Volume 88, Issue 14 by The New Paltz Oracle

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POHITI BY HOLLY LIPKA

Volume 88, Issue XIV

TO WALK ACROSS Middle School Looks to Redesign Parking Lot for Pedestrian Safety

STORY ON PAGE 7 PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

OPPORTUNITY “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” SUNY-Wide Bystander Intervention Training Unveiled by Gov. Cuomo

STORY ON PAGE 6

KNOCKS

SUNY New Paltz EOP Receives Funding to Expand

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORBES

STORY ON PAGE 3 - EDITORIAL ON PAGE 9

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE

• Gov. Moves to Ban Conversion Therapy ......................Pg 4 • $875,000 Settlement Proposed for 2014 Mohonk Lawsuit ....Pg 6 • Enthusiastic New Faculty in Black Studies .......................Pg 5 • Locals Meet Congressional Candidate Teachout ......Pg 7

Kristen Warﬁeld EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nate Sheidlower

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

MANAGING EDITOR _________________

Melanie Zerah NEWS EDITOR

Jack O’Brien FEATURES EDITOR

Sam Manzella

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Melissa Kramer SPORTS EDITOR

_________________

Holly Lipka David Khorassani PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS

Stefanie Diers CARTOONIST

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Jonathan Perry Michael Rosen Jess Napp Monique Tranchina Anthony Orza Rachael Purtell Kintura Williams COPY EDITORS

_________________

Jackie Quaranto WEB CHIEF

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Cam Collichio BUSINESS MANAGER _________________

Marisa Losciale

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER _________________

STAFF Sage Higgins, Matthew D’Onofrio, Nick Tantillo, Otto Kratky, Jake Berkowitz

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About The New Paltz Oracle

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The New Paltz Oracle is the official student newspaper of SUNY New Paltz. Our circulation is 2,500. The New Paltz Oracle is sponsored by the Student Association and partially funded by the student activity fee. The New Paltz Oracle is located in the Student Union (SU) Room 417. Deadline for all submissions is 5 p.m. on Sundays in The New Paltz Oracle office and by email at oracle@hawkmail. newpaltz.edu. All advertisements must be turned in by 5 p.m. on Fridays, unless otherwise specified by the business manager. Community announcements are published gratuitously, but are subject to restriction due to space limitations.There is no guarantee of publication. Contents of this paper cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. The New Paltz Oracle is published weekly throughout the fall and spring semesters on Thursdays. It is available in all residence halls and academic buildings, in the New Paltz community and online at oracle.newpaltz.edu. For more information, call 845-257-3030. The fax line is 845-257-3031.

Volume 88 Issue 14 Index NEWS THE DEEP END EDITORIAL

COLUMN & OP-ED Rachael Purtell

SPORTS

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Date: 02/19/2016 Location: Village of New Paltz Incident: Subject under the inﬂuence of alcohol and refused breath test. Unlawful possession of marijuana. Subject placed into custody and issued a summons. Date: 02/20/2016 Location: Old Main Circle Incident: Subject intentionally broke exterior gate. Subject taken into custody and issued a summons. SUNY New Paltz University Police Department Emergencies: 845-257-2222

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Funding Granted to Expand Educational Opportunity Program

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPJKA

By Kristen Warfield

Editor-in-Chief | Warfielk1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

SUNY New Paltz has received funding from the state to expand its Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) by 100 students, as announced by the college on Feb. 12. The $290,000 award will open spaces for 25 new first-year students to join the program per year over the next four years. It also enables the hire of a new EOP counselor, which will be appointed following a nationwide search, EOP director Antonio Bonilla said. “I’m a direct product of EOP,” Bonilla, a New Paltz class of ‘87 graduate and EOP alum, said. “I am very grateful to the administration and to all of our students doing amazing work in this program. We have so many applicants per year that you can only feel excited knowing this support from the state will increase spots to make this opportunity more available.” Founded in 1967, New Paltz’s

EOP has provided academic and financial support to more than 40,000 students coming from economically or historically disadvantaged backgrounds. The program aids these students in pursuing higher education despite facing circumstances that would otherwise hinder their college enrollment. Fourty-three SUNY campuses currently have EOPs, which offer students financial aid for room, board, books and other expenses. Among SUNY schools, an excess of 3,000 EOP students achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater last academic year, according to suny.edu. New Paltz’s EOP is the second-largest of the entire SUNY system, with 517 students currently enrolled. On the SUNY New Paltz campus, EOP has become synonymous with “family” and “community” for students like fourth-year communications major Tinaya Jean, who is set to graduate next semester. The program

hosts events, coordinates study groups and keeps students on the path to achieving their goals – goals that once did not seem attainable. “Being around people who come from similar backgrounds is so rewarding,” Jean said. “We all work like one big family to build each other up. If it wasn’t for EOP, I wouldn’t be here at school.” Jean said that the financial support alongside that of advisors make the program a valuable opportunity for incoming students that may have never imagined pursuing higher education. “I’m excited that more students will be given an increased chance to get into New Paltz due to the program’s new funding,” Jean said. “The fact that these students can apply and be able to go to a well-ranked school like New Paltz is definitely a great step.” Along with funding for New Paltz’s program, the SUNY system granted aid to 15 other campuses to

Thursday, February 25, 2016

either establish or expand their current EOP. Altogether, nearly $2.4 million was awarded to the campuses. Funding was supported by the SUNY Investment and Performance Fund, allocated from the 2015-16 New York State Budget and excess SUNY resources. In a campus-wide email, College President Donald P. Christian shared sentiments of pride and support toward the expansion of the college’s EOP. The program, he said, furthers the college’s commitment to making quality education accessible. “We are extremely proud of our Educational Opportunity Program, one of the best in the state at preparing and supporting New York students in overcoming socio-economic and academic challenges to higher education success,” Christian said. “We are excited that this new funding will create opportunity for more deserving students to join this vibrant community.”

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NEWS BRIEFS WORLD

AUSTRIA, BALKAN NATIONS, WANT FULL STOP TO MIGRANT INFLUX

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Cuomo Declares Actions Toward “Conversion Therapy” Ban

Overwhelmed by a wave of refugees and what they call indecision in the European Union, Austria and its southern neighbors along the Balkan migrant route agreed to tighter border controls at a meeting Wednesday - and warned that sooner or later they will have to shut their doors entirely. RUSSIAN LEADER PUSHES SYRIA TRUCE DEAL AMID SKEPTICISM Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Wednesday with key players in the Syria conflict, including President Bashar Assad, ahead of a U.S.-Russia-engineered ceasefire, as the opposition voiced concerns that the truce due to begin later this week will only benefit the Syrian government. Government troops backed by Russian warplanes waged fierce battles to regain control of a strategic road southeast of Aleppo from the Islamic State group. The extremist group seized the town of Khanaser and surrounding hills on Tuesday, cutting the main land route to Aleppo. TURKISH LEADERS LASH OUT AT UN DEMANDS TO OPEN BORDER Greece has threatened to block decisions at a forthcoming EU migration summit if sharing of the refugee burden is not made obligatory for member states. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Wednesday that from now on Greece “will not assent to agreements” unless all its partners are forced to participate proportionately in the relocation and resettlement of refugees. A senior government official, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity, clarified that Tsipras was specifically referring to the March 7 summit on immigration. BREXIT WOULD CHANGE EUROPE FOREVER FOR THE WORSE Highlighting the European Union’s love-hate relationship with Britain, major groups in the EU legislature on Wednesday urged Britons to vote to remain in the EU but chided their prime minister for hijacking the bloc with a local “glorified cockfight” that could fundamentally undermine its unity. EU President Donald Tusk insisted that an “out” vote in the June 23 British referendum on EU membership would “change Europe forever. Compiled from the AP Newswire

PHOTO COURTESY OF NBC NEWS

By Melanie Zerah

News Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Saturday, Feb. 6, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his plans to implement regulations to ban New York insurers, either public or private, to cover the expenses of minors undergoing “gay conversion therapy,” a practice which attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation or identity. This will act as a financial incentive to discourage families from seeking this “treatment” for their gay teens. The New York State Department of Financial Services will begin issuing these regulations which prohibit New York insurers from providing coverage for conversion therapy given to an individual under the age of 18, according to governor.ny.gov. According to The Daily News, Cuomo was presented with the LGBTQIA+ National Equality Award at the 2016 Greater New York Gala. Upon receiving the award, Cuomo described his actions toward banning conversion therapy as New York taking a stance to reject the “fundamentally absurd notion that being gay is a psychiatric disorder.” Individuals who are aggressively rejected for their sexual orientation and forced to undergo conversion therapy are eight times more likely to attempt suicide and three times more likely to abuse illegal drugs to cope, according to the Human Rights Campaign website. Conversion therapy, also sometimes re-

ferred to as Reparative Therapy, Ex-Gay Therapy, or Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), includes controversial and horrifying tactics such as inducing nausea, vomiting or paralysis while showing the patient homoerotic images. In some cases, self-harm is encouraged to people undergoing this “treatment.” An example of this is having the individual snap an elastic band around the wrist when aroused by same-sex erotic images or thoughts, according to the National Center of Lesbian Rights. “I think it’s great that Governor Cuomo has issued the regulations. So-called “conversion” or “reparative” therapies are damaging and, frankly, horrifying,” said Dr. C. M. Livecchi, adjunct faculty in the department of geography. “On a symbolic level the new regulations reinforce a discourse of official acceptance for LGBT+ people at the state level, which is something that’s necessary if we’re going to really have the kinds of legal protections against housing and job discrimination.” Livecchi added that he however does not believe the ban will fully solve the problems with conversion therapy. Although the regulations will prevent insurers from covering conversion therapy for minors under 18, Livecchi expressed his concern about the fact that many young adults over 18 are still financially dependent on their parents, and therefore may be just as likely to be coerced into undergoing this “treatment” as minors.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

“There’s good evidence suggesting that people aren’t developmentally adults until their mid-twenties,” Livecchi said. “I’m also concerned that by limiting the regulations to minors, LGBT+ adults who are vulnerable because of developmental disabilities or other factors might still be coerced to go through conversion therapy.” Although many applaud Cuomo for these actions, many others advocating for LGBTQIA+ share these skepticisms of the potential effectiveness of the financial incentive. “I can say that the first thing that comes to mind is even if insurance doesn’t cover conversion therapy-which should be banned across the board as it is an archaic, violent, and ineffectual treatment based on the assumption that someone can be “converted” to match social norms that are couched in “science,” there will still be parents and caretakers who pay out of pocket for the treatment,” said Dr. Jessica Pabon, professor of the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. In 2014, a similar ban was attempted to pass, but failed to make it through Senate. Now that the bill has passed this year and regulations are being implemented, it is the hope of LGBTQIA+ advocates alike that Cuomo’s actions will not only be effective in banning insurers from covering the costs of conversion therapy, but the practice all together will one day become illegal in New York State.

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News

New Black Studies Faculty Discusses Dept. Expansion

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NEWS BRIEFS NATIONAL

OBAMA SIGNS BILL EXTENDING PRIVACY PROTECTIONS TO ALLIES

President Barack Obama signed legislation Wednesday that would extend some U.S. privacy protections to citizens of allied countries and let foreigners sue the U.S. government if their personal data is unlawfully disclosed. In a separate ceremony just a few minutes later, Obama signed into law a bill that beefs up trade enforcement and includes a ban on Internet access taxes. POWERFUL STORM KILLS 3 IN VIRGINIA, RAISING DEATH TOLL TO 6

A powerful storm system swept across the East Coast on Wednesday, killing three people in Virginia and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the region. A day earlier, the system spawned about two dozen tornadoes along the Gulf Coast, damaging hundreds of homes in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWPALTZ.EDU AND HOLLY LIPKA

By Jack O’Brien

Features Editor | Obrienj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

After months of instability and speculation within department, Black Studies has two new professors for the 2016 spring semester. Anthony Winn, a New Paltz class of ‘92 graduate, was hired as a Special Assistant to the Black Studies Department. Meanwhile, Cruz Bueno, Ph. D, took an 18-month academic absence from her position as a tenure track economics professor at Siena College to work as a visiting professor to the department. Commenting on their recent appointments, both professors complimented the intellectually thriving environment at New Paltz and were encouraged that their roles could positively impact the campus community. “I’ve never been disconnected from New Paltz, at most I’ve been away for three years since I graduated,” Winn said. “There’s something special about New Paltz that attracts active minds.” In the past few months, the Black Studies department dealt with the departures of four faculty members. As a result, the department was understaffed and actively seeking replacements. Winn said he was contacted by Department Chair Major Coleman in August of 2015. Before he was even hired, Winn approached President Donald P. Christian in his role as president of the Alumni Council to impart to him the importance of the department

to New Paltz’ history. “I told him that we have to create and grow interest on campus in the Black Studies Department,” Winn said. “The black experience cannot be separated from American culture. We need to have an integrated conversation and bring all voices to the table.” Winn has been actively involved in working with African-American youths through his role in Nos Quedamos, a South Bronx-based nonprofit social services provider. Winn said that while he doesn’t seek to provide guidance to activists on campus, he wants them to know that their actions can “move institutions.” Both professors spoke highly of New Paltz’ student activism, Winn with nostalgic remembrance and Bueno with an outsider’s admiration. “I was really impressed with New Paltz’ activist history and how students here act as thoughtful and engaged citizens,” Bueno said. “My goal as a teacher is for students to recognize that the degree is important but what you do with it is the most important part.” Winn commented that Christian’s tenure has seen the administration be more proactive in their handlings of instances of racism or intolerance on campus. “The black experience is not a limited, isolated one,” Winn said. “Our role should be to meet, teach, mentor and support all of our students.

Bueno said that the hiring process was made far easier with the assistance she received from SUNY New Paltz to renegotiate her contract with Siena. “Black Studies is about several things,” Bueno said. “It’s about engagement, community, challenging power structure, promoting diversity and promoting equality for black people and for all people.” “I’m excited to teach where my research fields are, which deals with inequality, discrimination and wellbeing,” Bueno said. “I bring in an economist’s expertise when I walk into the classroom. I try to stress the importance of empirical evidence to show how people are impacted around the world, regardless of race.” According to Winn, there were an excess of 80 applicants for the vacant position he filled. In his opinion, that shows a sign of considerable interest in the legacy and direction of the department. However, Winn was open in discussing the stagnant percentage of African-Americans on campus in recent years. “The data regarding the black population on campus, especially the black male population, is extremely troubling,” Winn said. “But it is our responsibility to our students and to our academics to always be available. This goes beyond our role as Black Studies professors, this applies to all students on campus.”

Thursday, February 25, 2016

WHITE HOUSE CONSIDERS NEVADA GOV. SANDOVAL FOR SUPREME COURT

The nomination of a Republican would be seen as an attempt by President Barack Obama to break the Senate GOP blockade of any of his choices. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said his 54-member GOP caucus is opposed to holding confirmation hearings or vote on Obama’s pick, insisting that the choice rests with the next president. ‘PRISON HOUDINI’ STILL SEEKING RELEASE AFTER 36 YEARS

A prison “Houdini” who has been locked up for 36 years after stealing his own tools was supposed to have been paroled on Wednesday. Instead, he has to serve at least six more months getting ready for freedom, because state prison authorities failed to communicate. MAN WHO SHOT COLORADO DEPUTIES RANTED AGAINST GOVERNMENT

A man who spent years fighting the foreclosure of his Colorado home and ranted online about police and corporate corruption shot three law enforcement officers trying to serve an eviction notice Wednesday, killing one and wounding the others, authorities said. Compiled from the AP Newswire

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Cuomo Unveils SUNY-Wide Sexual Violence Prevention Training

By Kintura Williams

Copy Editor | N02684069@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Jan. 27, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that State University of New York campuses, including New Paltz, are welcoming a partnership with the New York State Department of Health as part of the latest effort of the “Enough is Enough” campaign. The partnership will initiate programs to train college faculty, staff and students to help identify sexual assault and interpersonal violence. Thanks to a $496,000 grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Rape Prevention and Education Program, all SUNY campuses may choose to participate in the training at no cost to the school. By utilizing existing research related to sexual violence prevention on college campuses, participants will be trained to react properly as by-standing witnesses to sexual violence. Upon training completion, participants are certiﬁed to lead their own bystander intervention programs as a way to share their knowledge with their peers and professors. President Donald P. Christian said that although SUNY has yet to provide guidelines on when the training programs will be readily available to students, administration has been working

on ways to conduct our own climate survey to establish a baseline of information to work from in the near future. With the help of Title IX Coordinator and Executive Director for Compliance and Campus Climate Tanhena Pachecho-Dunn, New Paltz continues to be held up as a model by SUNY for the development of programs and approaches to on campus sexual assault that have been adopted by both SUNY and private college campuses across New York state. “Survivors of sexual assault have multiple paths that they can follow in the process and in the past Tanhena would get reports coming through Student Affairs,” President Christian said. “More recently she’s been getting students coming directly to her which is an outgrowth of student education.” In the meantime, administration is discussing its vision for future efforts, including extensive training for resident assistants and orientation leaders. Ideally, students can be introduced to the conversation with an outline of bystander training at orientation, and then continue the discussion in more concentrated follow-ups during the ﬁrst few weeks of the fall semester. Nothing is set in stone, but the greatest goal is to keep sexual assault and interpersonal

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

violence prevention an ongoing conversation as students enter and leave New Paltz. “Students are understanding that the resources are available and maybe there is increasing trust that the process works

Case Settled for Mohonk By Nate Sheidlower

Managing Editor| Sheidlon1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

A settlement has been reached in the class action civil suit against Mohonk Mountain House that stemmed from a norovirus outbreak at the resort in January of 2014. The hotel was closed for a week while the virus was cleared from contaminated areas by BMS Cat, an outside company. The suit was filed on Feb. 18, 2014 and now the $875,000 settlement has been preliminarily approved by The New York State Supreme Court of Ulster County in the case of Bellotti et. al. v. Smiley Brothers, Inc. The settlement is not final however until officially approved by the Court, a decision that is set to be made in a final hearing on March 14, 11 a.m. in the Ulster County Courthouse in Kingston. Louis and Anna Marie Bellotti of New Jersey are the plaintiffs of the suit. However, those

considered members of the class and are eligible to receive some of the potential settlement, according to a legal notice, include “All Persons Who Experienced Gastrointestinal Illness within 72 Hours after Visiting the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York between January 27 and February 28, 2014.” According to The New Paltz Times, some known victims of the virus have already been contacted and asked to respond to claim their share of the settlement. Those who may be part of the above mentioned class but have not been notiﬁed can learn more at mmhsettlement.com or call 800-908-4746. Claim forms are available online and must be ﬁled by May 2. Common symptoms of norovirus include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. According to the legal notice, the defendant has denied any liability or damages that have been alleged by the plaintiffs.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

and works well with victims’ rights,” said President Christian. “We wish these incidents did not happen at all but it’s rewarding to see that the processes that are being used to support victims of sexual assault are successful.”

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New Entrance Proposed for Middle School Lot

By Jack O’Brien Features Editor | Obrienj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu The New Paltz Central School District is continuing its ongoing efforts to improve the facilities the middle school. Currently, the district is in the midst of reviewing design plans for the parking lot with the goal of efficiently managing traffic control and maintaining pedestrian safety. William Wisbauer, an architect from Tetra Tech, Inc. is engaged in the review process with the district. Wisbauer said that the current layout allows for a very limited passage through the parking lot at the corner of Main Street and Rt. 32 South Tetra Tech’s new designs emphasize direct access to the parking lot, including the introduction of a new entrance off of Main Street. “Currently, there’s only one way to enter the parking lot for drop off,” Wisbauer said. “Our designs aim to improve drop off for cars and address traffic control for pedestrian safety.” The proposed “new entrance” is the current exit onto Main Street out of the middle school parking lot. Wisbauer said that the only entrance to the parking lot comes off Route 32 N/S. A strategy Tetra Tech hopes to employ is a stacking area, where cars could safely stack without interfering with parking lot traffic currents. Wisbauer stated these improvements and design proposals were part of the larger expansion of the middle school. These projects are slated to be completed by 2018-2019, according to Wisbauer. There are no addition-

al costs to taxpayers since these projects fall under the umbrella of capital improvements to the school. New Paltz Central School District Superintendent Maria Rice did not respond to requests for comment. In spite of the busy thoroughfare that accompanies work at this location, Wisbauer said this is a relatively uncomplicated matter. “It is a limited site, which certainly adds to the challenge,” Wisbauer said. “However, it is the type of project that is typical of our work at other schools.” The preliminary design study was reviewed with the participation of the New York State Department of Transportation, (NYSDOT), the town of New Paltz, and the New Paltz Police Department. In the end the traffic data analyzed in the study was confirmed and allowed for future plans to be put forward for the project. More public workshops are slated to be held to address citizen concerns and comments about the project, according to Wisbauer. Additionally, the bus loop in the front of the school will be widened along with the south entrance. Conversely, the north entrance of the bus loop will be permanently closed off. Addressing the status of the blue building on the corner by Main Street, Wisbauer said that the structure was not an obstacle to Tetra Tech’s plans and would only serve for more parking space if the school decided to tear it down.

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PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

Zephyr Teachout Attends New Paltz Meet and Greet

By Jack O’Brien

Features Editor | Obrienj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The 2016 congressional election circuit has officially hit New Paltz. On Feb. 19, a meet-and-greet for Fordham Law professor and Democratic congressional candidate Zephyr Teachout was held at the home of a New Paltz resident. The event hosted around 30 people, including Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Torres, village trustee Tom Rocco and former town councilwoman Kristin “Kitty” Brown. Teachout discussed various topics throughout the hourlong event, including repealing Common Core, income inequality, campaign finance reform and environmental concerns. As the former national director of the Sunlight Foundation which focuses on transparency in government and CEO of Mayday PAC, which focuses on publicly financing elections, Teachout cited her staunch op-

position to dark money in politics. “Somebody is telling us that we can’t have a thriving small-business economy. That we can’t actually have clean water because we’re going to lose all of our jobs. That we’re going to lose all of these big companies if we don’t give them what they want,” Teachout said. “But it is not true. That mindset represents the people of the 19th century, not the 21st century.” In her fight against “big money” in politics, Teachout stressed an emphasis on developing a strong ground game for her campaign. She said that donations in the first month of her campaign have averaged around $30 per person. Campaigning for support amongst grassroots activists is a substantial part of Teachout’s strategy as she openly acknowledged the pushback she has received from Democratic leaders around the state for her policy positions.

Teachout was careful to criticize the popular Republican incumbent and outgoing Congressman Chris Gibson. Instead she praised his bipartisanship, his efforts of battling Lymes Disease and his embodiment of the independent streak that defines politics in the the Hudson Valley. Teachout cited her desire to serve in the mold of former Democratic Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who represented the Hudson Valley from 1993 to 2013, and Democratic Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney of the 18th Congressional District. Teachout spoke highly of their ability to maintain their integrity in office while still working with those they didn’t agree with to get effective legislation passed. On the issue of student debt, Teachout was impassioned though self-admittedly working through the specifics of her plan, which she said she would have available

Thursday, Februrary 25, 2016

with the rest of her platform in March. “I tend to be broadly aligned with the principles [U.S. Senator] Elizabeth Warren has laid out in terms of responding to this,” Teachout said. “I tend to favor a small cost to education, that way people work steady and you can work it out.” Teachout said as much as she wanted to propose her ideas, she aimed to spend as much time listening to her constituents’ concerns and comments about her campaign. She spent a large amount of time heeding advice from prominent local environmentalists, educators and peace activists. “I am standing up for all those people who are very unhappy with what is going on in Washington; it is broken, corrupt and gridlocked,” Teachout said. “But we actually have things to say in this district because we can imagine a different America; an America where there isn’t this radical, terrible inequality.”

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NEW IN TOWN Story on page 2B

Irish restaurant springs to life PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI

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FEATURES

A New Chapter GARVAN’S GIVEN IRISH WELCOME

By Monique Tranchina

Copy Editor | Tranchim1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Before Garvan’s Restaurant opened, local customers eager to get the first bite made reservations for Valentine’s Day. And since opening about a week ago, Garvan’s has established a steady customer base. According to Garvan McCloskey, the owner of the new restaurant, Garvan’s was open since Valentine’s Day and is open every day from 12 p.m. - 10 p.m., except for Mondays. Garvan’s features an Irish style cottage room for the dining area, and a gastro pub near the back. Garvan’s is located at the former Rock and Rye restaurant, but Garvan recently left Shea O’Brien’s after it’s closing to start something new. “[Shea O’Brien’s] was everything really. I was managing it for my best friend,” McCloskey said. “Then the previous owner of Rock and Rye contacted me and asked if I could take over and move on to do something else, so I saw the opportunity.” So he bought the building and made something new with traditional Irish roots. McCloskey hopes customers will get a different experience at Garvan’s. Indeed, the 1759 house, featuring thick, dark wooden ceiling beams, a cozy fireplace and soft white-painted wood paneling add to the multiple sensory experience. The home style vibe doesn’t stop at the simple décor of the building; Garvan says he tries to utilize as much fresh local produce and meats as possible. He also adds they do not own a microwave in the restaurant, so every meal is heated in a conventional oven. “It’s a new American cuisine with an Irish twist, everything is made to order. [Meals] are lovingly prepared

PHOTOS BY DAVID KHORASSANI

by our chef Jeff Paige, who has experience throughout the East coast. We are trying to support local producers, too… chicken and beef are local and the produce is local as well to the

greatest extent,” McCloskey said. McCloskey also points out that they get about five to six deliveries of produce and meats every week, furthering his promise to keep fresh food.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Peter Miller, head bartender of Garvan’s, can attest to the quality of food and drink. He regularly selects wines and beers, and mixes drinks with herbs. For example, a cocktail could include bits of lavender and chamomile in gin for a flavorful gulp. Miller, with previous bartending experience, knows long-time customers from other restaurant businesses in New Paltz, and already sees repeat customers. He has also worked at Bacchus and The Gilded Otter in town, as well as in New Orleans as a cocktail server. He affirms the restaurant’s potential. “We are already in full swing… we had an interview with a food critic this morning, and this weekend we will be photographed for an advertisement,” Miller said. And larger parties will be welcome to celebrate weddings and special events when springtime comes. The larger pavilion located in the back of the restaurant will require reservations, and customers are already booking in advance. Even those who don’t know much about Irish cuisine would try it; Tess Greene, a fourth-year international relations major, said she would be interested in trying Garvan’s because she would like to know more about Irish style foods that relates to her heritage. And McCloskey invites with a personal thank you to everyone who will dine in, regardless of heritage. “I want them to feel appreciated, and I want to thank everyone that comes in here. They will feel welcome at Garvan’s house,” McCloskey said. Take the small travel to 215 Huguenot Street and dine in a cozy cottage atmosphere with friendly servers and home style Irish meals with many local residents.

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Prehistoric Puddles PROFESSOR DISCUSSES ANCIENT GROUNDWATER By Jonathan Perry Copy Editor | Perryj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Recent studies have revealed that groundwater would have provided a ‘drought proof’ water supply and habitats for past hominin species that would have lasted hundreds of thousands of years, regardless of dry periods in East Africa. Gil Ashley, a professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University gave a talk in the Coykendell Science Building auditorium Tuesday, Feb. 16. The geological talk was a part of the Harrington STEM Lecture Series given to STEM students and the general public. The STEM lectures are held in the Coykendell Science Building auditorium on scheduled Tuesdays. Ashley’s studies revealed that groundwater-fed springs in East Africa were probably the main source of fresh, potable water. In Africa, where the earth is recharged with moisture from precipitation, the moisture gets trapped on the highlands. Ashley said the moisture then infiltrates the groundwater and moves into

a nearby basin, which is shielded from evaporation and can yield fresh yearround water. Ashley said these freshwater wetlands created by the groundwater springs provided a source of food and safety for the inhabitants. By consuming the spring, the hominin species would have thrived and spread without concern of resource consumption. “Utilization of such a circumstance would not have led to the competition and selective pressure of the hominin species from an evolutionary perspective,” Ashley said. “It would have also provided sites to aid the spread of hominin across the world.” According to a study done in 2014 for groundwater modeling, groundwaterfed springs show endurance and therefore are a ‘drought free’ natural resource. This research was solidified when groundwater in the equator region, the highest evaporation area in the world, was protected. The roots of spring research began over 50 years ago in Olduvai Gorge, Tan-

zania where two archeologists, Louis and Mary Leakey, discovered a fossil in 1959. This invited parties to begin a search for many other findings. Two years later, a bone bed beneath a solid blanket of volcanic ash revealed 2500 stone tools, 3500 fossil bones and 48 large mammals. This discovery revealed two different species in the bed; the Zinj (Paranthropus), the categorized name of the fossil found by the Leakeys, and the Homo Habilis. The discovery of these two species revealed to archeologists a sophisticated foraging and food access hominin behavior. This behavior was the gathering of materials and caucuses into the bone bed area, revealed to be a consumption den for the hominin after accumulating the dead animals for intake to avoid competing predators. What surprised Ashley about bone bed was that it was located in the middle of the woodlands. Studies of the hominin landscape led to a patchwork of plant types and natural resources. The eventual reveal of lively,

organic soil in the woodland trees exposed to archeologists that the Zinj were in the middle of a larger landscape that provided wetlands, grasslands and forest patches to the hominin. It was a spring fueled landscape. “The springs and wetland habitats could have provided ‘lifelong’ water supplies along the necklace of the Rift Valley basins,” Ashley said. Ashley’s pitch to the audience was that the hominin could have been capable of migrating across the world. Judging from the landscape reconstruction, the hominin would have been able to space out the springs located at the bottom of the rift and move from one spring to the next. Based on the research and findings, Ashley closed her talk by insinuating that the hominin could have used the springs as stepping stones up the Rift Valley and out of Africa. With that theory in mind, it is possible that the hominin could have moved on to the rest of the world. Our evolution could have been worlds different from what it is now.

College Dining on a Dime

THE PAPE SAYS TO GO AND TRY THE CREPE

By Sage Higgins Staff Writer | Higginss1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu For anyone that thinks that crepes should get their own spot on the food pyramid, Café 17 is the perfect spot for a crepe enthusiast. Café 17 is “named for it’s location in New Paltz on 17 Church Street.” Though the café has a variety of crepes on the menu, they also have various salads, sandwiches and breakfast items. Manager of Café 17, Sage Profita-Schoonbeck, gave me the inside scoop on the café and an inside view of the magic behind the glory that is the crepe. Café 17 serves an array of crepes including steak-filled crepes, veggie options and various dessert crepes. “Our crepe batter is made in-house from scratch,” Profita-Schoonbeck said. “It’s poured onto a special flat circular stove plate. Then us-

ing a T-shaped utensil to swirl batter around evenly into a thin circular shape. The crepe is then stuffed with ingredients, folded into a triangle and served.” Café 17 offers both sweet and savory crepes, including fan favorites “Best Of Friends” crepe and “The Athens” crepe. “Best Of Friends” includes Nutella, strawberries, banana, powdered sugar, chocolate drizzle and whipped cream. Their most popular savory crepe is the “Athens” it includes sauteed greens, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, house-made hummus, topped with house-made Harissa sauce, feta cheese, black olives, tomato and pumpkin seeds. This week, I had the chance to try “The Athens.” I have never had a savory crepe before, but “The Athens” was too hard to pass up.

And coming in at only $6.95, it was a price I couldn’t resist either. Gorgeously presented to me with sprinkled feta cheese and pumpkin seeds, I was in savory crepe heaven. This crepe was massive. The house-made hummus was creamy and slightly nutty, while the sweet peppers and greens were a perfect pairing. And to top it all off, the housemade Harissa sauce was something to write home about. Café 17, besides making delicious crepes, is also friendly to the environment. “We are using about 70 percent sustainable products and we are aiming for a much higher percentage in the next month or so,” Profita-Schoonbeck said. “We also recycle.” Furthermore, Profita-Schoonbeck talked about how she has been there since the beginning.

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“Jack Gordon is the owner of Café 17, I started off helping him clean and renovate the space and have worked my way up to Manager and Head Chef,” Profita-Schoonbeck said. “Like I said we are currently renovating a larger dining room.” New and exciting things are also happening at Café 17. “Our breakfast and lunch menu will stay the same as well as the prices, but we will also be adding a dinner menu, beer and wine,” Profita-Schoonbeck said. “We are hoping to be ready for dinner in the next month.” Café 17 is can be found on cafe17newpaltz.com Check out my Instagram @cheapcollegecuisine for the best Hudson Valley cuisine has to offer for $10.00 or less.

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Fast and Easy French Toast By Monique Tranchina Tranchim1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

One of the members of The Oracle shares their culinary chops with you. Bon Prepare this in several minutes and enjoy sweet, vanilla and cinnamon-flavored French toast with a bowl of fruit! You’ll need: 3 slices of your choice of bread 1 large egg ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and/or cinnamon powder ½ cup of your choice of milk non-stick cooking spray or butter confectioner’s sugar syrup, if desired In a large cooking bowl, combine milk, egg and vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk together for about one minute. Then, heat a large skillet on medium heat and spray with non-stick spray or use butter. Once the butter is melted throughout the skillet, dip a slice of bread into the bowl of milk, egg and flavoring, making sure that the entire slice absorbs the ingredients. Then place the slice on the skillet for about three minutes on each side. When finished cooking the French Toast, sprinkle confectioner’s sugar onto the top of the stack. Add syrup if you want to make it ultra-sweet and flavorful. Enjoy!

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Songs of Hope

MUSICIANS COMMEMORATE BLACK HISTORY

By Liam Baker Contributing Writer | N02530440@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Black History Month is an important time of the year because it allows us to shine a light on the oft-overlooked achievements of black leaders and inventors, as well as force many Americans to confront the darker chapters of our history that tend to get overlooked. That is precisely what happened on a brisk, Thursday evening as a few dozen people gathered in the Crispell Memorial French Church on Huguenot Street, mere yards away from a slave burial ground, to see a performance by dynamic storytellers and musicians Kim and Reggie Harris. Originally from Philadelphia, Kim and Reggie have been performing all over the world for over 30 years, drawing inspiration from history and their own lives to weave a collage of folk music, personal anecdotes and historical facts that seamlessly blend into a cohesive performance called “Songs of Hope and Freedom.” With their performance they seek to entertain and educate the crowd by engaging them in interactive songs and stories that discuss the trials and tribulations black people have faced over the course of American history. Their artistic repertoire is wide and diverse

in its subject matter, but the night’s songs and stories were selected in honor of Black History Month. They span hundreds of years of AfricanAmerican history: telling the story of Harriet Tubman, the Negro Baseball Leagues, Martin Luther King, Jr. and even Reggie’s own tale of his reunion with a distant cousin. “As a nation we are still dealing with slavery. Economically, politically and socially, the legacy is still with us,” Kim Harris said. “So it’s important that we continue to educate [people] about it.” Kim believes that song has a unique ability to galvanize people into action that is absent in other forms of communication, making it a powerful tool to trigger social change. “Singing draws people together. It inspires,” she said. “You’ve got to encourage people to do something that sometimes is against the law and really scary. Song is a great way to do that because when people sing together they are literally conspiring together.” Many of the attendees, including Cara Lee, director of the Nature Conservancy’s Shawangunk Ridge Program, were moved by their heartfelt presentation. “You can feel the emotion in their performance,” Lee said. “I loved Reggie’s story about

ﬁnding his cousin. It shows that they not only have an incredible breadth of knowledge, but a deep personal connection.” Their deep appreciation of the history of the African-American narrative is why they are always welcome at Huguenot Street according to Kara Gaffken, director of public programming at Historic Huguenot Street. They were previously invited to Huguenot Street in June of 2014 to commemorate Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration of the announcement of the end of slavery. “Slaves played a major part in the history of New Paltz,” Gaffken said. “All of the buildings and homes on Huguenot Street were built by African-American slaves and many of them were buried right here on Huguenot Street. So we believe it’s very important to remember and honor their memory, especially during Black History Month.” While much of what they do aims to educate, Kim maintains that like all music, their songs are about community. “With that singing going on it can really help people just come together because socially, we need to come together,” Kim Harris said. Kim and Reggie Harris’ music, along with their performance schedule, can be found online at www.kimandreggie.com

First Impression

2016 OTTAWAY PROFESSOR INTRODUCED

By Matthew D’Onofrio Staff Writer | Donofrim1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

A new visiting professor was introduced to the college on Tuesday, Feb. 9 in the Honors Center by the Department of Digital Media & Journalism, the James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professorship in Journalism and the Honors Program. Eyal Press, the 2016 Ottaway Professor, is an author and journalist who will be teaching a course this semester titled “Reporting on Divisive Subjects.” The class is designed to expose students to notable journalists who have explored topics in which opinion is strongly divided and teach students how to report on polarizing issues. “This is an exciting program. I like events like this,” said President Donald P. Christian who was present at the event and talked with Press. “We have wonderful faculty and not to underrate them but a full-time journalist like Press impresses me and brings new light to the school as a visiting professor.” When Press is not teaching his class controversial topics in journalism magazines such as the debate of whether a journalist should be objective or

subjective, he writes for The Nation and The New York Times. “What gets clicked and shared has personality in it, has a voice, and people respond to that,” said Press at the event, touching upon his style of writing and intentions in the world of journalism. Press has written two books: “Absolute Convictions,” which was awarded Booklist Editor’s Choice of the Year, and “Beautiful Souls.” “We admire people who stand by their principles,” Press said. “But in actuality society ﬁnds these types of people troubling.” In Hebrew, the term “beautiful soul” means “bleeding heart,” which reﬂects the views of the characters as sensitive and willing to cause discourse in society, best seen in an Israeli soldier who refuses to serve in the occupied territories, as told by the book. Going forward, Press is working on a third book detailing the world of moral dilemmas and how people are spun. Additionally, he is in the process of producing several magazine stories, one of which involves prisons and will be published by The New Yorker. A question posed at the event was “Can you lie

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to a source?” Press answered, “I believe I need to get the story,” continuing that he sees the ends justify the means when it comes down to deceiving a source. In one scenario, Press met up with a Catholic woman in Buffalo who was pro-life to talk about her views in contribution to a piece he was writing. Press identiﬁes as pro-choice but needed her side of the argument and therefore initially neglected to inform her of his position let alone his background: the son of a man who worked at a well-known abortion clinic in Buffalo. Eventually she ﬁgured him out, but luckily he got the story. “You should always make the best argument possible for the other side,” Press said. He mentioned that he tells his students this frequently because the key is to put yourself in their shoes, which will strengthen your reporting regardless of whether or not you agree. “It’s been interesting and fun so far. I’ve enjoyed interacting with students and other professors who are passionate about journalism,” Press said about his time here so far. “As a writer you work alone so working here is a great relief. I engage with students and teach what I love.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Bridging the “Divide”

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CLASSICAL GUITAR PROFESSOR HOPES TO INSPIRE STUDENTS By Erica Ascher

Contributing Writer | Aschere1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Aiming to put a classical twist on popular guitar, guitarist and SUNY New Paltz professor Gregory Dinger performed a concert in the college’s Nadia & Max Shepard Recital Hall last Thursday. Dinger said he finds enjoyment taking original music and creatively arranging it into a new setting. For this performance, he sought to explore both popular music and the classical guitar from the Renaissance era through the 20th century. “I’ve noticed lately less awareness of the past hundreds of years of music as compared to the last 50 years of rock ‘n roll — that’s what I call the ‘divide,’” he said. Dinger sat on a small piano chair with a little silver music stand and a foot-stand in front of him. Strumming his acoustic guitar, Dinger began his concert with folk songs and Renaissance music. The guitarist opened with a “Sixteenth Century Suite,” which included “Dove Son Quei Fieri Occhi?” and “Se io m’Accorgo” by anonymous Italian composers, “Cancion del Emperador” and “Diferencias on “Guardame las Vacas” by Luis de Narvaez and “Greensleeves” by Francis Cutting. Each of these pieces created an atmosphere similar to the Renaissance era with repeated sections and added decoration, such as trills and extra notes, and used ritardando (a gradual decrease in tempo) at the end. Dinger’s style emulated Baroque music. Next in the program, Dinger played “Fantasy & Variations on the Scottish Air: Ye Banks and Braes” by Fernando Sor. This piece is based off of a Scottish tune and had a cool guitar effect, called a “Scottish snap,” which is a short note before a

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR USER 52871206@N00

longer note. The final song before intermission was “Grand Fantasie of American Songs,” arranged by William Foden. Dinger utilized the guitar to “imitate a marching band.” The guitar itself sounded like a snare drum marching into battle, which transitioned into American folk tunes, such as “Bonnie Eloise,” “[Oh] Susanna,” “Dixie” and others that were recognizable. The second half of the concert consisted of 20th century music. “What we now call the ‘classical guitar’ (a 20th century term) … draws on the repertoire of both the ‘guitarra’ (and French “guitare”) and the vihuela, plus a huge repertoire of the Renaissance lute (and later the Baroque lute),” Dinger noted in the concert’s program notes. “The Wizard of Oz Fantasy,” arranged

by Dinger himself, was a dream-like and somewhat psychedelic piece. Each song from the movie was easily recognizable and kept the authenticity of the original music. The Scottish snap also made a comeback in his arrangement of “If I Only Had a Brain.” His program notes offered more detail about the piece: “My fantasy begins with a sizable overture, which deliberately presents fragments of songs and themes, then gradually more complete version, using my own segues. And the last chord contains a note that’s ‘way up high.’” “I had long wanted to find a “source piece” for a large-scale composition (for arrangement) that ‘everyone’ today would recognize, but which also went back a ways in time — and 1939 is getting increasingly distant,” Dinger said.

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Dinger performed a transcribed version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen from “A Night at the Opera (1975).” According to Dinger, a rhapsody is defined as a long piece in many sections without formal requirements and often with a folk or ethnic element incorporated. Most people don’t know that this song has a connection to the Hungarian rhapsodies of composers of the classical era, such as Franz Liszt. Last, but certainly not least, Dinger ended his program with two Beatles songs: “She’s Leaving Home” and “Here Comes the Sun.” Caitlin Franze, a third-year music therapy major, went to the concert to receive “Concert Series” credit for one of her courses. She heard Dinger perform at the faculty concert last year and wanted to hear the rest of “The Wizard of Oz Fantasy.” “It was really cool hearing the modulations from song to song,” she said. “He arranged the piece himself, and something like this doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.” Caroline Greco, a second-year music therapy major, had never heard of Gregory Dinger until she went to the concert. Her favorite piece was “Ye Banks and Braes” because “it was the prettiest piece that he played and Dr. Evans has performed the piece in his band.” “I don’t really know enough about guitar to describe it, but his playing is very intricate,” Greco said. “I was noticing his dynamics — how loud and soft he was getting.” Dinger hopes to attract and inspire more students “to the magic of the classical guitar via pieces that bridge the apparent ‘divide.’”

oracle.newpaltz.edu COME JAM WITH SAM! By Sam Manzella Manzells1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Brooklyn-based synthpop duo Chairlift recently released their third studio album, “Moth,” a 10-track record filled with lively energy and irresistible synth tracks. “Moth” comes after Chairlift’s 2012 release “Something,” which wowed indie pop lovers with fast-paced, breathy tracks like “I Belong In Your Arms.” I fell in love with this group’s music while I was first talking to my fiancé, so it goes without saying that Chairlift is uniquely special to me. We exchanged playlists as a way to get to know each other while we were separated by distance, and “I Belong In Your Arms” was one of the songs I added to my playlist. I know, gross … and just in time for Valentine’s Day. “Moth” takes Chairlift’s sound to a different level, incorporating spacey, lay-

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Chairlift Cacaphony ered synth beats and experimental, disharmonious background tracks. The album as a whole is cohesive, something Chairlift’s previous releases notoriously lacked. Lyrics from the group’s previous record focused on the exciting, anxiety-inducing sentiments of lust and love. Lyrics from “Moth,” however, revolve around some of the less glamour parts of falling in love. Tracks like “Crying in Public” and “Unﬁnished Business capture the rockiness of relationships in ﬂux, with lyrics like, “I’m sorry I’m crying in public this way / I’m falling for you, I’m falling for you / I’m sorry I’m causing a scene on the train / I’m falling for you, I’m falling for you.” Lead singer and lyricist Caroline Polachek’s impressive vocal range is on full display in this song, and stylized edits to

her vocal tracks mesh well with the song’s background track. “Unﬁnished Business,” the record’s second-to-last track, is weirdly beautiful. Its heartfelt lyrics, paired with Polachek’s passionate vocals and layered background tracks, read like a synthesized Danny Elfman score from a fantasy movie. Highlights from the album include “Look Up,” “Polymorphing” and “Moth to the Flame.” “Moth” opens on a spacey instrumental note with “Look Up.” Polachek’s vocals fade in roughly halfway through the track, and the track serves as a stirring introduction to Chairlift’s new sound. “Polymorphing,” the second track on the album, is playful and catchy with a fun, memorable beat and fabulous vocals. “Moth to the Flame” channels “Bad Romance”-era

Lady Gaga, with a whispered background track that goes, “He’s just that kind of man, mamma.” This song is a discotheque track at its ﬁnest, with a clap-infused synth beat and ethereal lyrics like, “I can’t help it / I’m a moth to the ﬂame.” All three were instant additions to my spring playlist. Like Chairlift’s older works, “Moth” has its highs and lows. “Romeo,” which the duo released as a single, is annoyingly saccharine. “Show U Off” is nothing particularly impressive or stellar. “Ottawa to Osaka” is catchy and engaging, but it lacks the unique elements that make other tracks off of “Moth” stand out. To the pop music lover looking to splurge on a new release, save your money and purchase the three standout tracks I noted above.

“The Life Of Pablo” KANYE WEST’S LATEST ALBUM IS NOT HIS BEST

By Jackson Shrout

Contributing Writer | Shroutj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

It’s been a weird road leading up to “The Life of Pablo.” Kanye West’s latest album was intended for a 2014 release under the name “So Help Me God,” but the year came and went, and no such album came out. The story was the same in 2015, when the album was renamed “SWISH” but still wasn’t released to the public. A release date was announced — Feb. 11, 2016 — but before that, the album was named “Waves” and then, later, “The Life of Pablo.” The tracklist was tinkered with multiple times, and the album ﬁnally came out Feb. 14, 2016, exclusive to the Tidal streaming service. West’s indecisiveness in regards to his album’s release date and title are echoed in the music as well, to its detriment. “The Life of Pablo” is good West, but not great West, its largest problem being its lack of coherence. West calls it a gospel album, but it’s not a gospel album in the same way “Yeezus” was an industrial hip-hop album. Instead, what we

have are 18 tracks that mimic various styles of West’s past music, with context only a minor concern. “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” sounds like a cut from Graduation, “Feedback” could’ve come straight off of Yeezus and both “Pt. 2” and “Facts (Charlie Heat Version)” are reminiscent of the “Cruel Summer” compilation album by West’s GOOD Music label. One of my favorite things about West is that he always goes for a different sound on each album; it’s a bold, ambitious move every time, but it’s one that West decided to skip here. Still, that takes nothing away from the great tracks. “Wolves” evokes the gorgeous artiﬁce of “808s & Heartbreak” in the best way possible; it’s got a booming synthetic bass backing some very watery autotuned vocals, with the occasional chilling harmonic howling in the background. West often overdoes the autotuned crooning throughout this album (particularly on “Highlights”), but here it works perfectly. “No More Parties in L.A.” and “30 Hours” are the two best tracks on the album, both of

them calling back to West’s “Late Registration” era of production. Madlib takes the reins on production for “No More Parties in L.A.,” which features Kendrick Lamar as a guest performer. A Kanye/Kendrick collaboration was long overdue, and “No More Parties in L.A.” doesn’t disappoint. “30 Hours” sees West teaming up with hip-hop drummer Karriem Riggins — the percussion has a great kick to it and beneath it is a nice bassline holding the track together. “Real Friends” is another excellent track, and its mellow, introspective atmosphere makes it one of the more low-key offerings on “The Life of Pablo” in spite of its somber subject matter. There aren’t any particularly bad songs on the album, but the “Cruel Summer”-inspired tracks tend to be the weakest, mostly because “Cruel Summer” is West’s worst project to date. “Famous” has a nice synthetic organ beat, but Rihanna’s performance in the chorus is very low-energy (West could have easily done this part himself), and the song features a pretty tasteless lyric about having sex with Taylor

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Swift. The fact that West can be misogynistic is hardly a secret, but West doesn’t even make an attempt to hide it here. This problem rears its head later on the album as well; in “Highlights,” West drops a cringeworthy reference to his wife, Kim Kardashian West, and her former boyfriend Ray J. Both tracks are ﬁne listens, but only in spite of some of West’s less-thanstellar lyricism. An 18-track album certainly isn’t the largest West has made. The “College Dropout” and “Late Registration” featured 21 tracks apiece, but they both carried their musical concepts to a satisfying conclusion. From “Graduation” onward, West’s albums were, at most, 13 tracks long, perhaps because West realized the difﬁculty of sustaining a musical concept over longer albums. It seems as if he’s regressing, unable to bring himself to cut anything from the album, and “The Life of Pablo” is quite scattershot as a result. What West has created here is a series of mostly solid (and sometimes very strong) tracks — whether or not he has created an actual album is another story.

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Tomorrows Tulips Rockin’ Today

BAND RELEASES NEW ALBUM, TOURS IN CALIFORNIA By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

At a gas station, while in the middle of filling up their van to proceed to their next venue, bassist and backup vocalist Ford Archbold sports a cool-looking jacket across the way. Getting back in the van. Next stop — Santa Cruz, California. The Costa Mesa-based trio Tomorrows Tulips released their fourth album, “iNdy Rock Royalty Comb” on Jan. 22. Beginning in early February, the Tulips have been touring their home state of California to debut their new album by performing record release shows. From the first listen, their new album sounds like driving an old Convertible under water. The Tulips consist of Alex Knost (lead

vocals, guitar), Ford Archbold (backing vocals and bass) and new drummer Jen Agnew. Both Knost and Archbold compete as professional surfers as well. “The title was inspired by indie rock … and a comb,” Archbold said. This mini album contains several covers including “Quiet Riot Grrrl” by their ’90s alt rock heroes Further and “Why I Didn’t Like August ’93” by another low-key ’90s band, Elevator To Hell. Another song off the eight-song release, “Check Me Out,” is a hardcore anthem about a man “crashing on the floor” as he “can’t do much more.” He “just stays here and drinks beer” to the point where he tells whoever is listening to “check me out the door.” The fourth track, “Convertible PCH,” uses a catchy guitar riff throughout the song

and leaves listeners with the sound of a ringing amplifier switching between both ears with a set of earplugs. Following is a more mellow song called “Walk Away.” Coming down another notch is the song right after, called “At The Movies.” Some of the new album was recorded at K Records with Calvin Johnson of The Happening, who earned his own song on the record called “Calvin’s Mic Check.” Archbold said the recording process for this album involved many venues. “We just jumped around from studio to studio. It was just a lot of winging it,” Archbold said. “We had half the songs and then made up the other half on the spot.” Unlike their last album, “When,” their newest release is more guitar-fuzz heavy rather than deep bass lines.

Compared to bands like The Velvet Underground, the Tulips possess a unique sound. They have thrived on a “do-it-yourself” attitude that one their fellow Costa Mesa counterparts and friends The Growlers share as well. Mellow, lo-fi and Californiainfused, this album is a great one to blast loud while driving. Next up for the three-piece is a tour of Europe from May to June. Oh yeah, and they are releasing a more full-length album later this year if everything goes as planned. “We are looking forward to just a good old time with buddies,” Archbold said. “We have Tommy Midnight, our guitar tech coming with us. We are going to see a bunch of places and try to stay sober. We’re like U2 there. We can’t even get out of the car, people bombard us.”

Wonderful Witches BEWITCHING NEW FILM MAKES FOR A GOOD SCARE By Jacob Berkowitz

Contributing Writer | Berkowij3@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

I haven’t been scared of witches since … well, never. As a child, I was more frightened of creepy dolls and serial killers (probably the result of a premature viewing of “Child’s Play”); witches just reminded me of Maggie Smith dressed up as Minerva McGonagall. While watching Robert Eggers’s “The Witch,” I was genuinely creeped by witches for the first time in my life. In early 17th century New England a puritanical pilgrim, William, (Ralph Ineson) is at odds with his plantation’s church. In an act of religious pride he moves his family outside the plantation’s walls and into the unsettled Northeastern wilderness. However, when William’s daughter,

Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), allows the family’s newborn to suddenly vanish, the family begins to descend into chaos. Going into the theater, I was anticipating reviewing “The Witch” as a genre film, but don’t be fooled by the title; Eggers (the film’s rookie writer and director) has far loftier aspirations. The script is thematically dense and every element of the film, from the lighting to the camera movement and placement, complements those themes. The dialogue, too, is sometimes almost impenetrable and undeniably ambitious. Don’t expect cheap jump scares or a threadbare plot. This alone would keep “The Witch” firmly entrenched in the realm of pretentious art films, but in Eggers and his entire team’s execution of these ideas, the

work is magnificently elevated. It is a tonal masterpiece. From the beginning montage, where we are introduced to the world of the supernatural, to the ending’s chillingly satisfying final image, you can see the meticulous calculation that went into the making of this movie. The result is a slow burn that never feels boring, but instead leaves you waiting, in anxious anticipation, for a moment of terrifying climax. Moments like that are why we go out to the movies. There’s nothing better than that sense of fulfillment, especially when it’s tinged with a lingering psychological thrill. My lone misgiving with the film, though, lies in the acting. Perhaps, in his concentrating on the stunning visuals, Eggers ignored his child actors, who peri-

Thursday, February 25, 2016

odically seem lost in the script’s archaic diction. The adults are fine, and I was mesmerized by Ineson’s gruff, haunting voice, but young Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson) are occasionally grating, and distractingly so. Even Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), who nails his important exorcism scene, falls flat on a few of the lower-key scenes. Taylor-Joy is the lone exception. She is mesmerizing throughout, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes a breakout star as a result of her work here. Those few hiccups won’t ruin the film for a student looking for an interesting, new scary movie to occupy a study break, though, and for cinephiles searching for the next, modern horror classic, “The Witch” is your ticket.

The Deep End

oracle.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Oracle

THIS WEEK IN

THE DEEP END

Major: Visual Art Education with a concentration in Drawing and Painting

Year: Fourth

Inspriation: Wayne Higby, Mary Weatherford

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have loved creating different pieces of art ever since I was a little girl, and the art program here at SUNY New Paltz has only helped that passion grow and flourish over the years. I am influenced by my environment and the world around me, especially memories and experiences and how they show through the creation of art. Most of my work is 2D, however I do have experience working in 3D and the 2D work includes materials such as ink, alcohol ink, pencils, paint and watercolor, while the 3D work includes wood, ceramics and glass. Some goals I have for myself as an artist, include continuing to explore different mediums and materials and experimenting more with scale.â&#x20AC;? Photos courtesy of Nicole Barci| Captioning by David Khorassani

The New Paltz Oracle

Editorial

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Access Grant(ed)

CARTOON BY STEFANIE DIERS

In a world where higher education costs are on the rise, the ability to afford public university tuition is getting harder than ever before. What started off as incremental, inflationary increases to college costs have rapidly spiraled out of control. Now, the average SUNY student loan debt for a four-year bachelor’s degree is approximately $24,503. To most, this figure is a nearly insurmountable burden and can throw off the trajectory of millions of young Americans seeking to pursue their dreams with the assistance of higher education. Those who are most affected by this unfortunate fact are those in the middle class and certainly those who come from challenging backgrounds. The social mobility that this country prides itself on, the mere opportunity to grow and succeed, is dwindling right before our eyes. With each

passing day it becomes more difficult to actualize the dreams that inspire millions. We at The New Paltz Oracle are encouraged to see the increased funding toward the Educational Opportunity Program, (EOP), received this past week. We think this increase will give students with educational disadvantages the chance to achieve the goals they strive for. The program will also hire a new advisor, which provides students with support and guidance throughout the college experience. Additionally, EOP contributes to campus diversity, provides workshops to keep students on track and has brought numerous student leaders to our campus. Now that there is additional funding in this program, it is important for more students to recognize its existence. Over 500 students are currently in the EOP, reflecting its effectiveness and usefulness. But

you have to apply, you can’t just walk in. By receiving an extra $290,000, the EOP has expanded its student capacity by 100. This means that an additional 100 first-year students who have financial difficulties can receive the help they deserve. This will allow them to climb to higher levels of education along with their peers and not be held back by outside factors, such as insufficient funds. Considering the fact that over 40,000 students have graduated with the help of EOP since its inception in the 1960s, the second most in the SUNY system, this is great news for New Paltz. These students can now receive assistance to keep them on pace with other students without losing out on any learning investments. During an era where competition is more intense than ever, utilizing the EOP is necessary for some students. These are

Thursday, February 25, 2016

the students that have the ambition and talent to chase their dreams but may not have the financial means to do it. The EOP closes that gap and puts them on par with the other students so they don’t miss out on graduation day. We feel it is best to use every power the school offers its students to become the best they can be. In the end, it is a tool to future success stories. 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.

10 oracle.newpaltz.edu

Rachael Purtell Copy Editor

Purtellr1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

There is a big difference between playing sports and being an athlete. People play sports to pass the time, stay in shape and be a part of something, being an athlete is creating an identity beyond these ideals. I can’t remember a time in my life where I wasn’t playing sports. Even recalling my earliest childhood memories brings forth images of me chasing a tiny soccer ball and standing on first base talking to my friend as my teammate knocked a whiffle ball off a tee. In high school I was a starting captain on three varsity sports teams: soccer, basketball and lacrosse. I was constantly running between varsity practice, open gym and offseason league games at local indoor facilities, not to mention worrying about school and the other extracurriculars I was a part of. Upon my matriculation to SUNY New Paltz I became what few can claim, a two sport collegiate athlete. However, a lot of people respond with, “well, it’s ‘just’ Division III” but I don’t

To the SUNY New Paltz Community: It’s always a good time for energysaving tips that are easy enough for us all to use (even those of us in dorms), but they’re especially important during the winter months when electricity usage often skyrockets. Here are a few easy tips for us to keep in mind (and discuss with our roommates): It’s SHOWer Time: While it’s easy to sing, zone out or lose track of time in the shower, few of us are dirty enough that we need more than a couple of

Opinion

Column

The New Paltz Oracle

Double the Sports, Half the Time think they really know what that means. As a Division III college athlete I have been given absolutely no incentive to play. I was not offered a scholarship, there are very few tangible “perks” and I have been exposed to a whole new definition of the word overscheduled. Unlike Division I or II athletes, it actually costs me more money to play sports in college. I have to pay for my lacrosse team’s spring break trip and any apparel I will receive from the athletic department I have either paid for or must return at the end of each season. Yes, we are excused from class for games. However, we are expected to notify our professors and stay on top of our work and grades and now we have coaches and teammates and a whole other network of people monitoring our academics and adding pressure to be successful in the classroom. Even with a car on campus, it is nearly impossible to find the time to schedule something as simple as a haircut between a tight schedule of classes,

practices, games, lift, team bonding exercises and whatever else we choose to be involved in. Also, the mental exhaustion and physical fatigue can be crippling, particularly during preseason training. So why do we do it? The answer is simple: I love it. The beauty of Division III athletics is that I am able to play both soccer and lacrosse for another four years and if it were possible for me to pick up a basketball again, I would do it in a heartbeat. Sometimes I play in front of an audience of hundreds, sometimes I play for an audience of 25. My supporters are not there because of my talent, they are there because they know who I am. No, I won’t be signing autographs, but I will be signing letters to my graduating teammates and then grad school applications down the road. I am part of two families of extraordinary women. I am not sweating with any future professional athletes, but I am sweating with future CEOs, doctors, teachers, scientists and people that I am confident will

Op-Ed

minutes under running water. Water’s “cool”... but to heat it requires a lot of energy. While most of us would prefer to not take a cold shower (especially in the middle of winter!), by lowering the water temperature even a few degrees, we can save lots of energy. A Real Turn-off! While brushing your teeth or shaving, turn off the water. In the fraction of a second that it takes to turn the faucet, we can save our planet’s most precious resource. Put your computer to Sleep… zzzzz: If you walk away from your computer when you’re not ready to turn

it off, don’t assume that even a newer computer will automatically go into sleep mode. Both PC and Mac users can adjust their settings so the computer automatically goes to sleep after five minutes (or more). PCs can go to the Control Panel and look for “Power Options,” and Macs have an “Energy Saver” setting (also found in the Control Panel). And of course, we can all “turn off” when we’re done. Fire Your Dryer! A clothes dryer uses more energy than any other appliance (on average, 2.5 - 6 kWh per load).

Thursday, February 25, 2016

make as much a difference in the world as they have in my own life. Although I am early in my career as a college athlete, I am very aware of the sand slipping through the glass. There will come a day where I will no longer be an athlete and I will throw my uniform down the laundry shoot for the last time. I have no idea what emotions I will be filled with, but I know that regret will not be one of them. In my remaining hours of sweat, blood and tears, I will play my heart out and I will always strive to be the hardest working player on the field. I am proud to be a two-sport collegiate athlete and I am even prouder to be a Hawk. Rachael is a first-year communications major with a concentration in public relations and a double minor in computer science and psycology. She is not as disheveled as the picture and article above suggest.

Avoid this abuse by doing laundry before you run out of clean clothes, and hang them on a drying rack overnight. You’ll even get a healthy bonus by adding moisture to the air, especially when heaters are on full blast. No drying rack? Hang clothes on the shower rod, doors and door knobs, and resistant furniture, adding to the ambiance! Avoiding the dryer will save lots of energy - and help our planet. Anna Norum-Gross NP Climate Action Coalition

SPORTS

The New Paltz Oracle

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SPORTS The New Paltz Oracle

Hawks fourth-year outside hitter Andy Fishman prepares for a set.

By Anthony Mitthauer-Orza

Copy Editor | Mitthaua1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The men’s volleyball team has won 12 games in a row dating back to Saturday, Jan. 16. In the process, the Hawks remained No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Men’s Coaches Top-15 Poll after sweeping the UVC Crossover and the Juniata Invitational. On Sunday, Feb. 14, the team traveled to Rochester to begin United Volleyball Conference (UVC) play against No. 6 Stevens Institute of Technology and No. 4 Nazareth College. The Hawks jumped out to an early lead against Stevens. Although the Ducks brought the score within two points, fourth-year outside hitter Andy Fishman and third-year middle blocker and opposite Jake Roessler pushed the Hawks to a set win. The score was close in the last set until the Hawks pulled ahead 11-7. The Ducks stayed closely behind and eventually tied it at 15. New Paltz ended up taking the lead and sealing the match after a kill from third-year middle blocker Steven Woessner. Despite the evenly matched competition, Hawks Head Coach Radu Petrus said he felt the team performed well against Stevens. “We did a good job,” Petrus said. “Although we didn’t approach the game as seriously as we

HEAVY HITTERS

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

could have, we came out with the win and it built experience for our team.” Nazareth fell short by a score of 25-17 to begin the next game. In the second set, The Golden Flyers returned ready to play, as both teams were in a brief battle until Hawks fourth-year co-Captain Christian Smith’s kill and service ace put the Hawks ahead 17-15. Nazareth slowly closed the gap, but kills by second-year outside hitter Anthony Bonilla and third-year opposite Joe Norman put New Paltz ahead 23-19. Woessner delivered the match-winning kill. In the final set, both teams traded points until the score settled at 25, but the Hawks would grab the final two points needed for the match win. A few days later, the Hawks won their third consecutive and final conference game of the week against Bard College 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-19). Hawks third-year middle blocker C.J. Borfitz hit .538 for the match, notching eight kills and four block assists while Roessler had seven kills. C. Smith said he is happy with the team’s performance and how they were able to showcase their skills in their conference. “The team’s performance has been really good so far,” Smith said. “We’ve won a bunch of matches in a variety of ways and I think the experience of winning in five sets against Stevens will pay dividends for us in the long run. Also, to come

back after in the next game and beat Nazareth 3-0 was really a good showing of us staying focused and realizing how important those games were.” On Friday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 20, the Hawks competed in the Juniata Invitational against No. 14 Hunter College, Lasell College and host Juniata College. New Paltz traded points early on until Hunter managed to trim the deficit to 15-13 on a 4-1 run until New Paltz received the ball on a Hunter service ace. Fourth-year middle blocker Christopher Husmann floored three kills as the Hawks went up 22-15. Hunter would cut the score to 24-17, but a block solo by Norman capped off the set. The Hawks dominated the second set 25-14 after capitalizing on errors by Hunter. The third set proved to be close with the opposing Hawks going up 19-18, followed by a New Paltz timeout. Hunter was able to stop New Paltz completely to finish the set, but that didn’t stop the Hawks from finishing off Hunter 25-17 in the match-winning set. Petrus said the Hawks have been attempting to use all of their players and having contribution from everyone will help the team over the course of the season. “We have some pressure, but I want to run our strategy, our combination and ultimately use all of our players,” Petrus said. “Sometimes we lose sets because we tried to put players in a competitive

Thursday, February 25, 2016

situation or they just weren’t ready. It’s a learning process and it’s good to have contribution from the whole team. If they can’t help us much during the game, then they will be very helpful in practice.” To ﬁnish off the Invitational, the Hawks won against Lasell College 3-0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-15), then defeated the host Eagles 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-11) to extend their win streak to 12 games. New Paltz capitalized on errors and kills by Bonilla and Woessner to sweep the Lasers and the Eagles. Norman was named to the Juniata Invitational All-Tournament team while Woesnner was named tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP). The Hawks come back home to play New Jersey City University on Wednesday, March 2 before they participate in the New Paltz Tri-Match on Saturday, March 5 against Juniata College and Dominican University. The following day, New Paltz will play in the UVC Crossover against New York University and Penn State Behrend for more conference play. C. Smith hopes practice will be effective in these games. “We have two conference home games coming up against NYU and Penn State,” Smith said. “NYU is no easy task because they can get hot from the service line at any moment, but it’s on us to stay focused and keep working hard on the little things in practice.”

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Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

New Paltz HS Athlete Signs With Ohio U By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On a typical game day, New Paltz High School kicker Aidan O’Neill plays football in front of his hometown community. His parents sit at the sidelines, his friends cheer him on. But by fall, he could be playing in front of thousands of fans, wearing a Bobcats jersey at Div. 1 Ohio University. He has become the first athlete out of New Paltz High School to sign with a Div. I team since the 1980s. O’Neill, 19, kicker of the New Paltz Huguenots High School football team, signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and football career at Ohio University, a Div. I college in Athens, Ohio on Wednesday, Feb. 3. At Ohio, he plans to study business — all while competing for a special teams job. As a two-sport athlete, O’Neill never tried football until his sophomore year and then decided to single his focus to the gridiron. It was only until he was discovered during soccer practice by Sam Phelps, Huguenot football defensive teams coach where he began his two-sport career. Last year, statistically, he was 22for-23 in extra points, had 24 touchbacks on 29 kickoffs and a career-long field goal of 57 yards during a scrimmage game. That earned him the title of the longest successful field goal in the nation this year off the ground. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, he also gained state Class A fourth-team All-Star honors. After feeling the pain of having his first extra point blocked in the first game of his football career, he has worked his way to becoming one of the best high school kickers in the nation. He has missed only one other Point After Touchdown (PAT) since. O’Neill can also come in to punt, averaging 41.6 yards on 23 attempts with a long of 65 in his time as a Huguenot. On his new turf, O’Neill has an opportunity to compete for a job. At the end of last season the Ohio University Bobcats lost both punter Mitch Bonnstetter and placekicker Josiah Yaz-

dani to graduation. On the spring roster is redshirt freshman Louie Karvos and true freshman Michael Farkas. Last season, the Bobcats went 8-5 and lost 31-29 on a last-second field goal to Appalachian State in the Raycom Media Camelia Bowl. For the duration of his football career, O’Neill has worked with Hammer Kicking Academy’s Adam Tanalski, a nationwide recruiter and personal coach in special teams alongside of Patrick Toole, who is currently working for this year’s NFL Combine. There, 1,300 specialists are scouted and observed to propel their careers forward. At Hammer Kicking Academy, he was the Super-7 (top 7 selection) at the National Top 40 invite event — one that features kickers, punters and snappers throughout the nation. In his sophomore year, O’Neill racked up the award for the most valuable kicker of the youth group beating out 140 nationally of his position. That is when Tanalski started naming schools and O’Neill’s dream was about to begin. “His elevation on his field goals is second to none,” Tanalski said. “This is a kid if he does the right things over the next four years will have an opportunity to play professional football. He is a star kicker and really is a special talent. For someone from New York state, he really is truly the best field goal kicker in the class.” Only two other athletes who have graduated from New Paltz High School have signed with Div. I teams. The most recent was Charles Davis in 1987, who is now lead analyst for Fox College Football. New Paltz High School Football Head Coach Tom Tegeler said O’Neill was a significant strength of the team, which will be hard to replace. “It will take a lot of years before we see a kicker like that,” he said. “We’ll just have to find somebody that can fill his shoes a small part. He will be greatly missed. It will be a huge impact. I’m really pulling for him to do great things. Hopefully he has some success and that in return speaks highly of New Paltz football.” Coming from such a small town has O’Neill consistently striving for more,

Aidan O’Neill prepares for a kick.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HAMMER KICKING ACADEMY

he said. While many other specialists have come from different paths in the camps he attended, most play in the south, where football is a significant entity and multiple players on the signing day signing their letters of intent. “New Paltz has had an effect on me where nobody is really striving for that,” O’Neill said. “Nobody else around me is trying to do the same thing. I think that if I was at another place, I don’t know if it would have given me the courage to stand out and try to do this. Maybe would have just blended in and just been like everybody else that goes off to their school. Being special at this here made me stand out more because nobody else is going to that level to play other positions.”

Thursday, February 25, 2016

O’Neill has visited his new stomping grounds four times and said the atmosphere is vastly similar to the SUNY New Paltz campus. During his time visiting, O’Neill was hosted by Bobcat’s longsnapper Jake Hale. “It feels like home,” O’Neill said. Before he heads off to his new adventure, O’Neill will return to Buffalo to receive one last tune-up with Tanalski and the camps he has attended for the last two years. “There is no one who can get in his head,” Tanalski said. “He is the most confident, cool, calm person that you can ever imagine. I don’t think he will have any issue or difficulty changing over to playing in front of 30,000 people a week.”

The New Paltz Oracle

Sports

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Swimmers Shine In SUNYAC Tournament

By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The men’s and women’s swimming teams competed in the 2016 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships from Thursday, Feb. 18 to Saturday, Feb. 20 at Erie Community College’s Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center in Buffalo, New York. Both teams finished in second out of nine teams. The women finished with 681 points, while the men tallied 526 points. The women scored more points at the tournament than they have ever scored before. The men’s team has not finished as high as second place at the tournament since 1994. SUNY Geneseo took home the 2016 SUNYAC title on both the men’s and women’s side. For the men’s side, it marks their 23rd title in program history. On the women’s side, this is the Knights’ ninth straight and 24th title overall in program history. “It was probably the best year in the history of the program,” Hawks Head Coach Scott Whitbeck said. “We scored more points than ever before in the history of our team at the SUNYAC Championships. What was a big thing was that all of our swimmers stepped up, every single person scored points and scored well. That’s something we have never done before; have all 18 athletes score like that. That was pretty neat and exciting. I’m very pleased with how we swam.” The women saw success from the very beginning of the first day of competition. In the 200 freestyle relay, the first event of the night, second-year Molly McCulloch, firstyears Katie Donlevy and Kaleigh O’Halloran and fourth-year co-captain Cassidy Griger finished with a second place time of 1:36.52. That set a new program record for New Paltz in that event. Griger would later finish second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:05.45. Due to her second place finish, Griger earned Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors. Donlevy would finish third in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:10.62, earning her Second-Team All-SUNYAC recognition. McCulloch would also earn Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors with her second place finish in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.16. During the second day of competition, first-year Jaimie Kaefer finished the 400 individual medley in first with an NCAA “B” cut time of 4:36.01, earning her the SU-

NYAC title for that event as well as FirstTeam All-SUNYAC recognition. McCulloch would again earn Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors with her 57.75 second-place finish in the 100 butterfly. Griger won her first career SUNYAC individual championship, as she finished in first in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:53.91. Along with Kaefer, this earned Griger First-Team All-SUNYAC honors. On the final day of competition, Donlevy earned First-Team All-SUNYAC honors with her 2:27.54 conference title victory in the 200 breaststroke. Griger finished second in the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.87, which would have earned her Second-Team All-SUNYAC had she not already received this honor during Thursday’s competition. Griger was also awarded the Grace Mowatt Award on Saturday. The award is given annually to a senior female swimmer who showed great athletic and academic achievement throughout their collegiate career. Griger is the sixth swimmer in program history to receive this honor. “Earning the Grace Mowatt Award was a great honor,” Griger said. “I am very happy to be added to the long list of New Paltz swimmers who have earned the award before me.” The men also set a program record in their first event of the first day of competition. Third-year Austin Kowalsky, secondyear Caleb Treadwell, and fourth-year co-captains Ethan Cooke and Will Koenig combined for a second place finish in the 200 freestyle relay. Their time of 1:23.73 broke their mark of 1:24.46 that the four had set earlier this season. Koenig would earn Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors with his 21.12 third place finish in the 50 freestyle, which also set a new program record. On the second day of competition, Treadwell, Cooke, Koenig and fourth-year co-captain Ryan Lindgren finished third in the 200 medley relay. Their time of 1:33.34 set a new program record, the four had set the record last season with a time of 1:34.48. Treadwell twice broke the program record in the 100 butterfly; his nighttime fourth-place time of 51.11 will be the one that remains in the books. During the final day of competition, second-year Barrett Celecki finished third in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 16:51.70, earning him Second-Team All-SUNYAC honors. In his final individual race of his

New Paltz swimming set many accolades at the 2016 SUNYAC Tournament.

collegiate career, Cooke also earned SecondTeam All-SUNYAC honors with his 1:56.67 third place time in the 200 butterfly that set a new program record. In the final event of the competition, Kowalsky, Treadwell, Cooke and Koenig dominated the 400 freestyle relay. The four combined for a first place time of 3:05.14, which broke the SUNYAC overall, SUNYAC meet and New Paltz program record for the event. “I feel like my team performed incredibly at SUNYACs,” Treadwell said. “We earned second place thanks to every single person on the team, even the ones not in attendance.” Although the Hawks did not win the tournament, both teams feel as though they performed extremely well and proved a lot for the program. “I think they were a little bit disappointed with how they finished last year,” Whitbeck said. “We lost to Oneonta by eight points last year to finish third. They had dedicated themselves and put together a really, really strong effort throughout the season.” Along with Griger, fourth-year cocaptains Ella Graffin and Maggie Heaton and fourth-years Kim Kallansrude, Casey O’Connor and Krista VerMeersch will not return to the Hawks next season. For the

Thursday, February 25, 2016

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

men, Cooke, Koenig, Lindgren as well as fourth-year Tom Anderson will graduate in the spring. “Swimming at New Paltz is more of a lifestyle than just a sport,” Griger said. “I will cherish all of the memories I’ve made over the past four years while competing, training, and living with my best friends.” With the success the teams have had this season, both teams expect to be even more successful next year and for years to come. “We saw a glimpse of what we are capable of this year and that is going to motivate us even more to try and reach our full potential for years to come,” Treadwell said. “We know we can be a top tier team and we know what is necessary to achieve that. It’s really a snowball effect, every year we get faster, we know we can be and want to be so much for the following years.” With all of the accomplishments the teams achieved this season, Whitbeck expects his teams to remain focused and not settle for second place. “We’re happy with finishing second because it was better than last year, but the ultimate goal is to compete for the championship and we have some work to do to get to that next level,” Whitbeck said. “Hopefully we set our goals one step higher and keep moving in the right direction.”

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Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

Men’s Basketball Concludes Season With Win By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The men’s basketball team concluded their season going 1-3 against a slate of State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opponents over the course of two weekends. The first weekend consisted of the Hawks’ final two home games of the season, losses to SUNY Geneseo and the College at Brockport on Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13, respectively. “Both games we battled back and tied it late in the second half, and for various reasons we just didn’t come out with a victory,” Hawks Head Coach Mike Rejniak said. “But the emergence of the young kids was pretty impressive. [Dylan] Balducci had a great weekend, and it was great to see his confidence get going.” The Hawks fell to Geneseo 77-63 on Friday, Feb. 12. New Paltz stayed in the game throughout the first half, and a 3-pointer by fourth-year guard Keegan Donovan with 37 seconds remaining brought the Hawks to within four, as the halftime score favored Geneseo 36-32. In the second half, a 3-pointer by second-year guard Dylan Balducci at the 9:38 mark tied the score at 52-52. However, the Knights would then go on a 13-0 run which sealed the victory. New Paltz received a big contribution from their bench that scored 35 points on the night. Balducci led the bench scoring with a team-high 18 points, while fourth-year co-captain R.J. Rosa was second with 16 points and led the Hawks in the assist catego-

ry with five. Donovan, first-year guard Cory Garcia, and first-year guard and forward Nick Paquette also contributed off the bench with eight, six and three points, respectively. The following day the Hawks were defeated 84-70 by the College at Brockport on their Senior Day, New Paltz’s last home game of the season. “The seniors had a nice Senior Day overall, regarding their performance,” Rejniak said. “I just wish we could’ve closed it out on Saturday to give them one final home victory.” Similar to the match against Geneseo, the Hawks trailed Brockport by just a few points, 43-36, entering the half. New Paltz then came back to tie the game 43-43 in the second half, this time by a dunk from third-year forward Brandon Guest at the 17:11 mark. Shortly after that, an 11-2 run by the Golden Eagles propelled them to victory. In the final home game of their collegiate careers, Donovan, Rosa and fourth-year co-captain Alex Perlman posted point totals of 10, nine and eight, respectively. Donovan also contributed with three assists, a block and two steals, while Rosa led New Paltz in assists with six and also tallied two steals. Perlman tied for the team-lead with five rebounds and added three assists as well. For the second-straight game, Balducci was the Hawks’ leading scorer with 14 points. Guest was right behind him with 12 points, and tied with Perlman for the team-lead in rebounds with five. The Hawks shot 40.7 percent (24of-59) from the floor, and 44 percent

(11-of-25) from 3-point range. The team then traveled to Buffalo State on Friday, Feb. 19 and lost by a score of 94-79. Rosa led the Hawks’ offense with 23 points, and also added two blocks and two steals to his stat sheet. First-year guard and forward Joseph Ivin was second on the team in points with 12, a career-high for Ivin which he accumulated in just 11 minutes of playing time. First-year guard Matt Misser led New Paltz in the assist category with five. Then on Saturday, Feb. 20, the Hawks concluded their season with a 74-72 victory over SUNY Fredonia on the road. The win brought the team’s final record to 5-19 overall and 4-14 in conference play. “It’s been a pretty tough season in terms of wins,” Perlman said. “By the time we got to Fredonia, we already knew that the season was over. It’s not like we were playing for the last playoff spot or anything like that. We just huddled up before the game and talked about how this’ll be the last time we’ll all get to play college basketball together. Winning the last game I’ll ever play as a college athlete is great, but winning the last game I’ll ever play with those guys, that’s truly special.” Rosa led the offense with 25 points in the final game of his collegiate career. Donovan tallied 17 points, six rebounds and two steals while Perlman scored nine points with four rebounds, four assists and a steal in their final collegiate games. Third-year forward Andrew Seniuk led New Paltz in rebounds with seven and blocks with two, scoring 11 points in the process.

Rosa, Perlman and Donovan will not return to the team next season. Perlman and Donovan have been at New Paltz since they were freshmen, while Rosa transferred from SUNY Sullivan and started playing at New Paltz during his sophomore year. Last season Rosa was named Second-Team All-SUNYAC. “I’ve made some of my best friends for life playing basketball for New Paltz,” Perlman said. “I’ve said it to my teammates once or twice that I’m not going to remember specific plays or wins or losses when I look back at my college career. I’m going to remember the relationships that I developed with everyone. Starting with the seniors on the team three years ago back when I was a freshman, all the way down to the freshmen on my team this year, and everyone in between.” Looking ahead to next season, Rejniak hopes to continue to see progress from his team. He was very pleased with the way his younger players performed this season and is excited for what they’ll bring to the program next year and years beyond that. “I want to get better each day than the previous, I want us to further come together towards our common goal,” Rejniak said. “The good news with this year is that we had a boatload of young kids who got a ton of experience that will better serve us in the future and they know what to expect from the league. Some of the new kids coming in, the recruits and transfers, are only going to bolster our roster depth and talent. I look forward to seeing how they gel with our young kids.”

Do You Want To Write Sports For The Oracle? Send us an email at Oracle@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu for more information! Thursday, February 25, 2016

SPORTS

Women’s Basketball Earns Top Seed The New Paltz Oracle

oracle.newpaltz.edu

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Caleb Treadwell SPORT: Swimming YEAR: Second MAJOR: Geology HOMETOWN: Cortland

H OW DID YOU FIRST START SWIMMING? I ﬁrst started swimming because my brother did it. I started when I was about eight and have been swimming since. OUTSIDE OF YOUR SPORT WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO?

Basically our whole lives are swimming so there isn’t really an outside of it. WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST ROLE MODELS?

Hawks fourth-year co-captain Goldie Harrison dribbles the ball up the court.

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The women’s basketball team have clinched the No. 1 seed in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) and now prepare for the playoffs. With the current standing of a SUNYAC record of 14-4, the Hawks have earned a bye in the quarterfinal game of the 2016 SUNYAC Tournament and have automatically advanced to the semifinal game. Hawks Head Coach Jamie Seward said earning the top seed in the conference and hosting the tournament were goals the team had this season. “That was nice, but at the end of the day it is not the end destination that we’re looking for,” he said. “It’s a nice accomplishment, but it’s in the past and we have to move on to the next thing.” In recent weeks, the Hawks went on a 10game winning streak. Defeating SUNY Potsdam 83-52 and SUNY Plattsburgh 81-73 on Feb. 5 and 6, respectively, concluded the Hawks’ five-game road trip. Against the Cardinals, Hawks third-year cocaptain Kit Small converted 11-of-11 from the line and 8-of-13 from the field to collect a career-high 27 points. The Hawks returned home for three games beginning with an 83-32 win over SUNY Oswego on Tuesday, Feb. 9 — the largest point deficit of the season. New Paltz recorded 41 bench points and edged Oswego, 43-35, in rebounds. Three days later, New Paltz picked up another

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

win with a 55-41 victory over SUNY Geneseo. The following day had another win, this time against The College at Brockport with a score of 72-60 on Saturday, Feb. 13. Although the Golden Eagles entered the final quarter with a 54-52 edge, the Hawks scored 15 unanswered points to grab the largest lead of the game (67-54). Brockport managed to cut the score to 69-60 with 1:18 remaining but the Hawks clinched the final victory as New Paltz capitalized on three Brockport fouls, and converted 3-of-6 shots from the line. The next day, the Hawks began their final road trip of the season, earning a 73-67 win against Buffalo State. With the win, New Paltz clinched the No. 1 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament and earned the regular season conference title, the second in program history. Hawks second-year guard and forward Laura Stuart made 9-of-13 shots from the field and 4-of-5 shots from the 3-point range to collect a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to conclude the game with a doubledouble. On the last game of the season, the Hawks fell to SUNY Fredonia, 70-65. Fredonia regained control of the lead in the final quarter, but New Paltz narrowed the score to 65-64 on a jump shot by Stuart. However Fredonia escaped the Hawks to push ahead, 70-64 with 28 seconds left to play. Although Small made a free throw, New Paltz could not connect on another basket as Fredonia took home the win. Next up for the Hawks will be a semifinal

elimination game against SUNY Oneonta on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hawk Center. The Hawks split the season series against Oneonta. In their first matchup on Friday, Jan. 15, the Red Dragons had the upper hand with a 63-53 win on the Hawks’ home court. A little over two weeks later, the Hawks defeated Oneonta on their court 70-59. Last season, the Hawks advanced to the semifinal game and were eliminated by SUNY Cortland with a 57-48 loss. This year, the Hawks have more experience playing through elimination game situations in postseason play with multiple players having playoff experience through the years in the program. To prepare for the game against the Red Dragons, Hawks third-year co-captain Courtney Irby said the team is making sure they are keeping the competition level high and intense during practice. “There is no such thing as having a soft practice because that’s only going to hinder us,” she said. “We also have a high level of focus in practice and in the meeting room because once that ball goes up there is no stopping us because we’re going after it all.” Seward said playing on home court benefited the team the last time they hosted the tournament and hopes to have a great crowd supporting the team at the Hawk Center at the semifinals. “That home crowd can be a little bit of an influence and give you a little bit of a boost,” he said. “But, you need to play the game, make plays and shots. That is what ultimately decides the game.”

Thursday, February 25, 2016

My biggest role models are my captains. They really have set this team up to be in the running with the best teams in the conference.

ARE YOU A FAN OF ANY TEAMS? Personally, I don’t follow any sports other than swimming, so no, I am not a fan of any speciﬁc sports team.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPERSTITIONS? I have no sports-related superstitions.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS MEMORY?

My favorite sports memory was at this year’s SUNYACs when our 4x100 freestyle relay got ﬁrst, broke our record by about four seconds, broke the SUNYAC record for the event and beat Geneseo.

DO YOU WANT TO BE ...

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK? Contact Melissa Kramer or Michael Rosen at Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu or Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Sports

New Paltz Kicker Signs With Div. I Team PAGE 12

Swimming Teams Make Program History PAGE 13

POCKET ACES

MAIN AND LOWER PHOTOS BY HOLLY LIPKA

WHAT’S INSIDE

TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF HAMMER KICKING ACADEMY

The New Paltz Oracle

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL WINS 12 STRAIGHT GAMES : PAGE 11