The Statesman informing stony brook university for more than 50 years Monday, November 25, 2013
Volume LVII, Issue 13
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Stony Brook fires Jim Fiore By Mike Daniello Sports Editor
Stony Brook Athletic Director Jim Fiore is leaving the university, according to a release from the school Tuesday night. The statement also related that Senior Associate Athletic Director Donna Woodruff will serve as the Interim Athletic Director as they look for a replacement. Fiore has been bought out by the university. They will be paying his contractual salary of nearly $800,000 for next 31 months through June 30, 2016, according to an emailed statement from Fiore. According to Fiore’s personal public relations representative Mike Conte, the buyout was not a mutual decision. Conte also says that Fiore has not been informed of any disciplinary action. “I have had nearly 11 wonderful years at Stony Brook and I am incredibly proud for all of the experiences I have had in building the University and our emerging Division 1 program. Facilities have been modernized, recruiting has been professionalized, and prospective student-athletes now see Stony Brook as an enviable destination and the University’s brand is nationally recognized,” according to Fiore’s statement. Fiore’s name has been removed from the athletic site, Goseawolves. org, and his Wikipedia page has been updated. It comes as an odd time for Fiore to leave, as the men and women’s basketball teams just started their seasons. Rumors floated around previously about Fiore moving to a bigger school, like Rutgers University, but nothing came of it. He is credited with growing the program and has upgraded the facilities as well. Fiore upgraded Pritchard Gymnasium along with the University Track and University Tennis Courts. He also redid the baseball field and renamed it after Joe Nathan after receiving a donation from the All-Star closer. Fiore was named Athletic Director on July 23, 2003, after previously holding the title of Senior Associate Director of Athletics at Princeton University. He graduated from Long Beach High School and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University, where he also played for the football team. When asked about the matter, Lauren Sheprow responded with “It is University policy not to comment on personnel matters.” Joe Galotti contributed reporting to this story.
NINA LIN / THE STATESMAN
Stony Brook University is looking nationwide for a new athletic director after Jim Fiore was abruptly relieved of his duties on Tuesday, Nov. 19. For more information on Fiore's influence on Stony Brook Athletics, see page 16.
Stony Brook unites multiple disciplinaries for new NASA project By Chris Woods Staff Writer
NASA chose Stony Brook University to lead one of nine new Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) teams, which are set to virtually explore the final frontier through multiple systems of earth, planetary and space research.
ultimately enable human space exploration, primarily investigate questions relating to the Moon, near-earth asteroids and the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos. While the project primarily involves geological research, Glotch is excited for the multidisciplinary contributions it will incorporate. “At the very top level what we
PHOTO CREDIT: STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
Timothy Glotch is a professor in the Department of Geosciences the principal investigator for the RIS4E project at Stony Brook. Timothy Glotch, associate professor in the Department of Geosciences, will be leading Stony Brook’s $5.5 million, five-year NASA-funded project “Remote, In Situ and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration” (RIS4E). RIS4E will consist of scientists from 13 international institutions, and, in an effort to
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want to do is do some basic science that will help us understand more about the formation and evolution of the Moon, the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, and asteroids,” Glotch said. “Within the university we have folks from pharmacology, working with geology professor Martin A.A. Schoonen on a
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medical geology aspect; we have a professor at physics who's a laser physicist, to make sure we don't shoot our eyes out." RIS4E will be split into four different components, beginning with remote sensing, or interpreting information from space probes and spacecrafts, training astronauts as geologists through simulated human space exploration, research in medical geology, like the short and long-term health effects of space dust on astronauts and finally, using Brookhaven National Laboratory’s National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II). This is one of the brightest x-ray beam sources in the world, and will be used to research issues like space weathering when the laser goes online in 2015. Glotch believes that by training in simulated conditions like Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, astronauts will acquire geological skills necessary for human space exploration. “If you look at the make-up of a typical astronaut class, some are medical doctors, some have some sort of scientific training, but a huge percentage of them are military test pilots, and they don't really have much geological field training,” Glotch said. “One thing that [we’ve done and will do] in the upcoming SSERVI project is make traverse plans.” The scientists intend to have a
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map of the terrain and a list of the equipment, allowing them to plan for the number of samples from a certain area space able to be collected. “If we're in Hawaii we have a week to do all this stuff, we'll get all the samples and data we'll need, but if we're sending an astronaut to the moon or an asteroid, you've got to plan things out very, very particularly, down to the minute or down to the second, so that you don't waste any time,” Glotch said. Glotch also believes that medical geology, while not an obvious combination of fields, is necessary because of the often unknown consequences of breathing in minerals, as in the case of coal miners and the black lung. One aspect of this program then, according to Glotch, is to figure out how that dust may affect the health of astronauts. “Anytime you go out of a spacecraft and go back in there's the possibility of dust getting back into the spacecraft and eventually into the air and into the astronaut's lungs,” Glotch said. “If you ever get a chance, go down to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, they have some of the old Apollo astronaut flightsuits and they're filthy, they're disgusting, they're just covered with this grey sooty dust.” Dr Stella Tsirka will work with Continued on page 5 Sports
A Kaplan survey shows a trend at universities.
Catching Fire improves on first film
Though better than the first, the sequel still disappoints.
Christmas is getting lost in consumerism
Jim Fiore: the man behind a new SB era
MORE ON PAGE 5
MORE ON PAGE 9
MORE ON PAGE 12
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Admission offices are using online profiles
The holiday culture has changed in America.
Who is Jim Fiore and what was his legacy at SBU?
Monday, November 25, 2013
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LGBT conservative LaSalvia urges change for GOP By Jasmine Blennau Staff Writer
Introduced as the brave and persistent man who could “save the Republican Party from itself,” openly gay conservative Jimmy LaSalvia spoke to students on Wednesday night about the future of his party. He called for a new conservative coalition of youths to take over, maintaining conservative ideals while using a “live and let live” ideology. LaSalvia made it known that gay Republicans exist, even if they are thought of as the unicorns of politics. These unicorns, he said, are fighting to let gay people in on the conservative conversation and teach others that one’s sexual orientation does not assign them to a specific party. The lecture hall at the Wang Center was filled to capacity with audience members—political science majors, College Democrats and LGBTA club members, among others—standing in the back of the room and sitting on the staircases along the sides. LaSalvia was born in the red state of Kentucky and spent his childhood living on air force bases with his military family. He grew up during the Cold War era and was greatly influenced by Republican president Ronald Reagan. While attending college at Black Hills State University in South Dakota, he became involved with the College Republicans and
local politics. “Mountain west conservatism is something that really resonated with me—limited government, limited regulation, fiscal responsibility and individual responsibility,” LaSalvia said. When LaSalvia began to understand and accept his sexual orientation in the 1990s, he realized that the Republican Party did not have a place for people like him, even if he did agree with many of their fundamental beliefs. Throughout the lecture, he made many of his political stances known, including sharing that he is pro-gun, pro-life, against premarital sex, pro-gay marriage, pro-school choice/homeschooling and pro eliminating the estate tax. “I have never not been a conservative,” he said. “I was out of a job because I was coming out, but that did not change my ideology.” After taking a break from politics in 2004, he began working as an activist with the Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative group who fights for equality for the LGBT community. LaSalvia is also a co-founder for the GOProud Organization for gay conservatives and their allies. He is dedicated to breaking the stereotypes of political parties. “Not all gay people are liberals, and not all conservatives are homophobes,” he said. During the lecture, LaSalvia wanted to express his version of the truth about the Republican
JESUS PICHARDO / THE STATESMAN
Jimmy LaSalvia, an openly gay conservative and co-founder of GOProud, presents a lecture on changes for the Republican party at the Wang Center lecture hall. Party and what it means to be conservative in today’s political atmosphere. Republicans in our government do not represent the mainstream conservative movement, he said, referencing a poll in this month’s issue of Esquire Magazine. According to the poll, only 13 percent of Americans believe that gays should not have legal recognition to marry, suggesting that the Republicans currently in the government should be marginalized.
Other statistics from this poll include that many people think the United States spends too much money—40 percent say government spending is wasteful and 39 percent feel the government should not exceed its income. “We have to live in reality and live in 2013 and recognize gay people live in this country. Single mothers, unplanned pregnancies—all these things that happen. We have to be able to engage, talk about them and offer solutions,” LaSalvia said.
He argued that conservatives are so occupied with fighting against this culture war that nobody wants to listen anymore and the issues remain unresolved. “Today’s firmly held belief is tomorrow’s untenable position,” he explained. “We’ve reached the tipping point on the marriage initiative and the outcome is determined.” Ultimately, LaSalvia said he is ready for a change in the Republican Party and is ready to vote everyone out and start fresh with the youth.
“Sex, Politics and Tacos” event raises Texting while walking awareness for Planned Parenthood is suprisingly dangerous By Brandon Benarba
Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor
Sex, tacos and cheap drinks were the theme of Tuesday night at The Bench as Planned Parenthood hosted their “Sex, Politics and Tacos” event in an effort to raise awareness and money for the organization. Students poured into the bar around 8:30 p.m. to enjoy karaoke, raffles and drinks. Although the goal of the night was to supply everyone with a good time, speakers from Planned Parenthood and Stony Brook University’s Organization of Public Health were present to gather donations and talk about their mission. “We really just want to promote awareness for Planned Parenthood on campus,” Tiffany Fernandez, president of Public Health, said. “Our age group is Planned Parenthood’s target audience, so they should have a bigger presence on campus.” Planned Parenthood currently provides health care for over 30,000 men and women per year, which includes cancer screenings and abortion care. Although they are a non-profit and non-partisan organization, the organization’s
action fund hoped to raise at least $600 over the course of the night. “Although the donations are truly appreciated, volunteers are just as important as money to us,” Dr. Susan Brennan, director of Planned Parenthood’s endorsement committee and one of the guest speakers at the event, said. While one of the goals of the organization was to help raise awareness and support on campus, few people there knew about the event before coming to the bar. Many simply came out for the $2 tacos, $3 fireball shots and the usual karaoke night. “I just came out for a friend, so I was surprised about the whole celebration going on, but I think that is a really important cause,” Heather Easley, a local hairdresser, said. During the night, a few guest speakers spoke about the organization’s political goals. The Action Fund focuses on organizing for local and national issues, specifically when it comes to health services and education for minors. A common theme among the speakers, including Brennan, was how the campus is getting more involved with Planned Parenthood. According to Fernandez, this event is just one of many upcoming
By Kelly Zegers Staff Writer
Mike Pedersen/ THE STATESMAN
The Bench is a popular bar located off-campus.
collaborations with Planned Parenthood. Another joint effort is coming up in April during the public health fair to help attract students to the cause. “Some people seem to take advantage of Planned Parenthood today,” Brennan said. “A few years ago people were afraid of supporting it, but then things changed and now people are very vocal about it.” According to Sean Boehning, a worker at the restaurant and bar for five years, the event was a success for both the bar and the organization.
Earlier this month, a student at the University of Georgia injured her arm after falling two feet. She was texting and walking. According to “The Red & Black,” UGA’s campus newspaper, the school’s police department received reports of injuries because pedestrians were focusing on their phones instead of where they were going. Stony Brook researchers Eric M. Lamberg and Lisa M. Muratori, clinical associate professors for the Department of Physical Therapy, co-authored a study on walking and texting in 2012 which found that texting while walking affects one’s speed and direction. Their study assessed a group of 33 men and women in their twenties. Texting and walking reduced the speed of participants by 33 percent and contributed to a 61 percent increase in deviation from the intended course, which increased the distance they walked by 13 percent. “We were surprised to find that talking and texting on a cell phone were so disruptive to one’s gait and memory recall of the target location,” Lamberg said in a press
release, also noting that the findings were preliminary and that larger studies need to be conducted. The study, which was published in Gait & Posture, explains, “As the executor must allocate appropriate resources, the increased attentional demands required for texting may lead to errors in the otherwise subconscious task of walking.” The authors wrote, “The gait deviations we found may have significant real-world repercussions. This study took place on a smooth surface with no obstacles. However, the significant deviations suggest participants were distracted to a degree that could impact their safety in the community.” The article suggests that the deviation can correspond to overstepping a curb or missing environmental cues. Sophomore biology major Karol Perez admitted that she does text and walk and has tripped while doing so. However, she is trying to be more conscious about it because she sees that people do it too much. Junior biology major Olga Janiak said that she tends to avoid people while walking and texting, but has walked into signs and tree branches. She explained that this usually happens when she is sending a long message.
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Monday, November 25, 2013
Under the microscope: Studies on turtle neurogenesis may aid human brain research
By Mallory Locklear Staff Writer
Every other week Mallory Locklear, a graduate student at Stony Brook University's Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, will take a look at Stony Brook-related research and science news. Recently, Under the Microscope reported on work being done in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior on neurogenesis, or the birth of new neurons. Work on this subject is also taking place in the Psychology Department in the lab of Alice Powers. Her studies come with a twist. While many in the neurogenesis field study mice, rats or primates, Powers studies turtles. Like mammals, turtles are known to form new neurons throughout adulthood. But unlike mammals, which only form new cells in two areas, turtles form new neurons in many different
regions of the brain. While neurogenesis is known to occur in turtles, the process of forming newborn cells is little understood in these reptiles. To investigate this phenomenon, Powers used a paradigm known to increase neurogenesis in mammals and applied it to turtles. Two groups of turtles were compared. The turtles of one group were housed separately in containers with shallow water and dry platforms for the turtles to lie on. The second group was housed together in an enriched environment. This environment included plastic logs and plants that the turtles could explore. While the turtles were in these different environments, they were injected with a chemical that allows newborn neurons to be detected. New cells incorporate this chemical into their DNA and researchers can then attach larger structures to the chemical until it can be seen under a microscope. This allows new cells to stand out from older, established cells,
PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS
Turtles generate new brain cells in more areas of their brains than mammals. The function of these cell may be similar to mammals.
done by exposing the brain tissue to antibodies that will attach only to the chemical, much like how the edge of a puzzle piece has only one matching partner. The antibody is much larger than the chemical itself and can then be seen under a microscope. Researchers, like Powers, can then locate and count the newborn cells. The experiment is ongoing, but in mammals, enriched environments increase the rate of neurogenesis. If this effect also occurs in turtles, it will mean that the function of newborn cells in turtles may very likely be similar to those in mammals. An intriguing possibility for this type of work in the future lies in the fact that neurogenesis occurs throughout the turtle brain. In mammals, neurogenesis research is limited to only two areas of the brain. However, with turtles, researchers like Powers could potentially explore how certain behaviors affect neurogenesis in specific parts of the brain. For example, a turtle could be taught to navigate a maze and then researchers could look to see if learning that particular task led to more newborn neurons being observed in some areas of the brain and not others, giving insight into which brain areas are involved in particular behaviors. Another important reason for studying the turtle brain is that turtles and their brains can live for extended periods of time without oxygen. The human brain requires steady oxygen delivery with significant damage occurring within just minutes of oxygen deprivation. Turtles, on
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Robbery
Police Blotter
On Monday, Nov. 11, there was an attempted burglary at Benedict College. On Tuesday, Nov. 12, a bike was stolen on Stony Brook’s main campus. On Thursday, Nov. 14, personal property was stolen at the Campus Recreation Center. On Saturday, Nov. 16, a laptop and iPad were stolen from the Student Health Center. Harassment On Monday, Nov. 11, harassment at Eisenhower College resulted in a closed student referral. On Tuesday, Nov. 12, there was harassment at Yang Hall and Stimson College. Vandalism On Friday, Nov. 15, graffiti was found in a bathroom in the Student Union. On Saturday, Nov. 16, an exit sign was reported torn down at Barron College. the other hand, can go for long stretches of time without oxygen. Learning how brain cells form and survive without oxygen may help researchers find ways to prevent the often catastrophic brain damage following a stroke or heart attack. Ultimately, learning about the structure and function of brains
On Sunday, Nov. 17, tires were slashed on a white Ford Mustang at Wagner College. Drugs On Thursday, Nov. 14, a student was issued a referral for a bong found in their room in Schick College. On Thursday, Nov. 14, a subject was arrested at Wagner College for possessing a large amount of mushrooms and marijuana. Criminal Mischief On Tuesday, Nov. 12, there was criminal tampering at O’Neill College. Two students were referred to the university. On Sunday, Nov. 17, there was criminal mischief at Douglass College. Miscellaneous On Tuesday, Nov. 12, there was an order maintenance at Greeley College.
Compiled by Ashleigh Sherow
in animals much older than humans evolutionarily will help scientists better understand why the human brain developed the way it did. A better understanding of what less developed brains can achieve could shed light on what the added benefits are of the more developed regions found in the human brain .
Campus briefing: USG debate focuses on university events By Ryan Wolf Staff Writer
A focus on revising USG event policies and procedures was at the center of the latest Undergraduate Student Government Senate meeting. USG focused on amending their legislation on event-related policy changes, including a new Appropriations act and a new Credential policy. One of the main issues that had remained on the table since
Meeting in Brief • Approved acknowledgment the International Student Organization • Provided the Investment Club with a line budget of $1,185.96 • Releasing new petition on potential of new bus route • Seeking to create a “club list” of meeting times in potential conjunction with Student Activities Office
it was introduced in October was the update USG’s credential policy for university events. The Senate, with 17 of the 18 senators present supporting the new policy, passed the newest measure. This new legislation establishes the criteria for obtaining event passes, ranging from all access to VIP passes. The new policy also requires that those who apply for credentials must get signatures from the executive council members, specifically the President, VP of Student Life and VP of Communications. The USG policy provides automatic passes for executive board members and other USG officials, including the Treasurer and Administrative Director along with law enforcement officers and emergency services. The Senate decided to send this policy back to the Legislative Review Committee on Oct. 26. The policy states that if anyone misuses these credentials, the law enforcement officers at the specific event have the power to revoke privileges. The removal of the individual would also fall to a joint
agreement between the VP of Student Life and either the USG President or Administrative Director to ensure that the power of removal is not abused by any individual executive board member. Vice President of Student Life Garry Lachhar said the changes were to make the system more efficient. “We just wanted to make sure there was a check on it so you couldn’t just say you don’t have a pass anymore,” Lachhar said. “We put in that the USG Administrative director or the President has to be present as well as my position of VP of Student Life…we just wanted to make sure there was a check on that." During the meeting, the Senate also passed the Appropriations Act #2, which involves the purchasing of staging for Student Activities Board events with a unanimous vote of 18-0. The Act was sent back to the USG Budget Committee on Nov. 14 after debate over how to divide the payment of staging ended in a deadlock. The passed bill would use
BASIL JOHN/ THE STATESMAN
Vice President of Student Life Garry Lachhar describes changes made to the credential policy proposed in October. $6,000 from the USG SAB from its $585,000 budget, $3,000 from the USG Executive Council from its $5,000 project fund and $3,000 from USG Communication from its $11,000 budget. The total $12,000 dollars will go to the USG Audio/ Visual Services. This act is believed to “save significant money for USG clubs
that use the staging” and also help “cut costs significantly for the USG Student Activities Board” by not having to continue using staging from rental companies, according to the legislation’s findings. The university’s expected new staging would be potentially utilized for USG sponsored events including the spring “Brookfest” concert.
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Monday, November 25, 2013
James O’Connor looks to keep SBU green By Chris Woods Staff Writer
MIKE PEDERSEN / THE STATESMAN
Stony Brook's Admissions office only looks at social media profiles in certain scenarios.
More admission officers are looking at social networks
By Nujbat Meraji Staff Writer
A recent Kaplan Test Prep report claims more college admissions officers have Googled or visited applicants’ social media sites than before. According to the report, a recent survey shows the percentage of college admissions officers who agreed to do so is at 31 percent, higher than ever before. The Statesman was not able to verify whether Stony Brook University was included in the survey. Freshman physics major Plamen Kamenov is a regular user of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He said he feels if an institution is going through an applicants’ social media pages, it is not trusting the applicant. “It is not that I have anything to hide, but it is just a principle,” Kamenov said. SBU received approximately 30,300 applications in fall 2013, out of which only 39 percent were
accepted and only about 9 percent enrolled. Senior Associate Dean of Admissions Robert Pertusati explains with this number of applicants it is virtually impossible to go through an applicant’s social media sites. But when asked whether the admissions officers consider looking into social media for a better understanding of the applicant, Pertusati said, “Our decision is independent; while we are waiting on admission applications we are not accessing social media vehicles.” Rowe says it is SBU's policy to not look at applicants’ social media sites. “I think it is a good policy that Stony Brook follows to not look at applicants’ social media,” Rowe said. “It establishes trust and makes students feel secure.” Stefan Hyman is the director of Enrollment Communications in the admissions department. He helps run and start different social media sites for the university
to attract and communicate with prospective and admitted students. According to Hyman, the university does not engage in any kind of activity regarding visiting applicants. He believes it is difficult to determine whether the person on the profile is the same person. Hyman said, “There is also just simply freedom of speech, which we respect.” There are two situations when the university may look into an applicant based on their social media sites: the first being that the applicant specifically asked it to do so, or if the application indicates the student can be dangerous to themselves or the community. According to both Pertusati and Hyman, social media is used by the admissions office to reach out to prospective and admitted students and help them understand the university community better to make a welleducated decision when choosing universities.
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James O’Connor works through a staggering amount of administrative tasks to maintain sustainability at Stony Brook University. As Director of Sustainability and Transportation Operations at Stony Brook University, he oversees projects ranging from electricity conservation initiatives and electric vehicle charging stations to a bike share system and solar-powered bus stops. “It’s a balancing act,” O’Connor said, discussing the breadth of his job description. “So every day is different, you have to have the ability to track projects and try to quantify those aspects,” he said. O’Connor’s office is located next to Stony Brook’s very own power plant. He proudly explained that the cogeneration facility uses natural gas and is one of the few in the country. It helped keep Stony Brook—and its hospital—operational during much of Hurricane Sandy. While there are, of course, personal effects in his office—like a doll from Monsters Inc.—by far the loudest objects are two giant signs: one for “Wolf Ride,” Stony Brook’s bike sharing program, and one for the organic garden, which grew vegetables for Campus Dining services over the summer and closed last week for the upcoming winter. O’Connor considers each project a success and hopes to expand them both.
A local Long Islander, O’Connor got his Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. After receiving his Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University, he went on to work as operations and transportation coordinator for United States Tennis Association. “I was more into the operation side, so I enjoyed working in the field and providing services,” he said, “such as transportation and parking to guests that attended the U.S. Open in Flushing, Queens.” O’Connor began work at Stony Brook in Transportation and Parking–a field he still oversees in part–a little more than seven years ago. His work in parking operation included configuring the efficiency of car parks, like proximity and ease of access between buildings and parking spaces. “I started here in that field with a keen interest in operating a transit service and a central service for the community to use,” O’Connor said. “So that provides transportation, it provides parking, making sure that we have other things that go on behind the scenes.” The role soon expanded into other functions, following O’Connor’s desire to lower fuel consumption at work for environmental and Continued on page 6
PHOTO COURTESY: STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
O'Connor juggles a lot of projects every day, including Wolfie Ride Bike Share and solar-powered bus stops.
Stony Brook to lead solar system exploration research team Continued from page 1
fellow pharmacology professor Bruce Demple and Schoonen’s team of geologists on the medical geology component and will directly study the health effects of space dust and other samples on astronauts. “We’ll do two things. One is to synthesize in the lab materials that will be in the same pure components found out there, and we'll expose human lung cells and other immune cells to see how they respond to these compounds," Tsirka said. “The second is to actually expose the same cells to the real material that will come from there, which is the part that we'll be doing in this lab.
“The best outcome would be that none of the materials we bring and test create any kind of adverse reaction; usually in our case with the toxicity that would be associated with some kind of oxidating stress,” she continued. “If that is not happening and the cells react in a normal way that nothing happens that is significant than we're good, but if they don't then we need to explore what happens and move from cells to a whole organism and then try to understand it." RIS4E’s final component will use Brookhaven National Laboratory’s NSLS-II to research topics like space weathering, which involves how bodies without atmospheres are affected by elements like solar wind and
micrometeorites. The research will gauge the relative importance of these process and the timescales related to space weathering. “You have solar wind from the sun interacting with the surface, you have dust floating around in space, [and] if there's a body with no atmosphere then that all hits the surface at very high velocities, like seven or eight kilometers per second,” Glotch said. “So even though these tiny specks of dust may be small over time they add up and they can alter the surface. RIS4E is also being designed for student participation: five graduate students will be hired per year over the five-year course, and an undergraduate internship program will hopefully fund eight undergraduate students.
In keeping with the crossdisciplinary nature of the project, Glotch also plans to introduce a sophomore sciencejournalism course in conjunction with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. “We'll have team members of our program talking to people over there about our research, we're going to have students in the course do laboratory visits,” Glotch said. “We'll also be taking students out to the field with us, so one or two students will get to go with our Hawaii field team, students will be allowed to go with our New Mexico field team." “And while they're doing all this stuff they'll be doing blog posts, they'll be doing
longer format print pieces and hopefully some video content,” he continued. Glotch hopes that while project will directly be aimed toward gathering data for NASA, it will ultimately help train the next generation of scientists and draw attention to the importance of space science. “I think if you look at you go back to what I said before if you look at the most important thing we going to do here is related to training students, training the next generation of scientists and explorers,” he said. “One thing that I do take very seriously is kind of getting people excited about science, engineering and technology at the grassroots level.”
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Monday, November 25, 2013
O'Connor leads green iniatives
Continued from page 5 economic reasons. On his expansion from transportation to sustainability services, O’Connor explained how transit operations focused on initiatives that, “kind of dovetailed into fuel consumption and had an environmental aspect that I enjoyed.” “It was always in the best interest of transit operation to consume less because ultimately you would lower your expenses,” O’Connor said. He explained that cost-cutting techniques expanded into newer technologies to lower fuel consumption and systems that lowered costs through more efficient initiatives, like operating routes differently and improving bus shelter facilities. His expansion into sustainability, O’Connor admitted, ushered in a broader subject. The office is segmented into topics such as greenhouse gases, food, energy and, of course, transportation. “There’s a lot of different trades, and it’s wonderful to have such indepth conversations with people here,” O’Connor emphasized. “You’ll have a conversation with somebody and you won’t even be aware of their systems in place to heat or cool buildings, then you’ll take three steps the other way and you’ll be with a campus energy manager specifically into utility consumption.” Perhaps because it combines both of his passions, the bike share program remains a favorite of O’Connor’s and highlights both a well-recognized and successful initiative from the office. In development since 2011, Wolf Ride was revealed in spring this year and is designed to both decrease greenhouse gas emissions and increase general health on campus. It enables students, staff and visitors to hire and deposit bikes from solar-powered bike stations at the Student Activities Center, West Apartments I and South P Lot. “It’s been a dream to bring as a kind of solution to our campus,” O’Connor says. “It’s a good example of where we are today; we implemented it and we’re growing it.” On the harder aspects of his job, O’Connor talks about witnessing failed technologies. For example, the office currently provides Global Electric Mobile cars to faculty members and previously tried to expand its selection with a batch of electric cars from a competitor. The batch proved to have relatively inefficient batteries that were “not as aggressively tested as the GEM car batteries.” “We have had some mixed success; sometimes a battery is reliable and usable, and sometimes it isn’t,” O’Connor admitted. “Everything is different, and that’s one of the positives and negatives of working with new technologies.” For someone dealing with this many projects, people, technologies and ideas, O’Connor remains humble and nonchalant about his personal life. He mentioned—briefly but warmly—caring for his newborn son at home in Suffolk County and playing hockey in college. “I watch all four sports here, you know I follow them it’s definitely fun,” O’Connor said. “I like to run. I like to work out.
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The Statesman
SBU researches fertile grounds for controversy By Chris Woods Staff Writer
Joint research between Stony Brook University and New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) into the chemical reactions behind largescale mulching contaminating groundwater could heavily affect the future of composting on Long Island, specifically in relation to an announced food waste processing plant. A report released in July by the DEC, titled “Horseblock Road Assessment Report” (HRAP), outlined the results of investigations conducted from 2009 to 2011 into contaminated groundwater found in monitoring wells and a Horseblock Road/Yaphank Avenue residence’s private well, near Long Island Compost’s Great Gardens mulching facility in Yaphank. The report found that, “samples from the upper portion of the aquifer down-gradient of the Great Gardens facility exceeded drinking water standards for manganese, gross alpha [radiation],” and other pollutants, and concluded that “the facility appears to be the primary source of the contamination.” HRAP recommended the study into how exactly composting creates elevated levels of manganese and other heavy metals in plumes, or contaminated streams, in groundwater. DEC spokeswoman Lori Severino confirmed that the department is collaborating with Stony Brook University’s Waste Reduction and Management Institute, part of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences on this study. While Severino could not comment further, a member of the School, distinguished service professor Henry Bokuniewicz, confirmed that he is studying the relevant groundwater data and working on a hypothesis to determine, “what chemical reactions are responsible for the changes in the water quality.” “It may be that they’re coming from the source itself, something in the material on the surface that’s leeching down,” Bokuniewicz said. “Or that there’s some change in the chemistry of the groundwater that’s releasing chemicals from the aquifer naturally.” Bokuniewicz’s research follows LI's Compost’s announcement in June of a $50 million anaerobic digester, a waste processing plant, at the Yaphank’s 62-acre site. Plans were made in consultation with the DEC, the town of Brookhaven, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) and Yaphank residents with the condition that the existing site incorporate enclosed composting facilities and a groundwater monitoring program, according to key negotiator and CCE executive director Adrienne Esposito. While the DEC’s investigations helped create the aforementioned study and Long Island Compost’s new regulations, Esposito believes that the department has had ample opportunities to implement broader composting rules. “[The DEC’s] quote-unquote ‘study’ is moving way too slow, it's moving at what I call pre-globalwarming glacial speeds,” Esposito said. “They started testing in
PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS
Stony Brook University is involved in research on groundwater contamination from composting. Findings in past reports show high levels of manganese and alpha radiation. December of 2009…and have done eleven different compost sites across Long Island, and at every single site they found this extreme increase in manganese and elevated other heavy metals.” In citing the HRAP, Esposito stressed that the water sampled in the residence’s private well and monitoring sites grossly breached the safe drinking standard for manganese and alpha radiation, elevated levels of which can impact the central nervous system and mutate cells respectively. In terms of these findings’ health effects, the HRAP reported that there, “would be no cause for concern unless someone consumes this water,” and the residence with the contaminated well was connected to the public water supply in 2011. Notably, the report did not give specific information on the affected residence’s exposure, stating simply that, “until the full extent of the groundwater plume is adequately defined, definitive statements regarding potential exposures cannot be made.” However the investigations have warranted the aforementioned regulations on Long Island Compost’s site, notably the sealed facilities and groundwater monitoring program. Charles Vigliotti, CEO of Long Island Compost, told Newsday in September that the new standards would reduce the risk for groundwater contamination.
In a video presentation published Oct. 12, Vigliotti described the planned anaerobic digester as a “giant stomach” capable of transforming 120,000 tons of food waste, among other organic materials, into biogas which can be turned into electricity and compressed natural gas. “Hopefully we’ll start [construction] first quarter of 2014, depending on what the DEC and town have to say about this,” he said. “We are hopeful that we’ll be taking startup material by end of 2014 and fully operational by 2015.” In response to groundwater, odor and dust concerns, Esposito and the Yaphank community successfully negotiated Long Island Compost’s new regulations over a two-year period. “Nearly 80% of their activities will [now] be done indoors,” Esposito said. “The anaerobic digester will be indoors, it will be enclosed.” “The other 20% would be some storage outside, but the bagging and debagging facility will all be enclosed now,” she said. Bokuniewicz said that while sealed facilities could stop further contamination, they should not be seen as an absolute solution because the contamination process has not been fully determined. “You’ve got to remember that there’s a history; some of the contaminants that have been released are still going to be around after
removing the source,” Bokuniewicz said. “It’s always a danger to say ‘well we’re going to put this stuff in a plastic bag, problem solved’; the problem might not be solved,” he said. As to the future of the DEC’s investigation, Esposito remained frustrated at the DEC’s lack of widespread regulatory changes. “They have now the science, they have a compelling need to change the policy,” Esposito said. “Now they need to get the political will; they can just change the regulations and require compost facilities to conduct activities on an impermeable layer so that rainwater and leachate can be filtered before entering groundwater.” “I think they are concerned about the mulch and compost facilities; it'd be a political battle,” she continued. “I think they are not willing to take on the political battle, which is sad.” Bokuniewicz, however, saw major regulatory changes as difficult because, “composting is favored; it’s a green solution to waste material.” “If there is some sort of problem with it, we may have to rethink not just one facility but the policy on composting in general,” he said. “[Contained composting] is expensive, the concern is that if we force it unnecessarily it may just end the process altogether; it may be cheaper to just send it somewhere else.”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Audra McDonald concert leaves Staller over the rainbow By Chelsea Katz
Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor
The snow outside did not stop them. As the audience filled for the seats of the Staller Center on Saturday night, they gazed upon a black grand piano reflecting the blue lights above it. Some were Broadway enthusiasts and others had seen the performer at other locales. As the lights dimmed, the audience clapped softly while her pianist, drummer and cellist walked on to the stage. Then, McDonald took the stage in a black floor-length, sleeveless dress and the soft clap elevated to a roar of applause. A Five-time Tony Award winner, McDonald returned to the Staller Center after seven years to a nearly filled house to perform Broadway classics and some not-so-classic traditions. The soprano, who is known for her Broadway performances in “Carousel” (1994), “Master Class” (1996), “Ragtime” (1998), “A Raisin in the Sun” (2004), and “The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess” (2012). Highlights from Saturday’s
concert included “Moments from the Woods,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” Craigslist Lieders and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Between her songs, she spoke about the inspiration for each one and McDonald said that she and her music director tried to remain cognizant of the mix of songs that would make their way into her concert. She tried to mix different types of music and composers. Stephen Sondheim, Irving Berlin and a mix of lullabies made the cut. At times, she spoke of her family. She said that each bracelet she wore was from her family and that one was from a teacher who was working at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. “We thought it couldn’t be better last time and it was better,” said Frank Spencer, 79, of Wheatley Heights, who saw her at the Staller Center seven years ago.
Moments from the Woods As an attempt to throw in classic composers, McDonald
and her music director Andy Einhorn tried to figure out what song she should sing from Stephen Sondheim’s collection. The duo decided to approach Sondheim for a suggestion. He told her to perform “Moments from the Woods” from his 1987 musical “Into the Woods.” “When Mr. Sondheim tells you do it, you do it,” McDonald said. And she did.
I Could Have Danced All Night As McDonald introduced this 1957 classic from “My Fair Lady,” she mentioned that she never wanted to sing this song in her concerts until her friends told her to basically get off her high horse. It did not matter that the song was too well known. As McDonald started to sing the first verse, the entire audience mouthed the words to themselves, trying desperately not to sing aloud. McDonald finished the first verse and revealed to the audience that she knew that they were all dancing in their seats and singing every
word in their heads. “Sing it out Long Island—it’ll make you feel better,” she said. The entire audience burst into song. For a moment, sopranos took a solo and McDonald capped off the song with the legendary high note. Elizabeth Brenner, a senior English and business major, was very excited to sing along. “I go to Broadway a lot,” she said.
Craigslist Lieders Brenner said her favorite part were the Craigslist Lieders. McDonald, a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York, also decided that she needed to add a traditional element to her concert when deciding on a set list. A Lieder is a song that is inspired by poetry that is traditionally in German. McDonald decided to perform Lieders with poetry from Craigslist. “You looked very sexy even though you were having a seizure,” McDonald sang. The audience cracked up… respectfully of course.
Somewhere Over Rainbow
the
After finishing her last song, McDonald and her players took their bows and started to leave the stage to a standing
JIA YAO / THE STATESMAN
McDonald (center) recently won a Tony Award for portrayal of Bess in "Porgy and Bess." .
ovation. Two seconds later, she returned to the stage for one song. She explained her feelings about marriage equality for the LGBT community. She was a beneficiary of the Civil Rights Movement so she speaks out for those fighting for their own rights. Judy Garland's (The Wizard of Oz') death spurred the marriage equality movement so McDonald saw it fit to add one of her most famous song's as a closer. “She doesn’t just sing—she feels,” Spencer said. After a second standing ovation and the audience beginning to leave Staller, Maryellen Lubinsky, 67, of East Setauket tried to figure out the best part of the concert. “How can you just choose a favorite part when it was all so good?” she said.
JIA YAO/ THE STATESMAN
The concert had a full house.
STATESMAN STOCK PHOTO
This was McDonald's first time at Staller in seven years.
THREE ARTSY EVENTS
1) Pre-med Game Show 2) Color Carnival
3) Post-Thanksgiving Yoga
The SSO Center is hosting a series of interactive games that will highlight important facts about medical schools on Nov. 25, starting at 7:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the participants who win the games. Join Tis the Season and multicultural diversity program for games from a variety of cultures in the Cardozo Lounge Monday, Nov. 25 at 9 p.m. The games include poker, Nerf gun battles and more. Music and snacks are provided. Students must pay between $1 to $4 per game. Come join the Chapin RA Staff for a yoga program to help burn away that Thanksgiving feast on Saturday Nov. 30 at 11 a.m. in the Chapin Commons. Mats can be provided for those who don't bring their own, and hot tea and healthy snacks will also be available.
8
Monday, November 25, 2013
The Statesman
Arts & Entertainment
Campus Spotlight: music professor featured on podcast By Nicole Mihalik Staff Writer
Margaret Schedel, a cellist, professor at Stony Brook University and composer in the audio and visual world of music has performed internationally and throughout the United States. Schedel specializes in the creation and performance of interactive media and works to compose music through an electronic medium. She has also developed courses in deep listening and sound design to train students on how to read music. Instead of teaching students how to read notes, Schedel teaches her students how to create and edit sound on a neutral interface such as the computer. Students learn how to match body movements and motion with sound and then export their performer control aspects to a digital medium. Last month, she was invited to speak about music education and technology on a podcast run by Darwin Grosse, her former employer. “I felt it was especially important to develop a course at a school where some populations didn’t have these opportunities,” she said in the podcast interview. As part of the program, Schedel teaches students a sonic meditation practice she refers to as deep listening. Schedel received her certificate in Deep Listening with the pioneer of the technique Pauline Oliveros, from
the Deep Listening Institute, according to her website. The technique helps students concentrate on the audio instead of visuals in a piece. “The idea is to get students to stop thinking in words,” she said. “It’s all about getting them to trust their ears and really know how to listen.” Schedel trains students to articulate their ability to interpret sound by teaching them various techniques of interactive media. “I think we all have a native intention and inherent ability when it comes to sound. My job is to try and help students to articulate their ability,” she said. In her past six years as a professor at Stony Brook, Schedel took part as codirector in the computer music program and has expanded the department by adding courses in Deep Listening and Sound Design. In her course offered to undergraduate students, Introduction to Media and Technology, she helps students to articulate their experience through sound and augment their performer abilities. As part of the Consortium for Digital Arts, Culture and Technology course, she also teaches students how to compose pieces through a digital medium by using a variety of computer programs to produce electronic music. Schedel also teaches courses in deep listening outside of SBU and is the first SUNY professor
PHOTO CREDIT: STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
Margaret Schedel's specialty is interactive music and composition through electronics. to offer a massive open online course. Nearly 6,500 students enrolled this semester from over 100 different countries on Coursera, an online educational technology company, according to the website. In 2007, Schedel completed her Doctorate degree at the University of Cincinnati in Music Composition and Cognates in Electronic Music and Arts Administration, according to her website. She has also, as stated on her website, published several
papers, editorials, author reviews and discographies throughout her career. According to Schedel, the most proud piece of writing she’s contributed was her part in a book titled Electronic Music with Nick Collins and Scott Wilson. The book explores the world of electronic music and technology to inform others interested in learning about interactive media in music, according to The Engine Institute, Inc. website. “I think the digital audio age
would like. I also keep individually packaged applesauces on hand all the time because they make for a good snack on the go. They also happen to be about ½ a cup per package. Add the M&Ms or chocolate chips or whatever you want to add. The dough will be wetter than average cookie dough. If you want, you could add a few tablespoons of flour to make it thicker. I used a spoon to plop the dough onto my ungreased pan. Using a
spoon keeps the cookies a uniform size. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, and cool on the pan for a little bit before moving them to a cooling rack. Or, if you are like me and do not have a cooling rack, use the baking sheet that does not fit into your oven. Note: since this is cake mix, the cookies are going to rise because cakes rise. The cookies will not look very flat like regular cookies, and they also will be very soft.
of music is going to help people become creators of things and not just passive consumers,” she said. Schedel hopes to help others experience sound in a different aspect and help them explore their abilities in an interactive medium. “In the past six years I’ve seen a lot more students coming with more knowledge of digital music. It’s cheaper, easier, and more democratized knowledge,” she said.
College gal cooking: cookies from store-bought cake mix By Emily McTavish Senior Staff Writer
Today, dear readers, I am going to blow your mind and help you maintain your budget. Let’s bake our holiday cookies with cake mix. Think about it: you do not need to buy flour, sugar, baking soda and all the other cookie-baking ingredients because it is already in the cake mix. We are going to save so much money and time this way. Makes about two dozen cookies.
1 box of cake mix 2 eggs ½ cup of applesauce 1 cup of M&Ms Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine the cake mix, eggs and applesauce. I used yellow cake mix because I just really like yellow cake as it is, but you can use any flavor of cake you
EMILY MCTAVISH/ THE STATESMAN
Cookies are tasty for winter.
SBU celebrates the real reason of "No Shave November" By Heather Khalifa Staff Writer
If you have seen an excess number of scruffy men this month, it turns out it is not because they are lazy or into hipster. The laziness factor may be a slight part of it, but the real reason behind the hairiness is much more honorable than that. The actual reason is to raise awareness for men’s health and prostate cancer. “We’re doing No-Shave November to raise money for testicular cancer,” Jonathan Marinozzi, member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, said. Marinozzi and the rest of the fraternity are all participating this month in the
hopes of raising money for men’s health and wellness. No-Shave November has been
the most recent trend in raising awareness for cancer. It began in the 90's, and has been increasing in
HEATHER KHALIFA/ THE STATESMAN
John Carswell has been participating for four years.
popularity and practice with each passing year. Not shaving for a month is one of the easiest and most effective ways to raise awareness for a good cause,
HEATHER KHALIFA/ THE STATESMAN
Ryan Burda grows his beard.
which is why the popularity of growing out a beard in November has caught on for so many. Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men, with very few symptoms to detect in its early stages, and with no clear answer as to what the cause is. So, to raise awareness to this disease, many men chose to not pick up a razor for the entire month of November. For some, the release of their inner Zach Galifianakis can have dramatic results. Not so much for others. But at the end of the month, their goal of raising awareness for men’s health has been reached. Continued on page 9
The Statesman
Arts & Entertainment
Monday, November 25, 2013
9
Catching Fire improves on the faults of the original film
By Brandon Benarba
Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor
“Catching Fire” is now the second film in the trilogy of books that is being turned into a four-part franchise known as “The Hunger Games.” If that description seems confusing that is because the film itself is a convoluted mess that does not know exactly what it wants to be, but thankfully manages to fix some of the mistakes from the previous film to make a better overall final product. The first “Hunger Games” film was a complete mess. It was a cheesy, confusing, televisionlevel-quality film that just dragged on. “Catching Fire” fixes many of the mistakes of the first film by making a better looking film in terms of both videography and theme, but still falls apart in terms of pacing and potential. Picking right up after the first film, we see Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) trying to return to normal life in District 12 with her friend and love interest Gale (Liam Hemsworth, who continues to bring nothing to the series). She and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are touring the world after their previous victory in the titular games, but their presence and past actions sparks a revolution. To stop this, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and new Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) devise new rules for the annual games. This time, former winners will compete, forcing Peeta and Katniss back into the fray to fight for their lives. All of this makes for a really strong foundation for a film. The victory tour is a much better setup than the overdrawn first act of the first film and Francis Lawrence, the film’s new director, seems to actually know how to use a tripod and shoot an action sequence. Most importantly though, by using returning winners, the film allows for a much more varied and interesting cast, many of whom raise the films stakes by having three - dimensional characters. Lawrence, Hutcherson and
PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS
Hutcherson (left) and Lawrence (right) return for the 75th annual Hunger Games. Sutherland are all great in their roles, while the supporting cast continues to stand out. However, the new characters are just more interesting than the main cast, and the film loses a lot of energy whenever they are not on screen. We have Finnick (Sam Claflin) ,a kind of sleazy surfer dude with a trident; Johanna (Jena Malone), the angry riot girl who fights with an axe because she is from the lumberjack district; and Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) a tech genius who kills people with science. All of them are fantastic characters that actually hurt the film, as they make me care less about Katniss and her plight. Thematically, the film is great. Lawrence (the director, not the actress) managed to capture the hopelessness and despair of this world in every shot, while bringing out the lavishness of The Capitol. It also helps that the film is much stronger visually then the first one, with much more attention going into the CGI this time around. This helps create a better sense of atmosphere throughout the film and makes for a much more interesting film to watch. Still, the entire film basically follows the same formula of the first one. We have an overdrawn first act that is supposed to make
us engrossed in the world, then we have the training scenes, then we have the actual games, which have somehow become less interesting the second time around. Even the action sequences are just slight variations of the first film. Instead of a firestorm, we have a poison fog cloud, instead of terrible looking CG dogs we have great looking CG baboons, and instead of hallucination-inducing bees we having emotionally damaging birds. I get that the filmmakers are constrained by a PG-13 rating and most importantly, by the book on which it is based, but source material is not an excuse for uninspired filmmaking. Although the first film was almost unwatchable due to its cinematography, at least the last half had some dramatic tension. “Catching Fire” is almost the opposite as the first half is riddled with political tension. Once the games actually start all we really see are Katniss, Peeta and the rest of their group running through a forest and beach looking for places to hide. It makes for an uneven film in terms of pacing, which is something, the film shares with the first. However, the biggest problem with the film is that it is just a waste of time. Nothing really happens in the film besides them
setting up the next two movies. It makes the whole film feel really disjointed and rushed, especially toward the end where characters
literally either disappear or die off screen. Yes, “Catching Fire” has the unfortunate job of being the “dark middle chapter” in the franchise so it naturally tries to raise the stakes, but the film sacrifices its own narrative and characters in order to do that. At this point it feels redundant even to review huge franchise movies like “The Hunger Games” because everyone already knows whether they want to see the movie, and no matter what the film will makes millions. Luckily, “Catching Fire” is not a bad film by any means, but issues in terms of pacing and narrative structure really hold the film back from being anything special. That being said, the movie is a much better viewing experience with a group of friends with questionable sanity levels. Seriously, people were laughing about characters dying in the film, which somehow makes the film more enjoyable. Weird, I know.
PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS
This is Lawrence's first major movie since winning an Oscar.
Seawolves get hairy in honor of prostate cancer awareness Continued from page 8
Some here at Stony Brook insist that growing a beard, like everything else, just takes practice. Ryan Burda, a senior computer science major, has seen an increase in how much hair he has grown in all the years he has participated, and credits this to patience and practice. “I’m always embarrassed at how little I can grow, but this is the first year that I’ve grown something decent,” Burda, said. John Giordano, anthropology major and a year-round beard enthusiast, also believes that growing a beard requires years of experience and practice.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 18, and it’s been getting better and better ever year. It takes practice,” Giordano said. As for first-timers, they have found that they are enjoying this experience, even if it takes a while to get used to. “It’s grueling right now,” William Sorge, sophomore cinema and cultural studies major, said. “But it’s worth it.” Other first-timers discovered how convenient the selfinsulating beard could be in the bitter beginnings of winter. “Generally I hate facial hair, but it’s been brutally cold, and it keeps my face warm,” Aaron Watkins, senior sociology
major, said. “Who knows, this might turn into no-shave
spring.” No-Shave
November
has
HEATHER KHALIFA / THE STATESMAN
Jonathan Marinozzi grows his beard for multiple causes.
expanded to its own Facebook page, and also has shows like “The Today Show” with anchors Matt Lauer and Al Roker, along with Carson Daly, embracing their facial hair. Their participation shows that the month does not exclude any person or profession, even if you are make a living off of being on-camera. They, along with many other men, are broadcasting the cause by proudly wearing it on their face. Students at Stony Brook University are no different. At SBU, many found that they were unintentionally participating in the month-long event, while others have been willing participants since Nov. 1.
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Contact us: Phone: 631-632-6479 Fax: 631-632-9128 Email: editors@sbstatesman.com Web: www.sbstatesman.com The Statesman is a student-run, student-written incorporated publication at Stony Brook University in New York. The paper was founded as The Sucolian in 1957 at Oyster Bay, the original site of Stony Brook University. In 1975, The Statesman was incorporated as a not-for-profit, student-run organization. Its editorial board, writers and photography staff are all student volunteers. New stories are published online every day Monday through Friday. A print issue is published every Monday during the academic year and is distributed to many on-campus locations, the Stony Brook University Hospital and over 70 off-campus locations. The Statesman and its editors have won several awards for student journalism, and several past editors have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers in the field of journalism. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sbstatesman. Disclaimer: Views expressed in columns or in the Letters and Opinions section are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Statesman. The Statesman promptly corrects all errors of substance published in the paper. If you have a question or comment about the accuracy or fairness of an article please send an email to editors@sbstatesman.com. First issue free; additional issues cost 50 cents.
Editorial: Hiding the truth is more damaging to SBU's reputation Stony Brook Athletic Director Jim Fiore was relieved of his duties last Tuesday after the university bought out the remaining $800,000 on his contract, which was supposed to run through June 2016. President Samuel L. Stanley announced that Senior Associate Athletic Director Donna Woodruff will serve as interim director in a two-sentence email to the campus community, and that is the most information Stony Brook has released. “It is university policy not to comment on personnel matters,” Media Relations Officer Lauren Sheprow said in an email to The Statesman. Fiore is widely credited for vast improvements to Stony Brook’s athletic program, leaving the university’s community and those familiar with its sports program questioning why he was let go. Though The Statesman does not report on hearsay, rumors have begun to circulate in the absence of an official explanation. We cannot imagine why the university would not detail the circumstances under which a popular administrator was fired. Jim Fiore’s release is news beyond Stony Brook. As the university makes a name for itself on a national stage, Fiore’s firing puts the university’s reputation at stake. Our local newspapers are not the only ones asking questions. Moreover, the fact that the university is losing approximately $800,000 would demand an explanation under any other circumstance. Many have also questioned the source of the money. The university is making a huge expenditure without
being held accountable. The Statesman is not the only news organization reporting on the situation and the truth is bound to emerge in the upcoming weeks. Though Stony Brook is within its rights to keep mum on the matter, its silence will cost the university much more than money. Stony Brook owes an explanation to its students and fans. This is a matter of responsibility toward those who invest both money and trust into this university. The school is now at a level where a two-line email about a decorated administrator being bought out of his contract does not cut it. The lack of answers has caused rampant speculation. At this point, the rumors are likely to be more detrimental to the school’s image than the truth. The public often interprets hidden information as guilt. It is in the best interest of administration and athletics to directly address why Fiore was bought out. Stony Brook is only as strong as those who have faith in the administration, and this display of secrecy shows that there has been no change in the practices of the university. Instead, the administration needs to take the approach of being honest with the body of people who make this school what it is. SincerelyThe Editorial Board
Letter to the editor: Science Fiction Forum fact corrections by alumnus Dear Editor, As an alumnus of both Stony Brook University and the Science Fiction Forum, not to mention a longtime staff member of WUSB, I was surprised at the number of historical mistakes made in the recent article about the Forum's 45th anniversary party. First, the current Forum headquarters, in the basement of the Union, while larger than some of the previous rooms, is significantly smaller than the last location, which took up two full rooms in the basement of Harriman Hall (a library and a separate lounge). The fire, which destroyed the library that had been in the basement of Hendrix College, occurred in June, 1986, which is quite a bit more than "a few years ago." I
would guess that to most Statesman readers, 27 years is ancient history. It is also untrue that "only two items that survived the fire." In addition to all of the Forum Log Books, close to 1,000 books were rescued and recovered. Amazingly, even the two items that the article says survived were incorrectly identified: the "unknown pair of underwear" has always been known to have belonged to 1980's Forumite George Chin, and have long been displayed in a Ziploc bag with a label stating that. Additionally, the copy of "Fahrenheit 451" that survived was not a movie, but a book. The irony there is that "Fahrenheit 451" is about a society in which books are burned, and yet this novel survived.
Additionally, there was no video library in the Forum back in 1986. We didn't have a VCR in the Forum back then, so there was no need for video. Thank you for covering the event, and bringing attention to the Science Fiction Forum (although it would have been nice to include the current location in the article), but as reporters, it is important to get the facts correct, no matter what the subject. SincerelyHoward Margolin, O.D. (Stony Brook B.S. 1986) Producer; Destinies-The Voice of Science Fiction; WUSB-FM
Opinions
The Statesman
Monday, November 25, 2013
11
Homocon: Openly gay conservative speaks at SBU By Jeremy Kline Staff Writer
Walking around campus, you may have seen advertisements for “Homocon.” Regardless of what one may initially think, Homocon was an event in which an openly-gay conservative, Jimmy LaSalvia, came to speak to Stony Brook students about how homosexuals, along with homosexuality in general, are becoming more accepted in the Republican Party. He also discussed the role they can play in bringing the Republican Party back to its roots: economic and social conservatism. The presentation started off with a brief introduction by the College Republicans before Mr. LaSalvia took the stage and described his past, from his life as a military child from Kentucky, to the influence Ronald Reagan had on his political beliefs. However, a majority of the event was dedicated to student questions, questions which really allowed us, as students, to perhaps learn about viewpoints other than our own. To me, the most interesting thing about LaSalvia’s viewpoint is how he incorporates his homosexuality into the conservative viewpoint. For example, he cited an article which claimed that one third of homosexual individuals voted Republican in the 2010 Congressional elections, when the Tea Party movement started to gain its momentum. To him, this signifies that economic conservatism, along with a limiting of government and the role it plays in people’s
JESUS PICHARDO/ THE STATESMAN
Conservative politican Jimmy LaSalvia spoke to students about being open within the party. lives, is not just restricted to heterosexual people. While many members of the Tea Party are now associated with what can be known as the “Righteous Right,” or religious fundamentalism taking its place among economic and social conservatism, Mr. LaSalvia argued that it does not necessarily have to be that way. One can, in his view, still be socially conservative but support gay marriage, something he called a “political inevitability." As a social conservative, LaSalvia is pro-life, against pre-marital sex (a reason, he argued, why gay
marriage needs to be passed quickly, followed by applause from the audience) and other traditionally conservative social values. I think Mr. LaSalvia really struck the heart of the matter when he gave a personal anecdote about how, while working for the Republican National Convention in 1992, he watched as people, including some friends and colleagues, shouting something to the effect of, “Family traditions forever! Gay rights never!” after Pat Robertson’s speech. Now, this coincided with the
rise of the so called “Religious Right,” and these were some of his (Pat Robertson’s) political followers, but their sentiments have seemed to develop into what has become a standard tenet of the Republican party: an opposition to homosexual marriage. Of course, I have already stated how LaSalvia believes how homosexual marriage is a political inevitability, but a key question someone raised was this: with the increasing fracturing of the Republican Party, will Republicans accept homosexual marriage?
Or, better yet, will it be something that moderate and conservative Republicans be able to rally behind, so as to form a coalition of sorts in the aftermath of the fracturing? LaSalvia believes they will, if they want to stand a chance in the 2016 Presidential Election, an issue he feels 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney lost key votes on. However, LaSalvia also believes that the Republican Party will start to be formed and led by those more in the middle, whom he calls the “Normal People,” or, in other words, the quite traditional Republicans. Now, that whole idea is purely based on the principle that the Republican Party can fracture to the point where it needs to get reorganized. While I am not saying it will happen (people said the same thing about the Democrats after the Carter administration), I feel that there is some chance of it happening, and, if that is the case, then Republicans will need to accept gay marriage, and move on to more pressing concerns, like the economy and national security, a position LaSalvia holds as well. Regardless, I will say this: if the Republican Party wishes to survive, it will need to accept certain progressive issues as party platforms and not ostracize voters like Jimmy LaSalvia. The Republican Party is going to need people like Jimmy LaSalvia if they want to give the Democrats a good run for their money in the years to come.
Will registration through SOLAR ever become easier? By Emily Benson Contributing Writer
As the fall semester comes to a close, that wonderful time of the year is coming to campus once again: Enrollment time. And I must say, there is nothing quite like the joy of sitting by your computer, refreshing your SOLAR account to make sure all your classes are still open only to have one close a minute before your registered enrollment time. This is a tragic moment in which you will consider throwing your computer across the room and rage quitting the thought of even registering for spring semester classes. But do not do that. The sad truth of the situation, though, is that getting closed out of classes is not uncommon. In fact, most Stony Brook students are finding their required classes being filled, and the students are being left in the dust. To most students, getting blocked from a D.E.C class is mere inconvenience, but getting blocked from a lab or a math course that is a requirement for their major is when real problems come into play. If the class you
need to take is full, you will be placed on a waitlist for the course. If seats open up or if more seats are added, they will empty as much of the waitlist as they can and allow more students in. But is there any way to guarantee a seat in the class? No. If you get pulled off the waitlist your troubles are gone, but if the class remains closed there are no other alternative options for students to take. You will either get into the class you need or it sucks to suck. Cindy Marji, a freshman biomedical engineering major, is still unable to get into her required classes. “I emailed the undergraduate coordinator about my AMS and WRT class. She didn’t address all the questions I asked her but told me to contact the math department. I need math to be on track, but all she said was that I would have to wait until they emptied the waitlist. So now I’m back to square one.” I think it is fair to say that many of the students at Stony Brook are majoring in one of the STEM fields, so what I do not understand is why the school does not accommodate the amount of classes needed for these majors considering the overwhelming
PHOTO CREDIT: SOLAR
SOLAR is used by students to register for classes, yet continuously leads to confusion for many. amount of students trying to sign up for them. When one of my journalism classes for the spring semester became filled, all it took was a few days and a couple dozen emails from nervous students for them to add a new class on SOLAR to sign up for. It was that simple. And yet there are kids
calling advisers, emailing deans, scraping to put their schedule together only to continuously find that there is still no space for them in class. Students get off track and there is nothing the school can offer to help. I understand that it is impossible to fit all students into their desired
classes, but I do not believe that an acceptable excuse for why students are finding themselves set back one or two semesters is that the school just could not make it work. I mean, the only thing at stake is graduating on time. Why would anybody be concerned about that?
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Opinions
Monday, November 25, 2013
The Statesman
Christmas spirit is quickly getting lost in consumerism By Simran Gupta Contributing Writer
After being bombarded with midterms left and right last week, I finally found a second of momentary peace, and shamelessly spent it surfing through Youtube for amusing cat videos to relieve me of my stress. But before I could enjoy Maru the Cat in all his glory, a video of K-Mart’s controversial “Show Your Joes” Christmas commercial appeared on the side list. As the six men wearing metallic boxers gyrated their hips side to side to the tune of “Jingle Bells,” I could not help but feel a bit disturbed. Granted, the video is hilarious for the first minute or so. However, I can see past its guise as a spirited commercial to realize that it is merely a gimmick to encourage early-bird Christmas shoppers to buy products sooner. K-Mart is not the only company responsible for airing countless Christmas advertisements prior to the holiday season. Other perpetrators, like Best Buy, Nissan, JCPenney and Macy’s, are also accomplices to the phenomenon notoriously known as “The Christmas Creep.” With Thanksgiving around the corner, it seems ridiculous to immediately jump into all the commotion associated with frantic Christmas preparations and shopping. Yet, that does not stop Starbucks from selling holidaythemed beverages like spicy gingerbread lattes and sweet caramel brulee lattes. Nor does it prevent Dunkin' Donuts from vending cups of peppermint mocha coffee along with
PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS
Stores have Christmas items even before Thanksgiving day. star-shaped doughnuts. Evidently, pre-seasonal marketing of Christmas products has become a common trend that has found its way onto television, radio broadcasts, social media and even onto the campus of Stony Brook University. Sadly, “The Christmas Creep” will keep inching in earlier and earlier with each passing year without our consent. Before long, we will be condemned to watch Christmas merriment engulf
our communities by luring people in with “doorbuster deals” on stockings and “seasonal discounts” on flashing lights as soon as summer subsides into autumn. Now, our respect for time and developed consciences do not control when the holiday season commences; Christmas starts when large companies tell us it starts. Apparently, experiencing over three months of Christmas is not an event the public looks forward
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to. It should be obvious to major companies that the untimely promotion of Christmas brings resentment, not joy. Then why do companies continue to spend extravagant amounts of money commercializing Christmas when it clearly irks most of their “valued customers”? Surprisingly, several factors come into play, motivating businesses to pay millions of dollars and use numerous resources to market products before the Christmas season. First of all, companies want to expand the interval of time when Christmas sales occur. Through frequent and prevalent advertising, companies increase their chances of attracting customers. In fact, a few students at Stony Brook University can testify that continuous advertising on television and online encouraged them to buy Christmas gifts already. Following this logic, sales related to Christmas account for most of the revenue made by businesses between fall and winter. Therefore, it is critical for businesses to hype up the availability and quality of their products as soon as possible. Finally, Christmas is a holiday that is easy for companies to commercialize, for it has more adherents and carries a greater spiritual message than Halloween and Thanksgiving. Halloween builds its popularity upon evoking the fears of those who don colorful costumes in pursuit of tricks or treats at night. Thanksgiving is a Western holiday traditionally celebrated within the boundaries of the United States of America. In contrast, Christmas possesses a sacred type of importance that
allows its meaning to be renowned throughout the world. Thus, companies are able to exploit the globalization and sanctity of Christmas to increase revenues. As a result, businesses foolishly manipulate people into believing that their love is paralleled by the value of their gifts. After all, according to K-Mart, how else can I show someone my love other than presenting him with a pair of sparkling boxers I purchased for $8.99? Essentially, in the eyes of major companies, we are nothing but consumers. We are simply walking reservoirs of cash that businesses can drink from as long as they offer us promises of their outlandish deals. As sad as it is to say, companies do not tell us how special we are like our Hallmark greeting cards do. We all constitute a mass of people who will inevitably fall victim to “The Christmas Creep” one by one. The true meaning of Christmas has dwindled thanks to excessive marketing. Premature Christmas advertisements are responsible for this mess. They are airing when you're sleeping. They are airing when you’re awake. They are airing whether you’re bad or good, so don’t bother being good for goodness' sake! We should not suppress our frustration over the immoderate commercialization of Christmas by major businesses. Instead, we should vocalize our outrage about the depreciation of Christmas because the message of large corporations to the public is clear: You do not own the product. The product owns you.
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Monday, November 25, 2013
Sports
The Statesman
Volleyball swept in semifinal match against UNH By Zach Rowe Staff Writer
This Friday, the Stony Brook women’s volleyball team traveled to the University of New Hampshire for the semifinals match of the America East tournament. The Seawolves were the #4 seed in the tournament, and faced a formidable foe in the number one ranked UNH Wildcats. Ultimately, the Seawolves provided a respectable but non threatening foe for the Wildcats, getting swept in three sets. The Wildcats took a commanding lead in the start of the first set, taking a 18-11 lead. The Seawolves bounced back to cut the lead to 20-17. but their rally proved impotent at the end and they fell 25-20. The second set was marked by another slow start, with a 6-0 Wildcat lead. The Seawolves were able to tie up the set and matched UNH’s points, but slipped up at the end and lost 25-23. In their last chance to keep their America East season alive, the Seawolves got off to their own hot start with a 5-0 lead, but couldn’t keep themselves from blowing the lead and lost their final America East set 25-17, ending their season in a sweep. The Seawolves efforts were lead by Nicole Vogel and Kaitlin Costello. Costello, in her final America East
JESUS PICHARDO / THE STATESMAN
The Seawolves were swept by the champion Wildcats friday. Stony Brook will play Yale Tuesday for their final game. match of her career put up a match high 10 kills and nine digs. Vogel, on the other hand, put up a double double with 18 assists and 13 digs. Coach Coley Pawlikowski wasn’t overly disappointed to the end of her first season as a coach.
“Tonight, we unfortunately fell short. We did a good job of picking up the tips, which was an improvement. Stephanie McFadden did a really good job working in the middle. Kaitlin Costello and Hailee Herc also contributed significantly in their final America East matches as Seawolves.
It was good to see Costello and Herc play confident, free and aggressive volleyball. For my staff, we are happy they left the America East with the accomplishment of playing with that mentality. We have one more match Tuesday and another opportunity to keep growing as a group,” she said.
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The Seawolves final game of the season will be against Yale this Tuesday. It will be the last game for th teams two seniors, Haillee Herc and Kaitlin Costello. New Hampshire ended winning the title.
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Sports
The Statesman
Monday, November 25, 2013
15
Woodruff named interim athletics director after release of Fiore Continued from page 16 NCAA Certification Steering Committee, the Scholarship Coordinating Council, the Student Life Advisory Committee, the Undergraduate Recognition Committee and the President’s Five Year Plan Task Force on Multicampus Development. Woodruff was also selected by her peers in the America East Conference. As the Chair of the SWA Committee (2008-10), where she was a member of the America East Director’s Council. She was also invited to attend the Sports Management Institute in June 2010 and finished the program the following January. Just recently, she was named to the NCAA Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Cabinet and will serve until July 2016. Woodruff also was a recipient of the 2011 National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators Administrator of the Year award. Since 201011, she has overseen the facility upgrades on campus, including the University Track, Joe Nathan Field, Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center and the new University Arena. In 2011 and 2012, she was a committee member for the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championships. Woodruff
also was on the America East Conference Championship and Competition Committee and was selected by President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. for the University Provost. Before Stony Brook, Woodruff was an athletic administrator at Villanova University and the University of Pennsylvania. At Villanova, she was the former Director of Administrative Services for Athletics and represented the 24 teams in residence life, dining services and financial aid issues. She also oversaw Villanova’s men’s ice hockey, men’s crew, men’s volleyball, men’s water polo and the athletic department equipment room. While on the compliance office staff, Woodruff was in charge of the NCAA Special Assistance Fund, the Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund and drug testing. Also at Villanova, she led the Athletic Department Internship Program, which had 18 full-time interns. Also while at Villanova, Woodruff was part of the Villanova University Community Committee and led the Villanova Quality Initiative team. Before Villanova, she spent four years as an athletic administrator at the University of Pennsylvania and as the scheduler for all 34 intercollegiate sports, creating and monitoring each sport's contracts. Woodruff started out as
NINA LIN / THE STATESMAN
Donna Woodruff has taken over as Athletic Director, a spot Fiore held since 2003. an assistant field hockey and lacrosse coach at Penn in August 1991. She was a coach for five years before adding athletic administrator to her title. From 1993 to 1996 she was a Regional Administrative Director for the U.S. Field Hockey Association, where she oversaw the USFHA Olympic Development Field Hockey Program in Pennsylvania. There she managed and organized 650 athletes, 80 coaches, 15 athletic trainers and 15 site directors in the largest of 11 regions throughout the
nation. She also serves on the University of Pennsylvania Field Hockey Alumnae Board. Woodruff is also a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and was an All-American field hockey player. She helped lead the school to the Final Four of the 1988 NCAA Championship and is the only player in school history to be named to the NCAA AllTournament team. Field hockey was not her only sport, as she was an All-Ivy and
Regional All-America pick in lacrosse. She received her Master of Science degree in education in 2000 at the University of Pennsylvania. Woodruff was clearly the right choice to fill in for Fiore after the firing, but how long will she remain in that position? The university did mention in their press release that there is a national search for the new Athletic Director, but that could take a while.
stepped up”. Stony Brook and Albany then traded field goals in the second half to finish the scoring at 24-3, and the Seawolves finished 5-6 on the
year, including winning their last two. “I’m proud of our senior group that’s going out,” Priore said. “We will miss them tremendously."
Fiore out as SBU AD Seawolves dominate Albany, 24-3 Continued from page 16
award. Since Fiore took over, even some of the smaller sports have gained national recognition. In March 2012, Lucy Van Dalen became the school’s first NCAA individual champion and she also competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the women’s 1500-meter event. The softball team, women’s soccer team, men and women’s cross country team and men and women’s tennis team have a combined 13 conference tournament championships during the Fiore era. With the success of the teams came the changes in their facilities. Fiore changed the sports facilities on campus, including the Stony Brook University Arena, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2014. Fiore is also responsible for the new Joe Nathan Field, the University Track, the Goldstein Family Student-Athlete Development Center, Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center and renovating Pritchard Gymnasium in 2008. The University Track, which is home to the men and women’s outdoor track and field programs went through a $3 million renovation project in 2011. It is a state-of-the-art track with an eight-lane oval and an infield made of the same turf as LaValle Stadium. Joe Nathan Field was completed in May 2011 and is
also made of the same turf. It seats 1,000 fans and has a 25foot scoreboard, located behind the right field wall. The new field came with a very generous donation of $500,000 from Nathan, a six-time All-Star. Another project that was completed by Fiore during his time at Stony Brook was the Dubin Family Athletic Performance Center. Glenn Dubin, a co-founder, chairman and CEO of Highbridge Capital Management is a 1978 graduate of Stony Brook. Dubin and his wife donated $4.3 million to build the strength and condition center for student athletes. One of Fiore’s biggest projects has been the Stony Brook University Arena, which will be home to both the men and women’s basketball teams. It cost $21.1 million and was started in June 2012. The new arena is 40,000 square feet and will have brand new LED video displays from Daktronics. With the rise of both teams recently, a newer arena was much needed. Once a low-level Division I team, Stony Brook now finds itself at the top of teams in the Northeast with the help of Fiore. While no one is too sure of what happened to get the most successful Athletic Director ever at Stony Brook fired, all would agree that he put Stony Brook on the map.
Continued from page 16
“One of our tight ends played 30 snaps at defensive end. Our fullback played 12-15 snaps at nose guard” Priore said after the game. “That’s how our defensive staff worked”. The Seawolves, due to injury, have only played 13 players the last two weeks. Stony Brook then added to their lead when freshman Tyler Fredericks capped a 10 play, 91 yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-0 with 3:14 to go in the first quarter. And again, the Seawolves defense was able to hold the Great Danes offense scoreless. Albany, however, pinned Stony Brook deep at their own 9 after their drive stalled just like they had in the last possession. But this time, it did not take 10 plays to move the ball down the field. It took one. Lyle Negron threw a screen pass out to the right that found Malcolm Eugene, who then broke numerous tackles, and hurdled ones from behind, and ran it 91 yards down the sideline to blow it open for the Seawolves putting them up 21-0. “I’ve been in those situations a lot this year” the senior receiver said. “My teammates just kept telling me to keep running”. He did that all day, collecting seven passes for 150 yards and that touchdown. “With all of our receivers, you just have to get them the ball and they’ll make plays” quarterback Lyle Negron said. “We’ve had a bunch of injuries and the next guy
NINA LIN / THE STATESMAN
Negron finished the season with 13 touchdown's in 11 games played. He also threw for 2367 yards and nine interceptions.
Sports is Donna Woodruff? Jim Fiore: the man behind WhoMeet SBU's interim AD a new Stony Brook era By Mike Daniello Sports Editor
By Mike Daniello Sports Editor
The main man behind the biggest controversy at Stony Brook in a few years is former Athletic Director Jim Fiore. He was bought out Tuesday night by the school for $800,000, covering the remaining 31 months on his contract. There are many speculations as to the rationale behind his firing, but none have been confirmed yet. But who was Jim Fiore? Fiore was the Athletic Director at Stony Brook since July of 2003 and was responsible for the growth of Stony Brook Athletics. When hired, he became the ninth AD in school history. Only 34 at the time, Fiore was regarded as one of the top young minds in the business. Before working at Stony Brook, Fiore served as the senior associate director of athletics at Princeton and the assistant director of athletics at Dartmouth. Fiore is a Long Island native, graduating from Long Beach
High School and then Hofstra University in 1991, where he received Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts. He received his master’s of education degree in athletic administration from Springfield College in 1994. Since Fiore took the helm, Stony Brook has seen a good amount of regular season and conference tournament championships. The baseball team has two regular season championships and four conference tournaments, none bigger than 2012 when the team “Shocked the World” and made it all the way to the College World Series. That was the recognition Fiore had been hoping for, as the team became a national story. After that season, seven Seawolves were taken in the Major League Baseball Draft, including Travis Jankowski, who was taken by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2012 draft as the 44th pick. The men’s basketball team has seen three regular season championships and has been close to the NCAA Tournament
NINA LIN/ THE STATESMAN
Jim Fiore, the former SBU athletics director, left the position last week without an explanation from Stony Brook University
Seawolves Scoreboard Men’s Basketball: (11/22) loss to Toledo 103-99, (11/23) win against Florida Atlantic 67-61, (11/24) XXXXX Detroit Football: (11/23) win against Albany 24-3 Women’s Basketball: (11/31) win against Fairleigh Dickinson 68-58 Volleyball: (11/22) semifinal loss to New Hampshire, 3-0
every year for the last few seasons. They even have several former student athletes playing overseas right now. Bryan Dougher, the all-time leading Division I scorer is playing in Australia as a starter with the Ringwood Hawks. Tommy Brenton is the program leader in rebounds and steals and finds himself starting on the Link Tochigi Brex in Japan. Football has five regular season championships in the Fiore era and also has also seen the team move to a more competitive conference twice. When Fiore took over, they were part of the Northeast Conference and they finally joined the Big South Conference in 2008. During the 2007 season, the team was considered a Division I independent school. The Seawolves had at least a share of the Big South regular season championship from 2009-2012, which prompted the move to the Colonial Athletic Association. Men’s lacrosse has also seen success during Fiore’s tenure, with four regular season championships and three conference tournament championships. They have also had numerous players drafted professionally into Major League Lacrosse. The 2011 class saw four players drafted, including Kevin Crowley who was the number one overall pick for the Hamilton Nationals. Fiore also brought in Joe Spallina to coach the women’s lacrosse team in 2012. Spallina was a mastermind at Adelphi University, where he went 73-2 in his four seasons. Spallina also had an NCAA-record three consecutive Division II national championships. Since coming to Stony Brook, Spallina is a combined 31-8 with a 2012 America East Coach of the Year
Continued on page 15
With the sudden chaos developing in Stony Brook Athletics, the department has turned to Donna Woodruff to serve as the Interim Director of Athletics following Jim Fiore’s firing. If you have ever been to a sporting event on campus, you know who Fiore is: the fiery, intense guy you picture representing the department. But who is Donna Woodruff, and what will she bring to Stony Brook Athletics? Before the firing, Woodruff served as the Executive Associate Director of Athletics, a spot she has held since July 2010, and as the Chief of Staff for the athletic department. Woodruff oversees
Student-Athlete Development, Compliance and Facility and Events Operations at Stony Brook. She also supervises men and women’s basketball, men’s soccer and women’s lacrosse. Woodruff has been with Stony Brook since 2004, when she was hired as the Associate Director of Athletics for Administration & Student-Athlete Development/ Senior Woman Administrator. She was later promoted to Senior Associate Director of Athletics/ SWA in July 2005. The Interim AD has also been named to multiple committees during her tenure at Stony Brook. She is involved at Stony Brook, as she is on the Continued on page 15
NINA LIN/ THE STATESMAN
Donna Woodruff was named interim Athletic Director after the abrupt removal of Jim Fiore last week.
Football romps Albany on Senior Day By Cameron Boon Staff Writer
In 1970, coach Bob Ford of Albany started up a small football program in New York’s capital city and in 1978, he gave a boy named Chuck Priore a chance to play football. 43 years later, coach Ford and now-coach Priore made one last visit to the football field together, and the mentored beat his mentor on Saturday, as Priore’s Stony Brook Seawolves defeated coach Ford’s Albany Great Danes at LaValle Stadium 24-3. Five years later, in 1983, coach Priore didn’t necessarily like what he was doing in the business world. “I called him up and asked if I could help out and he had a grad assistant position open, and
I guess the rest is history” coach said after defeating his mentor, who announced his retirement at Albany’s media day before the season began. “Coach Ford has meant a lot to a lot of people” Priore said. “It’s a little bittersweet for me on a personal level. But I know deep down inside he’s rooting for all the people who he worked with to be successful”. The coaches meant before the game and the Seawolves’ coach presented his mentor with a box of cigars and the cigar-cutting paraphernalia, but he wasn’t able to smoke the victory one tonight as the Seawolves ran away early with this one. The offense got it going early, getting the opening kickoff and
marching the ball 78 yards, before Lyle Negron scored on the quarterback sneak to put the Seawolves up 7-0. The drive included two Albany offsides penalties, and a crucial fourth and 6 conversion, when Lyle Negron went to his go-to target on the year Malcolm Eugene for 18 yards setting up the Seawolves first and goal. Stony Brook’s defense then took the field and this was a feared sight during this game, as the Great Danes were only able to muster up 239 yards of total offense on the game, to Stony Brook’s 456, including a dominating 194 on the ground. Continued on page 1