www.sbstatesman.org

Volume 53, Issue 29 • Thursday, February 4, 2010

Memorial For Haiti Brings Campus Together By Lauren Cioffi Staff Writer

When Stony Brook University President Dr. Samuel L. Stanley, Jr. began his speech at a memorial service for victims of the earthquake in Haiti, he clenched the sides of the podium and released an abundant exhale into the microphone. “We can list the numbers. We can recite the numbers,” Stanley said. “We can see the disasters on the screen, but it is difficult for our minds to grasp the magnitude of those lives lost.” Still, Stanley recounted the death toll: 170,000 The number, according to Haitian officials, is still growing with the search for those displaced on Jan. 12, in the magnitude-7 earthquake. Students reflected in a series of prayers and songs during the memorial service, which took place in the Student Activity Center auditorium. Patrice Toussaint, a member of the gospel choir and a junior at Stony Brook University, recited Psalm 23 in French, from memory. “I have known

IN THIS ISSUE

See HAITI on 3

FRANK POSILLICO / THE STATESMAN

Steve Levy was greeted by President Stanley before he gave the annual State of the County address to a full house.

County Executive Delivers State of the County Address S TAT E S M A N ON POLITICS

By April Warren Editor-In-Chief

During Wednesday night’s State of the County address, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy discussed some of the highlights and pitfalls of the last year but did little to calm some of the immediate concerns plaguing students. The hour-long speech highlighted how the county has managed and will continue to develop new initiatives in areas such as affordable housing, jobs, technology and infrastructure – all areas that have the potential

to affect the campus community – while still pinching pennies. “Here in Suffolk the future is now,” Levy said to a crowd of more than 200 journalists, politicians, residents and county employees in Stony Brook University’s Wang Center auditorium. The address brought the politician, who has expressed an interest in running for governor back to his alma mater where he graduated in 1981 with a degree in political science. The county executive cited hardships in Georgia and California to point out that Suffolk County’s concerns are being felt nationwide. “The challenges are indeed daunting,”

said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko. In 2009 the county lost $100 million in sales tax revenue, witnessed layoffs and suffered mid-year cuts to health care and education. But through careful budget oversight the county also saved move than $100 million in the last six years, according to Levy. “We prepared for the oncoming storm,” Levy said. Levy also addressed the issue of taxes, which are among the highest in the nation. “We will not raise taxes if we don’t have to,” Levy said. “We’re going to continue to hold down the line to the best of our abilities.” Stony Brook University

is a major contributor to the local economy. The campus, which Levy referred to as “the jewel of the state system,” pumps $4.6 billion yearly into the local economy. However, with all the topics discussed, Levy did not mention the budget troubles and hopes of increasing faculty, although these are not issues usually addressed by the county. The university president was not discouraged. “I think because so much has to be covered,” said President Dr. Samuel L. Stanley Jr. after the speech. “I felt a lot of promise.” The county executive did commend the partnership of the university with Brookhaven National

Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Levy’s goal to build more affordable housing in the county could help increase the campus community population, according to Stanley. For over a year, graduate assistants on campus have been campaigning for higher wages and more affordable housing. According to Levy, the next year will continue to bring much needed revitalization and jobs to main streets county-wide, jumpstart the lagging fishing industry as water pollution is stymied and create approximately 700 jobs with the redevelopment of an airport in the Hamptons.

Motion City's newest is lacking

Morals vs. safety, the debate rages on

INDEX

American pop-rockers Motion City Soundtrack released their fourth studio album, "My Dinosaur Life" on Jan 19. The major label debut became highly anticipated

Legal rights: At what point does an individual lose them, and at what point are we allowed to keep someone locked up for good? This is exactly the question that Americans have been

News....................3 Opinion...............4 Arts.....................5 Sports...............7

after it was announced last summer and has since been well received by fans. Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus, who also released... See MOTION on 4

asking themselves since the beginning of the War On Terror. For the first time in a long time, America was imprisoning enemy... See MORALS on 5

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The Statesman

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Making A Green Future Even Greener (of

the

money

v a r i e t y,

that

is)

With looming economic uncertainty ahead, there is a sustainable new source of “greenery” emerging on the horizon. This type of green will help defray some of the costs of your education in the years ahead.

For details and an application form visit the FSA website

The greenery is in the form of new 3 year scholarships – 20 of them – from FSA to be awarded this year and in the years to come.

or come to the FSA office

So, if you are a freshman who is seeing the long road ahead and have some on-campus work experience, you may qualify for one of these scholarships. The deadline for receipt of applications is March 15th 2010, so be sure to act quickly before the sun sets and the green withers.

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

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NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS Memorial For Haiti Brings Students on Campus Together From HAITI on 1 the prayer since I was a little girl,” Toussaint said. “My mother taught it to me. It is very common in Haitian culture.” So far, members of the Haitian Student Organization (HSO) and the Caribbean Student Organization (CSO) have worked together to raise more than $3,000 for the American Red Cross Association. Dexter Daniel, the president of HSO and the leader of the memorial service, attributed the large amount of donations to the student body. When the service was over, Daniel stood in the auditorium hallway collecting donations from students on their way out. “HSO and CSO raised the money, but the students were the ones who donated,” Daniel said. “It was all them.” While campus organizations have spent the past three weeks preparing student

sponsored events to raise money for Haiti earthquake relief efforts, Stanley said, physicians and other medical personnel at Stony Brook University Medical Center are in Haiti, providing medical relief for those who are injured. “I thank each of you who have helped in any way,” he said. As he spoke, pictures of Haiti flashed behind him. Each photograph showed different people from Haiti and their personal moments of desperation. In a closing prayer, students waited in line to announce special intentions into the microphone, each putting a name to the number. “Pray for my uncle and his wife, who are still living on the street with their children,” a student said with a trembling voice. Many students knew too many people to count, rattling off names of cousins and grandparents. Sadly, they often concluded with “and about ten other people.”

Photos By: Sarah Kazadi (Top) A candle light vigil was healed, Tuesday, for the victims of the Haiti earthquake last month. (Bottom) Students have been able to donate since the semester began to help the people still in Haiti.

Stony Brook University Makes Kiplinger's List of Best Values in Public Colleges By Jasmin Frankel Staff Writer

An excellent educational value at a low price is how Stony Brook University made it on Kiplinger’s list of “100 Best Values in Public Colleges.” The finance magazine ranked Stony Brook in 39th place, the same as last year’s ranking. Stony Brook has been recognized for its tremendous value for students, according to Matthew Whelan, the university's assistant provost for Enrollment and Retention Management. Such recognitions include the London Times, Higher Education and U.S. News and World Report. Whelan went on to say, "[the university's] goal is to provide students with

great value, affordable tuition and quality education." Recognition of Stony Brook’s low priced tuition does not end with the administration. When asking Sophomore Josh Eichel how he felt about the university being recognized for its qualities, he said, "I am very glad to be able to have the opportunity to go to such a good school and I am very glad that a public school is able to be ranked so high, showing you don't need to be rich to get a college education." According to Dr. Peter M. Baigent, vice president for Student Affairs and associate provost for Enrollment and Retention Management, almost two-thirds of the ranking is based on the academics. Then the cost of expenses is assessed

by looking at the instate tuition, students financial need after grants and the average debt a student holds before graduating. All other SUNY

schools are ranked lower than Stony Brook, except SUNY Binghamton ranking in fifth and SUNY Geneseo coming in at ninth. "We are happy that

we are placed so high, where academic quality is the major contributing factor and anticipate our continuing ascent in these rankings over the coming years,” Baigent said.

“This result reinforces what a great value Stony Brook is, given its ability to provide access to a wide array of high quality programs for a broad spectrum of students."

FRANK POSILLICO / STATESMAN FILE PHOTO

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ARTS New Release from Motion City Soundtrack Leaves Fans Wanting More By Anthony Dobrini Staff Writer

American pop-rockers Motion City Soundtrack released their fourth studio album, "My Dinosaur Life" on Jan 19. The major label debut became highly anticipated after it was announced last summer and has since been well received by fans. Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus, who also released their record "Commit to This Memory", produced the album. It is always rather interesting when a band sticks with a producer for more then one record, usually bringing back a similar sound. However, with Hoppus, "My Dinosaur Life" has much more of a fresh sound and lets the band show the world what they could do, without having too many

Tour Dates: 2/4-Hartford, CT Webster Theatre 2/5-Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock Cafe 2/6-Charlotte, NC Tremont Hall

Arts at the Brook This is a new section in Arts that will announce the weekly events on campus to keep the student body informed on the latest in music, movies, theatre and art at Stony Brook.

Art Galleries:

MFA student, Moira Williams' exhibition is on display in the Lawrence Alloway Memorial Art

production techniques get in the way. The lyrics are much more brutally honest, dealing with lead singer Justin Pierre’s battles with alcoholism and prescription drugs. From the beginning of the first track “Worker Bee,” the album's tone is set with lyrics that explain that Justin and the band have overcome their problems. The album continues from one upbeat track to the next, but the lyrics are what is truly the masterpiece of the record. Perhaps it will be the promotion team behind Motion City Soundtrack that deserve a gold star for virally getting the word out – releasing the song “Disappear” on the band’s website in October, followed by “Her Word’s Destroyed My Planet” on Spin.com a month later. People wouldn’t have

2/8Atlanta, GA 2/10- Dallas, TX The Prophet Bar 2/11-Austin, TX Emo's 2/13-Tuscon, AZ Rialto Theatre Gallery on the first floor of the Melville library.

Movies:

"The Girl on the Train" (La fille du Rer) is playing this Friday Feb 5, at 7 p.m at the Staller Center. "A Serious Man" is playing that same night in the Staller Center at 9 p.m.

Theatre:

The Met Live in HD Series: Simon Boccanegra at 1 p.m. Friday Feb. 5.

TElevision:

SBU-TV is airing specials to commerate Black History Month. Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun is airing until Feb. 14, daily 4:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

cared as much if the songs weren’t so solid. The only real complaint is the disappearance of the Moog that had become a signature sound in some of MCS’s early records. Maybe it’s just proof that the band has since grown up. Also disapointing is that the album lasts only 40 minutes. After the final track ends, it leaves you wanting more. But it’s the best compliment a band can receive. It’s better than hearing that your album dragged. Some of my picks would have to be “Pulp Fiction” and “Stand Too Close.” But it’s highly recommended to check this album in full. It’s poppy. It’s fun. This album will be a wave that the band will be able to ride for a big portion of this year. Lets just see what Motion City Soundtrack can do in 2010.

2/14 -West Hollywood, CA House of Blues 2/15-Anaheim, CA House of Blues 2/16-San Fransico Regency Ballroom

motioncitysoundtrack.com

Motion City Soundtrack released their fouth studio album,"My Dinosaur Life" on Jan. 19.

Comics PhD Comics By Jorge Cham

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OPINION the stony brook

Statesman Editors-in-Chief Bradley Donaldson April Warren Opinion Editor Ravneet Kamboj News Editor Frank Posillico Arts & Entertainment Editor Ivanna Avalos Sports Editor Sarah Kazadi Photo Editor Kenneth Ho Copy Editor Yasmean Tamoor Business Manager Frank D’Alessandro Accountant Arthur Golnick First issue free, additional issues cost 50 cents. GET INVOLVED The Statesman encourages readers to submit opinions and commentaries to the following address: Stony Brook Statesman PO Box 1530 Stony Brook, NY 11790 Phone: Fax:

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Email: comments@sbstatesman.org To view previous issues, extra material, and to learn about how to get involved with the Statesman, visit out website at sbstatesman.com. For advertising inquiries, call us at (631) 632 - 6480 or visit us online at sbstatesman.com. WHO WE ARE The Stony Brook Statesman 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, writing, and photography staff are student volunteers while its business staff are professionals. The Statesman is published twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the fall and spring semesters. Disclaimer: Views expressed in columns or in the Letters and Opinions section are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Statesman. All content Copyright 2010.

Comcast-NBC: A Dangerous Deal? By Farjad Fazli

Contributing Writer

Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, announced recently that it had reached an agreement to purchase a majority stake in NBC Universal from General Electric. The deal values NBC at $30 billion and creates a joint-venture media behemoth that is bad for consumers. Under the terms of the agreement, Comcast will control not only the NBC broadcast network, which is currently fourth place in ratings amidst a deteriorating broadcast TV market, but more importantly, it will have NBC's lucrative cable operations under its belt as well. These include CNBC, MSNBC, USA, Bravo, and SyFy, among others. (Broadcast networks are suffering from steep advertising losses, their only source of income, while cable networks make money from both advertising and the monthly subscription fee cable companies charge households). The extent to which this

consolidation will reduce competition is unimaginable. Comcast will own both sides of the court: content creation as well as content distribution. And it will be in a position where exercising anti-competitive actions greatly helps the bottom line. It could begin charging competing cable companies more to distribute NBC shows, a cost that will likely be passed on to the public. Comcast's sports channel, Versus, would gain all of NBC's programming, including rights to NFL games and the 2012 Olympics, and could easily ruin ESPN by denying SportsCenter replay privileges to those events. Then there's the matter of Hulu.Hulu.com, a site that offers advertising-supported streaming of TV shows and movies, is partly owned by NBC Universal. There have been talks that Hulu will start charging for content soon, and under Comcast, that is even more likely. Comcast also provides internet and telephone service to millions of people, and thus the deal is a major setback for net neutrality (the principle

that the Internet should remain free and open, and that content on the web should not be discriminated by internet service providers). Last year, Comcast was found guilty of deep-packet inspection, or closely monitoring users' online activities, and then selectively throttling down connections from services it didn't like, such as peer-to-peer file sharing. The story went like this: if Comcast provides cable television and internet to customers (and charges for both), why should they allow people to use the internet service to obtain television shows online? Comcast wants everyone to buy the television content from them, not get it from file-sharing sites. Now, with all of NBC's shows behind them, Comcast has even more incentive to restrict this access. The same logic applies to telephone service--let's just say that Comcast is not particularly fond of Skype. It is important to note here that this merger is still subject to regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission,

which will hopefully see the potentially harmful implications of this deal and move to prevent it from completing.

www.freepress.net

Morals vs. Safety... The Debate Rages On By Ravneet Kamboj Opinion Editor

Legal rights: At what point does an individual lose them, and at what point are we allowed to keep someone locked up for good? This is exactly the question that Americans have been asking themselves since the beginning of the War On Terror. For the first time in a long time, America was imprisoning enemy combatants in Cuba and across Europe. The people captured

and put in these prisons have been subject to a numerous loss of rights. This issue has raised a clash in the very heart of American ethics. Do we, as Americans, allow certain people to lose their right to a trial? A lot of the people released from Guantanamo Bay and other prisons have ended up right back in the field, shooting at American soldiers again. If some of these people were to be tried, there may not be enough evidence to hold them. This debate has struck a chord in American politics and leaves us asking ourselves what we define as a citizen, a person, an enemy soldier and whether or not they all deserve the same rights as each other. On one side, there is the argument that these people can be held indefinitely, and that lives could be lost if they are let go. There are others, however, who feel that as a country, we should never compromise our ideals because that is what sets us apart. The Obama administration had promised to close Guantanamo, yet they seem to be having a lot of difficulty tackling these same questions. During the civil

war, President Lincoln suspended Habeus Corpus and certain other rights, when the north was deep in war and paranoia about southern spies was feverish. Another debate that runs parallel to the issue of indefinite imprisonment is torture. It came to light that the Bush administration had been using a technique called water boarding, and perhaps other techniques that are more serious. These methods, once again, brings up a deep clash of feelings and priorities. Do we torture and perhaps get vital information? Or do we stick to our ideals, and show even the captured enemy combatants that we have a certain moral standard for all people. One fear that a lot of Americans have is that once we start taking rights away from some people, that this will start our descent down a slippery path towards a more powerful and less balanced government. This argument goes even deeper, to the one about how much control the government should have over our lives. There are two sides to this issue: those who favor heavy government

involvement and those who believe that the government should interfere in our lives as little as possible. This basic argument has fueled so much debate and argument that there will never be a clear white or black answer. I believe that America itself is not just a piece of land, but an idea. When we start to compromise that idea, we are really hurting the spirit of our nation. Sometimes though, when an an enemy combatant is so dangerous, or the intelligence they are holding is so valuable, there might be no other way than to resort to harsh methods to make sure that these ‘combatants’ do not harm any more innocent people. These kinds of issues, though, should not be skirted and should be handled by the judiciary. The judiciary ,whether military or civilian, should wade into this issue and find a way to define situations like these. If we pretend that these situations do not exist, America is going to face a bigger and bigger clash. On a case by case basis, I believe we can find a good balance between idealism and pragmatism.

Guidelines for Opinion Submission Letters to the editor or op-ed contributions can be submitted by e-mail at Op-Ed@sbstatesman.org, on our online submission tool at www.sbstatesman.org, by hand at our office in the Student Union Rm 057, or by mailing it to us at the address in the left column. They must be received at least two days before the next printed issue. The Statesman reserves the right to edit or not print any letter based on appropriateness, length, timeliness, or other reasons at the discretion of the editorial board. Letters should be no longer than 350 words, and opinion pieces should not exceed 550 words. Please include your full name (which we may withold if you request it), phone number and email address for verification. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses will not be printed. Letters submitted anonymously or under false names will not be considered for publication.

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SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS

Wildcats Edge Women's Hoops By Sarah Kazadi Sports Editor

Despite a season-high 23 points from junior guard Misha Horsey (Wynconte, PA.), the Seawolves dropped a close decision in New Hampshire Wednesday night, falling 76-71 to the Wildcats. A tight first half led to a 40-38 Widcats edge going into the halftime break. The Seawolves managed to overcome junior forward Kirsten Jeter's (Elmont, NY.) 3 first-half fouls and turned New Hampshire turnovers into points. Stony Brook even put together a quick 10-3 run to go ahead 34-32 with a little over 3 minutes remaining in the first period. But the Wildcats battled back, using hot 3-point shooting to regain the lead and take a 40-38 lead into the second half. But the Seawolves

come out scorching after the break. The road team mustered another scoring run, running off 9 straight points to take its largest lead at 50-43. With roughly 12 minutes to go, Jeter picked up her fourth foul and was forced to sit, and the Wildcats took advantage. New Hampshire embarked on a 16-5 run over the next four minutes, eventually regaining the lead and control of the game. The Seawolves battled to stay within striking distance, but the lead swelled to 9 with 3 and a half minutes to go. Stony Brook managed to trim it to 5 on a Horsey layup shortly after, but that's as close as the road team got, dropping their sixth conference game and 16th overall. The Seawolves will try to right the ship on Saturday afternoon, when they host the Binghamton Bearcats at 2:00 p.m.

KENNETH HO / THE STATESMAN

Junior guard Misha Horsey (above) led Stony Brook with a season-high 23 points Wednesday night, but it wasn't enough to lift the Seawolves to victory.

Spring is when everything turns green…including your bill. Announcing GreenBill, Stony Brook’s leaner, greener, online billing system Beginning Spring 2010

How It Works • Your billing statement will be available in SOLAR. No paper billing statements will be printed or mailed. • You will receive an e-mail notification regarding the payment due date and a link to SOLAR. • You will be able to view your billing statement by logging into SOLAR, navigating to the Student Financial Services menu, and clicking on the link for the “Account Summary/What Do I Owe?” page. • You will be able to pay online with a credit card or e-check, and enroll in the Time Option Payment Plan electronically. • When the student billing system goes green, we'll reduce total paper output by more than 80,000 pages per year. In addition to the environmental benefits, the GreenBill program allows for more accurate and timely bills and alleviates risks associated with paper mailings, such as identity theft, loss of mail, and changes of address. To find out more about the GreenBill online billing program visit: stonybrook.edu/bursar/green or e-mail your questions to GreenBill@notes.cc.sunysb.edu Stony Brook University/SUNY is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer. 09120492

SPORTS

ALEEF RAHMAN / THE STATESMAN

KENNETH HO / THE STATESMAN

Junior guard Chris Martin (left) and senior guard Muhammad El-Amin (right) both led the Seawolves in scoring Wednesday, dropping in 16 points a piece to help Stony Brook pull out a fifth straight win.

SEAWOLVES WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT By Sam Kilb

Assistant Sports Editor

ALEEF RAHMAN / THE STATESMAN

Sophomore Center Dallis Joyner scored 8 points Wednesday night.

The Stony Brook men's basketball team stayed on top of the America East standings with a 54-44 win over the host Hartford Hawks Wednesday night. The Seawolves are on their longest win streak of the season and have won nine of the last 11 games. Stony Brook improved to 15-7, 8-2 in the America East. Junior Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) has been the hot hand for Stony Brook of late. Martin put 16 points on the board, matching his total against Boston

University on Saturday and scoring in the double digits for the fourth time in five games. Martin was tied with Stony Brook senior guard Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) as high scorers for the game. Sophomore guard Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.), who lit up the Hawks in the teams' last meeting, was again held to single digits for the Seawolves, his only points coming on two three-pointers. Morgan Sabia led the Hawks with 12 points and added four rebounds. The Seawolves kept Hartford from getting many free points from the line, although Hartford failed to convert when the

Hawks were sent to the charity stripe. Hartford made just four of 13 free throws in the game. Stony Brook's defense was solid yet again, holding Hartford to 35 percent shooting from the field. Just as they did when they met the Hawks in early January, the Seawolves kept a tight perimeter, allowing the Hawks to shoot only 16% from three-point range (4-for-25). Hartford's Joe Zeglinski, whose 3.5 three-pointers per game is ranked third in the country and who is the Hawks' all-time leading three-point shooter, was held to 7 points, including just one field goal from three-point land.

Stony Brook outrebounded Hartford by one, 36-35. Sophomore Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) led all rebounders with eight boards. The Seawolves now have a week off before hosting the Maine Black Bears (14-7, 6-2) on February 10. Stony Brook is 9-1 in the historic and intimate confines of Pritchard Gymnasium this season, including last weekend's blasting of Boston. That game was sold out. The last time, the Black Bears beat Stony Brook, 67-61, in one of SBU's 2 conference losses this season. Maine is right behind Stony Brook in the AEC .