The Statesman: Volume 57 Issue 2 by The Statesman

The Statesman informing stony brook university for more than 50 years

Volume LVII, Issue 1

Monday, September 9, 2013

sbstatesman.com

Professor recognized for over 30 years of dedication to university

By Steven Rossin Staff Writer

When Robert Frey graduated from Stony Brook in 1980, he never imagined having a building named in his honor–just being a student at the university was a challenge in itself. Frey was recognized in August when the newly renovated Old Chemistry building was named after him and his family foundation in recognition of the gifts they have donated to the university over the past 20 years. Frey Hall is a hightech learning center that features three large lecture halls and just over two dozen classrooms. It is hosting close to 240 courses this semester. As a child Frey grew up in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn in a lower-class family. Along with his brothers and sisters he was part of the first generation in his family to pursue a higher education. When he moved out to Long Island–already with a family–he knew he didn’t have many options, but he said that he was lucky there was a great place to go. “I didn’t have the money to go as a resident student, I could barely afford to go as a commuter,” Frey said. “I was fortunate there was a great research institution in the neighborhood, so when I looked at Stony Brook it was the clear choice where I wanted to go.” Frey attended Stony Brook parttime while he worked full-time. He spent over a dozen years at the university while he obtained a bachelor's degree and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics. During his studies he held fulltime jobs at the IRS where he worked as a management analyst and also held positions at Doubleday Book Co., European American Bank and Morgan Stanley. After he graduated with his Ph.D., he embarked on a long career at Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund management company. It was during his time at

Renaissance that he worked with James Simons, a fellow Stony Brook philanthropist, and found success. By 2004 he was 50 years old and decided to retire so he could pursue academia and philanthropic efforts. “I wanted to go out and do something on my own,” Frey said. “I came here as a professor and at the same time we opened up the family foundation so I could get involved in more charitable activities.” One of his more notable contributions was helping with the construction of the Hilton Garden Inn which opened on campus this past May. Having been a member of the Stony Brook Foundation for many years, he was aware that the university had been contemplating building a hotel on campus for quite some time. He says that he recognized this wish and was willing to take the risk to help build the hotel because it was at Stony Brook. “If it were just a deal somewhere else I probably wouldn’t have done it, it was a tough uphill battle to get it done but I was willing to wait out any delays and stay in it for the long haul,” Frey said. Contributions like the hotel, starting a professorship in the Department of Applied Mathematics and establishing a scholarship are what prompted the administration to name Frey Hall after him to commemorate all he has done for the university. “I was a little bit nervous at first,” Frey said. “It was definitely a surprise, my initial reaction was to tell them to name after someone else. But I really do appreciate it.” Overall, Frey says that hee owes much of his personal and professional development to the university. “In terms of who I am and what I was able to achieve it wouldn’t be possible without Stony Brook,” Frey said, “I’ve been glad I’ve been able to give back because Stony Brook has been a key part of my life for over 30 years.”

JESUS PICHARDO / THE STATESMAN

The new Frey Hall commemorates the contributions of Dr. Robert Frey to the campus community.

PHOTO CREDIT : USG

The second annual "Back to the Brook" fall concert was almost canceled after hundreds of students rushed past security onto the Staller Steps on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Room reports reveal damage discrepencies By Khloe Meitz Staff Writer

The beginning of any semester is a sea recognized by most as turbulent and full of urgent to-do lists. There are last-minute class changes, textbook shopping and, for some, moving in to the dorm or apartment that they’ll call home for the next four months or more. But students may want to add taking date-stamped photos of their new living spaces to that list. Last year, the University passed a total of 11,247 undergraduate and graduate campus residents through their dorms, according to the university’s 2012 “Facts and Figures.” Despite this sort of traffic every year, the dorms have remained in fairly good condition–a matter undoubtedly back-boned by the university’s Room Condition Reports system

and stringent standards regarding room “damages.” Upon moving in, on-campus residents receive–as physical forms, or electronic ones–Room/ Apartment Condition Reports (R/ACR) from their Resident Assistant (RAs) and Residence Hall Directors (RHDs). The Campus Residences Office was reluctant to comment on the process, but according to students, the forms summarize damages reported by the room’s previous occupants. Students can claim the damages as either still existing or fixed. Some residents claimed that reports from semesters past did not contain space to note any damages that were not already acknowledged on the report. This year, the reports host a list of furniture for students to mark as existing or non-existing and a

space to comment on the room’s general condition. The reports are used as “the basis for determining damage, cleaning, and billing if there are discrepancies during the checkout process,” according to the university’s Terms of Occupancy: Undergraduate Halls and West Apartments, and a less-thancomprehensive form could lead, in some cases, to misplaced blame and, accordingly, faulty charges. Jess Narkiewicz, a graduate student, remembered being charged $100 once while she was living in West Apartments I for chipped paint and damaged bedroom walls. “I got charged this summer $100 for damages that I did not do in my room. I tried to appeal, Continued on page 3

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NEWS

SUNY tobacco-free policy goes up in smoke By Will Welch

Assistant News Editor

Contrary to the announcement made last semester, Stony Brook University will not be tobacco-free in 2014, following the New York State Legislature’s failure to pass a State University of New Yorkwide tobacco ban during the 2013 legislative session. The policy would have prohibited the use of all tobacco products—ecigarettes, hookahs, pipes and chewing tobacco—both indoors and outdoors on all Stony Brook property, including parking lots, the Manhattan and Southampton campuses and property leased by the university. The impetus for the policy

came from a resolution drafted by the Chancellor’s Task Force for a Tobacco-Free SUNY and adopted by the SUNY Board of Trustees in June of last year, which called for legislation to ban tobacco use on all SUNY property by Jan. 1, 2014. In response, SUNY campuses prepared to comply with the Jan. 1 target date by releasing tobaccofree policies and guidelines for implementation. However, the legislation introduced in the State Senate and Assembly did not come to a vote before the end of the 2013 legislative session in June, according to the State Assembly website. This caused the bills to die. Though some SUNY campuses, including the University at Buffalo

and SUNY College at Cortland, have already implemented tobaccofree policies without the passage of legislation, Stony Brook has opted not to go forward with the policy without the passage of a SUNYwide tobacco ban legislation. “Concerns were raised that [a tobacco free policy] should be collectively bargained in the absence of legislative directive,” Media Relations Officer Lauren Sheprow said. “Implementing a policy will follow legislation.” Stony Brook’s current smoking policy, approved in 2009, bans smoking in all indoor locations, as well as 25 feet from all buildings. Senior philosophy major Johnathan Bostrom, a smoker, said he supported the university’s

decision to wait for the passage of a law. “If it goes through the legislative process, there are obviously enough people who want it to make it happen,” Bostrom said. “More time is never a bad thing.” And senior health science major Michelle Smith, a member of the Student Health Advisory Committee, agrees, saying she thinks “legislation would make things more concrete and organized.” The university first announced the policy on April 20 online, featuring a message from President Samuel Stanley, a frequently asked questions page and information about tobacco cessation programs. It has not been updated to reflect

the required legislation did not pass and a newsletter distributed to incoming freshman this semester still advertised the January 2014 tobacco-free date. There has been no indication yet whether the SUNY system will push for the re-introduction of legislation in the 2014 session of the State Legislature, but if such a measure passes, the SUNY system will become the largest public university in the country to implement a 100 percent tobacco-free policy. Still, some students think do not think a tobacco-free policy matters. “I don’t think tobacco is a big problem,” Muhtasim Chowdhury, a 20-year-old undeclared student, said. “People will find other places to smoke.

New weekend off-campus bus routes in the works By Will Welch

Assistant News Editor

Students looking to get off campus over the weekend may soon have more options thanks to new Friday and Sunday bus routes being pursued by the Undergraduate Student Government and Office of Transportation and Parking Operations. The proposed options would take students from the Student Activities Center to Port Jefferson and the Stony Brook AMC Theater on Friday nights. It would also redirect the Sunday shopping route through Port Jefferson. The Friday night option is a late night route that would run from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Though Suffolk Transit currently

runs a route from Stony Brook to Port Jefferson and the Smith Haven Mall —an eight-minute walk from the AMC Theater—it is only free to students on Saturdays and the last bus from the mall leaves at 9:45 p.m. The late night route would allow students to see later show times at the theater and hang around Port Jefferson later into the evening. “One of the benefits is also to cut down drunk driving,” Mario Ferone, USG Vice President of Communications and Public Relations, said. The route would be serviced by a contracted 21-passenger shuttle and would add $1 to $4 to the transportation fee depending on whether the shuttle comes in hour or half-hour intervals.

The Sunday shopping route change was first suggested by the Out-Of-State Student Association to help students traveling on the Port Jefferson Ferry to get to and from the university without paying $15 both ways for a taxi. The altered route would bypass the current Pathmark, Wal-Mart and Target destinations in Centereach. Instead, it would take students to locations in Port Jefferson, including Stop & Shop, Wal-Mart, a bowling alley and the ferry. Though a bus running at twohour intervals would not add to the transportation fee, it could add $2 to $5 if it runs at shorter intervals of 105 or 90 minutes. The current bus arrives every 45 minutes. USG has received approximately

1,400 responses to surveys it has conducted since July showing that about half of students favor a Friday late-night route running in half-hour intervals. Two-thirds of students are divided between an altered Sunday route running in two-hour intervals or 90-minute intervals, while 14 percent of students opposed a Friday night route and 20 percent opposed a new Sunday route. A final survey will be published on the Office of Transportation website on Monday, Sept. 9 with updated information on both routes. The survey will end on Sept. 17, after which a decision will be made at the Sept. 18 meeting of the SBU Transportation & Parking Advisory Group in SAC 304. All students are welcome to attend the meeting.

If either route is implemented, it will take a month to evaluate and approve a contracted shuttle service before it goes into operation. Any cost increases would be implemented in the 2014 to 2015 academic year. PJ Abelein proposed the idea for the new bus routes last year when he was USG Vice President of Student Life. The idea was fleshed out over the summer through several meetings between Ferone, USG President Adil Hussain and SBU Director of Sustainability & Transportation Operations James O’Connor. Ferone said the transportation office has been “very open” and supportive of the added routes if students want them. “It all comes down to money,” he said.

Room condition reports found to be inaccurate Continued from page 1

but they said I did not have enough evidence.” According to Narkiewicz, the chipped walls were noticeable from the day she moved in, however there was no way for her to note the damage on her RCR. Instead, she attempted to document the situation by taking pictures of the damage with a digital camera and showing them to her RA. She did not realize until she got the bill that the photos had done nothing to help her case. Narkiewicz’ appeals were denied, she said, because the Campus Residences Office could not determine that the photos had been taken at the beginning of the year, rather than the end. Contrarily, a suitemate of Narkiewicz ran in to a similar issue, and defended herself with a video she had made her parents from the beginning of the semester in which the damages were visible. Her charges were ultimately reversed. Narkiewicz believes that much of the blame rests on the inadequate room damages reports. “I do not think the room reports are efficient they do not account for a lot of damages, there

is also no way to provide evidence of damage,” she said. “I was not able to resolve any prior issues successfully I always ended up giving up and paying the charges.” The last time she’d seen the walls, they had still not been painted or repaired. Matthew Dzamko, a sophomore philosophy major, said, “It’s not that hard to avoid causing damage to the suite, because you just have to do something kind of ridiculous to cause enough damage to have to pay for it.” However, Dzamko, who said he has not personally had any discrepancies with the Campus Residences office concerning room damages, also remembered a time when every member of his friend’s six-person suite was charged approximately $20–for an approximate total of $120– because they had left a large trash bag in the common room. “In my opinion it’s fair for them to say ‘If you caused the damage, you have to pay for it’,” Dzamko said, “But in some cases, I don’t think it’s reasonable to charge so much money for something like a garbage bag left in the common room.” According to the university’s Terms of Occupancy, each person

living on campus will be held responsible for any “damage beyond normal wear and tear” to his/her assigned room and all equipment and furniture it comes with, as well as the funds for any

cleaning they deem necessary. While the university certainly has a right to charge students for damages or messes, what has been considered in the past to be an imperfect system leaves

it in the hands of the student to secure their own innocence by thoroughly reporting damages when they move in, and even recording them with videotapes or date-stamped photos.

CHRISTINE POWELL / THE STATESMAN

Charges for damages to dorm rooms can only be reversed with time-stamped evidence.

Monday, September 9, 2013

The Statesman

News

Monday, September 9, 2013

Research alters Campus Recreation Center hours By Kelly Frevele Staff Writer

To avoid those freshman—or, in some cases, senior—15 pounds, students often head to the new Campus Recreation Center that opened last fall. However, this semester, the hours had changed, especially on the weekends. A research study performed by the Campus Recreation Center led to these changes. Originally the center opened at 6 a.m. almost every day and closed at midnight. On the weekends the center now opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. In order to enter the Campus Recreation Center, students swipe their ID cards. The data from these swipes was used to determine high frequency and low frequency hours for the recreation center. Data was collected over the course of approximately eight months, according to Jay Souza, director of Campus Recreation. He added that one trend shows under one hundred students were attending the Rec Center over the eight-month period during the

earlier hours, especially on the weekends. “A lot of research went into this decision,” Souza said. “We even researched other universities and looked at their hours.” Souza added that it did not pay to have the center open during early hours, such as 6 a.m., if there were only a handful of students there because students are technically paying for this center through fees. The data was discussed with the advisory board for the recreation center. The advisory board represents the student body and has numerous student representatives. The advisory board's vote approved the new hours. Unlike other campuses, Stony Brook's Recreation Center is open even during the holidays because of Stony Brook’s numerous international students that do not go home during that time. The center is closed for a few days of maintenance in May to work on ventilation, but this is for the safety of the students. According to Souza, a few students complained that the hours had changed when they

YOON SEO NAM / THE STATESMAN

Research shows that few students were using the recreation center in the early morning hours. came at 6 a.m. on a Saturday to work out and saw that it was closed. But there has not been a large number of complaints. Nearby universities such as Hofstra University have fewer

New residence hall policies receive mixed reactions from students By Caithlin Pena Staff Writer

Along with the wide-eyed freshmen and transfer students, Stony Brook University has many new features to offer the students this fall semester and the upcoming semesters. And for the residents of the dormitories, new rules and regulations have been imposed. Under the Terms of Occupancy, students who live in the residences are given the license to use on-campus housing, though it is noted as "a privilege and not a right." Any violation of the rules will give the university the right “to suspend or withdraw accommodations, guest privileges or access to a campus residence to any person(s) for violation of these regulations, for health and safety reasons or for nonpayment of bills.” The Terms of Occupancy states that “Senior Staff members and emergency personnel reserve the right to remove any personal appliance or heavy electrical equipment that is unauthorized or which is found to be a health and safety hazard.” Certain electrical appliances, like microwaves, pose a danger to the residential areas. This semester, the new policy has allowed students to have automatic-shut off hot pots, coffee makers and toasters. Rice cookers were banned for some time at the beginning of the semester due to students using them inappropriately in previous years. Coffee makers

and toasters were added to the things allowed in the dorms due to requests from the students. Some students reacted negatively to the ban. “I think it was quite useless to ban the rice cooker,” said Elisa Zeng, a sophomore. “Walking down all the way to the basement just to cook rice is a waste of time when you can just cook it

Any violation of the rules will give the university the right ‘to suspend or withdraw accommodations, guest privileges or access to a campus residence.’ in your room.” Others didn’t even know that they have been banned or that they are now allowed to make their own coffee and reacted ecstatically to the news. “Yay,” said Junior Alice Lin. “I don’t drink coffee, but it'd be really convenient for my friends who do.” According to Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety Gary Kaczmarczyk, students are

allowed to have these appliances as long as they use them in the designated cooking areas. This new policy was also met with mixed reactions. Zeng believes that is unreasonable to make the students, especially those not in the cooking dorms, go all the way down to the kitchen just to make rice or a cup of coffee. But according to David Scarzella, the Director of Residential Risk Management and John Gallo, the Manager of Fire Safety, these policies were revised mostly due to safety reasons and some students’ improper use of kitchen appliances. The designated kitchen areas in the building are built to withstand cooking whereas dorm rooms are not. The bedrooms don’t have the proper ventilation and the cooking may attract various insects to the rooms. “Students may set off firealarms,” Scarzella said. “And the more they happen, the less concern they have that it’s an actual fire.” Scarzella is concerned that in the event of a real fire, students may not react appropriately due to previous fire alarms being set off due to appliances being used in the bedrooms. If used in the kitchen however, the appliances will pose no hazard. As long as students abide by these policies and safety hazards, they are guaranteed a safe and risk-free environment to be called home for the next few months.

hours of operation at their Rec Centers than Stony Brook. Current Stony Brook hours are from Monday through Friday are 6 a.m. to midnight. Hofstra hours for Monday through Friday are 6

a.m. to 10:50 p.m. This information was not kept from the public and can be found in the meeting minutes for the advisory board on the Campus Recreation website.

Police Blotter On Sunday, Aug. 25, bicycle was reported stolen from a female student at the Staller Center. There are currently no suspects. On Monday, Aug. 26, a bike was reported stolen from a male student at Douglass College. On Monday, Aug. 26, a license plate was reported stolen at the University Hospital. The complaint was from a male with no affiliation to the University. On Sunday, Sept. 1 another license plate was stolen from the Kelly paved lot, according to police reports. On Tuesday, Aug. 27, seven textbooks were reported stolen from the University Book Store. The male student suspected of stealing the books was referred to the University. On Tuesday, Aug. 27 an exit sign was damaged at Schick College.

On Friday, Aug. 30 an exit sign was reported as being torn down at Lauterbur Hall. On Saturday, Aug. 31, an exit sign was reported stolen at Hamilton College. On Thursday, Aug. 29, the University Bike Share kiosk near West Apartments I was reported damaged. On Friday, Aug. 30, two intoxicated male students were separately transported to the University Hospital. Both students were referred to the university. On Sunday, Sept. 1, a male resident student was referred to the university for an alcohol violation. Compiled by Ashleigh Sherow

Monday, September 9, 2013

The Statesman

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Storm of students stalls Back to the Brook Concert By Chelsea Katz

Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor

It was not a jog—it was not a run. It was a storm of Seawolves at the Staller Steps on Saturday at the Undergraduate Student Government’s second annual Back to the Brook concert featuring The Cataracs and headliner Mac Miller. At 5:15 p.m., about 45 minutes after the concert had already started, students waiting to get into the concert charged the Staller Steps. The show came to a halt for almost 20 minutes. Students who were already at the front of the stage pushed forward as part of what seemed like a collective effort to see the headlining performer. “I’m kind of pissed because we’re going to get the blame on Monday but we tried to prevent all of this from happening,” USG Vice President of Communications Mario Ferone said of the students rushing Staller Steps. “We wanted more event management. We wanted more police barriers.” The University Police Department did not respond to The Statesman's phone calls before production. Students had started forming

lines to get into the concert well before 4 p.m., with lines starting at the Staller Center, stretching down the academic mall, around Psychology A and into the parking lot behind it. When the concert started at 4:30 p.m., hundreds of

Ferone said. “We wanted more event management to help the line so people wouldn’t cut,” but Concert Security Services “were like ‘No, you don’t need that.’” Ferone said that campus security has a meeting every week and that

barriers to prevent another student rush. Director of Student Life Anthony LaViscount, USG President Adil Hussain and members of the University Police Department took the stage when the music stopped.

CHELSEA KATZ / THE STATESMAN

Students rush the Staller Steps at the second annual Back to the Brook concert. students had yet to go through a university pat down checking for illegal substances. “We didn’t know that the process for getting in would take so long,”

the concert would probably be a topic at the upcoming briefing. When it comes time for the spring concert, he said they will probably discuss a way to enforce police

Concert officials agreed to let the students who had not gone through the security check to stay on the steps. However, the concert could only

start again if a few conditions were met. “The official word from security is that if you don’t move back in 10 minutes, the concert is canceled,” Hussain said to the crowd from the stage. “You’re all in college—you can handle this.” About seven minutes later, the crowd seemed set in their original spots. After approximately 10 more minutes, Hussain told the crowd that if anybody crossed or fell by accident over the new police barricades, the show would stop permanently. “I think there are so many ignorant college kids that, you know, are fresh out of high school, so they aren’t used to this environment,” Laura Matel, a freshman biology major, said. “I’m just aggravated,” Nick Vitale, an undeclared sophomore, said. “It depends on how everyone cooperates,” he said when asked if he thought the concert would resume. The concert did resume about 20 minutes after its initial stop. “At least nothing bad happened—I mean that happened but it could have been worse,” Ferone said.

Up close and personal with The Cataracs and Mac Miller By Nicole Bansen

Arts and Entertainment Editor

The Statesman, “The Independent” and “The Press” were able to sit down with both The Cataracs and Mac Miller to talk about their careers, their personal life and their experience with the Stony Brook Concert. We chose some of our favorite questions to put in the issue. If you’re interested in hearing the full interviews, they are available on our website, www. sbstatesman.com. All questions below, unless otherwise noted, were asked by The Statesman (Nicole Bansen or Basil John). Interviews were edited for cursing. Nicole Bansen: NB Basil John: BJ Sophia Marsh: SM

(assistant

to the VP of Communications for USG) The Press: TP The Independent: TI Mac Miller: MM The Cataracs: TC MAC MILLER

NB: So I read that you were really into sports when you were younger. Would you have wanted to go into pro sports if you couldn’t do music? MM: I gave up on sports pretty early. I have problems with people telling me what to do. When I was younger, I would fight with my coaches. NB: You started music from a young age. Why did you get started? MM: I’ve always loved music, and its funny because people always ask me, because I’m white, about

how I got into hip-hop, but it’s just music. (laughing) BJ: How did you get into hiphop? MM: I got into hip-hop at the same time I got into music. I was born in ‘92 so by the time I was old enough to listen to music, it was all coming from the same place. I think The Beatles are one of the greatest bands in the world. TP: Have you thought of collaborating with Lil B yet? MM: A lot of people think that Lil B is a joke, but I really think he’s one of the best performers in the game right now. TI: What was it like to collaborate with Earl Sweatshirt? MM: We didn’t start out by making music. We kinda just hung out. I met him [Earl Sweatshirt] when I was getting a tattoo and

we just started going to my house. It was dope because we were both creating something. NB: You’ve worked with so many famous artists. Who was your favorite to work with? MM: Me and Schoolboy Q probably have the most fun making music. We’re both really funny guys (laughter) and he gets really weird when he’s at my house. TI: What made you switch from a party album to a more subtle, creepy sounding album? MM: When I first got into making music I wanted to make chilled out music like I’m doing right now. “Best Day Ever” was actually supposed to be a huge psychedelic journey that comes out of children’s books and cartoons. Continued on page 8

THREE ARTSY EVENTS

1) 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

Campus Recreation will be hosting a 3 on 3 basketball tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 6 p.m. in the outdoor basketball courts behind the Sports Complex. Students, faculty and staff are welcome to register online at imleagues.com.

2) Craft Center Mania

The Craft Center will be hosting a "Craft Center Mania" on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in their Union. Lower Level Room 081. Participants will be able to make ID pouches, sun catchers and more.

3) Laser Tag

The Weekend Life Council will be throwing a laser tag event on Friday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. in Student Activities Center Ballroom B. It is listed as one of the official opening activities for Fall 2013.

PHOTO CREDIT: USG

Miller performs at Staller.

The Statesman

Arts & Entertainment

Monday, September 9, 2013

Up close and personal with The Cataracs and Mac Miller Continued from page 7

What ended up happening though is you want to become successful, so your plan starts to change around that. I eventually hit a point where I was like alright this s**t is mindless and easy. NB: Where did the style for the Larry Fisherman EP come from? MM: I’ve been singing all this s**t for a long time and I was kinda always in it. So I was wrong on my album and stressing out, not sleeping for days starting to hate my track-list and all this bad, depressing s**t. So I made this jazz music and it was dope because I was like “F**k the album. I’m making a jazz album.” It let me escape from all this and it became my favorite album. BJ: Did you ever see yourself becoming this big star? MM: This is the thing. To me, I’ve really like always see everything as worse than it really is, but like what I want to happen and what I’m aiming for are so far away and prestigious. Before I do a show or drop an album I always to be in reality and not be weirded out about it. NB: Our mascot is a Seawolf. If I were to ask you “What’s a Seawolf?” what comes to mind? MM: S**t, I don’t know. Damn, a seawolf? A seawolf is a real thing? I was thinking this glorious, like, f**king unicorn type s**t.

PHOTO CREDIT: USG

The Cataracs at Staller. THE CATARACS

TI: Do you guys think there’s more freedom to play to college kids or a regular crowd? Is there something different about playing

to college kids? TC: Umm, yeah. I actually really enjoy playing to college kids because of the enthusiasm and the occasional intoxication. But, you know, it’s funny because people expect a lot of times that you want to play New York City, like Los Angeles. But a lot of times venues will kind of be occupied by people who fold their arms and they aren’t as engaged as a college crowd. They usually got in for a little cheaper and they just want to have fun. I mean when I was in college, I was enthusiastic about f***ing anything I could do that wasn’t related to the school, especially when it was free. NB: You’ve worked with so many different people, Dev just being one of them. Who has been your favorite person to work with? TC: Umm, I’ve been doing an Enrique Iglesias album so we’re almost done with it. And I think he perception of Enrique is that he is just this Latin heartthrob who is always looking slightly mystified at a sexual angle at the camera but he’s really just a normal cool ass guy. I think the first time we worked together I was slightly intimidated and then we drank a little bit, making some d**k jokes and his favorite jokes are "gay" jokes. Like if you didn’t know that, he’s like “I’m gay.” He was like that’s okay around me. Although he’s happily… but that was amazing. Robin Thicke. We’ve

been working with him on his new album. He’s incredibly talented. He has the voice of, like, Baby Jesus. I couldn’t be more happy for the success of “Blurred Lines” because… it’s kind of like he didn’t have anything for a little bit. But he’s like- never let it get to him. He really was just passionate about music. And his mentality was just about making good music. If it becomes a big hit, cool. If it doesn’t, whatever. And then he has “Blurred Lines”. When they are just generally passionate about making good music. NB: Could you see yourself ever collaborating with Mac? TC: Yeah, yeah definitely. I really respect him and think he’s one of the big innovators of the industry. I have a lot of respect for him since he made himself independently. NB: What are you hoping to get out of the crowd today? TC: Hopefully excitement (laughter) I really do like the college environment so I really hope there is some enthusiasm, maybe they can pre-game before the show. TI: Besides Enrique Iglesias, what else do you have coming up? TC: I did Shawn Paul’s new single, called “Other Side of Love,” I did Selena Gomez’s single called “Slow Down.” I’ve been working on “Big Dipper”, which is the new Cataracs album that we are about to release the music video for.

TP: When you collaborate, do you usually start from scratch or do you bring stuff to the table right off the bat? TC: Well I started to get good at strategically having something I thought was good for somebody. For The New Boys, they had the jerkin’ thing. And it was a little bit hard to see how that was going to get any bigger. Like how are you going to beat the jerkin’ song? And so I came up with back seat for them. When they came into the room, I didn’t try to be like “Here’s what you’re going to do. This is what you’re going to do with your career right now. Here’s what it makes sense for you. NB: Ok so I have to ask one last question. Our mascot is called a seawolf, and I have to ask what you think that is. (laughter) There is no wrong answer. TI: Don’t worry there is no pressure here. TC: What a seawolf is? It’s probably like a shewolf. TI: Shewolf? TC: But an aquatic shewolf, a marine shewolf. Umm seawolf sounds like you were running out of ideas for a mascot. NB: DING DING DING. That’s the right answer. TP: It looks like a scary eel thing with giant teeth, but if you ask anyone on our campus what a seawolf is they say what’s a seawolf? Everyone: I’m a seawolf. (laughter)

Mac Miller and The Cataracs's concert draws in hundreds By Nicole Bansen

Arts and Entertainment Editor

They came. They performed. They conquered. It is not every year that you get a fall concert that rivals the notoriously big spring concerts at Stony Brook University in attendance and vibes. But if you want something that comes close to that outcome, all you have to do is get The Cataracs and Mac Miller to perform at the second annual Back to the Brook Concert. Not even accounting for the performance, this year’s fall concert could definitely be considered a success based on the number of students drawn in alone. The performers brought in students by the hundreds–an extreme opposite of last year’s fall concert featuring Reel Big Fish. It was not that last year’s performers did not put on an excellent show, but that this year proves that the popularity of the hip-hop and DJ genres is just unparalleled to that of ska. The line stretched from the top of the Staller Steps all the way past the library, and that was only at 3:30 p.m. The concert was not scheduled to begin until around 4:30 p.m. At least, that is when The Cataracs took to the stage. When solo member Niles Hollowell-Dhar got in front of the crowd, the first thing he did was ask, “What the f**k is a Seawolf?!” to which the students yelled back in unison, “I’m a Seawolf!” From that point, The Cataracs had good

control over the audience. Many times during the set, Hollowell-Dhar would interact with the crowd. During big hits like “Bass Down Low” and “Like a G6,” he would lower the music and have the massive crowd of students sing the chorus. And whenever he built up a big bass drop in the music, he would crack open a cold water bottle and douse the audience. The Cataracs did more than just play his music. He mixed in songs ranging from Nirvana to DMX, which elicited plenty of cheers from the crowd. At one point, he even gave the audience a taste of a new Martin Solveig track that he collaborated on called “Hey Now.” The Cataracs ended the set by asking the crowd yet again, “What the f**k is a Seawolf?” Between The Cataracs leaving the stage and Mac Miller performing, there was a moment when it seemed that the concert would be canceled. During the intermission, students still on line for admission to the steps were filing in one by one. However, the massive line of students got tired of waiting and rushed the steps in a stampede, blowing by security checks and barricades. The steps were so crowded, you could barely even see the grass on the ground. Student officials like Undergraduate Student Government President Adil Hussain tried reasoning with the students, giving ultimatums that if they did not move back, the

concert may be canceled. After about 20 minutes of negotiations, students receded and Mac Miller was able to start his set. Before getting on the stage, Miller got on the mic and began singing the beginning of “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles, a band, which he later revealed in an interview with The Statesman, that he really enjoys. Like The Cataracs, Miller had excellent control over the crowd getting them to put their hands up, jump around and sway to the music. He also strayed into songs from other performers like Bob Marley. The music was loud and the bass was so powerful it could be felt from the ground, but all the while, the students could not get enough of Miller. Multiple times throughout his set Miller would take a break in one of his songs to freestyle. Normally, that would seem like a risky move, but Miller effortlessly flowed words from his mouth, speeding faster and faster until the crowd went crazy. Unfortunately, due to the lack of student cooperation during the intermission, Miller had to cut his set short in order to finish at 7 p.m. He even cut out one of his popular hits, “Frick Park Market.” Near the end of his set, he thanked the audience for their support and went on to end with his big hit, “Donald Trump” which put the crowd into a chaotic dancing frenzy. The thing that really stuck out

about this year’s performers is that they really knew how to put on a show and rile the crowd. Ava Rubino, a sophomore majoring in health science, did not need to be the bigest fan of the artists in

order to have a good time. "It's just a fun show and environment for everyone," Rubino said. The Student Activities Board has some big shoes to fill for next year’s fall concert.

PHOTO CREDIT: USG

Students dance at this year's "Back to the Brook" concert.

The Statesman

Arts & Entertainment

Monday, September 9, 2013

Big names attached to the fall season's television line-up By Brandon Benarba

Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor

September is an exciting month for television. With summer coming to an end, it is goodbye beaches and hello remote control. It is the return of popular favorites, a few of which will be finishing this year, and a fresh start for new series premiering this fall. A common thread among shows this year is popular actors and actresses making their return to television. Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar are two of the biggest faces. They are returning to television in CBS' sitcom The Crazy Ones. The show, which is Williams’s first television series since 1982, follows Williams and Gellar as a father-daughter pair in charge of an advertising agency, and the challenges of running a company with family. The show is set to premiere on CBS on Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. Premiering at the same time is The Michael J. Fox Show, which is loosely based on the titular actors life. Fox plays a news anchor diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease who retires to focus more on his health and family. NBC is putting a lot of faith behind the three-time Emmy winner, as they have already ordered a full 22-episode season for the show. After making multiple successful movies, Marvel studios is cooperating with ABC to bring their film universe to the television screen. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. sees Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) returning from the dead to assemble a team of top-agents to protect the world. Joss Whedon, creator of multiple fan-favorite television series and director of

The Avengers, is directing the first episode and will help oversee the entire show. Early showing of the pilot episode generated a lot of positive buzz about the show, but we will have to wait until Sept. 24 to see what happens. Two popular shows, The Vampire Diaries and Once Upon a Time, are also getting spin-offs this year. The Originals follows the world’s original vampires and their return to a vampire controlled New Orleans. Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, which is based on the famous Lewis Carroll novel, takes Alice (Sophie Lowe) out of the Story Brook’s asylum and thrusts her into Wonderland. Both spin-offs will have returning characters from the original series. Both shows are set to air in October. How I Met Your Mother, one

of the most popular comedies currently on air, is coming to an end this year. The final season with begin airing on Sept. 23. The show, which finally showed off the infamous mother (played by Anna Camp) last season, is splitting the focus of this season between the wedding of Robin and Barney and building the relationship between Ted and the nameless mother. Strangely, this season’s plot line is going to take place over a single weekend, which should make the 22-episode season move right along. Starting this year, FX is launching a comedy-focused channel called FXX, which is set to launch with the newest seasons of The League and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia on Sept. 4. Always Sunny will

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

launch their ninth season, and like every season, there will be plenty of guest appearances, including a episode inspired by Game of Thrones. The biggest returning show this fall is The Walking Dead, which will begin its fourth season on Oct. 13 on AMC. Fans of the show had mixed opinions about how the third season ended, but the new showrunner Scott Gimple is promising a new threat for the group, and the return

of last season’s antagonist The Governor. Still, the new season is set to deliver on what made the show popular in the first place: blood, zombies and brutal kills. Big, returning names is the theme of the upcoming television season. It seems that major networks are relying on these big names in order to bring in views for their new series, but they probably will not be able to steal views away from the final season of Breaking Bad.

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

Fox 's new show is based off his battle with Parkinson’s.

Gellar will star with Williams in “The Crazy Ones.”

disabilities. It was my thing.” Solowinska, who plays tennis and has volunteered at both Stony Brook University Hospital and Long Island Eastern Hospital near

“Sometimes I wander off through the hospital,” she said. “I go to Starbucks or I find somewhere else to sit and read. Watching the physicians going by in their lab coats makes me feel secure.” Solowinska’s early years in public school were stressful. Her hair was still short, she explained. None of her fellow students had made the connection to chemotherapy, she said, which she was thankful for. She spoke English as a second language, and had trouble spelling her full 19-letter name in kindergarten until her teacher took the time to sit down with her and teach her to form the letters with a length of yarn. School officials were unsure whether Solowinska’s ordeal would affect her ability to learn. “Alex was certainly one of those special students who did not come along very often,” Colleen McGowan, a Stony Brook alumna (class of ‘95) who was Solowinska’s high school chemistry teacher and one of the few people who knew about her history, said. “She told me from day one she wanted to be

Campus Spotlight: Once a patient, now a student By Michael Ruiz Staff Writer

She remembers colorful tiles and the hospital smell. She remembers the piggy bank with her name on it that someone had given her before an overnight stay. She remembers that her parents never put out many baby pictures because she had no hair. Because—she remembers—she was in chemotherapy. Alexandra Solowinska was diagnosed with cancer as a toddler. She underwent treatment at Stony Brook University Medical Center with doctors Robert Parker and Devina Prakash. Now 18, she is entering her first semester at the university as a recipient of the Daniel Brooks Memorial Education Award, a scholarship given to students who have undergone cancer treatment here. After her recovery, she kept this part of her past a secret, telling no one but her closest friends and teachers through high school. “I was always afraid that if I talked about it that people would judge me,” she said. “I know how people treat other people’s

with a cracking voice and a tear in her eye. “It feels so good to come back to where I belong, especially when I visit the eleventh floor.” The eleventh floor of Stony

MICHAEL RUIZ / THE STATESMAN

Solowinska is now a freshman at Stony Brook University. her home in Mattituck, has just taken the first step toward what she calls her life’s ultimate goal: becoming a physician. “It was always my dream to walk through those doors as a doctor, not a patient,” Solowinska said

Brook University Medical Center houses the children’s hospital, where Solowinska returned for annual checkups for years. To Solowinska, the medical center is more than just her home away from home.

a doctor and continues to strive for that dream. She was hands-down the hardest working and most motivated student I have ever had.” McGowan became a mentor to Solowinska during her high school years. “It was like a chemical bond,” the 18-year-old said of her close relationship with the teacher. “It was amazing to be able to talk to someone about [the past].” Solowinska was a fighter who consistently overcame obstacles, McGowan said. “You can’t say to her, ‘You can’t,’ because she will undoubtedly prove you wrong,” McGowan said. “She’s overcome more adversity than most people will in a lifetime.” She grew into a top student at Mattituck JR/SR High School. She became a student-athlete who played varsity tennis, and is now rehabbing a torn meniscus and partial ACL tear in her knee to try out for Stony Brook Club Tennis. “I fought it like a girl,” Solowinska said of her cancer. “To all the girls, fight like a girl. Fight everything and never give up.”

OPINIONS

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PHOTO CREDIT: MCTCAMPUS

The unfortunate West Side Story By Niveditha Obla Contributing Writer

Returning students are quick to compare the old Kelly Dining facility to the new one; the old, dust laden walls of the original Kelly dining center do not stand a chance against the gleaming glass walls that hold up the new center. The floor is clean, and the entire building seems to have a certain crisp organization to it. It was a well-known fact that Kelly was one of the best places to eat on campus last year. The pizza was always on point and the burritos outranked any made atthe Union or Roth. The shining point of Kelly was always the convenience store, saving any student from taking the long bus ride to WalMart every other week. So I went in with the idea that West Side was an upgrade to Kelly’s greatness. But the thrill of new Kelly seemed to end the minute I walked through the shiny glass doors. The lines for dinner mimicked the abysmal mess that is the Student Activities Center at rush hour,

which was expected. The only difference here was that this giant building does not have the capacity to hold the same volume of people, so the place became crowded in a matter of moments. What is even more disappointing to note is the seating arrangement. Tables are scattered around the central cooking area, adding to the congestion and inhibiting easy movement from one line to another. The worst is this: there are only 75 available seats right now for a dining facility that adds on 8,000 square feet. Old Kelly was able to seat about 160 students at one time, so this is a major downgrade. When I went to eat dinner with my friends, we ended up moving over to the GLS center because every single table was full. For a facility feeding hundreds of students a day, 75 seats is nowhere near enough. After sitting down at the GLS center, I had my first chance to taste the food. I had gone to the International Market, seeing as it was the shortest line at the time,

and paid about $8 for cold rotisserie chicken with a side of bland mac and cheese and brown rice, which was more than disappointing. Students who ate at Bob’s BBQ complained that it was not any more glamorous than Charcoals. In fact, one student sadly cited that his philly cheesesteak was about “80 percent bread and 20 percent meat” and that he expected more from a place that had advertised an improvement. But the reports from customers have not all conceded in negativity. The gelato at the Corner Café was noted to be “surprisingly better than the café from last year” and the Eastern Cuisine has so far outranked any other Asian-themed food on campus. That being said, West Side seems to be missing a lot of the highlights of Kelly. Where is the pizza? Where are the burritos? The staples of old Kelly have disappeared, as has the convenience store. The once cozy atmosphere of Kelly Café has dissipated into Continued on page 11

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.

BASIL JOHN / THE STATESMAN

The FSA should have spent more time and effort on the logistical efficiency of the new West Side Dining facility rather than the aesthetic design.

The Statesman

When twerking becomes working;VMA's aftermath By Nicole Gartner Contributing Writer

Miley Cyrus’ chaotic performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards last weekend was unquestionably memorable. While many viewers are using words like “ratchet” or “trashy” to describe the 20-year-old’s performance the word they should consider using is “successful”. Take that word in for a moment, and think about the concept of success. It can be defined as achieving something attempted, planned or desired. The performer told MTV producers prior to her performance that she was going to make history. Although it may be difficult for some to look at stuffed bears or foam fingers the same way again, Cyrus will now have you thinking about her, and that was her plan in the first place. The entertainment industry is a confusing one, and in today’s technologically growing world, we should all empathize with the tweeter next to us. With the ability to read celebrities’ inner thoughts on social networking sites, or follow their every move on reality television, we have created the illusion that we actually know them. The truth is, we don’t know “the real Miley Cyrus.” All we know is that she has shaved her head and gotten engaged. She has been heartbroken more times than Kim Kardashian complained about her baby weight this year and she likes to dress up as a frog and twerk in black-and-white. That is it. We do not know what she does during her free time, we do not even know if she has any free time. As a pop culture figure, signed to a corporation in Hollywood, this young adult is constantly under control by others. The most evident example of persuasion for a career boost, as managers and producers so often suggest, is doing something memorable on stage. Remember, any publicity is better than no publicity for some stars. “Freshening things up” is a professional responsibility that this young pop star has to work towards every day of her life. Too many people neglect the fact that the entertainment industry is just that: an industry. It is a business, run by corporate media elites who decide what is trendy, what is trashy and what will be the next big thing.

To think that the media moguls did not plan for something like this to happen, in which hip-hop collided with pop, you are sorely mistaken. As Miley Cyrus put in an interview with MTV after she recognized the impact she had made on pop culture, she asked, “How many times have we seen this play out in pop music?” Well, Ms. Montana, quite a few times. Madonna and Britney Spears kissed on the stage of the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards just ten short years ago, during a time of conflict and division of acceptance among the American people for gay rights. Just a few months later, Janet Jackson’s breast flashed before millions of Americans during the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show, when she presented many young children their first view of pornography. And yet, we are still surprised when things like Cyrus’ performance happen. It is interesting to wonder, though, why Americans are harsher on pop singers than we are on A-List actors when it comes to their craft. If we see an actor portray a drug dealer or a “bad cop,” we do not hold it against them. When Leonardo DiCaprio played a racist big in Quentin Tarantino’s 2013 “Django,” we did not finish watching the movie and thinking that he was a racist in his real life. We may have had trouble watching certain parts of the film, but in our eyes, he is now deemed a great actor. In fact, many audience members believe he deserved an Oscar for his performance. An Oscar, for being an overt and abusive racist for the entire country to see. Perhaps we look down on Cyrus while she frolics on stage half-naked because we have grown up with her. We feel that if we would not do it, she should not do it. Because who would get up on stage and stick a foam finger in between their legs and call it talent? Someone who is getting paid to do it, someone who has been in the spotlight for seven years and someone who wants to be more successful than she already is. As most people our age go to work and sluggishly occupy a desk chair for eight hours to hopefully make a difference in the world some day, Cyrus was able to grab the attention of millions in a matter of four minutes and fifteen seconds, just by doing her job.

West Side Dining's flaws Continued from page 10 the mess of the entire dining area, destroying the very idea of having a little café with cake and fresh cookies. The Fish Market does not even exist anymore. From my first experience, phase one of West Side has not proven itself to be so much of an upgrade as it is a downgrade from the original Kelly Dining. Phase two is tentatively set for completion next summer, adding on a Panini station, a pizza place, a salad bar and a grab and go express, as well

as a larger seating area. For now, students are able to access items from the old convenience store at the Seawolves Marketplace in the SAC, but instead of being able to use their meal points, they must pay with Wolfie’s Wallet. The student body has already waited two years for West Side to open, and so far, the reviews are only sub-par. Phase two hopefully brings in better, hotter food and many more tables, because at this point, I would happily take back the dirty floors of Kelly dining over the new West Side facility.

Opinions

Monday, September 9, 2013

Syria: five things you should know By Heather Khalifa Contributing Writer

Here is a simple breakdown of everything you need to know about Syria. The numbers are staggering. In just two years, over 100,000 people have been killed. There are two million refugees, half of them being children. Currently, onethird of the Syrian population is displaced. Entire cities inside Syria are completely wiped off the map. Yet these numbers aren’t what grabbed the American people’s attention in these past couple of weeks. It wasn’t even the 1,429 people, many of them children, being gassed to death by chemical weapons on Aug. 21, 2013 that finally got everyone talking. Instead, it was President Obama’s announcement of a potential strike on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his military that gave way to the national discussion of Syria. Here is a simple breakdown of everything you need to know about Syria. As you weigh in on the debate of intervention, keep in mind these five things: 1) American Troops Will Not Be On the Ground in Syria What President Obama is calling for is airstrikes aimed to target the Assad regime, the regime that has mercilessly slaughtered 100,000 of its own people, whose only crime was a call for democracy. Obama is not calling for American soldiers to enter the Syrian Civil War; this has been stated explicitly in the draft currently being reviewed by Congress. The reality of the situation is that in just one strategic strike, the Assad regime and his army will be severely weakened. Their military strength is no comparison to the United States. 2) Syria is not Iraq Like most Middle Eastern countries, Syria has its own unique conflict with its own unique history. So how does it compare to Iraq? Well, it doesn’t, for the simple reason that unlike what we saw in Iraq, there are in fact weapons of mass destruction in Syria. How do we know this? Because Assad unleashed them multiple times this year on his own people. Countless journalists, doctors and even the United Nations inspection team have evidence of this. These chemical weapons attacks have now forced Obama to take action, given his statement last summer about a chemical weapons attack being a “red line.” And essentially, it is how we got here to this debate today. 3) The United States has an embedded interest in Syria One thing you’ll hear people say is “the US has no interest in Syria, so we should just stay out of there.” This is a false statement. The United States and its key allies, particularly Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan, all have interests at stake with Syria. Syria is a key regional player in the Middle East, given its strategic location and influence

PHOTO CREDIT: MCTCAMPUS

Syria's destability potentially threatens its neighbors. in the region. It is important to remember that Assad gets much of his support from Iran and Hezbollah, and vice versa. If Assad is weakened, Iran and Hezbollah will also be weakened. This is very much aligned with United States interests and security, particularly during a time where Iran is developing a nuclear program. 4) Supporting the Syrian opposition does NOT mean you are supporting Al-Qaeda The Free Syrian Army (these are the people fighting to outs President Bashar al-Assad) is made up of everyday, ordinary Syrian citizens, volunteering for the sake of their country. Free Syrian Army General Salim Idris has already assured the U.S. that he and his fighters are in no way affiliated with Al-Qaeda. It is because the U.S. played the “wait and see” game that there is Al-Qaeda presence in the first place. However, extremist fighters make up less than 20 percent of the Syrian opposition. These extremists operate solo, and will most likely find that when Assad is gone, they will have no place in Syria. Al-Qaeda militants are somewhat like a mosquito; they play only a parasitic role within the Middle East. They see conflict, and they infest the region. But in the end, they will only leave a mark on Syria that will at first itch and swell, but will eventually subside. The Syrian people have no tolerance for Al-Qaeda, with or without Assad in power. 100,000 people did not give up their lives to hand over their country to Al-Qaeda. 5) Keep the Syrian people in mind, as they will be the ones most affected by any decision It is understandable that we as a country are weary of war. But we must also consider the consequences of not taking any action at all. “Hands Off Syria” is merely a slogan

of intellectual laziness; it does not aim to solve the conflict. Instead it suggests that people continue to go about their merry way, ignoring the hundreds of thousands of dead Syrian people. Many of these “Hands Off Syria” activists are going as far as to pointing fingers at the U.S., accusing them of another imperialistic plot. Considering that the U.S. has been doing its best to avoid any action in Syria for these past two years, I think we can all see how ridiculous this accusation is. But more importantly, both Syrian refugees as well as the opposition are in full support of U.S. strikes, and have been vocal about it to Western journalists. If anti-war and “Hands Off Syria” activists are true to their word on wanting to support the Syrian people, then they should recognize that a U.S. military strike is what the Syrian people want. Air strikes targeting Assad’s military bases seem to be the only viable option at this time. Simply continuing to give humanitarian aid is not enough, and eventually, these funds will wear out. The Assad regime has made itself very clear: they will not relinquish power, and as long as they are in power, they will continue to slaughter more Syrians. There will be, of course, a lot of turmoil following Assad’s departure. The Syrian people themselves do not deny this. But why delay the inevitable? Assad must go, and the sooner, the better. Syria will not be able to rebuild itself while he stays in power. If you truly believe in the democratic foundation that our country, the United States, was built on, then you would help support the Syrian people to do the same. As we saw with our own country, democracy is not an overnight process. We had to fight, just as the Syrian people are fighting. U.S. support could help aid that fight, and should not be dismissed by the American public.

Monday, September 9, 2013

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Monday, September 9, 2013

Sports

Monday, September 9, 2013

The Statesman

US Open gets SBU team excited about season Fresh Seawolves, fresh start By Andrew Eichenholz

Continued from page 16

which she felt her team could use to make the conference champion Seawolves even better. “While being on court with the pros, I was able to see up close not only their game, but also their fire,” Shtilkind said. “Being so up close and personal with the players really pushes me to motivate my teammates to strive for success.” Even club players use the Open as a motivational tool to push themselves to the next level, and possibly a walk on tryout with the Division I team. “The US Open helped me motivate myself to improve my tennis game,” sophomore Kyle Chung said. “Just watching the pros hitting helps me analyze their game and play style.” Junior Stefan Ilic, a student who has trained at the home of the Open in the past, is no stranger to the greatness that comes from across the globe at the end of every summer. “I enjoy watching the players hit every ball because it gives me hope that

Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Nadal will meet Djokovic in their third US Open final on Monday. one day I can play at that level,” he said. As recent Stanford graduate Bradley Klahn can attest, NCAA players are more than able to make it at the professional level, winning his first round match at the Open. For any tennis enthusiasts, Seawolves supporters or people looking for something to do on campus, quickly

coming up are the opening tournaments for the boys and girls varsity teams. Both being held on campus, the Stony Brook Invitational will be held starting Sept. 6 for the boys and Sept. 13 for the girls. A quick sidestep from Lavalle Stadium is where two conference winning runs will begin.

The Stony Brook Men’s Tennis team opened their season Friday and Saturday Sept. 6 and 7 against some top competition from all levels of college tennis. A fresh faced team with many freshmen, the new Seawolves did not disappoint in their debut. In their first tournament, freshmen Tyler Hoffman, Brandon Stone, Raphael Termat, Hari Asokkumar and Alexandre Felisa showed their fight and tenacity in several hardfought wins. Local Long Islanders Hoffman and Stone left their imprint as soon as they stepped onto campus, making some noise at the first tournament of the season. Competing against the second ranked Junior College team ASA from Brooklyn, Hamilton, Concordia, Quinnipiac,

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Hofstra and Stevens Institute of Technology, the young Seawolves rose to the occasion. Fighting through early round matches on day one, the C Flight draw had three Seawolves in the semi-finals. After battling past Rohan, Stone would go on to face fellow Seawolf Hoffman, who fought back in a dramatic three set match against Hofstra’s Beau Willis, coming back from down a set and an early second set deficit with a big forehand and many trips up to net. In an all-Stony Brook final, with big forehands and a final net-rush, Hoffman beat teammate Stone in straight sets, 6-4 6-4, taking a title home for the Seawolves. After the women's team takes the court for their Stony Brook Invitational next weekend on home courts next to Lavalle Stadium, the men head to the Penn Invitational starting on Sept. 27.

The Statesman

Fritz is aiming to be America East Midfielder of the Year Continued from page 16

he’s another we expect to have a good season.” Fritz is from Budapest, Hungary and went to high school at Szent Istvan Gimnazium. There was a lot to get used to in his first training camp at Stony Brook, but this year Fritz says he feels much more at ease. “Yes I’m definitely more comfortable,” he said. “I know what’s going on this year. Now I just try to step up and be a leader, and help newcomers as well.” Over the offseason, Fritz was working hard on continuing to improve his game. One thing he tried to improve on was his play with his right foot. Fritz is a left footed player and felt it was important to get better with his off foot. He also worked hard on coming into training camp fit. With a lot of questions about where the Seawolves’ goals will come from this season, the team cannot afford for Fritz to regress.

“I’m definitely gonna have a lot more pressure on me this year,” he said. “I have to have a bigger impact on the game. “ The Stony Brook offense this year will feature five freshman midfielders and two freshman forwards. Fritz does not expect his team to go backwards this year, but also thinks it will take time to build chemistry. “It’s gonna be different, because the new players are still not used to the tempo,” said Fritz. “But, definitely with time, I think we can have a really good group, and achieve great goals.” He is well aware of what is expected of him, and knows he will need to play well for the Seawolves to achieve what they want: a conference championship. And Fritz says he won’t be satisfied with anything less. “This season we definitely have to win the America East championship, and then we’ll see what happens from there,” he said.

Volleyball goes 1-for-4

By Lisa Setyon-Ortenzio Staff Writer

After their first tournament at Holy Cross last week, the Stony Brook women’s volleyball team travelled to Syracuse for the usual Syracuse Candlewood Suites Invitational opposing them against four challenging teams including the school of Colorado, Rutgers and Okland universities. If the Seawolves came up short against Colorado on Friday morning, they rapidly got back on their feet and beat the ACC’s Syracuse University 3-2 later in the day. The win over ACC’s Syracuse gave the Seawolves their first victory over a conference-opponent since 2007. Players such as captain Lo Hathaway, Kaitlin Costello, Stephanie McFadden and Melissa Rigo played a huge role in leading the Seawolves to the win. While Hathaway recorded 27 digs, Costello led the game with 19 kills, and Rigo added seven digs and five kills. Head Coach Coley Pawlikowski’s Reaction on the win over Syracuse was quite positive and encouraging: “We discovered we have to control our emotions and our side of the court. Rather than have peaks and valleys, we learned we need to be consistently solid. Statistically, they led, but we had more heart, fight and stability,” said Pawlikowski.

After beating a power conference opponent, the Seawolves unfortunately fell against Rutgers (3-2) and Oakland (3-0), which ended their journey to the Syracuse Candlewood Suites Invitational. “We need to learn from that match. We need to stay aggressive and play hard from the first whistle to the last dead ball that hit the floor with no mental breaks in between. That’s the next step,” said coach Pawlikowski concerning the team performance against the Rutgers. According to coach Pawlikowski, the loss against Rutgers was more perceived as an opportunity to actually see where they were standing as of right now. “Oakland is a very well-trained team that plays very scrappy and hard. I have a lot of respect for Rob and what he has built there. I liked that we had the opportunity to play again right after a loss and a chance to push ourselves. We were mentally tired in sets one and two. In set three, we battled and nearly pushed Oakland to a fourth set. That’s what we need to focus on—how we responded in that set. I’m proud we pushed. Next time, we just have to do it right away,” said coach Pawlikowski. On Sept. 10, Stony Brook will travel to Queens for a match against St John’s University starting at 7 p.m, before traveling to the Kennesaw State Owl Classic.

NINA LIN / THE STATESMAN

Melissa Rigo had seven digs and five kills against Syracuse.

Sports

Monday, September 9, 2013

Men's soccer rookies seek Wixted's guidance

By Joe Galotti

Assistant Sports Editor

Midfielder Shane Wixted is one of the Seawolves’ most reliable defensive players. But this season, the most important thing he can bring to a very inexperienced Stony Brook team is leadership. “I feel like I need to be a leader for this team,” Wixted said. “I need to lead by being vocal as well as by example.” Last season, Wixted played a large role in a Seawolves' defense that only gave up 22 goals in 18 games. The team gave up the third least amount of goals in the America East conference. Stony Brook’s defense also shut out their opponents six times last year. “We had a good backline,” Wixted said. “We had really good goalkeeping. It was a team collective effort. Everybody worked really hard off the ball.” Now, with many of the players from last year’s defense having graduated, head coach Ryan Anatol will be looking for consistently strong play from the senior. So far through training camp, Anatol has liked what he has seen from Wixted. “He’s in a good place right now,” Anatol said. “He’s showed up in the right frame of mind, for the preseason. I expect good things from him this year.” Anatol has known Wixted since their days at the University of South Florida, where Anatol was the head coach, and Wixted was one of the players he recruited. Wixted played 18 games for Anatol at South Florida in 2010. That year he helped Anatol’s team earn an appearance in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Last season the two were reunited again, when Wixted joined the Seawolves. Having

his former coach at his new school made the transition for him much easier. “Coach is great,” Wixted said. “He’s really encouraging. He pushes everybody. He expects a lot out of guys, but he’s a really good guy, and a good coach.” Anatol has similar feelings about the player he’s known for almost five years now. “It’s been a joy (to coach him),” Anatol said. “It’s been a pleasure to watch him develop.” Wixted is one of the few familiar faces at Anatol’s training camp this year. With over half the roster featuring new personnel, there are many questions about whether the team can duplicate their success from last season. But Wixted is optimistic about the team’s chances this season. “I think coach brought in a lot of good players,” Wixted said. “We have a lot of young guys coming in, but we have a really good group again.” With so many younger players, Wixted’s on-field leadership abilities will be extremely important early on in the season. “The strongest part of my game is that I’m a leader on the field,” he said. “I communicate a lot and help my team keep organized out there.” His ability to keep his team in the right positions on the field and his leadership off the field is something that did not go unnoticed by his teammates from last year. “Shane is a great teammate,” sophomore midfielder Alejandro Fritz said. “And I feel really confident that he’s gonna be just as good as a leader as he’s been in the past.” Wixted is now in his final season with Stony Brook. And while he enjoyed last season, he was not pleased with the way it ended.

The Seawolves lost in the semi-finals of the America East tournament by the score of 1-0 to UMBC last November. “It was a disappointing at the end there when we lost in the tournament,” he said. “We’re looking to do better this season for sure.” Wixted felt that his game last year was mostly solid, and that he came on stronger in the second half. But even as a senior he is still working to improve

“The strongest part of my game is that I’m a leader on the field...I communicate a lot and help my team keep organized out there.” -Shane Wixted Senior midfielder

his game. “I’ve been trying to work on my fitness,” Wixted said. “I am also trying to continue to get better on the ball like always.” Wixted says he is unsure what he will do after his collegiate career is over, and is more focused on this season rather than the future. And in his last season as a member of the Seawolves, the ultimate goal for him hasn’t changed. “Winning a championship is always important every year, whether you’re a senior or a freshman.”

MEHMET TEMEL/ THE STATESMAN

Senior Shane Wixted has been a leader for his team both on and off the soccer field.

Sports

Defense delivers Seawolves victory in first CAA contest By Joe Galotti

Assistant Sports Editor(?)

If Saturday’s performance against Rhode Island was any indication, the Stony Brook football team will not have any trouble adjusting to play in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference this season. The Seawolves opened their season at Meade Stadium with a dominant 24-0 victory over the Rams. The game marked the program’s first contest while playing in the CAA. Stony Brook’s defense led the way, forcing three turnovers on the day, two of which lead to Seawolves touchdowns. Senior defensive back Reuben Johnson was extremely active on defense, recovering two

JIA YAO/ THE STATESMAN

Marcus Coker led all players with 78 rushing yards.

fumbles and forcing another one. Sophomore defensive back Naim Cheeseboro had a big day as well, recording nine tackles in the game. The offense was also productive, finishing with 339 yards of total offense, 153 of which came on the ground. Senior running back Marcus Coker led all players with 78 rushing yards. Senior Lyle Negron, who began his first season as the Seawolves' full time starting quarterback, also came up with a strong effort. He finished 12 of 19 for 186 yards, and a touchdown. Negron made an impact in the game early on, but with his legs rather than his arm. On the Seawolves' first play from scrimmage, he delivered a 57-yard run to put his team on Rhode Island’s 10-yard line. The rush set up a field goal by senior Nick Ferrara to give Stony Brook an early 3-0 lead. Negron’s run was the longest by a Seawolves' quarterback since the year 2000, when Dave Rodriguez had a 64-yard run against Central Connecticut. In the second quarter Negron found junior tight end Will Tye for a 34-yard connection that put Stony Brook at the Rams' eight yard line. Coker then finished the drive with a touchdown rush to give his team a 10-0 advantage. The score would remain the same until the 9:23 mark of the fourth quarter, when sophomore

JIA YAO/ THE STATESMAN

SBU starts CAA Conference play with a three-game road trip, first dominating URI 24-0. running back Jamie Williams found the back of the end zone on an 8-yard rush, to make it 17-0. The Seawolves got the ball back less than two minutes later on the Rams' 49-yard line, after a forced fumble by Johnson. The offense would capitalize on the solid field position, as Negron found junior wide receiver Adrian Coxson for a 30-yard touchdown pass, to put Stony Brook up by 24. Saturday’s game marked the program’s first shutout since the Seawolves defeated Coastal

Carolina, 42-0, back on Oct. 29, 2011. It was also the school’s third shutout since Chuck Priore took over as head coach eight years ago. Stony Brook’s offense was 7 of 12 on third down attempts. They also had possession of the ball for 33:36, and did not commit a turnover in the game. Senior wide-out Malcolm Eugene had three catches on the day for 56 yards. Senior Devante Wheeler also had a big day, making three catches for 41 yards.

Ferrara, a transfer from Maryland, showed off his powerful leg multiple times during Saturday’s game, averaging 46.2 yards per punt. His longest punt of the day, was 68 yards, which was the longest in the school’s Division I history. The Seawolves next game will be at Buffalo, next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. It is the second leg of the team’s three-game road trip to start the season. Stony Brook’s first home contest will be on Sep. 28 against Towson.

With the opening of school Sophomore Alejandro Fritz sets high goals comes the Open of tennis By Joe Galotti

Assistant Sports Editor

By Andrew Eichenholz Staff Writer

Just as the Seawolves are settling into their dorms, the best tennis players in the world are gathering at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens for the US Open. Right in Stony Brook’s backyard, the stars of the game, like Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, are fighting for prize money, media spotlight and attention. For the first and only time of the season, the Seawolves tennis teams are not the

ones under the pressure, but enjoying it. Just as many dream to become a professional baseball player when they grow up, the U.S. Open provides a goal. Arthur Ashe Stadium is the largest tennis venue in the world, and a place current Seawolf tennis players would not mind ending up after their college career. Member of the Girls Varsity team and former U.S. Open ballperson, sophomore Becky Shtilkind saw the desire of the best players in the world, Continued on page 14

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Novak Djokovic, who came second to Andy Murray in 2012, will face Rafael Nadal in the 2013 US Open final match.

With the Seawolves losing many of their top goal scorers from a year ago, there will be lots of pressure on midfielder Alejandro Fritz to raise his offensive game. However that pressure has not stopped Fritz from setting lofty expectations for himself. “I’m really trying to be named America East Midfielder of the year,” Fritz said. Fritz has reason to be confident after coming off a strong freshman campaign. In 2012, he started in 17 out of 18 matches, and finished with five goals, six assists and 16 points on the season. Last year’s America East Midfielder of the year, Leonardo Fernandes, was the only Seawolf who had more points and assists than Fritz. He was also a big offensive contributor on a Stony Brook team that went to the semifinals of the America East tournament. His best game came in the America East quarterfinals against Binghamton. He had two goals and an America East Championshiprecord-tying five points in the game. He also came up with a last-minute tying goal in the game where Stony Brook would go to win 5-4 in overtime. Fritz’s strong play was recognized as he earned a spot on the 2012 America East All-Rookie Team,

MEHMET TEMEL / THE STATESMAN

There is increased pressure on Fritz to up his goal production. along with the 2012 America East All-Tournament Team. “I had a great freshman year,” said Fritz. “I’m really proud of those awards. But, I want this season to get better, and to have an even better year this year.” Fritz’s head coach from last season, Ryan Anatol, was very

pleased with his first season with Stony Brook. “He had a good freshman year, and he’s driven,” said head coach Anatol. “He wants to do well, he wants the group to do well, and Continued on page 15