Volume 88, Issue 17

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Thursday, March 17 , 2016

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Volume 88, Issue XVII

LIGHTS OUT

Energy Conservation Efforts Afoot on SUNY New Paltz Campus STORY ON PAGE 3 - EDITORIAL ON PAGE 9

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF THE NEW PALTZ ORACLE

• State Assembly Looks Toward Two-Year Tuition Freeze ....Pg 4 • Plans to Make Gatehouse Road Safer for Drivers ..............Pg 5 • Water District #5 Planning Enters Third Stage ...................Pg 6 • Student Senate Discusses “Ban the Box” Movement .........Pg 7

Kristen Warfield EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nate Sheidlower

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

MANAGING EDITOR _________________

Melanie Zerah NEWS EDITOR

Jack O’Brien FEATURES EDITOR

Sam Manzella

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Melissa Kramer SPORTS EDITOR

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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

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER _________________

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

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About The New Paltz Oracle

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The New Paltz Oracle is the official student newspaper of SUNY New Paltz. Our circulation is 2,500. The New Paltz Oracle is sponsored by the Student Association and partially funded by the student activity fee.

The New Paltz Oracle is located in the Student Union (SU) Room 417. Deadline for all submissions is 5 p.m. on Sundays in The New Paltz Oracle office and by email at oracle@hawkmail. newpaltz.edu.

All advertisements must be turned in by 5 p.m. on Fridays, unless otherwise specified by the business manager. Community announcements are published gratuitously, but are subject to restriction due to space limitations.There is no guarantee of publication. Contents of this paper cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief.

The New Paltz Oracle is published weekly throughout the fall and spring semesters on Thursdays. It is available in all residence halls and academic buildings, in the New Paltz community and online at oracle.newpaltz.edu. For more information, call 845-257-3030. The fax line is 845-257-3031.

Volume 88 Issue 17 Index NEWS THE DEEP END EDITORIAL COLUMN

Kintura Williams

SPORTS

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Date: 03/15/2016 Location: Huguenot Court Incident: Vehicle keyed on passenger door. Patrol did observe some damage. No cameras in area.

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Five-Day Forecast Thursday, March 17 Mostly Cloudy High: 61 Low: 39

Friday, March 18 Late Showers High: 50 Low: 25

Date: 03/14/2016 Location: Shango Hall Incident: Money and personal item taken from building to the degree of Petit Larceny.

Saturday, March 19

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

Sunday, March 20

Sunny High: 44 Low: 25

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Campus Energy Conservation Efforts to Exceed State Standard

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

By Rachael Purtell

Copy Editor | Purtellr1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Excutive Order 88 (EO88), part of his Build Smart NY program, demands a 20 percent reduction in energy usage by April of 2020 in all state government facilities, including colleges in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. According to Vice President of Facilities Management John Shupe, SUNY New Paltz is well on its way to meeting and even exceeding this mark.

“We are ahead of many SUNY campuses as far as sustainability and energy management,” he said.

New Paltz was one of the first four SUNY schools to submit a preliminary master plan to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and now announces the completion of its Final Energy Master Plan Report. This report is available on the school’s sustainability website.

Facilities Management and the Office of Campus Sustainability worked with the NYPA and an energy management consultancy firm called The Weidt Group to conduct a full energy audit for all of the build-

ings across campus.

“All that data shows us exactly how much energy any building on campus uses at any point in time and gives us immediate feedback telling us how our energy conservation methods are going,” said Sustainability Coordinator Lisa Mitten.

EO88 requires submetering of large buildings for electricity, something SUNY New Paltz had done prior to the initiative.

Because the college had already submetered all the buildings on campus larger than 2000 square feet. for electricity, the auditors had an easier time recording precise energy use measurements.

“You can’t tell if you’re doing something well or not if you’re not measuring it,” Shupe said. “It’s like you don’t know if you’re learning without a test.”

One example in which this data was put to use was when it showed that Crispell Hall was using more electricity over the summer than the other buildings in the complex. It was discovered that the ventilation system, which had been put in place during the most recent renovation, was running even though there was no one

occupying the building. From then on, the system only ran for approximately 30 minutes, once or twice a day just to move air throughout the building.

According to Shupe, the campus’ energy conservation success depends largely on intelligent management and data analysis.

“The premise of EO88 is low and nocost initiatives to reduce energy usage,” Shupe said. “There have been other Executive Orders but they really didn’t have any teeth, EO88 has some teeth.”

One part of the reduction strategy is a more effective scheduling of classes in order to shut down buildings not in use at an earlier time. Also, 70 percent of the campus’ exterior lighting has been upgraded to LED lighting with the remaining 30 percent to be switched over this summer.

According to a survey conducted by Mitten, many of the students living in the Parker complex reported that their residence hall was too hot during the winter.

She discovered that the thermostat for these buildings was typically reading around seven degrees colder than the actual temperature outside, thus signaling for too

Thursday, March 17, 2016

much heat. SUNY New Paltz is currently pursuing grant funding to retro-commission these buildings.

Additionally, there are plans in place to improve the insulation of piping systems in buildings across campus to reduce the energy of heating water and indoor spaces.

“All the piping in the buildings across campus lose a lot of heat because they are not insulated, this wraps blankets around them to prevent loss,” Mitten said.

According to Shupe, the school is working to commit a recently-allocated grant to bring more solar power to campus.

There are many ways students can help, simply by doing the things we were most likely taught at home. Turn off the lights when you leave a room, remember to turn electronics off or put them into sleep mode when not in use and keep windows closed as much as possible when the building is being heated.

For more information about energy reduction efforts at SUNY New Paltz, visit the Office of Campus Sustainability’s website. More information about EO88 is available on Gov. Cuomo’s website.

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NEWS BRIEFS WORLD

KURDS PLAN TO DECLARE A FEDERAL REGION IN NORTHERN SYRIA Syrian Kurds are preparing a plan to declare a federal region in the area they control across northern Syria, saying Wednesday it is a model for a more decentralized government in which all ethnic groups would be represented. Although the idea might seem like a way forward after five years of civil war, it faces big obstacles: It was promptly dismissed by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the rebels who oppose him, both fearing it would lead to a partition of the country.

NORTH KOREA SENTENCES US TOURIST TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON

North Korea’s highest court sentenced an American tourist to 15 years in prison with hard labor for subversion on Wednesday, weeks after authorities presented him to media and he tearfully confessed that he had tried to steal a propaganda banner.

Otto Warmbier, 21, a University of Virginia undergraduate, was convicted and sentenced in a one-hour trial in North Korea’s Supreme Court.

AP INTERVIEW: ARGENTINE LEADER SAYS OUTRAGED BY CORRUPTION Argentina’s president said Wednesday he is outraged by corruption that seeped into all facets of society during his predecessor’s administration and believes next week’s visit by Barack Obama will be a new chapter that could lead to billions of dollars in investment. President Mauricio Macri assumed power in December after campaigning on promises to crack down on graft, open up Latin America’s thirdlargest economy and reverse many of the populist policies of his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez.

BRAZIL JUDGE RELEASES PHONE TAPS BETWEEN PRES., EX-PRES. The Brazilian judge who’s heading the sprawling investigation into corruption at the state oil company has released recordings of phone taps of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, including conversations with his successor, President Dilma Rousseff. Judge Sergio Moro released the recordings Wednesday, hours after Rousseff appointed Silva as her chief of staff.

Compiled from the AP Newswire

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New York Assembly Rejects SUNY Tuition Hikes

By Sam Manzella

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

SUNY and CUNY faculty sparked controversy on college campuses statewide after urging the New York state senate to renew 2011’s NYSUNY 2020 legislation.

NYSUNY 2020 entails staggered “rational tuition increases,” which supporters of the legislation say will help students and their families plan for increasing college expenses.

The legislation authorizes tuition increases of up to $300 per year, depending on future shifts in taxpayer funding toward higher education. NYSUNY 2020 also incentivizes long-term development plans for each of SUNY’s 64 campuses.

The legislation has gained the support of New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who wants to renew the plan for another five years, according to a news release from The Statesman. The SUNY student assembly and the faculty senate have also come out in favor of NYSUNY 2020.

However, students across the state voiced their opposition to the legislation’s renewal loud and clear. Activists at a number of SUNY schools, including the University at Buffalo, SUNY Purchase, the University at Albany and SUNY New Paltz, walked out of their classes to protest potential tuition hikes.

New York Students Rising (NYSR) led the walkouts, which were coordinated simultaneously around noon on Friday, March 4. At New Paltz, protesters barricaded Main Street, spouting rally cries like, “Raise hell, not tuition!” and “Fight, fight, fight, fight, education is a right!”

Fourth-year graphic design major Nicole Striffolino helped organize NYSR’s walkout.

According to Striffolino, NYSR’s platform calls for greater contributions from the state to SUNY’s funding. NYSUNY 2020’s rational tuition increases place the burden of funding higher education on the students’ shoulders, she said. This has detrimental effects on students statewide: increasing the price tag of high education limits its accessibility, particularly to people of lower socioeconomic statuses. Inaccessibility like this ends up disproportionately affecting people of color, preventing them from obtaining higher education, she said. “[It’s] extremely problematic, especially in a state where education is the key to social mobility,” Striffolino said.

These tuition hikes make the burden of student loans — a reality many students in

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

New York know well — even heavier. National student debt recently surpassed $1.3 trillion, Striffolino said, which she believes will have a profound impact on students like herself, who racked up more than the national average of $25,000 in student loan debt over the course of their four-year education.

“Student loan debt is a political tool,” Striffonlino said. “It’s a way to keep the youth tied down to books, jobs and stress so that they don’t have time to question the injustices of society or at least don’t have the time to act against them.”

New York policymakers from the House of Representatives responded to NYSR’s demands and SUNY students’ activism with a bold move: rejecting the renewal of NYSUNY 2020 and pressing for a two-year tuition freeze in their 2016 budget.

Assemblymen Kevin Cahill and James Skoufis came to campus on Friday, March 11 to advocate for their cause at a press conference. NYSR members hailed the support of the state assembly as a victory for SUNY students — and a clear sign that the lawmakers in Albany are listening to students’ voices.

“The dramatic tuition increase that you experienced did not produce the dramatic result that was intended,” Cahill said of NYSUNY 2020’s impact since 2011. “New York state must be held to keep its promise.”

According to Kelsey Ryan, a fourth-year international relations major and member of the New Paltz NYSR team, the assembly’s support means everything. Now, the future of NYSUNY 2020 hinges upon support from the state senate: if both houses reject NYSUNY 2020, Gov. Cuomo would be hard-pressed to sign off on their decision, Ryan said.

“I’m so confident about the student pressure we are making,” she said.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

In regards to the controversy surrounding NYSUNY 2020, SUNY New Paltz President Donald Christian said he empathizes with students’ concerns over the costs of their education. But with passing time comes increased costs, he said, and if New Paltz wants to offer the same services to its students year after year, the school will need more funding.

Christian also shared his concern over misrepresentations in the media of the legislation’s effects. While some protesters have told media outlets that the gradual tuition increases haven’t impacted their education, Christian said that this is far from the truth. According to Christian, the college has hired 45 more faculty members since 2011 and invested in important resources for students, such as psychological counseling and veteran services.

Class sizes have actually decreased, contrary to reports from some student activists, he said.

Like Striffolino and NYSR, Christian and his team are in favor of increased state contributions to higher education. According to Christian, 77 cents of every dollar New Paltz has to educate students currently comes directly from students’ tuition. This makes colleges and universities more sensitive to fluctuations in enrollment numbers, which forces administrators to pay closer attention to meeting enrollment targets. For other SUNY schools that routinely struggle to meet enrollment numbers, a heavy reliance on tuition dollars can be a big hassle.

“My nightmare is that we will get neither tuition increases, nor taxpayer support,” Christian said. “We [would] have to eliminate a major, or increase class sizes, or do something drastic and make some very difficult decisions.”

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Gatehouse Road May Undergo Modifications

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NEWS BRIEFS NATIONAL

Presidential Race 2016 SPECIAL Winners of Super Tuesday

Democratic Hilary Clinton 1,139 delegates

Republican Donald Trump 673 delegates

RUBIO ENDS WHITE HOUSE QUEST AFTER HUMILIATING FLORIDA LOSS

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio dropped out of the race for president Tuesday, ending his White House bid after a humbling loss in his home state to Donald Trump. “It is not God’s plan that I be president in 2016 or maybe ever,” the Florida senator told a crowd of supporters in Miami.

TRUMP: TIME TO RALLY AROUND ME OR EXPECT VOTER RIOTS

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF NEW PALTZ

An overhead mapping of the Gatehouse Road intersection.

By Holly Lipka

Photo Editor | Lipkah1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The intersection of Gatehouse Road and Route 299 may be modified to reduce safety issues of low visibility and excessive speeds.

New Paltz Highway Superintendent Chris Marx has a plan to realign the Gatehouse Road intersection. Instead of a wide intersection where people are now turning onto Gatehouse with excessive speed, Marx wants to join 299 closer to a 90-degree angle. Approaching the intersection, a deceleration lane alongside Route 299 would be added to decrease the speed of drivers turning onto Gatehouse.

“The idea is to help avoid any accidents that may occur there,” Marx said.

According to Marx, people coming out of Gatehouse have trouble seeing traffic when trying to merge onto the state route.

If the intersection was closer to a right angle, it would give people higher visibility to see traffic looking both east and west.

Marx said changing the intersection would be “relatively easy and fairly cheap.” Since there is already a 10 foot strip of blacktop there, it is just a matter of

narrowing it. Signs for the new traffic pattern would be posted to warn locals of the road changes.

Marx said the changes would only really affect one private driveway. The driveway has two entrances, but one entrance would need to be removed or extended into the new traffic pattern.

Another major request has been a speed-limit reduction to 45 mph on Route 299. According to the Town Planning Board chairman Mike Calimano, this reduction would begin from the Carmine Liberta Bridge to Route 44/55. Since 299 is a state road, the board needs permission from the state to reduce its speed. The board needs to complete a study on the number of accidents and layout of the road to receive permission for the reduction from the state Department of Transportation.

“We hope to get some funding from the Ulster County Transportation Council and also help from the Ulster County of Department of Public Works to put the study together,” Calimano said.

When the study is finished and shows sufficient data on the unsafe conditions, the board will request the speed-limit re-

duction to the State Department of Transportation.

“It’s a process,” Calimano said.

“You’re not going to see a new speed limit by the summer.”

Issues as serious as the Gatehouse intersection don’t happen very often. When the board plans applications, issues of speed rarely come up, Calimano said.

Another proposal plans to develop a parking area for 90 cars near the Testimonial Gateway to hopefully prevent people from parking alongside Butterville Road, which can be unsafe for approaching vehicles. In the towns of New Paltz, Gardiner, Marbletown and Rochester, parking lots were created to stop people from parking on the road and Calimano said, “it’s worked pretty well in those places.”

The planning board has heard a lot of cases from drivers and people who live on Gatehouse Road of unsafe conditions at the state road intersection from several public hearings. By seeing how many people this intersection affects, Calimano said the Town Planning Board is trying to kickstart Marx’s plan.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

After yet another round of convincing victories for Donald Trump, Republican leaders spent Wednesday wavering between grudging acceptance and deep denial about the businessman’s likely ascent to the GOP presidential nomination. An emboldened Trump warned that if the party tried to block him, “You’d have riots.”

OBAMA NOMINATES GARLAND FOR SUPREME COURT CHALLENGING GOP President Barack Obama nominated appeals court judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, thrusting a respected moderate jurist and former prosecutor into the center of an election-year clash over the future of the nation’s highest court. Obama cast the 63-year-old Garland as “a serious man and an exemplary judge” deserving of a full hearing and a Senate confirmation vote, despite Republican vows to deny him both.

Standing in the White House Rose Garden with Garland, Obama argued the integrity of the court was at stake and appealed to the Senate to “play it straight” in filling the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.“It’s supposed to be above politics,” Obama said of the high court. “It has to be.

And it should stay that way.”

Compiled from the AP Newswire

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NEWS

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Water District Conversation Continues With Contention

By Melanie Zerah

News Editor | Zerahm1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Differing opinions in the New Paltz community continue to revolve around the fast approaching 2017 Catskill Aqueduct Shutdown, as town officials begin Phase III of planning for Water District No. 5: discussing the proposed next steps of implementation and finalizing the design.

The proposed water district on Plains Road in the Town of New Paltz, designed by Town Engineer David Clouser and Chazen Co., would allow the surrounding community to obtain water from the aquifer beneath it. This would be in effect for the duration of the aqueduct shutdown, which will commence in Oct. 2017 and last a maximum of 10 weeks. This will then reoccur for two more 10 week periods in 2018 and 2019.

“The greatest benefit of public water is not having to worry about your water supply: your well, your well water quality, what happens during droughts or what happens when the power goes out,” according to the Town of New Paltz Q&A document concerning the benefits of the water district. “Depending on the way your homeowner’s insurance rates fire risk factors, your homeowner’s insurance cost could be reduced, since fire hydrants are planned to be installed throughout the proposed Water District.”

According to Village Trustee Don Kerr, the aquifer underneath Plains Road is a finite resource. Kerr said those who are against the water district’s formation fear that the major stress put on the aquifer to provide all of New Paltz with water will cause it long-term damage.

The Plains Road Water Watch, which includes Plains Road residents Gail Freedman, Ingrid Beer, Donna Liebman, Ted and Carol Cryer, Chris Harp and many others, share Kerr’s fear of the potential environmental impacts. Additionally, these residents feel there has been a lack of transparency on the part of both village and town officials since the initial water testing of Plains Road in May 2014 “We were not informed about the initial testing on our own road,” Freedman said.

“We only found out because Mike and Christa Burke, who live across from the test site, were affected by this, their well water levels went way below the pump and it burnt out.”

Freedman said it was from there she and other residents began questioning what was going on when Burke asked other residents if

they knew why his well might be drying up.

According to Village Trustee Tom Rocco, during Phase I of this project, Plains Road was just one of the 120 evaluated possible water-boring processes.

Rocco said only those who owned property where the tests were being performed were informed of this initial testing in May 2014. Therefore, not all Plains Road residents were told.

“It was a part of standard operations to only tell those who owned the property,” Rocco said. “We went through all options we could identify. We didn’t know which were promising, which is why we have those initial tests.”

Rocco said since Plains Road simply turned out to be the freshest source of potable water in sufficient quantities, the town chose to investigate further.

As a part of the New Paltz Phase II Backup Water Supply Investigation, a 72hour pumping test was implemented in July 2014 and yielded 400 gallons per minute (gpm), followed by 25 hours at 275 gpm, according to the New Paltz Backup Community Water Supply Project public report.

The document said this test resulted in the discovery of “very good” water quality, drawdowns extending under the Plains Road neighborhood in both rock and sediment wells and that 90 percent of the aquifer returned to normal in 17 days.

According to Ted and Carol Cryer, this initial May 2014 test may have caused the water from the aquifer to develop certain contaminants. At the request of Plains Road residents, Clouser and Chazen Co. provided water monitoring of wells for 40 homes after the May 2014 initial pump test.

Ted Cryer then reached out to the owners of those 40 homes who were tested by Clouser and Chazen Co. to ask for the results of these tests, and received 25 responses.

He created a spreadsheet cataloging these responses which indicates that out of the 25 homes, 68 percent reported high levels of coliform and 52 percent reported high levels of lead. This spreadsheet is based on the results of this individual test. This is a water quality comparison pre July 2014 pump test and August 2014 after their pump test.

“The coliform bacteria was above the generally accepted levels, suggesting a water quality concern for homeowners,” Ted Cryer said. “We then decided to compile a summary of the quality impacts based on reports.

We emailed all of the monitored households

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF NEW PALTZ

A map of Plains Road.

and received responses back from 25 of the 40 homes tested.”

According to Freedman, her water did not have any contaminants prior to the July pump test. However, Freedman said that after the test her water was found to have elevated levels of total coliform.

Despite all of this, Ted Cryer and Freedman said the residents will never know the true extent of all the testing’s impact on their water quality, because there is no true baseline data of water quality that was collected before May 2014.

“More people may well have had negative impacts on their water because of the May testing, but we’ll never know for sure, because they failed to measure,” Freedman said. “For example, someone who tested positive for total coliform before the July test and after the July test may well have been negative before the May test.“ Additionally, Ted Cryer said three homes had pumping issues, with wells drying up after the pump test. In response, Dave Clouser & Chazen Co. quickly responded to repair the issues and provide bottled water or 500 gallon tanks on the lawns of three homes.

The Plains Road Water Watch hired hydrologist Paul A. Rubin of HydroQuest to review Phase II further and explore the worry potential damage to the aquifer in the long run of the shutdown.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

According to a fact sheet created by HydroQuest, the pumping test implemented by Clouser and Chazen Co. does not indicate the aquifer will provide water throughout the duration of the shutdown since it took over two weeks to recover from the tests.

“Failure of the aquifer to recover to prepumping conditions within a month raises serious concern regarding the ability of the aquifer to sustain long-term, high-yield, production over time,” the fact sheet said.

As a result of this, it is the concern of Water Watch members that the 72-hour pump test was insufficient in reflecting what the water quality will be like during the entirety of the shutdown and in years after.

New Paltz Town Supervisor Neil Bettez said although he was not in office when these tests occurred, things can always be done better and the engineers have been doing the best job they can.

“The thing is, once the water district is implemented, the residents won’t need their wells anymore,” Bettez said. “If they want to keep their wells they absolutely can.”

Bettez said the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has put up a fund of $125,000 that Clouser estimated will be paying the fees to hook up residents to the new municipal water structure. Bettez said the DEP will also pay plumbers to hook up facilities inside of the homes themselves.

Continued on page 7

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Your Student Senate Brief

By Jonathon Perry

Copy Editor | Perryj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Student Senate met Wednesday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss their unfinished business, future business and a movement they believe will make history. All Senate members were accounted for.

The Senate meeting opened up by stating that EOP is currently working on a leadership program for SUNY New Paltz. Exec. Vice president Kelsey Ryan said the “Know Your Rights” event is confirmed for April 4, and the Senate should keep up pressure against the SUNY 2020 plan.

Moving on to new business, the Senate said the National Stu-

dent Action Committee will meet in Chicago April 1.

The Finance Section of the Senate said they are finalizing the budget. On April 5, the Senate will meet the Judicial Board.

The Senate proposed a survey to gather student’s preferences on what foods they want or enjoy the most for campus dining.

The Senate also proposed a shift in focus toward the student tuition freeze campaign. To keep the pressure on Gov. Cuomo, the “Cuomo May I?” event will be held the Monday after spring break. The “D.A.R.K. Act” was also stomped in assembly.

When the Senate concluded their previous business, a new motion was called forward: “Ban the Box Resolution.” All 64 SUNY schools require applications be filled out on if they have been convicted of a felony or have been incarcerated in the past.

Campuses can request this information through documents that may also contain a youthful offender notice or a past felony report. These pieces of information can prevent people from getting an education, due to the negative stigma associated with past offenders.

The SUNY Office of Diversi-

ty, Equity and Inclusion has a system of equal opportunity for all.

They demand holistic integration of New York’s underrepresented or disadvantaged people into the academic culture of higher education. In light of this system, the New Paltz Student Assembly is calling for SUNY to eliminate the criminal history screenings from the application process. However, the screenings can only be implemented after the student has been admitted, and never be used to revoke admission.

The Senate will soon push the “Ban the Box” measure against SUNY in the future.

Water District Conversation Continues With Contention Continued from page 6 At one point throughout the 10year conversation, the Wallkill River, which runs 88 miles from Lake Mohawk, New Jersey to Roundout Creek, New York, was an explored option.

However, the idea has been scrapped due to a variety of reasons.

“The DEP would not cover the costs of cleaning the Wallkill, but no one ever asked them to,” Kerr said.

“The preconceived notion not to use the Wallkill was just as much political as it was technical.”

In concurrence with many concerned Plains Road residents, Kerr said one of the main issues with the proposed water district is the negative environmental impact it will have.

Additionally, according to the HydroQuest factsheet, said all potential water supply sources should be fully assessed prior to advancing a Plains Road application for a water sup-

ply permit coordinated through New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).

On the contrary, according to Town Councilman Jeff Logan, some towns do use river water from the Hudson; the Hudson is a Class A stream (water body), permitted for treatment to potable water, with proper applications and studies. Logan said that the Wallkill is a Class B steam (water body), which is not permitted for treatment to potable water.

“There are no Class B waterways in New York used for treatment to potable water,” Logan said. “There was a small town upstate starting application process a few years ago but the plan did not work out and the application was pulled.”

Bettez said as a volunteer coordinator of the Wallkill River Watershed Alliance, he would like to see the Wallkill cleaned in the next 20 years.

In order for the Wallkill to be drink-

able now, it would require much more treatment including filtering and adding chemicals.

“If we really had to have used the Wallkill as a source of water, I would have held my nose and swallowed,” Bettez said. “I much prefer the Plains Road aquifer — it does not have to be treated and it is reliable.”

Aside from the array of political and technical discourse surrounding this issue, some say that this is an ethical debate for New Paltz.

“I have been living in my home since I was 22 years old, using my own water from my own well,” Liebman said. “Plains Road is a self-sustaining community, this is our lifestyle.”

Those residents in concurrence with Liebman feel opting out of municipal water is not an option at all. According to these residents they will be charged for water regardless and their wells will be damaged.

Those who reject the idea of the

Thursday, March 17, 2016

water district also say their water fees should be covered for the entirety of the residency at Plains Road, not just five or six years. According to Logan, however, it is not plausible or legal to give a lifetime of free water. Logan said it is unconstitutional to provide free water (or any other public resources) to an individual class of residents.

“I’m all for progress, but this project will take the people’s water and sell it back to them,” Kerr said.

According to Rocco, the third phase of this project should be coming to a conclusion this spring or early summer, followed by the fourth and last phase which is the actual implementation and construction of the various elements of the overall backup water supply in Fall 2016.

“That is the projected calendar so far, unless the DEP makes changes to its shut down schedule,” Rocco said.

“It cannot be done sooner, but could be done later.”

8 oracle.newpaltz.edu

OPINION

STUDENT VOICE

The New Paltz Oracle

NEW PALTZ ORACLE THE

“Your opinion loud and clear!”

Why Can’t I Run for President of the US? If you have been paying any attention at all to the run-up to the 2016 election, you know why you and I can’t someday run for President. With the election still 9 months away, the top 6 candidates have raised a total of over $217 million for their campaigns. But that’s not all. So far, an additional $187 million has been raised by SuperPacs and “outside” organizations to spend on these candidates.

Not just you or I, but probably 99 percent of Americans couldn’t raise that kind of money to run for office.

That’s a big reason why so many people are disgusted with politics and feel that their voice doesn’t count.

But there’s hope! This year for

the first time, every one of the Presidential candidates have been talking about the problem of money in our political system. And all of them have said that something has to be done. They know that the American people are demanding change!

Of course some candidates suggest very little change. But others seem to be serious about really overhauling the way we fund campaigns in order to curb the overwhelming power of rich donors. That would give ordinary Americans more say, which means that some time in the future, you or I could actually run for office without having mega-bucks.

But there is a catch! This will only happen if enough people, including students, actually vote -- to show we want big money out of our politics and people back in.

So I’m going to pay attention this time, and I’m going to vote. I’m going to figure out which candidates are serious about reforming the way political campaigns are funded. Because if we can get big money out of politics, we can make progress on so many other things we care about – climate change, economic inequality, the high cost of college, the out-of-control student debt, mass incarceration and more.

When rich donors no longer get to decide about policies and laws, we can. Then the promise of democracy in America - of a government truly of, by, and for the people - will be realized.

The student vote is huge, important, and can make a real difference.

So join me this year: register, vote, and support candidates who will

Want to become a teacher? or Already teaching and want to diversify your skills and credentials?

We offer the ONLY graduate degree programs in the Capital Region that can lead to multiple certifications in elementary school, reading, and/or special education teaching.

Learn from experienced faculty who have expertise in the latest evidence-based teaching methods and who conduct and publish cutting-edge research.

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.

Send us your opinion at oracle@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu for a shot to be featured right here.

The Division of Special Education at the University at Albany can help!

For more information, contact: Bruce Saddler, Director, Division of Special Education Email: bsaddler@albany.edu Website: albany.edu/special_education

Josh Korn Third-year Political Science Major Kornj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

Want your voice to be heard?

make it possible for all of us to say that we can (if we want to) run for President.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

T h u rs day, Ma rc h 1 7 , 2 0 1 6

Hologram

Homage Story on page 5B

Inventor of Holographic Movies Stops By New Paltz PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI

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FEATURES

Weary of Warnings

TRIGGER WARNINGS CAUSE DEBATE ON CAMPUSES

By Jack O’Brien

Features Editor | Obrienj2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

A new generation of college students are courting controversy on campuses across this country.

One of the narratives that have followed Millennials as they’ve gone off to college is the battle over trigger warnings and safe spaces. While some have claimed that these psychological terms have presented an opportunity for a more aware society, some have claimed that the movement amounts to shielding young adults from the world.

Even President Barack Obama weighed in on the burgeoning culture war during a town hall meeting in Iowa on Sept. 14, 2015. President Obama commented that the issue does not just lie with people who think colleges are too liberal.

“Sometimes there are folks on college campuses who are liberal and maybe even agree with me on a bunch of issues, who sometimes aren’t listening to the other side. And that’s a problem, too,” Obama said. “I don’t agree that you, when you become students at colleges, have to be coddled and protected from different points of view.”

Karla Vermeulen, Ph.D., an assistant psychology professor at SUNY New Paltz, has been researching trigger warnings along with their emerging role in academics and their social impact.

Trigger warnings are preemptive warnings intended to protect victims from images or subjects that might force them to experience flashbacks from a traumatic experience. According to Vermeulen, trigger warnings are part of the movement to provide increased awareness for those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, (PTSD).

“I think students today, certainly students that go to [SUNY New Paltz] are remarkably resilient,” Vermeulen said. “I think a lot of the criticisms of students are part of the “kids today” argument that have been around for every passing generation.”

Vermeulen said that in recent years, there has been a bit of a disconnect between the pop culture interpretation of trigger warnings and their intended meaning. She suggested that there might be a misunderstanding between trigger warnings and selective exposure, which is when people choose the information and sources that are congruent to their beliefs.

The combination of both has become a major point of contention in the ongoing disputes over political correction in American culture. While there has been a public perception that college students are overly sensitive, Vermeulen said that she has not seen that to be the case.

However, there is not a consensus concerning the role of trigger warnings on college campuses. Michael Bastian, a fourth-year political science major, argues that trigger warnings take away from open discussion and the pursuit of a common goal.

“Trigger warnings devalue opposing views and are destroying intellectualism,” Bastian said. “It’s not the needs of everyone else to coddle an individual. Abusing trigger warnings and safe spaces belittle other people who are suffering from PTSD. Trigger warnings are more appropriate online where it is up to the individual to decide what content they want to consume.”

Bastian stated that trigger warnings are another form of “othering,” the idea that “if one doesn’t fall in line with the agenda then you don’t get to

speak.” He also argued that these are examples of political correctness that pose a significant risk to students as a “detriment to the personal growth and healing of an individual.”

Vermeulen did not dispute that there is a need for people to expose them to opposing points of view for risk of the further heightening of an already polarized society. She provided her syllabus for her course entitled “Disaster Psychology,” which included a statement reading: “Please be aware that some content that will be included in the course may

Thursday, March 17, 2016

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be disturbing to you. If you feel troubled by the material, please contact the instructor and/or the Psychological Counseling Center, 845-257-2920.”

Vermeulen stated that she does not provide a similar introductory statement for her course entitled “Grief Counseling, Loss and Bereavement,” believing that the name itself is a sufficient warning. She also said that in her years of teaching, she has not had a “freakout” from any of her students in class due to the content she has presented.

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Errors in Education

3B

STUDENTS OPT OUT OF COMMON CORE TESTS

By Jonathan Perry Copy Editor | Perryj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Remember how long and grueling the SAT and NATs were? Every hour taking those exams was like a prison sentence. Fortunately, the younger generation won’t fear them like the previous did. Why? Because now there are testing systems that are far worse. One type, the Common Core State Standards Initiative, is coming up in April, which is right around the corner.

There has been a rise in the difficulty of standardized testing over the past few years.

This overemphasis on testing is detrimental to students, teachers and schools alike. In an attempt to protest them, students and parents have opted out of taking part in the tests. They are now fighting for their right to proper education.

“It was Gandhi who said, ‘First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win,’ we are in the fighting stage now,” Lisa Rudley said. Rudley is co-founder of New

York State Allies for Public Education, (NYSAPE).

The Education Matters panel discussed the movement at an event called “Grassroot Activism,” on Friday, March 11, in Lecture Center 108. They talked about the powerful effects opting out of these tests can have on public education in New York State.

“If we keep refusing these tests, then we will see a change when the state is forced to respond to these large numbers,” Rudley said.

According to Rudley, these tests are not what they seem. Despite how successful Gov. Cuomo says they are, the relation of the increase in difficulty for the tests and the number of failures generated is unprecedented. Rudley said that more and more people are waking up to the “absurdity” of these tests. Last spring, 240,000 students refused to take the tests.

The event’s speakers, all with a wide background of education activism, agree with Rudley as do the people who call for better education in New York. Jia Lee, a member of Movement

of Rank and File Educators, said people should fight for a different kind of education.

According to Lee, people don’t need individuals on a board that figure out what education is for students. She said education is about student-driven instruction, expressing oneself, being resourceful and being inclusive.

“I like to light that fire in them, because my students can carry that with them forever,” Lee said. “We have an ethical and moral obligation to students for opting out of these tests, the consequences of not are far greater.”

The state, despite Lee’s claims, has always pushed the idea that students only have to try harder at studying to succeed in school and the current means of teaching do not have to change. Bianca Tanis, part of the Rethinking Testing group, disagrees, saying these tests give impossible standards to students and only serve to harm them.

According to Tanis, the board said the Common Core standards are meant to prepare students for college. Instead, these scores have

reduced the grades of students to below acceptable levels for graduation and have had schools shut down.

“Teaching isn’t just a profession, we work for them and stuff like this doesn’t work for them,” Tanis said. “Kid’s will soon be unable to recapture joy in learning, we have to act now to save this generation of students.”

However, with fear of repercussions, many people and school districts have gone through with participating in these standardized tests anyway. But according to Marla Kilfoyle, executive director in the Badass Teachers organization, (BAT), threats for opting out of these tests are nonexistent.

Refusing these tests are perfectly within the student and parents’ rights, according to Kilfoyle. She said opting out of these tests have no legal consequences for students and even some school districts. In the Comsewogue School District, there was no report of monetary decline even though 80 percent of students opted out of these tests.

“It’s what I do, it’s who I am. I do it the way you eat breakfast, walk a dog ... it’s just ingrained in my daily life and identity,” Good said.

Many of his poems have a unique, atypical writing style, and build upon common sentiments we all experience. From “Defoe in the Pillory,” Good manages to connect someone from behind the police barricades to a witness asking about sleep, drawing upon how the innocent view the condemned and possibly how their details are irrelevant. However, much is left to the reader to decide how to think and feel about his work.

“Every poem is different,” Good said.

“It’s a different experience to write, and a somewhat different experience to read. If there was one overriding goal it would be to push back against the deadening mass culture that we all find ourselves mired in.

Poem(s) are the opposite of Facebook updates, or the latest Star Wars sequel. They’re antithetical.”

And with the boom of mass media and Facebook, it can be difficult to establish oneself in the market with intellectual works of poetry. When asked if he writes for himself or others, Good hesitates and carefully considers the question.

“I start by writing for myself, but it would be disingenuous to say I don’t write for readers,” Good said. “I try to get published so I will have readers, but I write for both. Sometimes a surprise idea will come out when I’m writing, before the final draft, and I’m surprised where the poem has taken me.”

With surprise ideas popping in, Good rarely gets writers block to slow down his creative process. As with most poets, Good attests that poetry is a complex art and re-

quires fine thinking. He tries to reflect deeply on what is around him and what he feels, apart from simple observation.

Good’s perspective on poetry is based on reasoning that it is much like transcending to another way of being and experiencing.

“Poetry is a different way of speaking and knowing, you apprehend the world in a different way than with ordinary daily life.

You need a different consciousness. I put my head in a different space that most people are willing to do.”

Practice and willingness to develop a talent will take anyone to higher levels of their craft, as Good knows. He says in reference to an alternative consciousness for writing poetry that “the actual process of writing will take you there. And if you’re lucky and successful, the poem will do that for the reader, too.”

Poetic Passion PROFESSOR REFLECTS ON RECENTLY PUBLISHED WORK

By Monique Tranchina Copy Editor | Tranchim1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu Writing, to Howard Good, is much like regular routines and ways of living. He explains that being inspired is a kind of everyday occurance.

Good, a digital media and journalism professor, smiled as he said that he also writes poetry, something not many would guess for a professor who doesn’t teach English or creative writing. He has been writing poetry since he was young, and now with several volumes published, he has plenty of experience to offer to aspiring poets.

Writing is what he does and who he is, so inspiration is always present. His new book, “Unstable Elements Starring Dangerous Acts,” is now available for purchase on the Internet and is published by Americana Press.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

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Perfect Scrambled Eggs on Toast

By Jonathan Perry Perryj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

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

Have you ever woken up in the morning and couldn’t find a reason to get out of bed for your own breakfast? Well worry no longer, because I have the perfect recipe just for you. This breakfast isn’t just fast to make, but it tastes great, too.

The answer is scrambled eggs, but not just any scrambled eggs mind you, English Scrambled Eggs. This way of making scrambled eggs provides a silky and delicious texture filled breakfast with good sources of both fiber and protein.

Things you will need for this: A mixing bowl and stirrer 3 qt. pot with handle (any pot past 2 qt. is fine) salt a tablespoon of butter two eggs slice of bread First things first, turn your pot on medium-low heat. Then pop some bread in a toaster and let that cook while you prepare the eggs.

Next, grab two eggs (any bird is fine), which should be at least two per person, and break them into the mixing bowl while ridding as much excess white yolk as possible.

Add a pinch of salt and a splash of water to the egg mix, then stir the eggs until they are mixed well.

Put a tablespoon of butter into the pot now (I use soy vegan butter but any butter is fine), wait for the butter to sizzle or melt and add the eggs to the mix.

Now for the fun part. Mix the eggs around in the pot for about five seconds and then leave the pot alone on the stove for about 10 seconds.

Every time you mix the eggs, remove the pot from the stove while mixing, returning the pot when the eggs are at rest. This forces the eggs to mix together while being heated and then settle in a silky texture while not being heated.

Repeat this process until the eggs gain a creamy-like texture to them, and then scrape them into a corner of the pot to let them cook for a bit.

In the meantime, fetch that bread you popped into the toaster a while ago and put it on a plate, then the eggs go on top of the bread. Voila, you have an easy meal that gives you everything you need in the morning that tastes great and is a pleasure to have over and over again. Enjoy your eggs, I know I will.

Features

The New Paltz Oracle

Speedy Cinema

TEEN MOVIE WINS 48-HOUR FILM FESTIVAL

By Kristen Warfield

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

Think of everything you’ve accomplished within the past 48 hours.

Now imagine having to write, cast, direct, shoot, edit and ultimately produce a movie within that same amount of time – all without knowing your film’s genre until the clock starts ticking.

Last weekend, nine teams of SUNY New Paltz students did just that as part of NP48, the college’s second-annual 48-hour film festival. The contest sets student filmmakers up against one another to work under strict rules and time constraints. The film genres must be randomized to avoid pre-planning, and every movie must be submitted before time runs out.

Crowning in at first place was the teen movie “Hooky,” produced by team The Matt Damon Experience. This barely five minute film follows three high schoolers on a mission to ditch class and drink beer in an abandoned barn – but in a turn of events, they start to get a sense that they are not alone.

The rather rebellious Megan, played

by Megan Sullivan, steals some beer from her older brother to kick-start their exciting adventure. At her side is Alyssa, the shy “good girl” played by Catherine Kaczor, and Chewy, the quiet and ever-hungry friend played by Nick Winzig.

On their way to the barn, Megan tells her friends of a gruesome murder that occurred at the very path the teens are walking on. The scene flashes back ten years to show an athlete, played by Deborah Chai, who was brutally killed with her own tennis racket while walking home from practice.

Catching onto the area’s violent past, the teens realize the rumors of a haunting could be true once they start hearing faint sounds of a tennis ball bouncing continuously on pavement.

After that, their day out from school isn’t so fun anymore.

Given the teen movie genre at random, the production team found that coming up with a storyline to fit the category was a bit challenging at first. While most teen movies cover late-night parties or young love, the murderous twist to “Hooky” made for quite the unique approach on an already well-explored genre.

The three teens make a shocking discovery while drinking in the barn (LR: Alyssa, Megan and Chewy).

“The movie is like a murder mystery at one point – a coming of age murder mystery,” Winzig, who played Chewy in the film, said.

With collaboration from the entire production crew, the storyline came together by the end of Friday night, allowing time to film Saturday and edit on Sunday. Despite the crunch for time, organization was one of the team’s strong points, crew member and graphic designer Morgan Malecki said.

“We came into the writing stage just spit-balling ideas, using bits of humor to approach the whole project in a more relaxed way,” Malecki said. “We all had a part in writing the script, which really helped in keeping us organized throughout the weekend.”

The group, which also included cinematographer Pat Angher, actor Matt Bruekner and audio engineer Caitlin Little, said despite common belief they didn’t have trouble with exhaustion over the small amount of time they had to work.

“We actually were able to get a good amount of sleep despite our packed schedule,” Kaczor, who played Alyssa, said. “But we did find ourselves getting hungry a lot.”

Well, everyone except for Chewy: the comedic relief character amidst the otherwise serious and horror-laced teen film.

Though each of the movies in NP48 belonged to different genres, all filmmakers were required to include three specific aspects within their piece: a tennis racket as a prop, a character named Chewy and the phrase “I wish it was bigger.” From these came the racket-turned-weapon killing story, and the incorporation of Winzig’s char-

Thursday, March 17, 2016

acter, Chewy. Throughout the film, Chewy’s affinity for granola bars is made clear as he spends most of his screen time eating or clutching onto one of these fiber-filled snacks.

Looking back at their fresh NP48 win Tuesday night, the production team said they thought the incorporation of flashback scenes and the usage of on-screen graphics were what ultimately set their film apart from the others. The graphics, in form of a scribble-style text font across the screen, likened those of the title sequence from “Juno,” the 2007 teen movie classic about a young tomboy trying to come to terms with her unexpected pregnancy.

The weekend garnered nine films overall, ranging everywhere from horror romance and adventure to film noir. Last semester’s NP48 winner was later submitted to a SUNY-wide festival in which it earned another first-place title.

According to co-president of the Media and Journalism Society Ryan Percy, who helped organize the competition, NP48 is well on its way to becoming a SUNY New Paltz tradition.

“Last year’s festival was a big success and we definitely wanted to do it again,” Percy, a third year digital media student said. “A lot of people don’t realize how much work it actually takes to film and edit a movie, let alone within two days. NP 48 is quickly becoming [the event] to get involved in as a production or media student.”

To watch “Hooky” and all other submissions from the NP48 Film Festival, visit Media and Journalism Society’s Facebook group.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Holography in High Def

PHYSICS AND ART MERGE IN EDUCATIONAL GUEST LECTURE

By Jess Napp

Copy Editor | Nappj1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

In the basement of the Student Union Building at SUNY New Paltz, the first holographic movie is on display, featuring Salvador Dali and Alice Cooper.

On Thursday, March 10, cinematographer Hart Perry came to campus to show a number of holographic films that he made in partnership with hologram revolutionary Rudie Berkhout. He discussed the machine he built to make these groundbreaking movies. The event coincided with the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art exhibition “The Floating World: Holograms by Rudie Berkhout.”

According to physics and astronomy professor Catherine Herne, the Dorsky curator Daniel Belasco connected her with Perry after becoming aware of her class, Seeing the Light. The natural science general education course focuses on the study of light, vision and art. Perry spoke with Herne about possible events that he could do with her class and a broader audience.

“I just love how the Dorsky has this exhibit of holograms which are art,” Herne said. “It’s cool for my students to see holograms presented as art.”

After an introduction from Herne, Perry took the stage and began producing thin translucent sheets of silver halide film and mounting them on a foreign black stand that resembled a tripod. Perry

Perry demonstrates how holography works to students.

would say a few words about each hologram on exhibit, have the audience walk around them and then discuss the science behind his art.

“Essentially, this will be a show and tell,” Perry said. “I will show you some holograms, and then I will tell you how they are made.”

The first holograph he showed depicted Marcello Mastroianni taking a drag from a cigarette. As the onlooker walks from right to left they see him perform the act of inhaling the smoke and then releasing it into red, green and blue splendor.

Next, Perry presented a hologram of a computer-animated image, followed by a topless woman attempt-

ing to cover up and then a man leaping.

Perry said that typical holograms are limiting because they don’t move and they can’t be of people.

Therefore, he films the people first or takes pictures of them and then creates a hologram out of the footage.

“Holograms are an image made with laser light,” Perry said. “The thing I did is cheat so you can show people and movement.”

All the while his famous Dali and Cooper holographic film is spinning on the plastic table adjacent to this rotating spectacle of art and science. Perry said that by 1972, he be-

Thursday, March 17, 2016

PHOTO BY DAVID KHORASSANI

gan filming music videos for Cooper. When he was asked to make the first holographic movie with these two icons, it just made sense.

“It was like working with an old Spanish guy,” Perry said. “When an audience came around, he became Dali and spoke in five different languages and put on a robe and crown.”

Third-year art education major Kaitlyn Niznik is enrolled in Herne’s class and attended the event. Niznik said that they just started studying holograms in class.

“I loved it,” she said. “Seeing a very successful hologram was awesome.”

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Reinterpreting the Classics

HUDSON VALLEY PAINTER ENCOURAGES CREATIVE INSPIRATION

By Sam Manzella

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

Armed with an impressive expertise of modern and postmodern art, painter Vincent Desiderio encouraged students and art lovers to reimagine and reinterpret the works of classic artists.

The painter spoke to a crowd of over 40 people on Wednesday, March 9 in LC 102.

His visit to campus was part of the New Paltz Student Art Alliance’s visiting artist lecture series, which will continue through the end of the semester.

Desiderio, who lives and works in Westchester County, New York, offered the audience a glimpse into his career trajectory. He studied fine art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, which he attributed to the beginning of his evolution as a painter. At first, he had no interest in representational painting, preferring instead

to work with abstract shapes and forms. But his interests changed over time, he said.

He began to look outside the harsh, hyper-critical world of art criticism and into the realm of pre-modern art, which had remained relatively out of the art zeitgeist.

He sought new interpretations of old works, searching for resources he could tap into in his own artistic practice.

Desiderio’s strategy of choice? A practice he calls “constructive misreading.”

According to Desiderio, constructive misreading refutes the notion that there is a singular, established interpretation of a work of art. Just as life has no absolutes, paintings are multi-faceted, he said. Constructive misreading challenges artists and art lovers to consider older works in new and foreign contexts.

“Even art from the past changes in the context of time,” he said. “Art is in this con-

stant state of mobility.”

Desiderio said he taught himself most of his technical skills, and as a result, he found himself employing different techniques instinctively. As his painting career advanced, Desiderio began to question art as an institution. He didn’t want to be swept into the flurry of the art world, which he believed had been co-opted for financial means. He began painting new works, including a series of large triptychs.

At this point in his life and career, Desiderio and his wife had begun their family.

His son Sam, only a toddler at the time, suffered a devastating stroke, which Desiderio said threw a wrench into his life and work.

“It was terrifying for me and my little boy,” Desiderio said.

To cope, Desiderio began painting his son in odd poses and disconcerting situations, which confused and frustrated his gal-

lery manager. One of his paintings in particular, titled “Savant,” featured Desiderio’s father asleep next to his naked son. The curator of Desiderio’s gallery was convinced that the painting wouldn’t sell and thought it was horrible. Much to the gallerist’s surprise, the painting sold in the gallery within a week.

As Desiderio grappled with his son’s disabilities, he worried that he was exploiting his son’s illness for his own artistic gain.

His son told him that he didn’t want to pose for his father’s paintings anymore, and once again, Desiderio’s art took a twist.

Desiderio’s more recent work features inventive, elaborate triptychs and scenes on life-size canvases. Though his style and subject matter has changed over his life, Desiderio has maintained the artistic same goals: abstraction and inscrutability, what he says are the true markers of successful art.

A Taste of “Ugly Cherries”

GENDERQUEER GARAGE PUNK BAND RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM

By Sam Manzella

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

Queer-identified garage punk band PWR BTTM has made quite a splash in the music world. The punk-rock duo consists of genderqueer rockers Liv Bruce and Ben Hopkins (both go by they/them/theirs pronouns), who studied at Bard College together before relocating to Brooklyn, New York. The duo is currently touring across the country following the 2015 release of “Ugly Cherries,” their debut studio album.

“Ugly Cherries” is a powerhouse punk record filled with romantic angst, heated lust and flamboyant gender nonconformity.

None of the songs run longer than three minutes, which brings the album’s total run time to under 30 minutes. Fun fact: the album was produced and engineered

by Christopher Daly at Salvation Recording Co., which is based in New Paltz, New

York. It makes sense, too, since PWR BTTM hails from Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.

The album opens with “Short-Lived Nightmare,” which sets the tone for the remainder of the record. “Dairy Queen,” a fun, upbeat track, is next in the lineup. The group’s lyrics are fun and playful, which jives perfectly with their hard drum beats and punk rock sound.

“I Wanna Boi” is one of the standout tracks off this album. The duo sings about queer longing and lust, with lyrics like, “I want a boy who thinks it’s sexy when my lipstick bleeds.” Bruce and Hopkins add a comical element, referencing their Bard College roots with a line about hitting them up at their bard.edu email address.

The title track, “Ugly Cherries,” is another catchy hit that quickly made its way into my spring playlist.

“Serving Goffman” and “Nu 1” are good tracks, but neither stands out to me as particularly remarkable. Ditto with most of the remaining tracks. “1994” and “C U Around,” though, are two other highlights off of “Ugly Cherries,” with “1994” capturing the angst of missing a long-lost lover.

The song’s bridge opens with an epic guitar solo and ends on a softer note, transitioning smoothly into “C U Around.” This track is decidedly more mellow, channeling the soreness surrounding post-breakup interactions with an ex. Its lyrics are simple, but that’s part of the song’s genius: it is a raw, honest depiction of bitterness and heartbreak.

It’s safe to say that “Ugly Cherries” impressed me. With their snappy lyrics, sweet guitar solos and Bruce and Hopkin’s dreamy vocals, PWR BTTM is a new favorite of mine.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

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Arts & Entertainment

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7B

The Sequel No One Wanted

NEW “CLOVERFIELD” FILM IS MEDIOCRE

By Jake Berkowitz

Staff Writer | Berkowij3@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

“Cloverfield,” a film I watched for the first time this week, is terrible. It is a multilayered mess that features obnoxious acting, a story littered with ruinous plot holes, headache-inducing cinematography and all the tension of your great-grandma’s wrinkly skin. In short, it’s generally unwatchable. “10 Cloverfield Lane” is the sequel (or, as J.J. Abrams calls it, “blood relative”) that no one asked for, constructed in secrecy to generate hype that would never have erupted otherwise. I expected nothing of this movie, but what I got was a pleasant, if not somewhat mixed, surprise.

Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) likes to run away from her problems. After getting into a fight with her boyfriend, she takes a long country drive that leads

to her getting T-boned on a highway in the middle of nowhere, and she crashes into unconsciousness. She wakes up in the underground bunker of the enigmatic Howard (John Goodman), who tells her that the world has been decimated by a bio-attack perpetrated by an unknown party. However, things start to grow uneasy as Michelle discovers Howard might not be who he says he is.

“10 Cloverfield Lane” is strikingly different from its older brother in that it is set up more as a psychological thriller, not a creature feature. Which makes sense, once you discover that the film was conceived by Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken as “The Cellar,” an entity totally separate from the “Cloverfield” universe. It wasn’t until J.J. Abrams got a hold of it (and integrated aliens), and Oscar-nominee Damien Cha-

zelle doctored it that it became the film we know today.

I say this because “The Cellar” is a really good movie. It’s possibly the most gripping suspense tale I’ve seen since “Ex Machina,” and it’s equally intimate and self-contained. Accompanied by rock solid acting and directing, these elements allow for a laser-focused story that shepherds us through the uncertainty and fear felt by Michelle. I can’t remember the last time I genuinely had no clue where a flick was headed, and couldn’t tell who was to be believed. It was an unsettling experience that put a big, dumb, anxious smile on my face.

The last 20 minutes, however, were clearly tacked on to earn the “Cloverfield” connection, and in that regard, the ending earns its name. By that, I mean it sucks. It creates several loose ends that

feel unsatisfying, and the lazy, unbelievable conclusion betrays everything the film has been working toward. You feel cheated as an audience member, like you wasted the previous hour and a half, and it’s unfair to the great movie it’s leaching off of.

It’s unjust to attack the ending too harshly though, as “The Cellar” would, most likely, never have seen the light of day had Mr. Abrams not decided to incorporate it into a pre-established universe. It’s just a damn shame to see a great film muddied by modern production and distribution methods. You could certainly do worse at the theatre, but you could also do better. You might as well try to find somewhere that’s still showing “The Witch,” or stream “The Exorcist” on Netflix if you want your satisfying thriller fix.

(although it never feels that long when the always-appealing music rolls in for the ending credits). You really see inside each character’s personality and struggles, but nothing is ever revealed all at once. It keeps you watching eagerly every second.

First there’s Gus, played with just the right amount of spunk and care by Paul Rust. Gus is your awkward-type. He is practical to the point of over-analyzation, and he just broke up with a cheating girlfriend. Then there’s Mickey, played fearlessly by Gillian Jacobs: everything Gus is not. Not rational, but impulsive.

Not bashful, but confrontational. Her love life is much more of a complicated mess. The two meet at a convenient store: when Mickey has no money to pay for her items, Gus steps in to pay for her.

At first glance, this may all seem cliché. I

mean, the title of the show is “Love,” for crying out loud. However, we get more than just those heart-aching and “aww cute” scenes from “Love.” Many scenes struck me as more shocking and unpredictable, as well. In fact, much of the show does not even take place with Gus and Mickey together. Instead, the show heads into their personal and professional lives in ways that don’t seem detached, but rather, tie everything together. We meet some off-putting characters, and some loveable ones, too. Mickey’s roommate, Bertie, especially steps in to drive the plot and to cheer the show up a bit with a great performance by Claudia O’Doherty.

The show’s originality also stems from a center of knowing. If you watched Aziz Ansari’s “Master of None,” or read his book “Modern Romance,” many of the same themes about

21st century dating are present here. “Love” takes place in present-day and is not shy about showing. The use of texting and Instagram drive many of Gus and Mickey’s interactions.

Furthermore, the show gets to the heart of an ever-changing dating scene in a big city.

In his book, Ansari mentions the concept of “emerging adulthood.” This basically means that young people are now taking more time in their 20s to explore careers, dating and ultimately, themselves. “Love” seeks to illustrate this new stage of life that has come to fruition in recent years.

In the end, this is not so much a show about falling in love. Really, it’s about how difficult it is to open up and give love when dating in the modern world has gotten so complicated and young people’s lives are all the more complex.

All You Need is “Love” RECENT NETFLIX ORIGINAL RELEASE IS A HIT

By Briana Bonfiglio

Staff Writer | Bonfiglib1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

In search of a new series to binge-watch?

Maybe “Fuller House” just wasn’t your thing?

Or maybe you did watch “Fuller House,” and now your Netflix-palette needs a little cleansing? “Love” is exactly what you need. It’s funny, sexy and heartbreakingly relatable. I watched the episodes back-to-back-to-back … until I got the last one. I simply did not want it to end. Luckily for me, season two is on its way next year.

“Love” follows a man and a woman in their early 30s living in Los Angeles and searching for love. Created by Judd Apatow, the first season takes on a familiar cinematic rom-com vibe. The great thing about a series, though, is that the characters get more dimension. Plus, each episode lasts a full 30 minutes

Thursday, March 17, 2016

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THE DEEP END

oracle.newpaltz.edu

The New Paltz Oracle

THIS WEEK IN

THE DEEP END

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Major: Visual Arts Year: Fourth Inspriation: Shelby Lee Adams, Steve McCurry, Ai Wei Wei, Lee Miller, David Burnette “As a documentary photographer I form relationships with strangers, building a trust and work to better understand their lives. Photography creates opportunities to learn about people and connect with situations that would otherwise be unable to access. Through the lens of my camera I experience the struggles and triumphs of people I would normally never have the chance to meet. My images communicate powerful stories with no languages, location, class or unknown barriers. Photography is so powerful it can shock, amaze, devastate and connect people from all over the world.�

Photos courtesy of Crystal Bailey| Captioning by David Khorassani

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The New Paltz Oracle

Editorial

oracle.newpaltz.edu

E nergetic E fforts

Throughout the 21st century, New Yorkers have placed a heightened emphasis on addressing issues of environmental sustainability to prolong human existence. Understanding the looming threats posed not only by global warming but smaller, micro-level determinants to our habitats, are crucial to ensuring safety for generations to come.

We at The New Paltz Oracle, while respecting Gov. Cuomo’s course of action on EO88, encourage him to take further action to promote environmental sustainability in New York. Considering the fact that EO88 does not include coverage requirements for private companies, this action will not have nearly as much of a positive impact on the environment as the administration leads us to believe.

Yes, it is a necessary step forward in the fight to make publicly-financed architecture more energy efficient, but it won’t solve the root of the problem which is inefficiency. Also, it doesn’t address the vast issues with private companies, whose facilities are not being properly incentivized to improve energy consumption.

By offering adequate subsidies to private enterprises in order to promote sustainability, Cuomo could take a proactive statewide initiative toward energy reduction.

Here on campus, many sustainability initiatives have been taking place. New Paltz accomplished the requirement of submetering large buildings for electricity — this prior to the initiation of the order. One such attempt is the “SUNY New Paltz Unplugged” — a three-week energy conservation competition between residence halls.

Another part of the reduction strategy is focusing on creating more effective scheduling for classes in order to avoid having

9

CARTOON BY STEFANIE DIERS

buildings in use at an earlier time.

And though that idea appears to be beneficial on the surface, it is impractical considering how many students, faculty and staff use buildings for several hours a day on a regular basis.

With class schedules already being difficult enough to organize and implement, additional restrictions would make it that much more of a hassle for administrators and academic officials to plan their teaching schedules.

Other possibilities can include placing motion sensors in the buildings that are highly used on a daily basis. Installing these sensors would allow for lights to be turned off when there is nobody present in the room. Utilizing precise electricity measurements is crucial to promoting awareness

of how much we actually leave things powered on unecessarily and what areas require improvements in efficiency.

New Paltz recently participated in an hour-long energy reduction plan on Wednesday, March 2, which included the use of generators, reduced lighting and exhaust systems being shut down. This plan did not impact any normal business activities in any academic department.

If there is a possibility where the campus can utilize this strategy more frequently, this will not only save more money from reduced energy use, but it can continue to fund more energy saving projects. EO88 provides more viability than other executive orders before it.

In the past, other executive

Thursday, March 17, 2016

orders did not seem to provide enough viability, unlike EO88.

We hope to see the campus continue to strive for sustainability in all facets of life and expect the backing of our leaders in Albany.

Cuomo is taking an appropriate step forward but could do so much more in his capacity as governor, which we as constituents expect out of our elected leaders.

Editorials represent the views of the majority of the editorial board. Columns, op-eds and letters, excluding editorials, are solely those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The New Paltz Oracle, its staff members, the campus and university or the Town or Village of New Paltz.

10 oracle.newpaltz.edu

KINTURA WILLIAMS Copy Editor

NO2684069@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

As a senior graduating in May, I find myself in a number of odd, paralleled situations. I am so excited to finally see my four long years of hard work result in my degree, but I am also panicking daily about the fact that I am graduating.

I go over my syllabi looking at the mountains of work I have to complete on top of my internship, but I also spend hours at a time scrolling through Instagram and Snapchat.

One day I will do work for absurdly long time frames, and another I will not even open my bookbag or laptop. I go to see my advisor and talk to her until I’m blue in the face and ask for advice, then I go back to my room and nap for five hours.

At this point in my life, I believe I am in a place where many young soon-to-be-graduates have found themselves. There has always been this strong sense to chug full speed ahead and complete all of our tasks.

“Just push it out, Kintura. Just get through the semester.” I tell myself this multiple times a day, because that is what I have been telling myself throughout my entire time in college. For three years straight

OPINION

The New Paltz Oracle

COLUMN Tackling Senioritis the grind has been nonstop: “Just get through syllabus week,” “just get through this first test,” “just get through midterms,” “just finish this project,” “just bust out this last final and you get a break – you can go home.” It has always been about learning, doing well and making it to the next semester.

But now, the chilling reality of being a senior in college is that there is no next semester.

There is no guarantee of the familiarity of what is to come. This disturbing realization put me in a place of complacency. For the entire month of February, I barely accomplished anything at all by my usual standards of being my active self. As a full-time student, intern, server, cheerleading captain, Oracle staff member and babysitter to my cherub-faced twin nieces, I pride myself on my ability to stay busy and balanced.

But in February, I did everything within my power to stay as stagnant as possible. I barely completed assignments, I lulled through my internship, I slept through my classes and I barely

saw my nieces. For some reason, I felt like if I stopped grinding and instead didn’t do anything at all, then just maybe, I could stop the inevitable from happening. I thought that if I stayed as still as possible, then maybe the world would slow down with me.

Needless to say I was completely wrong and bordering on delusional, but I still struggled because I was not sure how to express my feelings or who to even talk to.

I felt like I was losing my mind as I got caught up in this strange limbo between understanding that my time as a student was ending, and grasping wildly at the nothingness of post graduation.

Finally, I asked myself the question I had been avoiding since December – the question that thousands of seniors across the world are asking themselves and having mental breakdowns over.

What the hell do I do if I’m not a student?

Luckily, after almost crying all over the origami cranes on her desk, my advisor Siu reassured me that I was not alone in the way I

was feeling. Siu even shared her own pre and post graduation woes and fears, which helped me to put my own doubts and fears into perspective. Her stories made me laugh, made me nervous and made me excited — but most importantly they made me understand that everything will be okay. Most things in life, whether you can see it immediately or not, have an impeccable way of working themselves out amazingly.

To all graduating seniors that may feel like they are in a rut right now, please understand that you are not alone. Although there is no way to tell for sure what is to come in the future, walking across the stage on graduation day is not the end of your world, but an extension to use all of the things you’ve acquired while in college to have the most beautiful future possible.

Kintura is a fourth-year journalism major who has been chearleading for 10 years and loves Sade and elephants.

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SPORTS

SPORTS

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11

The New Paltz Oracle

TOP RANKED

PHOTO BY HOLLY LIPKA

Hawks’ fourth-year middle blocker Christopher Husmann lands a spike.

By Anthony Mitthauer-Orza

Copy Editor | Mitthaua1@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

On Tuesday, March 15, the men’s volleyball team moved up to the first place ranking in the week eight edition of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Div. III Men’s Coaches Top-15 Poll, putting them in position to host the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Tournament in April.

Over the past week, the Hawks notched their 19th straight win and their 11th consecutive conference win dating back to last season, with some highlights coming against former No. 1 Springfield and conference foe Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In the match against Springfield on Wednesday, March 9, third-year opposite Joe Norman led the offensive, hitting .429 (13-4-21) on 13 kills while second-year outside hitter Anthony Bonilla floored 10 kills to hit .375 (10-4-16) for the match. Fourth-year co-captain Christian Smith dished out 34 assists and fourth-year outside hitter Andy Fishman defended five digs.

For the Pride, third-year outside hitter Luis Vega tallied nine kills and four digs to lead the team while third-year right side Trevor Mattson chipped in six kills. Third-year setter Luis Garcia Rubio doled out 20 assists in the loss. Fourth-year middle blocker Julian Welsch-White collected eight blocks for the Pride.

The first set proved to be the most com-

petitive portion of the match, as the teams traded points throughout the set, leveling the tally to 23all until Norman and third-year middle blocker Steven Woessner each floored a kill to give New Paltz the set win. In the second and third sets, the Hawks held Springfield to 21 and 17 points, respectively.

Hawks head coach Radu Petrus said he is content with the team’s performance against Springfield and is happy that it is not the last home game for the team.

“We were motivated to beat them,” Petrus said. “The first set was tough and it was close, but after that Springfield dropped, they couldn’t play and execute their strategy right. It was a good match — now the conference tournament will be at New Paltz because we’re at the top of the conference.”

On Saturday, March 12, New Paltz played their final home game of the regular season against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which the Hawks won 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 2520). The Hawks held an 8-0 advantage in service aces and a 7-3 edge in blocks while hitting .342 (37-12-73) for the match.

The first set saw the Hawks stay ahead by limiting scoring opportunities for the Engineers.

Eventually, New Paltz gathered a 24-16 lead before Husmann floored the kill to cap off the set win for New Paltz.

The second set saw both teams locked in a

battle for the advantage. Kills by Norman and fourth-year middle blocker Christopher Husmann handed New Paltz a 10-8 edge over the Engineers, but MIT would respond with three-straight points to take the lead. After another tug-of-war battle, the Hawks seized control of the score on a Fishman kill and service ace, before taking advantage of an MIT attack error for a 17-14 edge, forcing the Engineers into a timeout. Coming out of the break, the Hawks extended their lead to 2419 on a 7-5 burst before Norman floored the kill to clinch the set.

The third set saw the Hawks with a comfortable 19-10 lead. Despite the Hawks maintaining the lead, the Engineers capitalized on several New Paltz attack errors to lower the deficit to four but were unable to fight back anymore, as an MIT blocking error handed the Hawks the victory.

With the win against Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this gave the Hawks their 15th home win in a row dating back to last season.

Smith said the team played strong and did an excellent job of executing on their opportunities that brought them to becoming the No. 1 seed heading into the UVC Tournament. He expects the team to continue playing this way throughout the rest of the season.

“We did a great job against MIT in putting them away early in sets and that allowed us to play with a comfortable lead throughout,” Smith said. “It’s a good feeling to be the number one

Thursday, March 17, 2016

seed heading into the UVC Tournament because we get to host the conference tournament, which hasn’t been done in program history. Also it’s great because we get a chance to play two more games in front of our home crowd thathas been great all season. I expect us to maintain focus and keep up our solid play and improve in many aspects of the game.”

The Hawks next travel to Rochester to participate in the Purple and Gold Invitational against California Lutheran University and No. 8 Nazareth College on Saturday, March 19.

Following the Invitational, the Hawks take on Hunter College in a nonconference matchup on Wednesday, March 23 before participating in the UVC Crossover at Vassar on Saturday, March 26.

The Purple and Gold Invitational is being held in the same building as the NCAA Div. III Tournament that will take place in mid-April.

Petrus hopes the team will come out with a win and get a taste of the environment for the NCAA Tournament in the process.

“We scheduled these matches because we really want to get accustomed and more comfortable with the ceiling and the environment that is over there,” Petrus said. “Also, Nazareth recently lost one of their games and maybe we’re expecting them to come in to fight hard to try and beat us. They will have something to prove and build their overall record going into the UVC Tournament.”

12 oracle.newpaltz.edu

Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

Lacrosse Attacks With Pair of Wins

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The lacrosse team has won two straight games since starting out the season 0-2.

New Paltz’s winning streak started when the Hawks hosted their home opener and defeated Penn State Abington 18-3 on Thursday, March 10.

This was the largest goal deficit in a win since April 11, 2013 when New Paltz won 20-4 against Ramapo College on the road.

Hawks head coach Liz Student said the team really came together and played well.

“They did all the things that we had asked them to do for that game,” she said. “Every game we’ve gotten better. Our attackers have to make our defenders better and our defenders make our attackers better. We have taken that attitude to practices and that is why the last two games we have done better.”

Nine different Hawks netted goals in the nonconference win. The Hawks scored the first five goals of the game and held the lead throughout. New Paltz finished with a 31-13 edge in shots and an 18-5 margin in draw controls.

Individually, third-year co-captain Nicole Gottschalk scored a team-high four goals. Thirdyear attacker Nicole Stackpole also tallied a hat trick, with three goals in the first half.

Four Hawks lit the lamp with a pair of goals, first-year midfielder Rachael Purtell, third-year midfielder Alexa Criollo, second-year attacker Caitlyn Morris and first-year attacker Taylor Russell.

A trio of Hawks registered one goal, secondyear midfielder Colleen Jones, second-year attacker Allie Imperati and second-year attacker Kelsey Aeberli. Morris also dished out a gamehigh two assists.

Between the pipes, Hawks third-year goalkeeper Colleen Roemer turned away 10 shots in the victory.

For Penn State Abington, first-year midfielder Sarah Eisele led the way with three goals, while second-year defender Michaela Mast was credited with one assist. Mast also contributed with five ground balls, three caused turnovers and two draw controls.

The Hawks earned their second straight win in a 15-9 victory against nonconference opponent Bard College on Saturday, March 12.

Hawks third-year co-captain Melissa Wagner said the pair of wins is a result of working together as a team and focusing on what they have been working on during practice.

“We really wanted to apply everything we worked on in practice into the game, and when

we did it showed with a win,” she said. “Everyone was able to work together and whether on the sideline or field, everyone was supporting each other with encouragement and positivity.”

New Paltz took a 5-0 lead midway through the first stanza. The Raptors scored three goals before halftime, including one by first-year midfielder Nicole Ellin with one second left to pull within two at the intermission.

After each team scored in the first 3:13 of the second half, New Paltz went on a 7-0 surge, and a goal by Stackpole gave the Hawks a 13-4 lead with just 6:15 to go in regulation. Bard rallied late by scoring five goals in the final five minutes, but they were unable to crack New Paltz’s sizeable lead, as the Hawks prevailed.

Gottschalk led the Hawks with three goals and one assist. Morris and Aeberli registered two goals and two assists apiece. Stackpole and Russell netted two goals each, while Jones, Purtell, Imperati and first-year attacker Danielle Dulligan rounded out the Hawks’ scorers. Purtell controlled four draws, while Jones caused two turnovers.

Roemer scooped up eight ground balls and made an equal number of saves in net.

For Bard, first-year midfielder Casey Witte and Ellin led the way with three goals each, with Witte adding five draw controls and five ground balls.

On Wednesday, March 16, the Hawks’ game against Hartwick was called after the first half due to inclement weather. Hartwick was leading 4-3 at the time the game was called.

Student said a change the team has made this season was to implement a new offense, which is fairly complex. This comes as a result of the initiation of a shot clock the league is adding next year.

“We implemented an offense that we’ll be able to carry over and be effective with the rule changes,” she said. “It was really great to see them have stuff click for them. It was great to watch.”

The Hawks will next hit the road as they travel out of state to Memphis, Tennessee to face Oberlin College on Monday, March 21. Less than 24 hours later, New Paltz will play Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Before heading back to New York, the Hawks will make another stop in Memphis to take on Rhodes Colleges on Tuesday, March 24.

“Last week was as much a mental week as it was a physical week,” Student said. “Spring break means having few distractions. The team really gets to come together. They get to know each other more, not just on the field, but off the field. It’s a really important time for us to prepare for our conference schedule.”

Rachael Purtell (Top) and Colleen Jones (Bottom) sprint up the field.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

PHOTOS BY HOLLY LIPKA

The New Paltz Oracle

SPORTS

Softball Hangs Tough After Maryland Trip

By Melissa Kramer

Sports Editor | Kramerm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The softball team opened their 2016 campaign going 1-3 in the Sea Gull Classic in Salisbury, Maryland last weekend.

In the first game, Lynchburg held New Paltz to just one hit and scored 10 runs off 11 hits of their own. The Hornets took a 10-0 win in the five-inning game on March 11.

Third-year infielder Nicole DeCosta said this year’s team is definitely one of the best teams she has ever been a part of since she started playing for the Hawks.

“Everyone has been working extremely hard and putting in a lot of extra work to get their jobs done on their own, which is something that is super crucial to being successful as a team,” she said. “It’s great to see people buying into the program and what the coaches want because it’s definitely going to help us out a lot in the long run.”

Second-year outfielder Julia Perhacs accounted for the Hawks’ lone hit of the ballgame. For Lynchburg, second-year outfielder Skylar Dickens went 3-for-3 to lead the Hornets.

Third-year infielder Kayla St. John, and fourth-year outfielder and infielder Danielle Powell each batted 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. St. John finished with four RBIs, while Powell drove in three runs.

Hawks fourth-year pitcher Katie Rutcofsky recorded the loss in the circle for the Hawks, giving up seven runs (five earned) off seven hits, three walks and a hit by pitch, while secondyear pitcher Conner English registered the win for the Hornets, allowing just one hit while striking out five.

In the nightcap, the Hawks rallied back to secure a 7-2 win. New Paltz recorded eight hits from seven batters in the victory.

First-year second baseman and shortstop Taylor LaFrance put New Paltz on the board for the first time this season and ripped a bases-clearing, three-run double to right center to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead.

The Hawks increased the lead to 7-0 after a four-run third. With Per-

hacs on first base after a single up the middle, third-year outfielder Fallon Spriggs followed by singling to right, advancing Perhacs to second base.

After a double-steal by Perhacs and Spriggs, DeCosta loaded the bases working a walk at the plate. Secondyear outfielder Danielle Bruno sent home Perhacs after an RBI single to left.

After a Lynchburg pitching change, second-year first baseman and pitcher Lauren Cappello drove in Spriggs with a single down the right-field line. Firstyear second baseman and shortstop Shannon Fee capped off the rally with a two-run single down the right-field line.

In the sixth, Lynchburg drove in a run off a sacrifice fly. Next, secondyear infielder Leslie Bourgeois pushed across a run with a single up the middle. However, it was not enough as the Hawks secured the victory.

Bruno keyed the Hawk attack, as she went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. LaFrance drove in three runs in her first collegiate at-bat, while her fellow classmate, Fee, posted two RBIs. Hawks third-year pitcher Taylor Corwin finished with a complete-game victory, yielding two runs off six hits and a hit by pitch while striking out one.

The following morning, the Hawks took on host No. 11 Salisbury University in a doubleheader and dropped both games.

Salisbury would take the first game 3-0. The Sea Gulls got on the board in the second inning, as a run came across on an error before second-year outfielder LeAnne Collins drove in a run with a base hit to center field. Fourth-year pitcher Annah Brittingham then ripped a solo home run to left-center field in the bottom of the third to increase the score 3-0 in favor of Salisbury.

Corwin threw well in the loss for New Paltz, allowing three runs (two earned) off seven hits and two walks.

Brittingham earned the win for Salisbury, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out four.

Later that morning, the Sea Gulls would defeat the Hawks 9-2.

Heading into the top of the seventh, Salisbury held a 4-0 lead and

would tack on five more runs. New Paltz countered in the home half of the inning, as third-year utility player Megan Carbia singled and LaFrance worked a walk before Spriggs drove in both runners with a double down the left-field line.

Spriggs provided the offense for the Hawks and went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, a double and a stolen base. DeCosta also notched multiple hits.

Hawks head coach Brittany Robinson said the team has to take advantage of any mistakes their opponents make, especially against top teams.

“We can’t let them take advantage of our mistakes and can’t compound errors with other mental mistakes,” she said. “They competed, and truly felt that they were in both of those games the whole entire time. I would like to have seen a little bit better adjustments at the plate.”

Fourth-year co-captain Jordan Fiore said this year’s team is very different from last year and chemistry has gotten much stronger.

“It really shows on the field,” she said. “It’s almost like we know each other’s next move before we make it.

The relationships between our pitchers and catchers is awesome and very understanding. Our main priority this season is to focus on the little things that will influence the bigger things like winning.”

Last season, the Hawks recorded a 19-16 record overall and 9-9 tally in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play.

With a record of 1-3, the Hawks will continue their road trip as they travel to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to participate in the Fastpitch Dreams Classic from Friday, March 18 to Saturday, March 19.

Robinson said in practice this week the team is working on making adjustments that they did not make in the season opener.

“That was our downfall last year,” she said. “The few mistakes that we made this weekend are what put us in the position we were in last year. We are always going to make mistakes.

But if we can get past those types of mistakes this weekend, we will be moving in the right direction.”

Thursday, March 17, 2016

oracle.newpaltz.edu

13

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Samantha Ackerman SPORT: Field Hockey YEAR: First MAJOR: Biology HOMETOWN: Nesconset, New York

H OW DID YOU FIRST START PLAYING FIELD HOCKEY?

I started playing field hockey because of my two older sisters. They both loved it and accomplished so much while playing. They inspired me to become the players that they were.

OUTSIDE OF FIELD HOCKEY WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO?

I love spending my time in the gym. I was very overweight up until the beginning of high school. I decided to make a lifestyle change and got into nutrition and lifting. I love creating new, healthy recipes and doing crazy workouts.

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST ROLE MODELS?

My family. I am truly blessed to be part of such a big, loving family. My parents and five other siblings are the biggest support group anyone could ever have. I would not be the person I am today without their encouragement, love and support. I look up to each and everyone of them in their own ways. My mother, father, three sisters and two brothers are the most hard-working, humbled people I know.

ARE YOU A FAN OF ANY TEAMS? I love watching the New York Rangers play and will always have a love for the Yankees because of the love my grandpa had for Derek Jeter. The Yankees will always be a wonderful memory of my grandpa.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SUPERSTITIONS? Last year I lost my grandfather and ever since then I would always find dimes. I am into the psychic stuff and believe that dimes are signs of loved ones present. Before many of my games this year, I would find dimes in random places and knew that it was my grandfather’s way of sending me luck. I collected the dimes I would find and always put one in my shin guard before a game. I would never play without it. I loved knowing that my grandpa had my back during our games.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS MEMORY?

It is something I will remember for the rest of my life. It was the very beginning of our past season at our Utica tournament with my teammate and sister, Dani [Ackerman]. I assisted Dani’s record tying goal. It was such a special moment for both my sister and I. I was extremely proud and honored to be a part of such a wonderful moment.

DO

YOU WANT TO BE ...

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK? Contact Michael Rosen at

Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

14oracle.newpaltz.edu

Sports

The New Paltz Oracle

Baseball to Travel to Florida

By Michael Rosen

Copy Editor | Rosenm2@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu

The baseball team has won two of their last three games and will go into spring break with a record of 2-3-1.

The Hawks got their first win of the season with a 6-1 victory over Purchase College on Wednesday, March 9. Hawks second-year pitcher Conor Donachie earned the win after pitching five innings, surrendering just one run on five hits and striking out two. Coming in for relief were second-year pitchers Brian LoRusso and Ryan Votypka, who each pitched two scoreless innings to seal the win for the Hawks. LoRusso and Votypka combined to allow only one hit on five strikeouts.

Offensively, New Paltz got contributions from multiple players.

The Hawks scored their first run of the game on an error and then thirdyear co-captain Tyler Bell, who went 2-for-4 on the day with a stolen base, knocked in another run to make it a 2-0 game. Second-year outfielder Nick DePietro and first-year shortstop Ryan Frost both went 2-for-4 with a double each, and DePietro contributed an RBI and scored two runs. Third-year co-captain Taylor Anderson also got two hits and an RBI, and second-year second baseman Anthony Pantano knocked in a run with an RBI double in the sixth inning, and added a stolen base to his day.

“Getting our first win of the season against Purchase was great for the team,” Bell said. “It definitely helped with our confidence going into the Mount Saint Mary games.”

The Hawks then faced Mount Saint Mary College in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 12 and won the first game by a score of 9-1.

“It was a great win for us,” fourth-year co-captain Brett Wisner said. “We were clicking on all cylinders and everyone was doing what was necessary to get the win.”

Fourth-year pitcher Christian Huertas started for New Paltz and earned the victory as he threw six innings, surrendering one run on five hits and striking out five. LoRusso,

Hawks’ third-year co-captain Tyler Bell winds up. PHOTO COURTESY OF ED DILLER PHOTOGRAPHY

Wisner, first-year pitcher Justin Stybel and third-year pitcher Kevin Frank combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Second-year outfielder Jake Williams led the Hawks offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. DePietro had another two-hit performance including a double, while knocking in two runs. Anderson had another great day at the plate, going 2-for-3 and walking twice with an RBI and two runs scored, as well as stealing a base. Second-year outfielder Chris Moran also went 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and an RBI, and he also stole two bases.

In the second game, the Hawks suffered a tough 5-4 loss as the Knights scored all five of their runs in the final inning of the game for the walk-off win.

“I have to tip my cap to the Mount Saint Mary players,” Hawks head coach Matt Righter said. “They didn’t give up in that last inning when we were up four to nothing.

They just got a couple of hits, we really didn’t do anything wrong. They got a couple of big hits and that’s how they won, that’s baseball.”

Fourth-year co-captain Andrew DiNardo started the seventh inning

by getting the first batter to fly out to center. A hit and two walks then loaded the bases for Mount Saint Mary, and Votypka was brought in to try and get New Paltz out of the jam.

Three straight singles tied the game at 4-4 and put the winning run at third with only one out. Second-year pitcher Jordan Deitch was brought into a tough situation to try and send the game to extra-innings. After intentionally walking third-year outfielder Joey Pugliese, second-year second baseman Albert Estwick Jr. lined a single to center on a 0-2 pitch to give the Knights the victory.

“I know Ryan [Votypka] and Andrew [DiNardo] were not happy with the way the game ended,” Righter said. “But those are two guys who have been pitching really well, so I expect them to get right back out there and get the job done next time they’re called upon.”

Third-year pitcher Kyle Krebs started the game for New Paltz and tossed four scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit on three strikeouts.

This was the first game Krebs started since he earned the victory against Grove City College back on March 8, 2014. Bell and Williams both went 3-for-4, with Williams scoring a run and contributing two extra-base hits

Thursday, March 17, 2016

with a double and a triple. DePietro went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Pantano and second-year catcher Tyler Laco each tallied an RBI. “We definitely showed a lot of positives,” Bell said. “Our hitting was good once again and Kyle [Krebs] had a great start for us in his return as a starting pitcher. The last inning we sort of just took our foot off the pedal and Mount Saint Mary took advantage of it.”

On Monday, March 14 it was announced that Williams was named State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Baseball Player of the Week. He is the first New Paltz player to earn this honor since DiNardo received the accolade back in March of 2014.

Williams went 0-for-3 in the game against Purchase, but then went 6-for-9 with two doubles, a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored in the doubleheader against Mount Saint Mary. In total, Williams hit .500 for the week.

The Hawks will next play in Florida and compete in the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational from Thursday, March 17 to Wednesday, March 23. New Paltz will compete in nine games, including three matchups against No. 1 SUNY Cortland. Last season, Cortland won the NCAA Div. III World Series and went 17-1 in SUNYAC play. The Red Dragons currently have a record of 12-1.

In the days leading up to the flight to Florida, Wisner said the team focused on staying healthy and mentally prepared.

“We made sure to spend as much time as possible with the trainers so we could be as healthy as possible for when we made it down south,” Wisner said. “[Trainers] Michelle [Johnson] and Bryan [Lurie] do an awesome job. Other than that we were just mentally preparing ourselves for the games, especially our SUNYAC opener against the defending national champions, Cortland.”

New Paltz will then continue SUNYAC play and have their home opener against SUNY Plattsburgh on Friday, March 25.

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WHAT’S INSIDE

NUMBER ONE

Lacrosse Preps for Spring Break After Two Wins

ALL PHOTOS BY HOLLY LIPKA

PAGE 12

Softball Opens Season in Maryland PAGE 13

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL RANKED AT NO. 1 IN LATEST AVCA POLL : PAGE 11