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VILLAGE OF NEW PALTZ CANDIDATES TALK MAYORAL RACE: STORY ON PAGE 3 | EDITORIAL ON PAGE 9
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE
• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Come To Campus....Pg 4 • Suicide Prevention App Now Available On All Smartphones..Pg 5 • Open Space Institute Purchases Rt. 299 Property...........Pg 5 • Village Board Considers Solutions To Parking Problem.........Pg 6
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Rogers, Rhoads, Cohen Discuss Candidacy For Village Mayor By Abbott Brant
Editor-In-Chief | N02167035@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Three New Paltz residents have announced their candidacy for New Paltz Village Mayor. Tim Rogers, Sally Rhoads and Amy Cohen have begun collecting signatures to earn a spot on the ballot in the May 5 election. Current incumbent Village Mayor Jason West has not yet publicly announced if he will once again run for the position and was unable to be reached for comment. Rogers said each of those contending in the mayoral contest must obtain 100 signatures by March 31 in order to officially enter the race. A product of New Paltz, Rogers said his parents have lived in the Town of New Paltz for over 40 years, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees from SUNY New Paltz. Rogers earned an MBA graduate degree in finance from New York University and built a career in investment management. “I purchased my own home in the Village of New Paltz in 2007,” he said. “Since last summer, I have been investing in a deepenergy retrofit of my house on Elting Avenue.” Rogers said his ability to address local issues through a financial lens came from his education and background and has made him a successful addition in his roles on the New Paltz School Board and Town Planning Board for the last few years. His love of analysis and explanation of “things that are complicated or less intuitive” will aid him in campaigning for the role of Village Mayor, he said. “I was recently sitting at the Mudd Puddle café one Saturday afternoon and a friend came by and asked what I was working on,” Rogers said. “I said I was drafting a note explaining the 2.25 percent state aid rate used for reimbursement on interest with school district capital projects. My friend replied ‘Ugh, poor you.’ Her response reminded me that I’m lucky because I truly enjoy this type of work and problem solving.” As to what Rogers would do in the mayoral position, the candidate would focus on housing, zoning code and infrastructure issues requiring attention. “I would like to see more village board support for our village staff. We have several individuals who take pride and do great work in the treasurer’s office, public works and building department. I’d like to review with them whether there are ways to improve or update their operations,” Rogers said in a New
Paltz Times article. “But better village planning and cooperation with the town regarding infrastructure solutions for sewer, stormwater, drinking water and potential development are the most important big-picture tasks. However, planning is futile without code enforcement. Village building department code enforcement is a process that needs better board supervision and quite possibly an overhaul.” Rogers believes West, Rhoads and Cohen have done impressive work for the New Paltz community in the past and will continue to make strides to better the village regardless of who wins in May. While each candidate offers a different set of skills and experience, Rogers said he specifically offers a unique combination of three main proficiencies: hard work with a good grasp for arithmetic, commitment to see projects through and a belief in environmentalism. Rogers said he is also involved with the community in non-political ways, including coaching the tee-ball and soccer teams of his two children each spring and fall since 2013. When Rhoads and her husband moved to New Paltz in 1970, she became active in the town and village. “I believe I know this community better than any other candidate running for mayor,” Rhoads said. Rhoads added that she has had multiple roles in the community over the years, ranging from a Girl Scout Brownie leader and classroom mother to her current position as Village of New Paltz Trustee, which has held since 2011. Rhoads cited her time as a member and President of SUNY Faculty Wives and Women, Chair of the Elting Library Annual Book Fair and a founding member and later President of the Lifetime Learning Institute of SUNY New Paltz — a continuing education program for adults 55 and older — as prominent positions she has held. Rhoads was a Board of Education member for 15 years and then president for several more, she said. She was President of the Elting Library Board of Trustees for 10 years, culminating in the board’s raising of $3.6 million to build an addition and remodel the library that opened in 2009. “As both a member and leader of boards, I have demonstrated my ability to serve intelligently, respectfully, collaboratively and cooperatively to achieve results,” Rhoads said. “I have a reputation for working hard, following through and producing positive results.
I think the residents of the village know by my past performance that I have no personal agenda and that I will address all issues, large or small, with the best interest of the entire village in mind.” Rhoads said that as a village trustee for the past four years, a “learning curve” is present in performing effectively in village government. She believes her experience will allow her to surpass this and “hit the road running without dropping the ball.” Rhoads said addressing the high taxes in the village “is probably most important.” “The combined tax bill for village, town and school taxes is dangerously close to exceeding taxpayers’ ability to pay,” she said. “We must find ways to continue providing needed improvements — new and repaired sidewalks and improved street lighting for pedestrian safety — and expected services and at the same time hold the line or preferably reduce taxes.” She believes one way to accomplish this is for the village, town, school district and university to share services such as snow removal and street repair and cooperatively purchase commonly used materials. “I think village government has failed to establish a much needed positive and collaborative relationship with the college which would benefit both,” Rhoads said. Rhoads would like to form an association of SUNY communities composed of villages, towns and cities with SUNY campuses through the New York Conference for Mayors. The association would identify commonly shared problems and positive solutions to being a college community in New York State. “I believe having a college in our community is a positive asset and SUNY students have been major community volunteers for many years participating in important community events such as ‘Clean Sweep’ and the annual library fair,” Rhoads said, adding that she is currently working with a joint committee of SUNY members, the town and college police, tavern owners and community members to address village quality of life issues that impact students and residents. “I think it would be terrific to be the first woman mayor in the village’s 300-plus year history,” Rhoads said. Also vying for the spot as first woman village mayor is Cohen, a New Paltz resident for 18 years and mother of four. She said the free-thinking atmosphere of the community and university brought her family here. “Unfortunately, things in our local gov-
Thursday, February 26, 2015
ernment are going downhill,” Cohen said. Cohen said the village’s ban of plastic bags is a recent example of the village’s poor legislation. “The law only effects a 1.6 mile radius, it doesn’t include supermarkets,” she said. “Every law that you legislate costs between $6,000 and 8,000. We can fix the playground or beautify downtown with that money.” Cohen also said the village’s “war on students” is a position local government must change. “They are anti-student,” she said. “Certain individuals do not want students living in houses in the village. There are also new building inspections, where builders will be able to come in and if they see anything off, the building inspector, licensed by New York State, will need to report anything to local police. Now, they are trying to work on a new noise ordinance. They are trying to run land lords out of business and run students out of the village. And I will tell you that every candidate except for me supports that.” Cohen said she is different from the other potential candiates in that she believes in being able to work together to get things done instead of “just making a million laws.” As co-owner of the Groovy Blueberry retailer, Cohen said she has been involved in retail and wholesale for 25 years. Within the New Paltz community, she has been volunteering in the town for the last three years in “the capacity of police commissioner, a current member of the Democratic Committee and as a Town Planning Board member.” With this experience, Cohen said she is good at delegating and being a team leader. She will be able to work with town leadership and bring the two separate governments together and work in unison, she said. Cohen said the biggest issues she would address as village mayor are the numerous safety issues in the village. She said while current village government focuses on the safety of student housing, safety issues for children are not being met. “We have a playground that is dilapidated and deteriorating and has already existed two years past its shelf life,” she said. “We also have other safety problems by our middle school. That is a horrendous corner. I got you that crossing guard, and I want another. I also want better signage. Let’s worry about the kids, our pedestrians and our cyclists and get new sidewalks.” The village mayoral election will take place on May 5.
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Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Installed At New Paltz
ABDUCTED CHRISTIANS MOVED TO MILITANT STRONGHOLD Islamic State militants have moved a large group of Christians they abducted to one of their strongholds as fighting raged on Wednesday between the extremists and Kurdish and Christian militiamen for control of a chain of villages along a strategic river in northeastern Syria, activists and state-run media said.
AT LEAST 124 PEOPLE DEAD IN AFGHAN AVALANCHES Avalanches caused by a heavy winter snow killed at least 124 people in northeastern Afghanistan, an emergency official said Wednesday, as rescuers clawed through debris with their hands to save those buried beneath. The avalanches buried homes across four northeast provinces, killing those beneath.
POWS DIG OUT COMRADES’ CORPSES AT AIRPORT Ukrainian POWs in the separatist stronghold of Donetsk began a task Wednesday that strained their hearts as well as their muscles: digging through the rubble to retrieve the bodies of fellow soldiers killed last month in the bitter battle for the city’s airport.
JOURNALISTS ARRESTED FOR FLYING DRONE IN PARIS Three Al-Jazeera journalists have been arrested for illegally flying a drone in Paris Wednesday, after unidentified drones flew over the Eiffel Tower and key Paris landmarks for a second night running. It’s further baffled French authorities who are investigating a spate of unidentified flying objects in the Paris skies at a time of high security across the country. Compiled from the AP Newswire
An electric vehicle charging station located in the Elting Gym parking lot.
By Sam Manzella
Copy Editor | Manzells1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
SUNY New Paltz unveiled its first six electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on campus last week. These stations are part of New Paltz’s overall plan for sustainability as well as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Charge NY” program, which aims to install 3,000 EV charging stations statewide by 2018, according to an article on wamc.org. All six stations are located in the Route 32 and Elting Gym parking lot on campus. According to SUNY New Paltz Sustainability Coordinator Lisa Mitten, New Paltz aims to create an EV-friendly environment as well as encourage rapid adoption of EV technology for commuting students and faculty. “EV charging stations are an important component of growing sustainable transportation options on campus,” Mitten said. “We had the opportunity to install electric vehicle charging stations nearly for free (we only had to contrib-
ute 10 percent of the total cost [and] New York State paid for the rest of it.) We jumped on this opportunity as soon as we learned about it.” According to WAMC, EV charging will cost $1 per hour for the first four hours of charging and $5 per every hour after that. Mitten explained that these stations are intended for “topping off,” not everyday use. Mitten said that the school’s “target audience” for the EV charging stations is mainly faculty and staff, as these groups are most likely to be able to afford EVs. A recent survey of faculty and staff determined that 24 percent of staff would absolutely consider a completely electric vehicle for their next car purchase, while 33 percent might consider the option. Mitten said she believed the survey results to be “very positive.” Mitten also cited the popularity and success of similar EV charging stations across the SUNY system. “University at Stony Brook and Uni-
Thursday, February 26, 2015
PHOTO BY LIZZIE NIMETZ
versity at Buffalo both have EV charging stations,” Mitten said. “At Buffalo, so many people have purchased electric vehicles that they have much higher demand for charging spots than spaces available.” First-year undeclared student Alexis Shea said she approved of New Paltz’s decision to install the charging stations and supports the school’s push for green technology and sustainability. “I feel like the charging stations would be a positive step and it would be great to see the campus doing those things,” Shea said. “Green energy is definitely the future, in my opinion.” However, some students expressed frustration with the campus’ shortage of parking for ordinary commuters who don’t drive EVs. Twitter user @Elise_ Brucche called searching for parking at SUNY New Paltz an “epic saga.” Another user, @therumham_ agreed, expressing her annoyance at the school’s choices to “take even more parking spaces away from commuters.”
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Suicide Prevention App Made Available On All Mobile Platforms By Anthony DeRosa
News Editor | N02385288@hawkmaiil.newpaltz.edu
Ulster County Executive Mike Hein and the Ulster County Suicide Prevention Education and Awareness Committee have created an app, available on both Apple and Android devices, to provide an easily accessible resource designed to help recognize the warning signs of suicide, according to a letter from the SUNY New Paltz Office of the President to all students. The Suicide Prevention, Education and Awareness Kit (SPEAK) app was originally unveiled to the public in Nov. 2013, exclusively for the Apple app store but has recently been released for Android on the Google Play store, according to Community and Government Relations Associate at New Paltz Rich Winters. “We learned about the app when it was available for iPhone only. Given the many students who have Android devices, we shared app information after it was established on both iPhone and Android platforms, in order for the maximum number of students, faculty and staff to access this important new resource,” Winters said. According to the app’s description on the Google Play store, SPEAK is meant to assist users in identifying signs of suicidal behavior in
friends and family and immediately connect to expert assistance if needed. “It’s not a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment, but rather a ‘first line of defense’ that offers some solid information and useful tools that they can use to help someone they love make it through a difficult time,” the description reads. The free app acts as a guide which provides the user with warning signs that correspond with levels of risk and also advises the user on what to say to someone who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts. Additionally, SPEAK supplies the user with resources which contain local, state and national contacts, and instant call buttons for immediate help that link to local, national and Veteran hotlines. The app was designed in conjunction with mental health professionals to be a “powerful tool” in the hands of anyone who may be in a position to prevent tragedy, according to the app’s press release from 2013. “Suicide can devastate families and is an extremely serious concern all across our nation. Many of us have been, or know someone who has been affected by suicide,” Hein said in the press release. “If this app can help just one person make it through a difficult time or save even one life,
then its success is immeasurable.” The press release credits suicide as the eleventh leading cause of death for all Americans and said that approximately 1,300 New Yorkers take their lives each year. According to the same statistic source, approximately 150,000 New York teenagers will attempt suicide each year and 70 will die as a result. “The national rate of teen suicide has tripled since the 1950s and it is now the third leading cause of death for New Yorkers 15 to 24 years of age,” CEO of Mental Health Association in Ulster County, Ellen Pendegar, said. “We know that recognizing the signs of suicide early and getting someone the help they need quickly can buy enough time to help them reconsider the value of life and avoid irreversible harm.” The New Paltz administration agreed. “We wanted our campus community — a significant number of students and employees who live and/or work in Ulster County — to be aware of this important new resource,” the letter from the president’s office reads. “The College is also here as a resource for students and employees who may be in need. Students can speak with the counseling center, and employees may contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).”
Open Space Institute Purchases Watchtower Property For $2.1 Mil. By Melanie Zerah
Copy Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
On Feb. 11, the Open Space Institute (OSI) announced in a press release their acquisition of the 135 acre farmland on the western side of New Paltz along Route 299 on the Watchtower Property. According to The Daily Freeman, Institute spokeswoman Eileen Larrabee said that efforts are underway to maintain the agriculture use of the land under an agreement with Wallkill View Farm. The $2.1 million purchase by OSI will aid New Paltz in carrying out the community’s value in environmental preservation, Larrabee said. New Paltz will also benefit with new outdoor opportunities for residents and tourists, she said. According to Mid Hudson News, beginning Saturday, Feb. 21, the property, managed by the Mohonk Preserve, has opened for free crosscountry skiing. In addition, Mohonk Preserve have also increased their open trails, including those around Spring Farm Trailhead and on Trapps Carriage Road. “We are very excited about working with the Open Space Institute on making their newly acquired land accessible to people,” David H. Toman, deputy executive director at Mohonk Pre-
serve, said. “The town of New Paltz itself has undergone some planning efforts to try to find a way to start connecting the town and the Rail Trail in the direction of the preserve. So that really ties into this fully integrated network that not only has cross country skiing but we are also hoping to bring biking and walking paths closer to the reserve.” According to the OSI press release, the Institute will lead in the maintenance and patrol of “New Paltz Flats Trails” — a new construction of connected trails including the Rail Trail and Shawangunk Ridge — to ensure that they are wellplanned and cared for. The press release also gave assurance that OSI will balance the interests of recreational users, successful agricultural operations and area residents. Toman said that Mohonk Preserve is also providing the current rooms for cross country skiing as a service to OSI. “We are working with them in the regard of rooming so we are engaged in that way. The preserve now owns the property,” Toman said. “In terms of that property, the collaboration is what we have been working on with them and to manage the seasonal cross country on the property.” The OSI press release also included infor-
mation which stated that the “preservation of Watchtower Property will allow direct access from New Paltz to the Shawangunk Ridge and create a premier recreation corridor.” The Shawangunk Ridgeline, once only accessible by car, is now accesible via walking or biking. Kim Elliman, OSI’s President and CEO said that the recreational trail will be among the most scenic in North America. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, OSI said the trail will be privately funded, with no additional costs to the town or county. Future plans for OSI in regards to expansion of the Shawangunk-Catskill Trail Network include the creation of three separate rail trails connected into a network comprised of Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, O&W Rail Trail and Ulster County Rail Trail Project. According to the OSI press release, OSI is working with a number of partners, including the New York State Office of Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, Ulster County, Mohonk Preserve, Wallkill Valley Land Trust, the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Association, Kingston Land Trust, Woodstock Land Conservancy, Catskill Mountainkeeper and others to realize these goals.
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3 ACCUSED OF PLOT TO HELP ISLAMIC STATE GROUP Three men were arrested Wednesday on charges of plotting to help the Islamic State group wage war against the United States, and federal officials said one of them spoke of shooting President Barack Obama or planting a bomb on Coney Island.
US-ISRAEL QUARREL INTENSIFIES OVER NETANYAHU SPEECH Trading barbs, the U.S. and Israel escalated their increasingly public spat Wednesday over Benjamin Netanyahu’s GOP-engineered congressional speech next week, with the Israeli prime minister accusing world powers of rolling over to allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons.
DEADLINE NEAR, DEAL SETS UP SECURITY VOTE IN SENATE
Three days before a partial Homeland Security shutdown, lawmakers cleared the way Wednesday for Senate passage of legislation to fund the agency without immigration-related provisions opposed by President Barack Obama.
EXPERTS: INSANITY CASE AS IN ‘AMERICAN SNIPER’ HARD TO WIN he former Marine convicted of killing “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle and another man was hospitalized multiple times for psychiatric treatment and was prescribed medication to treat schizophrenia. He spoke of pig-human hybrids and the apocalypse and was described by Kyle himself as “straightup nuts.” Compiled from the AP Newswire
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Village Board Proposes Potential Parking Solutions By Kristen Warfield
Managing Editor | Warfielk1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Seeking to alleviate parking issues in the Village of New Paltz, the village board has discussed potential ways to revamp conditions on residential roads — some neighboring the SUNY New Paltz campus — by exploring the feasibility of setting two-hour parking zones. Village Board Trustee Sally Rhoads provided a detailed list of the board’s parking concerns at their Feb. 11 meeting, one which cited instances of drivers parking on residential streets for hours on end – some of which are SUNY New Paltz students in seek of parking spots adjacent to the school’s academic buildings. According to Rhoads, many who live in residential neighborhoods near the campus are displeased with how many cars are constantly parked outside of their homes. “If you are a student taking classes in Old Main, it is a lot easier to park on Ridge [Road] than to park in the big lot that has been created off of [Rt.] 32 — in addition to which, it’s free,” Rhoads said. “That’s one of the things we’re trying to weigh out because the residents who live on these streets where we have bumper-to-bumper parking now, are not happy.” Third-year early education major Kristin Ludwig, a commuter student at SUNY New Paltz, believes that the root of these residential disruptions near the campus are due to the lack of parking provided for the students. “The price of the campus parking pass is ridiculous because sometimes students can’t even find parking on campus,” she said. “I don’t think it is right to have to park on residential streets.” To see which option could potentially alleviate this congestion on streets near the campus, the board drafted a plan to measure what impact a parking time limit would have on these areas — which currently do not garner any timed parking limitations. The basis of this experiment would be to implement three two-hour and three four-hour parking limits on select residential streets for a period of six months time. Trustees suggested this six month period to span through multiple seasons to see how factors such as weather, tourism and student rush during the academic session would contribute to their results. Gauging the areas where college com-
Parked cars line Church Street.
PHOTOS BY LIZZIE NIMETZ
muters may be parking all day, Trustee Rebecca Rotzler suggested that if the board is permitted to conduct these tests, then streets such as South Oakwood, Lincoln Place, West Manheim Blvd., Ridge Road, Center Street and West Center Street should be among those chosen due to their proximity to the SUNY campus. Rhoads said that the board consulted with the town attorney following the Feb. 11 meeting to see if this experiment could be conducted, but it was determined that this would not be a possibility unless legal parking codes were changed. “I’m not sure where the board would be if it has to go through all the code changes in order to do the experiment, the experiment fails for whatever reason and then have to change the codes back,” Rhoads said. “I don’t know what the board will want to do with this information, but nothing is set yet — it is all just being discussed.” Among other parking concerns addressed that evening, Rhoads also suggested that it would be useful if the village
could measure the width of village streets to determine which streets are wide enough to allow two-way traffic and which are too narrow for it. “I would think that those streets that are wide enough should have two-sided parking,” she said, also mentioning that streets that are too narrow should be changed to alternate side parking to allow for vehicles to pass through safely, allow room for Department of Public Works [DPW] projects and provide room for first responders in case of an emergency. This topic of alternate side parking sparked traffic in the public comment section of the meeting, in which business owners and residents were in attendance to hear how some long-standing parking issues were to be discussed. Village resident Alan Stout, who owns the North Front Street properties The Bakery and The Bicycle Rack, said he believes instituting alternate side parking on roads near his property would not be good for either of these businesses. “We can’t afford a loss of parking,”
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Stout said.“Those parking spaces are vital to the North Front Street business community [and] if half of those spots are eliminated, those same people are still going to need parking.” Stout also voiced concern about how instituting alternate-side parking on some village roads could become hazardous. When cars are parked on both sides of the road, he said, drivers are forced to slow down to permit the other cars on the road to pass by. If drivers no longer have to yield to other cars because there’s more room on the road, then they will be more apt to speed, Stout said. Moving forward, Rhoads looks for the board to hold further discussion on all addressed parking concerns to see where any plans can be made to alleviate them. “No matter what we decide, this has got to go to DPW, we’re going to ask the planning board what they think and the Transportation Implementation Committee,” Rhoads said. “This [first stage] is only our discussion and then it goes a lot of other places.”
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PHOTO BY THERESA MATTIA
Village Legislation Draws Concern From Senate
By Karl Evers-Hillstrom
Copy Editor | N02541514@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Student Association met on Wednesday, Feb. 25 to talk about a number of issues including campus drug policy, crucial town laws and SUNY tuition increases. Vice President of Academic Affairs and Governance Jordan Taylor discussed the recent report that listed SUNY New Paltz as having the most drug arrests per capita of any school in 2013. Taylor said the report indicated that some changes could be made when it comes to campus drug policy. “We should be advocating for rehabilitation measures, not punitive ones,” Taylor said. Taylor cited that eight SUNY schools were listed in the top 50 list for college drug arrests, and felt that SUNY as a whole needs to adopt a rehabilitation program to deal with drug abuse. Spokespeople from Awareness, a rehabilitation program aimed at alleviating substance abuse problems, talked to senate about their program. The group works with the courts in
Ulster County and aims to rehabilitate people caught using alcohol or drugs illegally rather than punishing them with a fine or jail. They cited that Ulster County has the highest rate of underage drinking in the state, something the group aims to fix. Currently, Awareness is a club on campus. They said they want to make their program the standard policy for substance abuse policy on campus. More info on the program can be found at awarenessinc.org. Another issue discussed during the meeting was the recent discovery of a village board housing law passed in January. The law states that no more than three people, excluding families, can live together in a residential house. Adele Ruger of the New Paltz Property Owners Association came to discuss the legislation, which she referred to as a “while we were sleeping” law, as it was passed while nobody was paying attention. According to Ruger, this law became possible because of another law passed in 2013 that changed the legal definition of a
family in New Paltz. Previously, a group of people living together in a residence did not have to be legally related to be considered a “family.” Ruger says the law came about because many townspeople do not approve of college students living off campus, and does not think the law holds up legally. “[The New Paltz Property Owners Association] are going to challenge the law in court,” Ruger said. “Once it gets challenged it will be put on hold.” Ruger also said that students who have already signed a lease or sign a lease for a house before the summer is over should be safe from the new legislation for the next school year. Senators were concerned about the new law. Many senators felt it would restrict the ability of students to live off campus and would severely hurt options for transfer students. “This isn’t looking good for us, for any student looking to live off campus,” said Sen. Zach Grossman. “Students need to get in-
Thursday, February 26, 2015
volved on this issue.” The SUNY Board of Trustees approved an extension of the Rational Tuition Plan in November of last year, which allows SUNY to raise tuition by $300 every year, and want to keep the tuition increase going through 2020. SUNY Oneonta, Stony Brook and Purchase’s Student Association have already given support to the tuition increase program, much to the chagrin of many senators and University Representative Jesse Hicks. “I didn’t even know these schools supported this tuition hike,” Hicks said. “This isn’t a good thing for SUNY students.” With all senators in favor bar one, senate passed legislation which declared that the Student Association of New Paltz does not support an extension of the Rational Tuition Increase and calls for a freeze in tuition increases. The legislation is meant to stop tuition increases as well as show New Paltz’s disapproval of the plan and will be brought to SUNY Assembly in March.
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Join The Team! Thursday, February 26, 2015
Monday, April 6 @ 8:30 p.m. - SU 403 Monday, April 20 @ 8:30 p.m. - SU 403 Monday, April 27 @ 8:30 p.m. - SU 403
THE GUNK Th ursday, february 26, 2015
the future of
3d printing Story on page 3B
Photo by maxwell Reide
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The New Paltz Oracle
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A Smooth
FEATURES TRANSaction
LECTURE SPREADS AWARENESS ON TRANS troubles
By Amanda Copkov Copy Editor | Copkova1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
There was Angelina—sitting at a desk wearing a body-con shirt and skirt and a black blazer; accessorized with big hoop earrings and one leg crossed over the other. Angelina is a transgender woman who shared her story. Working in health care, Angelina knows the ins and outs of the system. She told people sitting around her that her benefits do not compare to that of a cisgender person, or a person who identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth. Because Angelina is a transgender woman, her health insurance doesn’t cover specific surgeries, procedures and medications. These are some of the issues that were discussed at an event called TRANSaction on Saturday, Feb. 21 in the SUNY New Paltz Lecture Center. Coordinated by Amanda Norton, the Resident Director (RD) of Capen Hall and Anthony Amitrano, the RD of Bliss Hall, the goal of the event was to illuminate issues faced by the transgender community on a daily basis and to introduce steps that people can take toward becoming successful allies and advocates for the transgender community. TRANSaction, in its third year running, hosted many guest speakers who shared their personal experiences within the transgender community. The speakers’ presentations ranged from health-care disparities and barriers that transgender people face, blurring the lines of the gender binary system and creating a “non-binary trans movement,” transgender interactions with law enforcement and prison arrangements, as well as how to be an ally for transgender people within the general public and in cases of local and state policy. “Trans issues are very prevalent in our society,” Norton said. “These issues have been brought forth in recent years by mainstream media, but there isn’t a ton of education about [transgender
Transgender community seeks to educate community.
people] or trans issues. [At SUNY New Paltz,] we have transgender professors, faculty, staff and students, and it impacts students’ interactions everyday.” Norton also said that TRANSaction offers a unique opportunity for students and the general public to understand more about the transgender people they may know in their personal lives or may meet in the future. Jackie McCool, a fourth-year elementary education major and resident assistant (RA) in Bliss Hall, attended TRANSaction and said that she hoped the event would bring a better understanding of what it means to be transgender as well as how people going through their transitions deal with transitioning. “[Transgender people] face a lot of discrimination,” McCool said. “People don’t understand what it is they go through or what they’re thinking during the process which makes it hard to talk about. This event can help raise awareness.” Preceding TRANSaction’s separate
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRANSACTION
lectures was a presentation given by Davey Shlasko, the founder and lead facilitator of Think Again Training and Consultation, an organization that helps communities, schools and workplaces develop an awareness and understanding about issues of oppression and social justice and helps people gain skills to enact justice in the workplace and in their daily lives. Shlasko explained that many trans students don’t receive the kind of support they may need during their college experiences. More often than not, trans students describe their support systems as “minimal,” especially in reference to friends and peers “trying” to refer to them by their preferred gender pronoun (PGP), but not always fulfilling this request. “We’ve been confused out of understanding people’s gender preference because of the gender binary system,” they said. “We as people have a large range of hormones and body types. Binary is a drastic simplification of who we are.”
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Shlasko referred to Laverne Cox, who is most notable for her role as Sophia Burset, a transgender woman on the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black,” and her work as an LGBT advocate. “[She’s] great, but there is still a lot of work to be done,” Shlasko said. Brienna Perez, a third-year philosophy major, held her own lecture and handed out packets that gave tips on how both cisgender and transgender people can become allies to the transgender community. In the packet, Perez said cisgender individuals can become allies by reading books, writing to and talking to people who are transgender, not assuming someone’s gender, practicing introducing one’s self with preferred gender pronouns (he/him/his/himself; she/her/ hers/herself; they/them/theirs) and asking respectfully for another’s PGP after sharing their own. For transgender people, she suggested that they can help by getting their stories out there through telling them or writing them, educating others about institutional oppressions, getting cisgender individuals more active for transgender individuals and by writing to their local legislators and representatives often. “Call out the big fish and the little fish will change, too,” she said. Perez also pointed out that during the Fall 2014 semester, the SUNY New Paltz Student Association’s 58th Student Senate made a resolution for improved preferred name policies, gender-neutral housing and preferred gender pronouns in assembly introductions. Kimberly Cincotta, a third-year theater major and RA in Bliss Hall, said that it was her second time attending TRANSaction and that she wanted to gain a better insight into the lives of transgender people. “It’s an eye-opening event,” Cincotta said. “It’s important to have an open mind and to understand people and what they’re going through.”
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3B
LIFE IN THREE DIMENSIONS MAKERBOT CEO COMMEMORATES ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Jennifer Lawton recieves a printed atrium coated in copper, commemorating anniversary.
PHOTOS BY JENNIFER NEWMAN AND MAXWELL REIDE
By Nathaniel Sheidlower Copy Editor | Sheidlon1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Twelve years from now the second quarter of the 21st century will have begun, current kindergarten students will be applying to college, five Olympic Games will have passed and 3D printers will become a common tool. CEO of MakerBot, Jennifer Lawton, came to SUNY New Paltz on Feb. 25 to tell a lecture hall full of students, faculty and community members just that. Marking the one-year anniversary of the MakerBot Innovation Center at
SUNY New Paltz, she spoke of the great year and the future of the center and the industry. “The 3D Innovation Center is so important,” Lawton said. “It allows for community members to engage the innovation center and learn from and with each other and bring about the next industrial revolution.” Lawton spoke of the evolution of computers in the daily lives of common people. She envisions that 3D printers will soon become very easily accessible and available for everyday items that are easier to print than repurchase.
“MakerBot is the core of our 3D printing initiative,” SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian said. “Which has come such a long way in a short time.” The center itself partners with the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center (HVAMC), SUNY New Paltz’s second lab working in this booming industry. Both labs work with over 50 clients to design and print prototypes and other needed parts, tools and products, according to Dean of the School of Engineering, Dan Freedman.
“One of the reasons the relationship between MakerBot and the HVAMC is so strong is because both organizations have dealt with rapid change and expansion,” Freedman said. The initiative will soon spread to local community colleges such as Ulster, Dutchess, Sullivan, Orange and Columbia Greene. According to Freedman, this is to prepare students at these colleges, many of whom transfer to SUNY New Paltz, for the 3D printing program offered here so these students are not at a disadvantage.
By Nathaniel Sheidlower Copy Editor | Sheidlon1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu “Please pardon our appearance as we make improvements to our campus.” That sign is in multiple locations around SUNY New Paltz. It is commonly posted on the side of a blue and orange tarp, wrapped around a chain-linked fence. It signifies that behind it, renovations are occurring on an already existing building or a new building is emerging literally from the ground up. Every renovation, every building and every project has a plan. Blueprints, budget, payroll, material list, completion dates; everything is predetermined so the project may run smoothly and be finished in time. The Facilities Master Plan contains very detailed outlines of most intended, completed or in-
progress plans after its publication in April 2008, such as the glass Atrium attached to the Student Union Building. The more specific details are not included, as they may change and are not needed at the preliminary stage of the Master Plan. Certain projects were conceived after the plans publication and are not part of the original – a copy of which can be found at newpaltz.edu/construction. In this mini-series, The New Paltz Oracle will examine three areas of the plan: parking changes, overall budget and funding and campus construction, both current and planned. The Oracle will use information from the plan itself and speak with John Shupe, associate vice president of the facilities management department, John McEnrue, director of facilities design and construction, as well as others involved in the area of the plan being focused
on. The Oracle is seeking relevant student and faculty input on the subjects of campus construction and parking. If you wish to provide input or information on either topic please email Sheidlon1@ hawkmail.newpaltz.edu. As said in the executive summary, the plan’s goal is to “reinforce the connection of the campus to this magnificent landscape, clarify the campus’ boundaries and relationship to both its urban and rural edges, restore and reconnect the existing open spaces on campus, develop the campus’ landscape to its full potential and enhance the sustainable attributes of the campus landscape.” In other words, the plan is to have a beautiful, energy and resource-efficient campus. “There is an unprecedented amount of construction on campus,” Shupe said. “And my staff
is putting in tremendous effort to help make this a good place to study and learn.” Although the original plan was laid out in three five-year plans, with hopes to be completed in 15 years, the actual length of time before all elements are completed is longer. Some projects – such as the new entrance off Route 32 that involves construction of a new building, expanding the Gunk and replacing the parking lot already there – have not yet been started and may not be before the original 15 years is up due to funding, time constraints and other factors, according to McEnrue. Other projects, like constructing a “boat house” on the banks of the Gunk, have been eliminated from the plan entirely. The first article of this mini-series will be published in The New Paltz Oracle Volume 87, Issue 16 on Thursday, March 12.
A Peak Beyond The Horizon ORACLE INVESTIGATES CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION IN THREE PART MINI SERIES
Thursday, February 26, 2015
4B oracle.newpaltz.edu
Features
The New Paltz Oracle
Proper Way To Tweet
PROFESSOR LECTURES ON STUDIES OF BIRDSONGS
By Jessica Jones Contributing Writer | n02603338@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Song is the language of birds. Various frequencies and pitches are akin to human dialects and inflections. Birds sing to fight, flirt and gossip. Kara Belinsky, assistant professor of biology at SUNY New Paltz, is on a mission to become fluent in birdsong. On Monday Feb. 23, Belinsky hosted an evolutionary studies seminar titled “Songs and the Suburbs: What Birdsong Can Teach Us About Communication And Conservation,” where she discussed her research with the veery (Catharus Fuscescens), a woodland thrush with an unusual and little-studied song. By learning how veerys and other songbirds communicate with each other, she hopes to improve bird habitats and therefore cultivate a better quality of life for all living creatures. Third-year biology student Rachel Norkelun was drawn to the seminar because she wants to know how humans are “putting weight on or changing the dynamics of the animal.” Belinsky’s upcoming research concerning how birds are affected by urbanization will address this issue. According to biology lecturer Spencer Mass, Belinsky brought a “much needed enthusiasm for the birds” to SUNY New Paltz when she was hired in 2014. She placed bird feeders around campus last summer in order to study what birds were found on campus at certain times of year. To date, she has recorded the presence of house sparrows, goldfinches, chickadees, mockingbirds, mourning
doves, juncos, blue jays and downy woodpeckers. Matt Richards, a fourth-year environmental biology major, is conducting “a study about the interior and edge of campus forest” in order to learn how mammals are affected by a lack of interior forest. When asked why he attended the seminar, his response was very straightforward: “I love birds.” Belinsky “can’t imagine not loving birds,” and began research with veerys six years ago while trying to understand what birds were saying to each other. She graduated from Skidmore College in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and from the
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2008 with a Ph.D. in organismic and evolutionary biology. She conducts her research at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies located in Millbrook, New York, where a large population of veerys can be heard. “Veerys are basically invisible if they’re not making a sound,” Belinsky said. She is fascinated by the “shimmering” or ghostly song of the veery, created by the simultaneous use of the lower and upper sections of its voice box. Of all the songbirds, veerys have the largest extent of use of their voice boxes.
The fieldwork aspect of Belinsky’s research is conducted around the dawn chorus’ and dusk chorus’ of songbirds. She and a team will head out to the dense woods where veerys make their home and set up recording equipment to capture the sounds hurling through the air and try to make sense of any recurring patterns. A standout pattern of veerys is a tendency to sing more at dusk than at dawn. Part of what makes a veery song so unusual is its rapid pitch; this factor also makes the song more difficult to be heard through the large ensemble of birds who sing at dawn. By creating sonograms, which graph the frequencies and pitch of each individual bird’s song, Belinsky and her team have been able to determine that despite the higher predatory risk of singing at dusk, veerys sing more at that time of day because the “fine details” of their song are more likely to reach the ears of other veerys. In the upcoming summer months, Belinsky will begin banding birds on campus in order to track their whereabouts on campus and in town. In an attempt to make all of New Paltz more bird-friendly, Belinsky will be reaching out to town residents to ask that they contact her whenever they see one of her banded birds around their home. Ann Sarrantonio of Rosendale is an avid bird-watcher and was delighted to hear birdsongs in the seminar that she had never encountered before, as well as feeling a deeper connection to the community of New Paltz.
for transfer students, help them meet new people and assist in their transition to campus life,” Auer said. “Our motto is ‘Community. Friendship. Involvement.’ These three words are the mission of our organization.” Auer said frisbee is something the Transfer Student Union members and other transfer students naturally seemed to enjoy playing together, so it has become a TSU tradition. He said the teams are mixed up so often, everyone has a chance to meet new people. Kevin Finer, third-year English major and Andy Tarachand a third-year industrial organizational psychology major, are two TSU members who participated in the fris-
bee event on Feb. 17 and said they both enjoyed the idea of frisbee indoors. Tarachand said he felt the idea of indoor frisbee was a “cool concept,” while Finer felt a benefit of indoor frisbee was that “the sun doesn’t get into your eyes.” Finer heard about the frisbee event through his fellow transfers, but Tarachand came about the event through the organization’s Facebook page. Don Tracy, a fourth-year public relations major and the vice president of the Transfer Student Union, said he felt the game of frisbee is a good bonding experience for members of the club. Tracy, a creator of the event, said he definitely would
want to hold this event again. The Transfer Student Union holds a variety of events for its members throughout the academic year. Frisbee events, a welcome week and seasonal celebrations are a few events that are available for transfer students through the organization. Along with being a group for transfers to get acquainted, the Transfer Student Union is also an advocacy group for students for issues like on campus housing for transfers. To see what other events the Transfer Student Union is holding, check out their Facebook page: SUNY New Paltz Transfer Students.
SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian in attendence at lecture. PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI
Fostering Friendship Over Frisbee TRANSFER STUDENT UNION HOSTS SPORTS EVENT
By Sage Higgins Staff Writer | Higgins1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu With many feet of snow on the ground outside, it’s hard to imagine students woud be playing frisbee this time of year. But on Tuesday, Feb. 17, the sport was taken inside by the Transfer Student Union. The Transfer Student Union (TSU) is a campus organization that helps new or transfer students meet students like themselves through different types of events. James Auer, a fourth-year political science and communication major and cofounder and President of the Transfer Student Union, created the organization. “[Our goal is to] create a community
Thursday, February 26, 2015
The New Paltz Oracle
5B
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT oracle.newpaltz.edu
An Evening of Poetry TWO ESTEEMED WRITERS SHARE THEIR WISDOM THROUGH POETRY By Karl Evers-Hillstrom
Copy Editor | Kevershillstrom@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Two experienced and celebrated Hudson Valley writers entertained a crowd of scholars and educators to an evening of poetry. SUNY New Paltz’s own journalism professor Howard Good and veteran poet Donald Lev read pieces from their newest works at the Honors Center on Feb. 18. Lecturer David Carr introduced Good and Lev, calling them two of his favorite Hudson Valley writers and emphasizing that they have “published more poems than anyone has a right to do.” Both Good and Lev have their work published in various anthologies, and have published an abundance of their own books. Good said his poetic interest sparked at age 14. Although he was always engrossed in poetry, he chose to dedicate his work to journalism and academia for most of his professional life. Only in the last 10 years has he been able to dedicate much of his time to poetry. “Poetry was something that everyone, including my parents, looked forward to me outgrowing,” Good said. “It’s almost like the adolescent in me that I had stuck in a corner has come of age.” Good’s recent poetry works include “The Complete Absence of Twilight” from MadHat Press and “Fugitive Pieces” published by Right Hand Pointing. “Fugitive Pieces” is a collection of collage poems and all proceeds made from the book go to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. Good read some of his works from “Fugitive Pieces,” which contained stanzas carrying deep meaning hidden by the hilarity of their putative randomness. Lev’s gruff voice and New York City accent provided a unique platform for his hilarious poetry. Most of his poems were short, one of which, titled “Jazz Lyric,” being only one line. Lev also read a poem from his late wife Enid Dame titled “The Woman Who Was Water.” Born in New York City in 1936, Lev
also has a journalism background, having worked for The New York Times and The Daily News. He then spent 20 years driving cabs and in 1979 he and his wife founded the literary tablet Home Planet News, which he continues to publish to this day. Lev’s newest collections include “A Very Funny Fellow,” published by NYQ Books in 2012 and “Where I Sit,” published by Presa Press this year. After they were finished reading, Carr asked the poets about their experiences as writers. “Writing is so much a part of who I am that if I don’t do it, I feel like I’m not myself,” Good said. “It’s just sort of like breathing to me at this point.” Good also had insight as to how he was able to stay dedicated to writing. “You have to tell yourself, ‘I have to organize my life around my writing, not my writing around my life,’” Good said. “That’s really one of the crucial commitments you have to make.” Lev agreed, saying Good “couldn’t have put it better.” Howard Good (above) and Donald Lev (below) read their poetry.
PHOTO COURTESY OF Righthandpointing.net
Thursday, February 26, 2015
PHOTOS BY ERICA BLAIZE
The New Paltz Oracle
Arts & Entertainment
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6B
Theater Preview: “The Trojan Women”
DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE ARTS TO PERFORM GREEK CLASSIC By Russell Hartman
A&E Editor | Rhartman@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
The SUNY New Paltz Theater Department will be traveling back in time to ancient Greece with their latest production, “The Trojan Women.” According to the Spring 2015 arts and theater calendar released by the art and theater departments, “The Trojan Women has long been considered an innovative and artistic portrayal of the Trojan War aftermath. After their city has been sacked, their husbands killed and their remaining families taken away as slaves, the women of Troy confront their fate. Euripides’ classic emotionally charged play raises issues for our contemporary community.” The theater department’s production is based off of the adaptation of the play by Ellen McLaughlin. “The Trojan Women” is the third tragedy in a trilogy of plays written by Euripides about the famed Trojan War between the ancient Greeks and the city of Troy. The other two tragedies of the trilogy are Alexandros and Palamedes. “The Trojan Women” was chosen by the college’s season collection committee and associate professor Nancy Saklad was chosen to direct. According to her faculty page on the SUNY New Paltz website, Saklad has previously directed productions at various other places in the country including “Much Ado About Nothing” at Boston’s Publik Theater, “How I Learned to Drive” at the Durham Center Stage and “Other Peoples Money” at Seacoast Repertory Theater in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She has also directed the Professional Division Moss Hart Award winning production of The Diary of Anne Frank at Seacoast Repertory Theater. Saklad explained that she has high hopes for this current run of “The Trojan Women” and that the feel of this tragedy is very modern despite the
setting it takes place in. “It has a very modern feel to it even though it takes place in ancient Greece,” she said. “We’ve gone a little bit further with this feeling of the modernness of it in terms of how the play intimates a genocide.” Saklad went on to say that a number of the characters in the play represent different genocides over the past century and that the play will have a different feel than an ancient Greek play. “There’s something rather universal and timeless about war,” Saklad said. When asked about the actors and actresses of the play, Saklad had nothing but good things to say about how hard the cast has been working. She also mentioned the challenges the weather has provided the cast. “[The cast members] have been rather outstanding in the process,” she said. “We have usually about five weeks to put a production together, but because of all the snow and all the snow days, we missed almost a week’s worth of rehearsal. Everybody’s been running to catch up and to be ready for [the opening gala], so that’s rather exemplary.” The Trojan Women will have eight performances during its run at Parker Theatre. Tickets can be purchased online at www.newpaltz.edu/theatre/productions or at the box office at Parker Theater. Tickets are $18 for general reserved seating, $16 for seniors, non New Paltz students and New Paltz faculty and staff and $10 for students. Along with the Thursday night performance, there will be five other 8 p.m. performances on Friday, Feb. 27, Saturday, Feb. 28, Thursday, March 5, Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7. Two matinee performances will take place on Sunday, March 1 and Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m. The show stars Brittney Martel as
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE ARTS AND THE SCHOOL OF FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS
Hecuba, Ricki-Lynn Berkoski as Cassandra, Alicia-Dee Leduc as Andromache, Allie Doherty as Helen, Matt Ayasbeyoglu as Poseidon, Eric Hibschweiler as Talthybius and Joe Mc-
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Garty as Soldier. The chorus features Lia-Shea Tillett, Erica McNaughton, Theresa Flynn, Tara Hatzidakis, Ayesha Saleh, Sara Lyons, Kay Song, Kristin Battersby and Amber Neilson.
The New Paltz Oracle
Arts & Entertainment
Guitar Through The Ages GREG DINGER PERFORMS GUITAR PIECES FROM THREE CENTURIES By Amya Pinka
Copy Editor | Pinkaa1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Nadia and Max Shepard Recital Hall hosted a concert entitled “Three Centuries of Music for the Classical Guitar” on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. It was an entire program dedicated to one classical guitar played by Greg Dinger. Greg Dinger is a faculty member of the music department at SUNY New Paltz as well as SUNY Ulster and Bard College. Dinger has played the classical guitar since ninth grade and on Tuesday night, he dedicated his entire program to his one classical guitar, with no vocals or electronic effects. The lights dimmed and Dinger began his performance with music by Sylvius Leopold Weiss. As stated in the program, Weiss is one of the most important lutenist’s of his period. His music was written without barlines in unmeasured style, which translates how improvisational this music was. His music can rush forward, or slow down, it is solely up to the improviser. The program included pieces that started in the 18th century that just make it to the mid-20th century, the reason behind the title of the show. According to Dinger, the first half of the show was more historical with one era leading to the next. The second half of the show was South American music from different composers who have stark differences in their music. He also added that the show features instruments the guitar often borrows from. For instance, the lute in his first set of pieces by Weiss, the violin from music by Jean-Delphin Alard and mainstream guitar from the early 19th century and from the 20th century. After intermission, Dinger gave the audience an opportunity to hear music from 20th century South American composers as he interpreted on classical guitar. He played music from Mexico’s first influential composer, Manuel Ponce, Brazilian guitarist and composer Heitor Villa-Lobos as well as Argentinian player and composer Jorge Morel. “I chose the pieces to make a
three-piece sequence – like a ‘makeyour-own’ sonata for each composer, generally following the arc of introductory-slow-conclusive (fast),” Dinger said. “In most cases, the last piece in a group leads to the first piece in the next group.” Dinger said that choosing a favorite piece to perform is difficult. He says that when he plays some of these pieces, he plays them as though they are the best pieces of music in the world. He pointed in particular to “Praeludium & Capriccio” by Weiss and “Choros” by Morel.
“I know several of the pieces are crowd-pleasers and I enjoy thinking that I’m making my audience happy with those,” Dinger added. The most exciting aspect of his performance was with just one guitar and four fingers, Dinger played the equivalent of piano music and all from memory. Dinger was able to present his audience with a new outlook on guitar; one without vocals. A simple acoustic, nylon-string type guitar without electric or bass and with a historical twist.
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7B
MUSICIAN OF THE WEEK: Jacob Yoder YEAR: Fourth MAJOR: Anthropology HOMETOWN: Bridgeport, CT
WHAT’S YOUR INSTRUMENT OF CHOICE?
Classical Guitar
WHAT ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH MUSICALLY? I just play for fun and as a meditation mostly on my own. I sometimes jam with friends and with my roommate, but I don’t play in a band or anything.
WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES? In terms of classical guitar I am extremely inspired by incredibly talented musicians like Estas Tonne and Amin Toofani, as well as many others.
WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO LATELY? Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of new agey rap music which does not relate so much to what I play, but classical wise I have been listening to Estas Tonne a lot.
WHAT’S YOUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE? Get better at classical guitar while transforming humanity through the pursuit of anthropological research and whatever other means I find possible.
ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MUSICIANS? My advice is that a lot of techniques can sound really good and aren’t as hard as you might think. It’s worth really working on something for a while to expand your ability. Also, always have fun with your playing. That’s why it’s called playing. Also, try different things and explore what’s possible with your instrument. CHECK OUT JACOB YODER PERFORMING BY SCANNING THIS CODE WITH ANY SMARTPHONE!
DO
YOU
WANT TO BE...
MUSICIAN OF THE WEEK? Greg Dinger plays his guitar for the audience.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAXWELL REIDE
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Contact Russell Hartman at Rhartman@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
8B
THE DEEP END
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The New Paltz Oracle
THIS WEEK IN
THE DEEP END EMMA WARREN
Major: BFA Graphic Design
Year: Fourth
Inspration: Jessica Hische, Saul Bass, Louise Fili “I love design because every project is different; you never do the same
What’s
thing twice. I try and use hand lettering or hand drawn images in my work whenever I can because it puts a little more of my personality in the work.” B A S E D O N T H E N OV E L BY J . D . S A L I N G E R
Good Lookin’? WOODSTOCK FARM ANIMAL SANCTUARY
JULY 5 11am-5pm
Live Music
•
Family Fun
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Vegan Food
| Tickets:
$10 Adults
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$5 Kids
•
Tots Free
CO M I N G S O O N
S E E T H E WO R L D
BA RC E LO N A
ARE YOU COOKING A FRITTATA IN A SAUCEPAN?. WHAT IS THIS?. PRISON?. SCHMIDT FROM NEW GIRL
Photos courtesy of Emma Warren | Captioning by Maxwell Reide
The New Paltz Oracle
Editorial
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Running The Village
9
CARTOON BY MIKE SHEINKOPF
The 2015 Village Mayoral race is underway for the Village of New Paltz, as New Paltz residents Sally Rhoads, Tim Rogers and Amy Cohen have come forth to announce their candidacy. Local government elections are a time for New Paltz residents who are not actively involved in community happenings to formulate a more scrutinizing eye to community legislation, governance and overall condition of the town and village we live and thrive in. We at The New Paltz Oracle want to remind the students of SUNY New Paltz to not undermine their own residency and relationship with the Village of New Paltz. As a campus, we are are an integral component of the village. We are as much a member of the community as residential families, and are also a provider of commerce. We are a unified face of the New Paltz spirit: free, creative and
unique. We are all these things, and we should be acknowledged as such within the village government and by the Village Mayor. The sad reality, however, is most politicians make initiatives that appeal to the majority of the public in order to obtain the most votes. If we do not express our power of residency and opinion through our right to vote in New Paltz, local politicians will not feel the need to take into consideration student concerns and give the student community members precedence. When this happens, you might end up with things like housing laws that look to remove students from the village and fail to recognize their importance to the foundation of the Village of New Paltz. But this rhetoric is more than a possibility – its a real life legislation passed by the Village to go into effect June 1.
If you do not actively care and participate in the formulation of the Village government, the Village government will not care about you. That is why it is so important to ensure that you are registered to vote in our village mayoral election come May. Many people fail to recognize the importance of their vote because they assume that it just doesn’t matter – but that is where the misconception lies. If future proposals come into play that affect you in some way, you earn your voice as a voter to speak out against it if you do not agree with them. If you contribute no input into who our elected officials are in the first place, then it takes away the validity of your discontent. As current residents of the Village of New Paltz, we all hold a duty that should remain with us regardless of whether we plan to stay here after graduation or not. If the Village does not want to make
Thursday, February 26, 2015
the step to communicate with SUNY New Paltz students, then we should take initiative to communicate with them. Make your voice heard. Educate yourself about the positions and platforms of each candidate. Attend Village board meetings. Email or call candidates and let them know that you are a student, what your concerns are and that you will be bringing those concerns to life your vote in the Village Mayor election on May 5. Editorials represent the views of the majority of the editorial board. Columns, op-eds and letters, excluding editorials, are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The New Paltz Oracle, its staff members, the campus and university or the Town or Village of New Paltz.
OPINION
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KARL EVERS-HILLSTROM Copy Editor
N02541514@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
I’ve passionately followed the NBA for over a decade and in my time I have never experienced a season as crazy as this year’s. To be honest, the NBA was starting to seem stale prior to the 2014-15 season. It seemed like the Eastern Conference would forever be dominated by the Miami Heat and nobody else, and the Western Conference playoff picture would include the same eight teams every year. For the first time in forever, we have had a season full of surprises, and shocking ones at that. As of Feb. 25, the Atlanta Hawks are the best team in the Eastern Conference. This is a team that struggled to make the No. 8 seed in the pathetic east last season. They don’t have a superstar player, but it is evident that their teamwork and coaching is so superior that it doesn’t matter. The fact that four of their five starters were selected for the East All-Star team this year shows how balanced their squad is. In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors have dominated, losing only 10 of 54 games played. Held back by inferior coaching in years past, the Warriors have finally unlocked their potential with new Head
SAM MANZELLA Copy Editor
Manzells@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Body modifications: a subject that is at once very personal, highly controversial and undeniably fascinating. It seems that everyone and their mother has an opinion on body modifications. This is coming from a girl with six visible piercings, none of which are particularly risqué: a ring in my nostril, three studs in my right ear and two studs in my left. Any other body modifications I may or may not have (I’ll leave this to your imagination) are hidden from sight. I take pride in my piercings and body modifications. Before I get pierced or inked, I always make sure to do my homework. I thoroughly research artists, piercing and tattoo shops and healing processes for my body mod of choice. Body mods are fun, yes, but they’re committments and shouldn’t be taken too lightly.
The New Paltz Oracle
COLUMNS The Irrational Association Coach Steve Kerr, and looked primed for a deep playoff run. That is if they aren’t stopped by any of the amazing Western Conference teams, such as the quiet but tremendously effective Memphis Grizzlies, high-octane Houston Rockets or any of the amazing Western Conference teams currently in the playoff hunt. There are legitimately intriguing storylines for every single team in the NBA. Except for the Denver Nuggets. Sorry Nuggets, you’re just not that interesting. The Chicago Bulls and their resurgence as a top team in the east, and the dismal but unfortunately predictable news that their star point guard Derrick Rose will have to undergo yet another knee surgery. The Miami Heat have had an insane season without LeBron James. This includes a deadline trade for the Sun’s star point guard Goran Dragic and unexpected blood clots in Chris Bosh’s lungs that have sidelined him for the season. The Knicks have had their worst season in team history, largely due to star forward Carmelo Anthony deciding to shut it down for the
year to repair his ailing knee. Never did I think the Knicks would sink this low. They are basically hoping to secure the first pick in the NBA Draft by being as bad as possible. The star-studded Cleveland Cavaliers took a couple months to learn how to play together. Critics have been silenced as of late, as they have won 15 of their last 17 games. Knicks castaways J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert look like different players now that they get to play with LeBron James. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) race is more contested than ever. In past years it was either LeBron James or Kevin Durant as the only two players who could realistically win the award. This season it seems like a complete toss up, as many new players have entered the conversation. Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Marc Gasol could all be named MVP this season for their tremendous play. There is so much more I could talk about, but there simply isn’t enough time or room. This NBA season has taught me many things. I now know not to take anything for granted, and expect upsets to happen. It has taught me
that superior coaching is more important than ever and something that can bring teams from mediocre to great. I’ve learned that players can improve dramatically from season to season, that I should never underestimate any player in this league. Never did I think that Jimmy Butler or the Bulls or the Sun’s newly-aquired Brandon Knight would be All-Star caliber players. I honestly have no clue what will happen in the playoffs. I think the only two teams in the east with a chance of winning it all are the Hawks and the Cavaliers, whereas in the west any of the playoff teams could go all the way. Why am I even making predictions? This season taught me that all of my predictions will forever be wrong!
Karl is a third-year journalism major who analyzes the sport of basketball much better than he plays. If he was as skilled at the game as he is knowledgeable ... he still wouldn’t be in the NBA.
A Nod To Body Mods Thoughtfulness aside, piercings, tattoos, stretched ears, scarification and other body mods are traditionally frowned upon in the average workplace. I suppose this is because piercings and tattoos had their modern resurgence in the counterculture movement, and corporations may not want to associate themselves with links to those values or movements. Other businesses may find body mods simply “unprofessional.” Understandable, I guess. What gets me, though, is when people throw nasty claims at heavily-modified people. “Disgusting,” “defacing their natural beauty” and “wasting their money” are a few I’ve heard frequently. To which I say: excuse me? Did I or any of my modified brothers and sisters ask for your opinion? Probably not. Tattooing and piercing are ancient prac-
tices. Tattoos date back as far as 2000 BCE and adorn the bodies of Egyptian mummies, according to an article from Smithsonian Magazine. Egyptians even pierced their ear lobes and stretched their ears, both practices we still see often today. I’ve got news for you: the Egyptians didn’t decorate their bodies with ink and metal to rebel against “the man.” These body mods came from a distinctly human urge to decorate, adorn and beautify our bodies in our own image. It’s as simple as that, folks. People like tattoos and piercings because they are unique and customizable forms of expression. And that’s a valuable thing for many people. In a world where many of us feel unable to truly be who we are, body mods allow us to take back our human right to freedom of expression. Even with the tame nature of my vis-
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ible mods, I still receive unwanted feedback. I’d like to emphasize the word “unwanted” in that previous sentence. Chances are I do not care what you think about what I choose to do to my own body--choices I, as a legal adult with a job, am entitled to make. This goes for strangers on the street, family friends and yes, even my parents. Believe me when I say my mother’s dismay didn’t deter me from having a needle stuck through my nostril...and it won’t deter me from covering my skin with ink. (Sorry, Mom. I love you!) Sam is a first-year journalism and French major with a passion for writing, a love of personal style and a veritable coffee addiction. She likes her tattoos like she likes her coffee: black, exotic and chosen thoughtfully.
The New Paltz Oracle
SPORTS
SPORTS
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The New Paltz Oracle
FLYING The Women’s basketball team advances to the semifinal round of the SUNYAC Tournament on Friday, Feb. 28.
By Melissa Kramer
Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
The Women’s basketball team defeated SUNY Buffalo 79-58 in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 SUNYAC Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at the Hawk Center. With the win, the Hawks advance to the semifinal round of the tournament. They next travel to tournament host and No. 1 seed in the SUNYAC conference SUNY Geneseo to play the No. 2 seed SUNY Cortland, Friday at 5:30 p.m. At halftime, the Hawks held a 45-22 lead. Hawks second-year forward Courtney Irby scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Hawks secondyear guard/forward Kit Small scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. This is the Hawks’ first postseason appearance in two years since New Paltz won the 2012-13 SUNYAC Championship – the first in program history. Head Coach Jamie Seward said the Hawks team that won the 2012-13 SUNYAC Championship had an experience factor: they had three seniors who had played since their freshman years. At the end of it, it comes down to playing basketball, he said.
“Experience is nice, but we do have talent, and talent is also nice,” he said. “I don’t think they’re [this year’s team] a group that is going to be phased by the ‘big moment’. They’re going to go play basketball. They have fun with it, and they’re a fun group to coach because of that. That’s how we’re going to lay it out there and go do what we do and have fun doing it and just get lost in the moment and excited about the opportunity, not debilitated by the pressure of a playoff or conference tournament situation.” The Hawks finished their regular season with a 17-8 overall record and 13-5 SUNYAC conference record. Seward said this year’s team’s greatest strength this season is depth as opposed to the 2012-13 championship team. “This year, we don’t have to rely on anybody to play 34-35 minutes a game,” he said. “While you need your best players to play well, for sure, we can also have some of our kids have off days and know that we have other pieces to be able to step in and be able to jump right up and contribute and maybe make up for somebody who is not at their best or not having their best day.” To end their regular season, the Hawks won a pair of home wins last weekend.
HIGH
PHOTO BY LIZZIE NIMETZ
With a 73-63 win over Buffalo State on Friday, Feb. 20, the Hawks secured the No. 3 spot in the SUNYAC conference standings. Four Hawks finished in double figures. Small scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to record her third double-double of the season. Irby earned her third double-double of the season as well scoring 10 points and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. Hawks third-year forward/guard Colleen Ames scored 13 points off the bench, and Hawks fourth-year co-Captain Shannan Walker scored 12 points. The following day, the Hawks defeated the SUNY Fredonia Blue Devils 68-46 to conclude their regular season schedule with ten-straight home wins at the Hawk Center. Three graduating fourth-years, including Walker, co-Captain Ashley Riefenhauser and co-Captain Christine Rivera, were honored before the game. Ames scored a game-high 16 points, including four three-pointers, five rebounds and two steals in 17 minutes on the court coming off the bench. Small scored 13 points and extended her double-digit point scoring streak to 14 games. Irby recorded her second-straight double -double and fourth of the season with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. As a team,
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the Hawks held a 53-41 edge in rebounds and forced 32 turnovers on the day. Walker said winning the first round at home and coming out strong was huge, especially since the team did not make the playoffs last season. The Hawks have split a pair of games against Cortland during the regular season, their win coming on Saturday, Jan. 31 at the Hawk Center. Seward said the team is not doing anything differently to prepare for the upcoming semifinal game. “We will just work on a couple of little things and try to get just a little bit better,” he said. “At this point we pretty much are who we are, and we like who we are.” Riefenhauser said the team has been making many goals day-by-day which they have focused on from the beginning of the season and that they are still sticking by today, which is to become SUNYAC and National Champions. “In order for our team to reach those goals, we must continue to do the little things in practice and continue to push one another on a competitive level on a consistent basis,” she said. “We know how capable our team is and we’re so eager to achieve these goals.”
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Sports
The New Paltz Oracle
Swimming Teams Finish Strong By Michael Rosen
Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
The Men’s and Women’s swimming teams competed in the 2015 SUNYAC Championships from Thursday, Feb. 19 to Saturday, Feb. 21 at Erie Community College’s Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center in Buffalo, New York. The Men’s team finished fourth out of nine teams while the Women’s team finished third out of nine teams for the second year in a row. Neither team advanced to the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. The Men’s team finished with 395 points after the three-day event. On Saturday, the Hawks earned the most points in the 200 yard breaststroke. Third-year co-Captain Ryan Lindgren finished fourth in the event with a time of 2:10.24. Second-year Vitaut Gurskiy, first-year Chad Plante and second-year Matt Alfultis also garnered points for the Hawks, with an 11th (2:17.33), 14th (2:19.17) and 15th (2:19.92) place finish, respectively. Fourth-year co-Captain Jack Spader finished second in the 1,650 yard freestyle with a time of 16:24.16. Spader’s performance in the tournament earned him the James Fulton Award, making him the seventh member of the SUNY New Paltz Men’s swimming program to receive this honor. The award is given annually to a senior male swimmer/diver based on the swimmer’s All-American honors, All-SUNYAC honors and improvement throughout collegiate career and academic achievement. Spader also earned a Second-Team All-SUNYAC selection in the 1,650 yard freestyle for the third-straight year, as well as earning Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors for his performance in the 500 yard freestyle for the second straight year. “To me, winning [The James
Fulton] award was the perfect way to end my swimming career,” Spader said. “It is an honor to have not just my coach, but the other team coaches recognize and congratulate me for my success.” Spader is the lone Hawk who will not be returning to the Men’s swimming team next season. The fourth place finish at the SUNYAC Championships was an improvement from the sixth place finish the team earned last season. The Women’s team finished the Championship with 481 points. The Hawks exchanged the second place ranking with the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons back-andforth throughout Saturday’s events. Oneonta’s performance in the 400 yard freestyle gave them a final point total of 489, a small margin above the Hawks. Four different Hawks scored points for the team in the 200 yard breaststroke. Fourth-year co-Captain Samantha Granan led the way with a fourth-place finish (2:28.18). Firstyear Megan Joseph was right behind her with a seventh-place finish (2:31.08) while fourth-year Colleen Stewart and third-year Krista VerMeersch finished 10th (2:32.40) and 13th (2:34.96), respectively. In the team’s final individual event of the season, third-year coCaptain Maggie Heaton led the way with a fifth-place finish (2:13.36) in the 200 yard butterfly. Third-year Kim Kallansrude finished in seventh (2:14.31), while fourth-year Rachel Cummings finished 16th (2:27.70). “From last year to this year our biggest improvement was the depth and togetherness of our team,” Heaton said. “In previous years we had relied on individual swimmers to win races and score us points. However, this year our main focus was getting as many people to score as possible and making scoring a team effort. This brought the team closer and displayed a presence of
Both swimming teams finished in the top-five of the SUNYAC Tournament.
excitement for every race on the pool deck.” Along with Cummings, Granan and Stewart, fourth-year co-Captain Kat Buyes and fourth-year Amanda Lynch will not return to the team next season. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, it was announced that the Women’s team was recognized as a College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America team. The Hawks are one of 108 NCAA Division III Women’s programs to earn the honor. This honor is given to teams who achieved a team grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. The Hawks finished the fall semester with a cumulative team GPA of 3.03. SUNY Geneseo, who finished in first place at the SU
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PHOTO BY LIZZIE NIMETZ
NYAC Championships, is the only other SUNYAC team to earn the honor with a 3.04 GPA. Despite the fact both his teams did not advance, Head Coach Scott Whitbeck was very proud of his teams and believes they both have a bright future. “Of the 36 athletes we brought to the championships, 35 of them scored points for the team,” he said. “This is the best I’ve ever done in that regard. The future is bright and we are only going to get better. One of our goals for this season was to continue our run of making the NCAA Championships, which unfortunately did not happen, but we will refocus and shoot to qualify for the meet again next year. The closeness of this group is something I hope we continue to have for years to come.”
Sports
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Men’s Volleyball Looks To Spike Back By Joshua Danishefsky
Contributing Writer | N02552735@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
The Men’s volleyball team has lost two straight matches. The Hawks lost to No. 1 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology in three sets (2426, 12-25, 22-25) in a United Volleyball Conference (UVC) matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Hawks third-year middle blocker Christopher Husmann registered a team-high .500 hitting percentage. First-year outside hitter Anthony Bonilla tallied seven kills during the match. Stevens third-year outside hitter Tim Ferriter – who was a two-time All-American at New Paltz in 2013 and 2014 – tallied seven kills, seven digs, two block assists and one ace in his first meeting against the Hawks. Hawks third-year co-Captain Christian Smith led the team with 10 kills on a .400 hitting percentage. He also recorded a team-best 16 assists. Smith said the team needs to refocus mentally and bounce back, as well as have a solid week of practice before upcoming matches.
A week later, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, the Hawks were defeated by No. 8 Springfield – the reigning, three-time National Champions, three sets to two (25-17, 25-19, 20-25, 2325, 8-15). Husmann led the Hawks with 22 kills. He also contributed a hitting percentage of .704, a new Hawk Center record in a five-set match and ranks second best in single match program history. Smith tallied a teamhigh 29 assists for the Hawks. Hawks Head Coach Radu Petrus said after the consecutive losses, the team is going to look at the reasons why the team lost and work on defensive strategies during practice. Third-year co-Captain Kevin Nardone said the team needs to take a step back and refocus on their growth as a team. “We have a ton of individual talent, it’s just a matter of meshing more as a unit,” he said. The Hawks are now ranked No. 4 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top15 Week Five Poll released on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Petrus said he is optimistic
and believes with a couple of wins, New Paltz can move up the No. 2 ranking. Bonilla was named Corvias Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) North Rookie of the Week for the period ending Sunday, Feb. 15 for the second time this season. He said it feels good to know that he is making a contribution to the team. “Since I’m a freshman, things like that really give me a positive confidence boost going through the season,” he said. “I’m just going to use the title as motivation to keep staying on top of my game.” Petrus also feels that Bonilla is doing good things for the team. “He’s a freshman and is a good contribution to our team,” he said. “He is not very tall, but he compensates with his ability.” With a 6-3 overall record and 2-1 record in UVC play, the Hawks next travel to Langhorne, Pennsylvania to participate in the Cairn Tri-Match on Saturday, Feb. 28 and take on Cairn University and Brooklyn College.
The Men’s volleyball team has lost two consecutive matches.
PHOTO BY THERESA MATTIA
Do you want to write about sports for The Oracle? Email us at Oracle@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Thursday, February 26, 2015
Sports
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The New Paltz Oracle
Men’s Basketball Season Concludes
The Men’s basketball team finished their season with a record of 11-14.
By Michael Rosen
Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
The Men’s basketball team’s hope for a playoff berth came to an end this past Friday, Feb. 20 with a tough loss against Buffalo State by a score of 73-72. The loss eliminated the Hawks from a chance to play in the SUNYAC Tournament. Hawks fourth-year co-Captain Taylor Sowah and third-year co-Captain Kevin Roach led the team with 20 points each. Fourth-year co-Captain R.J. Rosa was just behind them with 16 points. The two teams were neck and neck throughout the whole game. Each team had 40 points after the first half. The Hawks were up by one with 25 seconds left in the game. Buffalo State fourth-year guard Roderick Epps scored a jumper with seven seconds left on the clock to put the Bengals
PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA
up for good. “[The Hawks] fought, they didn’t quit,” Head Coach Mike Rejniak said. “It was a heartbreaker on Friday night. We showed up ready to play and I thought both teams deserved to win.” The Hawks concluded their season on Saturday, Feb. 21, with a 70-57 victory over SUNY Fredonia. The win put the team’s final record at 11-14, 9-9 in conference play. Compared to last season, the Hawks won five more games. The last playoff appearance for the Hawks was in the 2012-13 season. Sowah led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds, recording his eleventh double-double of the season. Rosa was second on the team with 12 points. Fourth-year guard/forward Jarrelle Dixon and secondyear forward Andrew Seniuk also scored double-digit points, as Dixon netted 10 and
Seniuk scored 11. “On Saturday, we just went out there and had fun and just kind of executed the game plan,” Rejniak said. “Everybody from the team got significant minutes, so it was a nice way to end the year. We didn’t end up where we wanted to end up, but at the same time I thought it served as a nice springboard for next season.” Despite missing out on the SUNYAC Tournament for the second straight year, the Hawks improved from their 6-19 record last season. Rejniak credits the team’s defense for the improved record. “The defense got better this year, largely because we switched systems,” he said. “The overall experience of my team has gotten better. My first recruiting class are juniors, so they’re a little bit more seasoned and in the league. In the SUNYAC, the best teams are the senior-laden teams.
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So that growth has been nice.” During the game against Fredonia, Sowah became the 19th Hawks Men’s basketball student-athlete to score 1,000 points in his collegiate career. He entered the game needing only one point to reach 1,000. Sowah ends his collegiate career with 1,018 total points. Along with Sowah, Rosa and Dixon will not return to the team next season due to graduation. While Rejniak is sad to see his seniors go, he is looking forward to seeing much of his roster return next season. “The standards will be set pretty high,” he said. “Except for three, everybody will be returning with a lot of new pieces coming into the fold. I think this team has the opportunity and capability to be one of the top teams in the SUNYAC. I thought this year we showed flashes of that. So the expectations are high.”
SPORTS
The New Paltz Oracle
BluEshirts Blueline Rhartman@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
Henrik Lundqvist has been the backbone of the New York Rangers since the 2005-06 NHL season. No matter what situation the team is in, he always seems to give them the chance to win with his exceptional goaltending and never say die attitude. No player means more to the Rangers’ success than Lundqvist – so that’s why on Jan. 31, in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, the entire New York Rangers fan base held their breath when a deflected puck hit the star goaltender in the neck. Lundqvist was down on the ice for several minutes while being attended to by the Rangers Head Athletic Trainer Jim Ramsay. He showed numerous signs of discomfort but after being checked out and seemingly feeling better, he got up, put his helmet back on and finished the game, backstopping the Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes. Lundqvist played the next game on Feb. 2 against the Florida Panthers, which the Rangers won 6-3, but soon after it was clear that there was something wrong with the “King.” Cam Talbot, the Rangers backup goaltender, was due to start the next game against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 4, but little did he know that he was about to become the Rangers number one goalie for the next few weeks. It was soon revealed that Lundqvist had a vascular injury and in an article written by ESPN’s Katie Strang, it was revealed that if left unchecked and untreated, that Lundqvist could have developed a blood clot and had a stroke. The “King” needed his time to rest and the Rangers needed to find a way to win without him. The Rangers have gone 8-1-2 since the injury to Lundqvist and now sit two points behind the Metropolitan Division leading New York Islanders and still have three games in hand. They haven’t played their best hockey at points during their recent streak, but they’ve played well enough to get wins and get points and that’s what matters at this point in the season. There have been highs and lows to this stretch of games without the “King.” Let’s start with the lows. Cam Talbot has stepped into the starter’s role and at times he has looked good and at others, mediocre at best. His goaltending will still need to improve to give the Rangers a better chance to win on a nightly basis. The defense has also been suspect during this stretch
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Life Without the King of games by committing some bad turnovers or by not reading the flow of the game correctly. There have been a few instances, such as in the Rangers’ 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, where an opposing player has been left alone and made the team pay for it. Blue Jackets forward Marko Dano was left alone in front of Cam Talbot and scored, cutting the Rangers lead to 3-1. Defensive mistakes like that can’t happen if the Rangers hope to keep winning games. Possibly the worst game during this stretch of games was against the Vancouver Canucks. The Rangers blew four one-goal leads and lost in a shootout. Poor defense and some suspect goaltending came into play that game and the Rangers need to make sure a loss like that doesn’t happen again. Another injury that’s worth mentioning is the injury to Rangers’ forward, Jesper Fast. Since he hasn’t been able to play, Tanner “waste of money” Glass has been playing on the Rang-
Rangers winning through injury obstacles.
ers fourth-line. Fast is a responsible player in his own zone and makes great defensive plays. Glass, on the other hand, takes stupid penalties and costs the team with his poor play. The sooner Fast feels better and Glass is out of the lineup, the better it will be for the team. The good things about this recent stretch of games without Lundqvist is that the Rangers as a whole have been scoring a lot of goals and coach Alain Vigneault has found some line combinations that really work. They have scored 41 goals in the 11 games without Lundqvist. Forward Rick Nash is now up to 37 goals on the season and forward Martin St. Louis has found his game again after a nasty goal drought. Derek Stepan is still averaging a point per game and the rest of the team has looked really good. The recently formed third-line of Carl Hagelin, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller has found great chemistry and the trio has looked great. Forward Kevin Hayes is starting to become
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR USER DINUR
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the player Rangers management envisioned when they signed him during the summer. He’s using his big frame to score goals and he’s been setting up his teammates with crisp passes. His development is crucial for the Rangers, not just for this year, but for many future seasons ahead. The Rangers have had some key wins during the past 11 games earning victories over the Bruins, Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Coyotes, Sabres, Blue Jackets and Flames. Rangers 20-year-old rookie goaltender Mackenzie Skapski was in net for the win against the Sabres and got his first NHL win, but by far the best win was over the rival New York Islanders. The Islanders had multiple two-goal leads in their game against the Rangers on Feb. 16 and Islander fans in Nassau Coliseum were chanting “You Can’t Beat Us!” about midway through the third period when the Islanders held a 5-3 lead over their big city rivals. The Rangers were about to show the Islanders and their fans why it’s never over till it’s over. After the chanting, the Rangers scored three unanswered goals to defeat the Islanders 6-5 at the Coliseum. That was the Rangers first victory over the Islanders this season and it showed the resilience the team has gained over the course of the season. We can’t beat you? We sure did. The last thing I want to touch on is the upcoming trade deadline. The Rangers require help in the faceoff circle, a player like Antoine Vermette from the Arizona Coyotes. But the price for Vermette is most likely going to be too high at this point in the season. Would it be nice to have Kevin Hayes move back to his natural wing position on the third line? Yes, but the price might be too high for Vermette. Another option at center would be Mark Letestu of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He would be cheaper than Vermette and he wins more than 50 percent of his faceoffs. He is definitely an option should the Rangers make a move to acquire a center. What would a package for Letestu look like? A package of a pick and a prospect could get it done in my opinion. Life without the “King” hasn’t been the total disaster some fans thought it would be. As long as the team can keep scoring and Talbot and the defense improve just a bit and stop the silly mistakes, the Rangers will continue to rise in the standings, and Lundqvist will have a joyous kingdom to return to.
SPORTS The New Paltz Oracle
WHAT’S INSIDE
Men’s Volleyball Drops To No. 4 In Poll PAGE 13
HARD TO
BEAT
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS : PAGE 11
LOWER PHOTO BY THERESA MATTIA
PAGE 12
MAIN AND UPPER PHOTOS BY LIZZIE NIMETZ
Swimming Teams Finish Within Top Five