Volume 88, Issue 15

New Paltz Oracle The

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Thursday, March 3, 2016

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Parked Progress Village Parking Issue Remains As Proposals Go Un-Passed

Story on Page 5

A New Crime?

County Executive Moves to Punish Cyberbullies With Fines, Jail Time

Story on Page 4

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Volume 88, Issue XV

Heroin Dealers Could Soon Face Homicide Charges Story on Page 3 - Editorial on Page 9

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE

• State Senators Call to Enact of Laree’s Law ...Pg 3 • Village Parking Situation Yet to be Resolved ..Pg 5

• Legislation Proposed Against Cyberbullies ..Pg 4 • Sexual Assault Kits Remain Untested ............Pg 6

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

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Holly Lipka David Khorassani PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS

Stefanie Diers CARTOONIST

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

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Jackie Quaranto WEB CHIEF

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Cam Collichio BUSINESS MANAGER _________________

Marisa Losciale

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STAFF Sage Higgins, Matthew D’Onofrio, Nick Tantillo, Otto Kratky, Jake Berkowitz, Erica Ascher, Briana Bonfiglio

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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.

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Volume 88 Issue 14 Index NEWS THE DEEP END EDITORIAL COLUMN

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Michael Rosen & Melanie Zerah

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Date: 02/29/2016 Location: Old Main Circle Incident: Subject intentionally breaks Old Main Gate.

Date: 02/26/2016 Location: Lot 36 Incident: Subjects in vehicle engaged in lewdness. Upon interview of subjects, marijuana was found in the vehicle. Matter referred to campus judicial.

SUNY New Paltz University Police Department Emergencies: 845-257-2222

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News

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Proposal Looks to Charge Heroin Dealers With Homocide

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAILYDOT

By Nate Sheidlower

Managing Editor | Sheidlon1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

“I’d like to know who sold my son the heroin and have them stand before a judge,” said Elizabeth Berardi whose son Carter died of a heroin overdose two years ago. “If you’re running drugs and doing it to make money then you should be held accountable to the fullest degree.”

Recent heroin overdoses in Western New York, 23 of which were fatal, have prompted the State Senate Heroin Task Force to call for the enactment of Laree’s Law. The law (S.4163) would allow district attorneys throughout the state to press homicide charges on dealers if the heroin they sell causes an overdose death.

According to the Task Force news release, the deaths were the result of a bad batch of heroin laced with the synthetic opioid fentanyl and occurred in Erie County, between Jan. 29 and Feb. 9. Fentanyl is an artificial opiate that can be 50 times more powerful; this is the same compound that was reported to be responsible for the bad batch in Dutchess County two years ago.

The task force, comprised of State Senators Terrence Murphy, George Amedore and Robert Ortt, proposed the bill last June. It was passed in the Senate by a vote of 53-9 and sent to the State Assembly.

Since it was not passed in the Assembly, the senators are calling for another vote in hopes it will become a law, according to Murphy.

“The face of heroin has changed,” Murphy said. “It has come to roost amongst the rich and the poor, in our schools and our homes. We need to protect our families through more stringent legislation that seeks to punish drug dealers peddling their poison. Of the 17 pieces of legislation the senate passed last year, only one became a law. If we are serious about winning the war on drugs the Assembly needs to act.”

Named after Laree Farrell Lincoln, an Albany county teen who died of an overdose three years ago, this law holds a clause similar to the State’s “Good Samaritan” Law. According to the release, it is meant for big-time pushers who are profiting from their sales, users who purchase heroin with intent on using it with

others can use the “co-user carve out” as a defense if one of them overdoses.

New Paltz Police Department Lt. Rob Lucchesi said he has seen a couple of local cases involving fentanyl-laced heroin. He added that they treat every death as though it may be a homicide, including overdoses.

While the task force is working at the legislative level, there are others working with those who suffer from a substance use disorder and with the community to help in any way they can.

In 2014 Berardi founded Safe Sober Living, a Massachusetts based, non-profit organization that advocates for individuals living with the disease of substance abuse disorder. She said that while she supports the legislation proposed by the senators there is more that needs to be done.

“The continuum of care is not something that’s frequently addressed but something that really matters,” Berardi said. “It’s very important that communities become involved and are aware and supportive.”

The Safe Sober Living Facebook page is full of science-based articles that show

Thursday, March 3, 2016

the true nature of the disease that is substance abuse. Berardi said that her mission is spreading awareness and helping people understand how serious this disease is. She mentioned the benefits of Narcan (Naloxone), a drug that has been found to reverse an opiate overdose.

AWARENESS (Assisting With Adolescents Resolving, Empowering, Nurturing, Each Student Substantively) is a group that provides support, mentoring and peerto-peer education to youth in Ulster County. Marie Shultis is the Executive Director of this group; she holds weekly meetings in New Paltz and visits the Ulster County Jail to speak with inmates in recovery.

Shultis feels that the work AWARENESS does is very important and helps kids when they need a support system. She said this is an ongoing problem; once kids fall into the cycle it is difficult for them to break out.

“With the heroin being so prevalent there is nowhere for these kids when they come out of rehab or jail,” Shultis said.

“One comes out but by the time the others are released, the first is back using again.”

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NEWS BRIEFS WORLD

UN APPROVES TOUGHEST SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA IN 20 YEARS

News

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Proposal Looks to Make Cyberbullying Punishable by Law

The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the toughest sanctions on North Korea in two decades, reflecting growing anger at Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test and rocket launch in defiance of a ban on all nuclear-related activity. The United States and China, North Korea’s traditional ally, spent seven weeks negotiating the new sanctions, which include mandatory inspections of cargo leaving and entering North Korea by land, sea or air; a ban on all sales or transfers of small arms and light weapons to Pyongyang; and expulsion of diplomats from the North who engage in “illicit activities.”

WORLD CONSIDERS A TRUMP PRESIDENCY, AND MANY SHUDDER Former Mexican President Vicente Fox is standing by his comparison of Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, saying the Republican presidential front-runner “believes in the white supremacy.” Fox says Trump “lies and lies and lies and uses whatever is convenient for him without any attention to facts.” Trump has angered many Mexicans for his campaign rhetoric denigrating some immigrants as “rapists” who bring crime and drugs to the United States. He has repeatedly promised to build a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. Fox is calling on Americans to “wake up” from “this Republican nightmare.”

SYRIAN VILLAGERS HOPE FOR CALM AS RUSSIA KEEPS EYE ON TRUCE Just days into a U.S.-Russia-brokered ceasefire, many residents in a pro-government Syrian village long engulfed in fierce fighting in a central province expressed hope Wednesday that the truce will prevail and that a sense of normalcy could soon return. But the cease-fire is partial and though as such it has mostly held across the war-wrecked nation, it excludes the Islamic State group as well as Syria’s al-Qaida branch, known as the Nusra Front, and other militant factions that the United Nations considers terrorist organizations. In a stark reflection of those limitations, a car bomb killed 18 commanders of a U.S.backed rebel group on Wednesday, a serious blow to the rebels.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

PHOTO COURTESY OF BBC NEWS

By Rachael Purtell

Copy Editor | Purtellr1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Ulster County Executive Mike Hein recently proposed new legislation that would make cyberbullying locally punishable by law.

The proposal was announced Tuesday, Jan. 19, in light of national “No Name Calling Week.”

According to The Daily Freeman, the proposal states that a person will be guilty of cyber bullying when there is “intent to threaten abuse, intimidate, torment or otherwise inflict emotional harm on a minor.” Additionally, the proposal also states that an individual is guilty if he or she electronically transmit information not of public concern that they know will inflict emotional harm; electronically transmit private sexual information, or photographs or videos of uncovered breasts, buttocks or genitals of another; electronically transmit false sexual information about another; or knowingly appropriate the name or likeness of another.

Currently, the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) enacted in September of 2010 aims to protect students from cyberbullying with penalties that are educational in nature including in or out of school suspension. Under DASA,

school administrators are responsible to refer severe cases to law enforcement agencies who can only charge a student if the level of harassment rises to the level of criminal harassment under Penal Law. According to Hein, his proposal intends to create “real penalties” for perpetrators of cyberbullying. If enacted, those found guilty of cyberbullying could be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1000 fine and/ or up to one year in jail.

A cyberbully can attack anonymously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and it is possible for the bullying to go viral allowing many perpetrators to attack a single target. According to Hein, nearly 42 percent of teens are bullied online, and most parents and teachers do not have the technological know-how to monitor these situations.

Those who support the law believe that it is a tool to aid local law enforcement in combatting serious online harassment issues.

Anthony Prizzia, former owner of Village Pizza located at 81 N. Chestnut St., has employed many high school and college students and has seen many examples of individuals af-

Thursday, March 3, 2016

fected by cyberbullying. He believes that a law like this would provide law enforcement with tools to combat the issue and victims of cyberbullying with something more to stand on.

“In my opinion, they do need new laws to counteract what I feel is corrupt,” Prizzia said.

“If you walked up to someone on the street and said or did some of the things that people do online you would be arrested for it. This shouldn’t be any different if it is put in digital form.”

However others, including local attorney Celeste Tesoriero, feel that the proposed law may compromise freedom of speech.

“I don’t know how this can possibly be construed as ‘narrow,’” Tesoriero said. “For instance, section (3)(1), ‘electronically transmits information not of public concern… knows will inflict emotional harm.’ Under this law, if I were to send a group text to my siblings that I felt my 17 year old brother had bad breath, I’m guilty of a misdemeanor and up to a year in jail. There are no other words for this type of language than ‘overly broad.’”

The proposed law remains as a draft at this time.

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News

Village Parking Remains Problematic

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NEWS BRIEFS NATIONAL

Presidential Race 2016 SPECIAL Winners of Super Tuesday

Democratic Hilary Clinton 1,052 delegates

Republican Donald Trump 319 delegates

CLINTON’S SUPER TUESDAY WINS NARROWS SANDERS PATH

Bernie Sanders’ political revolution may be turning into a more modest uprising.

Sanders’ insurgent campaign caught fire this fall, drawing huge crowds and raising questions about the breadth of Clinton’s appeal within her own party.

But as the contest has expanded past the largely white electorates of Iowa and New Hampshire, Sanders has struggled to capture support from the minority voters who make up a large piece of his party.

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

By Holly Lipka

Photo Editor | Lipkah1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Parking ceases to improve in the Village of New Paltz since a series of proposals were recommended to the village board two and a half years ago.

Two previous members of the New Paltz Village board created 22 proposed changes to the village’s parking regulations such as banning non-resident parking in certain areas like the historic districts and enacting two-hour parking rules on residential streets. Since the recent mayoral election and a change of administration on the board in June, parking improvements have gotten little traction.

The changes implementated after the election were designed specifically to improve traffic flow and increase the cost of parking in certain areas to assure turnover rather than increasing the amount of parking in the village.

The New Paltz Transportation Implementation Committee (TIC), which is responsible for creating and improving transportation methods in town, recommended some of the implemented parking changes.

A proposal recommended by the TIC and adopted by the board suggested the removal of parking meters around Hasbrouck Park and move them further up Main Street near

Russo’s Italian Deli to better assure turnover.

“We want to prevent people from parking and leaving their cars all day,” Chair Gail Gallerie of the TIC said. “This leaves customers finding nowhere to park when they go to these businesses.”

Gail Gallerie also said the TIC wanted to improve the flow of traffic which required the elimination of some parking spaces.

A parking space at the corner of Main and Church Street in front of the business Likwid was removed on the village board’s approval. Gallerie said vehicles “came dangerously close” when passing each other. The owner of Likwid said “he has seen a lot of accidents there” and was supportive of the elimination, reported in a New Paltz Times article.

David Santer, the proprietor of The Bakery, as well as other downtown business owners opposed several of the original proposed changes and were worried about parking decreasing in the village.

Santer said in addition to needing parking, parallel parking along the streets promotes a comfortable pedestrian experience and is safer for pedestrians and bicyclists because cars must travel slower. He said since the new village government was established, parking issues aren’t getting worse but are also not getting better.

“Moving traffic seems to be more im-

portant to the board than a good pedestrian experience and having places to park,” Santer said.

Allen Bowdery, a member of the TIC, said the general parking problems in the business district are primarily because New Paltz was built in the 19th century, before the proliferation of cars.

Bowdery said he doesn’t have any realistic solutions to the parking issues in the village.

“My own opinion is that SUNY faculty, staff, and students should not have to pay for parking on campus,” Bowdery said. “This would ameliorate the village parking problems somewhat and so would the adding of more dormitories.” Bowdery said both of these SUNY issues cost money that SUNY doesn’t have.

Santer said shared parking, where lots could be adjoined to each other behind businesses could be very successful in adding parking in the village instead of businesses owning private lots. Eventually he believes New Paltz needs a parking structure, potentially where the current village parking lot off Huguenot Street due to its lack of use.

Gallerie said the current village board is discussing some ideas that might create more spaces behind businesses to increase parking, but has not heard of any specific proposals yet.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

BEN CARSON SAYS ‘NO PATH FORWARD’ IN HIS BID FOR WHITE HOUSE

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said he is effectively ending his bid for the White House Wednesday, concluding a rollercoaster campaign that briefly took him to the top of a chaotic GOP field but ended with a Super Tuesday whimper. “I do not see a political path forward,” Carson said in a statement posted on his campaign website, though he added, “I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America” and promised to offer details of his future when he speaks Friday at a conservative conference in Washington.

RATTLED REPUBLICANS SEEK A LASTDITCH STRATEGY TO STOP TRUMP

Staring down the prospect of nominating Donald Trump for president, Republicans spiraled into a chaotic, last-ditch search Wednesday for a way to save the GOP from hitching its fortunes to an unpredictable celebrity candidate without alienating his throng of followers. Sensing a window closing fast, GOP leaders and elder statesmen toggled through a menu of scenarios but landed on none. Some amplified calls to rally around a Trump alternative, even if that alternative is Ted Cruz, a prickly conservative with few friends in the party.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

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News

The New Paltz Oracle

Cuomo Demands Testing Kit Regulations

PHOTO COURTESY OF FORBES

By Nick Tantillo

Staff Writer | Tantiln1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

In Dutchess County there are at least 90 untested Sexual Offense Evidence Collection (SOEC) kits, the Poughkeepsie Journal reports. These kits date back to 2008, and have yet to be sent to the state’s crime lab in Albany for testing.

The current state of SOECs belongs to nationwide phenomena spurred by the absence of legislation that would regulate the counting and testing of the kits.

According to the National Institue of Justice, SOECs are used to collect evidence from the victim of rape by a medical professional, often a specially trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE).

The type of evidence collected depends on what occurred during the assault.

The 90 kits in Dutchess County be-

long to the estimated 140,000 kits which the Joyful Heart Foundation estimates are in 27 states alone. The Oregonian reports of 5,000 untested kits statewide. In Virginia, NBC Washington reports over 2,000. Two months ago, officials in Florida told of 13,500 untested kits.

Currently, New York is one of 44 states without laws that mandate the counting and testing of kits. But that could change. Stateline reports states such as New York, Arizona and Hawaii are considering bills that would require an inventory of backlogged kits. In Oregon, a bill that would require the testing of old kits is under consideration.

In Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island bills that would require both the inventory and testing of kits are being considered.

Stateline also reports of 20 states that are moving to test unexamined SOECs. Among those, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio and Texas have already passed laws that require old kits be tested. In Michigan and Tennessee, law enforcement agencies are faced with new time limits to submit kits.

In spite of the slow progress with which the kits have been tested, they remain an integral part of sexual assault cases.

“They are important in securing all different kinds of evidence,” SUNY New Paltz Police Chief Dugatkin said.

This type of evidence can include fingerprints, skin and hair samples.

“Laws are only as good as those that follow them,” Dugatkin said. As for the absence of laws governing testing, Dugatkin said they wouldn’t hurt.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

In New York, the glut of untested kits arrives in the wake of “Enough is Enough,” a bill Governor Cuomo passed in July of 2015. The legislation requires all colleges to adopt a set of comprehensive procedures and guidelines, including a uniform definition of affirmative consent and expand access to law enforcement.

SUNY New Paltz was a model for “Enough is Enough,” said SUNY New Paltz Executive Director for Compliance and Campus Climate Tanhena PachecoDunn. Since its ratification, PachecoDunn says that a greater number of students have emerged seeking guidance on matters related to sexual assault.

“There wasn’t a big change in New Paltz policy after ‘Enough is Enough.’ We were already there,” Pacheco-Dunn said.

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Opinion

Student Voice

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New Paltz Oracle The

“Your opinion loud and clear!”

“Sometimes when I’m alone I cry because I’m on my own The tears I cry are bitter and warm They flow with life but take no form I cry because my heart is torn and I find it difficult to carry on If I had an ear to confide in I would cry among my treasured friends But who do you know that stops that long to help another carry on the world moves fast and it would rather pass you by than to stop and see what makes you cry It’s painful and sad and sometimes I cry and no one cares about why.”

– ​Tupac Shakur Black Men have been hurting. As Black Men trying to survive in America, we demand that we be respected as human beings. The toxicity that we know as Hypermasculinity, has affected you, our kindred, and I for eons. Since slavery, we have been repudiated of our freedoms and civil rights, stripped of our identities, and have been demonized as subhumans who are incapable of having emotions .

B​ lack Male Hypermasculinity has been utilized as a culturally hegemonic tool, which reinforces negative stereotypes of Black Men across the Internet, the news, magazines and the radio. For this oration, I will profess one of my experiences from Black Hypermasculinity, a few of its corrosive aftereffects, and lastly, emotions. Emotions are integral to what makes you and I human. Emotions are a facet of Black Humanitarianism. Growing up, I was both a hyperactive and reticent child. Though I had days where I kept most of my feelings to myself, there was something opaquely sentient about me. At the end of the day, I always kept an upbeat smile on my face. Throughout my academic life: elementary, middle and high school, I didn’t interact with other students.

I rarely talked to my parents. From

when I left for school to when I got off the school bus at home, my mom would ask me how my day was.

I was often irritated and upset with myself. Reluctant to say anything, but aching to explain how my day was, I gave brief responses to them like “fine” or “don’t worry about it.” My mom would look into the languor in my eyes and ask me what was wrong. Sometimes, I wouldn’t even look back at her. I’d just glare straight, purposely losing my focus from peripheral sight. I was afraid of saying anything to her.

I was afraid she wouldn’t understand. I was afraid that if I uttered words concerning my feelings, I’d get panic­stricken and start whimpering; which would worry her even more. I had made myself believe that even if I told my mother what was bothering me, there would be nothing she could do about it. I hated crying and I hated feelings. I hated them both so much that I’d internalize my own feelings, and condemn myself for crying or for openly saying I loved a friend or family member. I held the preconceived belief that having emotions depicted me as a weakling.

Today, I can still recall hearing rude, dismissive remarks such as “get over it,” “be a man,” “grow a pair,” “stop complaining” and “don’t let it get to you.” I can proudly say I am more open about my feelings than I was five plus years ago. If I always repressed my emotions, and pretended this racist, judgmental society has never affected me socially, economically, institutionally, racially, and psychologically, I’d be perpetuating the myth of Black Hypermasculinity. Today, as Black men, we are still stigmatized by both the Black Community and our White counterparts.

But why?

Gangsta Rap, being one of the most prominent sub-genres of rap music, is predicated on an essential-

ized, and limited construction of a hyperbolized black male subjectivity. But what is Black Hypermasculinity? Black Hypermasculinity is a social construct represented by a white male patriarchal perspective. This construct exaggerates Black Men as over­ domineering, super­-powered, callous, deranged, insensitive and animalistic brutes. Black Hypermasculinity is the racist, deprecating term used to dehumanize the validity of Black Humanitarianism.

Some Black Men might exhibit more “masculine” traits than White Men; however, that does not make a Black Man more or less viable than his White counterpart. In the mid­-‘90s era of Hip­-Hop, the music industry has reinforced the idea of Black Hypermasculinity, and still to this day, it manifests itself through aggressive verbal battles and physical disputes.

In Gangsta Rap etiquette, several rappers, in their fluid and eloquent, but rugged, braggadocios, and brash lyrics, have engaged in hyperbolic masculinity. Moreover, it dictates a volitional desire for violence. Rhyming about their virility, strength, and exaggerated invincibility, imagined or real deaths of a competitor induces no remorse or sorrow. These characteristics alone negatively reinforce the personification of Black Men in Gangsta Rap music in American society.

In spite of White businessmen perverting the aesthetic of Hip­-Hop culture, delineating the art form as “criminal” and “nihilistically selffulfilling”, essentially, with emotively charged lyricism expressed by 2Pac, Kendrick Lamar, Ab­Soul, Raury and Capital STEEZ, and the like, have successfully dismantled the myth of Black Male Hypermasculinity. And like these iconic figures in Hip-­Hop, it’s our obligation to do the same. In this society, we, as Black Men, have been condemned

Thursday, March 3, 2016

for showing our feelings, let alone admitting that our feelings exist.

Our white counterparts demonize and denounce our humanity. Some whites are surprised by the fact that we are no more human than them.

By our own Black Community, we have been mocked, teased, and dismissed for exhibiting our humanity.

This must end. In order to dismantle this ongoing stigma, we must show our emotions. We must show our vigor. We must show our happiness.

We must show our anger. We must show our loneliness. We must show our melancholy. We must show our guilt. We must show our bitterness.

We must show our tears. Crying is a natural response to our pains, and our joys. Our cries should be resonant ones, cries of cathartic release, cries of our brethren who are weaponized wherever we go, cries of our brethren, ruthlessly being murdered near their homes, in the streets, with no logical, justifiable premises as to why. We must show feelings, because feelings are an integral facet of manifesting humanity. We are human beings, and we demand that we be respected as human beings. With that said, I urge you, Black Men of America … to cry.

Patrick J. Derilus Third-year English Major Derilusp@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The views expressed in op-eds are solely those of the student who wrote and submitted it.

They do not necessarily reflect those of The New Paltz Oracle, its staff members, the campus and university or the Town or Village of New Paltz.

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IN THE CARDS? Story on page 2B

local shop hosts psychic fair PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI

2B

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FEATURES

The Future, Monthly

ENERGIES CHANNELED IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHIC SHOP

By Erica Ascher

Staff Writer | Aschere1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

“Merry meet,” is how you are greeted when you enter The Awareness Shop.

They have been supplying the Wiccan community with candles, oils, jewelry, crystals and readings since 1993.

As a way to give back to the community, the shop hosts a psychic fair on the last Saturday of every month to give everyone an opportunity to experience psychic readings at a discount.

Lisa Stewarts, psychic and owner of The Awareness Shop, has been holding this event for 22 years. Stewarts has always felt very close to nature and the cycles of the moon. For her, she felt that becoming a psychic reader was her destiny.

Nine psychic and expert tarot card readers, interviewed and hired by Stewarts, channeled over 300 people on Saturday, Feb. 27. The shop was completely booked with appointments by 3 p.m.

“You don’t wake up one day and decide, ‘Oh, I’m going to become a nun,’” Stewarts said. “It kind of happens over time and chooses you.”

Pia Mitchetti, an alumnus of SUNY New Paltz, attended the event because she had some ‘unresolved issues.’ She met with Hannah, an older reader, in the back corner of the shop.

As soon as Mitchetti sat down, Hannah sensed a lot of pain in her. Hannah flipped over tarot cards from her deck.

“She told me what I should be focused on,” Mitchetti said. “She told me that I need to make myself happy.”

These were the words Mitchetti wanted to hear.

Mitchetti agreed that you start to believe in psychic readers when a stranger tells you the things you want or need to hear.

In the back of the shop, Amy Cunningham, a sculpture MFA in their final

PHOTOS BY DAVID KHORASSANI

semester, was performing Reiki on a member of the community.

Reiki is a non-physical healing energy made up of life force energy that is spiritually guided through the body.

Cunningham had always been interested in Reiki. When she wandered in the shop with a friend one day, she talked to Stewarts and was informed on upcoming classes and decided to try one.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

After completing training, Cunningham became a Reiki master and was certified to practice and teach on her own.

“What I really like about Reiki is that I’m not the healer,” Cunningham said.

“I’m just acting as a conduit to send energy to help the person’s body naturally heal itself.”

Performing Reiki not only affects the recipient but the healer as well. Healers may receive messages, feelings or sense pain from their patients, Cunningham said. She will feel inclined to work more on a specific area of the body if she senses something.

After the session is complete, Cunningham and her patient will discuss what each of them felt.

“It’s a very relaxing experience – I usually feel the energy running through my body,” Cunningham said. “Each person usually feels warmth and relaxation, even if it’s only a little bit.”

Stewarts was amazed with the turnout and was sad to have to turn some people away. However, all were encouraged to take a look around and shop.

“I would say probably 80 percent of the goods that we sell are made by us or for us,” Stewarts said. “My husband handpours the candles we sell.”

They also commissioned a local artist to make statues of their god and goddess, Cernunnos and Cerridwen, which are available for purchasing.

Each Saturday of the month they have something different – a goddess workshop for women happens on the first Saturday of every month, a medium comes in once a month, they have a workshop on hypnosis and past-life regression and the last Saturday of every month is the psychic fair.

“I truly think it’s the Age of Aquarius,” Stewarts said. “I think more people want to be connected to spirit or they want to make educated decisions.”

The New Paltz Oracle

Features

oracle.newpaltz.edu

Give Schatzi’s a Shot

3B

GERMAN RESTAURANT OPENS SECOND LOCATION

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

food and the cafes had good food but no beer, only wine.

The name “Schatzi’s” was suggested by Phillip’s friends and also resembled the patch his father wore on his pilot uniform while in the Air Force. The patch was a skunk surrounded by hearts because “schatzi” means “sweetheart” in German.

Germany is dear to Phillips’ heart, a place he frequented a few times. “Everything seemed homey there,” Phillips said. Schatzi’s has four dedicated German beers on constant tap lines: Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Spaten Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen, Hofbräu Dunkel and Reissdorf Kölsch, save for the remaining 12 lines used for American craft beers.

Although Phillips has a soft spot for Germany, he considers himself a “hop head,” crazy for hoppy IPAs. The food featured at Schatzi’s goes beyond German delicacies, such as the “Food Truck Taco,” a best seller in New Paltz. “We’re not a taco place by all means, mind you,” chuckled Phillips, explaining other foods were incorporated into the menu to satisfy all tastes.

On Mondays in particular, Schatzi’s has “Mondays are the Wurst!” serving one German sausage, with one topping and one sauce, for $6.50. The food was unique, displayed nicely on the dish and tastes splendid. The fries, known as Frites, were scrumptious as well, both meals harmonizing with the Reissdorf Kölsch.

Going forward, Schatzi’s plans on creating a patio with a walk through wooden trestle, similar to the one Hokkaido has. There will be an Oktoberfest celebration at their location in Poughkeepsie and Phillips plans on bringing the same to the New Paltz location when space becomes available. Additionally, the establishment plans to incorporate Hawk Dollars to appeal to SUNY New Paltz students.

“It’s been such a great turnout,” Phillips said. “Coming from this town I owe a huge thanks to New Paltz.”

Over at 36 Main St. there is a new German restaurant and pub run by an owner who happily serves the people of New Paltz, a town he grew up in and loves dearly.

Jeremy Phillips is his name and Schatzi’s is his game, as well as the name of this new establishment known for their German food and beer, a niche previously unfilled in the town. This is Schatzi’s second location, their first being in Poughkeepsie.

Both locations retain relatively the same food and atmosphere, save for this new location opening up three hours earlier at noon for lunchtime on weekends.

“It’s always been my goal to open up another location here in New Paltz where I grew up,” Phillips said, who went to the nearby middle school and high school.

Phillips worked for corporate American for 10 years and hated it. Now, he’s working for himself and loves every moment of it. “I’ve never worked so hard and had so little free time but I love working for no one but myself.”

His work paid off too. At around 7:30 p.m. on a Monday night there were about 30 people sitting down talking and eating at the tables, which fit about 40. At the bar, there were six people drinking and chatting, filling almost but not quite half the room at the bar.

The atmosphere in Schatzi’s is closely identical to a typical pub or speakeasy, with dim lighting and light rock-and-roll hits playing in the background like “Float On” by Modest Mouse. “No complaints,” said Phillips when asked about how business is going. He thanks his friends for having his back and frequenting his place often as well as spreading the good word.

Phillips describes Schatzi’s as the place to go to for hanging out while eating good food and drinking good beer, something he mentions not many places offer these days.

As a former P & G’s employee, Phillips said the clubs had good beer but no

PHOTOS BY MATT D’ONOFRIO

Thursday, March 3, 2016

4B oracle.newpaltz.edu ESK D Y : ES K COP KOFFD COCOOPY OF F: OK O C

(Iʻm a) Vegan Buffalo Wings

By Jack O’Brien Obrienj2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

One of the members of The Oracle shares their culinary chops with you. Bon appetit!

Calling all vegans, I have something you can eat. Now, I’m not actually a vegan but I do appreciate your culture. It is a rich and bountiful one that I honestly don’t really understand. But I want to cook for you, so let’s get going on another culinary delight of mine.

Ingredients for peak vegan-ness: 1 head of cauliflower - it’s basically vegan broccoli.

1/2 C almond milk … where are the udders on an almond?

1/2 C water, classic H2O. 3/4 C all-purpose flour 1 C Frank’s red hot sauce, I didn’t know this was vegan 1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread, very vegan 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp of paprika 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp ground pepper Steps on the road to the vegan Emerald City: Wrap the baking sheet in parchment paper and preheat oven to 450° Fahrenheit.

Cut your precious cauliflower into appropriately vegan-sized pieces.

In your mixing bowl, mix everything - sans the buttery spread and water - together.

Coat your cauliflower in that sweet batter you just mixed.

Bake for 25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through for that crispy texture I know you like.

Mix the buttery spread with the hot sauce at low heat in a saucepan.

Apply the wing sauce on the cauliflower and then bake for another 25 minutes. Same routine, flip ‘em halfway through, you know the drill.

Take out of oven, place in mouth, savor with salivation.

Vegan mission accomplished.

Features

The New Paltz Oracle

Beetle Battles

PROFESSOR EXPLAINS ANIMAL WEAPONRY

By Jack O’Brien Features Editor | Obrienj2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

What do beetles and hackers have in common? More than you’d think.

They utilize the same sneaky tactics to defeat their opponents with limited investment in their attacks. The goals of beetles seeking to outmaneuver larger males blocking their tunnels in order to get to females is directly comparable to the cyber-hacking methods used by the Chinese against the U.S. military.

On Monday, Feb. 29, the Department of Evolutionary Studies hosted Doug Emlen, Ph.D., a biology professor at the University of Montana, for his lecture titled “Extravagant Weapons: The Story Behind Arms Races in Animals and People.”

SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian introduced Emlen, who was a longtime colleague at the University of Montana, where Christian served as Associate Dean of the biology department from 1997 to 2004.

Together, they studied dung beetles and even made a scientific excursion through the Serengeti in East Africa.

“I’m interested in the extreme cases of animal weaponry,” Emlen said. “I want to know why weapons get bigger and what affects that tension of balance to pull animals into an arms race.”

Emlen focused the majority of his lecture on how certain circumstances favor animals with big weapons and how the element of unpredictably can be a disservice to them. The trigger effects for animals, either for their desire to have bigger weapons like horns or claws, depends on the scenario and the goal for the animals.

Most fights between animals revolves around sexual selection, primarily maleon-male battles for female mates. In those cases, females realize that animals with bigger weapons will likely win those fights and mate with the victors. Males account for that, but others realize that at some point the biggest weapons can actually contradict their efforts.

Sabertooth tigers with overgrown fangs and beetles with 16-inch horns can

be slowed down by their weapons and therefore lose out to animals with smaller weapons. Emlen made an exception for ambush predators, which are animals that “sit-and-wait” to use their bigger weapons to secure their prey or defeat opponents.

Such examples would be praying mantises and anglerfish, which utilize quick

strikes to survive in their respective environments.

“These creatures don’t need to hunt,” Emlen said. “These are specialized predators who lack speed and need big weapons.

There’s a cost-benefit analysis animals must account for to find the balance that’s most appropriate for them.”

Emlen named three instances when extreme weapons are used by animals: in competition, limiting resources or duels.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

These prerequisites for an arms race provide each side with a clear objective when fighting and help define victory. Duels, which remove the potential for an unpredictable scramble, benefit those with bigger weapons. This explains why beetles fight directly with their horns on linear battle sites, such as on a tree branch or in a tunnel underground. Emlen correlated this scenario to how old wooden ships lined up next to each other in order to fire cannons at each other.

The conclusion of Emlen’s lecture solidified his argument that there is a strong link between both animal and human arms races. Citing the Cold War as the ultimate duel in modern history, Emlen focused on how changing technologies caused militaries to focus on acquiring bigger weapons. At the same time, Emlen spoke about how increased weaponry causes hesitation when it comes to fighting, in both animal and human arms races.

In a study of 11,000 caribou fights, only six resulted in knockdown drag-out fights, according to Emlen. This deterrence of fighting is what Emlen referred to as a ‘paradox of peace,’ which has the potential to save humans from actual militaristic duels. Understanding the constantly-shifting rules of modern war, Emlen did acknowledge that hackers can undermine even the greatest military in the world, citing two Chinese hacking incidents of the U.S. military in the past decade.

Comparing their minimally costeffective efforts to those of beetles without horns burrowing around the tunnels blocked off by beetles with bigger horns, Emlen displayed how Chinese hackers could upend a massively larger military ahead of them. By avoiding traditional battlegrounds, hackers can usurp authority from their opponents and cause damage by using those bigger weapons against them.

“Guerilla warfare is exactly like sneaky strategies used by beetles,” Emlen said. “Cheaters are those who can’t mate and don’t play by the rules. What the hackers are doing now is the ultimate sneak strategy.”

PHOTO BY FLICKR USER UDO SCHMIDT

The New Paltz Oracle

Features

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5B

Having Some Faith INTERFAITH EARTH ACTION COALITION FOUNDED IN NEW PALTZ

By Monique Tranchina Copy Editor | Tranchim1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The Interfaith Earth Action Coalition is making progress within the local community to raise awareness about environmental concerns.

So far, about half of the religious groups are active within the organization, meaning they attend meetings and offer ideas on how to conserve energy. Jim O’Dowd, leader of the organization, can attest to this early success, as there are about a dozen different religious groups that belong to the Coalition, since its formation in last November.

Coming together to help stall our effects on the environment is crucial, despite our backgrounds in spiritual practice.

“Ultimately the fate of creation boils down to moral, ethical and religious questions and choices,” O’Dowd said. “Pope Francis highlights this in his encyclical, Laudato Si’ and major religious leaders of multiple faiths have been saying similar things for decades.”

This organization could grow to spread influence beyond New Paltz and surrounding areas; awareness can reach a more national level.

“Every little bit of change by every individual helps,” O’Dowd said. “If you multiply those changes by an entire congregation and then by multiple congregations in a community like New Paltz you’ve already made a difference.”

But suppose New Paltz sets an example for other communities or if say the Lutheran Church in New Paltz sets an example for other Lutheran Churches and the same happens for other congregations, then you’re talking about some major shifts in consciousness and actions.”

Seth McKee, a member of the Coalition, also wishes their impact will go beyond our small town. He says New Paltz has had an impact on a national level for other topics, so he hopes this could gain momentum with a larger population.

“I hope by our example we can inspire other communities to act similarly,” McKee said. “We are going to light a candle and help.”

For starters, McKee wants to reach more people across New Paltz,

PHOTO BY MONIQUE TRANCHINA

“we as a society should take to address climate issues.” McKee also explains on a practical level, within each religious group, they can recognize their carbon footprint and take steps to eliminate them.

This will bridge differences between religious practices.

Students on campus are also taking measures to work on similar goals. Will Halstead, undeclared, said, “I do recycle and refill plastic water bottles as often as I can.”

Mykael Fields, a psychology major, also ensures lights are turned off when no one is in a room. And Francesca Arecy is involved in a team effort with her hall: her dorm mates take part in competitions to see who is most sustainable.

“We all live on the planet; we’re all affected by it. Events are great, but [energy conservation] should be done everyday,” Halstead said.

Efforts beginning in New Paltz in-

clude a variety of small but effective practices: O’Dowd also foresees small changes creating a larger impact globally.

And the Coalition plans on making ecofriendly waves during the Earth Day Fair, on Saturday, April 16, on the grounds of the New Paltz Reformed Church.

Both O’Dowd and McKee have stressed the importance of the Earth Day event as being a gateway to educating the public about sustainable habits. Other events will occur as the group continues to build their foundation.

“Beyond the Earth Day event, we hope that the Interfaith Earth Action group can sponsor events that encourage people to insulate their homes, purchase wind and solar electricity from green ESCOs, eat less meat, eat lower on the food chain in general and go organic,” O’Dowd said. “Also, encourage people to go local to the degree possible, conserve energy, vote and encourage leaders of both major

Thursday, March 3, 2016

parties to support renewable energy and green initiatives.”

Coming together to work on climate issues and conservation actions will require mutual efforts and patience, as we have neglected and abused our environment for years. And political leaders must take responsibility toward creating regulations to protect and serve our environment.

“The religious and spiritual communities are the institutions that need to make the connection between the degradation of the planet and the greed corruption, indifference and selfishness that have brought us to this perilous place,” O’Dowd said.

“The scientists have spoken, the religious and spiritual communities are speaking; the question is will the business and political leaders listen?

For more information, contact Jim O’Dowd at (845) 255-4170, or at jimmyodowd@yahoo.com.

6B oracle.newpaltz.edu

Features

The New Paltz Oracle

Founded on Tradition: Black Studies DEPARTMENT BANDS TOGETHER

went line by line with Moore over the phone

By Jess Napp Copy Editor | Nappj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

instead of driving home from campus to avoid the tumultuous roads ahead.

Once a week during the late ‘80s, Lecture

“If she didn’t do what she did I wouldn’t be

Center Room 102 at SUNY New Paltz transformed

here right now,” Moore said.

into an open forum discussion for Black Student

It is people like this that students such as third-

Union (BSU) meetings. On average the space

year Black Studies major, Rosa Rosario currently

remained crammed with 100 students, mostly

feel the loss of. As vice president of BSU and a

from the Black Studies Department, discussing

member of Black Studies Student Organization

hot button issues and upcoming events. At the

(BSSO) she consistently participates in raising

front of this arena for change stood president of

awareness for the department.

BSU, Anthony Winn.

Rosario recently worked with students and

On Thursday nights, Winn and other students

faculty members from the department to create

of color gathered in the television lounges around

an exhibit in Sojourner Truth Library on the

campus to watch “The Cosby Show” and “A

history of the Black Studies Department at SUNY

Different World.” At least six black fraternities

New Paltz. Twelve cases emerged each with a

existed and countless other organizations such

different theme in the entranceway of the library.

as New Day Ensemble and African Women’s Alliance (AWA) hosted numerous cultural events.

“It created this sense of presence and

According to Rosario, each theme is based on

PHOTO BY JESS NAPP

issues of cultural identity on campus.

in the spring of ’69 under the leadership of

exposure that almost made people think that

“In the absence of a strong faculty

Chairwoman Dr. Marjorie Butler. After Butler,

there were more students of color here than there

compliment, the chairman can’t do it all,” Winn

Margaret Wade-Lewis took her place as chair of

actually were,” Winn said. “Couple that with a

said.

the department and remained in the position until

rich Black Studies Department and you’ve got

Coleman joined the department in 2008 and

a time that felt like the golden age of the black

became chairman in 2011. He said that he hopes

college experience here at New Paltz.”

for the department to be fully staffed again but

Freeman said that she helped found the Scholar’s

that will take at least two years.

Mentorship Program (SMP), First World

Now, the Black Studies Department is suffering. Over the course of last year the department lost four tenured professors: two

“We are definitely at our lowest now,” Coleman said.

the age of 69 when she passed away.

Wade-Lewis’ obituary

in

The

Daily

Diaspora Conference and the community group Concerned Parents of New Paltz.

what’s important to Black Studies students and while assembling the ideas she reached out to students of color for their input.

“If there wasn’t a Black Studies Department and there wasn’t that community that it created then BSU, Latin American Student Union (LASU) and AWA and wouldn’t have come out of it,” Rosario said.

Students like Rosario are the reason Winn has faith in the future of the Black Studies Department. According to Winn, the students are

retired, one moved away and one switched

Yet, the department has already done so much

According to Moore, professors like Wade-

departments. The sole remaining tenure track

for the campus and the community. It emerged at

Lewis are the reason why the department is able to

professor is Dr. Major Coleman, chair of the

the height of the Civil Rights movement in the

achieve their mission of educating and mentoring

Black Studies Department. Winn returned this

late ‘60s, several years prior to the establishment

students. In 2009, during her last academic year,

semester as Staff Assistant to Black Studies along

of Black History Month in 1976.

Wade-Lewis went above and beyond to help her.

“The students owning their value and

excellent at engaging alumni of the department and connecting with them to ask for support and service during this time of transition.

with alumna and now adjunct faculty member

During this time of social unrest students

The week before winter break they planned

expressing the value of the department to the

Geneiva Moore in an attempt to rebuild the

of color on campuses demanded educational

a meeting to go over Moore’s mission statement

broader campus community, the administration,

department.

representation. According to San Francisco State

for graduate school. The day of their intended

and faculty has been fundamentally important,”

According to Winn, he initially feared that

University’s website, their Department of African

meeting it snowed and Moore laid in her off

Winn said. “Black History Month only came

Black Studies would lose its sense of community

Studies originated as the first Black Studies

campus bedroom snowed in. She assumed that

about because black history didn’t exist in the

along with its faculty. He said that the department

Department in 1968.

Wade-Lewis would have to reschedule, but the

conversation of American society. That speaks

has historically been the place for student

SUNY New Paltz followed close behind with

chairwoman called her and insisted that they go

to why it’s necessary for a Black Studies

engagement, mentorship and support around

the inception of their Black Studies Department

over the two-page statement immediately. She

Department.”

Thursday, March 3, 2016

oracle.newpaltz.edu

7B

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT A Legacy of Activism The New Paltz Oracle

BLACK STUDIES STUDENTS CELEBRATE THE DEPARTMENT’S HISTORY

By Sam Manzella

A&E Editor | Manzells1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

In honor of Black History Month, students from the Black Studies Department at SUNY New Paltz collaborated to curate and assemble an original art exhibition in the lobby gallery of Sojourner Truth Library (STL). The exhibition featured photography, original poster designs and protest signage commemorating historical figures and events from the program’s legacy.

Kimberly Roman, a third-year elementary education major, collaborated with her peers on the project. According to Roman, the project was part of the Black Studies Student Organization’s (BSSO) efforts to rebuild the department, which lost a significant portion of its faculty after the spring 2015 semester. Sociology professor Alexandra Cox pitched the idea for a Black History Month art exhibition, and students from the BSSO immediately jumped on board. An art gallery in STL’s newly reopened main floor seemed like a great way to get the BSSO’s work out to the student body, Roman said, and Cox agreed.

“It was really a delight to be able to work with students in this way,” Cox said of her role in the project. “[The exhibition] was super student-driven.”

With guidance from Cox and faculty from STL, Roman and her peers brainstormed ways to celebrate Black History Month and

PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI

bring attention to the department’s achievements through visuals.

Third-year Black Studies and sociology major Rosa Rosario helped collect different perspectives and input from students in the department.

Meanwhile, fourth-year sociology major Jean Padilla and fourthyear graphic design major Nicole Striffolino tackled the graphic design work and visual layout of the display. Rosario loved the group’s #Iamblackstudies display, which she said was an instrumental part of the BSSO’s mission to get the shrinking department back on its feet. Roman praised Padilla and Striffolino’s design work and cited Striffolino’s “Black to the Future”

graphic timeline of the department’s history as her favorite piece featured in the exhibition.

“Seeing all of the history in [the] department connected to the work I am doing with the department now was refreshing,” she added. “The work sometimes can be draining, so it was beautiful to see a reminder of those who have [made sacrifices] before me.”

The BSSO’s passion and efforts did not go unnoticed. Reference librarian Heather Shimon was impressed with the Black Studies Department’s longstanding history of activism. The plan for a February art exhibition celebrating the department was mentioned in a faculty meeting at the library, and

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Shimon decided to take on the task of helping Cox and students from the BSSO actualize their ideas.

She was excited to help honor Sojourner Truth, the black activist and historical figure for whom STL was named, and spread Truth’s message of social justice.

The exhibition opened with a discussion panel and gallery walk in the library’s lobby on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Roman and other BSSO students facilitated the panel, and Roman and Rosario led the gallery tour. Roman’s role as the panel facilitator came easily, she said, since the panelists at the event had a plethora of interesting information and experience to offer.

According to Shimon, the panel was the first event hosted in STL’s new space since the main floor’s reopening in early January. The event was an amazing success and the perfect reopening event for the library, Shimon said. She was proud of how hard the students worked.

For students like Roman and Rosario, though, the project held greater meaning. The art exhibition and panel were a truly heartfelt tribute to the significance of Black Studies in the lives of the students who study it, they said.

“The Black Studies department gave me power and a space to explore what that power means,” Roman added. “I am so grateful for this department. [It] provides a transformative educational experience.”

8B

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Arts & Entertainment

The New Paltz Oracle

A Walk Through the Dorsky

MUSEUM HOSTS GALLERY TALK WITH ESTEEMED ART COLLECTOR

By Jess Napp

Copy Editor | Nappj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Artists young and old alike are crammed inside the Howard Greenberg Family Gallery at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. The stark white walls are lined with black and white photographs, and at front of the crowd stands a bespectacled Howard Greenberg himself.

On Sunday, Feb. 28, the Dorsky hosted a gallery talk with Greenberg, cosponsored by The Center for Photography at Woodstock. The hour-long conversation focused on the current exhibition “On the Street and in the Studio.”

The show displays notable street photography and is the first of a two-part exhibition of photographs donated to the museum by Greenberg.

“We try to do at least one program for every show,” Curator Daniel Belasco said. “Whenever possible, I prefer gallery talks even if it’s a little too crowded.”

According to Belasco, the notorious gallerist and art dealer has donated over 2,000 photographs to the Dorsky. A little under 50 percent of the photographs in the collection are Greenberg’s.

Belasco said that students from his spring 2015

museum studies class created all of the captions for the pieces in the show through research. Greenberg attended one of the classes to assist the students, and afterward, they were able to reach out to him via email.

Sunday’s program began with an introduction from the Neil C. Trager Gallery Director Sarah Pasti and Belasco. After their warm words of welcome, Greenberg took the stage.

“I have nothing prepared,” he said, and the audience chuckled in return.

Greenberg admitted to the eager onlookers that he wanted to leave the space open to questions from the audience. He briefly expressed gratitude to the museum studies students, Pasti and Belasco.

He introduced himself and promptly asked attendees to take over.

Immediately, a hand shot up with a query about a picture behind Greenberg, taken by legendary beat poet Allen Ginsberg.

The collector said that he has over 2,000 of Ginsberg’s photographs.

“I guess you could say I’m a completely obsessive collector of things,” Greenberg said. “As a kid I collected baseball cards,

and now I collect photographs.”

The topics ranged from the works around the congregation to the movement of photography from film to digital. The wellinformed populace wondered about his transition from Buffalo to Woodstock and the first photograph he collected.

According to Greenberg, the first photograph he acquired was a piece

by Jerry Uelsmann, titled “Apocalypse.” Uelsmann became a personal hero of Greenberg, who took a workshop with him.

“I ended up trading him two boxes of cigars for that photograph,” Greenberg said.

Local resident Elizabeth Panzer attended the event and said she learned a lot from Greenberg. She believes that it is important to see impressive artwork and find out what makes something collectable.

“I do photography and it’s sort of something I didn’t do when I was younger, so I have a lot to learn,” said.

“On the Street and in the Studio” will remain in the Dorsky until July 10.

The second half of the exhibition will open on Aug. 31 with the theme of portraiture.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEWPALTZ.EDU/MUSEUM

9B

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Arts & Entertainment

The New Paltz Oracle

This Unruly Mess They’ve Made

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS STRIKE OUT

By Jackson Shrout

Staff Writer | Shroutj2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

There was something refreshing about hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis back in 2012 when their debut album, “The Heist,” was independently released. Through sheer fortune, Macklemore became a household name. It was nice to hear someone on the radio be so genuine, even if he could be corny; Macklemore was mainstream hip-hop’s everyman. On “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made,” Macklemore retains that quality, but the second time around, it’s not as fresh. We saw who Ben Haggerty was four years ago: a low-key Seattle rapper with some serious demons. He needed to bring something new to the table, but unfortunately, he left it at home.

It’s not all for a lack of effort.

The first track, “Light Tunnels,” is a six-minute critique of gossip journalism and celebrity worship culture. The lyrics describe Macklemore’s experience at an awards show, sitting near big stars like Taylor Swift and Jay Z, before going into a fairly generic rant about how tabloids “Want Kanye to rant and to go on longer / ‘cuz that equates to more dollars.” It’s preachy, simplistic and shows that Macklemore’s social framing needs work. Even worse, there’s judgment of the very people he discusses. His music showcases problems but neglects offering so much as crumbs of solutions.

PHOTO BY FLICKR USER SHOTBYDREW

“White Privilege II” presents the same dilemma for the rapper, as he questions his position as an ally of the Black Lives Matter movement. Should he speak up, or would his outspokenness be intrusive? Should he use his celebrity status to bring awareness to the cause, or would he just be drowning out black voices? Very little answers are provided, and the way Macklemore frames the issue around himself is very reminiscent of 2012’s “Same Love” in that it only addresses the problems facing the allies of these social movements. Perhaps Macklemore doesn’t want to speak on behalf of the these groups — and he shouldn’t — but I’m not sure allies need to have their voices heard more than they already are.

The exception here is “Kevin,” which tackles America’s drug industry and the problem

of over-prescription through the story of Macklemore’s friend Kevin, who died of an opioid overdose in 2010. Macklemore’s story here actually works as a microcosm of a larger issue because he himself has been at the center of a dangerous addiction.

In many ways, “Kevin” is the third part of a series of songs — beginning with “Otherside” off of their EP “The Vs. Redux” and continued with “Starting Over” from “The Heist” — that relay intimate details about how drug abuse has played a role in Macklemore’s life.

As usual though, the best songs here are the ones that shoot for the kind of fun-loving goofiness that made Macklemore a sensation in the first place.

“Downtown,” released in August 2015, stands as the crowning achievement here, blending

Thursday, March 3, 2016

old-school hip-hop verses with a rock opera chorus sung by Eric Nally of the band Foxy Shazam.

Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz also make appearances, and their inclusion never feels pandering, nor does KRS-One’s appearance on ode to graffiti “Buckshot.” “Dance Off” could’ve used an instrumental with more momentum, but it’s saved by a gloriously cheesy chorus by Idris Elba, of all people.

On the subject of instrumentals, Ryan Lewis employs his usual techniques here. “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” is packed with lovely pianos, pretty strings and bombastic horns, and they all sound as if Lewis brought actual studio musicians in to record as opposed to simply synthesizing instruments on a computer himself.

“This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” is as real as you can get, there’s no question about that.

What can be questioned, however, is whether or not Macklemore’s realness is even worth observing this time around. Despite a few workable tracks, he doesn’t make a strong case for himself. It’s a shame that “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” is so aptly titled; I can only hope that Macklemore learns from this misstep, and, in the future, chooses more wisely what topics about which to write.

But who am I kidding? He’ll probably win a few more Grammys.

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Arts & Entertainment

The New Paltz Oracle

“We’ve Got Our Eye On You”

NEW PALTZ PROFESSOR COMPOSES ORIGINAL OPERA

By Briana Bonfiglio

Staff Writer | Bonfiglb1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Nkeiru Okoye was watching “Clash of the Titans” when she stumbled upon the idea for her second opera. The comedic opera, titled “We’ve Got Our Eye On You,” had its premiere workshop performance at SUNY New Paltz’s Julien J. Studley Theater on Tuesday, March 1.

Dr. Okoye, music professor and composer, had been searching for her next story when she saw the 1981 film’s “Stygian Witches” scene. It was perfect, she said. Professor Kent Smith had suggested she write a single-act opera about sisterhood. So when Dr. Okoye found herself laughing hysterically over three man-hungry sisters, living in a cave, sharing an eyeball, well, she ran with it.

Okoye’s first opera, “Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom,” was a drama. This time around, she just wanted to pen something funny.

“I didn’t want to write another sad opera,” Okoye said. “And this was hilarious! So I asked myself, ‘What can I do with that?’”

This is what she did. She wrote the single-act opera — with a comedic twist. Nowadays, Dr. Okoye noticed, so much opera is dry and unrelatable. Many opera companies have now introduced operatic comedies to change the way viewers respond to opera. “We’ve Got Our Eye on You” is just that.

“It’s silly and funny, and why shouldn’t it be?” Dr. Okoye said.

She channeled this light-hearted vision into a more serious message that spoke to her: modern hook up

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWPALTZ.EDU

culture.

“It’s all about taking a closer look at what really happens when we hook up with someone,” she added. “How do we feel afterwards? Is it really that fun?”

Hooking up is a celebrated norm

across most college campuses in America. According to Okoye, it places pressure on students to hook up, when it may not be what they truly want.

“It’s not what they want to hear, but when it’s wrapped up in an op-

Thursday, March 3, 2016

eratic comedy, it’s hilarious,” Okoye said.

Okoye took themes in Greek myths and applied them to modern times. In most Greek myths (and operas, too, she pointed out), the Greek god, or the man, swoops in and “deflowers the virgin.” Here, we get a different perspective.

“If I’m writing this story, I’m writing it about the women,” Okoye said. “What if they decide they want something from him? It’s a totally different spin. It’s telling their story.”

In “We’ve Got Our Eye On You,” the three sisters are visited by Pythia, who warns them that Perseus will be visiting. In a comedic number, we find out Perseus will “flirt, flirt, flirt” to get his way with them. He encounters the sisters one by one, each sister fooling him more than the last.

Okoye worked closely with Professor Smith to cast students from the music department as actors. According to Okoye, they ended up learning more about dance, movement and comedy.

“I’m impressed by their effort.

They signed up to sing, and suddenly they’re doing all these other things,” she said.

Kevin Little, a first-year classical voice major at SUNY New Paltz, attended the performance to support his peers on stage. He found the show entertaining and the music well-composed. As for the show’s message?

“It’s about staying safe and making good choices for yourself,” he said.

The workshop performance will run again on Saturday, March 5 at 8 p.m. in the Julien J. Studley Theatre.

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Arts & Entertainment

The New Paltz Oracle

The 2016 Academy Awards HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NIGHT

PHOTO ABOVE BY FLICKR USER DAVIDLOHR BUESO; PHOTO BELOW FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Highlights

2016 Winners

“The Revenant” was the most nominated film for 2016 with 12 nominations, but “Mad Max: Fury Road” was the biggest winner of the night with six wins.

Sixth time’s the charm for DiCaprio, who after his sixth Oscar nomination finally took home an Academy Award!

Iñárritu is the first director to win the award of Best Director back to back since 1953 (he won last year for “Birdman.”)

Chris Rock, black actor and comedian, hosted the 2016 Oscars.

Best Picture: “Spotlight,” Steve Golin, Michael Sugar Best Actor in a Leading Role: Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Revenant” Best Actress in a Leading Role: Brie Larson in “Room” Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance in “Bridge of Spies” Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander in “The Danish Girl” Best Director: Alejandro González Iañárritu, “The Revenant” Best Animated Feature Film: “Inside Out,” Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen Best Music (Original Score): “The Hateful Eight,” Ennio Morricone

Thursday, March 3, 2016

He brought with him a slew of jokes targeting the Academy Awards’ controversial lack of diversity, welcoming viewers and audience members to the show “otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards.”

Pop musician Lady Gaga gave a touching performance of her song “Til It Happens To You” from “The Hunting Ground,” a documentary about sexual assault on college campuses. She ended the song by holding hands with survivors of sexual assault.

12B oracle.newpaltz.edu .

The Deep End

The New Paltz Oracle

THIS WEEK IN

THE DEEP END A N T H O N Y

L I C A T A

Major: Photography Year: Third Inspiration: Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Michael Slovis, Hunter S. Thompson

“My study in photography has been a great explorative era. There has been so much learned in such a short amount of time, and many opportunities that I am grateful for. These chances continue to influence me and help me grow as a photographer and as a person. I strive to evolve my work as I move along with it.

My work tends to show the darker side of me.

I like to believe I stay positive because of this outlet. Showing subjects in a dismal, minimalistic is a popular style for me, but I also like to have photographs that are ridden with anxiety.

With most of my work I like to use minimal amounts lighting sources so that I can achieve the most dramatic lighting.�

Photos courtesy of Anthony Licata | Captioning by David Khorassani

The New Paltz Oracle

P ushing

Of the many serious social and economic issues that plague our society, some are avoidable, some manageable and some inevitable.

This week’s issue of The Oracle saw two instances of lawmakers attempting to combat some of these problems through means of legislation. Ulster County Executive Mike Hein proposed a law that would make cyberbullying of a minor a legal offense, and State Senators called for the enactment of Laree’s Law, which would allow prosecutors to charge dealers with homicide if they sell heroin that caused a lethal overdose.

We at The New Paltz Oracle commend all on their efforts to remediate these very real problems in our community. However, we believe there is more that can be done and other measures that can and should be taken toward prevention.

Both cyberbullying and heroin abuse can often be prevented at a young age if proper education and support are provided. Children are a blank slate and we should be more concerned with the initial print than the quality of our eraser.

Instead of reprimanding offenders after they have already acted, we should focus more to the root of the problem and move toward preventative efforts.

The days are long gone where a problem with a bully could be “handled” with a playground tussle. The introduction of social media to school-aged children has made it so bullies can be as cruel as they wish, with limited pushback. Much of the conflict resides in a digital world, outside of social constructs that prevented bullying in the past.

This shows how much bullying nowadays is not seen and often left unaddressed. In light of this, adults involved in educating, counseling, mentoring, supervising or leading children are the first line of de-

Editorial

for

fense. They should be constantly on the lookout for secrecy, seclusion and lack of involvement or interest among children who have access to social media. Aside from reacting to already-occurring instances of bullying, we believe that when children come of age to start using social media, this conversation is needed.

While cyberbullying is a serious issue still coming of age, one that has been prevalent for quite longer has yet to be properly addressed. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, just over 11,000 Americans died from heroin overdoses in 2014. That is roughly 3,000 more people than the number of students enrolled here at SUNY New Paltz and the same number of people killed by guns in the U.S. in 2013 (not including suicides).

9

C hange

While dealers whose heroin causes an overdose deserve to be punished, this will not bring back the victim, and it will not get heroin off the streets. The problem is deeper, and unfortunately, there isn’t only one.

Perhaps it starts with doctors over-prescribing prescription painkillers causing patients to become addicted and turn to heroin when their pills run out. Or maybe it is because kids have such easy access to gateway drugs such as marijuana or alcohol. Either way, people of all ages, social classes, races, genders and backgrounds are exposed to this evil, and more and more are being consumed by it.

Education and awareness is the only foreseeable option. Teaching children about the presence and dangers of heroin at an early age

Thursday, March 3, 2016

oracle.newpaltz.edu

CARTOON BY STEFANIE DIERS

along with rigorous support and counseling for addicts and recovering addicts are necessary steps toward prevention. No matter how many laws we pass and how many dealers we arrest, heroin will still get to the hands of all of those who want it. We can’t make it so there are no dealers, but we can, as a community, make it so there are no customers.

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.

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MICHAEL ROSEN Copy Editor

Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

I don’t know how many people will read this column, but I do know of one person that will definitely give this one a look.

That would be my father, Arnie Rosen.

Don’t worry dad, I won’t use your first name again in this column.

Now my relationship with my dad is not your typical father-son relationship, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing. I have a bit of a chaotic relationship with everyone in my family, but it’s especially the case with my dad. It’s not like my dad and I hate each other, and it’s not like my dad ever abused me or anything like that. It’s nothing serious or personal, it’s more of an inconvenient relationship. Let me explain.

When I was born my dad was 51 years old. Fifty-one years old exactly in fact, as my dad’s birthday just so happened to be the day I was born, Sept. 19. So my dad and I share a birthday, and I am 19 years old. In case you’re really bad at math, that means that my dad is currently 70 years old. I know, there are not many 70 year old fathers out there who are trying to get their kid through college.

It may just seem weird to you that my dad is so old, which it is, but it does have a pretty adverse effect on our relationship. It’s a cruel fact of life that after a certain point our age begins to catch up with us. It’s difficult to explain in writing, but the best way I can put it is that due to my dad’s age he is not always mentally there. He is basically stuck in the 20th century and has no idea how to fit in with modern society. It pains me to say it, but he is one of the most socially incompetent people I know, and trust me I realize how terrible that is to say about your own father. But, I can make an entire list of things he has done and does on a daily basis that make me hit my face out of both embarrassment and frustration.

This tends to cause me a lot of stress whenever I’m in public with him. I don’t have social anxieties, but it sure feels like I do when I’m with him. He’ll ask complete strangers questions that I already know the answer to, such as directions or help with a

OPINION

COLUMN

The New Paltz Oracle

Not Superman, But Still My Dad problem we may be having. But he doesn’t just ask, he sometimes badgers the person if they seem unwilling to help. Now this may not seem like such a big deal, and maybe it isn’t, but for me it is. I’m someone who is very self-conscious about whether or not I’m bothering another person, so whenever my dad does this I just get very uncomfortable.

I always feel better if I’m left in charge, but I know he wants to be a dad and handle things for his son. But more often than not, he doesn’t handle them all that well and I step in to fix things. A good dad is supposed to be like your superhero, helping you out and taking care of you whenever you’re in a sticky situation. But that isn’t the case with me, I hate to say it but with many of my problems, it’s hard for me to rely on my dad. And when we find ourselves in a bad situation, it’s like I’m the dad taking care of the problem at hand and he’s the son who needs help. His age just really affects his ability to perform even the most basic tasks.

Not being able to view my dad as my reliable superhero is something that has always, and sometimes still does, bother me. It’s not easy to see him struggle with basic problems and social situations.

My dad also has the tendency to bring out the anger in me. Anyone who knows me has very rarely seen me yell, let alone yell at another human being to their face.

But if they saw how I interact with my dad sometimes, they would think I’m a completely different person. Believe me, I feel like crap whenever I yell at my dad. I feel like a bratty teenager who doesn’t appreciate his own father whenever I yell at him.

But he has a tendency to annoy me in a variety of ways, and sometimes I can’t control my emotions and I get frustrated with him.

He’ll ask for my help with the most basic tasks, especially anything related to technology. He’s also constantly reminding me of things I need to do that literally do not have to be taken care of for another week. Again, I know this sounds petty and doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when I’m working on a paper I’ve been stressed about and my dad

comes to my room to tell me to make sure my car has a full tank of gas before I leave for school when I’m not leaving for another week, or asks me to help him send an email for the fourth time in the past hour, you may be able to see why I get frustrated. It may not be terrible, but it is annoying and having to live with it for the entirety of your childhood through your teenage years will irritate you.

Now with all of that being said, I still love my dad to death and he has done so much for me. Aside from the obvious fact that he has kept me sheltered and fed me for my entire life, he’s helped me become the person I am today. Ask anyone to describe me and one of the first things they will tell you is how much I know about baseball.

Well, I learned all that from my dad. When I was 11 and first started following baseball, my dad told me so many stories about old players, teams, and just really interesting facts. I got my love of baseball from my dad, and it’s something I still get to share with him today. He brings me to so many Mets games every year, and though we’ve seen them lose many more games than we’ve seen them win, there is nothing I love more than going to Citi Field with my dad.

I also know that even though he is a pain in my ass and causes me a lot of stress, he means well. The reason he is constantly reminding me of things so far in advance is because he’s looking out for me. He is always offering to help, and even though I very rarely need it and he often overdoes it, it just means he cares about me. He’s always asking strangers for help not just to make everything okay for him, but to make everything okay for me. What’s most amazing to me is that for all of my angry outbursts towards him, he never retaliates. He never yells back at me or gets angry at me because I’m angry.

My dad has taught me some extremely important lessons because of all of this. I always try and help out others whenever possible, I just make sure to not overdo it the way he does. The reason he doesn’t yell at me, aside from the fact that he loves me, is

Thursday, March 3, 2016

that he understands I’m not perfect. There’s only so much I can handle and sometimes I lose my temper because I’m a human being.

So if someone loses their temper or makes a mistake, I find it easy to forgive them because my dad taught me that we’re only humans and we’re meant to screw up. Just because we do bad things, it doesn’t mean we’re bad people.

So dad, you may not be my superhero and maybe I can’t always count on you for help, but you’re my friend, my baseball buddy, and I try to be a better person because of the lessons you’ve taught me. I also know that you love me more than anyone else does, and it means everything to me that you make me feel so loved. It’s not your fault that you’re not always there mentally and that your son thinks you’re socially incompetent. A lot of 70 year olds are like that, and there’s every chance that when I’m 70 I’ll be the same way you are and my son will think that I’m socially incompetent. It’s not your doing, it’s just the way life is. I can’t promise you that I’m going to get frustrated with you less frequently, and after you’ve told me how much you loved this column for the seventh time I’m probably going to get a little annoyed and ask you stop bringing it up. But I know that one day you’re not going to be here anymore, and when that day comes what I can promise you is I’m going to cry more than I ever have in my life and I’m going to feel terrible for all of the times that I yelled at you. But until that day, let’s enjoy all of the great times that we’re going to have together, even if there’s a lot of frustration for me along the way. I can’t wait to start going to baseball games with you this season, and I can’t wait to see you when I come home for spring break. I love you dad.

Michael is a second-year communications major and journalism minor. Along with his dad, he is very thankful for the rest of his family, friends and fellow staff members.

OPINION

The New Paltz Oracle

COLUMN

MELANIE ZERAH News Editor

Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

I consider myself to be a very peaceful person. Action movies, gory movies and plotless violence have never really floated my boat in an entertainment sense. However, I make great exceptions to my disdain for senseless violence if it is shown to me on the big screen, and there is a gun to leave and a cannoli to take.

Gangster movies are absolutely my favorite genre of film. The time period in which they take place in, the slightly unrealistic yet realistic scenarios, and of course, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s presence in almost all the classics definitely strikes my interest. Goodfellas, The Departed, A Bronx Tale, Scarface and of course Godfather I and II (because Godfather Part III doesn’t exist) are the most cherished movies of my life.

However, my introduction to the world of slicked back hair and swear words I did not even know existed was pretty unguided. The first gangster movie of which

oracle.newpaltz.edu

11

Ain’t Nothin’ But a G-Movie I stumbled across was arguably the most violent out of the six I just named. I was 15, it was late at night and I had full liberty to order whatever movie I wanted on HBO on Demand from the goodness of my dad’s wallet.

Alone in my room with just the light of the television, I witnessed as Tony Montana and his brother hang by their wrists in a shower with a chainsaw coming at them.

Tony Montana’s brother was butchered by the man with the chainsaw and Tony was drenched in blood and horror for the sake of millions of dollars worth of cocaine.

Was I terrified? Yes. Was I hooked? Oh yeah.

Like I said before, I am not a fan of blood and gore. So although I did thoroughly enjoy Scarface in a very twisted sense, Goodfellas, the second gangster film I ever saw, pulled me in even farther. Ray Liotta as Henry Hill was absolutely perfect. Hill was out of his mind by the end

of the movie after his young introduction to the glamour and power of mob life until the moment witness protection turned him into an average Joe. Liotta, who is off his rocker in the first place, was amazing in this role, especially with that eternally maniacal laugh of his. He’s funny, funny like a clown, ya know? But don’t tell Joe Pesci that.

Of all the mob movies, gangster films or whatever term you prefer, the one most beloved to my heart is the Godfather films, no contest. Mobsters and those involved in organized crime are only seen as stoic, violent and unaffected by the bloodshed they cause. However, why I love these movies so much is that Mario Puzo humanizes these men and portrays them as people just like us; with families, dreams and bills to pay.

Sonny’s tragic and absolutely brutal death hit me the hardest out of all the murders in any gangster film. You can’t tell me

when Marlon Brando looks at Sonny when he is dead and mangled and says “Look what they’ve done to my boy,” you didn’t get a slight chill. One can really see the pain in the hearts of the Corleone family, despite their money and empire of power.

The anger that they feel and the resulting violence is somewhat justified on an emotional level, or at least has an understandable cause. It is a very strange way of saying, to each his own; but please don’t murder people anyway.

Also if you can find someone who thinks Godfather Part III deserves any attention or was well made, please tell me and I’ll handle it.

Melanie is a second-year journalism major who despite her love for brutal and savage killing on screen is in fact a very kind hearted soul who smells quite good.

Want to Write for The Oracle?

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Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

Women’s Basketball Advances to NCAA Tournament

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The women’s basketball team earned their second State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title in program history with a 65-52 win over SUNY Geneseo on Saturday, Feb. 27.

With the win, the Hawks locked up SUNYAC’s automatic qualifier into the 2016 NCAA Div. III Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Hawks fourth-year co-captain Goldie Harrison received the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honors after netting 18 points in the championship game.

Harrison attributed team depth as one of their strong points.

“We had our bench come in and actually take the lead by eight points which just shows we have depth and have people who are ready to step up,” she said. “It’s a team thing. We don’t have one best player or a certain person who we look to. We can all do it, and we need every single person on the team to do it.”

Earning spots on the All-Tournament team were Hawks third-year co-captain Kit Small and fellow third-year co-captain Courtney Irby. Rounding out the All-Tournament team were fourth-year guard Bryn Loomis from SUNY Oneonta and fourthyear forward Allison McKenna and thirdyear forward Katie Vienneau from Geneseo.

Small said the best part about when the final buzzer sounded was she didn’t know who to hug because everyone on the team are her closest friends.

The team’s strong defense in the second quarter pushed the Hawks to grab a 12-4 run to capture a 28-20 advantage at halftime.

Harrison connected on 12-of-18 free throw shots and tallied three steals and two assists to lead the way. The Hawks grabbed their largest lead of the night, 43-26, on a Harrison free throw at the 2:53 mark in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter alone, Harrison converted 11-of-13 shots from the line. Geneseo cut the Hawks’ advantage to 43-32 as the Knights capitalized on backto-back free throw shots by Vienneau, but Small put away a layup to hand New Paltz a 45-32 edge in the final stretch.

Irby finished the game recording her ninth double-double of the season, collecting 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

“There are no words to describe how I felt when the clock hit zero,” Irby said.

“I’m so happy to have done it with such an amazing team.”

Hawks Head Coach Jamie Seward said throughout the season the team has shown vast leadership and they take care of any issues on their own.

“When you have that, it makes your job as a coach really easy to just go out there and focus on the x’s and o’s and the gameplan and what we’re going to do against this team and how we are going to defend a team,” he said. “It’s been a real pleasure coaching them.”

To get to the championship game, the Hawks defeated SUNY Oneonta 77-68 in the semifinal game on Friday, Feb. 26. With the win, the Hawks lead, 18-16, in the 201516 Catskill Cup standings. Being the No. 1 seed in the conference earned New Paltz an automatic bye in the quarterfinal game.

The Red Dragons held the lead in the start of the second quarter, but Hawks firstyear guard Lindsay Bettke notched back-toback threes to level the score to 17-all. Both teams remained locked in a draw until the Hawks pushed a 6-0 run for a 36-28 edge at halftime.

New Paltz held a 56-49 advantage heading into the final period, but the Red Dragons managed to close the gap to five as Loomis landed a jump shot to make it a 67-62 score. Loomis would finish the game with a game-high 23 points. As a team, the Hawks held a 44-31 advantage in rebounds, scored 17 points off turnovers and shot 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the 3-point range.

Four New Paltz players scored doublefigures in points for the night. Small paced the team with 19 points, hitting 5-of-9 shots from the floor, 3-of-3 from the 3-point range and converting 6-of-8 from the line.

Irby notched a double-double putting up 15 points and 14 rebounds. Fourth-year guard Colleen Ames converted 3-of-4 shots from the 3-point range for 14 points. Bettke tallied 10 points off the bench in the Hawks’ efforts.

Seward said he credits Harrison with sparking the team’s turning-point after their third straight loss to Fredonia during the regular season. The next morning before shootaround prior to the game against Buffalo State, Harrison passionately spoke to the team. This was done by calling some teammates out individually and backed up

Hawks fourth-year guard Colleen Ames drives the lane.

her words with a career night, he said.

“At that point we said ‘we have to do this thing. What excuse can we make?’”

Seward said. “From that point on we took off. The regular season finale loss refocused us and we never had any doubts at that point about what kind of team we have. The injuries and adversity really strengthened us but her leadership kept us moving forward. The one thing as a coach it’s such a great feeling to know, regardless of what happens to us, we’re going to keep marching forward because I know that she is going to make sure that happens. She has created other leaders.

What leaders do is they produce more leaders.”

It was announced by the conference office on Tuesday, March 1 that Small and Irby have been named to the 2015-16 AllSUNYAC Teams. Small was named to the

Thursday, March 3, 2016

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

All-SUNYAC First Team, while Irby earned Second-Team All-SUNYAC accolades. The selection marks the first of Irby’s career and Small’s second career All-SUNYAC honor, having been named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team last season.

The Hawks will next travel to Glassboro, New Jersey to take on Rowan University in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Div. III Tournament this Friday, March 4, at 7 p.m. Rowan (22-5) is 11-11 all-time at the NCAA Tournament, qualifying for the tenth time in program history and for the first time since 2000.

“A lot of people were saying after this win, ‘we want more, we’re not satisfied,’” Small said. “This is just a stepping stone to everything else.”

The New Paltz Oracle

Sports

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13

Field Hockey Star Makes Transition to Lacrosse Goalie

By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

It’s very difficult to be a collegiate athlete. A college workload in itself is challenging enough. Also, having to practice, train, travel and dedicate oneself to a team makes it all the more difficult. Being a two-sport collegiate athlete is borderline impossible. That only makes it all the more impressive that third-year Colleen Roemer, a member of the field hockey team, will also handle goalkeeping duties for the lacrosse team this spring.

Prior to Roemer joining the team, Hawks lacrosse Head Coach Liz Student faced a very glaring issue: she had no goalie.

“We were in a tough spot,” Student said. “We had a goalkeeper, but you have to hold everybody to the same expectations and it just wasn’t working out.”

Roemer was a member of her high school’s lacrosse team and was a goalie during her sophomore and junior years at Fox Lane High School. Student caught word of this and reached out to Roemer, hoping she would find her new goalkeeper. At first Roemer was a little skeptical toward the opportunity, but after talking to Student, Hawks field hockey Head Coach Shanna Vitale, as well as some of the lacrosse girls and her field hockey teammates, she decided to play.

Having not played lacrosse in four years would normally be a very big obstacle to overcome. However, Roemer has picked up right where she left off in high school, and Student has been very impressed with what she has seen so far from her new goalie.

“She had been out of the cage for a little while when she first got to New Paltz,” Student said. “The difference between that day and today are huge.

She keeps getting better and better.

For a goalie, she has great reaction time. The shots that are right on top of her are the hardest ones to save, but she makes those saves. She’s fast, and a very athletic keeper compared to a lot of other goalies. She’s going to make a huge difference when it comes to those quick plays.”

Roemer credits the fact that she has played field hockey for the past three years to her easy transition back to a lacrosse goalie.

“Playing collegiate field hockey has made me a much better athlete than I was in high school,” Roemer said. “Even after taking a four-year break from playing lacrosse, when I started back up I felt immediately better at playing goalie than when I was in high school. If I never played field hockey in college, I wouldn’t have developed as an athlete so lacrosse probably wouldn’t be coming back to me as easily.”

Roemer has seen a lot of success so far in her collegiate field hockey career as a defensive back. Last season, she was named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team, leading the Hawks with six defensive saves, including one in the team’s 2-1 victory over SUNY Geneseo in the semifinal round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament back on Nov. 4. In that game, Roemer also evened the score at 1-1 with a goal at the 53:22 mark in the second half.

She has been named a SUNYAC All-Academic Team member each of her three years at New Paltz, while studying mathematics. She has also been named a NFHCA National Academic Team member during her first two years, and could receive the honor again when the members are announced later this month. Last semester, Roemer was also named a member of the Commissioner’s List. Even with dedicating herself to field hockey and studying a difficult major, Roemer still manages to be successful both on the field and in the classroom.

“She’s the type of person that can do anything, as long as she put her mind to it,” Vitale said. “Colleen is very focused and determined on the task at hand. She’s extremely competitive, she understands what it takes to be successful.”

While Roemer has slipped right back into playing lacrosse, she has described the switch from field hockey to lacrosse as a “weird transition.”

This is mainly due to the change in

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATION & MARKETING

coaching and not the change in sports.

“Coach Student has a very different coaching style than what I’ve been used to with Coach Vitale for the past three years,” Roemer said. “In high school, switching into a different sports season was never a big deal because I had so many different coaches over the years for both high school and club teams. But playing for only Coach Vitale for the past three years, I knew what to expect. Now, things are different so it is taking some getting used to.”

It may take some time adapting to a different coaching style, but Vitale has full confidence that Roemer will carry her success from field hockey over to lacrosse. She also hopes that Roemer will bring a little extra to the team next season from her experiences this spring.

“I expect Colleen to have a lot of fun in what she’s doing, to gain valuable experience as a goalkeeper, to be a leader on the field and be comfortable with directing her defense in the backfield,” Vitale said. “It’s exciting

Thursday, March 3, 2016

that she’s going to be the pivotal defender in the cage, and I think it’s going to be a really good learning and growing experience.”

Student also has a lot of confidence in her new goalkeeper and is very excited to see what she will bring to the team this season. She hopes that coming from a very successful program, Roemer will bring her winning ways to the lacrosse field.

“It’s going to be great to see her in cage, especially when we get into conference play,” Student said. “Compared to some of the keepers that are out there, she is one of the more athletic ones. She has the size and that determination, that chip on her shoulder, that’s going to push this program forward. Our field hockey program is very successful and that’s what we want our lacrosse program to be. It’s great to have someone come over and push our program in that direction.”

The Hawks will start their season across the Hudson River Saturday, March 5, in a nonconference matchup against Vassar College.

14oracle.newpaltz.edu

SPORTS

Baseball Says “Play Ball” on New Season

By Anthony Mitthauer-Orza

Copy Editor | Mitthaua1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The baseball team traveled to Maryland on Saturday, Feb. 27 and Sunday, Feb. 28 and came out with two nonconference losses and a tie — which came after a big comeback against Johns Hopkins University.

Although they did not come out with any wins, the Hawks demonstrated potential for their upcoming games.

On Saturday, Feb. 27 New Paltz went up against Washington (MD.) College. Hawks second-year pitcher Conor Donachie had a strong pitching performance in the first four innings where he held the Shoremen scoreless and hitless.

It wasn’t until the fifth inning where Washington drove in six runs. It all started when second-year catcher Wes Robertson hit a RBI single into center field, which was followed up by an 3-run triple down the right field line by first-year infielder and outfielder Luke D’Ostilio, and capped off by a two-run home run from fourth-year outfielder Bryan Baquer.

The Hawks were unable to make a comeback as the Shoremen plated four more runs in the seventh inning and four more in the eighth to win 14-0.

After the first game, Hawks Head Coach Matt Righter said that even though the team suffered a tough loss he noticed some good player performances and the team improved as the weekend went on.

“In our first game, we looked like we weren’t quite ready for the outside environment,” Righter said. “However, our starting pitching was excellent, Conor [Donachie] looked great and a few fly balls were misjudged in the outfield, which is common. But as the weekend went on, we got better, especially our hitters which was encouraging.”

The following day the Hawks went to Johns Hopkins University to play the first game of a two-game series. First, the Hawks took on Keystone College where they started to show some offense in a 16-6 loss.

The Hawks started off going up 1-0 after second-year outfielder and right-handed pitcher Jake Williams reached first base on an error and second-year outfielder and infielder Nick DePietro scored on the throw for an unearned run.

However, things didn’t go the way New Paltz wanted until the fifth inning, which featured a grand slam by Giants second-year outfielder Austin Chaszar. This was followed by

a three-run home run by Hawks fourth-year first baseman Chris Baltera. In the sixth inning, the Hawks gave up five more runs, before retaliating and scoring two more in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI apiece from DePietro and Williams.

The Hawks gave up one more run on a fielder’s choice in the ninth before the game came to an end. Hawks fourth-year co-captain Brett Wisner said that after the game they wanted to finish the series off with a win.

“We didn’t get down on ourselves at all,” Wisner said. “We knew that we had to salvage the weekend and end it on a positive note.”

Later in the day, the Hawks faced an early 3-0 deficit against Johns Hopkins before Hawks second-year infielder Anthony Pantano hit an RBI single to center field to bring the score to 3-1.

The Blue Jays would extend their lead to 7-1 as they scored four runs off two New Paltz errors in the bottom of the third. A sacrifice fly from Hawks second-year outfielder and pitcher Chris Moran brought home Baltera to give the Hawks another run. However, the Blue Jays once again had the advantage as fourthyear infielder Raul Shah hit a three-run homer for a commanding 10-2 lead heading into the fifth inning.

This is where the Hawks’ comeback began. In the top of the sixth, Hawks fourth-year infielder Kyle Gilligan and Moran each got on base with hits. Second-year catcher Tyler Laco came up to bat and singled home Gilligan.

First-year infielder and right-handed pitcher Ryan Frost followed with a double to send Moran home and placed Laco in scoring position.

Johns Hopkins secured the second out before Hawks fourth-year co-captain Andrew DiNardo plated a single that brought home Laco, narrowing the deficit to 10-5.

DePietro and Frost took advantage of a Blue Jays fielding error to score two more before Williams hit an RBI single to bring DiNardo in for the run.

The Hawks tied the game at 10-all in the top of the seventh before grabbing their first lead of the night when DePietro walked with the bases loaded, bringing in Williams in the top of the eighth. The Blue Jays tied the score on a solo homer in the bottom of the inning by third-year shortstop Conor Reynolds, but both teams would remain scoreless in the ninth inning as the game was brought to an end due to darkness.

The New Paltz Oracle

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Brittany Grandville SPORT: Tennis YEAR: Second MAJOR: Biology HOMETOWN: Tappen, New York

H OW DID YOU FIRST START PLAYING TENNIS? I first started playing tennis through a town tennis camp. I decided I would pursue tennis seriously at the end of fourth grade and I quit all the other sports I was playing at the time for tennis.

OUTSIDE OF TENNIS WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO?

I enjoy working out and staying in shape in my spare time as well as spending time with family and friends when I am home.

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST ROLE MODELS? PHOTO COURTESY OF ALI GRUNDY

Righter was pleased with the team’s desire to perform well when needed. He said that losing the first two games and going down against Johns Hopkins seemed more like a moment of realization for his players.

“I think losing certainly has a specific kind of motivation,” Righter said. “You don’t want to lose and eventually, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and think ‘come on, we put in all of this work so let’s go get the job done and win some games.’ We’re in that moment where we can make some excuses for our guys, but ultimately they have to get the job done and they’re good enough to do it.”

The Hawks will go up against Purchase College Wednesday, March 9 and Mount Saint Mary College Saturday, March 12, before they travel to Florida for the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational from Thursday, March 17 to Wednesday, March 23.

Wisner feels that the team can carry their momentum into their upcoming games in order to make the playoffs and have a successful season.

“The environment is great thus far,” Wisner said. “Everyone is working hard and doing their part. After not making the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) playoffs for the past two seasons, we would all like to get back there. Everything seems to be falling into place and people are filling into their roles. I expect to see everyone with the mindset of ‘getting the job done’ and with that, the wins will follow.”

Thursday, March 3, 2016

My biggest role models would have to be my parents who support me and guide me in everything that I do. Without them, tennis would not be possible.

ARE YOU A FAN OF ANY TEAMS? I am definitely a big New York Giants fan. As for tennis, my favorite players would have to be Caroline Wozniacki and Roger Federer.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPERSTITIONS? I always have to play with my four leaf clover shock absorber on my racquet strings.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS MEMORY? One of my favorite sports memories would have to be coming back in the third set to win a semifinal match of a conference tournament when I was in high school. The pressure was on and there was a huge crowd watching to see who would make it to the sectional tournament.

DO YOU WANT TO BE ...

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK? Contact Michael Rosen at

Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Oracle

Orange And

Blues

Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The New York Mets will enter the 2016 season in a position they are not too familiar with. Not only as the defending National League (NL) Champions, but also with expectations that are through the roof.

I can tell you that I have never been this excited for a baseball season before. The Mets had a very solid offseason coming off of their surprising run to the World Series. Many people, myself included, make the argument that the roster entering the 2016 season is better than the roster that brought the team to the World Series last year. Let’s take a look at the team that will look to make another run to the Fall Classic.

The Best Rotation in Baseball You read that right. Now, am I biased? Of course, but it isn’t hard to argue that the Mets have the best starting rotation in baseball.

Last season the Mets starters posted an ERA of 3.44, which was good for fourth in all of baseball. Keep in mind that last season Matt Harvey had his innings monitored carefully by management, Noah Syndergaard didn’t debut until mid-May, Steven Matz only started six games in the regular season and Zack Wheeler missed the entire year due to Tommy John surgery. Even with all of that, the rotation was still one of the best in baseball.

Coming into this year Harvey is a full year removed from Tommy John surgery and threw 216 innings last season between the regular season and playoffs, so hopefully management will ease up on the strict innings limits. Syndergaard and Matz will start the season with the club, and Wheeler will likely return around the All-Star break. You throw in Jacob deGrom and come mid-July, assuming everyone stays healthy, the Mets could have five top-tier starting pitchers in their rotation.

This staff is capable of putting up historic numbers not just this season, but possibly for years to come.

It’s tough to say who the ace of this rotation is. deGrom posted a 2.54 ERA last season, the best of the Mets starters with at least 150 innings pitched and good for sixth in all of baseball. Not only that, but aside from his Game 2 start in the World Series, deGrom had a fantastic postseason. Harvey is certainly the most publicized of the group, between his innings limits and his refusal to leave Game 5 of the World Series. Ever since his breakout season in 2013, everyone has had insane expectations for him. On occasion he has lived up to these expectations, such as the first eight innings of Game 5 of the World Series.

SPORTS

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15

Mets Look for Fall Classic Return There’s no doubt that he’s a talented pitcher, and on just about any other team he would no doubt be considered the ace. Admittedly it’s tough to put the rest of the rotation in the top-tier category at the moment, but the potential and talent is certainly there. Each of these guys just need some more time in the majors before they can be considered elite.

Syndergaard’s 10.0 SO/9 led all of the Mets starters last season, and the rookie had a very solid playoff performance. Matz showed a lot of poise in his six regular season starts last season. He was a little shaky in the postseason, but you can only expect so much from a guy who has only thrown 35.2 innings in the regular season for his career. Expect Matz to be a prime Rookie of the Year candidate this season. Wheeler will not return until midJuly, but he showed a lot of promise in 2013 and 2014. Until his return, fan-favorite Bartolo Colon will fill in his spot.

An Underrated Lineup For most of last season, the Mets offense was nothing short of anemic. Then came the end of July and everything changed. General Manager Sandy Alderson acquired Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe and superstar Yoenis Cespedes. Johnson and Uribe are gone, but Cespedes delighted Mets fans when he resigned with the team this offseason.

Yo’ changes the lineup from average to very, very solid. Is he going to be as productive as he was in August and September for an entire season? Absolutely not, but he brings some much-needed power to the middle of the lineup. Also returning will be Curtis Granderson at the top of the lineup.

You can argue that Granderson was the Mets’ Most Valuable Player last season, but he will be 35 this season. Expect Granderson to still be productive, but maybe not repeat the very successful season he had in 2015. The captain, David Wright, will begin his 13th season with the Mets. Last year Wright missed significant time and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. His best years are behind him and management will have to keep an eye on his playing time. But if Wright can stay healthy for a good portion of the season, he can still contribute.

Travis d’Arnaud, Lucas Duda and Michael Conforto will all be back in the lineup as well. Like Wright, d’Arnaud missed a lot of last season due to injury, but if he can stay healthy he will be very productive. Duda was first on the Mets last season with 27 home runs. He was very streaky, sometimes hitting

home runs in bunches and being ice cold at other times. It was good to see him hit lefthanded pitchers well last season after he had struggled with that his whole career. Don’t be surprised if his streakiness continues into 2016. Conforto is someone that Mets fans are very excited about. He showed a lot of maturity at the plate last season as a 22-year-old and put up a solid rookie campaign. Conforto has the potential to be the Mets’ next star hitter for years to come.

There will be some new faces to the lineup this season. Daniel Murphy, after becoming the first player in history to homer in six straight postseason games last October, signed with the rival Washington Nationals this offseason. To replace him, the Mets traded Jon Niese to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Neil Walker. Murphy may be the better hitter, but Walker is still very solid offensively and won’t make any bonehead mistakes in the field the way Murphy did. The Mets also signed free-agent shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to add depth. Cabrera is also very solid and much better defensively than Wilmer Flores.

Flores will likely platoon with Walker at second base and see a lot of time against lefthanded pitching.

From top to bottom, the Mets will enter this season with a very good lineup that can score plenty of runs for the team’s elite starting pitching. The offense will likely be overshadowed by that starting pitching, but don’t expect this team to struggle to score runs the way they did for most of last year.

Bullpen and Bench Depth Jeurys Familia assumed closer duties very early last season, and had one of the best seasons a Mets closer has ever had. He was dominate in the playoffs, up until the World Series. He set a new World Series record with three blown saves. But two of those saves can very easily be blamed on the defense. Hopefully his confidence isn’t shaken and Familia will again have a very good season.

Addison Reed, who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, will likely be the Mets’ set-up man. While nothing special for most of his career, he did post a 1.17 ERA during his short stint with the Mets last season. Hansel Robles and newlyacquired Antonio Bastardo will also see a lot of time late in games. Bastardo has been a very solid southpaw throughout his career, and Robles was solid in his rookie campaign last year. Sean Gilmartin, Logan Verrett and Erik Goeddel will all see time out of the pen

Thursday, March 3, 2016

as well. Prospect Rafael Montero could contribute, as well as Buddy Carlyle and Jerry Blevins. All three are recovering from injuries suffered last year.

On the bench will be back-up catcher Kevin Plawecki, Ruben Tejada, Juan Lagares and Alejandro De Aza. The main thing this bench will offer to the team is defense.

Plawecki is significantly better defensively than d’Arnaud, and Tejada can play second base, shortstop and third base. Lagares, who won a Gold Glove in 2014, struggled last year due to an arm injury. But he claims his arm won’t be an issue this season, and he will likely start in center against lefties and shift Cespedes to left field. De Aza, who was signed in the offseason, was originally projected to platoon with Lagares in center until Cespedes resigned with the team. He’ll still provide a solid left-handed bat off the bench and can play every outfield position.

Final Analysis This team has every chance of being better than the team that made it to the World Series last year. Alderson designed this team to give them the best shot possible to not only make it back to the World Series, but to win it. Will this happen? I have no clue. Anything can happen come playoff time, but the Mets stand a damn good chance of getting back to the Fall Classic.

One thing I absolutely expect from this team though is that they repeat as NL East Champions. There is no excuse for them to not win their division once again. The Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves are in full rebuilding mode, and the Miami Marlins will be better than last year — but not better than the Mets. The Amazins’ main foe will once again be the Nationals. The Nats were unable to make the big signing this offseason that they tried to make time and time again, losing guys like Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmerman in the process. There is talent on that team, but they look so much weaker this year than they did last year when they finished seven games behind the Mets in the standings. Not only that, but something about that team makes me feel like the chemistry in the clubhouse is very off. Look no further than the image of Jonathan Papelbon strangling teammate Bryce Harper in the dugout during a game last September. And this is the team that is supposed to challenge the Mets for the NL East crown.

Get ready Mets fans. It’s looking like another great year is ahead in Queens.

Sports

WHAT’S INSIDE

Dual-Sport Athlete Takes on Lacrosse PAGE 13

Baseball Team Opens Season in Maryland PAGE 14

SUNYAC CHAMPS

MAIN PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA LOWER PHOTO COURTESY OF ALI GRUNDY TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATION & MARKETING

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WINS SECOND TITLE IN PROGRAM HISTORY : PAGE 12