The Chronicle- December 3, 2013

The Chronicle

December 3rd, 2013

The weekly student newspaper of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York www.strosechronicle.com - @strosechronicle

Volume LXXXII Issue 15

Clock Keeps Ticking

By JOURNALISM II

City inspectors delayed again a scheduled inspection for a vacant property on Park Avenue for which the owner requested yet another extension to get the property in line with city code regulations last month.

A fire at the house 17 years ago left the building uninhabitable and in disrepair and owner Patrick Landers has repeatedly requested time to fix it up. Neighbors have complained to the city about the property’s appearance and hazardous condition to no avail.

At least three men at 681 Park Ave., including Landers, were on

site working on the property on Nov. 22, the same day the inspection was initially scheduled. But, after the inspection date was confirmed last month, Dave Aumand, a code enforcement inspector, told the Pine Hills blog that the owner asked for yet another extension. The city agreed for the umpteenth time to give Landers four more weeks to get the property up to code.

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of Nov. 22, when two Pine Hills blog student reporters visited the location to take pictures of the renovation work, they were verbally harassed and in one inContinued on Page A7

Sexual Assault: What You Can do to Protect Yourself and Others

By AMAL TLAIGE Contributing Writer, E.J. CARELLA Contributing Writer, and VINCENT RULLO Contributing Writer

The balloons are released in memory of Nick Ramos. See page A2 for story.

News & Features

Arts & Opinion

KELLY PFEISTER

Sexual assault on college campuses is a serious national issue.

Many universities have underreported sexual assault cases in an effort to save the alleged university’s reputation, while the media glamorizes on it.

Due to the many recent lawsuits against sexual offenders on college campuses, a larger movement is currently being made to bring awareness to this national issue. The College of Saint Rose Journalism II course has interviewed people who have dealt

with sexual assault in many aspects, such as the victims, psychologist’s who deal with victims and offenders, members from Albany Police Department, and members of Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center to better understand the issue.

Saint Rose is making an effort to educate its students about sexual assault, in hopes that students will make better decisions to protect themselves and their peers and create a safer college environment.

There are multiple reasons as to why a great deal of sexual assault occurs on college campuses.

“Between wanting to fit in, make new friends and experiContinued on Pages A8 and A9

Sports

Refugees in Albany See pages A4

Review: Almost Human See page B13

Staff writer Tori Addison talks about Kobe Bryant’s new contract. See page D19

Music at St. Vincent de Paul See pages A6

Black Friday Shopping See page C17

Senior Profile: Christina Strezenec.

See page D20

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The Chronicle

News

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

Saint Rose Students Remember Ramos

By LAUREN HALLIGAN News Editor

The Saint Rose community lost one of its members last month. A student, Nicholas Ramos, died on Nov. 17 in his off-campus apartment.

A junior biology major from Brooklyn, Ramos passed away suddenly of natural causes. No further information was released from the College regarding the cause of his death.

In a message from Interim College President Margaret Kirwin, she said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, faculty and staff who are all shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic event. When we lose one of our own, we all grieve.”

On Nov. 20, a series of events were planned in remembrance of Ramos. Everyone was invited to attend any or all services.

First, the Office of Intercultural Leadership opened Avila Hall to honor Ramos through personal messages on a photo wall. In this ceremony, Ramos’ family spoke to the Saint Rose community.

Student Erika Romero said “It was very important because they got to see how we saw him, and we got to see how they saw him.”

Later that evening, a service of remembering was held at the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary to honor all who have died. Although the ceremony was for all those experiencing loss, Ramos was at the forefront of people’s minds.

Lastly, Ramos’ close friend Marisa Zable went the extra mile in making sure that everybody had a chance to participate by planning a late night balloon releasing ceremony. The student-run event started in the main lounge where students, faculty, staff, friends, and families could write messages on index cards. Grievers wrote messages to Ramos or his family, or poems or lyrics on the cards, which were tied to balloon strings and released on the campus quad at 10 p.m.

Zable said the goal of the

KELLY PFEISTER

On the evening of Nov. 20, friends of Nick’s gathered in the Main Lounge to write notes, and then release them on balloons outside. event was not only for students that were close to Ramos, but for others that may have seen him around campus or had brief interactions.

“I just want people to be able to say anything they didn’t get to say,” Zable said before the event.

The releasing of the balloons was a way to let go of sadness and become at peace, she said.

A signup sheet for bus transportation to Romero’s official funeral services on Nov. 23 in New York City was also available at this event.

Professor Ann Neilson of the physical education department had Ramos as a student in her mountain fitness class last semester. She said his sense of humor

was admirable. “I loved his enthusiasm for life.” Neilson said that Ramos loved life and had a wonderful camaraderie with his friends.

Though many tears were shed that evening, the night’s events were an effort to remember and honor Ramos. After watching the campus come together for these ceremonies, director of spiritual life Father Chris DeGiovine said “Death is a common experience for us all, and we all need to face the death of loved ones and support one another in our grieving.”

In this instance, and others over the years, he noted that “One of the best things about Saint Rose is that we are a community that does that.”

The College’s Counseling Center and Office of Spiritual Life staff are available to meet with anyone in need as the community copes with this loss.

Though tragedy took Ramos from his college life in Albany, “He will always be a member of our Saint Rose family,” Kirwin said.

By VANESSA LANGDON Staff Writer

er elaborated on the results of this year’s event. The event ran for one week: Nov. 4 through Nov. 8.

Although Whittaker admitted that the total amount of nonperishable foods collected was down slightly from last year, the amount is nothing to be ashamed about.

The College community donated 250 food items during the week the vans were parked outside the EAC, but there were still items being dropped off to the Student Association office after the formal collection and tabling was over.

The event is no small undertaking, as Whittaker explained that “Once the Community Service Committee is created at the beginning of the school year, Stuff the Van is an event that is first on our agenda.” All the hard work and dedication that goes into the event will not go unnoticed.

All the proceeds were donated to the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless located locally on Sheridan Avenue in Albany.

Student Association member Courtney Carr spoke of the importance of doing good in our

community both this time of year and year round. “Stuff the Van is a truly gratifying experience for both those that help plan the event and those that donate.

When dropping the donations off at Interfaith, it was clear how much it meant to the organization and how many people would benefit from this simple act.”

For those who still want to give for the first time this holiday season, donations will continue to be accepted at Interfaith every day of the week all year round.

KELLY PFEISTER

Kathleen Gargan comforts Jessie Williams on Nov. 20, as students write messages to Nick.

Stuff aVan aWorthwhile Tradition

Similar to the Stuff a Bus campaigns that have become so popular in both raising school supplies for underprivileged school children and families alike through aid of school supplies and groceries, Saint Rose, for the fifth continuous year, sponsored by the Student Association, participated in its own version of Stuff a Bus with Stuff a Van. One of the chairs of the Student Association, Justin Whittak-

December 3rd, 2013

News

Volume 82 Issue 15

In Brief

Chronicle Editor Awarded Broadcast Scholarship Last Tuesday, Nov. 26, Jackson Wang, a senior at The College of Saint Rose, received the 2013 WTEN Broadcast Scholarship. Wang, executive editor of The Saint Rose Chronicle, was awarded $2000. The scholarship is awarded to an individual pursuing a degree in Communica-

tions.

Those who apply must have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher and acquired 60 or more credits to be considered, and is awarded annually. Although the scholarship refers to broadcast journalism, communications students pursuing a degree in a related field may

also apply.

To apply, the student must fill out required paperwork and submit an academic transcript, two brief letters of recommendation, and a one-page written statement that details why the applicant is pursuing a career in broadcast or a related field.

Burglary on Colonial Avenue An 81-year-old female Albany resident approached her home on Colonial Avenue on the afternoon of Nov. 18 to find her front door open. She then entered her residence and encountered two unknown males inside. One of the suspects shoved the victim, causing her to strike her head, though

she was not injured.

Officers responded to the report of burglary, but both suspects had then fled the scene with property belonging to the victim.

The investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Albany Police

Detective Division at 462-8039.

Albany Police remind community members to review home security tips whenever leaving the house unattended. They urge residents to hide valuables well, bolt down safes, and install motion sensor lights.

Local Early Morning Robberies Two local robberies occurred on Nov. 20, both before 6 a.m.

In an attempted robbery of the 515 Washington Avenue Stewarts, the clerk reported that a black male, approximately five feet and 11 inches tall entered the store armed with what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash. Police were notified and

The Chronicle

Executive Editor Jackson Wang ‘14 wangj847@strose.edu

the suspect fled without any proceeds. The incident occurred around 5 a.m.

Later that morning, in another robbery that occurred in a Sheridan Avenue parking garage, a suspect described as a black male approximately six feet tall and armed with what appeared to be a knife approached the victim and

Features Editor Conor Shea ‘15 sheac613@strose.edu

demanded money. The 41-yearold female victim complied and the suspect fled the scene with her cell phone. No injuries were reported.

Albany police are investigating both cases, and anyone with information is asked to call the Albany Police Detective Division at 462-8039.

Business Manager Shawn Dixon dixons@strose.edu

Managing Editor Opinion Editor Chris Surprenant ‘14 Zachary Olsavicky surprenantc572@strose.edu olsavickyz977@strose.edu

Advertising Manager Shawn Dixon dixons@strose.edu

News Editor Lauren Halligan halliganl567@strose.edu

Arts Editor Rachel Bolton ‘15 boltonr413@strose.edu

Web Editor Christopher Lovell ‘15 lovellc083@strose.edu

Layout Editor / Videographer John Janitz ‘14 janitzj140@strose.edu

Sports Editor Joshua Natoli ‘14 natolij477@strose.edu

Head Photographer Kelly Pfeister ‘14 pfeisterk953@strose.edu

Assistant Layout Editor Jennifer O’Connor ‘16 oconnorj984@strose.edu

Copy Editor Jenessa Matis ‘14 matisj311@strose.edu

Faculty Adviser Cailin Brown

Staff Writers Tori Addison Katherine Bakaitis Katelyn Doherty Asia Ewart Andy Gilchrist Katie Klimacek Kevin Jacob Vanessa Langdon Alex Pecha Lauren Sears M. William Smith

Staff Photographer Anthony Chapin Chris Alvarado

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Calendar of Events Tuesday, December 3rd 4 p.m. MAPS ALB 109 7 p.m. G4G (Girls For God) Sanctuary 7 p.m. Spectrum St. Joseph’s Hall 8 p.m. Outside the [Box] Albertus 216 8 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary 8 p.m. Campus Band Concert Massry Wednesday, December 4th 2:40 p.m. Natural Science Association Science Center Room 352 4:30 p.m. Student Association Meeting Standish 5 p.m. Mid-Week Mass Sanctuary 7:30 p.m. BASIC Sanctuary 8 p.m. Colleges Against Cancer Meeting Albertus Room 210 10 p.m. Karate Club Practice EAC Room 110

Thursday, December 5th 4:15 p.m. Adventure Club Lima Basement 5:30 p.m. SEB Meeting St. Joseph’s Hall 6 p.m. CREST Colloquium with Phi Alpha Theta Students Symposium 7:30 p.m. Identity Main Lounge Friday, December 6th 6 p.m. It’s a Jazzy Christmas! Massry Saturday, December 7th Sunday, December 8th 7:30 p.m. Masterworks Ensemble Concert Massry Monday, December 9th 5:15 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary 8 p.m. WInd Ensemble Concert Massry 8:30 p.m. CEC Lima Basement If you have an upcoming event you would like to see in our weekly Calendar of Events, please e-mail chronicle@strose.edu.

Correction The photo of Saint Rose honoring veterans on Nov. 11 published in the previous issue was incorrectly attributed to Kelly Pfeister.

It was actually photographed by Chris Alvarado. All other photos were correctly attributed.

ANY student can join The Saint Rose Chronicle The Chronicle is published weekly on Tuesdays during the academic year and once during the summer months. The Chronicle is published at the facilities of New England Newspapers in Pittsfield, M.A.

Official E-mail Address Chronicle@strose.edu

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Mailing Address The Saint Rose Chronicle 432 Western Avenue Albany, NY 12203

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Meetings are held every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the CCIM 121, the MAC Lab.

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The Chronicle accepts Letters to the Editor from any party. We recommend that submissions not exceed 1000 words. Letters, columns, and cartoons published in this newspaper represent the opinion of the author, not necessarily that of The Chronicle.

News Worldly Discussion on Refugees in Albany Formulates Plan to Help Displaced Families

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The Chronicle

December 3rd, 2013

By CAMERON MILLER Contributing Writer There is a population in Albany that goes largely unnoticed and unrecognized, and it is unfortunately the population that arguably needs the most help and assistance from the communityrefugees.

This issue has been taken into serious consideration by Albany Mayor Elect Kathy Sheehan, who hopes to unite the power of city hall with the many non-profits already in place and devise a plan of attack to truly provide a stable plan of living for these families who are entering a completely new and disorienting culture.

Unknown to many residents, Albany is a city that hosts a very high percentage of refugees because it is a fairly centrally located urban center that also has readily accessible public transportation, and access to jobs in a city that is affordable to live in.

This makes Albany a very high target area for refugees from other countries that were forced out of their past homes to be placed, where they can start a new life.

Sheehan hopes to address this issue that has been overlooked for far too long by city hall.

An event took place on Nov. 21 at Saint Rose in the Sanctuary in hopes to address this issue, and brought together many of the large figures that have a hand in helping these refugees get back on their feet and become self -sustaining. Mayor Elect Sheehan, who includes the issue in her new political platform, along with prominent members of Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus, and the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, discussed a plan of attack to better aid these new residents who are attempting to get integrated into an overwhelmingly different environment.

Sheehan opened the forum by

KELLY PFEISTER

Mayor Elect Kathy Sheehan shares a smile with Jill Peckenpaugh at the Thursday night event. discussing the difficulty of helping this populace and said, “You don’t become a refugee without being displaced. The whole notion of being displaced is something that if you don’t experience or empathize with, you can end up causing more damage than helping.”

Jill Peckenpaugh, director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is hopeful about this new effort but realizes there are still challenges for governmentally funded programs for refugees.

“We do struggle. There is initial funding for those first three months that helps refugees find an apartment, get furniture, find a job, all those crucial things, but it’s a 30-day program that can be extended to 90 days… I would love if there was a way to maintain a relationship with refugees for years and years but formally there is no way to do that,” said Peckenpaugh.

While USCRI is only able to help with the basic foundation, coordination between city hall

and nonprofits like RISSE could help solve that problem. RISSE is a place for children and parents alike to begin to acclimate to the culture and education system of the United States.

With their presence in the Pine Hills area beginning in 2007, RISSE offers after-school programs for students that help with tutoring and also provide a social place for many foreign students with the same struggles to discuss what they are going through. The staff at RISSE is also very diverse themselves, which helps to forge a more comfortable environment for these families going through culture shock.

Rifat Filkins, executive director of RISSE, said, “It’s a very diverse place, so that helps a lot.

We have people from Rwanda, our operations director is from Rwanda, and I’m from Pakistan.”

A student at The College of Saint Rose, who also volunteers at RISSE, Abby Brigham found her way into the program during Urban Launch, and now has a work study position in the

support center where she enjoys helping foreign students.

“We tutor them and then help them and keep them busy,” said Brigham. “The adult program is mainly English classes to help them learn the language; it’s like a socializing platform for them too.”

Sheehan also notices the potential to achieve integration through education.

“What we realized is that we know how to get people out of poverty. You educate them,” said Sheehan. “A good education is the path out of poverty. How do we ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed? Looking at this population of youth is ideal to be doing it now. If we can build support systems outside and inside school systems now and do things in city hall that are part of the solution and not the problem, then we will see the benefits in our city.”

This initial discussion certainly brings a spotlight to the issue, but it will take a lot of coordination and work to get to the root

Volume 82 Issue 15

of the problem and begin changing things. There is a very large discrepancy between education systems in the United States and other foreign countries. The language barrier adds another layer of learning on top of basic comprehension, which makes it difficult for foreign students to keep up in class.

Transferring from another foreign education can be challenging as well, which is recognized by 28-year-old Olena Sadovnik, who currently attends The College of Saint Rose after receiving the Fulbright Scholarship. After attending the college, she noticed many differences between her old education in Ukraine and the one she now receives at The College of Saint Rose.

“The process is about memorizing,” said Sadovnik. “They lecture and you take notes and do exams and you are done. Here I feel like students are more challenged. You need to express your opinion and support your opinion. It’s more about expressing yourself than memorizing something.”

While the discussion on Nov. 21 was a very progressive big step for a big issue, it will take continued conversations between city hall and non-profits like RISSE to put together a strong plan of action to help these families become stable and active members in the Albany community, and find their stride.

Kathy Sheehan recognizes the immediate need to intervene and help these families and said, “If we start to proactively look at how we can better connect the refugees who are coming into this city looking for jobs, the faster we can get them employed and working, the faster they can get engaged in the community, and the faster they can provide for their families and not be worrying about ‘Where will I get my next meal?’”

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

The First Rule of Film Club?

Everyone Can Talk About Film Club

By CONOR SHEA Features Editor Like many other schools, The College of Saint Rose has a number of majors that dabble in, and briefly touch on, aspects of film.

For instance, the communications major has an entire concentration devoted to film and new media.

Under this cap, students will find themselves taking courses like Film History and Film Arts, as well as practical application courses like New Media and Basic Production.

The English department offers similar classes like Film Theory and Practice, and other courses that include video media projects as part of the curriculum.

Despite this small palate of film related courses to choose from, Saint Rose does not yet have a unifying film major, and that wasn’t cutting it for Victoria Creary.

Creary, a sophomore communications major at The College of Saint Rose, earlier this semester made the decision to start a film club on campus to remedy this situation.

“I think film can really bring a lot of people with different interests together.”

Victoria Creary “I really wanted to start the club because I think film can really bring a lot of people with different interests together,” said Creary on her motivation to bring more film appreciation and practice to Saint Rose.

“The club is very new and our main purpose is to just have fun and learn about filmmaking together,” she continued.

Saint Rose policy dictates that any student can join a club, regardless of their major, but academic clubs tend to unintention-

ally self-segregate themselves to members from a related field of study.

This is a trend that Creary knows all too well: “Most clubs on campus might only appeal to those who are a certain major.

With the film club, I'm hoping to bring together the English majors, music majors, art majors, communications majors...etc. I just thought it would be nice to have a club that everyone could be involved with.”

Ironically, the advantage for Creary here lies in the lack of a film major at Saint Rose, allowing for a film club to be ubiquitously interesting and open to all students.

So much goes into the process of making a movie, and there is easily room for students of all fields and majors.

Creary explained, “We're really trying to get people who are interested in the many aspects involved with filmmaking. So basically people interested in music composition, makeup artistry, screenwriting, directing, producing, acting, and cinematography.”

Unlike many collegiate clubs, the meetings will not be relegated just to discussing the theory and general relevant topics.

Creary says that the club “will be project based, meaning that we'll split into groups and work with that group on a certain film project.”

These assignments also mean that the group will not necessarily hold regular weekly meetings like other clubs, instead convening when appropriate for the current group projects.

For students chomping at the bit to start attending meetings, unfortunately for now, they will have to wait, as Creary says the club’s meetings won’t officially begin until the spring semester.

Any students interested in learning more about Saint Rose’s new Film Club should contact President Victoria Creary at crearyv976@strose.edu.

News

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Clarinet Choir and Saxophone Ensemble Concert at Massry

By John lyden Contributing writer A series of classical and jazz numbers were performed Sunday

by The Saint Rose Saxophone Ensemble and The Saint Rose Clarinet Choir in the Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall in the Massry Center for the Arts.

Each group performed a variety of melodies. The Saxophone Ensemble performed “I Feel Pretty,” “Canzona XV,” “Havana in the Fifties,” and “Wind it Up.” The Clarinet Choir performed “Pomp and Circumstance March,” “Capriccio,” “Quartet No. 12” (The “American”), and “12th St. Rag.” For this year’s performance, the focus was on playing a diverse number of songs.

“It’s important to expose the students to different styles,” said Lenore Aldi-Snow, an adjunct instructor of clarinet, Clarinet Choir, and Secondary Instrument Ensemble at The College of Saint Rose since 2007.

“Some of them are transcriptions from orchestral works or quartets from other instruments.

It’s important not to have something that’s all the same. I like to give a variety.”

For Robert Wilkins, a senior

The Saint Rose Clarinet Choir. at Saint Rose who has been involved with The Saint Rose Clarinet Choir since his freshman year, playing at this event gave him a chance to reflect back on how the music program has changed over the years.

“It started off about six or seven years ago with only four players. Last year we had 20 kids,” said Wilkins. “New instruments have been added like the counter base clarinet and the E flat clarinet.”

The musicians would get up from their chairs and move to different positions on the stage throughout the show.

Members of The Saint Rose Saxophone Ensemble.

John Lyden

John Lyden

They would do this essentially in unison, as if it had been rehearsed for years.

“We shift because the kids need to try secondary instruments,” said Wilkins. “We try to get everybody to play the low and the high instruments. It’s also a way to get everybody playing an instrument they’re most comfortable playing.”

Jimmy Affatigato graduated from Saint Rose earlier this year.

He had the opportunity to come back and play with his alma mater band despite no longer being a student at Saint Rose.

“It’s the most fun ensemble,” said Affatigato. “I’m not from Albany originally, but I really like the Saint Rose community so I’m staying around here. I feel welcome even though I’ve already graduated.”

Students do not need to be majoring in music in order to play with The Saint Rose Clarinet Choir.

Their aim is to create an inclusive atmosphere where the focus is on the music rather than on the competition.

“We even have some people in the band from the community and from other colleges,” said AldiSnow. “I want to give as many people an opportunity as possible.”

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News

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

Music at The Church of Saint Vincent de Paul

By CAMERON MILLER Contributing Writer

It’d be difficult to walk past the Church of Saint Vincent de Paul on a Sunday morning and not take notice of the unique music coming from inside. A steel drum clangs and leads off a psalm, just one of many distinctive instruments in St. Vincent’s repertoire at the Sunday mass. Percussionist Lilianna Angel notes how it provides a different flavor of sound to the congregants.

“I chose steel drum because I fell in love with the instrument after seeing a steel band perform… I love our collection of instrumentalists,” said Angel.

“Marie likes to pick different instruments to take turns playing the intro on the psalms so that the congregation gets to hear the different instruments.”

“Some are performers, play in a band outside of church circles, some are professional music educators in the school systems surrounding us, and some just do music at church.”

Marie Bernadett The Director of Music and Liturgy, Marie Bernadett leads a diverse group of individuals who come from all over. While some have musical backgrounds, Bernadett notes that is not the case for all.

“Some are performers, play in a band outside of church circles, some are professional music educators in the school systems surrounding us, and some just do music at church,” Bernadett said.

She first grew interested in music while attending a Catholic high school, and then got more involved with liturgical music at the University of California at Davis where she wanted to pur-

Rose, and some students come and put their talents to work at the 6:30 p.m. mass Sundays. Student Music Director Jesse Rawson said that while many students are busy, it is invaluable when they are able to play at mass.

“It’s difficult to get college students to commit on a weekly basis, but it’s very rewarding when you get together a musically talented group,” Rawson said. For

“The whole church can be part of the choir!”

Marie Bernadett CAMERON MILLER

Marie Bernadett performing at the Church of Saint Vincent de Paul. sue a degree on the subject. After receiving her master’s from Santa Clara in California, she then moved to Albany in 1994, and started working at St. Vincent’s Church in October of that year.

The move awakened Bernadett to the musical differences between California and New York.

“We are in a musically rich neighborhood, but you are in a musically rich state. New York has good music programs in schools, so it’s a big difference moving from the West Coast to the East Coast,” she said.

St. Vincent’s parish is active, as is evidenced at a weekend mass. When a new song starts, almost everyone has their hymnbooks out, ready to sing along.

While there is a strong musical presence in the choir at the front of the church, the whole room booms with an assemblage of voices. Rebecca Angel, Lilianna’s mother, and leader of song at the church, realized just how different St. Vincent’s environment is from other parishes.

“It was only after joining St. Vincent’s here in Albany that I became a cantor, and realized my previous experience with a church choir, although positive for my own musical benefit, was

not inclusive or helpful in prayer for the congregation,” said Angel.

“My choir growing up performed for the church. In St. Vincent’s, we lead the church in song,” At other churches she is mostly singing by herself, she said, while at St. Vincent’s, the whole parish is singing along. Sunday mass at 11 a.m. attracts up to 375 congregants, all together in song.

Much thought goes into the musical selections, so that they tie in with that week’s gospel and homily. Bernadett also said she tries to keep the music modern and contemporary.

“We certainly do traditional music but not as much as other parishes. More than traditional versus contemporary, I try and go with texts that are supportive of what we believe, and not all old texts do that,” Bernadett said.

While Bernadett does largely

have control of the music from week to week, there are guidelines that must be followed, set by a music subcommittee within the Diocesan Liturgical Commission in Albany. Sister Patricia St. John, founder and director of the Carondelet Music Center, follows the national guidelines approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which have very specific instructions on what type of music is permitted at liturgy.

“When someone comes to me and says, ‘I’d like to have this really favorite CD of my grandmother’s played at her funeral mass’–I can say, ‘Well, the National guidelines for liturgical music prohibit the use of secular songs as well as recorded music at liturgy,’” St. John said.

St. Vincent’s is in close proximity to The College of Saint

anyone wishing to attend the service at Saint Vincent’s, the Sunday masses are at 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and conclude with a night mass at 6:30 p.m. Rehearsals for the choir are also on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

The folks at St. Vincent’s are prepared for more congregants to come and share their faith in song and celebration, as a renovation is planned to accommodate more parishioners, and will better incorporate the choir in the congregation.

Angel said when someone had petitioned Bernadett about what they would do about the rising number of participants, “‘I remember someone worrying to Marie that we might have to add more chairs to the choir section because we were getting too big.

Marie shrugged, ‘So what? The whole church can be part of the choir!’”

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December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

News

681 Park Ave Continued From Page A1

stance, threatened as they stood across the street from the house.

Landers said on Nov. 22 that he has active building permits for the property and that “everything is paid for in this building.”

The property was registered as vacant in 2006 and continues to show little signs of repair.

The building was last occupied in March 1996 when a fire damaged the building. Some residents are concerned that the vacant and now dilapidated house could attract trouble.

One neighbor who is nervous about the future of 681 Park Ave. is Diane Schuetze, who has lived on the street for 18 years. She wonders what an empty house might bring this winter.

“Transients are drawn to empty houses,” said Schuetze. Someone trying to keep warm may take shelter in the home on a cold night. “If the person starts a fire, the whole neighborhood is at risk.”

While Schuetze has not recognized any noticeable improvements to the property since the story, “Give Me Park Avenue,” was first published in May, the owner of the property was cleaning debris off the parcel last month.

Just this year, the property was inspected in June and July, and the city permitted an extension for Landers to repair the missing siding, and paint the door and window coverings. In order for the property to pass inspection, Landers must keep the property registered as vacant with the city’s office of Building and Regulatory Compliance. He is also required to repair missing or damaged exterior surfaces including siding, remove debris from the property, repaint exterior wood surfaces, board up any open windows and doors as well as painting them a color that compliments the building and paint the coverings of all doors and windows among other code violations.

“There is scaffolding set up

at 681 Park Ave., but I have not noticed any work at the property, at least not on the exterior,” said Gregory Maida, who owns 677 Park Ave. It is possible that repairs have occurred inside the house. In the past he has sent letters of complaint to the city.

Landers and another man were working on the property on Nov. 6. Wheelbarrows filled with wood were hauled from the back yard into a trailer attached to a blue pickup truck parked on the street in front of the building. The flatbed was filled with machinery and pieces of cream colored siding resembling the siding on the house.

Last month, Landers criticized the portrayal of his property in the story on The Pine Hills Blog: “I’m not quite sure why Saint Rose has such a, you know, extraordinary interest in my property,” he said. He did not elaborate on his plans to make the property habitable, although in city records from August 2011, Landers wrote that he intended to remove

LAUREN HALLIGAN

The property at 681 Park Ave. was registered as vacant in 2006 and was last occupied in March 1996.

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LAUREN HALLIGAN

Workers outside the property on Nov. 22, the day of a scheduled inspection that was delayed yet again. the exterior asphalt sheathing and re-frame the interior “in preparation for occupancy.” That was more than two years ago.

The property, scheduled for city inspection on Dec. 20, is one of about 10 in the neighborhood and about 850 citywide registered as abandoned or vacant.

Another vacant building east of the Park Avenue property is located in the 500 block of Myrtle Avenue. Postings on the front door and windows affixed as recently as late last month direct the property owners to call the Wells Fargo mortgage company. But, pinpointing the problems of each of the uncared-for properties is not easy, said Common Council member Leah Golby, who represents parts of the neighborhood.

She has received numerous complaints about issues concerning various buildings. “The houses that I have dealt with; they’re each unique. They each have their own story,” said Golby.

The residential Myrtle Avenue property is near her home and was placed on the vacant building inventory list on Feb. 13 of this year. According to Keith McDonald, commissioner of the Department of Assessment and Taxation, the property is owned by Francis Cristofaro and Kathleen O’Leary, neither of whom could be reached for comment. No for-

warding address was provided to the Department of Assessment and Taxation, McDonald said.

Golby asked the city to inspect the vacant property. She wants the house to be fixed, sold, and put back to use as a home. “It would be terrific to start providing ways to help get these properties back in use,” said Golby, “We want them to be in good shape.”

Funding assistance could speed up and enhance property repair, Golby said. However, in order for that to happen, the landowners of problematic properties must take advantage of what assistance may be provided to them, instead of abandoning the properties and allowing them to degrade.

The city can fine and prosecute owners, demolish their properties, or both. Jeffrey Jamison, director of the City’s Building and Regulatory Compliance Department, encounters abandoned buildings all the time. “We’ve had about 20 [demolished] so far this year,” he said. “If we feel that it is an imminent threat to the public then we’ll have to take it down.”

“You look at places like Detroit and other cities that have 10,000 to 15,000 vacant buildings; they can’t tear them all down. It’s not feasible,” Jamison said, “but if they are a danger to the public, we will have to tear them down.”

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News

Sexual Assault

Rena Epting demonstrating self-defense skills in her class.

Continued From Page A1 menting with alcohol, many students find themselves taking more risks than they would otherwise,” said Cindy Forte, the director of the Albany self-defense course known as R.A.D. She said that alcohol especially can hinder a student’s good judgment and cause the student to end up in dangerous situations.

“They (students) are less able to recognize and protect themselves from danger when they’ve been drinking,” said Forte.

It’s not just college students who are threatened by the dangers that exist in the real world. Law officials are aware of how widespread sexual assault is and will go to any length to ensure safety.

One officer advises his wife not to be afraid to take a baseball bat to someone if they are attempting to sexually harass her. While many cases of sexual assault leave a victim frozen, Officer Kevin Flynn encourages victims to make a scene, and be loud to scare the perpetrator away.

“Scream at the top of your lungs. Yell ‘no,’” said Flynn, who has been an Albany police officer for 16 years. He said that when handling a sexual assault case,

he tries to make the victim feel at ease. “The main thing is, protect the victim...the victim is the crime scene.”

The way a police officer handles the situation when called to the scene is very important. If the victim feels as if the police do not believe their story, they will not want to cooperate any further. “We comfort them; we want to get them to the hospital,” said Flynn.

Both Saint Rose Campus Security and Albany Police are trained to be efficient when dealing with sexual assault cases. Flynn said the three steps a police officer follows when responding to domestic violence and sexual assaults on college campuses is referred to as the “3 C’s,” which are communication, cooperation, and containment.

The first C is Communication. Communication is key, and ultimately decides whether or not a crime has occurred. Many victims do not want to believe they’ve been victim to a crime, and do not call 911. Most calls come from a victim’s friends, so when a sexual assault is reported, police handle the matter in a delicate and straightforward manner.

Police determine how far they

AMAL TLAIGE

need to go in their investigation.

The second C is Cooperation.

The way Campus Security deals with the victim can affect the police investigation. Campus Security and victim cooperation with the police is necessary to reach the victim’s goals.

Working with the district attorney is also crucial for a conviction to take place. “To get a conviction, the district attorney really needs the victim on board,” said Flynn. Without strong physical evidence, it’s difficult to prosecute the offender.

The third C is containment. If a crime has occurred, it’s important that police tape off the crime area and keep victims, witnesses, and suspects until police arrive.

“The first thing you tell the victim is, ‘Don’t take a shower.’

You have DNA all over you if it’s a sexual assault,” said Flynn.

Traces of hair, saliva, sperm, urine, and even blood from an offender could be on the victim’s body. Police advise individuals who were not involved in the incident to stay away from the crime as it can contaminate evidence and make the victim feel uncomfortable.

Victims are offered ambulance transportation, but many choose

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to get a ride with a friend. At the hospital, the victim will undergo a rape exam to obtain evidence.

While it is known to be invasive for the victim, it is a necessary component in obtaining evidence.

In addition, Flynn said the hospital will conduct a toxicology report to look for drugs in the victim’s system. This should be done within 48 hours of the crime because any drugs that could have been placed in the victim’s system by the offender will be gone.

The toxicology report must be approved by the District Attorney’s Office because it costs around $1000 for each toxicology exam. The results take about six to eight weeks to come back.

Alcohol consumption is a big factor in sexual assault cases.

“Know what your body can handle before you get impaired,” Flynn said. He also advised females to walk with a male they can trust or walk in groups.

“People should stop calling it date rape and start calling it an offender known crime,” said Joe Farrell from New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Sexual assault is not a matter to be taken lightly, and the fact that the media glamorizes it by using terms such as “date rape” makes it seem like less of a crime. Colleges should inform students about sexual assaults on campuses, said Farrell.

The College of Saint Rose is educating students about the issue through the self-defense course the physical education department offers.

“They learn to use their critical thinking skills for planning safe social experiences and discover how they react to their body’s fight, flight, or freeze response in a threat situation,” said Rena Epting, the physical education teacher who teaches self-defense.

The course will help students better understand the mental and emotional aspects of using physical force to protect themselves against a violent person. Epting said she also focuses on how important it is for students to think during an attack to decide if resisting or not resisting the attacker is the best method to survive.

“The majority of students do want to learn self-defense in order to alleviate the fear of not knowing what to do if confronted by an attacker or predator. Other students who are victims of physical or sexual assault enroll in the course hoping to regain their self confidence in life,” said Epting.

Students practice physical techniques and verbal skills needed to successfully escape an attacker in the real world. The class uses impact equipment such as body shields, focus pads, and blockers. This will “give students the opportunity to develop their protective blocks, palm, forearm, finger, and knife-hand strikes as well as front, heel, and knee kicks,” said Epting.

Not only do these drills teach students about self-awareness, but they provide students with a hands-on approach when put in a dangerous situation. “The impact equipment and drills also give students the opportunity to target vulnerable areas such as eyes, throat, pressure points, and soft tissue,” Epting said. During class, the students are encouraged to use their voice to yell and make a scene for bystanders to notice.

There are other self-defense courses offered in the Capital Region. SUNY Albany offers a free self defense course known as R.A.D (rape, aggression, and defense) for women, men and children, which are taught by certified R.A.D instructors.

The classes use self-defense methods and martial arts techniques as the physical component in their class. Ninety percent of the personal safety that R.A.D teaches is mental, such as awareness, avoiding risks, reducing risks, and recognizing unpredicted risks. The classes are free of charge and are usually taught at SUNY Albany, Saint Rose, community centers, school gyms, and local fitness centers.

Awareness teaches students not to walk around as if they’re free from all dangers and to be alert at all times, said Cindy Forte.

Students should not have their phones out texting with their Continued on Next Page

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Continued From Previous Page head down. This will help them see who and what is around them that could be a potential danger.

Forte wants women to understand that the classes are not difficult and a student does not have to be the most fit person to succeed in self-defense. “We aren’t training women to go ten rounds with their assailant. We’re teaching them moves to help them escape,” she said.

In every class, Forte mentions and encourages bystander intervention. “There is always a way to get involved and help someone in need. It is our collective duty to do so. You can be an active bystander by getting involved, provided it is safe to do so.” While many dangerous situations are prevented when a bystander intervenes, Forte said a bystander should not put himself or herself at risk if they feel uncomfortable doing so. She recommends an easier way for bystanders to get involved by simply calling the police or Campus Security.

Forte also said that a major component in the R.A.D. course is for women to feel and act confident. Students become victims often times because they look vulnerable. “The other part of the mental change is confidence in ourselves and walking around looking like we can handle ourselves. Don’t look like an easy target,” said Forte.

On college campuses, victims may choose to report an attack or assault to a resident assistant in a dormitory. Resident assistants are trained to prevent, if able, but more importantly they’re taught to console the victim and report the event immediately to their supervisor.

“Every R.A. has been trained and is as ready as they’ll ever be in regards to sexual assault incidents on campus,” said Myles Clendenin, a graduate student and resident assistant at Saint Rose.

“A resident assistant has to keep the victim calm and safe until their supervisor arrives with security. It’s a very serious crime, and the process has to be dealt with quickly and effectively if anything can be accomplished,”

said Clendenin.

If a student is sexually assaulted, they can also speak to Dennis McDonald, the vice-president of Saint Rose Student Affairs, who handles many non-academic aspects of college life. If reported to McDonald, he is obligated to report the case.

In 2007, the Legal Project partnered with Saint Rose to provide free or reasonable legal services to women who have been sexually assaulted. The Legal Project believes that everyone should have access to legal services.

According to their website, the group feels they have “A special commitment to women and others who may face difficulty in obtaining legal assistance.” Saint Rose received a federal grant from the Office of Violence Against Women of the U.S. Department of Justice, which was and still is able to offer these services.

McDonald said that in April 2011, every college president in the country received a letter that defined Title IX, which is a law that ensures gender equity in education and athletics. This includes equity in coursework, programming and dealing with sexual assault. McDonald said that when a sexual assault is reported, it is tracked in compliance with the Clery Act, which requires colleges to keep statistics on various crimes that occur on campus.

Both Title IX and the Clery Act are legal efforts intended to motivate colleges to protect students and raising awareness about sexual assault.

McDonald overlooks and makes sure that all security personnel are trained to deal with sexual assault cases. In addition, McDonald also reads every sexual assault case that is reported and determines whether administrative action needs to be enforced or not.

“Students, both male and female, need to be better educated on to how to lessen their risk of being assaulted. We need to teach our young men that if a woman cannot clearly say ‘yes,’ then it is always a ‘no.’ That one night stand is not worth going to jail for,” said Forte.

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Local Group Helping Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan

By JACKSON WANG Executive Editor The images of the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan are unforgettable.

Thousands of homes and businesses are in ruins, while Philippine officials confirmed last week that at least 5,200 lives have been lost and at least 1,000 more are still missing.

Meanwhile, millions of people living in the Philippines are left with little to nothing. But help is coming from around the world, including organizations like UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, and the American Red Cross.

Even one local group in Albany is stepping in to help- Catholic Charities, which is working with Catholic Relief Services, a group that is already serving the people in the Philippines.

“What Catholic Charities is doing here in the Albany Dioceses is we’re working with parishes and individuals to collect those donations, bundle them all together, and give them over to Catholic Relief Services,” said Paul McAvoy, manager of communications for Catholic Charities.

Many parishes in the Albany

Dioceses in Albany County, and the other 13 counties in New York, have already started to collect money to help with the relief efforts. Catholic Charities is also working with many other community groups as well to raise money.

“One of the other great things about Catholic Relief Services is that they’re on the ground helping in the Philippines,” said McAvoy. “And as soon as that support comes in, that money gets put to use right away.”

Mary Olsen, director for Catholic Relief Services and disaster responses for the Dioceses of Albany, said that the money will be used to buy items such as portable shelters, cooking supplies, hygienic products, and fresh water.

Olsen said that 100 percent of the donations collected will go toward helping the people in the Philippines.

When the typhoon first hit the islands of the Philippines, Olsen said her “first thoughts were, ‘oh my god,’ the devastation, the loss of life, people are not going to know where their family members are, just the chaos.”

But she knew that Catholic

Help arriving in the Philippines from the United States.

Relief Services would be there to help because they were already stationed in the Philippines.

They’ve been there since 1945.

Olsen also knew that raising money for the relief efforts wouldn’t be a problem, especially after seeing what happened when Catholic Charities raised money for the people of Japan after the tsunami hit the northeast Asia country in March of 2011.

“We raised over $250,000 for the tsunami that hit Japan,” said Olsen, confident that the same could happen with this event.

And even as the Philippines start to clean up and recover, Olsen says reliefs will still be coming in.

“Let’s say money is still trickling in later. We will send that to (Catholic Relief Services) because they’re still going to need that money years to come,” said Olsen. “(The donor’s) money is well-spent and they’re affecting lives.”

For more information on Catholic Charities or to make a donation, visit ccrcda.org. Donations can also be made by mail40 North Main Ave., Albany, NY 12203.

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News English Classes Build Community Bridges A10

The Chronicle

By OLENA SADOVNIK Contributing Writer The morning sun streamed into a spacious studying room, filled with about 20 students and a teacher. A lively and animated discussion was taking place, blended around the names of internationally renowned film directors such as Martin Scorsese, Kim Ki-duk, and Stanley Kubrick. But this was not a cinematography club; it was a class of English for speakers of other languages.

For the third year in a row, the Pine Hills branch of the Albany Public Library offers ESL classes, sponsored by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

“By offering English classes for non-native speakers at the library, we see ourselves as a bridge from the community to a school system. We offer space to a school system, namely BOCES, so they can offer ESL classes to adult learners,” said Christine Havens, a library assistant.

The concept behind opening English classes for non-native speakers at the library goes back several years when ESL classes were taught in the nearby Pine Hills Elementary School. Shortly after, the staff at the school reached out to the program administrators in the interest of serving the needs of the parents and families of the elementary students, said Bill DeVoe, communications specialist for BOCES Career and Technical School.

According to the latest available data, 155 people moved to the Pine Hills neighborhood from abroad in 2010, said Joanna King, a senior planner at the Capital District Regional Commission. Despite the overall moderate numbers of newcomers, a demand for ESL classes has increased.

“Our overall enrollment in all of our ESL classes has nearly doubled over the last four years,” said DeVoe. ESL classes are free to students age 21 years and older. To enroll in a class, prospec-

OLENA SADOVNIK

Ghalia Aissou reads her essay about Titanic out loud. tive students have to take a placement test. There are eight levels of English, from level 1 for students with no or very little English, through level 8, after which students can continue on with their college classes.

Currently, there are 25 locations in the Capital Region for learning English as a second language, according to the Office for New Americans. Information about the location of ESL classes is available on the ONA website and through other organizations assisting immigrants.

The Pine Hills branch offers classes for intermediate learners, who are at levels 4 through 6, on Monday and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon, and from noon to 2 p.m. There are 20 students in the morning class and 10 in the early afternoon class this semester.

“The idea behind these classes is to improve students’ reading, writing and speaking skills. We pay a lot of attention to language dictionary skills,” said ESL teacher Mary Curry. “I teach them how to build words. We also focus on grammar. They touch on topics of immigration and holidays.”

Students are also required to watch American news daily for this class. Most of the local ESL learners are professional people in their home countries. So, as

a result, accountants, teachers, journalists, lawyers, doctors and others work together on the advancement of their language skills.

“When I came to the United States last year, reading was the most challenging for me. I could read, but I couldn’t pronounce words the same way as Americans. I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s difficult to get my message across,” said Ghalia Aissou, who is from Algeria. She is native of Berber, fluent in Arabic and French.

Aissou also tirelessly learns English outside the classroom at any occasion: at the shop, at the doctor, everywhere she can hear people talking.

“When you start learning a new language, you learn it as a baby, from zero. It doesn’t matter if you have a degree or good education at home,” said Aissou. She likes her ESL class a lot and feels as though the teacher often goes the extra mile to help students master English and understand American culture.

Starting to learn the language from scratch is new for Amin Bozorgiyan, who worked as the youngest editor-in-chief at the GolesTan newspaper in Iran. He was a master of the pen in Persian.

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But one month after its opening in 2001, the newspaper was closed because of its objective coverage of the government’s social policies. As a consequence, Bozorgiyan was imprisoned for four months for his work on women’s rights.

After his release from prison, he was notified that if he ever again wrote critical articles on social problems he would be imprisoned for five years. This meant the end of Bozorgiyan’s editorial career.

Since 2002, he has not been employed in Iran. He worked as a freelance journalist, writing for the BBC and Voice of America.

In 2010, following the 2009 unrest against the Iranian government, Bozorgiyan received asylum in France with the help of the organization Reporters Without Borders.

Now the former editor looks forward to pursuing his degree in sociology in the United States.

Bozorgiyan came to New York’s capital city in July because of his friend, who studies at the University of Albany and recommended it to him.

“With the degree in sociology I hope to start a new life,” Bozorgiyan said.

Most of Bozorgian’s classmates also plan to apply to a university. The admissions offices at universities require foreign language speakers to pass the test of English as a foreign language, also known as TOEFL. “We do not prepare for TOEFL directly. These students are getting better, but they are not ready for TOEFL yet,” said Curry.

TOEFL is a complex test, which measures listening, reading, speaking and writing.

Patrick Belibi, a Fulbright scholar from Cameroon, who majors in English language teaching at the University of Albany, has experience in both: taking the TOEFL test and preparing students for it. Prior to coming to the United States last year, Belibi worked as an ESL teacher in Cameroon, where he prepared

students to take the TOEFL at the ISEIG Yaounde private English school for four years.

“Preparing students for TOEFL exam is very different from English teaching. When you teach at the regular English class, you set a pattern and pupils follow it, but qualifying students for the exam requires a teacher to adapt to students’ knowledge, fill their gaps and teach them techniques to succeed,” said Belibi. “TOEFL exam follows a certain template.

Students need to practice a lot before taking it, to gain better understanding of its structure and requirements.”

Last month, Belibi was going to be on the other side of the fence. He takes the TOEFL test as a requirement for his PhD application. He is confident about it and hopes he can score the highest, which will make him a competitive candidate. Meanwhile, current ESL students at the Pine Hills branch have several means to advance their listening and understanding skills needed for TOEFL. “Since English classes started in the library, the ESL corner became more in demand. The teacher often recommends to the learners that they check out DVDs. So, they can listen and see at the same time. Students also check out a lot of children’s books, where they have controlled vocabulary. So, early English learners practice with children’s books,” the librarian Havens said.

In the neighborhood, ESL classes are also offered at the Refugee and Immigrants Support Services of Emmaus. RISSE, at 715 Morris St., is a family-based center supporting newcomers in building sustainable lives in the U.S. For Christine Havens, it’s exciting to have English learners at the library. “We are glad to have them and we are thrilled to death to have English classes here.”

For more information about ESL classes offered at Pine Hills branch and registration, call 518862-4707.

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Albany Turns Out In Support Of SNUG

By JOE BIANCHINO Contributing Writer On a night that the City of Albany’s Common Council honored their high school’s boy’s soccer team, citizens turned out by the dozens to speak on an issue that threatens to claim the life of too many of their classmates.

On the docket was the Council’s vote of a city budget that failed to include money to keep alive the struggling SNUG program, which attempts to combat gun violence through mediation and other trust-based efforts.

SNUG, a program run by the Trinity Alliance of Albany, independent from city and state government, has struggled financially for much of its existence.

According to the Times Union, it was forced to shut down for five months in 2011 and 2012 because of lack of funding.

Another shut down was threatened in March before the state stepped in to ensure its survival, but the continuation of such a relief effort was not taken up by retiring Mayor Jerry Jennings when he presented his final budget on Oct. 1.

Monday night, as the Common Council weighed their approval of such a budget, resident after resident stepped to the microphone to voice their support of the program, and implore the Council, which has the power to call for increases to the budget, to keep the program alive.

Many spoke about its importance. “It’s too vital, it’s too important to just sweep it under the rug,” said another to the applause of the ever-swelling gallery paying only some mind to the gavel of the Council President doing his best to maintain order.

“How much blood is enough before someone does something that makes sense to stop the violence…how many bodies do we need to bury? You give me a count, just like you’re counting my minutes,” said Corrie Terry, 51, needling the Council’s decision to reduce the speaking time from five minutes to three to allow everyone a chance to speak.

Others’ appeals centered on the difference they’d seen the program make. “We had a great system in place. SNUG is a great system. It can work. Let’s not just rebuild it, let’s not just get

rid of it, let’s make it work. Let’s properly fund that program, because I’ve seen some differences it made in our community…God knows we need that program.”

Others, though, while still voicing their support for the program’s ideals, took issue with its execution, citing a lack of effort, a lack of interest, and a lack of effective decision-making on the part of those charged with running it.

Suggesting that wrong decisions had been made for personal and not community-based reasons, Terry said, “I question whether or not the entity that is the oversight for this, actually gives a damn about the community.”

Those working and volunteering with SNUG answered the criticisms, admitting that mistakes had been made, but blamed those errors on underfunding and under-staffing and joined the chorus of residents calling for financial help from the city.

That help did not come on this night. The council voted 10-3 to approve the proposed budget with only those minor changes already suggested by the body –

JOE BIANCHINO

A commenter and her grandson in support of SNUG at Monday’s Common Council Meeting.

JOE BIANCHINO

Mayor-Elect Kathy Sheehan vows to save SNUG at Monday’s Common Council Meeting. including an increase stipend for the Assessment Review Board and Changes to Social Security Line Items.

Council members voiced their own support of SNUG, but ultimately decided that any significant move on their part would limit the mobility of Mayor Elect Kathy Sheehan as she prepares to step into office facing what she characterized as a $16 million budget deficit.

“We’re facing a significant challenge,” said Sheehan during Monday’s public comments section. “I absolutely affirm that there is a need for SNUG, and I am committed to finding funding…I am confident we will be able to continue to fund and to operate this very important program, but we have to do it in a responsible way.”

James Sano, who represent’s Albany’s 9th ward, voted to pass the budget and said he supported Sheehan’s plan. “Her promise is a promise,” he said. “I don’t want to handcuff anyone by saying ‘this is the way it is.’ She asked for that latitude. We granted it.”

Leah Golby, who represents

much of the Pine Hills as the representative for the 10th ward, spoke publicly about her support of SNUG and regret that it was not being funded. “It’s here, it’s working, it’s effective,” she said.

Ultimately, though, she agreed with her colleague, eventually voting in favor of the budget.

“I’m confident we’ll find a way to find more money for it.”

John Rosenzweig furthered Golby’s comments. “I don’t think the funding for SNUG is going to be up for several months. I have confidence that [Sheehan will] be able to get the funding in an appropriate amount of time to keep it funded and operational.”

A frustrated gallery hoped the council members are correct, while their decision to approve the budget without SNUG funding starts the countdown to the program’s potential demise – the consequences of which many Albany residents fear. One individual who addressed the council said, “Today it could be my son, and today it could be my neighborhood, but remember, tomorrow it could be in yours.”

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Planning Board OKs Park South Plan

By MARK ADAM Contributing Writer The Park South Urban Renewal Plan moved one step closer to adding a new parking garage and apartments near Albany Medical Center Thursday evening. The Albany Planning Board unanimously approved three amendments and recommended the plan go to the Common Council, pending further review of the height of the garage.

The $110 million project includes a six-story parking garage with 855 spaces and apartment buildings with 268 rental units bounded by New Scotland Avenue, Myrtle Avenue, Robin Street and Dana Avenue.

The amendments to the plan were presented to the five-member planning board by Richard Rosen, vice president of Columbia Development, on behalf of the co-applicants, Albany Medical Center and Tri City Rentals.

The amendments included adding a sixth floor to the parking garage, increasing the number of apartment units from 256 to 268 and expanding the overall footprint of the building to include 405 Myrtle Ave. After Rosen’s presentation, six members of the community addressed the planning board, many of whom expressed concerns about the parking garage’s appearance and impact on neighbors.

“To me, it’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Virginia Hammer, president of the Pine

Hills Neighborhood Association.

Other residents voiced their opinions about the expansion of the parking garage.

“The Park South Urban Renewal Plan called for a garage there, so I’m not saying completely get rid of the garage, but I think that if there’s a need for this much parking, it needs to be more distributed throughout the area,” said Leah Golby, council member for the 10th ward.

One person who advocated for the plan was Richard Conti, council member for the sixth ward, which falls in the Urban Park South area.

“We are anxious to move forward and not have to restart this project,” he said.

After the meeting, a resident who lives on Lawnridge Avenue, and who addressed the planning board, was unhappy with the decision.

“I find it disappointing,” Dennis Gaffney said. “I don’t think the size of this garage will be good for the neighborhood. It’s an eyesore and it’s going to add a lot of unnecessary traffic.”

If the plan is approved by the Common Council, it will go back to the Planning Board for a discussion about site details.

“It was a good result for the project,” Rosen said. “It’s a result that’s going to require more effort and work on our behalf as far as some of the design issues that were brought up today by both the board and the public. But this is typical in a process like this.”

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Volume 82 Issue 15

Albany Sewers Crumbling

By DERICK NOETZEL Contributing Writer A section of closed sidewalk in the 700 block of Madison Ave. provides a window into a bigger problem facing the city every day – deteriorating 100 -year-old clay pipes.

Keller and Sons Construction, contractors on the job at 759-765 Madison, recently tore out a section of broken and blocked sewer piping to make way for replacement material. The old clay pipes are growing brittle and are also compromised because tree roots grow through the clay, said Justin Shievelbein, a sewer foreman for the city.

“The sewer’s shot,” said John Charland, a Keller employee who has worked on Albany’s sewers since 1978.

The pipes in the Pine Hills neighborhood and throughout much of the city are made of clay tile that resembles “the same texture as a coffee mug, with a different glaze,” said William Jefferson, another Keller employee.

“All the wastewater in the pipes makes the trees grow even faster and the roots end up blocking water flow,” said Charland.

The problem is further compounded when “sanitary run off water from the streets mixes with the sewer line,” Charland said, “so with the root blocking most of the path, water gets backed up into people’s homes, where it isn’t blocked and the two water lines are overflowing the pipes, the overflow of sewage ends up in the river.”

The costs to repair the entire system would be “astronomical,” according to Joe Hahn, project manager at the Madison Avenue site. “It’s impossible to put a price tag on a job. We never know how much work we’ll need to do until we start digging.” There are obstacles that sometimes get in their way to replace the clay pipes, like underground electrical wiring and water lines bringing clean water into homes. Hahn said, “We dig the old pipe out,

DERRICK NOETZEL

The sidewalk is closed off while Keller works.

DERRICK NOETZEL

The new PVC piping for the sewer. replace it, and replace any curbs or sidewalks, too.”

As a result, the price for just one break in the sewer line varies greatly between incidents.

Hahn said that the city was having Keller replace the clay tile with the newest state-of-the-art sewer material: PVC piping. “The only thing that makes it weak is sunlight,” he said.

Jefferson said that Keller is on an emergency contract with the city, so when the city employees

find issues in the system, Keller is called in to fix it. The workers said they have pretty steady work with their emergency contracts, and that the city needs to revamp its sewer system, especially with large complexes like Saint Rose’s new Centennial Hall. “They put that huge building in to pack a lot of kids in, and all of those kids are flushing into the same brittle sewer system as everywhere else,” Charland said.

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

By NICHOLAS NEGRON Staff Writer With over $300 million in ticket sales opening weekend, it is fair to say The Hunger Games: Catching fire is a tremendous success. The film is based off Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, sequel to The Hunger Games. Also, key in bringing this story to life was the director, Francis Lawrence.

Catching Fire focuses on main character, Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) life, postHunger Games. She deals with post-traumatic stress and soon learns she will be forced back into the arena.

The Hunger Games is sponsored by the government. Children, 12 to 18 are taken from each district in the Country of Panem, to fight in a televised battle to the death in an arena. In her first Games, she and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) attempted to commit suicide.

This led to a quick decision letting both Katniss and Peeta live.

While trying to make this pass as two teenagers madly in love, many see this as rebellion. If two teenagers can blatantly disrespect the government on national television, what is stopping anyone else?

The districts begin to rebel.

Peacekeepers (police officers) are fighting with the people, often subjecting them to whippings, firing squads or public executions.

This is the unraveling of an already fragile government.

“We talked a lot about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I had her speak to somebody about PTSD. Jena Malone, who plays Johanna, spoke to somebody. Woody (Harrelson), we start to discover his character, Haymitch, is a drinker because of PTSD. It was those kinds of little things because that was the element in terms of Katniss’ character that we wanted to explore – what that does to somebody and how a girl like Katniss really, she doesn’t want the responsibil-

ity that’s about to be laid on her shoulders. She just wants her old life back,” said Director Francis Lawrence to The Los Angeles Times.

Victors (winners of previous Hunger Games) are brought back and put into an arena for the 75th annual Hunger Games.

Many have been permanently altered as a result of their time in the arena. Some of the victors are addicted to alcohol and morphine.

Many have family members who have died as a result of the games.

Chaff, a victor from District 11, has a missing hand. Enobaria, a victor from District 2, sharpened her teeth in order to rip throats out easier. Haymitch, Disctrict 12 victor and mentor, sleeps with a knife.

In the novel, Peeta walks away with a new prosthetic leg. The first scene of the film features Katniss hunting. She is about to shoot her arrow at a turkey when a flashback occurs.

She pictures herself shooting a boy from her first Games. Katniss also has terrible nightmares.

No one person is ever fully the same after surviving The Hunger Games.

Oscar-winning actress, Jennifer Lawrence, portrays the main protagonist, Katniss. Other stars include Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Jenna Malone, and Willow Shields.

Seasoned performers such as Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks and Stanly Tucci also aid in making this film the magnificence that is it is.

Catching Fire holds a 7.5 /10 rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews are “overwhelmingly positive” according to CNN. This franchise has substance. It has award-winning potential. The final book, Mockingjay, will be split into two parts.

This will give more time in telling the complex finale to the book trilogy. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 will be released Nov. 20, 2014.

Arts

The Chronicle

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Almost Human: The Fall TV Season’s Best Debut

By ANDY GILCHRIST Staff Writer It’s a fact that The Chronicle has stated several times, but Hollywood seems to ignore: There are too many cop dramas on television.

They’re all the same, with only the quirks of the main detectives making a show any different from the rest. In a sea of police procedurals, it takes something truly off-the-wall to make such a show stand out. But if the concept is too daring and different for audiences to understand, the show will be dead on arrival.

Fox’s newest cop show, Almost Human, has managed to make a successful cop drama by not only making the setting different, but realizing that the characters are more important than the special effects. Truly unique characters, played by very talented actors, make the show instantly something to pay attention to. But it is the future setting and often hard science fiction that makes the show one of the most promising, and easily the most fun, new show on television.

The first episode opens over 30 years in the future, with John Kennix (Karl Urban), an LAPD detective, being seriously injured in a shootout. Nearly a year-anda-half later, John returns to the force with a bionic leg, despite protests from his captain. In the time John has been gone, a new mandate requires every human police officer to be partnered with an android partner due to crime levels rising at uncontrollable rates. John refuses, having lost his last partner, and leg, due to a robot’s actions.

Enter Dorian (Michael Ealy).

An older and flawed model of robot, Dorian has been decommissioned and is set to be transferred to NASA to build spaceships.

Seeing an opportunity to connect two mismatched lone wolfs, Captain Sandra Maldonado (Lili Taylor) recommissions Dorian and pairs him with John.

Though both initially hate each

other, their strengths complement each other perfectly, making them future Los Angeles’ best cops.

The show comes from some of the most talented people in genre television. Made by much of the same crew that worked on Fox’s cult sci-fi show Fringe, the series is produced by the same company that produced Alias and Lost, and is currently working on Person of Interest and Revolution. If nothing else, the people behind the camera have a solid track record that bodes well for the series.

But first off, it is not the first story to put a detective in a science fiction setting. Sci-fi novels from the genre’s golden age of the 1950s regularly paired up these genres, to varying degrees of success.

But no one has ever done it better than Blade Runner, the classic 1982 film about a retired detective brought back to hunt down rogue robots in 2019 LA. The show pays tribute to Blade Runner in many respects, most notably in Kennix’s love of noodles, a favorite of Blade Runner’s Rick Deckard.

Almost Human doesn’t break any new ground in the genre, but it isn’t trying to. It merely takes the best parts of the sci-fi cop show and presents the best versions of them.

Gadgets, specifically, are a must for any show in this genre, and the show doesn’t disappoint. Androids are obviously at the forefront, but robotic limbs, devices that can superimpose another face digitally over your own, and bombs that can wipe all DNA from the blast zone are used as well.

Another aspect of the futurist parts of the show that works well is that the world still resembles our own in many ways.

The cars may look sleeker, but at least they still have wheels. And guns may have been replaced by blasters, but at least they still resemble modern weapons. While technological advances are happening at an incredible rate in our time, just because Apple puts out

a new iPhone ever year doesn’t mean we’ll all be getting teleporters and be meeting aliens for coffee in a few decades. By advancing the world realistically, the show allows the viewers to take a sci-fi show a bit more seriously.

But as stated above, it is the performances that make this show a must-watch. While each character starts off as a common cliché, each actor gives more than is simply on the page.

John Kennix could easily just have been a cynical, gravelvoiced, Dirty Harry-esque cop, and by casting Dredd’s Karl Urban, it appears as though that was initially the intention. But Urban brings a sense of humor to the character, making him someone ready to riff with his partner, but who will pull his gun at a moment’s notice.

Similarly, Michael Ealy’s Dorian is unlike any android seen in recent memory. Instead of overacting the robotic aspects of the character, Ealy moves freely about a scene and talks like a normal person with tech-based abilities, with the exception of referring to every character as “man.”

Together, these two work perfectly off each other. While Kennix’s jaded cop and Dorian’s level-headed robot do recall such classic buddy cop pairings as Lethal Weapon’s Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, the show actually switches the expectation.

It is the experienced Kennix who can be the hothead, while “rookie” Dorian is more mature.

But like all great buddy cop duos, they work together perfectly while also learning how to be better cops and people from each other.

Almost Human started off with a strong pilot and has only gotten better in the two episodes that have aired as of this writing. In a fall season that has seen all sorts of hits and misses, Almost Human has risen to the top and is doing its best not just to take the title of best new show, but to stake its claim as one of TV’s best sci-fi shows.

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The Chronicle

Arts

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

California’s Avenged Sevenfold.

This is truly a band where there seems to be no middle ground whatsoever when it comes to what people think of them; you either love them or hate them.

Fortunately for the band, plenty of people love them. Their last two albums have debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, they’ve sold close to 10 million albums, and have toured relentlessly around the world in order to make their fan base grow.

While starting their careers in the late 1990s as primarily a metalcore band, A7X (as they’re commonly referred to by fans) have largely dropped that style and adopted a more mainstream, classic hard rock and heavy metal sound.

This, along with the frequent use of melody and harmony in their vocal arrangements, is one of the biggest points of contention haters of A7X have against them.

Another complaint frequently heard is that the band is trying too hard to sound like their heroes and do not have their own sound, especially on their latest album, Hail to the King.

To this, I respectfully disagree.

Avenged Sevenfold is a band who has always proudly shown their

musical influences, both in the t-shirts they wear and in the way they construct their songs.

That said, they’re not ripoff artists; they have managed to take elements from bands that influenced and inspired them and craft it into their own sound.

You can debate the silliness of their stage names (M Shadows, Zacky Vegeance, Synyster Gates, etc.). But with a mix of readymade arena rockers like the title track, “Shepherd of Fire,” and “This Means War” and slower tempo ballads like “Acid Rain” and “Crimson Day,” there’s no denying that A7X has found a winning formula that will continue to bring them continued success in the coming years, whether everybody likes it or not.

8/10

Bang Your Head with Brendan

By BRENDAN TENAN Staff Writer Welcome back to another edition of “Bang Your Head with Brendan,” the only column in The Chronicle that celebrates, critiques, and assesses everything that rocks.

My last column featured some of the celebrated veteran bands who have recently released new music. This week’s column features some of the newer, popular acts that have hit the airwaves and conquered the rock and metal charts.

Generally I’ll try to keep this column pretty eclectic to represent the myriad sub-genres of rock and metal that we all listen to and enjoy.

However, this week will be different. This week I’ll be looking at albums released by a group of bands that are not only from the same era, but are also grouped into the same sub-genre.

The dawn of the 21st century saw the emergence of many promising hard rock and heavy metal bands in the United States, so much so that critics and fans began referring to these groups as “The New Wave of American Heavy Metal.”

These bands all have one other thing in common: despite (or perhaps because of) their popularity, they are all groups who tend to elicit a divisive reaction amongst fans.

It often seems that people either love or hate these acts, with very little middle ground. So, without any further delay, let’s get in the pit and take a look at the latest slew of metal albums.

Lamb of God, As the Palaces Burn (10th Anniversary Edition): At the forefront of this “New Wave of American Heavy Metal” (or NWOAHM) is Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb of God. While their brand of metal may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying that they are one of the biggest and most re-

spected bands to hit the scene in the last ten to fifteen years.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the album that put them on the map and helped launch them to stardom, As the Palaces Burn. The album was one of the first from the metal world that took a strong stance against the policies of the Bush administration in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Fortunately, the lyrics penned by the band have aged well and don’t sound dated. Producer Josh Wilbur wisely decided to not tinker with the aggression and rawness heard in the album’s tracks, instead looking to present a more “hi-fi” version of the classic album.

The twin guitar attack from Mark Morton and Willie Adler, aggressive beats played by drummer Chris Adler, and singer Randy Blythe’s trademark guttural growls and primal screams are still heavy and mosh-inducing.

If you already have the original version of the album, it isn’t really necessary to get the special edition. The only added incentive are the demo versions of “Ruin,” the title track, and “Blood Junkie.” For those of you who don’t own the album yet or are unfamiliar with Lamb of God, this is a great place to start.

9/10 Trivium, Vengeance Falls: Another prominent band from the NWOAHM that has recently released an album is Trivium. Their latest effort, Vengeance Falls, largely follows the well-established thrash metal template.

This is especially evident with the excellent guitar work from Corey Beaulieu and guitarist-lead singer Matt Heafy and the double kick drum propulsion courtesy of drummer Nick Augusto.

What helps separate Vengeance Falls from many other recent albums put out by bands who owe much of their sound and structure to thrash legends like Metallica,

Slayer, and Exodus is the vocal delivery and style of Heafy.

While Heafy is more than capable of doing the rhythmic screams and growls that are commonly heard in thrash metal, he also is just as adept at singing in a clean, melodic voice.

This versatility helps give the band some extra dimension that many of their peers simply don’t have. (Heafy credits David Draiman, the lead singer of bands Disturbed and Device and the producer of Vengeance Falls, for much of his vocal approach on this album.)

Some fans have expressed frustration over the band’s change in direction from their earlier metalcore and melodic death metal sounds (a sentiment that will be seen again later in the column with another band), but what fans need to realize is it’s unrealistic to expect the same exact product with little to no room for growth, especially from a band like Trivium that’s still to expand their musical horizons.

8.5/10 Avenged Sevenfold, Hail to the King: Without question, the most popular, successful, and divisive band to emerge from the NWOAHM is Huntington Beach,

That’s all for this week, folks.

Be sure to check back next week, as I’ll be giving my two cents on the latest albums from a more eclectic collection of bands.

If you want me to review a specific album, email me your idea at tenanb400@strose.edu.

Until then, crank the volume up to eleven and keep rocking out to your favorite bands!

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Email Rachel Bolton at boltonr413@strose.edu for more information today!

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

Arts

The Chronicle

B15

Phantogram Home for the Holidays

By LAUREN HALLIGAN News Editor

Joshua Carter and Sarah Barthel are Saratoga’s hometown heroes in the music industry.

Together, they are indie pop duo Phantogram.

Phantogram’s music is a unique combination of organic and synthetic sounds, with a spacey element created by Carter’s expert sampling skills and beat creations. Barthel’s vocals glide across the songs as the icing on the cake.

Phantogram will hit home base on their winter tour at 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at Upstate Concert Hall.

Special guests, Until the Ribbon Breaks and Weeknight, will open. Tickets are $18 in advance or $20 day of show and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations, the club box office, or at Northern Lights Smoke Shop on Fuller Road, Albany.

WEQX favorites, the duo last played the Capital Region at the station’s Pearlpalooza festival in Albany last year.

Barthel recalls playing local venues like Kings’ Tavern and VFW halls in their early days on the Saratoga scene. “It’s a wonderful feeling to come back and everyone’s so proud of us,” she said.

Since their humble beginnings in Saratoga as Charlie Everywhere, the duo has gone on to gain national attention. Their music has been used in MTV shows and, most recently, their song “When I’m Small” is featured in a Gillette razor commercial.

Their latest single, “Lights,” will be heard by millions in the new Hunger Games film Catching Fire.

Phantogram caught on to the reality that they’d made it big when artists they once admired, such as Outkast and The Flaming Lips, were admiring them, Barthel said. “That’s when we knew we were doing something right.”

Hanging out in Atlanta and Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast asking them how they make the

Joshua Carter and Sarah Barthel of Phantogram. sounds in their music was the moment Carter and Barthel realized they were onto something fresh, new and special.

Many of these sounds that made them famous were recorded at Upstate New York’s own Edie Road Studios in Argyle. Even as the stars they’ve become, Phantogram still returns home to the rural barn-turned-studio to record their music, including their latest project.

Phantogram has a new fulllength on the horizon titled “Voices,” due out in early 2014.

Carter said his favorite song off of the new release is “My Only Friend,” the last track of the collection. The song is based on a melody they would play together when they started working on new material, but they didn’t quite know what to do with it at the time. “We would just play it and smile at each other,” he said.

When Barthel further developed the idea on piano and Carter created the beat, they knew they had created the grand finale for “Voices.” Carter said this beat is unlike any he’s done before, and gives the song a post-rock vibe. Carter

said that fans will get a chance to hear this new Phantogram tone live at the Dec. 7 show.

Phantogram will soon be play-

TIMOTHY SACCENTI

ing with a new full band at their live performances. Carter said that this helps to fill out their live sound and make the set more dy-

namic. Having more instruments on stage also breathes new life into the older songs they’ve always performed as a duo, Carter noted.

A couple of Saratogians living the musical dream, “I’ve always just wanted to play music and I feel very fortunate that I get to do it,” Carter said.

Barthel said her favorite part of being in Phantogram is making music with her counterpart.

“I think one of my favorite things is that I get to share this whirlwind of an experience with my best friend. I think a lot of bands aren’t as lucky,” Barthel said.

Carter and Barthel moved to Brooklyn a few years ago, but are humbled every time they come home to play a show in the Capital Region. They thanked Saratoga Springs and the surrounding areas for their continued support over the years. “We’re really happy to be part of this whole music culture that has blossomed,” Carter said, noting that Phantogram will never forget where they got their start.

TIMOTHY SACCENTI

Joshua Carter and Sarah Barthel will be performing on Dec. 7 at Upstate Concert Hall.

B16

Arts Netflix Diving: Movie 43 The Chronicle

By ALEX PECHA Staff Writer

There’s a lot to be said about Movie 43: but if I had to choose one phrase to describe my experience with the movie it would have to be “Oh boy” in a very exasperated tone as if I had just found out I’m expected to run a 5K in an hour.

Needless to say my experience with the movie was not exactly the best you could have with a movie. Let’s dive into it.

Movie 43 was a rather one note comedy movie that came out in January of 2013 (And movies that hit Netflix less than a year after they’re released are always utter masterpieces) that had an oddly all-star cast including A-listers such as Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Uma Thurman and way to many actually good actors.

The movie also managed to become profitable, most likely due to its cast and not a whole lot else.

The over-arching plot of the movie is a down on his luck screenwriter (Dennis Quaid) trying to pitch an “artsy” movie to a prominent movie studio.

How this actually plays out though is a bunch of small sketches, almost like a really long episode of SNL or MadTV. As is the problem with sketch shows you can never really know whether what you’re going to get is any good or not depending on the episode, that rule certainly applies to this movie in a bad way.

In case you hadn’t guessed by now this movie was not a good

one. It had its funny moments to be sure, but for the most part the movie was just…awkward.

The movie is best described as simply awkward, and terrible.

Awkward and terrible. I think the movie sealed its fate with the first “sketch” which depicted Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman on a date, the joke? Hugh Jackman’s chin was actually a pair of testicles….that’s the entire joke.

Hugh Jackman’s chin as testicles.

My utter disappointment with cinema and Hugh Jackman can simply not be expressed in simple worlds; perhaps a guttural scream with some tears but certainly not words.

The movie kept up with the awkward and poor humor for the most part, though it did have some chuckle worthy moments including Robin (As in Batman and Robin) using a speed dating service.

I also got a laugh out of a sketch featuring Chloe Mortez and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, not because the sketch itself was funny; but due to me remembering them actually doing a good job in the Kickass movies.

The movie is just an open insult to movie viewers, exasperated by just how many actual Alisters they somehow got to sign up for this.

It’s almost amazing, how did all these well-known actors think this was actual good script to sign up for? It boggles the mind.

The few chuckles in over an hour of movie do not excuse the utter insult the movie makers call comedy; this is ignoring the actu-

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ally offensive things in the movie that I will not get into right now.

I can’t even say the actors were good; the writing was so horrid that even if the actors had pulled all the stops it wouldn’t make up for it.

I can point out the actually horrible performance of the movie though, Dennis Quaid. Oh boy Dennis Quaid what happened?

I can confidently say that Quaid is a good actor but I really have no idea what he was thinking with this movie. Quaid playing a desperate and strained screenwriter was both unfunny and not at all compelling, he did a better job in The Day After Tomorrow; and that’s saying quite a lot.

At the end of the day when all I said and done Movie 43 is just a bad, bad, awful, terrible insulting movie.

I’m actually having trouble forgiving Netflix for actually thinking I’d want to watch it, especially when it normally has such a good sense about these things.

The writing is awful; the comedy is awkward at best and insulting at worst, and the acting was alright but even if it was good it wouldn’t matter thanks to the previously stated terrible writing.

In short if you want to see a comedy movie skip out on this one, actually, scratch that. If there is a choice between watching this movie and taking a baseball bat to the face I would heartily suggest taking a few swings from the bat, at least that will give you an interesting story to tell.

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

Eminem Returns to Rap Scene after 3 Year Hiatus

By KAyLyNN DAy Staff Writer “Guess who’s back, back again.

Shady’s back, tell a friend.” After being M.I.A for close to 3 and ½ years, rapper Eminem has set the hip hop world ablaze with the release of his 8th studio album. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 comes after the original The Marshall Mathers LP which was released 13 years prior.

Shady fans around the world (including myself) have been not so patiently waiting for some new material from Eminem since his last album release in 2010. It’s safe to say that he delivered material that made that long 3 year wait worth it, but we all are dying to know why it took so long.

According to Eminem in interviews he’s conducted since the album’s release, the reason behind the wait was simply pure laziness on his part. “It’s basically because I’m lazy that it took so long!” is what Eminem told France’s NRJ Radio.

And although laziness might have been a part of the issue, it’s obvious that there were more contributing factors to the hiatus than Eminem may like to admit to the public eye.

Throughout his entire career, Eminem has struggled with drugs and alcohol which was no secret to his audience.

In a way struggling with such an overpowering addiction was the fuel behind the fire that he ignited with his music each time he stepped inside of a studio.

But after realizing the negative impact his addiction was having on his life, Marshall Mathers decided it was time to make a change.

Eminem did everything that he needed to do to get his life back on track, hence his 2010 album title Recovery.

But if he was on the road to recovery, than why did it take him so long to come back and shut

the rap game down once again as only one of his high caliber could do so effortlessly.

One could speculate that after moving away from his once wild Slim Shady reputation, Eminem was lost and trying to find his place in the music world again.

Changing his life in a way meant that he needed to change the subjects that he talked about in his music. Making this life adjustment would be hard for anyone, especially someone in the spotlight at all times.

Taking a break from the game was maybe his way of finding himself and getting to the point of being able to share his craft with the world once again.

When asked about this album compared to the original, Eminem simply described it as “the exact same, but very different,” With this album, Eminem revisits much of the things he spoke on in the original albums work, but it has a more present day feel to it.

If you are familiar with his early work, then it is easy to see the direction he is taking his music in once again. Storytelling, sinister comedy and funny skits matched with top notch lyrics is what The Marshal Mathers LP2 has to offer.

And although the album keeps true to classic Eminem feel, you can sense a little bit more maturity and growth in the rhymes being spit this time around.

It seems as if he has been able to find a balance between who he wants to be in his personal life and who he wants to be in his music.

Eminem didn’t just revisit his Slim Shady days with his flows, he had to get the look as well. The infamous bleach blonde hair is the pretty red bow on this musical gift that he has graced us all with.

Mr.Marshall Mathers took a trip back to the past and resurrected Slim Shady from the dead, and it looks like he’s here to stay.

But who said taking a trip back in time is necessarily a bad thing?

C17 Opinion Black Friday Shopping: Is Simply Enjoying the Holiday Too Much to Ask For?

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

By KATELYN DOHERTY Staff Writer

going out on either Thanksgiving night or Black Friday just to save a buck is ridiculous.

I understand, yes, the consumer is important to business, but is opening up and starting deals on the night of Thanksgiving make that much of a difference? People line-up in the freezing cold and wait for hours just so they can fight others to get the best priced generally big-ticket items. It is of course understood that some people are still struggling financially and need to save some money on Christmas presents, but there will be other sales.

The idea of Black Friday just gives people incentive to feel as if they really are getting these items at just the right price. Honestly, though, when looking back at these events how many people, both employees and consumers either end up seriously hurt or even dead? This is something we should consider.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time for celebrating and giving thanks for all we have.

It is supposed to be a peaceful holiday. These companies are really going too far when making the decision to open their stores Thanksgiving night. It just isn’t morally right. The employees are forced to leave their families to go to work when they most likely do not want to, meanwhile the consumers are choosing to leave their families just to go shopping which can be done just the same the next morning or even later before the Christmas holiday. This year the incentive is even higher because Thanksgiving takes

When we think of Thanksgiving, we think about a time of getting together with family members, sitting down for a warm, hearty meal and sharing stories with each other. But it seems like as time goes on, this is aspect of the holiday is no longer valued as much. More and more people are caring less about the family portion of the holiday and more about the consumption of material goods.

Where can I get the best deals?

What time does this store open?

What time should I leave to get there before everyone else, are just a few of the commonly asked questions by consumers each year. Saving money nowadays seems more important than spending time with family and friends on Thanksgiving. It seems as people almost just glance over this holiday.

Yes, it may all be well and good for people to get these deals and help these businesses make money. But while it may sound perfect to the consumer, think about the individual that has to work the night shift as their store opens right after dessert. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the time with family members, they have to get ready to be trampled by thousands of crazy shoppers.

It is simply unfair for these retailers to open up their stores Thanksgiving night and force their employees to work. Is this really necessary? The fact our society is so overly consumed with

The Chronicle

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Some stores have begun Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night. place only four weeks prior to Christmas.

Stores such as Kmart, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Old Navy and Macy’s are opening on Thanksgiving night, some as early as 6 p.m. Why do these companies feel the need to open their stores this early? Just wait until the next morning. Open at midnight, but opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving night just does not seem right.

These companies are simply going too far. Last year both JCPenney and Macy’s opted not to open for business but this year they

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have changed their tune in an effort to compete with the other retailers that are opening.

Unlike the companies mentioned above, Nordstroms, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and BJ’s Wholesale Club are just a few of the stores that refuse to open on Thanksgiving night. Although these companies do not rely on Black Friday consumers as much, these businesses feel that Thanksgiving is a time for employees to have off and visit with their families. They will stick to the traditional views and stay closed until the last possible minute they can, waiting until Friday to open their doors.

The craziness that surrounds these two huge shopping days increases more and more each year. Who is to say that pretty soon people will just forget about Thanksgiving all together

because all they care about is the material aspect? Personally, opening on Thanksgiving night is just wrong. Many people look forward to spending time with their families and opening these stores up early really changes the dynamic of this holiday.

The fact that individuals will be deciding on whether or not to leave in the midst of a meal just to go shopping is just plain rude. Both business owners and consumers need to set their priorities straight. This holiday is about giving thanks for what we have, not for spending money on material things, like we do for every other holiday. No employee deserves to have to work on Thanksgiving night.

Katelyn Doherty can be contacted at dohertyk267@strose.edu.

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The Chronicle

Opinion

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

Wal-Mart Wrong in Asking Employees To Donate Food to Each Other

By KATHERINE BAKAITIS Staff Writer There are a ton of people out there in the world that have some huge issues with Walmart, and I’m proud to be part of those numbers. Why? Because of reasons like this: Thanksgiving food donation boxes for its own employees. You read that correctly. The Wal-Mart in Canton, OH has left out food donation boxes for employees to help out their fellow Walmart workers.

This is one of those situations where Wal-Mart tries to do the correct thing, but falls flat on their face. This “charitable drive” consists of Wal-Mart's management asking its low-paid workers to give to its even lower-paid workers. Multiple collection bins were set up in an employee-only area with a sign that read: "Please donate food items here so associates in need can enjoy Thanksgiving

dinner." This is almost as bad as their plans to expand Black Friday sales further into Thanksgiving Day, forcing workers to spend their holiday with deal-seeking crowds instead of their families.

This whole situation brings up an important question that has been drifting about for years now: are WalMart employees so poorly paid that they can’t even afford a decent Thanksgiving meal for their families?

Evidently the answer is yes. This happens to be the second year in a row where the Canton, Ohio Wal-Mart needed an employee food donation box.

And apparently last year, 12 associates out of that Walmart’s 300 employees needed food from donations. It doesn’t seem like much, 12 out of 300, but it’s the principle of the matter, and just the fact that people who are actually working are still poor enough to be able to accept food donations.

“This is the perfect example of how Wal-Mart operates.

The company is prospering while its employees are struggling to feed their families at a poverty- wage level.”

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Should a company as wealthy as Wal-martask employees to donate to other employyes?

This is the perfect example of how Wal-Mart operates. The company is prospering, while its employees are struggling to feed their families at a poverty-wage level. Charity towards their own works seems to be too much to ask for, so much so that they

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need to turn to its slightly better off employees to handle the task.

But Wal-Mart has come up with a wonderful explanation as to why they don’t intervene: "This is part of the company's culture to rally around associates and take care of them when they face extreme hardships."

As mentioned, at least half of Wal-Mart employees make what’s considered poverty-level wages for a family of four. For the last year, Wal-Mart employees have been rallying, striking and even facing arrest in an effort to fight for a minimum annual salary of $25,000. A report released by Demos showed that Wal-Mart spent $7.6 million last year to buy back shares of its own stock in an effort to hike up the price. If that money had been spent on workers instead, Demos found that Wal-Mart could have

raised employee hourly wages by $5.83- easily enough to cover a $25,000 salary for full-time work. Believe it or not, Wal-Mart is second place for the most unhelpful employer, right after the McDonald's employee help line telling their workers to apply for food stamps.

However sincere the Canton Wal-Mart employees may be in their effort to help fellow workers, Walmart workers don’t want handouts on Thanksgiving. They want, and deserve, to be able to afford their own meal. I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, and if you went out on Black Friday, I trust that you remembered to be nice to the retail workers.

Katherine Bakaitis can be contacted at bakaitisk161@ strose.edu.

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

Sports

The Chronicle

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Kobe Bryant Officially a Laker for Life

By TORI ADDISON Staff Writer

Kobe Bryant’s life just got a whole lot better, if that is even possible. As of last week he officially signed the contract that would make him a Los Angeles Laker for life. After signing a two year extension worth $48.5 million dollars, it is easy to say that he is set for the rest of his career.

First of all, if this is not a clear cut answer to when Kobe plans on retiring then I don’t know what is. This contract extension does nothing more than guarantee a smooth transition into his final season as a Laker. Lucky for him, he got away with avoiding a seriously unwanted pay cut. I guess that is what happens when you

are the face of a franchise. Unfortunately, some fans are not so happy about the deal. While some say he is an obstacle to rebuilding the team, others are more concerned over his so-called selfish ways. While I do agree that it may be hard for the Lakers to work around their salary cap issues after inking such a costly contract, it should be no surprise that the franchise is doing everything possible to keep Kobe on the team. What these fans seem to be forgetting is that Kobe Bryant is the face of the Los Angeles Lakers and pretty much has been since his existence in the NBA. It would be wrong to see him play in any other jersey, especially this close to his retirement. You got to give the guy some respect; he

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Kobe Bryant’s new contract sets him up to be a Laker for life.

is one of the greatest players of all time. Not to mention, getting rid of Kobe Bryant a few seasons before his retirement would be a huge slap in the face to such a monumental player. If Kobe finishes out his contract he will surpass John Stockton as the longest tenured player to stay with a single team in the history of the league. Kobe is a rare player and to be able to say he stayed on the same team his whole career is nothing short of amazing.

At this point in his career, Kobe absolutely deserves to be the highest paid player in the NBA. He only needs one more ring to tie Michael Jordan and still has two seasons left until his retirement. It may be a long shot to say that the Lakers will be contenders for another title in the near future, but you can never doubt the Black Mamba. In my opinion, he deserves every single penny from this contract extension. His killer mentality is the closest anyone has seen to Jordan’s, which is the one thing LeBron James could not even dream of contending with. Kobe’s dedication to the Lakers is one aspect of his game that seems to constantly go unnoticed by most critics. The thing that gets me is how some Laker fans are arguing that Kobe is not worth the salary extension. After all he has done for the franchise it is completely disrespectful to rant about the guy who was part of the five championship banners raised in Los Angeles over the past decade. It is not like he has been slowing down as he progresses towards the end of his career.

After all, he did lead the Lakers in points per game last season with a total of 27.3. Try playing that well as a 35 year-old that has been competing in the NBA since 1996. After everything that Kobe has done for the Lakers, I think it is little more than a requirement to keep him on the team until he decides it is time for his retirement.

On the bright side, knowing when Kobe plans to end his career will give the franchise more time

It was only right for the Lakers to pay Kobe for his services. to think of ways to rebuild once he is gone. In short, the contract extension guarantees that Kobe will not only retire as a Laker, but also that he will never have to worry about being underpaid.

When you have reached the Kobe Bryant status of playing basketball, refusing to take a pay cut has to be almost expected by general managers. After recovering from last season’s injury it is reassuring to know that Kobe expects to

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play for not only the remainder of this season, but also for two more after that. It is more than an accomplishment to remain on the same team throughout a player’s whole career, it is an honor. Kobe Bryant bleeds purple and gold and will continue to do so until the long awaited day that he announces his retirement from not only the NBA, but also from his cherished Lakers franchise.

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Sports

The Chronicle

December 3rd, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 15

Strezenec Keeping it in the Family

By JOSHUA NATOLI Sports Editor

Reasons for starting a new sport vary from person to person, but normally all are along the same lines; it could look fun, a way to stay in shape, or you could just be built for it. Senior outside hitter for the Golden Knights Volleyball team Christina Strezenec began her illustrious career for an entirely different reason. Upon an extensive snooping in her grandmother’s attic at the age of nine, Strezenec came across an old volleyball trophy which belonged to her late aunt, who happened to share the same name. “I can't tell you why, but holding that trophy meant a lot being that she was gone and I was still living,” says Strezenec. From that moment Strezenec began attending a few volleyball clinics in her native Long Island, New York, and

was convinced by the head coach of Hofstra University to play for their junior club team upon being called up from a massive amount of attendees.

Such high praise would continue for the defensive specialist in middle school. As an eighth grader, Strezenec as encouraged by her coach to make the jump to junior varsity, “I was definitely kind of hesitant because that was a big jump to make, and I didn't feel like I would be as strong as the other girls,” says Strezenec.

She became even more hesitant when she showed up to tryouts only to have the varsity coach tell her that middle school athletes jumping to junior varsity was prohibited by the district, so Strezenec would have to try out for varsity instead, “At that point, I was absolutely terrified because these girls were big and I was not,” says Strezenec. “For

ESTER STREZENEC

Strezenec began playing varsity volleyball in eighth grade.

Strezenec began playing volleyball after finding a trophy belonging her late aunt at nine years old. some odd reason, my coach had a lot of faith in me and gave me a spot on the team that year.” The odd reason turned out to be that Strezenec would be very good.

She earned all- conference and all-county honors, three MVP awards, was captain for three years, and gave a speech at the end of the year honoree banquet.

During her high school years Strezenec was being looked at by numerous college programs, some even at the NCAA Division I level. The appeal of attending and playing at a DI program was enticing and led Strezenec to a few visits to meet players, and attend closed practices. “For the most part, it's cold, demanding, and they own you from the moment you say ‘yes,’ says Strezenec. “After looking, I knew I wouldn't do well with all of that. Then Saint Rose came into the picture.” Despite hearing a bad review of Saint Rose from a teammate, a year later the school was on Strezenec’s radar while she was searching for DII colleges with solid art programs. “The coaches were quick to contact and meet me at tournaments and showcases in the region,” says

Strezenec. “They even went out of their way to arrange time for me to visit the studios and have one-on-one time with art department faculty. At the end of my college searching journey, it just made sense to come to Saint Rose because it was the best fit.”

From there, Strezenec helped the Golden Knights to an overall record of 60-45 during her four years of play. She was also named as a co-captain and contributed to a few runs at the Northeast-10 title. This success is attributed not to any particular skillset, but Streznenc’s mentality towards the game and her teammates. “I think the most important things that I did here was picking people up when they were down, getting everyone pumped for practice or a game, being that someone who was there when people really needed, and anything that fell outside of volleyball,” says Strezenec. “Don't get me wrong, I was trying my best to get better to become more efficient in every skill that I could.”

Although her Golden Knights career is over, future volleyball endeavors remain options for Strezenec. She has received

coaching offers from various beach volleyball programs along Long Island. Coaching the sports she loves while doing some art teaching as a substitute or aid is ideal for Strezenec, but only after she takes a year off to unwind after four straight years of juggling volleyball with being an Art Education major. Strezenec also hopes to save up enough money to attend graduate school for Special Education, something she has found a calling in.

Even after four years of competing, Strezenec’s most memorable moment as a Golden Knights remains the call she received from head coach Brian Goodale asking her to come to The College of Saint Rose. “With some doubt, I said yes,” says Strezenec. “And looking back I believe that moment was what really started a beautiful experience as a Golden Knight that ends with this: ‘Somewhere behind the athlete you've become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back... play for her’ a quote from Mia Hamm.”