The Statesman Volume 57 Issue 23 by The Statesman

Monday, April 7, 2014

Volume LVII, Issue 23

Brookfest 2014: Childish Gambino and Diplo

sbstatesman.com

By Nicole Bansen Arts & Entertainment Editor

When spring hits Stony Brook, one question starts circulating around the campus: “who is performing for the spring concert?” So far this year, rumors have been bouncing around on social media sites, but it was not until today that the announcement was made official. Diplo and Childish Gambino will be coming to Stony Brook. "They weren’t our first or second choice,” Garry Lachhar, the Vice President of Student Life. "But they were in our list of options that we narrowed it down to.” Lachhar sat down with The Statesman to break down the process of how the artist is picked. It is a procedure that involves the Student Activity Board, with the four voting members, the SAB director and the VP of Student Life and can start as early as November. The first thing that is needed is to secure the venue and the date. Since the concert will take place in Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, the SAB has to ask Athletics for their schedule and the dates that would work best for them. From there, Athletics gave them the dates of April 17, a Thursday and April 23, a Wednesday. Once the venue and dates are secured, they can start worrying about the artist. The process starts by members of SAB researching any relevant artists and compiling the names onto a list. This year, the original list contained over 300 names of artists from all genres and prices. Once the list is compiled, they send all 300 names to their agent and he gives back a filtered list. That list is filtered by performers’ availabilities during the week of the approved dates. From there, the SAB can get pricing estimates on artists still on the list. This year, those two steps narrowed down the list from 300 to 100-150 possible artists. And when you have that information, you can start the next step which is eliminating names. One thing Lachhar said the board takes into account is, “Will this person be a good headline for our show?” Keeping that in

STATESMAN STOCK PHOTO

Top: Ludacris and Grouplove perform at Brookfest 2013. Bottom: Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae take the stage in 2011. mind, the list got narrowed down even more until they were left with just 20 names. They then try to figure out the price and if the name “pops out to you.” Now, for those who are unfamiliar with these artists here’s a little background information. Diplo, Thomas Wesley Pentz, is a DJ/rapper and is popularly known for his guise, Major Lazer. Although he doesn’t have one particular genre, Major Lazer’s music can be described as Jamaican inspired dancehall. Diplo has worked and collaborated with big names like M.I.A., Beyonce, Steve Aoki, Kid Cudi, Bruno Mars and numerous others. Childish Gambino, the headliner, is a multifaceted performer like Diplo. Other than performing as a rapper, he is also a singer, writer, actor, comedian and producer. Gambino, whose real name is Donald Glover, has released many mix-tapes through his website, but his most recent album under a label is "Because the Internet," which came out in December, 2013. Gambino’s style is a mix of R&B and hip hop and he has collaborated with Danny Brown, Chance the Rapper and Jhene Aiko. So there you have it. Now you are well equipped to dispel any false rumor you run across on Facebook or Twitter. The spring concert will be held at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on April 23.

News

USG Breakdown A look at how SBU’s student government operates. MORE ON PAGE 4

Tobacco-buying age limit increases in Suffolk County

By Robby Cimino Staff Writer

Suffolk County legislators voted 10 to 8 to raise the legal tobacco-purchasing age from 19 to 21. This change will begin on Jan. 1 next year. This follows New York City’s decision in November to change its tobacco-purchasing law from 18 to 21, which will take effect in May. In 2005, Suffolk County legislators passed a bill to raise the tobacco-purchasing age from 18 to 19, a decision that also took hold in neighboring Nassau County. Suffolk’s recent decision has not influenced Nassau this

time. Nassau County legislators promptly blocked the vote to raise the county’s tobaccopurchasing age. “There are times when both Suffolk and Nassau counties work together on legislation,” Suffolk County Legislator DuWayne Gregory (D-District 15) said. “But it is not always necessary.” At Stony Brook University, which is in Suffolk County and therefore within the range of the new law, students will be affected by the recent shift in legislation. “I myself will not be affected by it because of my age,” Joshua Kim, a junior political science major, said. “But I think it’s completely unnecessary.” Stony Brook students have also

brought the economic implications of raising the legal tobaccopurchasing age into question. “If anything I think it will do more harm than good,” Kim said. “It will definitely decrease tax revenue.” Other students have voiced more vehement opposition to the recent change. “They expect us to come to college and be adults but now they’re going to tell me I’m too much of a child to buy cigarettes,” Max Eckes, a sophomore geology major, said. “It’s condescending and honestly insulting.” Gregory argues that cigarettes Continued on page 3

Men's Lacrosse comes away with 10-7 victory Saturday By Andrew Eichenholz Staff Writer

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but senior George Benitez only needed two to describe his picture-perfect first collegiate goal in a Stony Brook men’s lacrosse 10-7 win over Vermont. “It’s unbelievable.” Just 38 seconds into the second half, the defenseman scored what would end up being the winning goal for the Seawolves, at the time putting the team ahead 8-2. “Time almost stopped, it was crazy,” Benitez, a native of Darien,

Arts & Entertainment

Conn., said. In lacrosse, it is pretty rare to see a defenseman in the offensive third, let alone taking shots, but Benitez had one and he took it. “I saw the down-low defenseman were pressing out on the attackmen, so it was just pretty much me and the cage, and I had the ball, I got up to about 12 yards and I knew, this was my shot. I’ve got to shoot it right now, now or never.” Shoot it he did, putting the ball in the back of the net for the first time since he did a couple of times in high school. Freshman midfielder Mark Ellis Opinions

also contributed the first goal of his career for the Seawolves on an assist from sophomore Brody Eastwood at 12:51 of the 2nd quarter. It is hard to ignore the total defensive effort that Stony Brook put together, from the energy displayed by the defensemen to the 19 saves made by freshman goalkeeper Hayden Johnstone. The Seawolves did a great job keeping the Catamounts as far away from the goal crease as they could, allowing Johnstone the opportunity to make Continued on page 16 Sports

Holi exposes students to Indian culture

Higher tobacco age limit worsens problem

Women’s Lax blows out Jacksonville

MORE ON PAGE 16

Holi celebrations brings color and culture to SBU-

New law will not address tobacco problem

Seawolves take down the Dolphins

The Statesman

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NEWS

Stony Brook to remove geese on campus By Ryan Wolf Staff Writer

After years of goose fecal matter dotting campus and birds walking across streets, Stony Brook University is taking measures to remove the estimated 360 Canada geese that have made the campus their home for the past several years. Stony Brook is employing a local contractor to use border collies to scare the geese away— a tactic supported by organizations like the Humane Society and PETA. “Trained dog handlers will patrol the campus several times a day with highly trained herding dogs,” Gary Kaczmarczyk, executive director of Stony Brook Environmental Health and Safety, said. “These dogs, border collies, are trained to scare and discourage the birds from frequenting the area.” This method of removing Canada geese is a humane alternative to techniques such as shooting adult geese, egg destruction, et cetera which have become very common in many areas around North America where the geese are most prevalent. Measures regarding removal

of Canada Geese populations have recently focused on nonlethal treatment due to a sharp decline of the geese population in 1995, when lenient hunting practices reduced numbers from 900,000 to 650,000 in North America. Canada Geese, identified by their black heads and white “chinstrap,” are present in every state. They are naturally migratory birds that have a lifespan of 10 to 24 years, according to National Geographic. The expansive lifespan and resulting reproduction of the geese is the reason Stony Brook has decided to take action after years of nesting around campus. “They return to the general area of their birth each year to mate and nest,” Kaczmarczyk said. “The geese population grows about 19.5 percent each year and we have seen a significant rise in the population on campus over that last few years.” This growth in the geese population has led to increased damage and disruption, according to Kaczmarczyk. “They are over-grazing lawns and causing an accumulation of droppings and feathers on athletic

fields, lawns and walkways. The droppings can contribute to excessive nutrient loading and algae issues to ponds, such as Roth Pond,” he said. According to National Geographic, these effects are common-place. The commonality of these occurrences has led to the founding of organizations like Geese Peace, which aims to end the conflict between humans and geese by humanely managing their populations. The geese removal effort is currently underway. However, the university will not scare away the geese during the summer molting season in accordance with the rules set by animal rights organizations like the Humane Society. During molting season the birds lose their feathers and are unable to fly. If the geese are still present on campus in the fall, the university will continue to use the dogs. “The busiest schedule will be in the spring to discourage their nesting on campus. In the summer when geese are molting and unable to fly, geese may be herded out of certain areas,

but will not be scared away” Kaczmarczyk said. According to the Humane Society’s report on the geese removal, Stony Brook’s efforts are beginning as the geese are starting to nest, which occurs in March and April. “The use of herding dogs to scare geese away will be used this spring to discourage their nesting on campus. The dogs will not chase nesting birds or touch their nests or eggs,” Kaczmarczyk said. As April begins, the ability of Stony Brook to scare away the geese this semester is diminishing as more nesting geese would make it inhumane to attempt to

Rothstein called for less paper consumption to save on administrative costs and use that money for clubs. She said the agendas are emailed and put on Facebook but are still printed in a smaller amount for those who prefer it and for club members that attend senate meetings. As for the USG website, Rothstein’s platform called for redesigning it entirely. The site changed since last year and includes a newsfeed on the front page, links to USG’s social media, Campus Vine, documents, event information and SB Voice. Rothstein did not comment on advocation to administer an open forum where clubs could learn about Campus Vine and USG policies and a club advisors conference that would help advisors become more knowledgeable about and helpful to their organizations. Treasurer Brian McIlvain McIlvain’s platform included organizing clubs into separate councils for better communication between clubs and with USG, creating a Bureau of Club Budgeting to increase the role of clubs in the budgeting process and revising the grants system and financial bylaws. The USG senate meeting minutes from September show six grant applications were approved, totaling about $31,000. The total allocated amount for grants is $70,000. Grant requests for the fall semester were done in November and additional requests were said to be considered in this semester, according to the minutes for a November 2013 meeting. The minutes for Fall 2013 do not suggest changes were made to the financial bylaws or creation of separate councils for clubs or a Bureau of Club Budgeting. The

latest Spring 2014 minutes are not available on the USG website. McIlvain could not be reached for comment on the platform. Vice President for Student Life Gary Lachhar Lachhar’s main goal as VP of Student Life was to improve overall student life. He planned to achieve this by increasing communication between the student body and USG so the students can have a voice in what events they would like to attend. Lachhar explained the USG uses social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to not only promote events, but also as platform for students to voice their concerns and opinions. Using Roth Regatta as an example, Lachhar said USG conducts surveys via social media outlets and in person to gather information on what themes students would like to do for the Regatta boats. Vice President of Clubs and Organizations Kerri Mahoney Mahoney called for extended open office hours and Campus Vine training seminar for those who need help and new club workshops to allow Special Services Council clubs to learn about USG and the processes to go through. Mahoney could not be reached for comment. The available meeting minutes do not suggest training seminars or workshops for SSC. Vice President of Academic Affairs Steven Adelson Adelson had plans to provide additional resources and review sessions for major lecture courses. The result is PASS (Providing Academic Support for Students), a free tutoring program ran by the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. According to PASS’s website, the

program currently offers tutoring assistance in the following sujects: applied mathematics and statistics, biology, chemistry, economics, mathematics and physics. While the program is free for students, the Student Activity Fee pays the tutoring staff. Another goal for Adelson as VP of Academic Affairs is to recognize professors, faculty and students for their hard work and contribution to Stony Brook’s academic community. The Recognition page on the USG website is one of the pages left blank with the “Coming Soon” message. Adelson could not be reached for comment. Vice President of Communications & Public Relations Mario Ferone Mario Ferone’s platform focused on increasing communication between the student body and USG and organizing “SickNasty” events. To help achieve these goals, Ferone promised to establish a communications committee to assist himself in informing the campus community. SBVoice, an online comment board aimed for students to voice their concerns and communicate with USG officials, was created and is run by Ferone. Gaining attraction during the early periods of its release, SBVoice has been seldom used, but during the height of its popularity, it proved useful for students, most notably an issue posted by SBU student Tyler Morrison regarding Equal Blood Donor Rights. USG took notice of the issue and organized a panel for Blood Donor Equality. Ferone said reviving SBVoice is one of the top priorities before his term ends because it is a direct line of communication between the student body and USG.

NINA LIN/ THE STATESMAN

To rid the campus of Canada geese, Stony Brook is turning to border collie dogs to scare the birds away.

USG Executive Council: promises made and promises kept

By Kelly Zegers and Peter Chen

Staff Writer and Contributing Writer

Last year, the Undergraduate Student Government executive council candidates pledged to make several changes to improve campus life. The Statesman reexamined those platforms to see if those candidates upheld their promises. USG President Adil Hussain In his election platform, Hussain called for increasing attendance at student concerts, bringing artists popular with students, scheduling concerts on days without exams and providing students with information about events early so as to accommodate busy schedules. So far this year, USG held concerts featuring Mac Miller and Taking Back Sunday. The events were promoted on social media sites, weeks in advance. Hussain’s platform also advocated for students to volunteer and help coordinate concerts and for the club budgeting process to be streamlined. He decided not to run for reelection because he is satisfied with what he has done as president and is willing to give up the position for someone else to promote change. He did not comment on his previous platform. Executive Vice President Mallory Rothstein Rothstein wanted to create an internship with USG that would allow students to see what the roles of senators and executive council members entail. Vice President of Academic Affairs Steven Adelson and Vice President of Communication and Public Relations Mario Ferone have had interns as a requirement for the PASS tutoring program.

scare them away. The geese are problematic for some students Laura Horvath Roa, freshman political science major, noted that one of her friends once got chased by geese. However she said that the “good thing about them is you get to see them around campus. It would be kind of boring without them.” Shawna Burka, sophomore political science major, thinks that the geese are nice to look at around Roth Pod. “I hate having to avoid them, you can’t even lay down on the grass because of the [excrements]," she said.

Smokers beware: tobacco age in Suffolk increased Continued from page 1

“severely limit a smoking individual’s liberty” by making smokers dependent on cigarettes’ addictive component, nicotine. “The proponents of the legislation brought up in the discussion that most smokers start smoking at ages 18 to 25,” Gregory said. “Once they start they are smokers for life, thereby emphasizing the need to raise the smoking age to 21 to cut down on the number of future lifelong smokers and the costly health effects from smoking," he continued. Legislators opposed to the new bill asserted that those between the ages of 18 and 21 take on adult responsibilities and “are no longer children.” “When a person turns 18, they are required to register for military service and are eligible to vote, among other things,” Suffolk County Legislator Kate Browning (D-District 3) said. “The store owner will be cited for selling, not the buyer. It is not illegal for a person under 21 to smoke so I don’t think the law will accomplish much," she continued. Stony Brook students offer a similar perspective on their responsibilities as young adults. “This kind of goes into the whole alcohol debate,” Kim said. “When you’re 18 you can serve in the military but you can’t buy alcohol. I think [the new tobacco law] is just too drastic.”

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Understanding USG

Overview: The Undergraduate Student Government is the representative body for Stony Brook students. It is responsible for dispersing the more than $3 million Student Activity Fee to fund clubs, events and other services. Executive Council: The Executive Council is composed of the president, executive vice president, treasurer, vice president of student life, vice president of clubs and organizations, vice president of academic affairs and vice president of communications and public relations. Each member oversees executive agencies that run events, support clubs and represent students.

Senate: The USG Senate is run by the executive vice president and includes 16 senators representing the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and Health Science Center undergraduates. Four more senators represent freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students. The senate allocates budgets for clubs, makes laws and passes resolutions. Judiciary: The USG Judiciary is made up of six associate justices and one chief justice, all of whom are appointed by the president and approved by the senate. The judiciary interprets the USG constitution, presides over impeachment hearings and decides cases related to USG law.

Fast Facts: •

Budget of $3,058,801

•

Funds more than 150 clubs

•

Organizes the Brookfest spring concert and Back to the Brook fall concert

•

Hosts lecturers like Bill Nye and Dr. Michio Kaku

•

Runs the PASS tutoring service

Elections: Every undergraduate student can run for any position in USG. Candidates must fill out an intent form and get a certain number of signatures before being eligable to run. Campaigning starts on March 31. Voting runs from April 7 at noon to April 11 at noon on SOLAR under Student Elections. Candidates who do not receive more than 50 percent of the vote enter a runoff election the following week. Current Executive Council: • President Adil Hussain • Executive VP Mallory Rothstein • Treasurer Brian McI lvain • VP of Student Life Garry Lachhar • VP of Clubs and Orgs Kerri Mahoney • VP of Academic Affairs Steven Adelson • VP of Communications Mario Ferone

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The Statesman

Monday, April 7, 2014

Campus briefing: USG condemns university's broad-based fees advertising By Arielle Martinez Copy Editor

The Undergraduate Student Government Senate unanimously passed a resolution Thursday evening in which it condemns the university’s lack of advertising of the proposed broad-based fee increases that will take effect in the 2014-2015 school year. The resolution, which was proposed by Vice President of Communications & Public Relations Mario Ferone, is a reaction to the open forum discussion on broad-based fees that was hosted by the university on the afternoon of April 2 in the Student Activities Center (SAC) Auditorium. Only three undergraduates attended the forum: Ferone, USG Vice President of Clubs & Organizations Kerri Mahoney and Chris Priore, a former USG class representative. According to Ferone, the only advertising of the forum came from an email that was sent to the university community on March 5 by Lyle Gomes, the university’s vice president for finance and chief

budget officer. The forum was not mentioned on the university website, but the webpage for the fees did have a link to a feedback form. “We don’t have an issue with the fees themselves,” Ferone said. “The issue is the lack of advertising.” In the resolution, USG suggests that another forum be held and properly advertised and that USG would help advertise the proposed second forum. Gomes responded in an email stating that “the University will do its best to accommodate this request.” The broad-based fees, also known altogether as the comprehensive fee, are seven fees that are paid by every undergraduate student: the academic excellence fee, the college fee, the health services fee, the intercollegiate athletics fee, the recreation fee, the technology fee and the transportation fee. Increases for all fees except the college fee and the academic excellence fee have been proposed for the 2014-2015 year. In all, the fees will increase by $61.50. Each fee has an associated student advisory board. According to Gomes, each board has been

meeting monthly on average since early fall of 2013. On March 31, USG posted an informational video about the increase in fees on its YouTube channel. The video comprises interviews with directors of departments that are involved in fee-related decisions. USG and the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) both tweeted about the forum on April 2. Gomes held a student media briefing on March 4 and met with USG on March 10 to give an overview of the proposed fee increases and answer questions. The senate also passed a budget from the Special Service Council for the Veteran Student Organization, which was represented by president Jennifer Freire, by a vote of 14-60. The budget, which totals $528, includes funding for a veterans social and a charity event for the Wounded Warrior Project. Senators then voted on a resolution to support a proposed funding plan for the Stony Brook Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SBVAC). The plan calls for USG to gradually decrease SBVAC funding from the current amount

Under the microscope: Stony Brook professor f inds mechanism that affects cancerous tumor formations By Ruchi Shah Staff Writer

of $164,435 to $40,000 for the 2018-2019 year. The resolution was approved with a final vote of 13-7-0. In September 2013, the USG University and Academic Affairs Committee proposed another resolution that asked the university to finance SBVAC, which is currently funded by the student activity fee controlled by USG. The senate voted 17-3-0 to pass an act that switches the justices of

Marijuana

On Wednesday, March 27, an RA reported the students were smoking marijuana at Stimson College. The students were gone on arrival.

JESSICA DESAMERO / THE STATESMAN

Dr. Bhaduri-McIntosh found that the EBV infection results in the activation and increase of STAT3 in cells. was activated in healthy cells, the cells usually died or aged. However, when the protective DDR mechanism was simultaneously suppressed or the policeman taken away, the cells began growing and became cancerous. The second found that while precancerous cells showed the presence of DDR signaling, cancer cells had a significant decrease in DDR signaling. Bhaduri-McIntosh wanted to understand how DDR suppression was happening for oncogenes to successfully drive cell growth and proliferation. After examining publically available sequencing data of genomes from sporadic human cancers, Bhaduri-McIntosh recognized that most of the signaling pathways that were activated and associated with growth in these cancers, converge on a protein called STAT3. Bhaduri-McIntosh asked if STAT3, which is also known to be activated in many human cancers, is exploited by cancer-causing triggers such as EBV to suppress the DDR, thereby driving cell proliferation. Through a series of experiments,

Bhaduri-McIntosh found that EBV infection results in the activation and increase of STAT3 in cells, which in turn led to the alteration of other proteins in a DDR signaling pathway. In other words, the results identified how the virus uses the cellular protein STAT3 to evade the policeman such that the policeman fails to interact with community members to keep the cell in order. Overall, the results of BhaduriMcIntosh’s study show that STAT3 interrupts ATR-Chk1, signaling to allow oncovirus-mediated cell proliferation, which means that STAT3 can “abnormally evade recognition of DNA errors and damage leading to bypass of a critical cell-cycle checkpoint and uncontrolled cell proliferation.” The significant role that STAT3 and other proteins in the signaling pathway play in cancer formation make them ideal targets for future therapeutics. Bhaduri-McIntosh also plans to further explore the pathway and identify if the mechanism is present in other cancers to increase understanding of this disease.

the USG Judiciary from a per-case stipend to a weekly stipend—$30 per week for the chief justice and $20 per week for the associate justices. The act requires justices to work on “special projects for USG” in order to collect their stipends. Chief Justice Sarah Twarog said that possible future special projects include building judiciary bylaws, holding mediation sessions and creating a flowchart on the lawsuit filing process.

Police Blotter

On Wednesday, March 27, police referred one student to the university when they were found smoking marijuana in Tabler Quad.

Every other week Ruchi Shah, a sophomore biology major, will take a look at Stony Brook-related research and science news. Dr. Sumita BhaduriMcIntosh, an assistant professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, has uncovered a previously unidentified mechanism through which a prominent protein in cells, STAT3, affects cancerous tumor formation. Bhaduri-McIntosh’s research lab focuses on the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the first virus associated with human cancer 50 years ago. It is associated with B cell lymphomas and epithelial cell cancers. Although about 95 percent of the human population is infected with this virus, most individuals lead healthy lives because the immune system prevents EBV from taking control and causing cancer. Normally, the body wards off cancer or uncontrolled cell growth through the DNA Damage Response (DDR). This innate barrier to tumor formation, found in every cell, serves as a policeman in the cell community. As cells replicate, there are often errors that occur such as damage or defects to the DNA sequence. The job of DDR is to signal to other community members to slow or halt replication until repair is done. The DDR prevents genetic defects from accumulating so cancer will not occur. According to Bhaduri-McIntosh, “DDR must be suppressed or bypassed in order for any cancer to develop." This idea in the field of cancer biology is supported by at least two lines of evidence. The first showed that if an oncogene, cancer-causing gene,

JISOO HWANG/ THE STATESMAN

Mario Ferone was one of three undergraduate students who attended USG's broad-based fee forum on April 2.

On Thursday, March 28, one student was referred to the University for marijuana at Whitman College. On Saturday, March 30, there was a report of marijuana at Langmuir College. The area was patrolled and the case was unfounded. Theft On Monday, March 24, a cell phone was reported stolen from the Campus Recreation center. On Wednesday, March 26, $20 was reported stolen at the University Hospital. On Thursday, March 28 a cell phone and headphones were reported stolen from West Side Dining. On Saturday, March 30, a wallet was reported missing. On Sunday, March 31, there was a report of a credit card stolen from a pocket book at the University Hospital. Miscellaneous On Tuesday, March 25, a vehicle drove through and broke a gate at the administration parking garage.

On Wednesday, March 26, equipment was moved at the university hospital. It was later located. On Wednesday, March 26, an accident leaving the scene was reported at the Old H lot. On Wednesday, March 26, a vehicle was reported keyed in the parking lot at Kenneth LaValle Stadium. On Wednesday, March 26, graffiti was reported at Harriman Hall. On Thursday, March 28, there was harassment between students via e-mail and text. On Thursday, March 28, a smoke detector was reported missing from Benedict College. On Friday, March 29, two underage and intoxicated individuals were found trying to steal a traffic barrel. They were transported to the university and referred to the university. On Sunday, March 31, there was an exit sign reported damaged at Eisenhower College. On Sunday, April 1, the walls at Hamilton College were reported damaged. On Monday, April 2, a cell phone was reported stolen at the Ambulatory Care Pavilion. Arrest On Thursday, March 28, there was an arrest at the LIRR commuter lot. The person arrested had burglar tools in their possession. Compiled by Ashleigh Sherow

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May Commencement CLASS OF 2014 MAIN CEREMONY: FRIDAY, MAY 23, 11 AM • Conferring degrees on those who have completed degree requirements for Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Spring 2014 and Summer 2014. • To register for all ceremonies, candidates are required to complete the Ceremony Registration Form, available on SOLAR, by April 30, 2014. • Once registered, Candidates will have Main Ceremony tickets reserved in their name.

THE CEREMONIES • The main ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 23, at 11 am in Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. Tickets are required. • Doctoral Graduation and Hooding Ceremony for all DA, DMA and PhD degrees will be conferred on Thursday, May 22, at 1 pm in Pritchard Gymnasium. • For your Departmental Convocation, please visit our website for times/locations, or contact your department representative.

stonybrook.edu/commencement facebook.com/SBUgraduation Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 14021026

Preparing the next generation of health leaders Hofstra University’s School of Health Sciences and Human Services offers graduate programs in rehabilitation counseling, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, creative arts therapy, health care administration, physician assistant studies, speech-language pathology, audiology, and public health. Combining the expertise and resources of Hofstra University, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and the North Shore-LIJ Health System, these programs prepare students for rewarding careers in schools, clinics, government and community agencies, hospitals and other health care facilities. Find out about these graduate programs and more at hofstra.edu/gradhealth

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3/5/14 3:10 PM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Holi brightens student exposure to Indian culture

JESUS PICHARDO / THE STATESMAN

Color was one of the central themes at the event, and while this was the focus for many students who attended the event., the holiday is a "celebration of good over evil."

JESUS PICHARDO / THE STATESMAN

The event featured the opportunity to recieve traditional henna tattoos in the spirit of the holiday. By Krysten Massa Contributing Writer

Stony Brook University celebrated its first “Festival of Colors” in honor of Holi Wednesday during Campus Life Time at the Wang Center. The event was sponsored by the Center for India Studies, the Faculty Student Association and Campus Dining Services. At the festival, students experienced authentic food, henna tattoos and performances from the a cappella group Stony Brook Yuva and dance group Stony Brook Bhangra. Deborah DiFranco, Provost’s Liaison, was a key planner for the

event. “We were hoping to educate the faculty, students and staff on the holiday,” DiFranco said. “We had the opportunity through food to have a cultural experience.” “We wanted to maintain dialogue with the campus community and the Curry Kitchen and also maintain the ethnicity of the food,” she continued. Holi is one of the major Hindu holidays that is celebrated at the end of winter. “It is about having fun, living enjoying,” Shrikant Iyer, who attended the event, said. There are many myths behind the meaning of the holiday. Iyer explained that

a lot of the people who celebrate the holiday in this generation do not necessarily know much about it and for them, it is all about the colors. “It is a celebration of good over evil. A story is a story, what the true origins are nobody knows,” Iyer said. The food served was authentic Indian food that one would not find regularly at Jasmine’s Curry Kitchen. Aloo Tikki Chaat, Bhel Puri, Dahi Vada and Thandai were among some of the special food served. S.N. Sridhar, director of the Center for India Studies, said that the holiday is “a festival of love.” He explained how the “Festival of Lights” celebration last semester was a huge success and that it was encouraging for them to put on a festival this semester to celebrate another one of India’s major holidays. Chanda Vaz, owner and operator of the Curry Kitchen, helped prepare the food for the festival. Vaz and Sridhar both agree that

it is important for the students on campus to have a “home away from home where they can celebrate the holiday.” Part of the festival traditionally involves celebrators covering themselves in dry colors. However, Stony Brook participants did not get so messy. Splashes of color on the faces of those who came to celebrate were seen scattered all over Jasmine. To add to the cultural feel, students were also able to receive free henna tattoos as well as the opportunity to purchase Indian jewelry, both courtesy of Femina beauty salon. Students Gilmary George and Isha Sheth, who work for the liaisons office, helped to organize the festival, which took about two months to plan. “We wanted to enlighten people about the culture,” George said. “Jasmine could be much more authentic. We want to bring tradition to school.” The girls were pleased with the amount of support from faculty.

After eating, students and faculty gathered to watch a performance from Stony Brook's South Asian a cappella group YUVA. Before the festival ended, a performance from the Stony Brook Bhangra dance group was given. The upbeat cultural dancing caught the attention of everybody in the room, who cheered throughout the performance. “Anything to do with India, we were more than willing to perform,” Kiranjit Singh, a Bhangra dancer said. “I would like to see more culturally diverse programs like this on campus.” The festival received positive feedback from students who attended. Domenick Fiore described the festival as “inspiring” “It’s the first event I went out of my way to go to,” he said. The turnout for the event was impressive and many students agreed that they would like to see more events like this on campus.

THREE ARTSY EVENTS

1) Cook Shop

Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha will be teaching students to cook on a budget on Tuesday, April 8 at 10 p.m. in SAC 302. Those who are low on meal points are invited. Mocktails will be served.

2) Flower Power

The Dreiser College Hall Council will be planting hours on Wednesday, April 9 at 8:30 p.m. to prepare for Earth Day. The team that plants the best flower will win on April 21.

3) Asian Cultural Carnival

The Schick and Hamilton RA staff are joining forces on Thursday, April 10 in the GLS Center to celebrate Asian culture. Participants will learn about origami, kongi and traditional board games and brew tea.

Arts & Entertainment

The Statesman

Monday, April 7, 2014

Captain America Winter Soldier marks new high for Marvel By Brandon Benarba

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

Out of the three main Marvel series, Captain America seemed like it would be the least likely to succeed. While Iron Man and Thor were allowed to roam free in action and sci-fi set pieces, Captain America was rooted as a more realistic character. Ironically, it is this exact realism and darker tone that make “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” the best Marvel film yet. The film picks up a few years after “The Avengers,” with Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) working for S.H.I.E.L.D. as field agents. Within these past two years, Steve's concern about the power and usage of S.H.I.E.L.D. has only grown. But when the Winter Soldier, a character from the captain’s past, comes back, the state of S.H.I.E.L.D., superheroes and even the status of the whole Marvel cinematic

universe are threatened. Make no mistake; “The Winter Soldier” is Marvel’s boldest movie yet, running at a pulse-pounding speed that packs espionage, political turmoil and classical superhero into one tightly scripted package. If anything, the film feels like an odd collaboration of all the best parts of the previous Marvel films, but takes them to the next level. Car chases, shootouts and aerial dogfights have never looked this good from the company. This is greatly helped by the strong directing of Anthony and Joe Russo. If the film falters in one area, it is how jarring the genre change can be. While it is good that the movie is ambitious, it sometimes feels a little bloated with everything it is trying to do. New characters, such as Agent Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), fail to leave an impression. The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) has some nice buddy moments with Evans, and his mechanical

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

Evans and Johansson both gave convincing performances.

wing suit might be the coolest visual element of the film, but his character seems like more of an afterthought. That's not to say that the film sacrifices characters for the sake of narrative, in fact Steve’s lingering plot line from “The Avengers” is directly continued in this film. A character born from a different time period that struggles to adapt to the modern age is only strengthed by a villain returning from the past. This plot line also evolves into a great character arc involving romantic engagements with Black Widow and modern-day terrorism and surveillance debates with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Needless to say, Evans manages to give a charming yet emotional performance along with Johansson, who really justifies her character getting her own film with her performance here. Still, the highlights of the film are easily the titular character, played by Sebastian Stan and Marvel newcomer

Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce. Besides Loki, the Marvel films have never really had a strong villain, but Stan brings a terrifying and deeply emotional performance here. While his character might not have as much screen time as some villians in previous Marvel films, Stan gives a lot to the film even with his limited performance. Redford’s character is quieter, but one whose actions might be more devastating to the universe then any superhuman. Also, like all Marvel movies, this one clearly is hinting at something bigger in the universe, and hints at a bigger villain on the way. The power of these villians is demonstrated in fantastic action setpieces including explosive car chases and painful looking fistfights. While Marvel films usually include a varied assortment of action scenes, there are few that can top the sheer variety of sequences within "The Winter Soldier." That being said, the film knows exactly when to show,

almost teasing the audience. You want to see Steve throw his shield around more, you want to see Falcon fly around just one more time and you really want to see Stan in just a few more scenes. “Captain America: The First Avenger” was a movie clearly stuck in a WWII time period, so it is ironic that the best parts of this film are all the returning pieces from previous Marvel films. While the genre change was necessary and a welcome are, given the current state of the character post “The Avengers,” it does create a tone that takes some getting used to. That being said, once you accept the change you will be glad they made it. “The Winter Soldier,” is the best Marvel film to date, but it might also be the most risky. It is a smart, political-action film on its own, but when taken into account with the rest of the Marvel film, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is a gamechanger.

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" starts where Marvel's "The Avengers" left off.

College gal cooking: chicken wings with a hot kick By Nicole Bansen

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Just because football season is over does not mean you cannot still enjoy eating wings. If I had the money to do so, I would probably eat wings every week. While it is certainly not the healthiest choice you could make, it would definitely be a delicious choice. There are so many possibilities for different flavor combinations, how could anyone get bored with chicken wings? And while it can get a little messy, there's something immensely satisfying about eating wings with your bare hands. Maybe it awakens some memories of a simpler time when eating everything with your hands was acceptable. Maybe the human brain subconsciously relates the feeling of eating with your hands back to our caveman ancestors. Or, maybe I’m a little weird and it is just me who gets that feeling. For this recipe, I added a little extra spice, so if you cannot handle the heat, you may want to exclude hot sauce from this recipe.

Ingredients - 1 pack of chicken wings (6) - peanut oil - 1 tablespoon of garlic pepper - 1 tablespoon of salt - 1 tablespoon of pepper - 1 bottle of hot sauce - 1/3 cup of water - 2 eggs - 1 ½ cups of self-rising flour

Start off by tacking your chicken legs and rinsing each under cold water for about 30 seconds. Then, lay them down on a plate covered with a paper towel. Once all the legs are rinsed, take a medium bowl and combine the eggs with the water. Whisk the eggs for about four minutes and put them to the side. In another medium-sized bowl, combine your flour with your seasonings: the tablespoon of garlic pepper, salt and pepper. Next, take your hot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot) and add until the mixture turns a bright orange color. If you like spicy wings/legs, you can add the sauce until it’s a darker orange, but if you like a mild flavor, only add enough hot

NICOLE BANSEN/ THE STATESMAN

Add hot sauce for an extra kick to your chicken wings.

sauce to turn the mixture a lighter orange color. In a medium sauce pan, pour enough peanut oil to fill about one third of the pan. Heat the oil using a medium-high temperature. You can now take your chicken legs and dip them in the egg mixture and then quickly coat them in the flour mixture. Once the leg is fully covered by flour, place the leg in the pan. Fry each leg for about eight to 10 minutes on each side or until the leg turns brown and crispy. Be careful not to stand too close to the legs while they fry as the hot oil may spill out every once in a while. If you want to be extra careful about your cooked chicken, grab a meat thermometer and make sure each leg reaches at least 160 degrees. If you are a true spice lover and wish to make your wings/legs even hotter, put some hot sauce in a pan with about two tablespoons of butter and slowly blend the two together. When your wings are done cooking, you can dip them in the sauce for a truly powerful kick. This recipe serves one.

OPINIONS The Statesman 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

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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Editorial: Unfair elections With a clean sweep of executive council positions and only two seats challenged in the senate, the number of uncontested positions in this year’s Undergraduate Student Government election is unacceptable. No one in particular is to blame—it is clear that every student who wanted to run had an equal chance to do so. However, elections like these damage the legitimacy of USG and discourage students from participating in government. This is especially dangerous in a time when voter turnout is low and the student voice is already weak. USG must act quickly to rectify the problem, either by creating provisions for write-in candidates, establishing a vote minimum or giving students the option to vote against the candidates. As it stands, all the executive council candidates will get the positions they are running for, even if the only vote they receive is their own. Measures to counteract this should have been explored and implemented by now, but since they have not, the results of these elections need to be challenged in the USG Supreme Court—any undergraduate student has the ability to do so by following the procedures in the USG constitution. This is not to say that this year’s candidates are in any way distasteful. Presidential candidate Garry Lachhar has made significant contributions to the campus as Vice President of Student Life this year,

and Steven Adelson, who is running for re-election as Vice President of Academic Affairs, is one of the most proactive and responsive members of USG. But the fairness of the elections is paramount. An election in which voters have no choice but to rubberstamp the candidates is not democratic. With regard to the Student Activity Fee ballot initiative, there is no question that students should vote to keep the fee mandatory. The student body votes on the fee every two years—it is essentially a tax that funds every club on campus. If the vote fails and the fee is made optional, free riders will abound which will cause many of the services students take for granted will cease to exist. The Statesman will hold a USG Candidate Forum on April 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the SAC Auditorium. Assistant News Editor Hanaa’ Tameez will ask the candidates a series of moderated questions, after which the floor will be opened to audience questions. This is an opportunity for students to involve themselves in the elections process and keep the candidates accountable. Questions tweeted to @sbstatesman with the hashtag #USGforum will be incorporated into the dicusssion. SincerelyThe Editorial Board

Letter to the editor: PSAG serves the students Frankly, I was taken aback when I saw the title and read the contents of your recent article on the Provost Student Advisory Group. My name is Chris Priore and I am one of the members of the group and I thought this article painted an unfair portrait of our group and our goals. Language was loaded and it seemed to have an agenda from the first line— I am no journalism major but I’ve taken News Literacy and, to me, this does not seem fair, balanced or unbiased. I would love for your paper to publish the questions that were posed to Dr. Assanis— all were loaded and seemed to be rife with negative connotations. This group is new and surveying departments at the university is an unfair way to judge the spread of recognition of our group. We are attempting to establish a group that does have meetings that are open to students, a group that hears the concerns of students and passes them on to university administration. We have a facebook page and I urge students to reach out and contact us. We need to promote our group before we can receive feedback— which is

what we attempted to do by agreeing to this interview. We attempted to make our group known, more transparent and less shadowy but, I believe, the story was decided before we sat to be interviewed. We meet with Provost Assanis when his schedule allows and we are all grateful for that. We have voiced our concerns to him and he has listened. I would love to voice the concerns of others, but, they would need to reach out and tell us their concerns. We aren’t claiming to work on the nitty gritty aspects of our group— we are actively working on ironing out the details and discussing the subject in depth with the Provost. Our group was founded by the Provost with the intent of relaying information between the students and the administration. We were appointed to this position but plenty of committee positions on campus are filled in this nature, such as the Campus Recreation Advisory Board, which I also sit on, this does not limit transparency. Although we are not elected, such as members of USG, this does not negate the effectiveness of our

group. We are not attempting to usurp power from student government, in fact, I’d love to work with them to help give our students a voice. This article is loaded and biased from the beginning. We had no chance of being fairly represented and I think that is made clear by the tone and content of the article. Please see past this article and reach out and contact our group. Like us on Facebook, go to any future events, and I urge you to get involved in your campus community— not just with our group but any group that promotes the development of a well-rounded campus community. Stony Brook is our school and we all need to work together, take command, and see that. I urge anyone who has any concerns to reach out, to me personally, my email is: christopher.priore@stonybrook. edu. I’m waiting for you, my fellow students, to voice your concerns and ideas— that is the only way we can all improve our university. SincerelyChris Priore (Senior, Biology Major)

Opinions

The Statesman

Monday, April 7, 2014

Raising the age to purchase tobacco will only make the problem worse By Anusha Mookherjee Assistant Opinions Editor

In a close vote, Suffolk County voted to raise the age to purchase tobacco to 21. Currently, the age to purchase in Nassau County is 19, and the legal age to purchase tobacco will soon be going up to 21 in New York City. Lawmakers seem to believe banning substances is the proper step to stop teens from smoking, drinking and finding even stronger (and more dangerous) substances to use. However, it is clear through patterns we have seen in history, and even among friend groups, that the laws only promote crime and illegal black markets. In an email, Legislator Tom Cilmi explained why he voted no on the proposition, saying “Second, smoking has been on the decline for years. In fact, experts say that only around 15% of high school students smoke. In contrast, anecdotal research tells me that more than 60% of high school students drink alcohol, despite the fact that for years it has been illegal for those under twenty one to purchase alcohol. Additionally, people

this any better. In areas where we put stigma on certain actions and constantly try to ban and make substances illegal, the net effect appears to be increasing the demand in a form that the government cannot control. Rather than taking a conservative approach by making substances harder to purchase, it is important to realize that teenagers are responsible for themselves. If someone wants to smoke, they will find a way to get their hands on tobacco. However, lawmakers should not be responsible for pushing teenagers into dangerous situations to obtain these “vices.” Cilmi himself does not smoke, but realizes that a law will not change who will consume tobacco, just who has immediate access to purchase it. The answer to getting teens to quit is through education, as well as removing the stigma from these substances. Just like the story of the forbidden fruit, teenagers will flock towards things that are not easily accessible to them because of the "coolness factor." When the United States entered a period of prohibition

“We have a War on Drugs because the country refuses to see that its own policies are what creates the violence and demand within the country.” get their hands on pills, heroin and pot, despite the illegality of using those products. Clearly, laws have not worked with those vices.” I could not have phrased

from 1920-1933, the rise in crime was immense and so was the rise of a black market to support contraband. We have a War on Drugs because the

PHOTO CREDIT: MCT CAMPUS

The new regulations will not prevent those under 21 from obtaining and using tobacco. country refuses to see that its own policies are what creates the violence and demand within the country. For a country that loves capitalism, it is interesting that it refuses to cash in on the legalization of many substances that would only lead to revenue for states, as well as a system to control substances properly. Legislator DuWayne Gregory voted to raise the age, and in his response, stated “I voted the way that I did because I felt it was in the best interests of public health to do so.” Gregory went on to say that public health is more important than making a profit. Though I do agree with this, I believe there are times where creating roadblocks through

legislation can damage public health. Not all laws are beneficial. We have seen that very clearly through the U.S. stance on drugs and other substances. However, public health will only benefit when lawmakers realize that the answer to solving issues related to drugs does not come from the banning of substances. Sometimes, the best way to beat stigmas and break down the culture of obsessing for drugs is to make them easily and readily available. There are no stigmas attached to taking Advil for a headache. Why? Because we have grown up with the idea that Advil, and other painkillers in the same class of drug, are okay to take. Pill

popping, in this case, is great. We pay less attention to the medicine and tend to abuse it less in comparison to other stronger drugs, like heavy narcotics. Our answer should be education, awareness, acceptance and openness. By growing up around the freedom to purchase items, such as tobacco, teenagers won’t see these items as a tool to feel “cool.” Though this law has been passed, I hope lawmakers in the future can realize it is only beneficial to the next generations to create laws to break stigmas. Breaking down these social barriers is the only way to find the solutions to creating a healthier population.

University Scholars aims to help top students reach full potential

By Hunter Frederick Contributing Writer

Back in Spring 2013, I found out I had been accepted to Stony Brook University as a University Scholar. I was not quite sure what that meant, but coming here and participating in Scholars events; SCH 101, the introductory class for freshmen; and Scholars advising gave me an idea. At first, it struck me as an honors program (which it is), bigger than the Honors College, but with a more social aspect. Speaking with faculty and staff related to the University Scholars program has helped me clean and clear up that impression a little bit. "It’s a method for the university to allow high-achieving students to get to know one another from a very early point in their college career and build relationships not just with each other, but with faculty and staff here at Stony Brook," Jeremy Marchese, senior staff assistant & adviser for University Scholars, said when asked to describe the program. And he could not be more correct. I made a group of friends through my Scholars 101 course, and we have been able to help each other both this semester and last in terms of studying

PHOTO CREDIT: STONYBROOK.EDU

Students who are admitted into the Scholar's Program are in the top 7 percent of their incoming class at the university. and staying on track with work. And on the faculty side, Marchese has been a huge help to me in planning my schedules and answering my academic questions. Last semester, my Scholars 101 course was taught by Brian Colle, and it was truly one of my more relaxing and enjoyable classes. I distinctly remember my Scholars 101 being the first class in which I saw my classmates as my peers and not just other faces in a room. Sometimes I would wonder what it meant to be a Scholar, besides the obvious things like priority

registration and having to go to Scholars events. What is this program really doing for me? “It really gives [the students] a smaller community within the larger Stony Brook University," David Maynard, lecturer and adviser, said when asked what he thought the Scholars programs did for its students. "Not only that, but we seek to connect the students to opportunities for research and internships.” Personally, I have not sought any research jobs or internships just yet, but the program has had some success. It is evident when you look at

all the Beyond the Classroom events and Medical School Panels that the program hosts. The Scholars program appears to have a genuine desire to connect the students with other individuals that can help students determine their own paths. As a personal example, when I spoke to Jeffrey Barnett, Assistant Dean of Students, he pointed me in the direction of some faculty and Stony Brook alumni that could help me explore a newfound interest that I had mentioned to him. This, if nothing else, exemplifies the level of dedication to be found in the faculty associated with the University Scholars program. “Lots of people having been throwing a lot of different ideas, but what we are really concerned with is strengthening the tie to the University Scholars program throughout all four of the undergraduate years of study," Barnett said, when asked about what the future of the Scholars program could hold. "We could do this many different ways. We could add a curriculum, we could add a capstone experience for the seniors or we could add a SCH 102. But all of these are only ideas in the talking stage right now.” I agree with his concern. As I face

my sophomore year, I wondered what the University Scholars program would offer/require that would keep me tethered to it. I questioned whether I would be able to keep that identity of being a University Scholar alive after my freshman year. A question could be made of whether or not the University Scholars program is accomplishing what it set out to do. I believe the answer to this question is yes. I have found personally found the experience of being a University Scholar an enjoyable one. I have received help from the Scholars faculty on numerous occasions, and I truly feel as a student that I am in good hands and that they, combined with the Scholars community, will help make my undergraduate years enjoyable. Now there is the issue of staying connected to the program as it becomes less intense as my undergraduate years progress. However, I would urge upperclassmen to rekindle that University Scholars connection if they have let it die. It could offer you new opportunities or answer a question that is keeping you up at night. I plan to take advantage of it as much as I can. I think you should too.

Monday, April 7, 2014

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The Statesman

A Celebration of Student Creativity Our Best Festival Ever! APRIL 9 TO APRIL 28

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VALET PARKERS NEEDED ASAP Nassau-Suffolk - Days - Eves Weekends a must. Valid drivers license.

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STREET FAIR

SAC Plaza Wednesday, April 16 12 pm to 3pm FREE craft making, art, music, dance, performances and much more.

For information on all Festival events, locations and times, visit our Web page:

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For a disability-related accommodation, please call 632-4378. Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 14020944

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The Statesman

Monday, April 7, 2014

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THREE CREDITS FOUND. NO SUMMER LOST. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to sacrifice your summer vacation in New York to earn the credits you need. The City College of New York offers three full-credit summer sessions for a fraction of the cost of other schools. And because the sessions are flexible, you can attend the one that best fits your schedule. So speed up your path to graduation or take that elective you want.

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Basic Algebra Elementary Algebra College Algebra & Trigonometry Pre-Calculus Calculus I Contemporary Mathematics Statistics Music Appreciation Music: Rock Pharmacology Fitness Theory & Application Intro to Physical Education Sports Management Sports Nutrition Ethics Introduction to Philosophy World Religions American Government Introductory Psychology Psychology of Personality Abnormal Psychology Development Psychology: Life Span Child Psychology Adolescent Psychology Introductory Sociology Elementary Spanish I & II Spanish for Healthcare Professionals

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The Statesman

Master of Arts in

MEDICAL HUMANITIES, COMPASSIONATE CARE AND BIOETHICS Not just for healthcare professionals, this program serves students from a wide range of disciplines and professional backgrounds, building on a commitment to medical humanism and ethics that has defined education for Stony Brook students for more than three decades. The 30-credit Master of Arts program can be completed in as little as one year.

“It is through my Master of Arts in Medical

“The MA program opened my eyes to new avenues

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compassion. It inspired me to pilot a program for

an ethical, medical and legal approach to often

Arts in Medicine, which has made my staff more

challenging situations.”

receptive to the non-medical needs of their patients.”

— Robyn McKeefrey, MA Program Graduate

— Linda Bily, MA Program Graduate

APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR FALL 2014 U.S. Residents: July 1, 2014 International Students: May 15, 2014 For more information or to apply to the program, visit stonybrook.edu/bioethics/masters or email Michael.Ortega@stonybrookmedicine.edu

Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 14031065

The Statesman

Sports

Monday, April 7, 2014

Murphy providing major scoring boost in rookie campaign By Jaclyn Lattanza Contributing Writer

Courtney Murphy (#18) is a freshman on the Stony Brook Women’s Lacrosse team, but she is playing like a star senior would. In fact, she has already broken the school records for most points (8), and goals (7), for a freshman debut and is just one goal shy of tying the record of most goals (9), in one game. “We brought her in here knowing that she was going to make an impact,” assistant coach Caitlin Defliese said. “Courtney is well-prepared to play college lacrosse.” As a soccer player who grew up in Shirley, New York, Murphy picked up her first lacrosse stick when she was in second grade and has been playing ever since. “Once I started getting good at it I started to like it more and more,” she said. She eventually started playing for her school and the Long Island Yellow Jackets. Once she started attending William Floyd High School, she knew that she wanted to continue playing lacrosse in college. Now that she is a Seawolf, thanks to the influences of head coach Joe Spallina and Defliese, Murphy is getting pushed more than ever. “I was never really, in high school, demanded to go 100 percent because I was always above everyone, but getting here, you realize everyone is just as good as you, so you really have to put in the

extra work," she said. “It’s definitely a lot harder here.” Murphy’s skills have instantly impacted the team. The Seawolves have an 10-2 overall record and are 2-0 in the America East Conference. “She’s an unbelievable finisher,” Defliese said. "Anytime the ball is in her stick, it’s probably going to go in the goal.” Murphy has scored eight goals in two single games, the first time against Bucknell on February 15 and the second time against Central Connecticut State University on March 13. She is inching closer to the record of nine goals that assistant coach Demmianne Cook set in 2012. Although Murphy modestly admits, “I’m able to score. I guess that’s my biggest asset,” her coaches are more impressed. “Her shot is impeccable." "She’s able to pick a part corners and pick a part goalies,” Defliese said. “With some of her moves, she’s able to shake off defenders, get her hands free and really rip.” Murphy was named Rookie of the Week for WomensLax.com and twice named player of the week for the America East. “It’s a feeling of accomplishment but I know that I have to keep working,” Murphy said. According to Defliese, Murphy has always been a confident kid, but her confidence on the field has improved. “I think having the ball in her

ANUSHA MOOKHERJEE / THE STATESMAN

Murphy is second on the team in goals (31) and third in points (34), and is looking to lead the Seawolves to their second straight America East Conference Championship. stick, knowing that she’s going to be the person that can take a shot, that’s huge for her,” she said. Although Defliese did not want to comment on Murphy’s areas of weakness, Murphy herself admitted that she would like to improve on her fitness and speed, two crucial components of the game. This causes tension between her and her head coach at times. “Me and Spallina definitely go at it sometimes, but I know that he’s always looking out for me and has my best interest at heart,” she said. “Sometimes I just have to take it from him because I know he wants the best for me.” Murphy is grateful that she can

consider her teammates family. “We treat each other all as equals. There’s no freshman, senior,” she said. But she also knows that she can rely on her parents and two brothers to be her biggest support group. “My family’s really supportive,” she said. “They’re [her brothers] always helping me out and making sure that I’m always content with how I am and making sure that I’m still working to get better.” She especially looks up to her brother Steve who played for the Major League Lacrosse’s New York Lizards in 2013 as well as in college at the University of Notre Dame. “He always texts me to tell me

what I can do better,” Murphy said. “He’s definitely one of my best supporters. Murphy is studying business management but she plans on continuing to play lacrosse after she graduates. She admires Cook’s path of becoming an assistant coach after playing at Stony Brook. She also hopes to coach at the college level one day. But for now, she is focused on the present season. “Hopefully we win the America East and go really far into the NCAA,” she said. “I want to be able to help my team win the championship.”

Seawolves improve to 7-1 in America East play after sweep of Hawks By Cameron Boon Assistant Sports Editor

The Stony Brook softball team went into this weekend winning four of their first five conference games, winning two of three at home against Albany and then sweeping two games from UMBC. They strengthened that record this weekend, when they posted a home sweep of the Hartford Hawks, utilizing the mercy rule twice. “It was a great team effort today,” head coach Megan Bryant said after the doubleheader Saturday. “We’re starting to hit our stride.” Game one featured a pitchers’ duel, pitting Stony Brook’s Allison Cukrov against Hartford’s Zuzana Kudernatschova. Cukrov and the Seawolves struck first in the bottom of the second, when Diane Caruso singled to left field, scoring first baseman Melissa Phelan and putting Stony Brook on the board first. The Hawks would finally push one across on Cukrov in the fifth, and she had a big part of the blame for it. With a runner on first and no outs, Hartford’s Meghan Wynn grounded the ball softly back to the junior pitcher, who then threw it wildly past Phelan and into right, pushing Hartford’s Erin Okoniewski from first to third.

The Hawks’ next batter, Margaret Betz, grounded the ball to Olivia Mintun, who had no choice but to get the out at first. This scored Okoniewski and tied the game at one. Nicole Schieferstein then got the Seawolves right back in the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, when she singled to start the inning. Then after being sacrificed over to second and advancing to third on a groundout, Shayla Giosia roped one to left for one of her two hits on the day, scoring Schieferstein and giving the Seawolves the lead back for good 2-1. Cukrov would retire the last four she faced, finishing an outstanding day in which she only allowed three hits while striking out seven. Game two had a lot more offense for the Seawolves, and it started early. Bria Green, who was 0-3 with two K’s in the first game, sent a three-run home run to left field to get things started for Stony Brook. “Bria’s one of our best hitters,” Coach Bryant said confidently. “Hopefully she goes forward from here.” Green and the Seawolves both would, scoring three more in the bottom of the second. This was highlighted by an RBI double by Giosia, who finished 3-5 in the two games,

and another RBI for Green, this time with a single to left. By this point, sophomore Jane Sallen had already settled into a groove, retiring eight in a row, spanning the end of the first through the third innings. “Jane is a year younger and has been great for us,” Bryant said. Caruso scored in the third after a single by Jessica Combs to second to extend the lead to 7-0. The Seawolves would then get two more in the bottom of the fourth, and after shutting out the Hawks in the top of the fifth, enforced the NCAA’s mercy rule, which is an eight run lead after the losing team has had five atbats. Sallen and Cukrov dominated the day, each controlling the strike zone and the Hawks’ bats, letting up one run and six hits combined, while striking out eight. Kudernatschova, however, wasn’t so great in game two. She had to get pulled after 1.2 innings after allowing six runs on only two hits, while walking five. The big difference was only throwing 35.6 percent of her pitches for strikes, compared to a much more effective game one, throwing 69.6 percent in the zone. Game three pitted Cukrov and Kudernatschova for the second time this weekend, but the game started completely different than the first time.

Cukrov battled Chelsey Mooney of Hartford in the top of the first and after Mooney battled for 11 pitches, she took the 12th and sent it over the right field fence to give the Hawks an early 2-0 lead. Stony Brook would answer right back. Combs led off the inning and took the second pitch she saw deep to center. Two batters later, after Mintun was hit by a pitch, Giosia drove a pitch deep to left over the wall to give the Seawolves a 3-2 lead. Stony Brook would add another on a throwing error by second baseman Amber Andrews to take a 4-2 lead at the end of the first. The Seawolves would add another in the bottom of the third, when Jessica Zeilman singled to center field, scoring Bria Green to extend the lead to 5-2. Green also came up big defensively in the top of the fifth, shutting down any Hartford threat by diving full extension for an amazing catch on Andrews for the second out. She then jumped into the fence to catch a Sawyer Fried fly ball, denying any chance at an extra base hit. The Seawolves added more on in the bottom of the fifth, when Lauren Kamachi doubled to center field, scoring Green and Kellie Reynolds. The next batter, Combs,

grounded to the shortstop, which scored both Caruso and Schieferstein. It also ended the inning when she got herself caught in a rundown. Green then ended it with her second home run of the game, a shot to center that enforced the mercy rule yet again, as the Seawolves took the game and the sweep 11-2. Cukrov, after letting up the home run, did not let up another hit in the game and finished with six strikeouts. Cukrov finished the weekend 10-7 and leads the America East in strikeouts with 86. The Seawolves are now in first in the America East conference at 7-1. They also improved to 8-1 at home. They also now have an overall record of 15-13. Next up for Stony Brook is a pair of Tuesday road games at Columbia. Then on Thursday SBU will return home to take on Hofstra. The Seawolves next America East matchup will take place next Saturday at 1 p.m. when Stony Brook hits the road to begin a three game set with UMassLowell. The three game sweep of Hartford came after the Seawolves fell 2-0 to Fairfield on Thursday afternoon. It was the fifth time SBU was shutout this season.

Sports

Stony Brook takes two out of three in Connecticut

By Joe Galotti

Assistant Sports Editor

The Seawolves headed up to West Hartford, Connecticut this weekend to particpate in the Dodd Stadium College Baseball Classic. SBU went on to pick up a wins over Bryant and UConn on Saturday, before falling to the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. In the team's first game against Bryant, starting pitcher Frankie Vanderka found himself getting into first inning trouble. The senior gave up four runs in the frame, including a two-run homer to junior John Mullen. The Bulldogs would hold a 4-0 advantage until the top of the fourth inning, when an RBI single by freshman Casey Baker got the Seawolves on the board. A sacrifice fly by senior catcher Anthony Italiano later in the inning cut Bryant's lead to 4-2. Then in the top of the fifth inning a pair of Bulldog miscues allowed SBU to tie the game at four. Two Bryant errors would allow junior Robert Chavarria and junior Kevin Krause to score. But, in the bottom of the inning the Bulldog would retake the lead on an RBI single by Robby Rinn. After a rough beginning Vanderka would keep Stony Brook in the game by going seven innings, and only allowing only one run after the first.

The Seawolves' offense would reward their starter's gritty effort in the top of the ninth. Senior Josh Mason started the inning with a leadoff walk. He then advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Chavarria would then tie the game with an RBI single up the middle, which drove in Mason. Later on in the inning Stony Brook brought junior Cole Peragine to the plate with two on and two out. Peragine delivered a three-run shot down the left field line to give his team an 8-5 lead. Freshman Cameron Stone then escaped trouble in the bottom of the ninth to nail down the win for Stony Brook and pick up his fifth save of the year. In the second Saturday game the Seawolves took on UConn. This time the Seawolves got on the board first, when senior Kevin Courtney came up with a first inning RBI single. But, the Huskies would strike back in the second inning with three runs. Starter Ryley MacEachern was removed from the game after just going two innings. Going into the top of the fifth Stony Brook trailed 3-2. Chavarria would lead off the inning with a single, and Peragine would then drive him in on an RBI double to tie the game.

Later in the inning sophomore Jack Parenty came up with his only hit of the day, a twoRBI single, to give SBU a 5-3 advantge. One batter later freshman Toby Handley would give the Seawolves a three run lead, by coming up with a run scoring single. Sophomore pitcher Tim Knesnik gave Stony Brook five shutout innings in relief to help the Seawolves on to their way to a 6-3 victory over UConn. Senior Bryan Tatelman pitched two scoreless innings to pick up his first save of the year. On Sunday afternoon Stony Brook once again took on Bryant. This time the Seawolves would fall to the Bulldogs by the score of 4-3. This came despite the Chavarria and Handley going a combined 7-for-7 in the contest. SBU jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a second inning RBI triple by Handley and a third inning RBI single by Courtney. Stony Brook starting pitcher Tyler Honahan was strong through six innings, but ran into trouble in the top of the seventh. The sophomore loaded the bases before he was pulled for the game in favor of senior Brandon McNitt. McNitt was unable to escape damage, allowing three runs to score, and the Bulldogs to take

MEHMET TEMEL / THE STATESMAN

The Seawolves improved to 15-11 on the season, including a perfect record (10-0) at Joe Nathan Field. a 3-2 lead. In the eight inning Bryant would add an insurance run on an RBI double by Buck McCarthy. Stony Brook would pull within one in the ninth inning, after an RBI sacrifice fly by freshman Jeremy Giles. But, this would be as close as they would get, as they ended the weekend with a loss. Despite the defeat, the Seawolves have still won 15 of their last 20 contests.

Women's Lax posts back-to-back blowout wins By David Vertsberger and Andrew Eichenholz

Assistant Sports Editor and Staff Writer

The Stony Brook Women's Lacrosse team was the road team on Sunday afternoon, but controlled the unfamiliar field as if it were their own in a 16-3 rout over Binghamton. An opening 9-0 run by the Seawolves made for a huge start that would propel Stony Brook to an easy victory. It was the team's seventh win in a row, 10th win of the season and their second of two in conference play. This would be the third game in a row and the fifth on the year that Stony Brook allowed three or fewer goals behind the fantastic goaltending by senior Frankie Caridi. This would also be the 11th time in 12 games where the Seawolves kept their opponents in the single digit scoring range. On the offensive end, the Seawolves were led by freshman Courtney Murphy. She scored six goals on eight shots and also dished out one assist. Behind her were midfielders Amber Kupres and Dorrien Van Dyke who each recorded hat tricks. Michelle Rubino was also a factor with one goal, three assists and four draw controls. With this perforance she now

holds the ninth-most assists and points in program history. The team as a whole out-shot Binghamton by a whopping margin, 32-12, and won the ground ball battle, scooping up 25 to Binghamton's 14. Also impressive was the fact that freshman accounted for 11 of SBU's 16 goals. They also had 13 of the squad's 24 points. The Seawolves continue their domination over the Binghamton women's lacrosse program, holding an 11-1 all-time record over the Bearcats. Binghamton fell to 6-6 overall this season. Head coach Joe Spallina is now just a win shy of the program's all-time wins record. The mark is currently held by Allison Comito with 42. Sunday's blowout win came after the Seawolves posted another dominant win just two days earlier. On a dreary Friday night under the lights at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team failed to score a goal in the last 15 minutes and 40 seconds of the first half against Jacksonville. It was no matter for the Seawolves though. They jumped out to an early 7-0 lead against the Dolphins en route to a dominating 13-2 win. As Spallina always says, the

weather is never an obstacle for Stony Brook. And it was not any different in chilly conditions on Friday. Right out of the gate, a stellar defensive set to start the game led the Seawolves into an offensive onslaught lasting nearly a quarter of the game. In 12 minutes, from the moment Alyssa Guido scored to open proceedings at 27:46, the Seawolves were nearly unstoppable. Crisp passing along with energetic bursts that Jacksonville could not withhold gave Stony Brook a nice 7-goal cushion to start win. Murphy once again was a major offensive contributor. She scored early and often, leading the Seawolves with 4 goals. She also had five shots and one ground ball on Friday. Rubino contributed in the scoring column with a hat trick of her own, putting three in the back of the net. The captain continues to be among team leaders in goals and assists. She has 23 goals and 16 assists this season. She had the defense confused all day long, ending up open in front of the net on multiple occasions. As much as the score reflects the potency of the team’s offense, the elite defense of Stony Brook

is what will carry them places if they make a run later on in the season. Spallina said, “We played championship caliber defense. We need to clean up some of the turnovers, but I like the way we’re playing defense consistently game in and game out, not letting up a lot of goals.” Thinking about the importance of defense down the line, Spallina said, “If we’re going to win a championship it’s going to start with our defense, so I think we’re on our way there.” The defense has been championship calibar so far this season. They have held opponents to single digit scoring in 11 of their 12 contests this year. On Wednesday Stony Brook will head up to New Haven, Connecticut to take on Yale. The game is set to begin at 4p.m. They will then conclude their road trip the following game at Albany which takes place on Saturday, April 12. The Seawolves now hold a 10-2 overall record, and a 2-0 record in America East conference play. SBU has proven so far this year that they can consistently at home and on the road. In games at LaValle Stadium this season they are 6-1. Stony Brook is also an impressive 4-1 on the road.

The team's overall record as of right now stands at 15-11. On Tuesday, Stony Brook will head to New Rochelle to take on Iona. Then on Wednesday they will return to Joe Nathan Field to play Manhattan. Next weekend SBU will return to America East conference play when they begin a three game set at home against Binghamton. 18 of the team's final 22 games will be against conference opponents.

Men's Lax Continued

Continued from page 1

some spectacular saves. The humble goalkeeper said, “That was a great game, but I’ve got to credit our defense. We came in and we played probably the most energized defense we’ve played yet.” Benitez, speaking about Johnstone, said, “Hayden is a freshman, but he’s not acting like a freshman," adding, "He’s coming out here every day trying to improve, and that’s how defenses get better.” Leading the way in goals for Stony Brook was junior attackman Mike Rooney, who had about as quiet a three-goal performance as one could have. Sophomore Brody Eastwood wasn’t far behind, netting two goals while contributing an assist in the contest. Stony Brook has a bit of a break before their next, yet possibly most important game against America East powerhouse and rival Albany next Saturday at 7 p.m. in Albany, where they look to stay in the win column. The following weekend the Seawolves will have another conference matchup against Binghamton. SBU will close their season at home against Hartford. The America East Championships begin May 1.