with what’s happening. You can see that in Thom Gunn’s poems about the AIDS epidemic too.

Bunkong Tuon, Associate Professor of English & Poet Writing, for me, has always been connected to emotional and spiritual survival.

Growing up visibly different, a Southeast Asian refugee in America in the early 80s, I started to write as a way to make sense of myself and my environment. With this pandemic, and under our current governmental administration, writing has become a political act, providing narratives that counter official narratives. For example, when our president called COVID-19 “the Wuhan virus” and consequently provoked violence against Asian Americans, I felt both an urge and an obligation (as an Asian American writer) to craft an essay in response to this official narrative.

Cultural Weekly published this essay of mine, entitled, “How to Survive the Coronavirus if You are Asian American.”

Writers continue to write, and artists continue to make art.

There’s no other way around

it. It’s what we do. When I think of the pandemic, I also think of the way our governmental administration responded to COVID-19. There’s a large readership for political and social poems right now. This collective shift in writing and publication could be a place for activism and healing for most of us.

Laurie Cawley, Assistant Director of Dance and founder of “The Loose Change Collective” Collectively we’ve all had to tap into our creative sensibilities, to bring classes online and remain connected to our communities while social distancing, to simply go about our normal activities under these new constraints. This pandemic will absolutely result in a surge of creativity.

Collaboration with people around the world will become more common, and there will be a greater use of unconventional spaces to produce work and artists making riskier choices. It is forcing us to reimagine dance. What if we can use this time to make dance more open, diverse, accessible and equitable? I love to move big but at this time I find myself exploring dynamics in small spaces.

Currently, I am interested in how the lack of touch affects a community. Listening to people’s stories always inspires me, as does observing human movement and interaction. As always, social justice and the possibility of connecting and reflecting with a broader community continues to push me forward. Art has always been a vessel for activism. Days into sheltering-in-place, museums and galleries went online, Zoom dance performances emerged, and we witnessed collaborations between musicians, dancers, and visual artists, all with the intention to bring beauty, hope, and community to the people.

It is audacious activism to work to unite humanity in this unprecedented and dark

event that at times, can feel as if it’s pitting us against each other.

Miryam Moutillet, Gustave and Susan Davis Director of Dance Choreography is defined by its collaborative nature. You must explore new tools, movements, and intentions to successfully create dance. The idea of confined space was daunting. I was happy to see that the spaces my students were occupying did not hinder their ability to move, explore, and ultimately create effervescent dance. They have been pushing themselves to be creative and the result is vibrant, strong, and inspiring.

The COVID-19 crisis shines a light on the instability of our prior society. What makes me question the days to come is fear; it will be on everybody’s mind. Confinement affects our body and mind.

The claustrophobia of this time is particularly unsettling.

Our muscles hurt and our minds get loopy- dancers must move.

Currently, performers are without work. They’re unable to pursue their career. Performers need a stage, and yet currently, there are no stages.

When performance spaces ultimately reopen, how many will be left? What will cities look like? Will performers be seen in a different light? A performer’s work only exists within a community. You need the public for a theater to be a theater. By putting large sums of people in a space together are performers villains? Without the prospect of a tangible public, how do performers find motivation? These questions are worrying to say the least.

No matter the circumstance people will always feel a need to create. It’s human nature.

Dancers will always find a way to move, to feel their heartbeat, to play with space and reach beyond.

Vol. CXLIX, Issue II

C SPORTS Thursday, September 24th, 2020

concordiensis.com

Women’s Soccer Welcomes Seven New Members Emma Maley Contributing Writer

The Union College women’s soccer team is gaining seven new players in the class of 2024.

Last year, the team was 9-71 and made it to the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Although there is no fall season for the team, they are still very excited to bring this group of talented young players onto the team.

Cassidy Careccia, a midfielder from Latham, New

York, believes she can bring her hard work and positive energy to the team.

Also from Latham is outside forward Meg Piser who brings her positive attitude on and off the field.

Stefanie Simkins is eager to include her positive attitude along with her good work ethic. Simkins is a defender from East Greenbush, New York.

Amanda Sgueglia, an outside midfielder from West Islip, New York feels she can contribute her hard work and dedication to the sport and to the team.

Left defender and midfield-

er Liz Dicecco from Millville, Massachusetts loves the team atmosphere that feels like a family.

Lizzie Dankert is a defender from Andover, Massachusetts. Dankert hopes to help the team in any way possible and is open to taking any role that is needed.

Another defender, Ella Tarczuk from Bedford, Massachusetts, is excited to bring her positive energy and dedication to the program.

When asked why they chose Union, the group said that Union’s academics was the main draw.

In addition to the rigorous academics, the girls believe that Union College is a place where they can receive a well-rounded college experience. Being able to continue their soccer careers and be heavily invested in their academics was special about Unioem.

Amanda Sgueglia and Meg Piser were invited to be in the Scholars Program at Union which is a great academic opportunity for them.

Something that was important to Cassidy Careccia is the strong alumni connections Union has. Stefanie

Simkins, Liz DiCecco, and Lizzie Dankert loved the small class sizes, allowing for close relationships with their professors and classmates.

Liz Dicecco, Ella Tarczuk, and Stefanie Simkins agreed that the close-knit community is something that made Union a place they could see themselves for the next four years. These seven young women are so excited to get started making their impact at Union College and are excited to see what they will accomplish on and off the field.

Swimming & Diving Announces 2020-21 Captains Annie O’Donnell Staff Writer

Over the summer many teams named their captains for the 2020-2021 school year. During these difficult times, strong direction from the leadership of an organization can help reduce stress and provide clear direction about what members can and should be doing while at school or at home.

The Union College Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams named four captains for the year, two men and two women. Brendan Egan is a junior from Rye, New York.

He is majoring in Economics.

Egan typically swims the 100yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, and 100-yard freestyle.

At the 2020 Liberty League Championships, overall, he finished 19th in the mile, 9th in the 100-yard butterfly, and 25th in the 200-yard butterfly.

When asked about the season he said, “Just because the meets on zoom doesn’t mean I’m not gonna smoke you.”

Joseph “Joe” Lifrak is a

2020-2021 Swimming & Diving Captains senior from Rehoboth, Massachusetts. He is a Biology major. Lifrak swims the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, and 100-yard breaststroke.

He finished 14th in the 100yard freestyle, 15th in the 50yard freestyle, and 20th in the

100-yard breaststroke at Liberty League Championships.

Joe is eager for the competitive season to begin and jokingly asked if, “having a faster computer make me go faster” reflecting the team camaraderie.

Courtesy of Steve Sheridan Annie O’Donnell is a senior from Marstons Mills, Massachusetts. She is a Biomedical Engineering major with an Electrical Engineering minor. O’Donnell swims the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, and 200-yard but-

terfly. She also dove her junior year, finishing 17th on 1-meter and 16th on 3-meter at the 2020 Liberty League Championships. A piece of advice for her competition this year is to, “Eat. My. Bubbles.”

The fourth captain this year is Isabelle Yee who is a senior from New Canaan, Connecticut. She is an Economics major with minors in Psychology and Chinese.

Yee’s main events in the pool are the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke, 200yard individual medley, 400yard individual medley, and the 200-yard butterfly. At the Liberty League Championships, she finished 17th in the 400 individual medley, 20th in the 200-yard breaststroke, and 18th in the 200-yard butterfly. One thing Yee keeps in mind when she races is, “If you ain’t first, you’re last -Ricky Bobby”. The four captains are very excited to begin practicing and integrate the 19 freshmen into the program.