The Statesman Volume 57 Issue 19 by The Statesman

The Statesman informing stony brook university for more than 50 years Monday, February 24, 2014

Volume LVII, Issue 19

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Sabre Proctor's 26 points leads SBU past Maine

Few health exchange plans at SB Hospital

By David Vertsberger Assistant Sports Editor

side chatter quickly faded in recognition of the dancers, their brightly colored costumes and the soothing dance routine they performed without missing a beat. The first routine, with its white and blue themed costumes, set the tone for the rest of the night as one that would be peaceful yet entertaining. The following set, however, included a more upbeat rhythm that was rightfully accompanied by sun colored dresses that floated as their wearers seemingly glided across the stage with their partners. This change in tempo became routine throughout most of the show, but it did not ruin the performance by allowing the audience to guess what to expect next. Each routine has its own flavor whether it was the rhythm, the costume, or the story.

The Stony Brook women's basketball team had to dig deep to come away with this narrow 73-65 victory over the Maine Black Bears. After controlling the ball game for most of the first half—even going up by as much as 16—the Seawolves gave way to a push by Maine to cut their deficit to just six at halftime. The Black Bears then made it a game, taking their first lead of the game about midway into the second half. Stony Brook responded thanks to some big lategame stops and scores. “I think it was really just about communicating and working through it. We just have to keep pushing through it and keep playing smart because they might make a shot, but then we can make a play next possession” said Brittany Snow, who finished with 12 points on 3-5 shooting from the field. The Seawolves were playing at another level of physicality in the first 17 minutes of the game than Maine, collecting nine of their 13 offensive rebounds in the contest during the first half. Maine—underpowered in this matchup—was forced to foul and send Stony Brook’s women to the line. The Seawolves ended up having to take 32 free throws in the contest, but weren’t phased by the hard hits. “We just wanted to go up strong, make a play and finish it” said Sabre Proctor. “I think we did great in the first and second half with that.” Snow added, “We’ve been practicing a lot [of free throws] in practice, shooting a lot of them in practice actually.” The early scoring burst came from Proctor who scored 17 of her career-high 26 in the first twenty minutes. Proctor was extremely aggressiveness throughout the game, putting up 23 shots and battling for post position on seemingly every trip down in the latter part of the game. “We basically wanted to focus on our defense and maintain their shooters” said Proctor. “Every team goes on a run so we wanted to just stay under control. I think the whole team was mentally focused and we got it done.” Maine’s comeback was fueled by their backdoor cuts, which the Seawolves simply couldn’t defend

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By Ryan Wolf Staff Writer

Stony Brook University Hospital will currently accept only one plan on the New York state health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act after reaching agreeable terms with just one company. On Friday Feb. 14, the University Hospital announced an agreement with health insurance company Magnacare, to accept Health Republic Insurance of New York plans. Health Republic is one of eight health insurance plans offered in Suffolk County on New York’s health exchange. Hospital CEO Dr. L. Reuven Pasternak said the deal “came as the result of a constructive discussion that resulted in a solution that was fair for the hospital, physicians, company, and most importantly, the patient." A week prior, Pasternak said the hospital would not be accepting any of the Health Exchange plans offered in Suffolk County because of low reimbursement rates. The hospital’s primary concern is that the low reimbursement rate it would receive from some insurance companies will result in a loss in revenue and an inability to continue expensive services. Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, Dean of the School of Medicine and Senior Vice President of Health Sciences, said: “When the exchange insurance plans were first formulated, the insurance carriers expected us to accept about 30 percent lower reimbursements. If we did that, we would not be able to offer the high quality, unique services at Stony Brook." Pasternak highlighted the unique financial situation of the hospital, saying, “Although we are a state facility, our operational budget is not derived from tax or general state revenue. We support our operations from the revenue that we generate from the care that we give." Because it is the only public hospital in Suffolk County, Stony Brook University Hospital treats more patients than most healthcare facilities. As state-funded hospital, it must be open to treat everyone in the county—insured and uninsured. According its website, the hospital treats about 31,964 Continued on page 3

MEHMET TEMEL / THE STATESMAN

Sabre Proctor drives down the lane for the finish en route to a career high 26 points.

Siberian national dance company performs at Staller By Kevin Urgiles Contributing Writer

Russia has been soaking up much of the world’s spotlight in recent weeks with its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. However, this attention also comes with a hefty amount of criticism. Reports criticizing Russia’s $51 billion expenditure as well as citizens’ loss of homes to make way for Sochi related services without compensation have both been consistently published in an attempt to raise public awareness. Unfortunately, in trying to report the truth behind the Sochi Olympics many reports fail to emphasize the finer qualities of Russia and its rich culture. Like any land, Russia’s people have a diverse set of talents and traits that make them unique when compared to other groups around

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the world. Stony Brook campus had the pleasure of experiencing this culture first hand. The Staller Center for the Arts hosted the event on Saturday which featured the Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia. After performing in more than 60 countries around the world, the group of professional dancers had its first performance on Stony Brook University campus, which appeared to be a highly anticipated one as crowds of enthusiasts began filling up the main stage audience seating long before the actual performance began. One would not have wanted to miss the visual experience put on by the performers from the very first dance piece. The show started off abruptly, lacking any formal introduction, but it did not take long for the visuals, music and dancing to captivate the audience’s attention. Low murmurs of

Arts & Entertainment

Opinions

Sports

Expanded Verizon service on campus

Project Sunshine Masquerade Ball

RSP services insufficient

Men’s basketball beats Maine, 83-79

MORE ON PAGE 16

4G LTE coverage is now better on West campus.

Hundreds don masks for hospitalized children.

Patrol needs to expand to create a safer campus.

SBU improves to 12-2 in AE with two games left.

The Statesman

Monday, February 24, 2014

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Stony Brook to renew accreditation status By Ryan Wolf Staff Writer

Stony Brook University is seeking reaffirmation of its accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSC), so from March 29 to April 2, an 11-member peer review team will be on campus to make the determination. The MSC is an association of Mid-Atlantic state universities that provides a process determining if a school’s quality of education matches national standards, referred to as accreditation. It is one of six regional accreditors in the United States and vouches for 530 colleges and universities on the east coast. Colleges in the United States seek accreditation because the designation brings a reputation of reliability. Stony Brook has been an accredited member of the MSC since the school’s founding in 1957. For SBU—including each of its campuses in Manhattan,

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Southampton and around the world—to receive reaccreditation, an 11-member peer-review team needs to visit the campus. Consisting of ten leaders from other schools and one Stony Brook representative, the team is allowed to tour SBU and ask any student or staff member questions about the university. Stony Brook needs to prove it has met the MSC’s fourteen standards. As such, one of the main tasks of Stony Brook’s steer committee, which is responsible for the preparation of the reaccreditation process, is increasing awareness among students and staff. Leading up to the scheduled visit, the committee created a self study to provide the university the opportunity to highlight positive attributes and provide evidence of its continuing excellence. A town hall meeting about the process, in which panel members laid out the details concerning the preparation and scheduling of the visit, was held on Feb. 19.

In attendance was Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Charles Robbins, Department of Geosciences Chair Daniel Davis and Middle States Coordinator Lauren Tacke-Cushing. “It really is important that we get the word out and people are aware of it,” Robbins said. The team “may visit different schools, different colleges or different departments.” The process works the other way as well—members of the Stony Brook community

can contact the review team with comments or questions. Robbins said the university will let its students and staff know about future visits and townhall meetings through emails and web postings. SBU’s reaccreditation “involves everybody in the campus community,” TackeCushing said. She went on to say that the MSC is providing three campus forums for undergraduate students, graduates students and staff members so the team can

member, who is not named for concerns of risking their position, noted that should a survey regarding snow removal efforts be released to students, it would reveal negative opinions. “I had so many complaints concerning the conditions on campus, I bet the snow removal department will get, if any, ½ a star,” the employee said in an email. Many residential students were concerned about having limited or no access to the side entrances of their buildings. Freshman biochemistry major Gaïane Offredo and freshman biology major Matteo Graniero, both living in H Quad, found that while main entrances to their buildings were cleared, it was an inconvenience that the entrances they normally used were not.

Other students took to the internet to voice their dissatisfaction with the snow removal efforts. One Reddit user cited Roosevelt Quad fire escapes located in the shade were coated in ice after the Feb. 10 snow day. The user also highlighted the danger of secondary entrances to buildings in the quad. “I just hope the greater University understands that these fire escapes are completely unsafe and people are going to get hurt if there is an emergency,” the poster wrote in the comments. Another student took to Instagram. Onewheelofsteel posted a video—which he also shared on Reddit—of what he referred to as a James College fire exit that appears to open to a sizeable slope of ice and

snow. In the video, the student can be heard saying, “Stony Brook, why do I have to climb that to get out of my dorm?” Not all students found issues with snow removal around their dorms. Freshman Vincent Viggiani, who lives in Greeley College in Roosevelt Quad, said that the contracted workers with the task of clearing the snow from campus “have a lot [of ground] to cover.” For that reason, he believes students should “cut them slack.” And freshman chemical engineering major Mobina Talukder, who lives in Stimson College in Roosevelt Quad, said that she had no problems with how the snow was cleared from her area of campus because she has access to her building.

Michael Ospitale, DoIT’s Campus Network Manager, said. “Realizing that the campus had the necessary in-house expertise to resolve the issue was the first step, then it came down to finding the right cellular carrier as a partner.” In 2011, Ospitale worked in Campus Residences. He used to receive constant complaints from students in Noble Halls and West Apartments about the terrible cell reception, and turned to a start-up company in CEWIT to alleviate it, according to Director of Data Network Services Jim Hart. “Verizon was able to implement a low-cost solution by leveraging technology from Intelibs, which completely covers the campus with a high-quality cellular signal,” Ospitale said. According to an article on Stony

Brook University Happenings, the problem began with the recently built Yang and Lauterbur Halls. Author Kerrin Perniciaro, manager of IT Communications and Web Strategy, wrote that the buildings were constructed with materials certified by Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) to save energy. But these materials were also preventing radio signals from going inside the buildings, causing students to voice concerns. Intelibs, a DAS equipment provider founded by Seyong Park, collaborated with Verizon Wireless on the mission to bring better wireless service to students and faculty. Park is a PhD graduate in electrical engineering at Stony Brook University. Last year Verizon apportioned $400 million to upgrade its

wireless performance in the New York metro area. As a result, the entire project came at no cost to the Stony Brook—Verizon handling the financial expenses. Also in the article from Stony Brook’s online newsletter, Park says, “This solution makes sense for Stony Brook because it is such a large venue and hard to cover by a single tower, not to mention how many people are using a multitude of different devices all trying to connect at the same time.” The DAS system was activated on New Year’s Eve. Harrison Rose, a junior majoring in Environmental Design, Policy and Planning, is thoroughly pleased with the boost in coverage. “I wouldn’t get good service in the library and Union before. But I’ve definitely noticed a difference in service,” Rose said.

ANUSHA MOOKHERJEE / THE STATESMAN

A panel held on Wednesday, Feb. 19 presented details about the Middle States accreditation visit. The school will be evaluated from March 29 to April 2 by the team.

hear the perspective of the Stony Brook Community. Reaccreditation preparations began in the spring of 2012, with the number of people working on the project hitting 80. Robbins said he is confident SBU will pass. “The visit and the report in April is certainly something we are looking forward to, we know we are not done at that point,” he said, “but we are feeling very optimistic about where we are and about the preparation.”

Snow and ice still pose a hazard to campus residents Limited plans By Kelly Zegers Staff Writer

Over the past few weeks, Stony Brook University made efforts to remove snow from walkways and roadways across campus. Despite those efforts, though, some students feel the residential buildings have inaccessible or slippery entrances. Primarily responsible for university dormitories and dining halls, Campus Residences’ priority when it snows is to clear only main pathways and entrances for emergency access, Director of Residential Operations John Sparano said. He was unable to be reached for comment specifically on student concerns about dorm entrances. A Campus Residences staff

Expanded Verizon service available on campus By Christopher Leelum Staff Writer

Because of a recent partnership between Stony Brook University and Verizon, students will notice a significant improvement in wireless performance this semester. A distributed antenna system was implemented throughout West Campus late last year with the help of Stony Brook University’s Division of Information Technology (DoIT) and the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT). This helps to boost coverage and performance of Verizon devices where quality was lacking before. “Several years ago the University embarked on a journey to fix major radio frequency coverage gaps across the campus,”

at Hospital

Continued from page 1

inpatients annually. The reimbursement rates offered in the Health Exchange have been compared with Medicare and Medicaid rates, which are considered to be low. According the The New York Times, Stony Brook Hospital billed Medicare $44,491 on average in 2013 for joint replacements, its most common treatment. Medicare generally foots 47 percent of the bill. Though considered low, this rate was above the national average in 2013. Though the hospital accepts Medicare and Medicaid’s low rates, it is reluctant to accept lower rates for private health insurance companies. “In contrast to the Medicare and Medicaid government programs, the exchange is a collection of for profit insurance companies who receive funds from individuals, sometimes with government support, which are then responsible for providing care,” Pasternak said. One of the appeals of Health Republic Insurance is that it is the only insurance under the COOP or Consumer Operated and Oriented program on the New York health exchange. The program, created under the Affordable Care Act, gives aid to not-for-profit companies so that they can offer insurance plans to create competition and lower prices among insurance companies. Stony Brook Hospital said that it has not made a final decision on the remaining health plans and is currently still in discussion with five of the seven other plans in Suffolk County.

Monday, February 24, 2014

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Monday, February 24, 2014

Under the microscope: vegetarian bats Campus Briefing: SAB discusses By Mallory Locklear Staff Writer

Ever 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. Charles Darwin, known for his contributions to evolutionary theory, would have turned 205 years old this month. While his description of natural selection certainly sealed his place in history, he was by no means the first to study evolution, and definitely not the last. Dr. Liliana Dávalos in the department of ecology and evolution here at Stony Brook University studies natural selection in bats. There are over 1200 different species of bats, and nearly 70 percent of these species survive on insects. Only two groups have evolved to eat plants, making these bats very unusual. The New World leaf-nosed bats are one of these groups. Found from Arizona to Argentina and comprised of approximately 150 different species, this group

of bats is very diverse. Dávalos wants to know if this diversity is due to random genetic changes or directed changes resulting from natural selection. As described in their recent study published in “Evolution,” Dávalos and her colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst tackled this problem on two fronts. First, they engineered a computer program that allowed them to model the skulls of 85 different species of New World leaf-nosed bats. The program not only allowed them to look at the physical representations of the skull, but also to calculate the mechanics of the skull and the power of the bats’ bite. Second, the diets of each of these bat species were studied and then compared to the information on skull mechanics determined by the computer program. Dávalos and her colleagues found that based on their diets and bite force, the 85 species of bats can be clearly sorted into three groups. At two extremes are the groups that have incredibly weak and incredibly strong bite force. Those with weak bite force are the bats whose diets consist of nectar and subsequently have very

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

Dr. Liliana Dávalos is studying how bats evolve. Varying bite strengths point to systematic, non-random evolution.

long, skinny snouts—similar to a hummingbird’s beak. The low mechanical advantage of the skull is traded for the skinny snout that allows it to feed on nectar. At the other extreme are the approximately eight different species of what are known as short-faced bats, whose skulls feature very high mechanical advantage. Their snouts are incredibly short and wide and their skulls provide them with a powerful bite, allowing them to eat very hard things like figs. This makes them part of the rare group of bats that have evolved to eat plants. The rest of the 85 species studied fit into the third group, which sits in between the two extremes and survives mainly on insects. That these bat species clearly fit into three categories based on the mechanical advantage of the skull—or, the strength of the bite—suggests that the diversity of the New World leaf-nosed bats is not due to randomness, but due to natural selection and skull mechanics in particular. Moreover, this evolution took place over a rather short period of time. “The evolution of the short-faced bat alone has occurred over only approximately 10 million years,” Dávalos said. The next question Dávalos would like to answer is why so few bats have evolved to eat plants. Are there mechanical limitations? Are there issues with incorporating new foods into the diet? Further, she would like to determine whether the bats’ genes reflect natural selection the way their anatomy so clearly does. The next step Dávalos and her colleagues plan to take is to improve the computer model of the bat skulls, programming it to incorporate even more species, providing this field with a very powerful research tool.

Fire in Roth temporarily closes food services By Giselle Barkley Assistant News Editor

Roth Food Court closed on Monday, Feb. 17, after a small fire broke out in the Wendy’s kitchen. The fire took place around 11:20 a.m., according to Food Manager Edward Urena. Urena said the chefs were cooking when oil caught on fire under a hood at one of the stations. Wendy’s employees were cleaning the area following the incident. “Our fire suppression system

went off, so we have to make sure it’s clean,” Urena said. Angela Agnello, director of marketing and communications for the Faculty Student Association, said “the building was evacuated and gas service to the kitchen was automatically shut down. There were no injuries or damage to the building.” Some students, like Mohammad Malik, junior psychology major, were unhappy with the temporary closing of Wendy’s, saying that he and friend Sameer Merali, went to

Roth specifically for Wendy’s. They were not satisfied with the difference in price between the food from Wendy’s and the other food services in Roth. “I was expecting to pay $4, but now I ended up paying $11,” Malik said motioning to his plate. Starbucks, Roth Regatta Café, S3 Fusion and Roth Market Fresh were open following the incident. Wendy’s re-opened for service around 5 p.m. UPD and Media Relations did not respond to requests for comment.

Motor vehicle accidents on Stony Brook's campus By Giselle Barkley Assistant News Editor

Car Accident (Feb. 18) A Stony Brook commuter student rear-ended a university employee’s car when approaching a stop sign on Tuesday, Feb. 18, according to Assistant Chief of Patrol Eric Olsen. Witnesses said the accident took place around 9:30 a.m. on John S. Toll. “The damage was limited to

minor front and rear end damage,” Assistant Chief of Police Lawrence Zacarese said. According to Zacarese, the student refused medical attention and the university employee was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with back pain. Two-car incident (Feb. 19) Four police cruisers—two marked and two unmarked—responded to a two car accident near South P lot on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

The accident took place around 5:20 p.m. The people involved in the accident were not injured and there was no visible damage to the vehicles. According to Assistant Chief of Police Lawrence Zacarese, it “seems that one bumped into the other in traffic.” The unmarked cars were the first to reach the scene of the accident and waited for the mark police cruisers to arrive due to the location of the accident.

Spring Concert opener options

EZRA MARGONO / THE STATESMAN

Ludacris performed at last year's Spring Concert. SAB is arranging opening act options for this year's concert. By Peter Chen

Contributing Writer

While awaiting a response from a possible headlining act for the Spring Concert, the Student Activity Board spent most of Friday’s meeting debating various performer scenarios. If the board is able to negotiate with the headlining act, the spring concert will be held on Wednesday, April 23 at LaValle Stadium. The next issue the board needs to tackle is deciding how to arrange the opening acts. One option discussed at the meeting was having one opening act and keeping the same concert layout as last year. The other option included having two opening acts at a lower price range and expanding the concert time by one hour. Anthony LaViscount, director of Student Affairs, was present at the board meeting but would not

Meeting in Brief

• The Board is working on a book signing session after Dr. Michio Kaku’s lecture on March 26 at the Staller Center. • Roth Regatta is set for Friday, May 2. USG opened the theme to a vote by the student community. They can choose from: Videogames & Apps, 1989 (the first year of the Regatta), Television, the Internet and Mardi Gras.

on comment on the possibility of the second option. However, he did hold a closed door meeting with only board members to discuss the concert expansion. Without any confirmation though, the board passed both scenarios with the hope of getting three acts from three different genres to attract a bigger audience.

Police Blotter

Drug and Alcohol Violations:

On Saturday, Feb. 8, one student was referred to the university for marijuana use.

door jam, damaging the door and damaging the lock in the Computer Science building. Theft:

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, a female resident student was referred for marijuana at Gray College.

On Friday Feb. 14, an iPod and an iPod touch were stolen from the University Hospital.

On Friday, Feb. 14, three students were referred to the university for marijuana.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, a wallet was stolen from Whitman College.

On Friday, Feb. 14, an intoxicated female from West Apartments H was transported to the hospital and was referred to the university.

Miscellaneous:

Damage/Criminal Tampering: On Monday, Feb. 10, a window screen was damaged at Benedict College. On Monday, Feb. 10, an unknown person sprayed foam builder's insulation into the

On Monday, Feb. 10, a female patient spit at and hit a nurse in the face. The patient was arrested. On Saturday, Feb. 15, four male students were referred to the university after a large group yelled at an RA at West Apartments C. Compiled by Ashleigh Sherow

Monday, February 24, 2014

HEAR IT. SEE IT.

REPORT IT. The University Seeks Your Recommendations If you have reported sexual misconduct or otherwise believe you have been subjected to sexual misconduct at Stony Brook University (including Stony Brook Medicine, Long Island State Veterans Home, Stony Brook Southampton and all other Stony Brook University facilities), the University wants your recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexual harassment policies and procedures. At your earliest convenience, please contact the Title IX Coordinator: RAUL M. SANCHEZ

Senior Director for Title IX and Risk Management Office of the President 310 Administration Building Stony Brook, NY 11794-0701 Phone: (631) 632-6975 Email: raul.sanchez@stonybrook.edu

Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 14020909

The Statesman

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia shakes Continued from page 1 Costumes ranged from simplistic colors that flowed gracefully with the dancers help to unique chicken-like costumes that added personality on top of an already visually satisfying performance. Similarly, the routines added personality to the folk dancing with the stories they told. The use of dance to lay out ten-minute stories to the crowd was one of the strongest factors contributing to the audience’s consistent clapping and clamors of praise. This is not to discredit the dancing itself, which is something that could have been enjoyed by any fans of dance, even those unfamiliar with Russian folk dance art. The dancer’s performance depended on the routine, and so some of the show consisted of solo dancing where each dancer formed a single moving body that swept the stage like a wave that never

crashed on the shore. The wave instead disappeared into a side curtain where a new set of dancers would come out in different costumes to keep the visual delight refreshed. The transitions made the National Dance Company of Siberia’s dancers seem infinite in number as most of the transitions occurred in a tight time slot where off stage dancers had to seemingly get dressed in an instant before coming out to complete the routine. When the new dancers did take the stage they danced on virtually every inch of stage available to them. Whether they were dancing with a partner or at front stage spinning on their upper bodies, each dancer added a unique sense of style to the performance while not deviating enough to make it seem incoherent. Although the dancing was labeled as folk art dancing, it was hard to tell at times how it varied from modern day dancing we see in pop culture. Some routines

involved graceful dancers that looked like they were moving on an invisible conveyor belt, but others included energetic dancing where the dancers showed off moves that tested their acrobatic ability. It was the latter that proved to be similar to modern day dance philosophy, but distinct enough to not take away from its cultural roots. Most routines included a prop that was put to use by the dancers. These props, including swords and accordions, added to the visual aspect of the dance show while also displaying an impressive skill by the dancers to use materials other than their bodies to emphasize the art of dance. The use of these props to further add to the overlay of sound in the performance made their presence just as strong, and important as any of the factors that made the two-hour show a success. It was a combination of these factors that left the audience in a roar of applause as the curtains closed. An applause well deserved.

KENNETH HO / THE STATESMAN

This was the National Dance Company of Siberia's first time at the Staller Center. .

BRANDON BENARBA/ THE STATESMAN

The national dance company took the stage at Staller.

KENNETH HO / THE STATESMAN

The Staller Center brings in all types of dance companies.

THREE ARTSY EVENTS

1) Blow Up Your Fears

An RA from Baruch College is inviting students to "Blow Up Your Fears" on Monday, Feb. 24 at 10 p.m. in the dorm classroom. Participants will be writing down their insecurities and popping balloons filled with paint on top of their fears to annihilate them.

2) Brownie-Mania

The Dewey RA Staff will be leading students in a “Brownie-Mania” activity on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 10:30 p.m. in the college kitchen. Participants should bring their own mug for brownie decorations.

3) Game Night

The Keller College Hall Council will be gaming on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Keller College lounge. There will be card games and board games.

Monday, February 24, 2014

The Statesman

Arts &Entertainment

Campus Spotlight: Patricia Wright and lemurs go IMAX By Elizabeth Morgan Contributing Writer

We have all seen at least one of the Madagascar movies that portrays comical cartoon animals struggling to find a home in the wild. However, this spring, a new movie titled “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” will be released about the real fight for survival of lemurs in Madagascar. Spearheading the production of this movie, not to mention the entire conservation effort it represents, is Stony Brook anthropology professor Dr. Patricia Wright. Wright began her work as a conservationist while she was in Madagascar doing research. “It started out that I just wanted to study lemurs. I never thought it would be quite as complex as it is now.” Wright said her real efforts at conservation began when “timber exploiters came in and started cutting down trees,” and Wright went to the capital to ask them to make it a protected area. While the government was very supportive, they told Wright that the responsibility for funding and planning the conservation project would fall on her. Wright was surprised, but says she realized that, “If I didn’t do it, no one else would.” The funding for her project came

from USAID, the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg foundation, the MacArthur Foundation and others, and in 1990 Dr. Wright received nearly $5 million dollars to start her project. In 1991, Wright came to Stony Brook University, after being recruited by her friend, Dr. Lawrence Martin of Stony Brook’s anthropology department, who felt that she was needed at Stony Brook to establish a primatology department. “I am very happy to be here,” said Dr. Wright, who spends the Fall semester researching in Madagascar and the Spring semester teaching here at Stony Brook. She enjoys this arrangement saying, “it allows me to be able to do the kind of fundraising and research that I need to do, but also allows me to have students, which is very important to me.” It was through Stony Brook alumnus Richard Gelfond, CEO of the IMAX Corporation, that Dr. Wright was able to have a movie made about Madagascar. It started with a conversation, and two months later planning began for “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar.” Wright says her original intent for producing such a film was “to show the beauty and mystery” of Madagascar, as well

as to raise awareness about the plight of lemurs. To that end, all proceeds from the movie were put toward the conservation project in Madagascar. Additionally, at the “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” preview in Manhattan on Feb. 1, the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation agreed to match every dollar, doubling the amount of money that will be going directly to help the lemurs. In addition to her work for “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar,” Dr. Wright is also devoting herself to many other projects. She has published a book titled “High Moon Over the Amazon: My Quest to Understand the Monkeys of the Night,” and is currently working on a second book, to be titled “For the Love of Lemurs: My Life Saving the Wilds of Madagascar.” All of her conservation work has not gone unnoticed. She is a finalist for the very prestigious Indianapolis Prize, which makes her eligible to win $250,000. However, Dr. Wright doesn’t only work to help the lemurs of Madagascar. She also does a considerable amount for students here at Stony Brook, as well as other students in the U.S., through her study abroad program in Madagascar. She has created a research station with modern classrooms where

students work on a variety of things, from biodiversity field techniques to independent research projects. “I love to take undergraduates to Madagascar,” says Dr. Wright, who runs both a fall and a summer program in Madagascar. Jennifer Green, Stony Brook Study Abroad Advisor, said that the Madagascar

program is one “we don’t have to push. Students love it. Dr. Wright has given us one of the few programs in Madagascar of quality. It is a centerpiece of our Study Abroad program.” “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar,” will be released commercially, in IMAX and 3D, on May 23.

PHOTO CREDIT: PATRICIACWRIGHT.ORG

Dr. Patricia Wright's documentary will debut this May.

Press Start to Continue: "Strife" fits within MOBA genre By Dylan Palazzo Staff Writer

Since the gaming market has been saturated with what seemed like all possible variations of the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre, the fans of S2’s “Heroes of Newerth” (HoN) were very skeptical when they heard the company was creating a new MOBA. HoN players voiced their concern, asking why the funds being put into an entirely new game were not instead being used to further improve the company’s already successful game and were worried this new focus would hinder the development of HoN. However, after playing both HoN and “Strife” endlessly this past week, I feel comfortable saying that not only will HoN continue to improve, but that “Strife” will be an excellent addition to the MOBA genre. Currently in closed beta (meaning apart from the rare open player weekends, an access key must be provided to you by the company in order to play), “Strife” already appears to have all the cornerstones that makes a MOBA game popular, as well as its own unique game mechanics and features to set it apart from other titles in the genre. The core MOBA formula hasn’t been changed too much with respect to the map setup and win condition: three lanes, destroy the throne to win. The main differences on the map are seen in the jungle and the bases. The jungle has neutral camps, as well as two boss neutrals, Baldir and Cindara, that require the combined forces of a team to

defeat. Upon defeating Baldir, the team is rewarded with an increased damage buff, while the stronger Cindara rewards with a powerful non-player character named Krytos, who will push its way down any one lane of the team’s choosing, attacking all enemy units and towers. Rather than having three

attack the throne, but are not required to break more than one. Additional generator removal further weakens the throne and provides other lanes of access to the base. The graphic style of “Strife” is very reminiscent of the high quality cartoony look– on a smaller scale–that people

manner in which players farm. In every MOBA, gold is awarded to the player who makes the last hit on a creep. In “Strife,” while being the last one to hit is still the only way to get the gold from creeps, allies that are within range of the creep’s death are also awarded gold, the total of which is split between eligible heroes.

DYLAN PALAZZO/ THE STATESMAN

HoN players were not very excited about Strife but the new MOBA is a great addition. towers per lane guarding creep barracks, there are only two towers per lane guarding power generators. There are also no barracks to influence the strength of creeps. These generators are effectively stronger towers, but directly impact the strength of the throne. Destroying a generator removes health from the throne and decreases its damage. Players must destroy at least one generator in order to

are familiar with from recent animated movies such as “Frozen” and “Wreck It Ralph.” A more direct comparison would be to the visuals in Runic Games’ “Torchlight” series, especially concerning the environment of the game. Heroes are distinct and highly detailed all the way down to their expressions when idly emoting. Quite possibly the best change to this type of game is the

This allows more fragile heroes to stay out of the fray without sacrificing their farm and those who are not skilled at last hitting are not punished so long as their ally can make the killing blows. Another unique aspect of “Strife” is out-of-combat regeneration. Upon leaving combat, specifically not taking damage and not attacking, the hero will gradually heal to full both their health and mana

while on the battlefield. This promotes a more action packed game as those on the offense will try to keep regenerating heroes in combat, and those who successfully regenerate will have never truly left the fight. There is also post-game progression in the form of pets, crafting and enchanting. Upon first launching “Strife,” players are taken through a three phase tutorial which ends in pet selection. Each pet brings a minor additional ability with no cost but large cooldown that can change the play style of the gamer, such as an extra burst of damage, brief invisibility, or increased health regeneration. Pets can be fed to level up, and each level provides additional passives to the hero, as well as augmentation on its bonus skill. For example, Razer provides brief invisibility, but after a few levels the cooldown of the skill is decreased and the hero gains a passive life steal on next attack every 26 seconds. Leveling pets is also aesthetically worthwhile, as a level one Razer is just a kitten, but a level nine Razer is a ferocious tiger. Crafting and enchanting brings another dimension of unique play styles. The player can directly alter the items needed to build powerful weapons in game, mixing and matching the stats they want out of any one weapon. For example, if the player prefers a hero build that focuses on solely damage, they can trade Continued on page 9

The Statesman

Arts & Entertainment

Monday, February 24, 2014

Project Sunshine masks up to help kids with medical problems By Hanaa’ Tameez Assistant News Editor

When Mohammed Naeem graduated from Stony Brook last spring and stepped down as the president of Project Sunshine, he left big shoes to fill. After starting Stony Brook’s chapter of the non-profit organization, Naeem joined current president Faieja Chowdhury, a senior sociology major, and the executive board for its second annual masquerade ball on Thursday in SAC Ballroom A. The ball gathered more than 400 Stony Brook students for a night of food, dancing and raffle prizes, which included an overnight stay at Hilton Hotels & Resorts with a complementary breakfast. Chowdhury said that although many came out just for a good time on campus, she was pleased with the turn out. “I know people came out to have fun and for the raffles,” Chowdhury said. “But at the end of the day, they cared about our cause. They cared about the kids in the hospital, the fact that we volunteer at the hospital every week, but you’re making an

Many attendees came for fun, not necessarily for the cause.

Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Philippine United Student Organization, Phi Delta Epsilon and Delta Sigma Phi. “Our collaborators were amazing with the things brought in. They brought in drinks, desserts and they did PR for us,” Chowdhury said. “Those were the three conditions that we give to our collaborators. They came in with their 50 volunteers and then we had all the baked goods they gave us so that consistently fed everyone.” Most of the food at the event was a donation from local restaurants in the area, like Ruvo Restaurant and Paces Steakhouse in Port Jefferson, N.Y. Chowdhury said the event’s cake was worth nearly $3,000 dollars but Cardinali Bakery in Syosset gave it to Project Sunshine for less than 100 dollars. “Basically we went into these stores for a little bit of warmth [on a cold day] and tried our luck but they were so kind-hearted,” Chowdhury said. “They were like, ‘gotchu, you just have to pick it up on this date.’ ” While Project Sunshine’s policy does not allow the organization to release how much money was

daughter of a political merchant who is also being pursued by Corvus. Naturally, we all know how this story will play out. So it is the rich-girl falls for poor boy love story wrapped around a historical disaster, much like “Titanic,” while bloated with rejected scenes from “Gladiator” in order to stretch the amount of time before the volcano blows. This would not be a problem if it was at least competent work, but director Paul W.S. Anderson really does nothing to bring this film to life. The fight scenes are not really original but they get the job done, almost to a comical degree, but the romance plot really just falls apart. Browning and Harington really have no chemistry here, and are just kind of awful in their roles. They still pale in comparison to Sutherland, who has to actively be trying to be a bad actor to reach the level he puts on display here. If there were one saving grace it would be Atticus (Adewale

Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Mr. Eko from “Lost”), the veteran gladiator who is just one more fight from retirement. His character expresses opportunities to be really interesting, but Anderson

the crux of the story is about the volcano and eventual destruction of the resort city. The film constantly cuts back to show environmental shots of the mountain as if to remind viewers

seems intent on just keeping him as the black sidekick. Agbaje brings some charisma to this role at least, even when he has to rattle on about how he is the best slave. But since this is “Pompeii”

that eventually the CGI will kick in. When the volano does finally erupt, the film manages to spark something resembling the feeling of excitement, but still not interesting. In order for any of

this to be actually interesting the film has to ensure we actually care if any of the characters survive. Still, the visual destruction and chaos is a very gripping image that really demonstrates the kind of money backing these kinds of movies. However, I cannot think of a single scene that this film did not borrow from “Titanic” and “Gladiator.” It is devoid of any originality, style or even life. It is especially confusing when you realize that both films it has so painstakingly Frankensteined together came out 13 years ago. So why do this now? “Pompeii” is the type of movie that is bad, but I wish was worse. It is a film that takes some great ideas from other films and makes them seem terrible, but the visuals and promise of lava-fueled destruction lure you to continue watching. It is the film equivalent of lettuce, sure it can sustain you on its own but you will want something else or more to go with it.

These enchanted weapons are not permanent though; a few days after its creation, it will disappear unless frequently attended to with more enchanting. The materials required to feed the pet and craft and enchant weapons are rewarded at the end of a match, regardless of a win or loss, via a round of the shell game. Three chests numbered from one to nine appear, are then silhouetted and swapped about, and players are free to pick one. The higher the

number on the chest, the better the rewards. Higher numbered chests are provided to players who performed the best overall in the game. One of the smarter aspects of “Strife” is the separation of client and game. When players open the program, a window opens where the user can perform out of game progression with pets, crafting and enchanting, as well as checking the hero page for skill details and finalizing the hero and pet choice before

queuing for a match. Rather than choosing a hero after entering a match, players pick their hero first, enter the queue and are placed in a match based on their and other players’ picks. Once a match is found, the client closes and launches the full game which saves computer processing when users want to leave the client running in the background or waiting for the queue to finish. There are currently 14 heroes in the world of “Strife,” each

one visually distinct with diverse skills and means of play. Though S2 currently has “Strife” in closed beta version 0.2, it is confidently making its place in the field in its infancy. While it doesn’t have the same level of rewarding highly skilled and aware players as HoN does, there will surely be many changes throughout the game’s beta phase, and will assuredly become a popular MOBA in the very near future. Keep a look out for free play weekends to try your hand at “Strife.”

impact one way or another.” Since Stony Brook’s Project Sunshine chapter is only three years old, many students did not know about its cause. However, the idea of a masquerade ball intrigued many into attending. “It’s a nice way to dress up and donate [to the cause],” senior math major Selia Liang said. “It’s a good event.” As guests arrived, Project Sunshine members handed out raffle tickets and then directed them towards

other volunteers who were serving appetizers and snacks. A short video presentation about the organization preceded a performance by two ballroom dancers and then the dance floor to the attendees for the rest of the night was opened. But even without funding from the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), Project Sunshine was able to draw an impressive crowd with the help of other student groups like The Golden Key Club, the National

HANAA' TAMEEZ / THE STATESMAN

raised that evening, Naeem said 100 percent of the funds go to Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. But the community’s willingness to support its effort to help young childpatients in the area continues to astound Chowdhury and her team. “It’s actually pretty amazing when you go out there how big people’s hearts are,” she said. “They heard about our cause and the fact that we’re actually making a difference and they were willing to help.”

HANAA' TAMEEZ/ THE STATESMAN

The $3,000 cake cost $100.

"Pompeii" steals from classics and still goes up in flames

By Brandon Benarba

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

“Pompeii” is a film all about the idea of lose. It is a film that highlights a powerful lose for one of the most powerful empires in history. It is a film that has its character fighting a losing battle for their freedom, love and life. But more importantly, it is a film that will make the audience lose appreciation for two cinematic classics due to how shamefully this film steals everything from them. The film follows Milo (Kit Harington, or as he is more commonly known as, Jon Snow), a Britannia slave nicknamed “The Celt” who fights as a gladiator in Roman coliseums. As a boy Milo watched his tribe, including his parents, get viciously slaughtered by the Romans led by senator Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland). Now as an adult, Milo must not only fight for his freedom and revenge his people, but also fight for the freedom of Cassia (Emily Browning), the beautiful

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was the best part of "Pompeii."

Press Start to Continue: Strife is bound to become big Continued from page 8 out a weapon’s additional, less valuable health regeneration for more damage. After crafting, the player can enchant the new weapon which provides further bonuses. Now, the weapon that used to give damage and health regeneration to the hero instead has significantly more damage from crafting, as well as increased base damage and critical chance from enchanting.

OPINIONS Editorial: Olympic Games offer The Statesman opportunity to laud world community informing stony brook university for more than 50 years

Editor-in-Chief ............ Deanna Del Ciello Managing Editor ........... Emily Heller Managing Editor ........... Christine Powell

News Editor .......................................................... ..Rebecca Anzel Sports Editor .............................................................. Mike Daniello Arts & Entertainment Editor ......................................Nicole Bansen Opinions Editor ...........................................................Keith Olsen Multimedia Editor ............................................................Nina Lin Copy Chief ................................................................ Maria Plotkina Assistant News Editor.................................................Giselle Barkley Assistant News Editor............................................. Hanaa' Tameez Assistant News Editor...................................................Will Welch Assistant Sports Editor...............................................Cameron Boon Assistant Sports Editor ........................................... Catie Curatolo Assistant Sports Editor..................................................Joe Galotti Assistant Sports Editor..........................................David Vertsberger Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor................... ...Chelsea Katz Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor.................Brandon Benarba Assistant Opinions Editor ..............................Anusha Mookherjee Assistant Opinions Editor .....................................Niveditha Obla Assistant Multimedia Editor...........................................Basil John Assistant Multimedia Editor...................................Heather Khalifa Assistant Multimedia Editor....................................Jesus Pichardo Assistant Copy Chief..............................................Briana Finneran Archivist ................................................................ Marley Solomon Business Manager ............................................ Frank D'Alessandro Advertisement Layout............................................Frank Migliorino

The Olympic Games, which ended on Sunday, captured our imaginations with international competition over the past few weeks. It would be easy to say that the entire campus cheered for Team USA, but many students on campus are part of the international community and have been rooting for many different countries, often the places they call home. As a celebration and exhibition of both athleticism and pride for homelands, the Olympics are an opportunity to appreciate the diversity of SBUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body of international students. Currently, over 4,000 international students are enrolled at SBU. The school has faced racial stereotypes due in part to the high number of students from Asian countries. Though it is hard to miss the accommodations and clubs catered to Asian students and wide range of Asian languages spoken on campus, it is not right for students that are a part of a university of this caliber to perpetuate negative stereotypes. The games have told the emotional stories of athletes from across the world, as well as the many problems Sochi, Russia faced in preparing to host the Olympic games. Many jokes and critical remarks were made, including the birth of hashtag of #Sochiproblems, and the

Western media faced some backlash for being too harsh. Unfortunately, it was easy to make fun of Russia, as the country has standards of living, governmental structures and cultural norms that stand in contrast to our own. Despite all of these criticisms that were made against Russia, the games succeeded in achieving their ultimate goalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;facilitating and emboldening a world community. However, the Olympics serve as a reminder for our local community that we must do a better job at understanding, or at least accepting, different cultural values. Many of the stereotypes and jokes come from cultural ignorance and a lack of respect. As members of a higher institute of education, it has been disturbing to listen to some of the remarks made. Rather than isolate the international student body with these crude remarks, SBU students should find ways to learn more about the cultures they make jokes about. Rather than labeling and judging a large body of students, we need to seek out common grounds to accept and share experiences during our four years here. SincerelyThe Editorial Board

Copy Editors Karina Biacan Bridget Downes Nicole Kohn Arielle Martinez Caroline Smith Iantha Stewart Jessica Tuite

Contact us: Phone: 631-632-6479 Fax: 631-632-9128 Email: editors@sbstatesman.com Web: www.sbstatesman.com The Statesman is a student-run, student-written incorporated publication at Stony Brook University in New York. The paper was founded as The Sucolian in 1957 at Oyster Bay, the original site of Stony Brook University. In 1975, The Statesman was incorporated as a not-for-profit, student-run organization. Its editorial board, writers and photography staff are all student volunteers. New stories are published online every day Monday through Friday. A print issue is published every Monday during the academic year and is distributed to many on-campus locations, the Stony Brook University Hospital and over 70 off-campus locations. The Statesman and its editors have won several awards for student journalism, and several past editors have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers in the field of journalism. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sbstatesman. Disclaimer: Views expressed in columns or in the Letters and Opinions section are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Statesman. The Statesman promptly corrects all errors of substance published in the paper. If you have a question or comment about the accuracy or fairness of an article please send an email to editors@sbstatesman.com. First issue free; additional issues cost 50 cents.

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Opinions

The Statesman

Monday, February 24, 2014

Down with mandatory freshman Kansas House passes time-travel bill attendance at school social events By Jonathon Kline Staff Writer

At Stony Brook University, it is required that all freshman students, in order to receive credit for their freshman seminar class, go to academic or social events sponsored by Stony Brook University and approved by whatever quad they were assigned to before the year started. In order to get credit for the freshman seminar class, which is only one credit, you have to attend at least one social event, like homecoming, or an academic event, which will deal with a certain topic that is discussed thoroughly, as the name implies. However, these events, just like the class of freshman seminar, are absolutely pointless; they are only an inconvenience to the students that have to attend them. Most students only go to these events because they are required to go in order to get credit for a class that “helps you get accustomed to college” and tries to make the large campus of Stony Brook feel much smaller than it is. The one flaw, out of many, about this idea is that the class meets

waiting for my class. On top of that, Stony Brook has a large amount of commuter students. This makes these events

However, these events, just like the class of freshman seminar, are absolutely pointless. just pointless; it serves to be an inconvenience in our schedules because most of these events take place at night time or on the weekend. Why would students who commute from the city, for instance, want to sit around and wait for a social event in which they will sit around and do nothing, being there only because a pointless class requires them to be there? I understand that the university wants to help freshmen acclimate to the campus, but we all knew

JOHN FEINBERG / THE STATESMAN

Freshman seminar classes are a hassle for commuters. once a week for one hour. Besides the fact that it does not give time for students to really connect with one another, it just really serves as an inconvenience when making school schedules. When my instructor for my second semester freshman seminar class asked why we, the students, were in this class, a majority said that they were in it because it fit their schedule. I was one of them, picking that specific class because I am a commuter student and I did not want to have to hang around Stony Brook

what we signed up for when we decided that we wanted to go to Stony Brook. We all heard stories of the massive lectures, the weed-out science courses and the like, but at the end of the day we chose to come here for one reason or another. The large campus aspect was something we already knew in advance. Take out these pointless events and, for that matter, the freshman seminar class, because honestly it only serves to be an inconvenience to a majority of the students that go to the university.

PHOTO CREDIT: MCTCAMPUS

Kansas bill 2453 would allow Kansas businesses to discriminate against gay patrons. By Matthew Boose Contributing Writer

Did you hear about the good Christian man who lost his faith? He was a respected and active member of his church community for decades. Then one day, a gay couple walked into his restaurant. He served them coffee. And just like that, in a flash, his faith abandoned him. His soul was extricated. In an instant, he had become a morose, atheist heathen. He got a nice big A tattooed on his left buttock. He started sacrificing goats to honor the memory of Christopher Hitchens. He even started writing snarky diatribes on Facebook. Oh, you haven’t heard? That’s because it never happened. But legislators in Kansas seem to fear that accommodating same-sex couples will compromise Christian faith. On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Kansas House of Representatives approved House Bill 2453 by a 72-49 vote. If enacted, it would protect individuals and businesses from being sued for refusing to provide goods, services and accommodation to same-sex couples on the basis of “sincere religious belief.” Employees of the state would be included. When I read this, I had to check my calendar to make sure it was not 1895 (I guess it would be pretty neat to see the Chicago World’s Fair). The implications of the bill are frighteningly Jim Crow-esque. Rep. Charles Macheers (R), the legislator who introduced the bill, expressed the “reasoning” behind it nicely. “Discrimination is horrible. It’s hurtful…. It has no place in civilized society, and that’s precisely why we’re moving this bill. There have been times throughout history where people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs because they were unpopular. This bill provides a shield of protection for that.” This shameful episode is not the only time I have heard such hypocritical nonsense. The idea that Christians are an endangered minority warranting special protection seems to be a common

idea among certain confused members of the religious right. The reasoning is as follows: “I can’t impose my ideology on society, or spread hate speech with immunity; therefore, religious persecution.” In reaction to this illusory encroachment on religious freedom, legislators push for reforms that assert their personal ideology in order to preserve it from “attack.” In the minds of people like Macheers, being forced to treat same-sex couples equally is a form of persecution. The irony is lethal. I observed this same rhetoric being used in reaction to the Phil Robertson embarrassment. In the aftermath, the religious right issued

This bill flies in the face of decency, equal rights and the law. a rallying cry to protect his right to believe in the Bible. I will admit that Robertson seems like a pretty harmless and decent person, and the public scrutiny he received may have been a little disproportionate, but in no way were his rights infringed upon. I can’t fathom how people are able to misunderstand the First Amendment. Robertson was suspended by his employers because they found his comments to be rude and offensive. The government did not prosecute him. He was not censored. Obama did not drag him into the Ministry of Truth for brainwashing. The public scrutiny that Robertson suffered was the result of his own decision to express his bigoted opinions to the public. It would seem that what the religious right demanded in this instance was not protection of liberties, but immunity from reproof.

And now we have a fresh example of Christians demanding special treatment under the law. Kansas House Bill 2453 aims to establish a Kansas where discrimination in almost every sphere of life is practiced openly in the name of religious freedom. It flies in the face of decency, equal rights and the law. The First Amendment, the 14th Amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Golden Rule. Remember? The Sermon on the Mount? I cannot offer a quick and dirty solution to this problem; if it were easy, we would not still have issues like this in the 21st century. But education is crucial. Could it be that, due to the recent enthusiasm for science in secondary education, we have neglected the importance of civics? It seems that many people do not understand how the Constitution works at all. But I doubt that is the whole picture—whether something is constitutional or not does not seem to matter to people who are bent on institutionalizing a personal ideology. Thankfully, Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle (R) has expressed her party’s disapproval of the bill and has reported that it will likely not make it through her chamber. Regardless, the fact that the bill even made it through the House of Representatives is an embarrassment to the state of Kansas. If they want to accomplish time travel, they should invest funding in laboratories instead. There is a—to use a euphemism—vocal minority of Christian conservatives who will simply not accept the separation of church and state. To them I say: the right to practice your faith is not going anywhere. The Founding Fathers made sure of that when they drew up the Constitution. Have you seen any Bible burnings? I sure have not. Relax! Stop playing semantic games with the First Amendment. Stop imposing oppression in the name of liberty. It is hypocritical and wrong. You can practice your faith while also showing respect and common decency for other human beings.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Adoption

The Statesman

Help Wanted

Chapter Assistant / Office Assistant

Fun loving married couple wishing to adopt a baby. We promise to give your child a loving and happy home. Expenses paid. Home study certified adoptive parents. Please call anytime.

Needed for the Stony Brook Health Sciences Center (SB HSC) Chapter of United University Professions (UUP) to perform general office duties in our busy chapter office serving a membership of 4000 SUNY faculty and professional staff. The Chapter Assistant will be a member of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) with all rights and benefits afforded CWA membership. This position is part time (30hrs) M-F. Associate’s Degree required with 2-5 years experience in a similar office setting. UUP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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They will tell you it’s just a blob of tissue But at 28 days her eyes and ears have already begun to show. Education doesn’t have to end because a new life begins.

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Opinions

Monday, February 24, 2014

Comments RSP needs to pivot to providing safety to commuters from the peanut gallery: on Amanda Knox By Alexandra Miller Contributing Writer

Residential Safety Patrol (RSP) provides many students on campus with employment. However, considering its operations were created back in 1974, how effective and efficient can they be? A majority of the program’s training consists of memorizing numerical codes and regurgitating archaic safety

These safety recommendations are not just for RSP staff after late night shifts; these are campuswide suggestions. Additional campus safety recommendations from RSP include walking with a buddy and walking on the bestlit path. However, not everyone has a buddy parked in the same parking lot, or with the same appetite for late night snacks, so solo journeys around campus are inevitable.

By Michael Newcomer Staff Writer

Amanda Knox and the Everchanging Verdict. Sounds like the Harry Potter title that wasn’t, but with a murderous subplot. Last week, an Italian appeals court found Knox and her exboyfriend Raffaele Sollecito guilty of the November 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, with whom Knox shared a residency while they were both exchange students. This decision overturned a 2011 appeal that cleared Knox of the murder, which overturned an original guilty conviction that was handed down in 2009. Lawyers of both Knox and Sollecito have announced plans to appeal to the Italian Supreme Court, a move which may take two or three years to complete. Enough already. Before I start, let me say that I have no opinion on whether or not Knox is guilty. I’ve read through the testimony and gathered the facts, but at the end of the day, it seems that no one definitively knows who killed Kercher, save for maybe Kercher. I understand that justice has a system, it’s called the justice system. However, to keep going through the motions of these trials when Knox is in the United States and it seems unlikely that she’ll be extradited anytime soon seems a little wasteful. I’m sure that Kercher’s family would disagree, but can they really feel that justice is served when the evidence in which these trials rest have been so shaky? The prosecution in the original trial argued that the murder was the result of a kinky sex game between the trio. This time, they switched tactics to contend that arguments over cleaning and hygiene caused Kercher’s demise. Listen, I have a roommate, and sometimes I leave underwear in the bathroom and unwashed dishes in the sink. I highly doubt that he is going to slash my throat over it, and this is from a man who eats cereal at 6 a.m. in the dark with his hands, sans the milk. He’s 28. If that doesn’t spell out clinically insane behavior, I don’t know what does. I realize that the Kercher family wants to see justice served for their daughter, but I doubt that they ever wished for the media circus these trials attract. The longer this is dragged out, the longer it will be until this family finally finds closure. Perhaps it is time for case closed, not only for Knox and Sollecito, but for a grief-stricken family, as well.

making sure doors are shut, but they can probably get rid of the door guards.” Churchill brings up the other concern of the arbitrariness of desk monitors. Most residential students do not understand the need for a desk monitor at the main entrance since you can just enter through any of the alternative entrances. Having to stop and prove your identity is redundant. While RSP considers the main door the safest entrance, due to its desk monitor on duty, I consider whichever entrance to which you are closest to be the safest, especially at night. Additionally, Gyamfi explained that pretty much 100 percent of thieves or vandals are caught via security cameras located at every

entrance to a building. So it is really the cameras that do provide the best security. I do not mean to suggest RSP should fire anyone, but perhaps it can create new positions as well as re-allocate funds to expand field patrol to commuter areas, specifically during the night. In addition, re-allocating funds could potentially create funding for late night bus routes, for example, which would reduce and/or eliminate much of the apprehension regarding walking around campus in the dark. Furthermore, perhaps improve RSP employee awareness of domestic and sexual threats via updating the protocol and training manual.

Snow provided headaches By Rachel Wanderman Contributing Writer JAIME ABBARIAO/ THE STATESMAN

Wolfstock, Strawberry Fest, the

Door guards do not provide additional safety to building. Roth Regatta: these are some of protocol methods. RSP should update their training manual and techniques to keep up with the current times and current safety issues. What particularly concerns me is that with such a large number of students working for the organization at such late hours, the organization does not take better measures to ensure their safety post-shift.

Most residential students do not understand the need for a desk monitor since you can just enter through alternative entrances. After speaking with the Director of RSP Emmanuel Gyamfi, I learned that desk monitors are relieved at approximately 2:45 a.m., while the Walk Service ends at 3 a.m. While it is ideal for a desk monitor to work in the building in which they reside, this is not always the case, and as a result, they must walk alone. I do not believe that 15 minutes is an adequate amount of time to say the walk service would be a viable option for employees to utilize. Gyamfi mentioned the option of the SBU Guardian app, essentially a timer that alerts University Police if it is not deactivated upon arrival at a desired destination. But say you by accident forget to deactivate the timer; it is connected directly to UPD. Many students already have a lot on their minds after classes, let alone the added pressure of remembering to shut off a timer linked up to law enforcement.

RSP and the university can offer endless simple safety tips, but unless they really look at actual threats on campus, in conjunction with current safety concerns, they will not be as efficient as they could be, primarily regarding potentially dangerous crime. One of the actual threats on campus is incidents of sexual violence. Another actual threat is lack of security in commuter areas, such as South P and the LIRR, especially in comparison to the caliber of security in and around residence halls. Residential safety should not take priority over commuter safety, the same way larcenous crimes should not take priority over those of a sexual nature. The Residential Risk Management department, the overhead department of RSP, should extend its jurisdiction and responsibility to include commuters and commuter zones, as well as improve its response and protocol for incidents of domestic and/or sexual violence. This is too large and too dark of a campus to only have safety patrol in the lowest traffic areas. Maria Doyle, a senior psychology major and commuter, said, “I don’t quite understand the role of campus safety patrol. I never see campus security, ever. Do they actually exist? The only safety concern I say I have ever had is that there ought to be some kind of campus security patrolling in the evening. When I have classes or finals when it is dark outside, I sometimes feel unsafe in the parking lots.” Emmanuel and RSP do suggest commuters utilize the walk service if they are uncomfortable at night in the parking lots. Yet for most students, the walk service is either not enough or not convenient. Geoffrey Churchill, a sophomore CSE major and resident, says, “Two close friends of mine work [for RSP]. They should keep maintaining the blue light phones, of course, and

Stony Brook’s exciting events that attract all sorts of its students. But what can be even more exciting than these events? Having nothing to do because of a snow day. Coming from a high school on Long Island that would not close down for a foot of snow, I was pleasantly surprised when Stony Brook shut down for nearly half of that amount. The first snow day was like a gift from God. Although it happened during the second week of classes, I’m sure that nearly all students (especially fellow science majors) could agree that a day off proved to be very convenient for catching up on studies. It helped me finish three hours’ worth of chemistry homework! I mean, what else is there to do in the middle of the week when everything shuts down, the ground is covered in slippery ice and wet snow and all extracurriculars are cancelled? However, when the school closes or delays classes four times in three weeks, snow days can become hazardous to students’ grades. For what does a student do when he or she does not understand a homework concept and can’t go to a TA’s office hours because they could not arrive at school that day? Or what about when he or she has a midterm in the third week of classes, and three of the lectures were not reviewed in class due to the snow? Both of these situations create large amounts of stress for a student,

especially those in demanding courses. Continuous snow days can cause many other similar issues such as these, and not all professors may be willing to ease the pain of excessive snow days’ impact. Thankfully, my professors were all very generous with their grading and pushed homework back a few days. I was even rewarded with extra credit on my chemistry exam due to choosing the correct answers on topics that were not yet reached! But some of my peers are not as fortunate as I am and have professors who treat snow days like any other day. When snow days keep building up on each other, these professors’ students become overwhelmed with topics that they did not necessarily have the chance to properly understand and/or ask questions about. Consequently, their students will fall behind in their studies for an allotted period of time. Stony Brook’s excessive snow days can not be blamed on the school, though, due to its vast amount of commuters who have to travel the dangerous roads to arrive here. The school does not have much of a choice on the matter. The best way to deal with a snow day comes from a mixture of considerate professors and hardworking students. Even with a string of snow days, keeping up with one’s studies should be no problem if both of these components are present. Unfortunately, since not all students have the most empathetic professors regarding the matter, snow days tend to result in mass student confusion and frustration.

HANAA' TAMEEZ / THE STATESMAN

The slush on the ground provided a headache to students.

Sports

Monday, February 24, 2014

Hey, undergrads: we want your input about Stony Brook Athletics You are invited to participate in the Undergraduate Athletic Advisory Group. Join us to discuss the role of Athletics on campus, provide comments on Athletics initiatives, and be a sounding board for Seawolf spirit, pride and marketing ideas. You’ll also have the opportunity to discuss the current use of the Athletics Fee component of the Comprehensive Fee. Attend one or both of the meetings. We welcome your input and constructive feedback, as well as your willingness to share with other students what you’ve learned about the current state and future goals of the Department of Athletics.

Advisory Group Meeting Schedule Meetings will be held in the Sports Complex administration conference room. Tuesday, February 25, 2014 ..................................5 pm to 6 pm Tuesday, April 1, 2014............................................5 pm to 6 pm

For more information regarding the Undergraduate Athletic Advisory Group, contact Matt Larsen, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, at 632-4516 or Matthew.Larsen@stonybrook.edu

Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 13100470

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The Statesman

Port Washington native shows great potential Continued from page 16 to have family close by just because if you need anything or they can always be at your games always there in your corner to support you, so it’s a great feeling being close to home.” Walker redshirted his first year at Stony Brook before joining the team in official play this season. Walker’s averages do not do his game justice: 7.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 24.6 minutes a contest on 42.5 percent shooting from the field, 9.1 percent from three and 57.1 percent from the free throw line. Walker is the first to admit his shooting needs work: “I’m shooting a poor percentage right now… especially from the three-point line, gotta work on a lot of free throws too, my percentage is low there as well.” Still, he has gotten better as the year has progressed. Walker’s 23.5 percent shooting from the field in November increased to 46.7 percent in December, then to a solid 48.6 percent through the month of January. What separates Walker from the pack however, is his athleticism: a frightening blend of speed, strength and leaping ability in a 6-foot-4-inch, 185-pound frame. “I guess a lot of it comes naturally from my parents,” Walker said. “My dad was a pretty good athlete, my mom was a real good athlete. A lot of it came from that, but being here and having the redshirt year really helped me get stronger, faster, bigger and it just helped me become a better athlete in general,” Walker said. Never mind the high potential that comes with such an imposing physique, Walker is already polished well beyond his years in some facets. In two-point range, Walker is connecting on 49.3 percent percent of his tries, whenever he is not drawing fouls at a stupendous rate. Seventh in the America East conference in free throw rate, Walker is a hound at attacking the basket whether he finishes or gets to the line, doing both extremely well. Once he puts his head down, there are not many things that can stop him.

. . . k a e r B

Speaking of hounding, Walker is not shy on the glass either. His defensive rebounding rate (percentage of possible rebounds collected) is matched by only seven other freshmen of his height (or shorter) that have played at least 600 minutes since the 2010 season. According to Walker, coach Steve Pikiell has taken notice. “[Pikiell] said I’m kind of like a workhorse, just work real hard to do anything I can to help the team win,” Walker said. Pikiell is right on the money, especially in regards to Walker’s commitment to the team’s success: “[The NCAA Tournament is] always the goal, not just for me but for the whole team,” Walker said. “We haven’t been able to make a tournament appearance yet, and I’d really like to make a tournament appearance this year especially for the seniors because they’ve been so close so many times before. That’s what I really want out of the season and out of all of the seasons to come.” Although the possibility of the Seawolves reaching the ever-elusive tournament this season lies more on the shoulders of the team’s veterans in Dave Coley, Anthony Jackson, Jameel Warney and Carson Puriefoy, Walker could find himself at the reins of this Stony Brook squad as soon as next year. Seniors Coley and Jackson, both starters, will be graduating this summer, leaving Walker to fill their shoes: “I just do whatever is needed in order to help the team,” Walker said. “Right now they’re the guys to go to and I’m fine with that. If my role gets bigger next year I’ll be fine with that too, just got to adjust and keep working hard in order to become a better player.” Until that day comes, Walker will continue to grow beyond the “rough around the edges” label he gave himself, into a tremendous basketball player that could propel this program to new heights. Who knows? He could be the next name etched in the history of Long Islanders born and raised. Carl Braun, Julius Erving, Ahmad Walker. Has a nice ring to it.

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Women's hoops Seawolves fall to Notre Dame, 8-7 improves to 20-7 By Andrew Eichenholz In desperation mode, senior Staff Writer

Continued from page 1 for most of the contest—and their transition scores which would come easy because of multiple Stony Brook players standing underneath the basket for an offensive board. “Maine has a great offense, they run a lot of motion and at times were pressuring the ball and trying to take away those backdoor cuts but I thought they played well too” said O’Boyle. “From the beginning we really wanted to hit the offensive glass hard and we were sending multiple players to the glass.” With Maine taking the lead around the 11-minute mark of the second half, the Seawolves were in a nail-biter in which they eventually prevailed. A string of defensive stops and timely buckets gave Stony Brook the edge with about six and a half minutes remaining. The Seawolves then kept their distance at 4-7 points for the rest of the game. “I think our defensive intensity really helped us. We started pressuring the ball and then we were getting tips and then it was making them rush their shots. I think that ignited our offense,” said O’Boyle of the team’s stand in the closing minutes. Aiding in a huge defensive and offensive rebounding effort was the play of Jessica Ogunnorin, who collected 10 boards and blocked two shots, and Miranda Jenkins with five rebounds and two steals. Point guards Chikilra Goodman and Kori Bayne-Walker provided steady hands, combining for just one turnover all game. This win gives pushes the Seawolves to a 20-7 record (113 in AE), twenty wins being a Division I program record. They remain at home for a Wednesday, February 26th bout against Vermont at 12:00 p.m.

In their first real test of the young season, the Women’s Lacrosse team showed that talent is not the only thing that they won’t have to worry about for the next four years. They have a massive will to win. Facing the No. 15 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday night, the Seawolves fell just short of a tremendous comeback in an 8-7 loss. The freshmen stars of this year’s team rose to the occasion once again, putting forth a valiant performance against a tough opponent. Faced with adversity from the start, a 7-2 deficit was nearly erased, mostly through the play of two young phenoms, freshmen Dorrien Van Dyke and Courtney Murphy. Barely into the second half, a 6-2 halftime deficit rose to 7-2 with 29:15 to play. From there on out, it was the Van DykeMurphy show, tallying four of the next five goals in the game to draw the Seawolves to within two as the clock continued to tick down.

Alyssa Cardillo made Notre Dame sweat with a goal of her own, making it only a 8-7 deficit in the game’s final two minutes. The tremendous second half defensive effort and scoring barrage from the Seawolves was not enough, however, as there just was not enough time left. So far this season, a lot of the production for the Seawolves has come from Van Dyke and Murphy, who entered the third game of the year with seven goals each. The duo carried the bulk of the offensive load against a strong Fighting Irish defense—Van Dyke netted three goals, while Murphy aided the Seawolves' comeback with two of her own. Not enough could be said of goalkeeper Frankie Caridi. Facing 19 shots, the senior stopped 11, giving Stony Brook a chance to fight back in the first place. The Seawolves look to get back into the win column on Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia, as the team takes on Drexel in an important early season contest.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Men's Lax loses to No. 2 Duke ByJoe Galotti

Assistant Sports Editor

The Stony Brook Men’s Lacrosse team had the chance to take on the defending national champions on Sunday and saw firsthand why Duke is ranked number two in the country. The Seawolves fell to the Blue Devils 14-6 in their first contest away from LaValle Stadium this year. Duke was dominant from the start taking a 4-0 lead in the first quarter. Case Matheis, Josh Dionne, Jordan Wolf and Myles Jones all scored in the opening quarter. In the second quarter, Stony Brook continued to struggle on offense. They went into halftime trailing by the score of 7-0. Wolf had his second goal of the half, and Kyle Keenan and Christian Walsh both added goals in the second. In the third, the Seawolves finally got on the board. Matt Schultz scored his third goal of the season with 13:57 remaining in the quarter. After another goal by Wolf made it 8-1 in favor of Duke, sophomore Brody Eastwood would strike for Stony Brook. He found the back of the net off a pass from sophomore attacker Jake Sichenzia. It was his

11th tally of the season. But SBU was unable to build on Eastwood’s goal, as the Blue Devils would score two more times before the end of the quarter. Duke took a 10-2 advantage into the fourth. Stony Brook was able to find more offensive production in the final quarter. Junior Mike Rooney, and senior Cole Millican both got on the board for the first time in the fourth. Eastwood also scored two more times in the quarter. The Seawolves dropped to 1-2 on the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Dan Shaughnessy picked up the loss in his first start of the season. He made 11 saves in a losing effort, and registered his ninth career game with double digits saves. Sophomore Challen Rogers picked up an assist in the game to extend his point streak to 19 games. Eastwood now has registered 13 hat tricks in just 19 career games. Sunday’s game was Stony Brook’s first contest against Duke since 1993. They have now lost all three of their matchups to the Blue Devils. The Seawolves will return this Saturday to take on Rutgers. The following Saturday Stony Brook will host Maryland.

Baseball drops three games against Florida International University By Catie Curatolo Assistant Sports Editor

The Stony Brook baseball team, whose opening series against Southern Mississippi was cancelled due to inclement weather, dropped three games against the Florida International University Panthers this weekend. After dropping Friday’s game, 6-2, SBU was shut out on Saturday, losing 10-0. Stony Brook saw its only lead of the series in Sunday’s game, when three errors by the Panthers gave SBU a 2-1 lead to start the third. FIU responded with a three-

run homer off of starting pitcher Tim Knesnik in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-2. The Panthers then put the game away in the sixth when, with two outs, they tacked on five more runs. FIU took the game 12-2. Stony Brook struggled to get on base and once there, struggled to convert baserunners into runs. The Seawolves had seven hits and left 10 men on base in Sunday’s game. Overall, SBU recorded a mere 18 hits to the Panther’s 35. FIU improves to 8-0, while the Seawolves fell to 0-3 after their first series of the season. Stony Brook will try to bounce back next weekend at the Wake

CATIE CURATOLO / THE STATESMAN

RHP Tim Knesnik dropped to 0-1 after Sunday's loss. Forest Tournament in WinstonSalem, N.C., with games against Wake Forest, Saint Peter’s and

Saint Louis, before returning north for the home opener against Iona on March 4.

Softball struggles in opening five game trip to Georgia

By Cameron Boon Assistant Sport Ediotr

The Stony Brook Seawolves softball team took their talents to Georgia to open up their 2014 campaign this past weekend. However, the reigning America East Champions looked like they left their bats on the snowcovered Long Island campus. The Seawolves dropped all five games in the Georgia Tech-Kennesaw State Invite, losing to Georgia Tech twice, Georgia State twice and Kenessaw State once. Allison Cukrov got the start for the Seawolves in their first game Friday against Georgia State, and struggled from the start. She hit the first batter of the game, Taylor Anderson, and ended up in a tough situation with nobody out and the first two runners on base. She would escape with minimal damage, however, with Anderson scoring off a Callie

Alford single to left field and after the first it was 1-0 Panthers. This would become a common theme, as Cukrov let up a run in three of her first four innings and Stony Brook found themselves down 3-0 after four. The Seawolves found their power in the sixth, when Alexandra Pisciotta sent one over the left-field wall for the Seawolves’ first run of the season. In the seventh, Bria Green hit another long ball over the same left field wall. However, that was the closest Stony Brook would get, as two strikeouts and a popout would end the game. In their second game, against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Stony Brook’s offense heated up. But once on base, the Seawolves couldn’t cash in any runs, leaving an astounding 12 runners on base and committing two costly errors, leading to an 11-2 loss after six innings. In the second day of the three-

day invite, the Seawolves’ were put into an early hole, a common theme down south this weekend for Megan Bryant’s team. In the first inning against a familiar Georgia State opponent, after Megan Litumbe walked to load the bases, Stony Brook pitcher Jane Sallen had an errant throw which allowed Lauren Coleman and Alford to score. A second inning sacrifice fly would make it 3-0 Panthers before Stony Brook could get on the board, but the Seawolves responded in a big way. After back-to-back walks to start their half of the second, the Seawolves would hit two foul ball pop flies for the first two outs of the inning. Pisciotta then loaded the bases with a single up the middle and a walk following that made it 3-1 Georgia State. Shayla Giosia then hit a clutch two-run single up the middle, tying the game at 3 at the end of two.

The Seawolves then took their first lead of the season, with Green beating out a grounder to third base to score the go-ahead run with two outs to make it 4-3. Georgia State responded, however, with runs in each of the final three innings. Ashley Christy subbed in to run for Litumbe after she reached second base on a single and an error. Christy scored on Jessica Clifton’s single, which tied the game at four after five innings. In the sixth, the Panthers would add another to take the lead for good when Anderson scored from second on a ground out. The seventh would see two insurance runs for Georgia State and a Green homer for the Seawolves, her second in two games. It was too little too late however, and Georgia State took the game 7-5. In the second and final game of the day, the Seawolves were

only able to generate three hits over the seven innings. The Kennesaw State Owls weren’t exactly tearing it up either, but four runs were enough to beat Stony Brook. It was a game that fell apart quickly for the Seawolves as they lost 4-0. Sunday’s game was no better, with the SBU falling to Georgia Tech for the second time in three days. The Seawolves kept pace offensively, recording eight hits to the Yellow Jacket’s nine, but could not convert those hits into runs. Although the game was tied at 4 after five innings, a three-run homer from Alysha Rudnik in the bottom of the sixth clinched the game for Georgia Tech. The softball team will travel to Charlotte, N.C. next weekend for the 49er Invite, matching up against Charlotte and Georgetown on Friday. Catie Curatolo contributed to this report.

Sports

Jackson and Puriefoy lead basketball to 83-79 victory By Zach Rowe Staff Writer

This Sunday, the Stony Brook Men's Basketball team headed out to Bangor, Maine to face off against the Maine Black Bears. The Black Bears are a young team filled with international players that play with a lot of athleticism, although they lost to SBU earlier in the season. Stony Brook won by rather slim margin, 83-79. The first half was a reversal from the last time the two teams played. Where the first game started out as a defensive struggle, the offenses ruled the day today. Maine outpaced the Seawolves, taking a 42-39 lead into the half. They were lead by forward Till Gloger and guard Xavier Pollard, who both scored 21 points. The Seawolves were lead by Carson Puriefoy, who had a career-high 24 points, and Jameel Warney, who added 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds. After allowing the Black Bears 42 points in the first half, the

Seawolves were able to gain more control in the second. Stony Brook went on a 20-4 run, ignited by Anthony Jackson, to take a commanding lead early in the half. Jackson opened the comeback with a jumpshot less than five minutes into the half. He then converted a Pollard turnover into a layup, drawing a foul in the process. After making the foul shot, Jackson proceeded to nail a three-pointer on the next SBU possession to give the Seawolves a 53-49 lead. Despite going on a 13-1 run and coming within one possession of tying the game later in the second half, Maine never took the lead again. The Seawolves shot 45.5 percent for the game and made 82.6 percent of their free throws, going 19-for-23 from the foul line. In addition to 24 points, Puriefoy also contributed two assists. Jackson and Eric McAlister provided support, with Jackson posting 14 points and McAlister adding 15. Jackson has now scored 998

career points, putting him two away from 1,000 for his career. Stony Brook also outrebounded the Black Bears, 3730, and converted 15 Maine turnovers into 23 SBU points. "Today was a tough battle with a talented Maine team, and I'm happy to be able to come away with another road win. I give them a lot of credit, they made big shots and took advantage of our poor first half when we were turning the ball over too many times. We're fortunate that we made big plays in the second half and got enough stops to take advantage," coach Pikiell said in a press release. This is the third season in a row that the Seawolves have won at least twenty games. They improve to 20-8 overall and 12-2 in the America East, putting them in second place behind 13-1 Vermont. SBU will travel to Vermont in a showdown for first place this Thursday, which will be aired on ESPN3. Catie Curatolo contributed to this report.

EZRA MARGONO/ THE STATESMAN

Anthony Jackson is two points away from scoring 1,000.

product Ahmad Seawolves Hockey looks to finish strong season Local Walker putting together with ACHA National Championship win strong freshman campaign By Joe Galotti

Assitant Sport Ediotr

Before the season began for the Stony Brook hockey club, head coach Chris Garofalo set three lofty goals for his team to accomplish. He told his players that he wanted them to finish first in the in the regular season, to win a conference championship, and to finish first at the American Collegiate Hockey Associtation National Championships in March. The first of those goals was completed last weekend, when a 14-1 victory over Westchester University secured Stony Brook the best record in the conference. Then on Sunday the Seawolves took home the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey league championship for the second consectuive year. They defeated Delaware 5-2 in the final game, and leading scorer Ryan Cotcamp took home playoff MVP honors for the weekend. The Seawolves got to the conference championship game by defeating Lebanon Valley 8-1 on Saturday . On Saturday March 8th Stony Brook will have the chance to complete their final goal, when they take on No. 12 ranked Davenport University in the first round of the ACHA National Tournament. The Seawolves have never won the tournament, something the team is confident they will be able to change next month “I think this is the first year that I can honestly say that we’re good enough to win the whole thing,” senior forward Dan Cassano said.

By David Vertsberger

“This year we’re fully healthy going into Nationals, and we’ve shown that we can beat the best teams.” Stony Brook has been recognized as one of the top club teams in the country this season. They have won 24 of their 31 games this season, and were ranked fifth in the latest ACHA national rankings. They also finished the regular season on a nine-game win streak. Garofalo says this is the best team the program has had in the 17 years he’s been a part of the organization. “We’re a complete team,” Garofalo said. “Our defense, our offense, and our goaltending are all solid. We’re strong in every area.” The Seawolves improved ten spots from there No. 15 ACHA ranking last season, and also finished with eight more wins than in the 2012-2013 season. SBU has been far more consistent with their level of play this season, suffering back-to-back losses just once. The team has been able to limit losses to bad teams, and has found ways to win close games. “Our compete level is so much higher than it’s been in the past,” senior forward Wes Hawkins said. “When we haven’t been playing as well as we should be, we’ve still found ways to win.” The Seawolves have gotten plenty of offensive production out of their top players this season, most notably from the team’s leading scorer Ryan Cotcamp. The junior forward has led the team with 27 goals and 52 points this season. “This year he’s just been on fire”, Hawkins said, “He gets put in a situation and buries the puck.

There’s not much more you can ask for.” Cassano has also stood out this season with his offensive play. He leads the team with 34 assists, and has also added 15 goals. Other top scorers this year have been Vincent Lopes (36 points), Nick Barbera (33 points), Hawkins (21 goals), and Sam Brewster (32 points). Junior Chris Joseph led the team’s defenseman in scoring, with eight goals and 18 assists. Perhaps the biggest change for the club from past years has been the improvement of the team’s defense. The offseason additions of defensemen Kevin Kavanagh, Mike Cartwright and Alex Miller have helped solidify a Seawolves defensive unit that has been problematic in past seasons. “Now we have a nice group back there where you’re not really worried about anyone,” Cassano said. “You know whose ever back there is gonna be able to get the job done.” Goaltender Brendan Jones has also been a large factor in the team’s improved defense. He’s won 13 games this season, and has posted a goals-against average of 2.98. Garofalo has done a lot of work to grow the school's hockey program, and says that winning a ACHA National title would be extremely gratifying. “We’ve done a really good job of being able to build something that is not only recognized at Stony Brook, but country wide”, Garofalo said. “If we win it honestly like all your hard work pays off, and we can say we’re the best in the country.”

Assistant Sports Editor

Although the proclaimed “Mecca of Basketball” lies in the heart of Manhattan, Long Island has it’s own rich history of ballers – from legends such as Carl Braun and Julius Erving to some of today’s young studs in Danny Green and Tobias Harris. It would not be a shock if Ahmad Walker’s name is one day added to that list. “I consider myself a Long Island guy,” Walker said. ” I grew up here, was born and raised here, so it’s kind of always been my home.” As he was born in Port Washington, Walker’s roots were instilled in Long Island from day one and through attending two high schools in the area. Asked if this was a major factor in his choosing

to attend Stony Brook University, Walker responded emphatically “Yes. Obviously.” Walker was not confined to Long Island, however, boarding at Berkshire Prep in Massachusetts for three years before heading off to college. “It’s like a three and a half hour drive away from home,” he said. “My parents made as many games as they could. I was all by myself up there honestly. It was good. It helped me grow a little bit. I was kind of immature but going up there really helped me become more independent.” But when it came down to it, Walker preferred being close to home. He said, “I like it a lot more than being away. It’s always good Continued on page 1

Seawolves Scoreboard Men’s basketball: (2/19) win against UMBC 72-53, (2/23) win against Maine 83-79 Women’s basketball: (2/19) win against UMBC 72-51, (2/22) win against Maine 73-65 Baseball: (2/21) loss to FIU 6-2, (2/22) loss to FIU 10-0, (2/23) loss to FIU 12-2 Softball: 0-5 at Georgia Tech-Kennessaw State Invite Men’s Lacrosse: (2/18) win against Lafayette 18-10, (2/23) loss to Duke14-6 Women’s Lacrosse: (2/19) win against Monmouth 13-0, (2/22) loss to Notre Dame 8-7 Tennis: wins against Temple and Lehigh