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, October 1, 2020
Volume. CXLIX, Issue III
concordiensis.com
Women’s Union hosts discussion on the death of Justice Ginsburg By Sydney Lewis News Editor
On Thursday, September 24, Women’s Union hosted a Zoom discussion that centered on learning about and remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy. Ginsburg was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States for 27 years who passed away on September 18, 2020 after battling metastatic cancer of the pancreas. Jackson Giammettei ’23, Public Relations Chair for Women’s Union, hosted the event. Campus events emails were sent out the previous week, informing the Union community about the discussion. She said when speaking on Ginsburg, “Her lifelong mission of fighting for gender equality and making sure that women are seen as equals align perfectly with the values that our club holds.” These sentiments and overwhelm-
ing weight of Ginsburg’s passing compelled the group to organize the discussion. The Women’s Union wanted to open up a space where students could collectively mourn the loss of Ginsburg while openly reflecting on her life and accomplishments. Students were grateful for the event and happy to engage in a discussion that followed a presentation that was created showcasing her life. Giammettei says “It was clear that she touched the lives of so many of the people who showed up.” Marcy Forti ’22, Women’s Union Secretary, spoke on how the discussion was framed. Opening questions such as “Who in this room is registered to vote?” and “What did RBG mean to you?” were posed as the discussion began. Attendees mentioned words and terms such as “strong woman”, “icon”, “legacy” and “role model for Jewish women” when speaking about Ginsburg.
Women’s Union hosts discussion to honor the death of Justice Ginsburg
Courtesy of Women’s Union
See RBG on page 2
Middle States reaccreditation visit to be conducted By Akriti Dhasmana Editor-in-Chief
On October 5-7, an externalevaluation team representing the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) will be virtually visiting the campus to finish the reaccreditation process, according to a campus-wide email sent by the Dean of Faculty on September 22. According to the email, the team members will meet
with groups and individuals composed of students, faculty, staff members and administrators on campus to follow up on their Self-STudy report. According to their official website, the MSCHE, through accreditation, mandates that “its member institutions meet rigorous and comprehensive standards, which are addressed in the context of the mission of each institution and within the culture of ethical practices and institutional integrity expected of accredited institutions”.
Union formed the Steering Committe on reaccredition in 2018 and seven groups to oversee the seven MSCHE standards. A full draft of the self-study report was shared by the commitee with the campus sommunity in Spring 2019. The visit for the reaccreditation process was originally set to take place on April 6-8, however with the numerous changes taking place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the campus community was informed by the Dean of Faculty
that the visit will be pushed to October 5-7 on March 31. In Fall 2019, the Middle States Committee had hosted the Middle States evaluation team chair, former Vassar College president Catharine Bond Hill, according to the email sent to the campus community on March 2, 2020. The email also mentioned that the committee had made minor modifications to the full Self-Study Report draft following suggestions that arose from Bond’s visit. The Middle States Review
Committee officially submitted their final Self-Study Report to MSCHE in February 2020. An open session will take place virtually for the students to interact with the evaluation committee on Monday October 5 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The students will also learn about the purpose and role of the Middle States Committee. This visit will bring in an end to the nearly two year long reaccreditation process.
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Megan Brown & Sydney Lewis
RBG
Continued from page 1 Giammettie labelled the event a success and was hopeful to continue having exciting and challenging discussions as the year progresses. She said, “The main takeaway from the discussion was making sure that we are continuing to honor her life by empowering women, making informed voting decisions and giving those in marginalized communities more chances to let their voices be heard.” Another important aspect of this conversation was the di-
Thursday, October 1, 2020 | Concordiensis
chotomy of both honoring and celebrating someone’s memory while at the same time being critical of things that happened while he or she was alive. Justice Ginsburg was known to be inconsistent on protecting indigenous rights/land, criminal justice and issues regarding race. She was also known to not have a very diverse staff. Regardless, Forti mentions how important it is to follow the positive things that she has done and carry out her legacy. She says we must pick up where Ginsburg left off, make those changes, correct those mistakes, and not silence other people’s voices.
brownm3@union.edu & lewiss4@union.edu
Notes and candles left outside the U.S. Supreme Court for RBG
Courtesy of Unsplash
Alumni Gym adjusts to ensure safety to students amidst pandemic By Megan Brown News Editor
The Alumni Gym is running in full swing now, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With standard rules and regulations, stemming from the guidelines proposed by the CDC, the college has been able to accomodate students with a safe and socially distanced environment for working out. One of the regulations to use the gym, as is with other facilities around campus, is a sign up sheet that students must use to designate a time slot that they wish to utilize the space, unless they decide to go during open hours.
Emma Donlan ’22 said, “For signing up, you have to fill out a survey link the school sends out each week which is pretty easy to do. The survey shows you how many people have signed up and the limitation is 30.” Though 30 is more students than are allowed in other facilities and/or academic buildings on campus, the Alumni Gym is very open and machines have been rearranged to abide by social distancing recommendations. When asked about her safety and comfort levels while using the gym, Donlan stated, “I do feel more safe going now and feel it is effective since there are many rules that keep everyone distant and sanitized.”
Donlan added that, “Also making sure that you are distant from most people in the gym helps a lot since the windows aren’t open and people are sweating.” Likewise, Marina Angelopoulos ’21 mentioned that she too feels safe using the gym. “I feel safe. Everyone there is wearing a mask and does a good job of wiping down the machines afterwards. Plus whenever I have been it hasn’t been super crowded.” Angelopoulos goes to the gym during their open hours, without having to use the sign up sheet. “The process for open hours is very similar to how the gym used to be. The main difference being you have to show your green emocha
Different areas of Alumni Gym rearranged to abide by social distancing rules
badge before you can enter … You have to wear a mask the whole time, which can get a little stuffy but for the most part is easy to get used to.” Additionally, when asked about how she would compare going to the gym now to working out before the pandemic, Angeloupolos mentioned, “The biggest difference is that I don’t go to the gym as often. I was someone who went usually once a day (when not in season) and now, due to the limited hours, it’s harder for me to go on a regular basis.” “I actually ended up joining a local gym because I wanted to be able to work out in the morning. While I’m at the school gym I get the same workout out of it - except I don’t run as hard on the tread-
mills anymore because it gets uncomfortable with a mask.” Each section in the gym has been rearranged to abide by social distancing precautions, from the treadmills upstairs to the benches and weight areas downstairs. Every other machine is blocked off and more spaced out than they were before the pandemic. Eventhough the masks make working out more difficult and uncomfortable, students continue to find the option to go to the gym helpful and effective. With the regulations that are in place, students are also able to maintain their safety and level of comfortability.
Courtesy of Tina Tully ’21
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Kelsey Delaney
Thursday, October 1, 2020 | Concordiensis
delaneyk@union.edu
Student led survey suggests more sexual assault cases than official college data
Kelsey Delaney Opinions Editor
Earlier this month Tina Tully ’21, created an art piece about the sexual assaults that occur on Union’s campus. The goal of this project was to not only raise awareness about the number of sexual assaults that happen on our campus, but also inspire accountability in not only students but faculty and administration. Tully created an anonymous survey to self-report and shared it on her social media page. The sexual assaults recorded on the survey were dated from Fall term 2014 to Spring term 2020. An “X” was marked on each location on a Union campus map for every time that location was reported to have a sexual assault, given the information she collected in her survey. The map also included off-campus residencies occupied by Union College students. While Tully was marking the locations of the reported sexual assaults, there was a voiceover compilation of the various stories about the nature of the sexual assaults. It is important to note that this survey was only shared on Tully’s personal social media account. It did not reach the entire Union College community including alumni therefore it is not reflective of all sexual assaults that occured during 2014 to 2020. According to Union’s Campus Safety Clery Report, between 2014-2016 there were 8 cases reported. Between 2016-2018 there were 22 reported cases of rape. There were a total of seventy seven responses to her survey. In the video, there are 95 marks, which means that some of the survivors were assaulted on more than one occasion. The number of sexual assault cases that were reported in Tina Tully’s survey reflects a deep mistrust between students and Union College’s Title IX office. The number of sexual assaults indicated on the map does not match the number of reported cases on
campus. According to the Clery reports there was only one reported case of rape off campus, but based on the survery ocnducted by Tully, there were a lot more. What is interesting about the Clery data is that if a case happened in 2015, but was not reported until 2017, that data would be logged in the 2017 report. The collection and display of this data shows that there is a lack of consistency in reporting. This data does not accurately represent the crime rate or safety on campus. If an incident happened years ago but was not reported until recently then it would still appear in that year’s report, rather than for the year when it actually occurred. This suggests that even the reports from that year might just be accounts of incidents that happened years ago casting a shadow of doubt on the relevancy of
thERE are
about an incident. . Often , the burden of proof is too high for something significant to result from a reported sexual assault. Union’s campus community is small, having a little of 2,000 undergraduate students. This causes the victim of an assault to feel trapped after an assault having to walk by their assailant on campus and possibly even share a class with them. Clearly victims have a strong feeling of mistrust towards the Title IX office. This could be because they have heard stories about how someone came forward about an assault and nothing was ever done in order to help that student. It is important to have these types of discussions in order to raise awareness about the amount of sexual assaults that occur on not only Union’s campus,
95 X’s in tully’s artwork
while clery reports contain only
46 assault related cases for 20142019. this data. This means that the 30 rape cases reported in 2014-2018 might as well have been about incidents that occured 1-4 years before the report was made. This means that the incidents that did take place in the 2014-2018 time period might end up being reflected in the Clery report for the year 2022. So, what does this discrepancy reveal about the College’s Title IX office? It suggests that students clearly do not feel safe or comfortable reporting such incidents to the Title IX office. This could be for a number of reasons, It could be because they are afraid that no one will listen to them, or that they will not be believed or that they will be judged. This is a massive problem. Students should be able to feel that they can trust the administration to believe their truth, rather than feel judged for coming forward
but college campuses everywhere. Hold your peers accountable, and hold the administration accountable. This artwork speaks volumes about college sexual assault, espeically when compared to the annual reports relesed by Union. There is something that is lacking. We need to do better. Union needs to do better. On May 8 2019, Union held a town hall meeting where members of the Union community were able to ask questions and voice their dissatisfaction with Union’s Title IX office. Later in November of 2019 the former Title IX coordinator Melissa Kelley stepped down. According to a Times Union article, Kelley was responsible for creating “a new employee orientation program that included sexual harassment and discrimination training.” What is interesting is that since Kelley was hired in 2015, the number
Six Years At Union artwork by Tina Tully ’21 of cases reported to the school increased compared to previous years. However, the artwork displayed through the survey conducted by Tully shows that there is still a massive discrepancy between the number of assaults reported to Union and the number of assaults in the survey. Still, Kelley was involved in two lawsuits claiming that she had mishandled their rape claims. Since Kelley resigned, a new Title IX coordinator, Mary Simeoli
Courtesy of Instagram
has filled in for the role. I am optimistic that the new coordinator will enact some real change here at Union. What we are hoping for is that this new coordinator, survivors of sexual assault will feel as though they can trust Simeoli enough to bring their case to her attention. I applaud the artwork of Tina Tully, she has brought attention to a discussion that needs to happen more often in order for real change to occur.
Concordiensis Vol. CXLIX, Issue III, October 1, 2020 Akriti Dhasmana and Daniel Wilcox Editors-in-Chief
Mitchell Famulare, Managing Editor and Arts Editor
Megan Brown, News Editor Sydney Lewis, News Editor Dante Sasso, 807 Editor Isabelle Yee, Sports Editor Kari Kimball, Sci/Tech Editor Tim Fagan, Webmaster
concordiensis.com Email: concordiensis@union.edu Office: 406 Reamer Campus Center
Matt Farr, Managing Editor Kelsey Delaney, Opinions Editor Chris Doyle, World/Business Editor Ingrid Burke, DOTS Editor Bernadette Bruu, Layout Editor Chris Simmons, Business Manager Stephen Nadler , Photo Editor Mail: Concordiensis Box 2577 807 Union Street
Do you have something to share with our readers? The Concordiensis is now accepting contributions for this section. Share your thoughts about campus, news, trends, or anything you want to write about! All articles should be sent to delaneyk@union.edu. They should be less than 500 words in length and must include the writers full name and email address. Any articles may be edited for length, word choice and accuracy.
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To: The Co-Editors in Chief, The Concordiensis From: Title IX Co-ordinator Mary Simeoli On September 18, 2020, the newspaper published an article titled “Title IX in the Time of Remote Learning.” I first want to thank the Concordy for drawing attention to Title IX, ensuring that it remains at the forefront of students’ minds even in the midst of the pandemic. It is certainly important that students know just because some students are engaged in remote learning or away from campus, does not mean that Title IX ceases to exist. There were, however, a few sentiments within the article that I feel strongly about responding to. First, the article indicated that “[t]he Office is charged with protecting students from gender-based discrimination that occurs at Union, be it harassment or sexual assault.” I want to clarify that this is not my charge as the Title IX Coordinator, nor is it the charge of the Title IX Office. My responsibility is to oversee and coordinate the College’s response to reports of gender-based discrimination, including sexual assault and it is the charge of the Office to faciliate that response. “Response” can include providing support services or facilitating the adjudicative procedures identified within the Office’s two policies. In addition to responding to reports, another objective of ours is to prevent gender-based misconduct through training, programming and educational efforts. To reuse my own language cited within the article, the protection of Union community members from gender-based discrimination is a “collective responsibility.” Second, the article stated “[s]ince the College cannot be responsible for incidents that occur in off-campus buildings, a significant number of students live outside of the Title IX Office’s physical jurisdiction” citing an article about the 2020 Title IX Regulations published by the paper last May. This statement is inaccurate and not reflective of the policies implemented by the College on August 14. While the federal government, through the Department of Education, has limited the jurisdiction of the federal law Title IX to properties owned and operated by the College, the Union College Title IX Office has instituted a secondary policy, the Gender-based Misconduct Policy, which governs off-campus conduct. We are not only bound by federal law, but also New York State law including 129-B known as “Enough is “Enough.” It is essential for the safety and well-being of our community that students know that they can utilize the services of the Title IX Office and seek to have reports adjudicated if the incident involved another Union College student, even if the conduct occurred off-campus or they live off-campus. The jurisdiction of the College’s Title IX Office to respond to conduct extends to wherever our students are if that conduct can have an adverse effect on that student’s access or participation in the Union community. Finally, I want to comment on the reference made to the Inside Higher Ed article entitled “Hold Off or Proceed?” from March 2020 to ensure that students know that this term and beyond, regardless of where students are physically, the Office is prepared to conduct intake meetings, investigations, hearings and other procedurally necessary events. Our Title IX Office is open and functioning and prepared to facilitate virtual meetings to ensure the safety of all those involved. If you have any questions about the College’s Title IX program, want to get involved or request a training or program, you can learn more by visiting union.edu/ title, by following us on Instagram at @uniontitleix or by emailing me at titleix@union.edu. Thank you for your attention to this important matter, Mary Simeoli, Title IX Coordinator
To: Co-Editors in Chief Akriti Dhasmana and Daniel Wilcox From: Emeritus Professor Frank Wicks Congratulations to both of you for achieving your distinguished and challenging position as co-editors of the Concordiensis. I read your excellent and informative special welcome edition for incoming students.I submit the following for the Concordiensis in the belief it will be of timely interest to your readers. Feel free to contact me with any question. “A Math Question Inspired by Trump vs Biden” Social responsibility during our Coronavirus Pandemic is changing voting methods and possibly the result of the upcoming election. Concerned persons are preferring to vote by mail, and tend to prefer the mask wearing and science believing Joseph Biden. The science denying and virus spreading Donald Trump gathers his non mask wearing followers in crowded spaces, to cheer and witness his hateful, vulgar and long winded exhibitionism. Contrary to the best evidence, Trump is claiming that mail in balloting is fraudulent. His reason is that he expects the mail in ballots will prefer Biden. He is preparing to claim the election was not valid if he loses. A recent survey confirms Trump’s reason to worry. Voters who plan to go to the polling place prefer Trump by 22 percent while the mail in voters favor Biden by 42 percent. These numbers beg the question of what percentage of all voters will be required to vote in person for the result to be a tie. Solving provides a fun exercise related to a serious situation. You can email your answer to the writer wicksf@union.edu. He will submit the names of the first ten readers who correctly answer for publication in the next issue of the Concordiensis.
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 dhasmana@union.edu or wilcoxd@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
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Chris Doyle
World / Business
Thursday, October 1, 2020 | Concordiensis
doylec@union.edu
All of Us rallies at courthouse for Police accountability By Chris Doyle World/Business Editor
On September 23, the grassroots organization -All of Us-which is a group dedicated to fighting disparities and discrimination of all types in the Capital District rallied outside the Schenectady County Courthouse while proceedings continued in a lawsuit between the city and the Local Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Union. The lawsuit concerns the personnel record of Office Brian Pommer who on July 7 held his knee on a suspect’s neck. Freedom of Information Act requests for his complete record have come from numerous news outlets and activist organizations, according to The Daily Gazette. The event began shortly after midday on Wednesday with opening remarks from Jamaica Miles-- co-founder of All of Us. She condemned double standards of confidentiality of records for police officers while the records of repeating offenders are used in determining punishment. “Do they not say ‘there these prior bad acts?’,” said Miles regarding the norm. Also at the event was the organization- named Skinheads Against Racial Prejudices (SHARP). When asked who they were, one member replied that the movement was influenced by Jaiamican style and music, and that the racist appropriation of the title took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. “They [racists/neo-nazis] don’t have
that right [to call themselves “Skinheads”]. They’re bonheads.” He also criticized the media for cementing the perception of the identity. The theme of the rally was a call for transparency and acknowledgement of community issues. Miles went on to highlight the grievances of the homeless, the LGBTQIA+, and the mentally ill. She then called for a change in public safety by “protecting communities, not policing them.” A short while into the event, counterprotesters arrived bearing gray and blue striped and ‘76er American Flags. Their presence was announced to All of Us supporters via email by Miles on the morning of the event. Miles criticized the media for only showing up when the potential for ideological conflict arose. At the peak of the event there were ten counterprotesters shouting All Lives Matter and wearing Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats. Their chants were drowned out by Miles leading the crowd in chants of “Which side are you on? (We’re on the Freedom Side)”. An emergency medical technician who volunteers to provide aid when needed at All of Us events, stated that the counter protesters “were here for the media”. She went on to explain that they see the same people follow their events--and typically disperse when the cameras leave. “We’ve broken bread with them-- but they’re always acting like we’ve never seen them before.” No physical altercation took place. There were initial verbal stones tossed, but Miles and her fellow organizers
rallied supporters back. She dismissed the counter protesters by saying, “let the fake leaders stand in their fake.” The event ended and people began to disperse as a grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky determined charges for Breonna Taylor’s death. According to the BBC, only one of the three officers involved is being charged-and only with dangerous use of his weapon.
Chris Doyle | Concordiensis (Top) Members of Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (SHARP) (Bottom) Jamaica Miles, Co-Founder of All of Us, at Schenectady County Courthouse.
60-Second News
President Trump Nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court
UK Prime Minister vows to “build back greener”, setting an ambitious clean energy agenda for the UK in the wake of the Coronavirus
The European Commission is appealing a decision in favor of Apple that wil allow them to avoid paying back 13 billion euros in back taxes in Ireland
Kari Kimball
Sci/Tech
Thursday, October 1, 2020 | Concordiensis
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kimballk@union.edu
New evidence suggests possiblity of life on Saturn’s moon By Timothy Fagan Staff Writer
In the last few years Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, has been showing “Strong evidence” of fresh ice in the northern hemisphere. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has shown images and data sets to back this up. The Cassini Spacecraft has explored this moon for 13 years and ended its exploration in 2017. According to the Futurism website, during the spacecraft’s travels it has already shown more than a hundred geysers on the southern hemisphere. There are now new images that have shown proof that the northern hemisphere has resurfaced with ice. Back in
2005, Enceladus was first discovered to shoot plumes of ice and vapor, likely from a subsurface ocean underneath the moon’s icy surface. According to Gabriel Tobie, a study co-author and VIMS scientist at the University of Nantes in France, with the infrared eyes on (On Cassine), you can go back in time and say that one large region in the northern hemisphere appears young and was probably active not that long ago, in geologic timelines. The images were made by using detailed global infrared views, they were collected from Cassinis visible and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIMS). The VIMS was later used to picked up data on the northern hemisphere which showed similar features to that
of the southern hemisphere. These similarities are what leads researchers to believe that the process takes place on both hemispheres. In order to actually see these images, the team combined VIMS data with visible imagery captured by Cassine to create a new, global map of Enceladus in multiple wavelengths of light. These wavelengths of light are both visible and infrared. This new map shows that the infrared signals correlate with recent geologic activity on the moon. For example, the heat signatures match up with the “tiger stripe” gashes near Enceladus’ south pole. These tiger stripes act as a launch pad for the moon’s dramatic geysers. These geysers send water and other materials from Enceledus’ subsurface ocean
out into the void. The real surprise, however, is that the new map also shows infrared features in the moon’s northern hemisphere. This new data would suggest that icy resurfacing also happened in the northern hemisphere. However, the scientists working with the data are not yet sure how. Some team members believed that it could have been from icy jets, or slower ice movements through cracks in the crust. Scientists believe that this moon is considered one of the most promising places to look for life. In particular, Enceladus has one of the most promising abodes for alien life in the solar system. Besides the subsurface ocean and the geological activity, the moon could likely hold an energy source that organisms could
tap into. There are chemical reactions on Enceladus that are possibly similar to those that sustain life near our own planet’s deep-sea hydrothermal vents. This combination of chemical reaction and geological processes is what makes scientists believe that this moon is a very important structure for the search of other living things. The Enceladus has proven to have very similar circumstances to that of our planet when life was first formed, proving that this is a moon worth looking at. As of right now there are no future missions planned yet to target Enceladus, although pitches have been made to attempt one. Recently a pitch was made during a presentation coordinated by the U.S. National Academies.
Endangered Species Series: Largest animal, Blue Whale By Kari Kimball Sci/Tech Editor
The Balaenoptera musculus, more commonly known as the blue whale, is endangered with low population size of ten to twenty-five thousand. According to the World Wildlife Foundation website, the population is threatened by environmental changes such as climate change killing off their food supply, habitat loss, and toxins in the water. Adult blue whales weigh in at a staggering 200 tons and measure eighty to one hundred feet in length. These measurements earn blue whales the title of being the
largest animal on the plant and the top of the food chain. Their weight is equal to approximately thirty-three elephants. Another interesting size comparison is the heart of a blue whale is comparable to a Volkswagen Beetle. Blue whales inhabit oceans and travel throughout the seasons. Most common sightings of blue whales occur in Southern Chile, the Gulf of California, and in the Coral Triangle. Blue whales primarily feed on krill which are shrimp-like crustaceans. Due to their massive size, blue whales eat an enormous amount of krill every day, equaling out to about four tons eaten daily. Their stomach can hold up to one ton of krill at any given time. Blue whales are the loudest
animals on Earth with their calls reaching up to 188 decibels. For comparison, this is even louder than a jet engine which reaches up to 140 decibels. The low frequency whistles of whales can be heard for hundreds of miles. They use these calls to attract others and communicate with each other. Efforts to help increase the population of blue whales include banning commercial whaling in 1966. With that being said, the Soviet Union continued with their exploitation efforts after the ban was put in place. Now, they are commonly harmed by ship strikes and become entangled in fishing nets and other gear. The World Wildlife Foundation has been working with the Southern Ocean Commis-
Courtesy of Unsplash A huge humpback whale caught on camera in United States
sion to protect blue whales as well as penguins, seals, seabirds and Antarctic krill. The Southern Ocean Commission is implementing a network of marine protected areas around Antarctica in efforts to protect these sea crea-
tures as well as other wildlife impacted by climate change. The World Wildlife Foundation is working with scientists to provide governments with vital information needed to help protect these crucial areas around Antarctica.
Saturn has over 30 rings located in 7 different groups.
Saturn has an average surface temperature of -139 degrees Celcius.
60-Second Sci/Tech
Saturn is the most distant planet that can be seen with the naked eye.
Saturn has 82 moons with the most notable being Titan, Enceladus, Iapetus and Rhea
Saturn orbits the sun once every 29.4 Earth years.
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Dante Sasso
Thursday, October 1. 2020 | Concordiensis
sassod@union.edu
UProgram conducts a Virtual Escape Room over Zoom By Hannah Monack Staff Writer
On Saturday, September 26, UProgram hosted its first virtual escape room. Students were able to log on to a zoom call and make their own teams, solve puzzles, and work their way through a series of websites and obscure facts. The event lasted for a little over an hour but it depended on how long it took for students to solve all the challenges. The escape room’s story had the players fill the shoes of a niece/nephew to a rich uncle. This uncle set up a set of challenges for the players so they could obtain his fortune, otherwise he would donate it to charity.
Originally, the story seemed to have a different focus, themed around a locked room and a C.I.A. operative. This was later changed to the story that was used for Saturday night’s event. Participants were given a pdf of hints and puzzles and had to navigate a series of websites inputting clues to reach the next puzzle. As students worked their way through the puzzles, game masters were on hand in case anyone was stumped and were quick to assist. Some of the puzzles included deciphering codes such as the pigpen cipher and morse code while others necessitated knowing the zip codes of historically important locations or the birthdays of some of the United States’ presidents. Puzzles were typi-
cally only relegated to the PDF for solving, however some required internet searches. Union College student Caitlin Boice ‘23, who attended the event said, “I liked it, I thought it was really fun. The puzzles were really engaging and I liked how everything was connected.” Other events UProgram has hosted have included a virtual casino game show where students could win cash prizes, and hosted a mentalist show. This particular escape room was hosted by CNY Attractions, who also do photo booth rental and laser tag in other locations.
Courtesy of UProgram
Woman of the Week: Dean Michele Angrist By Marcy Forti Staff Writer
Role on campus: Dean of Studies, former political science professor Nominated by: George Bizer, Kate Osterholtz Nomination: “As the primary dean responsible for student academics, she’s taken on an incredible role keeping this College going. Her decisions have been excellent, her communications have been clear and complete and she’s somehow been able to do all this stuff with remarkable speed. That things are functioning at all can be owed in large part to Dean Angrist.” “She is a really wonderful female role model on campus. As a dean, she has to make tough choices and advocate for students all across campus. She has been working tirelessly to positively tran-
sition our campus to online learning and continue to keep the honor council going, attend to students academic needs and be an advocate for female students on campus. I dont think enough people know how much work she puts into the student body and how much she cares about making Union the best it can be. I am so honored to work with her.” What are your proudest accomplishments? “Let’s see... earning my Ph.D., earning tenure at Union ... I’m also proud of how my husband and I together have raised my two sons, ages 14 and 17 (this is clearly still a work in progress but they are awesome, so, so far so good).” What are you passionate about? “I’m pretty passionate about practicing (hot power) yoga. I started about 5 years ago and I don’t know how I functioned before... Yoga helps me de-stress and stay fit. It helps me with being comfortable when it’s uncomfortable, to coin a Union value.
You literally have to hold hard poses in 95-degree heat, remembering to breathe – this makes it easier to remember to breathe and stay calm when real life heats up and throws things at you that aren’t easy.” “It also helps me remember to practice self-care, and we can’t help others unless we take care of our own needs as well... something I think it’s hard for women to remember sometimes! I am also really passionate about professional football (i.e. soccer) – I am a supporter of Liverpool Football Club and am really missing sports right now. So glad the Bundesliga is back on!” Who do you look up to? “I would single out Therese McCarty, Professor of Economics and former Vice President for Academic Affairs. She modeled tremendous professional competence, strength and kindness. When I first came to Union she made a special effort to reach out to me. As I continued in my career here I served on various committees with her and learned a lot from her about
Courtesy of Women’s Union Dean Michele Angrist is this week’s Woman of the Week teamwork, administration and collaboration. I have long been and remain grateful for her mentorship.” What does being a woman at union mean to you? “My experience at Union as a professor has been tremendously positive -- and I am
cognizant that a prior generation of female faculty paved the way such that I am able to say this. I think I have a responsibility to “pay it forward” and do whatever I can in my position to serve the College.”
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C ARTS
Mitchell Famulare
Thursday, October 1, 2020
famularm@union.edu
Jane Swavely talks romantic eerieness of her landscapes By Mitchell Famulare Managing, Arts Editor
New York City artist Jane Swavely’s abstract paintings are currently being displayed at Union’s Mandeville Gallery. Having studied at Boston University and the School of Visual Arts in New York, Swavely’s work is a part of various private collections including the JP Morgan Chase Art Collection. On Wednesday, September 23, Union’s Director & Curator of Art Collections & Exhibitions, Julie Lohnes, sat with Swavely over Zoom and discussed the craft of her art and the eerie beauty of it all. Swavely’s artistic style has changed since her artistic origins at school. “I came to New York with the idea of figurative painting. When I got to New York, it changed completely,” Swavely described. She continued, “I had started to work for a minimal abstract artist named Brice Marden. I was obsessed with the New Image painters such as Susan Rothenburg...They were doing figuration but it wasn’t in the traditional sense. My figures began to get smaller and smaller in my paintings and then disappeared.” Swavely’s work makes clear but unconventional nods and references to landscapes. Rather than alluding to the Romantic painters of the nineteenth century, Swavely uses the landscape to explore paint and hues, emphasizing
her art as a specific craft of color luminosity. She explained her journey away from the Romantic painters such as Caspar David Friedrich when she attended a residency in Vermont, stating, “I went to a residency in Vermont, making lucious romantic paintings but they were getting too easy. I was always a romantic painter but I wanted to explore different things.” Conceptually, Swavely begins painting without one. “There is never a concept before I start painting. It occurs to me after... I had to interrupt romantic painting,” she described. Swavely is an artist that paints from the unconscious rather than life, an avant-garde notion within the sphere of landscape painting. “I never paint from life. I never have a set idea. They reflect my environment...If anything, occasionally, I have a very vague notion of composition.” Swavely describes that composition as “toxic and beautiful at the same time.” She recalled a memory when she was looking at the horizon one evening, stating her husband and herself had never seen a sunset so beautiful. They later found out that the beautiful landscape was due to the vast amount of smoke travelling over the country from Oregon. These eerie spaces are created by Swavely’s use of rags to wipe away the paint, allowing her pieces to have stark and sometimes disjointed luminosity. By painting on the floor, Swavely is able to
Courtesy of Jane Swavely
ON DISPLAY: Jane Swavely, Untitled Silver Painting #2, 2017, oil on canvas, diptych: 72 x 36 inches (each)
experiment and manipulate her canvas. In terms of creating depth, Swavely loves “a space that is ambiguous.” “I love the idea of light shining from behind. It’s cinematic. You enter the space,” she elaborated. “Let the viewer be familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.” The Mandeville Gallery is currently open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:25AM-5PM and Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 9AM-5PM. Entrance is via an ID card swipe at the basement entry level of the Nott Memorial. Jane Swavely’s paintings are located on the second floor.
In terms of creating depth, Swavely loves “a space that is ambigious.”
distorted dynamics - Arts Editor Mitchell Famulare
1 Something Was Real - Eli & Fur 2
Complainer - Choir Boy
3 The Island - Ladytron 4
Lick in Heaven - Jessy Lanza
5 Much Higher - Kacy Hill 6 The Middle - Petticoat 7 Wanna Go Back - Kira
2:43 3:14 4:34 3:55 4:00 4:11 2:40 3:02
8 2 Cents - Rainsford
4:54
9 Black Light - BUMPER
3:42
10 Dreams - Télépopmusik, Young & Sick
3:24
9
C Sports
Isabelle Yee
Thursday, October 1. 2020 | Concordiensis
yeei@union.edu
Women’s and Men’s Hockey Teams add seven more players Isabelle Yee Sports Editor __________________________ Both the Women’s and Men’s hockey teams gain seven new players this year. The Women’s team will be joined by Celeste Beaudoin ’24, Hope Crisafi ’24, Kaitlyn Ehmann ’24, Meredith Killian ’24, Josie McLeod ’24, Oliva Renzel ’24, and Allison Smith. Celeste Beaudoin is a forward from Stouffville, Ontario. She competed at the U18 National Championship with Team Ontario Blue. Head Coach John Sciba says, “Celeste is a very grounded, passionate player and person. She has tremendous explosiveness and makes those around her better. We really like her shot and her ability to take pucks to the net. We believe she can help us in all three zones.” Hope Crisafi is a goalie from Bay Village, Ohio, and attended Gilmour Academy. Sciba likes ‘her size and her skating, and we feel that her save cy-
cle allows her to make saves.” Kaitlyn Ehmann is another forward from Bloomingdale, Illinois. Ehmann previously played three seasons with Chicago Mission. Sciba’s take on Ehmann is that she is, ‘a tough, gritty player who knows how to finish around the net. She plays fast and we like her ability to hunt pucks’. Meredith Killian is from St. Paul, Minnesota who is a “very balance player and person”. Sciba likes ‘her ability to create offense from the blueline and join the rush into transition”. Next is Josie McLeod who is a forward from Okotoks, Alberta. McLeod has ‘made incredible strides as a player, specifically in her shot and her speed. Physically, she’s strong on the puck and we like that she values play at the front of the net”. Olivia Rinzel is from Chanhassen, Minnesota who is also a goalie. She is ‘very focused and loves to compete. She has a presence in the net and a sense of maturity that will help push our team culture forward.” Last is
Allison Smith a defense from Rochester, Minnesota. Sciba says she is ‘a very versatile defensemen who can move the puck well in transition/ breakout situations and knows how to get pucks to the net”. The Men’s team will gain Trevor Adams ’24, Ville Immonen ’24, Nathan Kelly ’24, Bleg Murtazin ’24, Nic Petruolo ’24, Bram Scheerer ’24 and Tyler Watkins ’24. Trevor Adams is a forward from Muskegon, Michigan. Assistant Coach Ronan believes that Adams’s biggest asset is his speed. Ville Immonen is a forward from Seinajoki, Finland. Ronan’s take on Immonen is that “he is a playmaking center that has tremendous poise, vision and passing ability”. Natha Kelly is a defenseman from South Delta, British Columbia who will ‘make it difficult for opponents to play against”. Gelb Murtazin is a forward from Penza, Russia. Ronan said that “Gleb is a big skilled forward that can skate and score. He has a proven
track record of production in two of the top junior leagues in North Ameria”. Nic Petruolo is a defenseman from Neschanic, New Jersey. Petruolo, ‘skates very well and possesses a heavy shot from the point and can be relied on in all situations”. Bram Scheerer from Edina, Minnesota. At 6’3, Ronan vocalized that, “Bram has size, speed, and skill that make him a difficult player to contain. A versatile forward that can play center or wing”. Tyler Watkins is a forward from Hermantown, Minnesota. Ronan said that ‘his offensive IQ and pose, coupled with his ability to one time a puck, make him a scoring threat”. It was announced earlier this week that the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) is planning to split the league into two divisions. One Division will be New York which will consist of Clarkson, Colgate, Cornell, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, St. Lawrence and Union. The other division will be the New England division which will be made up of Brown,
Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Quinnipiac and Yale. The season will consist of 20 games and each team will play other teams in the division four times. The winners of each division will be the regular-season champs. The current plan for the ECAC Tournament will have the two top teams in each division have a buy into the first round, followed by a semifinal and final fame which will be a New York vs. New England division game. Each game in the playoff series will be one game. Games are slated to begin on January 2, 2021, everything is subject to change pending on the COVID-19 pandemic.
What COVID-19 precautions are college football teams taking? Tyler Mar Staff Writer __________________________ Face masks, plexiglass face shields, and routine temperature checks. This is the new normal as student-athletes nationwide return to campus and prepare for the start of their season. One particular segment of college athletics that has drawn significant attention is college football, especially top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. Think big-name conferences home to flagship universities like Michigan, Notre Dame, and The Ohio State. As many teams return to campus and begin their regular season, there is a somber feeling in the air as the thundering roar of tens of thousands of fans are noticeably absent this season as the nation weathers the COVID-19 pandemic. Against the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, many universities and college athletic programs have agreed to allow their college football teams to move ahead
with the 2020-2021 season. The looming question among many is how will college athletic programs keep their players and coaches safe while mitigating the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus? Until recently, many bigname college athletic conferences and institutions planned on canceling the 2020-2021 season altogether. The BIG 10 Conference was the first major conference to cancel their season, followed soon after by the PAC-12 and several others. The BIG 10 recently reversed its decision and will continue on with its season, but will limit competition to the conference only matchups. As of late, nearly all top-tier FBS teams have decided to play with the exception of the PAC12 and two other conferences. Politics and personal sentiments aside, with many FBS teams deciding to reinstate regular season play, the one thing everyone can agree upon is ensuring the utmost safety of all players and coaching staff. Nick Saban, head coach of the University
of Alabama’s Crimson Tide, publicly emphasized player health and safety as his main priority. In a recent press conference, Saban shed some light into his team’s safety protocol by stating, “we are doing daily testing with our players…It’s the best thing for the players--and it’s the best thing for the program, so we’re happy to do it.” Fresh off the BIG 10 Conference’s decision to reinstate regular season play, Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the University of Michigan’s Wolverines had a few words to say about the precautions his team and staff are taking to ensure player safety and health. On and off the field, Coach Harbaugh said, “the best two defenses right now are social distancing and wearing a mask.” In addition to wearing face masks and social distancing, Harbaugh and the Michigan coaching staff had face shields installed into players’ helmets that extend over their mouths and noses. This move is especially important for the linemen that
Courtesy of Johns Hopkins University and the New York Times COVID-19 cases are rising accross the country, which presents challenges for the NCAA. come face to face with one another. Taking into account the adjusted protocol, Coach Harbaugh now limits the number of reps in conditioning to prevent his players from getting out of breath and overheating. In this day and age, one can never be too cautious when looking out for their health and others. Whether
that be teammates or family, we must all do our part to mitigate the effects of this virus and remain vigilant as this is a trying time for all.