The Statesman Volume 57 Issue 5

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The Statesman informing stony brook university for more than 50 years Monday, September 30, 2013

Volume LVII, Issue 5

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Tragic death of former professor shocks Stony Brook community

By Ryan Wolf

Contributing Writer

PHOTO CREDIT: FACEBOOK

Former Stony Brook University professor Dr. Kofi Awoonor taught African literature and creative writing from 1968 to 1975 in the English Department.

SBU convocation introduces improvements for Stony Brook By Ryan Wolf

Contributing Writer

Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley kicked off the 2013 Stony Brook Convocation with its main event, the State of the University Address-Stanley’s fifth. After looking back at last year’s accomplishments and the university’s future plans, Stanley stated that “the State of the University in 2013...is strong.” President Stanley made sure to highlight Stony Brook’s many key accomplishments, including gaining membership into the 62-member Association of American Universities, the establishment of the Turkana Basin Institute in Kenya and the success of Stony Brook athletics. The address also focused on Stony Brook’s place in the world and how the University is expanding its role. Focusing on the different Stony Brook-affiliated campuses around the world, President Stanley pointed at the recently established SUNY Korea as an example of Stony Brook’s expansion, stating “Stony Brook is the founding

institute of Songdo [South Korea] global campus, becoming the only American university accredited in Korea." But to the surprise of some, instead of focusing on the accomplishments of last year, President Stanley placed the most emphasis on the plans for improving Stony Brook University over the next decade. As Stony Brook senior English major Andrew Meerwarth said, “obviously a speech like this is just kind of just touching on the best points of our university, but he not only talked about the good things we have done, but how we will do more things in the future.” At the start of the address, President Stanley acknowledged the approximately 100 new faculty members coming to Stony Brook University this year. After a long applause for the new staff, he said, “I want you to accept this applause as a sign of our commitment to all of your academic endeavors.” In the coming years, Stony Brook students can look forward to several new plans and additional funding for key programs at the university.

President Stanley, as Meerwarth put it, “brought it back home with all these new grand designs that we have and the important scientific research we are doing." Stony Brook students can also expect a new core curriculum created by university faculty members. “Our faculty have created a new core curriculum designed to help our graduates for the world beyond the University,” President Stanley said. This new plan, simply called The Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC), is expected to be in place by the fall of next year, according to a memo by the Stony Brook Curriculum Implementation Group. The curriculum is meant to replace the D.E.C. program currently in place. President Stanley will also be providing an additional $1 million fund for students that are members of the University’s “Education Opportunity Program” (EOP). As President Stanley noted, “I believe that it is critical that we show support for EOP on this campus.” One of the more surprising plans for the university, which is highly recognized as a research-based

Stony Brook alumnus and former creative writing and African literature professor Dr. Kofi Awoonor, 78, was killed during the Westgate Mall shooting in Nairobi, Kenya by members of the Somali terrorist group Al Shabaab, which left at least 70 people dead. According to Director of Alumni Relations Matthew Colson, Dr. Awoonor graduated from Stony Brook University in 1972 with a Ph.D. in English. From 1968 to 1975, he was a professor in the Department of English. After leaving Stony Brook in 1975 to return to his home in Ghana, Dr. Awoonor was arrested by the Ghanese government and charged with aiding a believed dissident. Stony Brook students and Long Island’s Amnesty International Organization joined together to protest for his release in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Students also submitted articles to the New York Times and Stony Brook’s magazine “The Fortnight.” These efforts brought SBU to national prominence for one of the first times. “The Brook,” Stony Brook’s alumni newsletter, published an article in 2005 that looks back at those protests: “Concerned students and faculty tried to obtain whereabouts from the Ghanian Embassy...they organized a letter-writing campaign, protest and telephone-calling marathon on behalf of Awoonor.” Awoonor was eventually freed from the Ghanese prison and was able to continue his literary works as well as begin a political career. His political career led him to become the Ghanese ambassador to Brazil and Cuba. He was later appointed to the office of United Nations ambassador for Ghana. There, he had a reputation as a peace advocate, which reached its height when he was appointed as the head of the committee to end the

apartheid in South Africa. After becoming a statesman in Ghana, Awoonor rose in prominence as a writer and literary legend for Ghana. One of the few professors who knew Awoonor well during his time at Stony Brook is Professor Narayan Hegde, currently a professor at SUNY Old Westbury. Professor Hegde stated that “having studied English literature under what used to be still the British influenced education system, we were drawn towards each other.” Hegde said he remembered that during an exam “when one of my examiners, an American professor, found my characterization of Rudyard Kipling as an apologist for imperialism somewhat rash, Awonoor came to my defense.” Hegde also recalled Awoonor’s influence in Africa at the time. “Although I lost touch with him after his return to Ghana in 1975, I was aware of his rising prominence as an African writer and a diplomat,” Hegde said. Stony Brook alumni expressed the impact Awoonor had on their lives, especially on the Alumni Association Facebook page. “I have followed his life course intermittently over the ensuing decades with pride and admiration,” alumnus Mark Mehler said. “I have had many inspiring teachers in all disciplines since that time long, long ago (when we were both young, I was 16 and he was 34) but none will compare to Professor Awoonor," he said. Several Stony Brook faculty members who knew Dr. Awoonor recalled their memories of him. “I did not know him well, but he was well respected,” European studies professor Aaron Godfrey said. He added that Awoonor “was disappointed that at that time we had so few African American students. As I recall, he was the only faculty member of African ethnicity.”

WILL WELCH / THE STATESMAN

Highlights of the State of the University Address. institute, is a plan to provide an additional $1 million fund to the school’s humanities, social sciences and arts departments for the proposed purpose of small grants. “I want to emphasize that it is

absolutely imperative that we also support cutting edge work in the humanities and social sciences,” Continued on page 5


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Wang Center garden pond in need of repairs By Kelly Zegers Staff Writer

The pond in the Wang Center garden has not been filled or functioning for some time. Visitors to the garden can clearly see that the black lining at the bottom of the pond is exposed with only a bit of murky-looking water in one section of the basin. Patrick Kelly, Director of Operations at the Staller Center, said via email that “it seems there is problem with the liner, possibly a crack and an issue

NEWS

Mastromarino explained that due to state rules, the plans can be shared only when finalized. The Procurement Office website states that during the restricted period, “All ‘contact’ relating to potential awards in excess of $15,000.00…between vendors or their representatives and the awarding State entity is now regulated…In the case of Stony Brook University, the only designates contact person/s are Procurement Office Staff." As the website explains, "The restricted period starts when the end-user department submits

JESUS PICHARDO / THE STATESMAN

SB Connect allows SINC site consultants, like Jane Kim above, to troubleshoot computer problems and stay in contact with other consultants across campus.

SB Connect helps TLT connect

By Caithlin Pena Staff Writer

BO REUM LEE / THE STATESMAN

The lack of water in the pond mars the Wang Center scenery. The pond in the garden has been empty for some time, with only a small amount of murky water visible at the bottom. with drainage,” in regard to the reason why the pond is not filled. Procurement is currently working on getting bids to make repairs to the pond. According to John Mastromarino, a Contracts Officer at the Procurement Office, explained that while they are getting pricing for the project, there is a restricted period in which information is not available to the public.

to the Procurement Office and ends when an award (Purchase Order/Contract) is officiall forwarded to the vendor." The area, according to Elizabeth Kerins, Client Services Coordinator at the Wang Center, is open whenever the building is. She explained that when there is an event there, "more often a client will have an event in the main lobby, figuring some people will venture into the garden."

SINC sites are one of the most helpful aspects of Stony Brook. Students have a quota of free printing each week and they have access to the web for whatever they wish in between classes. But sometimes, printing or accessing the web may not be smooth sailing The printers may jam or not have enough paper. The internet may drop or certain programs will not open. This is where the “Teaching, Learning, and Technology (TLT)” team comes in. According to Stony Brook’s TLT website, they “are responsible for helping students, faculty and staff members utilize the technology available at Stony Brook University & in SINC Sites.” But what happens if a consultant does not have the answer to a problem? The answer is to ask another consultant. Usually, the other consultant is at a different SINC site.

So instead of running to that building or picking up the phone, they simply use SB Connect. SB Connect, according to the TLT site, “is a powerful system used for online collaboration and Web conferencing.” It is the Stony Brook brand name of Adobe Connect, an Adobe program used for web conferencing. It has been used by TLT Consultants to communicate through webcam since 2008. Basically, a consultant will log in to SB Connect where they are connected to the webcams of other consultants in the other 17 SINC sites. While connected, they can share files and documents, have polls and private chat with another consultant. In cases where a new consultant is faced with a problem not easily resolved, he can simply let his fellow consultants know with a few taps on the keyboard what was wrong and how they can resolve it. Consultants can also share their

screen with other consultants if they are receiving an error with a program. No running. No phone calls. Just typing and clicking. Senior biology major Parth Pancholi, the senior consultant of TLT, finds the program beneficial to his job as it allows him to make sure the consultants are working. “I can see if a consultant needs help or looks overwhelmed,” he said. “It’s a little bit like Skype,” Jennifer Adams, the Educational Technologist for TLT and faculty liaison for SB Connect, said. “The only difference is, since we have our servers here on campus, you can have a hundred and four people at a meeting. We recommend no more than 6-8 doing video at the same time.” In addition to conferences, SB Connect can also be used for classes, group, study and peer tutoring, Adams said. Every course on Blackboard has a chat room associated with it. It is up to the instructor if they want to make use of the program.

Use of electric car charging stations increases at Stony Brook University

By Jasmine Blennau and Christopher Woods Contributing Writers

Five electric vehicle charging stations have been operating in relative obscurity at Stony Brook University over the past three years, and according to the Director of Sustainability & Transportation Operations, James O’Connor, the university is looking to expand. “We launched with four of them over at the Advanced Energy Center near the Research & Development Park about three years ago,” O’Connor said. “Depending on feedback from faculty staff, students and visitors, we're going to look to potentially add more on campus.” The stations currently are not easily available to students, but staff who are willing to travel to the south side of campus near R&D Park are able to charge up. “They're a little bit off the radar for students,” said O’Connor, adding

that the Office of Sustainability has “recently started to expand the stations and bring them towards campus.” “To date, the university has received a few inquiries for such stations in and near the Administration Parking Garage,” he said. Stony Brook’s interest in expanding the number of stations follows a similar push by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who announced in an April press release that “more than 360 electric vehicle (EV) and plugin hybrid charging stations will be installed across the state in support of his Charge NY initiative.” The funding from the initiative benefitted Stony Brook’s own Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition, a non-profit organization from the school’s Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center. The center received $200,000 to install 10 stations across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

“Building this network of innovative charging stations will encourage New Yorkers to use fuelefficient alternatives like electric vehicles as well as grow the green industry and jobs in the state,” Governor Cuomo noted during the press release. According to electric-car support site www.CarStations.com, the R&D Park stations include the most recent and efficient charger, the SAE J17722009 model, as well as the older and currently more popular NEMA AC model. While all electric and hybrid cars run on electricity, they vary in battery efficiency, overall quality and the capacity to switch to other fuel types. Some examples of electric or hybrid cars that can charge at the R&D Park stations are the Toyota Prius, Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt. “You can write yourself up from a Tesla that's very high-end, all the way down to a Prius or something to that

JESUS PICHARDO/ THE STATESMAN

The university has new charging stations near the R&D park. effect,” O’Connor said. “Each car behaves a little bit differently in terms of the portion that uses its battery technology, which is typically zero emissions."

O’Connor recognized that campus-wide or region-wide change is going to take time, but he remains dedicated to working toward the zero emission goal.


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Monday, September 30, 2013

Campus briefing: Hockey team receives 10k from USG By Will Welch

Assistant News Editor

The Ice Hockey team was granted $10,640 at the Sept. 26 Undergraduate Student Government Senate meeting to purchase new jerseys, using more than one seventh of the USG grant fund in addition to their budget of $95,105.65, the largest of any USG-funded club. The president of Ice Hockey and former USG senator Wesley Hawkins presented the request, explaining that the club’s budget from USG only pays for $74,000 in operating costs and $25,000 to rent a bus for travel. The operating cost includes the $500 hourly expense of using an off-campus ice rink for three hours every week, as well as money for referees at home games and athletic trainers. The 35 members of the club pay a membership fee of $1,500 each to supplement their budget, which totals approximately $152,000. They also seek

corporate sponsorships. “Hockey is an expensive sport,” Hawkins said. WUSB radio has the second largest budget from USG at $62,779.59. The 70 jerseys the team will purchase—35 for home and 35 for away games—cost $127 dollars each. They will also purchase 70 pairs of socks at $25 each for home and away games. The funds were requested as an asset grant, which are available from USG for longterm purchases for clubs that have USG budgets. $70,000 was allocated in this year’s budget for grants, $31,342.54 of which has now been allocated with the inclusion of the Hockey team. Last year’s grant fund was exhausted before the end of the fall semester due to overallocation. However, now that more than 30 percent of the grant fund has been expended, future asset grants this academic year will be capped at $5,000— one of several amendments made

to the USG financial bylaws at the beginning of the semester to stem the flow of grant funds. Normally the budget committee approves grant requests, but because the hockey team’s request exceeded $10,000, the USG financial bylaws required the approval of the senate. The grant passed unanimously. In addition, the Tae Kwon Do and SBU Ringer clubs were approved for provisional budgets from the Special Services Committee. The senate also passed bylaws for the USG Media Agency, which was created by amendments made to the USG constitution last semester. The agency will be responsible for hiring photographers and videographers who clubs can contract for events. USG Vice President of Communications Mario Ferone drafted the bylaws, and will be ultimately responsible for hiring staff for the agency. He said he has selected six photographers

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ADRIAN SCZKOLAR / THE STATESMAN

The Ice Hockey club team at Stony Brook University was allotted the largest budget from the USG. who will require the approval of the USG Administrative Director. Clubs will be able to look at the portfolios and resumes of agency staff and select who they would like to cover their event. The deadline to apply for a photographer will be two weeks before the event, following other

USG application deadlines, The club will be responsible for the full cost of event coverage, plus two hours after the event for photo and video editing. USG will also hire photographers and videographers from the agency to cover USG events. Wages for agency staff will be set at a future meeting.

Under the microscope: Innovative heart disease treatment on the rise at SBU By Mallory Locklear Contributing 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. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing one in four Americans every year, and researchers at the Stony Brook Heart Institute are now working at the forefront of the treatment of this disease. Headed by Dr. Luis Gruberg,

a professor in the Department of Medicine and co-director of the SBU Heart Institute, a clinical trial is currently being conducted to study the dynamics of a potential new type of cardiovascular stent. When blood vessels in the heart become clogged, greatly increasing the risk of heart attack and death, there are two main types of treatment available. Angioplasty is the practice of inflating a small balloon within the clogged vessel, expanding it and increasing blood flow. However, in many cases, these blood vessels contract again, necessitating further treatment.

PHOTO CREDIT: SBU MEDICINE

A clinical trial is underway at Stony Brook University Heart Institute to develop a new cardiovascular stent.

Theft On Tuesday, Sept. 10, two male roommates reported to police that money had been stolen from their dorm room at Wagner College. One student reported that $1,000 was stolen from his backpack. The other student reported $500 missing. This investigation is ongoing. On Wednesday, Sept. 11, an iPad and $2,000 were reported stolen by a female resident student at Wagner College. This investigation is ongoing. On Sunday, Sept. 15, a pocketbook was reported stolen by a female resident student. The case

When the clog is severe or when angioplasty has failed, the second treatment option is a cardiovascular stent. A stent is a small, metal mesh tube that is put in place to more permanently expand a narrowed vessel. This treatment comes with its own set of complications, however. Over time, cells in the blood vessel can grow over the stent, and in some cases, the blood vessel can become clogged all over again. This issue led to the development of another form of stent currently being used by physicians. Drug-eluting stents are coated in chemicals that prevent the growth of new cells. These have solved the cell growth problem, drastically reducing the percentage of vessels that become reclogged after stent placement. However, because no cells are growing around the stent, the bare metal leads to a greater incidence of blood clots forming. Taking blood thinners, like aspirin, can help reduce the risk of blood clots, but if they do form, like clogged vessels, they can lead to heart attacks and death. The next step in cardiovascular stent technology may be dissolvable stents. Dissolvable stents are put into place, like their non-dissolvable counterparts, and remain in place for

Police Blotter

was closed by investigation.

Marijuana On Tuesday, Sept. 17, police responded to two reports of marijuana, both of which were unfounded. On Saturday, Sept. 21, a student was referred to the University for marijuana use at Irving College. Alcohol On Thursday, Sept. 19, three male resident students were referred to the University for an alcohol violation. On Friday, Sept. 20, there was an arrest on Nicolls Road for DWI.

Campus On Monday, Sept. 16, an exit sign was damaged at Eisenhower College. On Saturday, Sept. 21, a male resident student reported to police that he was being called by Homeland Security asking him for money. This investigation is ongoing. On Sunday, Sept. 26, a female student reported to police she was receiving phone calls demanding money. The investigation is ongoing. Compiled by Ashleigh Sherow

approximately two years. However, over time, these stents dissolve, theoretically addressing both the cell growth and blood clot problems. Created by Abbott, a pharmaceutical and health care product company, this new phase in the treatment of heart disease is currently undergoing phase three clinical trials. These trials will be performed on 2500 patients across the United States and Dr. Gruberg expects to test the device on 30-40 patients here at Stony Brook. Phase three is the final stage of clinical trials before the Food and Drug Administration decides whether the device is fit for public use. Not all medical devices require FDA approval before they are marketed. Stents, however, are classified as a class three device, the class representing the highest potential risk, which do require FDA approval. The success rates for FDA approval of new drugs going through clinical trials are notoriously low with only about 9 percent of drugs in phase one trials making it all the way through phase three and FDA approval. Out of the drugs reaching phase three trials, only 55 percent go on to receive approval.

Medical devices, like cardiovascular stents, have better odds, with slightly less than 50 percent of devices in phase one eventually achieving approval while 20 percent of those reaching phase three fail to gain FDA approval. The fact that dissolvable stents have made it to phase three trials is a promising development for these devices, though their approval for public use is certainly not guaranteed. Dr. Gruberg and his colleagues across the country will evaluate the safety and efficacy of dissolvable stents as well as the health of the vessels they are meant to repair. It is important to note that angioplasty and stents alike treat symptoms of larger problems. Dissolvable stents will not cure heart disease. Lifestyle changes must follow stent placement or the vessels supported by the stent will likely become reclogged after it dissolves. Both traditional and dissolvable stents help buy time for a patient to make the necessary changes that will lead to more sustainable health improvements. If successful, dissolvable stents will greatly reduce the major health risks that come with current stent treatments.

University address reveals big plans Continued from page 1 President Stanley said. One of the members of the audience who was surprised by this but deeply appreciative of the plan was Meerwarth. “I didn’t expect him to talk about the humanities as much as he did. Often times, I think there is lip service given to the humanities," Meerwarth said. “But he’s not only supporting the humanities verbally but also financially." The main improvements Stony Brook will see in the next decade will come from new buildings and renovations. For the first

time, President Stanley revealed a ten-year plan to provide “critical renovations, new classroom spaces, new dormitories and dining facilities, a re-purposing of the South Campus to residential areas, with new homes for the School of Dental Medicine and a massive renovation of the Student Union." Plans were also revealed for the renovation of the Melville Memorial Library and for the start of construction of the Medical and Research Translation complex, or MART. President Stanley jokingly noted that Stony Brook has come a long way since its “Mudville” times, as seen in Stony Brook’s many accomplishments.


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Homecoming Kickoff and Pep Rally

Seawolves Showcase

SAC Plaza, 12:30 pm to 2:20 pm Music • Carnival Booths • Apple Market Homecoming Court • Fire Safety Fair

Staller Terraces, 7:30 pm Students show their SB Swagger with live musical and dance performances by popular student groups and organizations.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 Homecoming King & Queen Contest and Creative Explosion SAC Auditorium, 8 pm Support your favorite candidates or just come out for the great student entertainment. Your vote helps decide the winners. Can’t make it there in person? Check out the live stream! Visit the Wolfstock website for the link.

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Long Island’s Biggest Backyard BBQ Wolfstock Village, 3 pm to 5:30 pm Featuring a BBQ Buffet, Kids Zone and music. Tickets: $15 for SB students. Use your meal plan or credit card. Purchase your BBQ ticket online by October 3 for your chance to win an iPad! See website for details.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SBU4Casey uses humor to heal Rec Center employee

By Jon Winkler Staff Writer

Sometimes it takes the “Patch Adams” affect to help others, and that was present this past Friday at the SBU4Casey Comedy Show. Organized by the campus recreation staff, the event was meant to raise money for Casey Ellis, the Assistant Director of Intramurals and Sport Club Programming who suffered a diving accident this past June and broke parts of his vertebrae. The proceeds for this event all went to Casey and his progressing recovery, so it is no surprise that good vibes were flowing around the SAC auditorium. The set-up process was pretty easy, according to Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Dean Bowen. Bowen and his fellow staffers had a “pre-event meeting” at around 6 p.m., and then went on to set-up the auditorium 30 minutes later. He talked about the high-spirited nature of the comics in the green room: “They were cracking jokes the second they walked in the door.” Bowen is very pleased with the turnout of the event and says it shows how much “people care about Casey and want to help him the way he would help others.” He knew Casey as a funny, helpful and heartwarming person, so this good cause hopefully returns the favor. In an interview, fellow Associate Director Marie Turchiano talked about the set-up process to the event. She gives most credit to Howard Gunston, the Director of Facilities, Operations and Reservations. Turchiano said Gunston had attended previous fundraisers and seen the likes of Stevie GB, Steve Balboni, Les Degen and others doing comedy for healing. They are to be joined by Gary Keshner, Stan Keshner and Matt Pepitone, also local

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fundraiser frequents. Turchiano spoke fondly of Casey and his kindness towards others. Turchiano brought up his “contagious smile” and how he was “accommodating to all of the students” since he joined the staff last February. Casey was described as a “great guy all around. Low-key…put the students first, listened to ideas, led by example…everything about a leader that you want.” Casey was the one cheering everyone up around SBU, no matter what kind of day he was having. The nature of Casey should deserve a medal, let alone a fundraiser helping him out in a time of need. It certainly has made positive progress in the time it is taken to gather funds. Four months since Casey's accident, $3,500 has been raised from the ticket sales of this show alone. Add to that the $445 raised from the door-to-door donations coordinated by three young local neighborhood kids and a $500

donation from Strathmore Bagels and that is an astounding $4,445 for Casey’s recovery. Although Casey could not be present to the show, his family was in great spirits during their attendance. His sister Bridget mentioned Casey’s Go Fund Me page, where people can donate even more to help him push through. Bridget brought the good news that Casey has feeling in his entire body and can move his left arm again. The good news put the crowd into grand applause, signifying the start to a good night. The charity of this university goes even farther for a girl like Debbie Whittemore. An athletic trainer, intramural employee and student, Debby was killed by a drunk driver in 1994. In her honor, a 5K run/ walk will take place on Sunday, April 27 next year and all of the proceeds for the 5K will go to the Debbie Whittemore Memorial Scholarship. That fund is awarded to students who show next year

and all of the proceeds for the 5K will go to the Debbie academic excellence and great contributions to the athletes, students and the community. Host Bill Condy opened up for each comedian with a few one-liners and a charismatic attitude. Matt Pepitone came on with a bright personalit and tales about married life after 50. Stan Keshner was the oldest comedian, but he had more stories of his travels, Les Degen followed that and then Gark Keshner and Stevie GB closed out the show to great applause. It was a night full of great laughs, so it’s clear that Casey was at the show in spirit. Everyone coming out of the show had smiles on their faces while arguing over which comedian was funnier. Clearly, the noble purpose of the event was achieved in great fashion and hopefully, Casey is getting ready to take the next big step forward in his recovery. Although this fundraiser is happening because of a terrible

accident, it was set to be a joyous occasion for Casey and for this university. The fundraiser reminds people how quickly people rally around someone in need and that there is always a solution in laughter. According to Turchiano, Casey is more than grateful for the generosity of others. Turchiano notes that the fact that people care about him so much to try to raise money for him is “what keeps him going” and “keeps his spirits up.”

PHOTO CREDIT: GOFUNDME.COM

SBU4Casey honored Ellin.

JESUS PICHARDO/THE STATESMAN

The Rec Center is the where Casey Ellis, the Assistant Direct or of Intramurals and Sports Club Programming works.

THREE ARTSY EVENTS 1) Homecoming KickOff Carnival

Come start Wolfstock at the SAC Plaza between 12:30-2:20 p.m. on Oct. 2. The carnival is set to include games, street performers, caricaturists and more.The carnival is free for all and includes a variety of snacks.

2) King & Queen Creative Explosion

See this year's homecoming court candidates at the SAC Auditorium at 8 p.m., on Oct. 3, as they strut their stuff to win the votes of you and the judges.

3) Seawolves Showcase

Homecoming weekend starts off at Staller Steps at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 4 with live musical and dance performances by students showing their Seawolf spirit. Auditions are open for all and the showcase is open to all.


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Monday, September 30, 2013

The Statesman

Arts & Entertainment

Campus Spotlight: Honey Kim, a fashionista on the rise By Siobhan Barry Staff Writer

After coming to America, Honey Kim, a senior theatre and sociology major at Stony Brook University, traded her school uniform in South Korea for heels and handbags after starting her own fashion business. Kim and her family came to America to seek a better education and that is when Kim’s love for fashion started to emerge. “When I came here, I got to dress up and it was the best way to express myself,” Kim said. While in South Korea, Kim was forced to wear uniforms at school but she really wished to dress how she wanted. So after coming to America in seventh grade, Kim started dressing for herself. When she was a freshman in high school, Kim started to sell her own clothes. She says that because she could not speak English well when she first came here, clothes were her way to say who she was. As a sophomore at Stony Brook University, Kim launched her fashion website VeryHoney. com which sells clothing, bags and accessories. The website was created on Oct. 13, 2011 and uses social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to attract more customers. “When it comes to clothes, yes there’s trends but it’s about what makes you feel comfortable, what gives you confidence,” Kim said. What separates Honey Kim’s clothing from the rest is the reason why and how she sells the clothing. She said the reason she started VeryHoney was because

“ever since I was younger, I wanted to be a positive influence.” She says she wants to help people and make them have a positive self-image. “I want them to feel beautiful and special,” Kim declared. In

send them a positive message and can make them feel good about themselves. In each package, Kim spends a lot of her time just wrapping and preparing the order. She buys tissue paper, stickers, ribbon and

think caring for the littlest thing makes her business successful.” Kim spends about two hours a day on VeryHoney. She orders her clothes from various stores in America and South Korea and sells them on her website for a

VERYHONEY.COM

Honey Kim combines her love for fashion with education and helping others. each order she sends, Kim puts a personalized message to the recipient because she believes that a simple message such as “Smile you’re beautiful” can make someone’s day. Kim believes reaching out to people and meeting new customers increases her chance to

hand writes each of the notes to her customer. “Not only does she try to pick the best quality clothing, but she cares about her wrapping, and little thank you notes when she sends products to her customers,” Suah Min, junior psychology major and friend of Kim, said. “I

small profit. However, she says she is still in the expanding stage and almost all the money she makes goes back to her shop. “I really like running my shop because all of the components are things I do for fun like web designing, photography and of course shopping,” Kim laughed.

About twice a year on her website, Kim posts links to different organizations to get people to donate. Whether it is sponsoring a child or providing clean water, Kim donates part of her proceeds towards that organization. She encourages everyone to go out and help. Kim is a big advocate for prevention through arts and is a part of Stony Brook University’s “Swallow This.” This program is run by the Center for Prevention and Outreach Health Education Office and the Department of Theatre Arts. According to their website “Students dramatically portray the real-life alcohol and other drug related experiences of SBU students as a way of educating on the consequences of substance misuse, abuse and dependence.” Kim’s life goal is to become an actress, own a fashion office and “ultimately be someone who has a positive influence on other people.” She said people make a big deal about her owning a business but to her, it is just something she loves. “I don’t make tons of money and I’m not that popular,“ she said. “It feels like it’s my hobby and who I am.” Also incorporated into her website are Stony Brook students. She uses them to model or help her take photos. “I’m blessed because I started this business in school so I can get help from other students,” she said. “It’s about experimenting and learning together, I’m so thankful to everyone.”

Press Start To Continue: Grand Theft Auto 5 review By Dylan Palazzo Contributing Writer

Time to call in sick, grab some soda, and order delivery; this week we are playing “Grand Theft Auto 5." Released Sept. 17 for PS3 and Xbox 360, “Grand Theft Auto 5" boasts the largest assortment of activities offered of the Grand Theft Auto series. On the release day alone, “Grand Theft Auto 5" sold 13 million copies, and grossed $800 million. With a budget of $250 million, publisher Take-Two provides a good storyline, huge game depth and the awesome sandbox we have grown to love. The story opens with a small heist, followed by firefight, which encompasses the brief controls tutorial. After a dramatic string of events, “Grand Theft Auto 5" appears on the screen, and focus is brought to our first protagonist, Michael De Santa. Throughout the game, two other main characters, Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips, join the story. At any point in the game, the player may choose to switch control to either of the other characters, and doing so is necessary to advance the story of any one character. What makes this mechanic of the game really unique is the player may do this even during combat: if you are controlling Michael and get pinned, you can switch to Franklin to aid him, and then collectively continue.

The selection of cars never disappoints, and the options have become wider and more modern. Driving feels much cleaner than in the other games, which is great since it is a large portion of the game whether playing the story or for fun. Graphically, everything is sleek and sharp; all the characters’ proportions look right and the faces have great expressions. All the vehicles are spot on, and the sports cars look fantastic. The water looks and plays right, on which it is great fun to escape by wave runner. Some controls are a little tricky to get used to, especially simultaneous things like driving and shooting. Much of the freedom in the game is made exceptionally enjoyable by the absurd things the player can do. We can carjack a Viper and speed our way off a cliff, influence a bus off a pier and just go around punching people. Any Grand Theft Auto player knows constant behavior like that provoke police, but the things we can do with them are just as entertaining. They will follow you as far as they need to, even if that means driving off the pier, in a car, with you. If you are making a mess on the highway in a bus, you will meet many police vehicles trying to stop you, which is great fun since buses put up a better fight than multiple cop cruisers. The only downside to “Grand Theft Auto 5" is that if you play as a perfectionist, such as myself, you will

be putting in a lot of time. There is almost too much that we can do in the game; it is very manual in the sense that you need to do every little thing by hand. Characters will send texts and emails to each other’s cell phones, which you check manually on your in-game phone. When you are done customizing your car, you can get involved with some hobbies, like playing tennis or golf. Train your

protagonist to compete in triathlons, or start taking flying lessons. Finishing every pastime and hobby will only fulfill 10 percent of the 100 percent completion. All in all, “Grand Theft Auto 5" really outdoes its previous installments. The island is massive: just getting out of Blaine County will run the player many hours, though they will be action packed. The protagonists have

great character and excellent storylines. Driving has become significantly smoother than in earlier games. I would recommend this game to any kind of player, whether they are casual or perfectionist, since you can easily pick it up and progress without being glued to it for long periods of time. There are nearly no limits on what we can do with our time in “Grand Theft Auto 5", and it is a genuine blast.

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

"Grand Theft Auto 5" has more activities than any other installment of the franchise.


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Monday, September 30, 2013

The Statesman

Arts & Entertainment

No right answer: Don Jon vs. Rush movie reviews By Brandon Benarba & Jon Winkler

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor and StaffWriter

Every week new movies are released for the public to view. Most weeks there is one big release, but sometimes Hollywood will release multiple big-named movies competing for your attention. Sometimes it can be hard to decide what film is worth your time, so let us do that for you! This week we saw the release of “Rush” and “Don Jon,” both movies with a lot to offer viewers, but one of them has to be better than the other. We each saw both films, we both picked a film to defend, and you can decide on who has defended their movie better. Brandon Benarba: “Rush” Jon Winkler: “Don Jon” JW: Despite the fact that most critics prefer to go and see highclass films with credible acting and outstanding stories, I will admit to enjoying a trashy film once in a while. But when the film you are seeing knows that it is trash and goes along with it, the film actually becomes a bit better. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, writer and director of “Don Jon,” knows what to build a great piece of trash around: porn. There have been major films based around porn before, but Levitt tries to expose the human side of the many men who watch porn online. His subject? A greased up, muscle-bound, priorities-based Jersey boy named Jon. Jon’s life mostly revolves around picking up girls, taking them to bed, then watching porn because he is dissatisfied with human intimacy. He decides to change things when he meets the gorgeous Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), who is not a porn star herself (despite her ridiculous name), but a woman who follows the gospel according to romance movies. She likes Jon’s charm, while Jon likes her for her assets. The one hitch in their relationship is that she detests Jon’s love for porn, while he is bored by romance movies. With an interesting family on his back (Brie Larson, Glenne Headly and a sidesplitting Tony Danza) and the trials of commitment to deal with,

Jon is trying to kick his kinky habit in order to become a new man.

BB: “Rush” marks a return to form for director Ron Howard, who started his career with the car film “Grand Theft Auto,” but unlike that movie, “Rush” is based off the true story of Formula-1 racer Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) and his rivalry with James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth). The film follows their rivalry from the moment they meet, and keeps the focus on the people rather than the cars. While a large portion of the film is focused on the actual races around the world, Howard’s direction makes the characters the real race. Although they are based on real people, and we know the outcome of the events the film portrays, we are never brought out of the experience. We feel for Lauda after his infamous accident, we laugh and cheer as Hunt swaggers across the track like a rock star, and we watch as the film beautifully moves along. This is helped by an exceptional performance by Bruhl, whose overly calculative nature is a brilliant counter to Hemsworth’s womanizing charm. JW: Levitt is a newbie in the directing department (for a full length feature at least), so his mistakes are few and forgivable. Some wide shots could be cut a bit shorter and his lighting is reminiscent of Spielberg, but he makes great use of time lapses. Plus, he points out the awkwardness of certain scenes, like when Levitt’s Jon is lying down in disappointment after sex, then relaxing in ecstasy after rubbing one out to a porn clip. He also cleverly points out the parallel situations of himself and Barbara: both are hopelessly addicted to something the other feels like is total garbage. He knows that people will never fully admit to their addictions until they become desperate, and watching porn and life with Barbara slowly creep Jon’s life is hilarious at points, but you know a train wreck is coming. Johansson’s portrayal of Barbara is something you laugh at because you know that Johansson, who is typecast as the independent, artsy hottie with a kick, is either hating this role for its obliviousness, or loving every single moment. Mr. Danza, playing Jon’s

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

Gordon-Levitt plays the lead in addition to debuting as screenwriter and director in "Don Jon." father, is so stereotypically man-ofthe-house that you cannot help but chuckle at his “what’s a matta with you?” lines throughout his scenes. BB: “Don Jon” might benefit from a fun supporting cast, but that means nothing when the two main characters are just detestable. Viceversa, “Rush” has an almost nonexistent supporting cast, but the main actors are such juggernauts on screen. Their presence is not just felt by the

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

"Rush" highlights one of the most important rivalries in Formula One racing history.

delivery of their lines, but also by the stunning cinematography. Most of Hunt’s scenes are crowded, bright scenes to reflect his “living close to the edge” personality, while Lauda is usually seen alone or with few people in darkened sets. Every aspect of the film is shot to showcase the differences between the characters. Yet, some of the best moments in the film are when Howard breaks these motifs. There is a dark moment involving Hunt and a stewardess that really puts his character in a dark place, which helps highlight the transformations these characters will go through. The film takes place over a six-year period, and the way the world changes is beautiful to look at. The crowning moment though have to be the visceral looking races, which showcase the cars in a more loving light than any of the women in “Don Jon.” JW: If it is any consolation, “Don Jon” is actually two movies in one! Or at least, two halves of two different movies trying to connect. “Don Jon” has a first half that is a funny look into the life of a Jersey grease-ball and his difficult relationship with Internet nookie, but halfway into the film, the tone and plot change drastically. With the introduction of an older classmate of Jon’s, played by Julianne Moore, Jon becomes entangled in the life of a traumatized woman looking for the next step in her life. Moore’s character actually becomes the voice

of reason for Jon and his attempt to kick porn. All of this turns into a strange romantic drama/comedy that kills the mood of the first half and then suddenly just fades out rather disappointingly. The first half was a big departure for Levitt, a mostly successful risk-taker in roles like “Looper,” “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Inception” compared to safe roles like “(500) Days of Summer” and “50/50”. If only he could have stuck it out for a just a bit longer instead of giving “Don Jon” a quick happy ending. BB: Pacing is an issue that both of these movies suffer from. “Rush” almost moves too fast for its own good, especially when it comes to the supporting cast. Olivia Wilde and Alexandra Lara are cast as the wives of the racers, and they supposedly have a huge impact on the arcs of the characters, but you do not get that feeling from the film. Instead, we see Hunt and Lauda move each other forward at the same speed as the vehicles they drive. It is hard to make F1 racing look boring, but there are times when you will want the actual races to finish so you can move on with the character drama. “Rush” is not perfect, but it can hide its flaws behind the stunning main performances. It is not just a good racing film, or a good sports film, but rather a great film in general that is surely Ron Howard’s best film in years.


The Statesman

Arts & Entertainment

Monday, September 30, 2013

2013 Who Will Be King and Queen? Come to the Homecoming King & Queen Contest and Creative Explosion and be part of the excitement. Watch the contestants show off their talents as they try to wow the judges. Support your favorite candidates or just come for the fun. Your vote helps decide the winners.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 • 8 pm • SAC Auditorium

Seawolves Showcase Check out a great night of SB Swagger with live musical and dance performances by popular student groups and organizations.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 • 7:30 pm • Staller Terraces

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT

stonybrook.edu/wolfstock/students Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 13080212

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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. The Statesman is published Mondays during the fall and spring semesters while classes are in session. No part may be reproduced without consent of the editor-in-chief. 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.

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Editorial: Pedestrian safety needs to be taken seriously Walking around campus should not make students question their safety. The past two semesters brought to light a common concern for every Stony Brook student: pedestrian safety. Whether commuting from home or living in the dorms, every student walks around campus to get to class, a club meeting or lunch with friends. When walking to class, students should not have to ask themselves if the car coming towards them will stop when they cross the street. On a typical day, it is common to spot a car treat a stop sign as a yield sign, or a pedestrian who did not even look up from his or her phone before crossing the

“But walking around campus shouldn’t be something that makes students question how safe they are.” street. Cyclists and longboarders breeze through intersections without slowing. Every time this happens, it perpetuates the attitude that the safety at intersections is someone else’s responsibility— that everyone waiting for their turn to cross must immediately stop because a cyclist, driver or longboarder decided he or she is too important to slow down and look both ways. This needs to stop. We need to end accidents that might have been prevented if people took a few more seconds to make sure the intersection was clear. We need to stop putting people in

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Some sections of Circle Road can even be busy at night. the hospital because we are in too much of a rush to actually stop at a stop sign. It is a driver’s responsibility to be aware of their surroundings on the road. By passing a road test, it is assumed a driver can be trusted to follow the rules of the road and drive safely. A violation of those rules can be something as simple as blasting music too loud or checking a text. Drivers should not be putting themselves into a situation where they are not fully attentive to what is happening while on the road. Otherwise they risk hurting other people. The intersections on campus are busy and unsafe. Maybe at one time stop signs and minimal streetlamps were sufficient. But as the student population grows, there are more people crossing intersections more frequently at all times of the day. Until the administration decides that a greater effort is required to make the roadways on campus safe, we are on our own to get where we are headed safely. The university’s Media Relations Office responds with some PR move or another after every accident, but no department does anything to actually alleviate the problem. After the police vehicle drove over a lane of traffic and struck Brianna Bifone as she walked on

the sidewalk last semester, the university handed out free safety vests. Would she have been able to avoid the car if she wore the vest? No. If Stony Brook University wants to prevent accidents, it needs to spend resources on the known trouble areas of campus. One of the most troublesome regions on campus for both drivers and pedestrians is the intersection of West Drive and Circle Road. During rush hour, drivers roll past the stop signs to speed past the pedestrians and other drivers, else they might be stuck there for extended periods of time. Concurrently, pedestrians cross without care, as the cars are forced to wait for all to pass before able to get past the intersection. A different system needs to be implemented to prevent an over-anxious driver from causing an accident. Drivers need to stop at stop signs before continuing to drive. Pedestrians need to look up from their phones to check the street as they walk. No one can assume that everyone is going to stop for them, or that they can even be seen. Everyone needs to take time to be aware of what is going on. We will all be better for it. SincerelyThe Editorial Board


Opinions

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Monday, September 30, 2013

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Stereotypes abound in the Undergraduate College system The Magic Tool Bus: how not to be a terrible person By Sophie Emigh Contributing Writer

The idea of a college campus is in many ways peculiar, particularly in the way it presents its environment. It has clean cut, expansive lawns, built-in walkways lined with flower beds and strategically-adorned plants, every-which-way distribution of deciduous trees and newfangled outdoor sculptures. These are the certain aspects of college life that all make us feel civilized as well as a little uncomfortable. In a way, the typical college campus is a practice neighborhood. If you took away the sign with the name of the university, it would essentially look like a miniature county or district (or in some cases, a convent). It so desperately strives to look and feel like a community, that it does anything but. So desperately trying to blend in that it stands out, or so un-noteworthy as to be in itself noteworthy. To paraphrase, we are only able to see the attempt. This is true for Stony Brook University, yet on a much larger scale. Because of its immense size as a campus, it is not so much trying to look like community or neighborhood as it is attempting to represent a new Europe. People may think this to be too grandiose a generalization, but it certainly seems to come off that way. This is mostly due to our Undergraduate Colleges. As I am sure everyone is aware, incoming freshmen are assigned to one of six Undergraduate Colleges: Arts, Culture, and Humanities; Global Studies; Human Development; Information and Technology Studies; Leadership and Service; Science and Society. “Stony Brook’s

Undergraduate Colleges are small but vital communities, offering individualized support while tailoring the first-year experience for students with similar interests,” Jean C. Peden, Assistant Dean and Director of Undergraduate Colleges states in the Stony Brook Undergraduate College website. The “Your First Year At Stony Brook Handbook” refers to the undergraduate colleges as having their own “personality”, and as uncomfortable as that may read, that statement weirdly enough lends itself to reality. But who in actuality perpetuates this “personality,” within the Undergraduate Colleges? Once a student selects an Undergraduate College based on their compatibility with said college’s philosophy, they are officially branded with these characteristics for the rest of their enrollment. This can be a bit problematic since it principally minimizes an entire group of people to one specific set of traits. This is rather amusing, due to the fact that while Stony Brook University boasts of its tolerance and acceptance as an institution, this practice can be viewed as a form of stereotyping. Interestingly enough, we are not above stereotyping either. The “Which Undergraduate College?” question can be received with judgmental hostility. I belong to ACH, yet I am in no way artistic, cultured or humanitarian, and it raises my ire if anyone seems to suggest otherwise (or perhaps I am taking things too literally). In all seriousness, when I was asked this all-encompassing question (or should I say enCAMPUSing), it was then followed by the assumption that I smoked cannabis (which is just not giving enough credit to all the other

By Hillary Steinberg Contributing Writer

YAN CHEN / THE STATESMAN

The Undergraduate Colleges sponsor events on campus. Undergraduate Colleges). All in all, from what I have been told, ACH students are known as the Bohemian starving artists, GLS affiliates are the brazen philistines, HDV students perhaps become the mentally underdeveloped residents from exposure to Kelly Quad over time, ITS students are … informative? (I am not sure anyone truly has an opinion of Mendelsohn), LDS students are nauseatingly peppy and SSO people are patronizing. Of course this is in no way the case for everyone, but it is certainly interesting that many people could accept these generalizations as fact. I suppose the coup de grace of all this burrowed ugliness boils down to humans’ odd tendency to try and categorize other people. We are, essentially, being ‘placed’ in a domesticated area where Stony Brook faculty can classify students. Are these not the traits of a totalitarian governed society? Not to prefigure Jean C. Peden as some sort of despot-I am sure she is a very nice woman, and not in the least bit megalomaniacal. Unlike all those other assistant deans, who have power-hungry motives

and temptations to assassinate the Head Dean of Colleges in order to ascend the throne of academia (assuming that all college department faculties work in the way of a hierarchy, which would explain the dictatorship resemblance I am trying to connect for Stony Brook). The whole goal of the Undergraduate College system is to provide a sense of communitywhen it, in a way, breeds and perpetuates petty stereotypes… and I love it. It is amusing rather than noxious in our college environment, and we should, as a student body, have something to laugh at within this institution. I personally am very pleased when I am able to find something to carp about, especially when it comes to mocking the accepting haven that the Stony Brook brochures claim the university is. Recognizing the flaws of what governs us is a healthy reality check, especially when we are presented with this faux reality within our college “community.” The truth is, we would never truly want to live in a utopia, as much as we might profess: there would be nothing to take the piss out of.

Campus safety can never be truly guaranteed

By Tejen Shah

Contributing Writer

The Stony Brook University campus is so vast and multidimensional that it is impossible for any force, no matter how powerful and resourceful, to monitor it in its entire at any given time. This realization brings me to the controversial question: are we safe on campus? The University Police employs

“What is keeping something devastating from happening here? Honestly, nothing.” 140 people, half of whom are police officers. Most of these men and women have a four-year college

degree and all have to pass a series of extensive physical, psychological and background exams to earn their positions as members of the department. They are also required to take and pass a course that is designed for Suffolk County police officers. Thus, the officers here at Stony Brook are no less qualified and experienced than those that patrol the streets of the county. These are men who are trained to enforce the law and will put their lives on the line for the protection of their fellow citizens. Despite the aforementioned, I often find myself doubting if I am truly as safe as the university wants me to believe I am. What is keeping something devastating from happening here? Honestly, nothing. When we look at the nature of college, filled with emotionally unstable, stressed and competitive individuals, we realize that it is in fact inductive to acts of hate, jealousy and even simply plain stupidity that can sometimes turn out to be dangerous for all parties involved. For example, in the case of the two recent robberies on campus, although the criminals had no school affiliation, there was

no apparent rhyme or reason for the crime. It was just a few sixteen year olds trying to mess with some easy targets. After the news came out it had me thinking that you or I could have just as easily been the ones who were robbed and the thieves could have easily been armed and deadly. Nothing would have stopped them from killing their victim if they had the desire to do so. What alarms me is that our school waited for a crime to happen before it acted. Only after the robberies took place did the University decide to keep an eye on the area of the campus that turned into crime scene. As you can see, I am not questioning the abilities and dedication of the police department but I am perplexed as to why the school could not be a little bit more proactive about trying to prevent tragedies before they happen, especially where it is most vulnerable. Freshman Joseph Giambalvo, a chemical engineering major, was already a victim of a robbery in which his laptop was stolen and his room was broken into. Giambalvo, who was not in his room at the

time of the burglary, eventually found out that the “crime” was simply a prank. The executor of the prank was reprimanded but there were no real legal repercussions on account that Giambalvo did not want to escalate the matter. Although no one was harmed and no property was actually stolen this makes my stomach turn. The thought that literally anyone could come into my room, given the right equipment (more often than not all it takes is a credit card), and steal from me, or worse, do harm, frightens me. Quite frankly, it should frighten you too. The combination of immature minds with newfound independence and socially distraught people with tendencies for destructive behavior make the college environment extremely difficult to keep controlled and safe. I understand that there is only so much the university can do to stop crimes but I think we are in fact not as safe as we should be. Destructive acts committed on innocent people are becoming too frequent and thus we need to be more ready in this increasingly violent world.

You have seen the buses, and even if you never take the bus, you have raced them at crosswalks. Residents and commuters alike have their favorites; my top two are the motocross one (we have a motocross team? Wasn’t that a Disney channel movie when we were kids?) and the one that looks normal but actually has plush seats inside. A huge percentage of us take the bus. As a student who lives off campus, I frequent the express, but I have ridden a bunch of them. And while many of us take the bus, a slightly lesser percentage act like terrible people the minute they ascend those steps. It is like the majority of our well established social norms do not exist on the bus. It baffles me. Here is the thing: a lot of people who act poorly to their fellow man on the bus are angry at the bussing system. They resent having to take the bus, for whatever reason. Let me tell you a secret. You do not have to take the bus. No one is forcing you. Seriously. If you hate the bus so much, do not get on it and subsequently act like a jerk, disrupting my day. If you are going

“It is like the majority of our well established social norms don’t exist on the bus.” somewhere across campus, you can walk. Yes, even to the hospital. If you have such a vendetta, and your friend lives in Roth Quad and you are at the Union, just walk. It is really not that far. “But my car! I have to take the express!” Literally thousands of commuters navigate South P everyday and it does not seem to bother them. If you do not want your car there, and you do not want to brave the express, pay for stadium parking or park at the pay lots (and how about you actually pay. You are an adult). Park in one of the lots for commuters by the train. Yeah, they are far, but you hate the bus, right? Actually, the buses are not that bad. They are generally on time and clean, and the majority of drivers are good at their job. And honestly, it is nice they do not have us buy passes or pay per ride. Despite some of our tuition going to the transportation system, plenty of schools charge an individual fee on top of that. So here is your first step to not being a schmuck the moment you are faced with the huge ATVs plastered on bus 60-whatever in the SAC loop: If you do not like it, do not take it.


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Monday, September 30, 2013

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The Statesman

Opinions

Letters to the editor: On the Mac Miller concert, pedestrian safety and the new Statesman science column

Hello, I am a student and occasional reader of your campus publication. I am writing in regard to an article recently published in your "Opinions" section entitled, "Mac Miller Concert: a Reflection on our Generation?" Many things about this piece irked me and you should be ashamed to have even published it. Let me preface this by saying I am not writing in defense of Mac Miller, because I am by no means a fan. I am writing more in response to certain comments made about marijuana. Here is an excerpt of said piece, "What really got me going was...the peer pressure that almost everyone faced prior to attending the concert, whether or not they wanted to, the prevalence of marijuana was most disturbing. The smell of weed permeated the air, and whether you were smoking or not, you were by default put into a state of inebriation. How can something so internationally regarded as against the law be so freely consumed, distributed

and carried? Is it that there is power in large groups? Are we starting a revolution? Or is it that smoking marijuana at concerts is technically not punishable by law?" My question is this, how can someone be so ignorant and oblivious? First of all, it was a Mac Miller concert at Stony Brook University, of course it was going to be a mob scene! Have you ever listened to Mac Miller? If you go to a concert without knowing what type of music or scene to expect, don't enter it with a closed mind. Plus, if you go to a concert of any genre, definitely don't expect to have personal space, and yes, per chance some individuals will be consuming marijuana! And as for anything at Stony Brook expect a lot of people and very limited space. Second of all, since when is marijuana "internationally regarded as against the law"? Foreign countries are actually far more progressive than the U.S. and have chosen to legalize and regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana long ago. Even

many states within our very own country have either legalized marijuana recreationally or medicinally or decriminalized it. We no longer live in the age of "Reefer Madness"; most people (hopefully) are now becoming conscious of the benefits of this special plant. I am sick of reading in the police blotter of this publication "Marijuana was smelled by Roth Pond" or "An individual was seen smoking alone in a parked car". We need to focus our attention and efforts to the violent and larcenous crimes being committed on our campus (for example, my keys and school I.D. card were stolen in the library just last week!). The school newspaper shouldn't be afraid to publish perspectives that may not reflect university policy. This is our voice, not theirs. SincerelyAlexandra Miller (Junior; Hispanic language and literature major)

The articles on research/science are a terrific addition to the Statesman. My compliments to Ruchi Shah. I look forward to reading more. SincerelyDeborah Stoner-Ma Director of Chemical Laboratories Department of Chemistry I am very curious about the small article where the student was hit by a car. Of course, I do not know the situation; it could be entirely the cyclist's fault, but I am outraged at this. It's ironic that it happened so recently because Sept. 18th marked 12 years since my grandfather was struck by a car while on his bike. He passed away 5 months later. As a runner around campus, I have never seen one car come to a complete stop unless

somebody is in the cross walk, and it really angers me because I feel as though police on campus do nothing to enforce this. I have almost been hit several times, both on and off campus. I wish people would just open up their eyes and be more safe while driving around campus. They take these stop signs and street lights even on main roads so lightly, but they don't understand that it's people like them who took my grandfather's

life. Driving in general is something I wish people would take more seriously. As I said, it could be the cyclist's fault, but if not, I truly hope that the girl who was driving the car does not get away with this! It would be unfair not only to the man who was hit, but also people like me. SincerelyKerryn Bakken (Sophomore; German major)

Have a response to an article that was published in The Statesman? Email a letter to the editor to editors@ sbstatesman.com. Please limit piece to 250-300 words.

Monday, September 30, 2013

17

Campus biking initiative not riding along smoothly By Christopher Leelum Contributing Writer

In an effort to go green and fight carbon emissions, Stony Brook University launched SBU Wolf Ride in April of this year. This promotion of health, sustainability and eco-friendliness parallels projects like Citi Bike in New York City and joins other national movements promoting a healthier lifestyle. The message is clear and positive, but the scope, effectiveness and utilization of the program are impotent. The most evident drawback to the entire SBU Wolf Ride project is the scope of the project and placement of the bike stations. Four bike stations are currently placed “strategically” at West Apartments I, the Student Activities Center and the South P Lot – a total of 48 bikes. I can see the headline now: “Battles rage over 12 bikes at West Apartments: Students petition for pegs to access more efficient ‘peg-riding’.” Understandably, the commuters who use the South P Lot should be given the healthier option over the bus, but H Quad? Walk. Kelly Quad? Go backwards to ride, or walk. Tabler Quad? Enjoy the stroll. Besides the option for commuters

“Besides the option for commuters in the South P Lot, do we really need this?” in the South P Lot, do we really need this? For a majority of the students on campus, walking is the healthier, easier and more preferred method. The average person burns 80 to 140 calories walking per mile. This adds up after a long day of classes. Stairs and even that Zebra Path are good for working on those glutes. My daily walk from Dewey College in Kelly Quad to the SAC takes about 10 minutes. That’s

about 44 calories burned for someone around 160 pounds. If I were to bike that same distance, it would probably take less than half the time, and I would burn less than 24 calories. It’s no secret that walking is a much healthier option.

“Either expand the program to allow campuswide access, or abolish the rarely used project all together.” Even so, students here rarely use SBU Wolf Ride and prefer personal modes of transportation such as longboards or even the occasional unicycle. Statistics from the SBU Wolf Ride website show that in August, about 15.7 rides per day were recorded. Also, the average ride is 17 minutes. Evidently, very few students take advantage of the bike share program, and when they do it’s only for a long trek. To me, this should be an all-ornothing program. Either expand the program to allow campuswide access, or abolish the rarely used project altogether. The bike sharing website hints at no future expansion, except for the fact that it says “currently,” there are four bike stations. We have a large campus, but it’s clear that students favor walking over the bus and other means of transportation. Set your alarms 10 minutes earlier, and your thighs will thank you in time. Commuters from the South P Lot should be given the option of SBU Wolf Ride, but it is not utilized by everyone else on campus. Maybe that one student, who for a moment recalls the attitude of Lance Armstrong and must race back to West Apartments I late at night to avoid the claws of the twilight that befalls Stony Brook University in the winter, is the one who is keeping SBU Wolf Ride in business.

JESUS PICHARDO/ THE STATESMAN

Two of the four total Wolfie Ride bike share stations are located in front of the Student Activities Center.


18

Sports

Monday, September 30, 2013

Hernandez leading team by example By Cameron Boon Staff Writer

Born on Oct. 2, 1990 in Fort Worth, Texas to Terry and Gina Hernandez, Scott Parker Hernandez was a Southern boy who was used to warm weather and playing on the offensive line. “I tried defense when I was younger, but I had more of a passion for offense,” he said. “In high school, I was put at the tackle position because of my height. I played both right and left tackle”. This multi-sport high school athlete also threw shot put and discus in high school for the Juan Seguin track and field team. It was his 6 foot 6 inch, 300-pound frame that let him make a decision on where he would go to play football in college. “I had lots of Division II offers in Texas. I also had Fordham, Wagner, Montana State and other 1-AA schools offer.” But a question worth contemplating is, why would a Texas boy come up to New York? “’Stony Brook was the only visit I took and I fell in love with it as soon as I stepped on campus”. The weather was not really a factor, but it took some getting used to. “That was the hardest part. I don’t think I have gotten used to it and I don’t want to get used to it,” Hernandez said with a sarcastic laugh. “My most memorable football moment was definitely winning the Big South title outright in 2011 over Liberty on this field”, as he points to the turf of Kenneth P LaValle Stadium. “That was my first year starting.” He blocked for a high-powered offense that averaged 38 points per game and a ground game that ranked fourth in the FCS and a total offense that ranked eighth. But now, the Seawolves are in the CAA and he says he expects everything to be different. “I expect higher competition. Every week will be a dogfight. We have to practice harder than we ever did in the Big South,” Hernandez said. The Seawolves opened CAA play with a convincing 24-0 over the Rams of Rhode Island. But that higher competition reared its ugly head this past week, when No. 20 Villanova trounced the Seawolves 35-6. Scott is not necessarily a talk the talk guy, but he definitely walks the walk. “I always lead by example. I bring a good amount of knowledge to the group. I look at the game the same way as the classroom, whether it’s studying film or doing things on the field."

The Statesman

Seawolves look to win despite some changes New season, new conference By Andrew Eichenholz Staff Writer

and new quarterback. The Stony Brook Seawolves and new starter senior Lyle Negron have bid adieu to the Big South Conference, joining the tougher Colonial Athletic Association. Star running back senior Marcus Coker and the rest of the team got off to a quick start to the season, cruising to victory against Ivy League school University of Pennsylvania 17-3 in a big tuneup before the start of the season. The defensive stoutness in that matchup has proven to be an indicator of the tough, gritty identity of Stony Brook football. Opening the season in their first regular season game, the Seawolves traveled to the University of Rhode Island to face off against the Rams. Taking their first CAA game by storm, Stony Brook rammed the Rams, winning by shutout for the first time since 2011 against Coastal Carolina. Taking the matchup 240, the defensive line smothered Rhode Island’s run game, holding them to a total of 94 yards off of the ground. Constantly getting in the quarterback’s face with pressure helped alleviate pressure on the defensive backs, enabling the strong start to the schedule. After a strong performance, the Seawolves ventured upstate to play FBS team Buffalo, in a matchup of SUNY foes. Much like in the Penn scrimmage and shutout against URI, the Stony Brook defense set the tone early, holding a strong Buffalo team to a mere three points in the first half. On the offensive side of the ball, Stony Brook struggled early That leadership and work ethic is what has earned him the trust of coach Chuck Priore. “He’s a stalemate in there. He plays the game positively” he said. Scott Hernandez has started in 29 consecutive games and that streak won’t be ending anytime soon, barring injury. He made his first career start at UTEP on Sept. 3, 2011 and has not come out of the starting lineup since. He also earned second team All-Big South honors last year. Off the field, Scott has taken his passion into the classroom. “My favorite off the field moment was graduating with two degrees,” he said. Redshirting his freshman year means he gets that extra year in the classroom and with that, he is going for his Master’s degree in Human Resource Management. “It’s definitely a tough courseload. But I’m just using the same attitude that I used for my undergrad”. That attitude worked well for him so there is no reason it can’t work again. “After Stony Brook I plan on going back to Texas and getting my MBA someplace.” He also said that he wants to go into the finance field with that MBA.

on, failing to convert drives into points, as Negron and the Seawolves failed to capitalize on three trips into Buffalo territory in the first half. Down ten in the fourth quarter, the drives that had been coming earlier in the game turned into points. Kicker Nick Ferrara brought Stony Brook within a touchdown, which dramatically came on a short pass in the red zone with mere seconds left in regulation. Negron connecting with emerging star receiver Malcolm Eugene after an 80 yard drive sent the game into overtime. Interceptions, fumbles, missed field goals and four overtimes later, the Seawolves ended up in a fifth overtime. In seemingly a battle of wills, Negron once again hit Eugene for a big catch down the left sideline, setting up a go ahead field goal. After hitting, the defense had its first major letdown, yielding a touchdown run to cede the game to Buffalo, 26-23. Heading to Pennsylvania to tackle Villanova, the Seawolves faced a tough test, playing a strong Wildcat team that they barely battled past in the playoffs at the end of last season 20-10. Discouraging news hit the Seawolves before the game, as an abdominal injury forced coach Priore to announce the end of star running back Marcus Coker’s season. The leading rusher for Stony Brook, Coker has been a key to the strong running game since last season. Losing NFL signee Miguel Maysonet and star Coker within such a short span will be tough to overcome. Also losing a key part to the

YOON SEO NAM / THE STATESMAN

Stony Brook takes on Bryant on Saturday for homecoming defense for the season in Reuben Johnson will make the blow even tougher to handle. Going into the Villanova game, offensive struggles to complete drives and get points on the scoreboard gave the Wildcats a chance to pounce, gaining an early lead. With the Seawolves’ only points of the day coming via a 6-yard pass from Negron to his favorite target Eugene, Stony Brook had little chance to mount a comeback. A deep early hole got deeper and deeper, proving too deep for the Seawolves in a tough 35-6 loss. In the first home game of the 2013-2014 season, one of the top teams in the country visited Seawolves country and Lavalle Stadium for a 6 p.m. game against Stony Brook. Towson, undefeated and fresh off of a huge win against U Conn was confident as could be, posing a tough matchup for the Seawolves. Marking their second game without star running back Marcus Coker, the offense had slack to pick up right from the start.

Pick it up they did, using their rushing game to drive right down Towson’s throat. Before everybody settled in, the Seawolves took a 14-0 lead after capitalizing on a Towson turnover. The lead would last until the end of the game for Stony Brook, keeping them in front until the fourth quarter. Many unnecessary personal fouls shifted the momentum to Towson, as they slowly started moving the football more and more every possession. Down 21-20 midway through the fourth, Towson scored and converted the 2 point conversion to take a touchdown lead over Stony Brook. Like usual, the Negron-Eugene connection came together when it mattered most, starting a potentially game-tying drive with two minutes left. Eugene advanced the ball near midfield until a slew of offensive line breakdowns cost the Seawolves, resulting in a sackfumble and touchdown. Although they hung tough, Stony Brook dropped the game 35-21.

CAA gains Stony Brook to conf. By Sanjay Jonnavithula Staff Writer

Our football program at Stony Brook University is heavily advancing in the world of college athletics. Previously a part of the Big South, the Seawolves’ football team was admitted into the highly prestigious and competitive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in the summer of 2012. This season will be their first season competing in the conference. The CAA has historically been a very competitive division, with teams geographically located on the East Coast, from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its teams are public universities. Originally founded in 1979 as a college basketball association, it was renamed to the CAA once it added other sports to its conference. Stony Brook, among all other football members, is part of the “football-only” conference, meaning that football is the only sport in their school associated with the CAA. Founded in 2005, the CAA was able to recruit a few of the football teams that were currently

in the Atlantic 10 Conference (A10), and the A10 no longer had the minimum number of teams required to compete in a division. Thus the remaining A10 teams joined the CAA. Since the CAA started its football conference in 2007, they have been well represented in the Football Championship (FCS). In 2007 and 2010, the University of Delaware made the championship game, while in 2008 and 2009, the University of Richmond and Villanova University won the title, respectively. In its inaugural and follow-up seasons (2007 and 2008), the CAA was able to send five teams each time to the national championship playoffs. Through its brief history, 78 players received All-American honors. Teams from the CAA have historically taken down much higher-ranked teams from different conferences, such as in 2009, when William & Mary and Richmond took down Virginia and Duke from the ACC, respectively. The biggest upset in their history came in 2010, when James Madison defeated nationally ranked Virginia Tech (#13) from the ACC as well.

YOON SEO NAM / THE STATESMAN

Stony Brook is the newsest member of CAA. Although some teams have left the CAA since its inauguration, (Northeastern, Georgia State, Hofstra, UMass and Old Dominion), there are still plenty of teams that the Seawolves will have to face this year and in the upcoming years, such as their longtime rival Albany. They will also play Delaware, James Madison, Maine, New Hampshire, Richmond, Rhode Island, Towson, Villanova and William & Mary.


The Statesman

Sports

Monday, September 30, 2013

19

Seawolves have offensive threat with Coxson, Eugene Continued from page 1 inch and 210 pounds. But, he feels that most of his on field success comes as a result of what he is able to do with his legs. “My speed and my routes, they help me a lot,” Coxson said, “It gives me a chance to pull away from different types of DBs.” Coming into Saturday’s game, Stony Brook’s record sat at 1-2, and the school was coming off an

YOON SEO NAM / THE STATESMAN

Eugene (7) played at Temple before coming to Stony Brook. ugly 35-6 loss to Villanova. And despite coming off two outstanding personal games, Eugene is still looking to improve. “Numbers wise I had two good games, but we didn’t get a win,” said Eugene. “I made mistakes, and there are things that I want to get better on.” Coxson has similar feelings on the matter, saying that he expects

more out of himself and his teammates. “We need to get better each and every week,” said Coxson. “We should never be satisfied. I’m never satisfied.” The news that star senior running back Marcus Coker will miss the remainder of the season with an abdominal injury has created some doubt about whether the Seawolves will be able to turn things around. Coach Priore says that the play of Eugene and Coxson will be more critical in his absence. “You want your players that can convert plays into big plays to be successful,” Coach Priore said, “Certainly those are two of the guys that can.” In the team’s first game without Coker in Villanova, Eugene did everything in his power to make sure the offense did not miss a beat. He pulled in career-high 12 receptions for a career-high 184 yards against the Wildcats. This performance came after Eugene had another career day the week before against Buffalo, when he had 10 catches for 122 yards, and two touchdowns. “It’s been real humbling,” Eugene said. “Just going from not being at Temple, to not seeing the field. Just having the opportunity to showcase my talent, is making my want to work harder.” Eugene grew up not too far from Stony Brook University, over in Huntington. It was at the age of sixthat he first started playing football. And it was the physicality of

the game that initially drew him to the sport. “The hitting, definitely the hitting (attracted me to the game),” said Eugene. “The Giants were my favorite team. I liked their physical brand of football.” He then went on to play high school football at John Glenn, where he was named to the AllState and All-County teams in his senior year. But, Eugene says it was not until he played at ASA Junior College in Brooklyn that he was ready to take his game to the next level. “That’s when I realized that there’s a lot of good athletes out there, and that hard work pays off,” he said. Coxson also began playing football at the age of six. He initially began playing with the other kids in his neighborhood. Soon after, his mother signed him up to play organized football. While playing high school in Baltimore, Md., Coxson really began to found success. He was a four-star prospect, who was rated the #19 receiver in the nation according to Scout. com. He was also ranked as ESPNU's #16 receiver during his senior year of high school. After high school he would briefly play at Maryland, but did not receive the playing time he was hoping for. Then, in 2012 the Stony Brook coaching staff was able to convince him to join the Seawolves.

NINA LIN / THE STATESMAN

Coxson (1) transfered from Maryland before the 2012 “I really like the offense, the coaches, the fact that it’s a family oriented team,” Coxson said. Last season he showed flashes of the talent he displayed in high school. He had 10 catches for 127 yards, and a touchdown, and appeared in all 13 games. This season both players will look to continue to take their games to the next level. And according to coach Priore, their work ethic on and off the field may help them to do that. “They work hard, and they do their school work, which is important to me,” coach Priore said. “They’re good citizens off the field, and they show up everyday and work hard on the field.” The two men have not only been taking on big roles in the team’s offensive scheme this year, but have also been looked toward for leadership. And both players seem to recognize the importance of that

role. “Its very important for me and Eugene to be leaders, because we’re the two main receivers on the field, and we have guys behind us that look up to us,” Coxson said. As for after college, the two players plan on trying to make it in the NFL. But, rather than putting up big flashy numbers for NFL scouts, the two players seem more focused on the team’s success. “I’m worried about getting wins and bringing a championship to Stony Brook,” said Eugene. Both players also said they feel the team has the talent to succeed, and just needs to continue to work harder. “We just need to come together better as a team,” said Coxson, “It’s about us knowing our strengths, knowing what we can do. And just playing our heart out."

Winston Longdon looks to shut down opposing defenses By Zach Rowe Staff Writers

The term “shutdown corner” gets thrown around a lot, and for good reason. Every team wants that true shutdown corner, the guy who can match up with a team’s top receiver one on one and stop him. A true shutdown corner is one of the most valuable assets to any football team. Coach Chuck Priore believes he has one in Winston Longdon. “Winston’s been a great player in his two years of starting. He started last year, had a great season, and I think he’s improved this year. He’s a shutdown corner, plays a lot of our opponent’s better receivers” he said, speaking on his cornerback’s abilities. A second year starter, originally from Brooklyn and a transfer from Nassau Community College, Longdon has started every game since last season’s opener, and has been a strong presence in the Stony Brook secondary throughout. Last season, he notched 39 tackles, four for losses, and six pass breakups. He played a big part in the Seawolves’ playoff run as well. “Last year winning the playoffs against Villanova, that was great,”

he said when asked about his favorite moment as a Seawolf. In that game, he helped keep Villanova from throwing a single touchdown. This year, he hopes to do even better. He has gotten off to a strong start, picking off his first career pass against Buffalo and making nearly half as many tackles (17) as he did last year in only three games. “Personal goals? Basically, have a good season,” he said. “Have a good highlight tape,” he added in. When asked how many interceptions he was aiming for, he replied, “At least five, yeah. That’s cool for me. If I get more than that, then yeah, I’m cool with that too.” It will not be easy to put up those numbers for Longdon against Stony Brook’s new CAA schedule, only made harder by the loss of fellow cornerback Reuben Johnson to a season-ending injury. But Longdon is up to the task. “It’s a way, way better schedule than the Big South Conference. We just gotta practice hard and attack the game like any other game,” he said. He definitely has one matchup on his mind. “JMU (James Madison University). I’ve heard a lot about them,” he said.

Longdon is a man born to corner. He models his game after New York Giants corner Aaron

“My zone technique needs a lot of improvement. It’s not terrible but there’s a lot I can fix,” he said.

As a senior, he is expected to be a leader of the Seawolves’ secondary. He is not a perfect

YOON SEO NAM / THE STATESMAN

Longdon (6) had a career-high eight tackles and first career interception against Buffalo Ross, known for his tough, gritty play. “When I was coming out of high school, I watched a lot of his highlights and tried to implement, to emulate his style of play.” He admits he has areas to improve.

Coach Priore believes he can do it. “He practices hard, is focused and always excited to play the game,” he commented on Longdon. Winston Longdon has a big year ahead of him.

player, but no one is. Yet when it comes to man to man coverage, when you need to take the opponent’s top wideout out, there are few corners in the CAA as good as Winston Longdon, the shutdown Seawolf.


Sports

Seawolves fall 35-21 to Towson in 2013 home-opener By Joe Galotti

Assistant Sports Editor

The Stony Brook football team got off to a hot start on Saturday night, but could not withstand a strong second half push by Towson, as they dropped their home opener 35-21. The Seawolves held a 21-10 lead at halftime, but were outscored 25-0 in the second half. The go-ahead score in the game came on a 31-yard touchdown run by Tigers’ running back Darius Victor, which gave his team a 2621 lead. After a successful two-point conversion by Towson, Stony Brook had a chance to tie the game with 2:38 remaining. The Seawolves converted a pair of first downs to get out near midfield with 56 seconds remaining. But, there comeback hopes came to an end, as senior quarterback Lyle Negron fumbled the ball after being sacked by Ryan Delaire. Towson’s Donnell Lewis then recovered the loose football and ran 43 yards for a touchdown. “At the end of the day it was a 21-20 game, with 3 or 4 minutes to go, and I give them credit for coming back from 11 points,” head coach Chuck Priore said. The Tigers came into the game as an extremely hot team. Not only were they 4-0 on the year, but they had won 9 straight going back to last season. With the loss Stony Brook drops to 1-3 on the season, and 1-2 in CAA play. “I thought they were a good team coming in, and I think there a good team coming out,” Coach Priore said. “I think we’re a good program, and we’ll compete.” Early on in the contest everything seemed to go right for the Seawolves. They came out of the gate with a nearly eight minute long drive,

in which Stony Brook went 78 yards for a touchdown. Junior running back James

half with another lengthy and successful possession, as they put together a 13-play, 78-yard drive.

at the Seawolves’ 25-yard line. “It was a bad bounce. I probably could have ran out and pointed

NINA LIN / THE STATESMAN

Stony Brook fell to 1-3 on the season with a 35-21 loss to the Towson Tigers Saturday. Kenner finished the possession with a 2 yard touchdown run. Then, on the Tigers’ first drive of the game, senior linebacker Jawara Dudley picked off quarterback Peter Athens, to give Stony Brook the ball on Towson’s 5-yard line. The Seawolves took advantage of the opportunity, as junior running back Jameel Poteat delivered a 5-yard touchdown run, to give his team an early 14-0 advantage. The Tigers would get on the board in the beginning of the second quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Drew Evangelista. Then, with 7:12 left to go in the second quarter, Towson running back Terrance West would find the end zone on a 2-yard rush, to make it a 14-10 game. Stony Brook would end the

The drive was capped off by a 4-yard touchdown pass by senior quarterback Lyle Negron to senior wideout Malcolm Eugene. The 7,859 fans at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium were ecstatic going into the half, but would not have much to cheer about in the second half. The game’s turning point would come with 11:46 to go in the third quarter, when Towson was forced to punt after being stopped by Stony Brook’s defense on the Tigers’ 46 yard line. The return man, Poteat, decided to let the ball bounce in front of him. But, the ball ended up going off teammate Nick Wagner’s leg, allowing Towson linebacker Monte Gaddis to recover the ball

closer,” said Poteat. “When you put our defense in a tough situation like that, it makes it hard.” The Tigers would capitalize on Stony Brook’s misfortune, as Athens would find Spencer Wilkins for an 18-yard touchdown pass, to cut SBU’s lead to 21-17. Then, early in the fourth quarter, Towson kicker D.J. Soven would nail a 51-yard field goal attempt to make it a one point game. Later, with 7:36 to go in the game, the Tigers would receive the ball off a punt on their 4-yard line. They would then proceed to go 96 yards down the field for the goahead touchdown in the game. Saturday was the first CAA game to be played at Stony Brook. No. 2 Towson was also the highest ranked team to come

into LaValle Stadium since No. 9 Massachusetts in 2010. Sophomore running back Jamie Williams missed the game due to a rib injury that will keep him out for about a month, according to coach Priore. In his absence, both Poteat and Kenner received an increased amount of carries, and both found success running the ball. Poteat finished with 80 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown, while Kenner ran for 87 yards on 19 carries for a touchdown. The Seawolves rushed for 142 yards against a Towson team that came into the game ranking first in the CAA in rushing defense (53.0 ypg). While Stony Brook was successful running the ball, they had trouble stopping Towson running back Terrance West. He had 154 yards on 26 carries, with a touchdown. “He was a very good running back,” junior defensive back Christian Ricard said. “For the most part it took two of us to take him down on every single play.” Eugene did not match the large statistical numbers he achieved in his previous two outings, but still had a solid day. He finished with five catches for 53 yards, and a touchdown. Junior tight end Will Tye also had five catches for 51 yards. The Seawolves will now get ready for their homecoming game against Bryant, this Saturday at 6 p.m. Stony Brook is 7-0 in homecoming games under head coach Chuck Priore. “Everybody put a great effort in, and we want to win,” said coach Priore. “It will be a gut check. We’ll come back, and fortunately we’re playing at home. And we’ll just prepare real hard.”

Seawolves look to grab win on Homecoming Talented receiver duo looks By David Vertsberger Staff Writer

With Stony Brook's Homecoming game within the week, the Seawolves will look to bounce back from a 1-3 start to this young season. The Bryant Bulldogs are at a 3-1 record, first in the NEC and will face off with our beloved Seawolves on October 5. Bryant has somewhat of a balanced attack on offense, but lean on their running game with 64 more rushes than passes in their first four games this year. This rushing is at the heels of Paul Canevari, who won the NEC Rookie of the Week award for his 214 rushing yards in Bryant's first three contests. Canevari could prove problematic for the Seawolves, who have looked spotty overall in defending the rush. In their lone win against Rhode Island, Stony Brook University held them to 67 yards, but gave up 133

yards on the ground to Buffalo, an astonishing 266 to Villanova and 190 to the Towson Tigers in three losses. In order to triumph over the Bulldogs, the Seawolves will have to make it a collective effort in locking down Bryant's running game in all four quarters. Stony Brook's defense has earned high praise in the advanced statistics department, with footballstudyhall. com's drive-point efficiency statistic (which you can read more about on their site) ranking the Seawolves' defense among the top teams in the nation in regards to capitalizing on the defense's opportunities following week 3. This piece of knowledge should bring a boost of confidence to Stony Brook's defense, one that could lead the team to victory on Saturday night. A specific aspect the team should focus on when it comes to defending Bryant other than their running game is their third-down conversions. Bryant has struggled

in converting third-down opportunities in their first four games, getting the first down only 20 times in 62 chances. On the flip side, Stony Brook's third-down defense has been something to applaud, with opposing teams crossing the firstdown marker just 20 times in 51 tries. Above all else, what should be one of Stony Brook's largest strategies coming into this game is protecting the football on the offensive end. The Seawolves gave the ball away 7 times in their three losses, but committed no turnovers in their single win this season. The team and the school as a whole is still reeling from the news of senior and star running back Marcus Coker's season ending injury as well as cornerback Reuben Johnson's. The Seawolves will look to bounce back from these disheartening losses and three straight defeats on Homecoming night.

to spark Stony Brook offense By Joe Galotti

Assistant Sports Editor

In Malcolm Eugene and Adrian Coxson, football head coach Chuck Priore has found potentially one of the best wide receiver duos in the CAA. And perhaps just as importantly, he has found two players who seem to have fully bought into his team-first attitude. “We’re all playing as family,” Eugene said. “We’re all playing as brothers. I think that that’s what will get us over the top.” Both Eugene and Coxson have come up large for their “family” so far this season. Eugene has had 25 catches through his first three games for 362 yards and three touchdowns. Coxson, despite missing the team’s third game against Villanova due to injury, still has 10 catches for 143 yards with a touchdown.

“They're both talented players,” said head coach Chuck Priore. “They’re athletic, and big receivers that can create some matchup problems.” At 6 feet 4 inches Eugene is the tallest wide receiver on Stony Brook’s roster. But, according to the senior wideout, it is not just his size alone that allows him to succeed on the field. “I would say my physicality and football IQ (are my best assets),” Eugene said. “Just knowing what I’m doing, knowing what the defense is giving me. That allows me to be a smart football player, and use my size to my advantage.” Coxson, who is in his junior year, also brings size at 6 feet 1 Continued on page 19


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